Chapter 6: To be or not to be.... A spellslinger
"Yeah?" Alex turned to look at her, curious. "How?"
"It's not just a school. Ordo Custodes is... well, it's sorta like a hub for anyone who's different. Mages, yes, but also people with unique abilities, like you. People who don't quite fit anywhere else.
They call it The Arcane Crucible. You never know what's gonna come out, but sometimes, you find some genuine gold.
You might find some answers there. Or at the very least, a way to control whatever it is you've got going on."
"Unique, huh?" Alex mused, his fingers tapping lightly against the windowsill. He stared out, That just sounds like an euphemism for weird. But hiding in plain sight might just be the best way to go about my situation. At least maybe there I can get some powerful allies.
"So, what's the deal? They just let anyone waltz in and start slinging spells around?" He asked.
Becca snorted. "Not quite. There's an entrance exam of sorts. With the some training you'd probably pass without breaking a sweat. Although," she added with a smirk, "if you don't, I imagine the academy staff will be more than happy to put you in your place."
"Sounds interesting," Alex grinned, his interest piqued despite himself. "So... if I did stick around, would you be one of those people putting me in my place?"
"Maybe," Becca grinned. "Or maybe I'll just watch the fireworks."
Alex couldn't help but laugh at that. Despite everything, there was something about this place that was... almost inviting. But the thought of staying still gnawed at him.
They walked a little further, passing through more of the house. The kitchen, the common rooms, the staircases leading to upper floors—it was all well-kept but had an air of controlled chaos.
"You know," Becca began, breaking the silence, "you don't have to decide right away. I mean, you're not a prisoner here. You can leave whenever you want."
"Can I though?" Alex asked, half-joking, half-serious. "I got the feeling your mechanical arm might have a different opinion."
Becca laughed. "Touché. But seriously, you can go whenever. The arm was just following protocol, you know? making sure you didn't wander off before we got a chance to talk."
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of suspicion flaring up. "And what exactly did you want to talk about?"
Becca shrugged, but there was an inquisitive glint in her eyes. "Just... curious, I guess. About you. What you remember, what you don't. Why you're here. You know, the usual small talk."
Alex smiled tightly. "Yeah, totally normal small talk."
They reached a large sitting room with a massive fireplace crackling gently in the background. Alex glanced around at the comfortable chairs and bookshelves stacked high with tomes of varying sizes.
"Look," Becca said, sitting down on one of the couches and gesturing for Alex to do the same, "you might not remember everything, but there's a reason you ended up here. And I want to figure that out just as much as you do."
"Is there anything I could do, I'm pretty well connected, I could ask around if you'd like."
Alex hesitated before sitting down. "I'm not sure that's the wisest idea. I think its better to wait till I remember more. In the meanwhile can you keep your ear to the ground and give me a head up if anyone's looking for me? If contact is initiated I wanna be the first one to do so."
Becca's curiosity was natural, but he wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal—if he even knew enough to reveal anything at all.'
Still, there was something about her, something in the way she approached everything with a mix of humor and caution, that made him think she wasn't a threat. At least, not yet.
"I'm guessing its a bit wise not to put up the 'lost and found' posters before we are sure of why you were taking a late night bath at the docks. This means you are sticking around I presume?"
Becca's question lingered in the air like a challenge.
Alex's gaze shifted from the towering spires of the academy to Becca's face. Her expression, though casual, was hard to read. It was clear she wasn't just making idle conversation anymore.
"Sticking around," he muttered under his breath. "Not something I usually do. I think."
Becca smirked. "Doesn't seem like you've had much choice lately." She leaned against the window frame, arms crossed. "But hey, while you're here, there's something you could do."
Alex shot her a sidelong glance. "Is this where you offer me a job in exchange for room and board?" His tone was teasing, but Becca's grin told him he wasn't far off.
"Not just any job," she replied, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "River cleanup." Her eyes twinkled in a way very similar to Royce's. Oh, now I see the resemblance. A handful of lunatics.
"River cleanup?" Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "That's a bit of a downgrade from fighting enchanted arms, don't you think?"
Becca chuckled. "I didn't say normal river cleanup. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Vorta?"
"Vorta?"
"Lets just say the river's got a bit of a monster problem."
Monsters. Of course.
Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know, for a city that has a bunch of mages running around, you'd think keeping monsters at bay would be a higher priority. certainly not low enough to be a problem."
"Who said it wasn't?" Becca's grin widened. "That's what we're here for. The family's been dealing with it for generations. Think of it as a tradition—one we like to share with people who find themselves, let's say, displaced."
"Like me."
"Like you."
Alex's curiosity piqued despite himself. He didn't know what it was about this place—whether it was the pull of magic, the lingering questions about his past, or simply the fact that Becca seemed to have a way of making everything sound like a fun, dangerous game—but the offer was tempting.
Or maybe it was just how beautiful Becca was but eh... Who knows?
"Alright, so what's the catch?"
"No catch," Becca replied, turning to head down another hallway. "We call ourselves the Venatori, after my family name. It's an old title, not one we really flaunt. But we keep the river and its… inhabitants under control. And trust me, it's not as simple as just kicking them back in the water."
Venatori. River monsters. This city was getting weirder by the second, but there was something about it that felt right. Like he was supposed to be here, tangled up in whatever mess he'd landed in.
"So you want me to fight these river monsters with you guys?" Alex asked, following her lead.
"Something like that. It's more of an apprenticeship at first. You'll get to shadow some of the more experienced members of the house. They'll show you the ropes, teach you how to deal with the creatures and the magic they're tied to. It's good practice before you decide what to do next."
The offer hung in the air as they descended another staircase, reaching the ground floor. Alex remained quiet for a moment, weighing his options. It sounded dangerous, and yet...
"If I say no?"
Becca shrugged nonchalantly. "You go on your way, figure out what you're really here for. But something tells me you're not the type to just sit around and wait for answers to fall in your lap. This would give you a purpose, and who knows? It might even jog a few of those memories you've been chasing. You said fighting helps right?"
Alex mulled it over. The academy, the monsters, the enigmatic pull of this city… he couldn't shake the feeling that he was more attracted to thus place than he cared to admit. After all, he was alone.
"What kind of monsters are we talking about here?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.
Becca's eyes twinkled with mischief. "You'll see. Let's just say they're not your average river critters. The Vortas will make sure to satisfy all those battle junkie needs and then some,"
He hadn't seen any yet, but the name and the description alone sent an unsettling chill down his spine. He was getting excited.
"Sounds fun," Alex said dryly, trying to mask his growing intrigue.
"Oh, trust me," Becca laughed, leading him back towards the common area, "fun is definitely one way to describe it. You're in, right?"
Alex paused, feeling the weight of his answer pressing down on him. He thought of the flashes of memory, of the growing sense that this place—this city—wasn't just some random point on a map.
Whatever happened next, this was going to be the beginning of his life, in a sense it was his birth.
The academy loomed in the distance like a silent sentinel, and the idea of sticking around didn't seem so foreign anymore.
"Yeah," he said, nodding slowly. "I'm in."
Becca's smile widened, this time with genuine excitement. "Welcome to the Venatori, Alex. You're gonna fit right in."