Chapter 57: The Gossip and the Bet

  Learning a new glyph was a very different experience to learning a new sigil. The sigils were easy to weave, with few curved lines—sometimes none—and absolutely no twisting, turning, circling, and whatever else the glyphs often required. Instead, sigils lined up in a series of symbols…or at least that was how Theo had weaved them. The primer showed more complex sigils and combinations in the later pages, but there were no single-line combinations taking the width of a whole page or three. The former point still stood: no complex individual symbols.

  Glyphs—whose constituent parts could be deciphered by someone knowing several of them—had their individual sections too complex for comfortable weaving. Their only saving grace was that none of it needed to be perfect. One could mess up a total of twenty percent of the glyph and still be able to cast the spell the pattern generated. It would be weaker than a perfect weave, but still better than a simple fizzle of mana. The work required to put in to learn a glyph also came with a bigger reward than the sigils, as the spells also proved infinitely more complex in their effects than Theo’s sigils did.

  Theo had touched on a specific element of weaving back in the dungeon with Grace when he learned the ‘Water Bullet’ spell, an element of weaving that would prove much more important when learning and casting ‘Shadow Veil’. To prolong the time his mana-weaving remained in the air before it dissipated, he’d have to turn up the juice, opening the valve and releasing more mana at once. It was a given for more complicated spells, but it was also another reward for those diligent in learning the glyphs: weaving them faster required less mana while keeping the strength of the spell the same.

  Theo’s sigils were basic enough for him to weave without mana cost, and since each of them locked in place for a full minute after being completed, he didn’t even have to splurge on a longer combination of sigils. ‘Water Bullet’ was different in that Theo had to increase his otherwise ‘normal’ flow of mana and weave for a much longer duration, even after having cast it several times. He was getting it down, but progress was slow. It cost him several points of mana just to weave, with the addition of the drain from activating the spell. ‘Shadow Veil’ proved more difficult, and after two hours of intense weaving and studying the diagram in the book, he finally finished the glyph for the first time.

  The lines, a squiggly circle with a rough star-shape in its centre, connected with the starting line somewhere in the labyrinth that was the glyph’s centre—Sherblanc’s recommended place to start—and the glyph chimed. It vanished in a flash of magical dust.

  Sherblanc laughed as Theo’s widened eyes turned downward. “Maybe sixty percent. Now that you’ve completed it, you know how much mana you need to weave it, maximum. More training shouldn’t make the weaving take longer, after all.”

  While disheartening, Sherblanc’s words rang true. Theo had already figured he’d fail the first time; it was an intricate design that took him nearly two minutes and twenty mana just to finish, after all. Now, Sherblanc wanted Theo to focus on the individual parts of the glyph. He divided it into five parts, each completing one section of the entire glyph. He warned that not all glyphs were as easy to divvy up this way, or that some had fewer sections easily partitioned.

  Sherblanc’s way separated glyphs into sections by simply observing their structure: knots, spirals, somewhat cohesive shapes, and otherwise connected twists and turns all could be separated this way. Some lines circled all of these, and some circled only a few, but Sherblanc used to ignore those circles. If Theo couldn’t weave a perfect circle now and then, what was he doing weaving complicated glyphs?

  Having weaved the glyph in its entirety, Theo agreed that focusing on the more troublesome parts before joining them together in one cohesive weave was the right approach. He started with the first, a ball of twine in the centre of the glyph. The weave was more a memory-puzzle than anything else; the complexity lying in which way the latest line would cross the previous ones and at what time. It wasn’t difficult—just messy.

  He practiced this several times, each time getting better, at least in his perspective, but time would tell. Sherblanc was doing the same thing Theo was, just with another spell Theo didn’t recognise with his limited repertoire. His tutor’s grin outshone Theo’s own focused frown as Sherblanc practiced the new spell just from memory. His mental stat must be high as hell, thought Theo as he switched to the next shape in his own glyph.

  Hours passed, and Theo soon couldn’t keep his concentration up anymore. His stomach growled for sustenance, louder by the minute until he couldn’t take it anymore. Sherblanc joined him outside, both finding their surroundings darker than expected. The smell of burnt firewood and carbon filled the air, leading them both to a lit campfire surrounded by people already eating. A warm welcome resounded, building on the heat of the fire.

  Grace was there, though she sat by herself further from the fire than the others. It was also impossible to notice the second newcomer that day, the giant Drian, who was also sitting alone a short but marked distance from Grace.

  Even through the friendly welcome, Theo noticed the tension hidden between certain people in the collective. As Wen pushed a wooden plate his way, topped with a grilled fish and some mushrooms, he saw Julie casting odd glances at the just-arrived dungeoneer. Even Sherblanc fell silent and worried after seeing Grace’s odd behaviour—sitting apart from the others didn’t match his previous observations.

