Chapter 44

“It feels like being back in school, doesn’t it?” Nix beamed at us all. Her feet didn’t quite touch the ground.

We were all seated on chairs arranged in a half-circle facing Cuilcis’ table, and he was talking to the guards outside, telling them that we were not to be disturbed.

“Not really. I’m not planning to spend the time daydreaming and thinking about being elsewhere.” Steve smiled sadly.

I snorted. “Yeah. And nobody’s yelling at me, or telling me I’m an idiot. Yet, at least.”

“Hey. Don’t try to make us all feel down. We’re Americans. We’re supposed to have the crappy educations!” Nix said. Then she shut up and sat up straight as Cuilcis closed the door behind him and returned, taking his place in his high chair, facing us.

He didn’t waste his time. “I have agreed to teaching you, for half of today and half of tomorrow. If you do not pay attention and miss any details, if we make it past midday and you still have questions, I will not care. Also, I will allow each of you to gain the secrets to unlocking any two higher-rarity skills among those I know. In return, you will owe me one future favour, and grant me three days of reciprocal work, starting today, for doing my bidding, on top of payment already made.” He paused, looking over all of us. His tiny face was as inscrutable as ever, but I felt the disapproval radiating off of him. “Understood?”

We chorused our agreement.

“Good. Now. Line out exactly what you want to know.”

Nix leaned forward on her chair. “We want to know about the Kadren. First, a general outline about them, their mannerisms and behavior. Next, a thorough description about what is known about them locally – levels, numbers, any specifics or guesses you might have about their intentions and motives. Finally, we need the specifics that are known about the Kadren regarding the kismet – their quirks, their different species and the way they level. Also, any possible weaknesses or general information that could be used against them in battle.”

We’d talked about this. Extensively. All of yesterday, until my mind was stuffed with cotton candy and my contributions slowly became less and less until I pretty much just nodded along.

“Understood. What else?”

“We need a breakdown of how skills work, according to your knowledge. A general, but thorough description, as well as a list of all skills available to be unlocked-”

“That is impossible.” Cuilcis interrupted drily. “A common ask, but impossible. Not all skills are available to every person, species or even personality.”

“Then we’ll take your second closest guess, mate.” I said. “Don’t tell me that people don’t come to you for skill lists and the like all the time.”

“Yes, they do, but we have no knowledge on humans.”

I was expecting for him to try to weasel himself out of some of the task today, and this was very much along the lines of what I’d guessed. “In that case, if you have a list made up for… Crisians, I think you called them.”

He sighed. “Crisiuns. Yes. I can do that.”

“Great.” Nix beamed. “Then, we need a breakdown on how higher rarities of skills work in general to make sure we’re doing it right. And finally, we need general information on how to unlock skills.”

“Acceptable.” Cuilcis seemed to consider something. ”I will start with the Kadren. They are a known factor, and – even with questions and interruptions – I will be able to tell you all that is known about them in a short while. Learning about skills, meanwhile, is a grand effort, and will take time. The logics of kismet are not easily internalized. We will dedicate whatever remaining time we have today to skills, and I will hand you the list. Then you may choose your higher-rarity skills at the end of tomorrow, when you know what comprises a good choice.” He stared at all of us. “Does anybody have any objections? Because if you do, you may leave the premises.”

Following a deep breath, he nodded to himself and started.

“Normally, the Kadren as a whole would need no introduction. They are not among the very most powerful species of Ademia, yet they are infamous for what they are. Yet, with the general level of knowledge that Liam has displayed, his kin would require an in-depth explanation?”

“Yeah. That’s fair to say. Our kind don’t mix much with other species in general.” Steve admitted. We’d all agreed that play our cards close to hand and act like we were just a smaller, but somewhat insulated species from Ademia.

“I noticed.” He considered his words. “You know about Calamities, of course.”

We all nodded along amiably. We knew about one Calamity. Because he’d told me. Glad he hadn’t made that connection.

“Well, what a lot of people tend to not realize is that – outside of the more powerful species like the Tavungor, Adrastians and the Hemlark – the Kadren are the species most likely to go to war whenever a monster evolves enough to become a Calamity. I mention this, not to intimate how powerful they are, but as an indicator of the general inclinations of their species. The Kadren crave battle and advancement.”

“No doubt about that.” I murmured. The damn beasts had been flinging themselves at us with no sense of self-preservation or fear.

A scream tore through the room. It’d been a few days since the last one, and I barely raised an eyebrow by now. It was… weirdly muted, though. From being indoors?

Cuilcis paused a split second, then ignored it entirely. “They are an interesting species, in general. Mentally, I mean. Normally, you wouldn’t even call them a species, given that there is such difference between a Skreeling and a Glimmerscale. Yet, they all evolve from the same cocoons.”

I felt myself inadvertently grimace in distaste at that. Haddock, meanwhile, just looked confused.

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