Chapter 279 – Brother and Sister

Chapter 279 – Brother and Sister

 

Kai fiddled with the rusty latch of the window. The pane creaked open and let the brisk morning refresh the stale air of his bedroom. Dawn hid behind the houses, and threads of airy mist hung on their slate roofs. The scene might have looked ethereal and beautiful if most locals didn’t seem ready to stab him in his sleep.

What a charming little town.

A chilly gust bit his cheeks and made him shiver. The temperature was colder than it ever dipped in the archipelago, and it was only going to get worse as winter approached.

Women wrapped in dark shawls and sluggish boys wandered the streets on early errands, their steps stilted by the wind. The town appeared lethargic, with most of the activity confined to the moors, where fishermen rowed their dinghies on the icy blue surface of the lake.

The Orange-1 density for a mile around the settlement should be relatively safe for adults, though Kai wouldn’t trust any of those boats to face a beast. Even at a lower grade, aquatic creatures could bridge the gap in their home environment.

They must have profession skills for that…

A knock woke him up from his musings.

“We’re going to get breakfast,” Flynn spoke through the door. “You coming?”

“I’ll reach you in a minute.” Kai shut the window and rubbed his arms. He slipped into the enchanted clothes for town life, latched his boots tight and stored anything of value inside his ring. He trusted this inn little more than leaving his possessions in the open streets.

In their hurry to reach Kea, they had settled for the closest place, and were already regretting it. All night long, every time someone stood to use the privy, snored or grunted, the sounds echoed through the thin walls of the Weeping Heron like bells. He just managed to close his eyes because most of the rooms were empty.

The lumpy mattress was better than sleeping on a cot of leaves and rocks, though those didn’t cost him half a silver each night—food not included. No matter how small the trickle, his pockets would eventually run dry if the coin only flowed one way.

I should start practicing what I’ve preached to Rain.

His steps squeaked on the old wooden boards to get down the narrow staircase to the common room. Flynn and the siren occupied a table below the single window, merrily chatting over breakfast.

“Over here!” Flynn pushed a chair open and waved to a bowl already set for him. “You must try this.”

“Thank you.” Taking a seat, Kai inspected the pale porridge. Under the teens’ expectant gazes, he brought a spoonful to his mouth, almost expecting it to be some joke. “Mhmm… It’s quite good.”

The creamy oatmeal was the best thing he had eaten since leaving Varsea—which by itself wasn’t a hard achievement, but a welcome one, nonetheless.

“You should try these too,” Rain passed him two bowls filled with golden honey and wild berries. “The red ones are my favorites.” He watched for his reaction with gleaming eyes.

Adding a handful of tiny strawberries, Kai made sure to savor and show his full appreciation. “They’re great.” His own problems suddenly looked far more manageable.

The siren nodded satisfied, back to perusing the assortment of colorful berries. “What do you call these?”

“Uh… those should be blackberries,” Flynn threw one in his mouth before scrunching up. “Not quite ripe.”

Kai idly ate his breakfast, happy to quietly listen to the two boys chat about the local food. He had gotten his fill of talking the day before. Sat at this same table, Rain had quickly understood the goal of his inquiries and been happy to discuss his education.

In the yet unnamed abyssal palace, he had learned over a dozen forms of magic. Aside from spellcasting and fighting, his lessons had focused on identifying runes, elixirs and rituals, their strengths and limitations, rather than practicing them himself. His experience with enchanting had been for his own entertainment.

When you were almost assured to live for centuries, it was only sensible to take a few decades before committing to any path. And he did not need to craft any item for money.

Perhaps more surprisingly, were all the subjects not related to magic and skills. From the languages and history of the races that dwelled on the coast and depth of the Talthen continent, to etiquette, music, beastiology and more he wasn’t allowed to discuss.

Definitely high nobility, or whatever the siren equivalent is. If I were him, I would probably know the name…

The conversation highlighted his ignorance, but also his strengths. Their education stood at opposite ends. While Kai couldn’t hope to compete with his comprehensive knowledge, Rain hadn’t received much in the way of practical experience. Every lesson had been delivered to him, taking for granted they would continue for decades more.

“Are you still with us, Mat?” Flynn tapped his empty bowl. “You must have been starving for decent food. Niel has told me about some good taverns if you want to check them out.”

“Perhaps later.” Kai scratched his ear, trying to recall the last bits of the conversation lingering in his mind. Rain had already set up the ward, so their words would be safe from sneaky snoopers. “You were talking about how it went with Kea’s group.”

“Yeah…” Flynn’s slightly narrowed eyes said the act wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Huh.” The siren looked up from a plate of berries arranged in the shape of a seahorse. “I can leave if you want.” From the pleading shine of his eyes, he’d quite like to stay.

“There is no need.” Kai waved him to the seat. After yesterday’s conversation, it would be hypocritical and pointless to keep hiding obvious secrets.

He must have already deduced most of it anyway.

“So, is the team going to be a problem for me?”

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“Who do you take me for? I’m not an amateur.” Flynn twirled the spoon between his fingers. “I’ve sold them your cover story with a few amends for meeting me and Kea. They aren’t totally convinced, but Niel and Caeli won’t cause problems if you stick to it.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Kai said with a sheepish smile. “And what about Mari?”

“Hmm… I can’t tell with her. She didn’t speak much last night. Or look too interested in anything that’s not written on a page. Just avoid her. She’ll be too shy to insist.”

Avoid your problems. I can do that!

“I can do that,” he added a moonberry for the eye of Rain’s seahorse. There was still another person yet to be mentioned. “And Kea?”

His sister had been surprisingly amenable yesterday, though, after a lifetime of impulsive decisions, Kai didn’t know what to expect from her.

“She understands.” Flynn brushed it off as a matter of course.

“She does?” He glanced at the window, almost expecting her to break through to punch his face.

“Yes, I’ve told her an abridged version of your careless vacation. She won’t breathe a whisper of it even in front of a truthteller.”

Everything’s solved then. I’ll never get tired of delegating work.

Kai was about to stand up when Flynn stretched a leg to hold his chair.

“Wait there. We still have to discuss the changes to your story, and how to move forward. Even my genius has its limits. I can’t sell a bucket of saltwater to the same people twice. We can’t afford another slip.”

“Do we have to do it now?”

Flynn gave him a flat look. “Are you going to see Kea’s group today?”

“Uh, I see your point.” He plopped back into his seat. “What did you have in mind?”

The discussion quickly turned into a one-way street where Kai dutifully listened and ate the tail of Mr. Berry Seahorse.

Rain occasionally offered suggestions to liven the story, usually including long-lost siblings, secret cults and improbable romances. Halfway through, he suddenly stood up and covered his ears. “Don’t tell me anything. I’ll discover the mystery by myself.” Leaving the sound wards behind, he ran away to his room.

Kai shook his head. “He’s quite odd.”