Chapter 275 – The Tower

Chapter 275 – The Tower

 

Muffled voices stirred Kai awake. Shadows and lights danced beyond his eyelids. He was lying on a cold stone floor. Despite his dazed head and heavy limbs, he had all his fingers and toes. Whatever toxin he got injected with, it wasn’t lethal, or the potions had an effect.

I can’t believe that worked. Thank you, Hobbes.

His familiar sent back a regal acknowledgment, their bond still working. The furball paced outside the swirling fog, less than five hundred meters from him. Perceiving the magic in the mist, he was hesitant to come closer.

Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. I’ll reach you once I fix this.

A rock was digging into his back. Kai reached to dislodge it when something sharp brushed his neck.

“Don’t move!” The face of a girl about eighteen with delicate pale features and sharp eyebrows came into view. She stood over him with a rapier pointed at his nose, her dark hair tied in a ponytail. “Did you follow us here?”

“Stop that, Caeli.” A male shadow with the wavy brown curls typical of the archipelago walked behind her. “He’s just a boy.”

“We’ve already discussed this. He popped out of nowhere!” She gestured with her blade too close to him for comfort. “It could be another trick of the mist. We can’t trust anything in this place.”

“We also agreed this place is protected. The cloud fairies can’t come to the tower.”

“We can’t be sure.” Caeli snorted and continued to squabble.

Where is Kea?

Across the bare stone chamber, a young woman with shoulder-length hair and green eyes sat reading a book—not his sister. An enchanted staff rested on the wall beside her. She gave him an exasperated smile as if to say he shouldn’t mind the other two. There was no one else.

Still lying on his back, Kai propped himself up on his elbows to stand up. The rapier whistled back to his nose.

“I said to not move!” Caeli coldly watched him. “Who are you? Did someone pay you to follow us here? It’s that slimy weasel, isn’t it? If you think killing us will be so easy, you don’t know who you’re dealing with!”

“Uhm…” Kai cleared his throat, his tongue still somewhat unresponsive. “Ima domeehn…”

“What language is that?” The dark-haired girl narrowed her eyes and pressed the rapier against his chest. “Do you think I won’t do it after what you did to Caeden?”

“Calm down, Caeli.” The young man pulled her arm back before turning to Kai with a studious gaze. “I don’t think you’re a spy. But you must tell us who you are and how you got here.”

“Imasht.” Kai clenched his jaw to hide his frustration in case they interpreted it as a hostile move.

Caeli’s blue eyes gleamed dangerously. “Are you making fun of us?”

“I don’t think he’s doing it on purpose.” The young woman closed her book and walked closer. “He must have been poisoned by the cloud fairies.” She pointed to the blood on his hands.

“That’s not possible.”

“Caeli’s right, Mari.” The man begrudgingly said. “He would have been unconscious for hours, not twenty minutes.”

“He has probably drunk some potion, and his race is at yellow.” Mari waved at Kai’s face as if that explained everything, a Mana Sense passing through him.

Hey, didn’t they tell you it’s rude to snoop?

The mention of his grade made Caeli raise her rapier while the young man reached for the sword at his side.

Repaying the favor, Kai found all three were at the peak of Orange with their profession in the mid to high levels—quite impressive for their age. This could only be his sister’s team, but when he extended Mana Observer through the tower, Kea was still nowhere to be found.

She can’t be dead. They don’t look distraught.

The fastest way to get answers lay in the three wary humans. Kai slowly sat cross-legged on the stone floor to look non-threatening, and carefully channeled Body Augmentation in his facial muscles.

“I’m Mat,” he articulated. “I don’t mean any harm.”

The squabbling duo cast a glance at the quiet woman. When Mari gave a light nod, they visibly relaxed, though Caeli didn’t lower her rapier. They must have some kind of skill to gauge his intentions.

This complicates things…

“Oh, I’m Niel. And these are Caeli and Mari.” The young man pointed at his companions. “Sorry for the rude welcome, Mat. If you’ve seen what’s outside, you’ll understand why we’re all a little jumpy. Why are you here?”

With the possibility of a lie-sensing skill, Kai carefully chose his words. “The clerk at the Hall of Seekers told us a team came here to investigate a disappearance and didn’t come back. My team and I got separated in the mist.”

“Are you saying you came looking for us?” Caeli sounded quite skeptical. “Why would you care to do that?”

“I— We came to Limgrell to look for Keandra. I and one of my friends know her family. They had asked to check on her when we reached the mainland.” It was the truth, though not the whole of it. Telling them he was her brother would create too many issues with his identity to be worth it.

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I hope Flynn and Rain didn’t follow me.

“You’re from the archipelago…?” Niel gave him a once-over.

Caeli lowered her blade and looked between him and the other two. “But he doesn’t look much like you.”

“One of his parents must be from the Republic,” Mari said, back to reading her book. “You know, just like Kea.”

Dammit.

Spending so little time outside, he had lost his tan; hopefully, they didn’t look too similar. “My father was also from the mainland.” Kai scowled to discourage any follow-up.

“Even if what you say is true, it doesn’t explain how you appeared from thin air.” Caeli crossed her arms. “You’re lucky I didn’t slice you up.”

“How did you do it?” Niel sounded more fascinated than wary. “It was like you teleported.”

“Well… I did.” Kai bit his cheek. “I was cornered by those mist abominations and I couldn’t find the entrance to the tower. It was my last resort.”

“Can you get us out of this trap?” The man’s gaze glimmered with hope.

“No, I only crossed a few meters. And it’s not something I can repeat.” Not without Hobbes’ last assistance and all his Favor.

Space Magic was too rare to pass unnoticed, and it wasn’t something Matthew should know. It was better to leave them guessing on a vague explanation. They’d sooner think he used some unique artifact than believe he cast the spell on his own.

“Where’s Keandra?” Kai used their silence to change subject. “She came here with you, right?”

The trio shared a guilty look, gathering in a corner of the chamber to gesture and whisper among themselves. “He could be lying. We don’t—” Caeli’s voice rose before she went back to murmur.

Coming to some sort of agreement, Caeli stood nailed in the corner, lips pursed, and Niel stepped forward. “Kea’s outside.”

Kai blinked. “What do you mean outside?” He stared daggers at them. How could they be so calm if she was with those monsters?