  Theo ate. The plate grew lighter by the second until it was empty, then he got a refill of foraged fruit and berries. It was a balancing act, but one day soon, they might have bowls. He made his way towards Grace after sharing a look with Wen and sat down next to her, ignoring the tension radiating from her.

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  “You dropped something,” she said, moving her legs to find the small sphere of fruit that had fallen.

  “Nuh-uh, I sent it your way, not my fault you didn’t take it.”

  She responded by taking a handful of food from Theo’s plate instead, moving it over to her own as she nibbled a few pieces at a time. Though surprised, Theo only smiled and let her be.

  “I’m not a wounded girl asking for help, you know,” she said moments later when her mouth had cleared away the food.

  Instead of commenting on her words, Theo started with why he had approached her. “During our first dungeon run, you alluded to your past, but I was too interested in your engravings and all the stuff I learned down there to pay enough attention to you. If I’d been less socially awkward, I might’ve got the context clues. I’m not here to check up on you; I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “That’s what checking up on someone is.”

  “No, I mean…Okay, I’m checking up on you. And saying sorry if I neglected you.”

  She smiled and glanced at him. “You’re not neglecting anyone. And thanks.”

  “No need to thank me. I know I get caught up in the moment a lot, maybe even on the wrong thing, but…I’d like to know what you’ve been through, if you feel up for talking about it.”

  “Maybe,” she hesitated. “But I warn you, it’s dark and might get a bit scary.” Despite her words, she flashed her teeth and raised her eyebrows in jest.

  “I only heard ‘bring snacks’,” Theo continued in the same manner. “Would you also mind if I got to see your engravings? They’re related, right?”

  She laughed for the first time since he had sat down. “You still don’t know what you’re asking. Do you think everyone goes around sharing all their skills or traits all the time? What spells they know or what boons they have? This place that you’ve made reflects you—things are shared and people are open. Mostly. You have a certain…attraction. It’s easy to be pulled in and be affected by your earnest attitude. But notice how everyone is just talking about their highest skills.”

  “Now, all I hear is that you’d love to show them to me and that I’m attractive,” Theo teased.

  Grace’s shoulder bumped playfully into his. “Maybe.”

  They finished their plates of Theo’s food, taking their time with it and enjoying each other’s company. If nothing else, at least Grace’s mood seemed lifted. When both plates were cleaned of almost any trace of food, Grace took Theo’s plate into hers and stashed them next to her before inching closer on the log bench, tilting her head into his. The sudden closeness was quite a surprise, but then her soft, whispering words removed some tension from the situation.

  “Did you catch that there’s a bet going on?”

  Her breath warmed the lobe of Theo’s ear rather intimately, which he quite enjoyed. He turned his head to look at her, finding her eyes shimmering, her head tilting towards Julie and Willam sitting closer to the fire. Theo got the feeling Sigil Lake’s very first gossip had arisen.

  “About those two?” he asked.

  “No! The new guy. Julie knows him, but she hasn’t said anything to anyone and he doesn’t seem to know or recognise her.”

  Theo turned to glimpse the brutish, red-haired man.

  “What’s the bet, then?”

  “Wen thinks it’s Julie’s brother, long lost to her or something. Bella thinks they’re old lovers, separated by fate and now finding each other again, right here in Sigil Lake.”

  Grace’s voice couldn’t quite evade a slight laugh as she spoke, especially when voicing Bella’s bet.

  “I can see both options being true,” Theo confirmed. “Maybe a little less dramatic on both counts, though.” He laughed along with her. “What do you think, then?”

  Her eyes met his again, the reflection of the large flame making her eyes look so alive. “Willam thinks—or hopes—it’s just an old friend.”

  “Are you avoiding placing a bet?” Theo teased.

  “No, I’m with Wen on this; they share certain physical traits that’s hard to miss.”

  Theo turned to look at the man again. Other than their hair, he couldn’t see any close resemblance. Unless their chiselled and very different physiques could be counted. What the new guy, Drian or Durian, had in bulging muscle, Julie had in lean, athletic shape. Both had certain…endowments, but Theo’s experience would say that Aera’s populace was luckier in that regard, in general. Even Sherblanc was rather handsome, even behind that poor attempt at a beard.

  “Hmm…I’m leaning towards Willam’s thoughts on this, I think. Childhood friends, maybe? It would explain why he doesn’t recognise her. Neither of them looks so old that they wouldn’t recognise each other if they had been lovers at some point, right?”

  “My reasoning as well,” Grace agreed. “But I bet they’re long-lost siblings.”

  “What’re the stakes then?”

  “Hm?” Grace asked.

  “Of the bet?”

  “Nothing? The honour of being right?”

  Theo chuckled. “What about we let this be the decider, then? If I’m right, you tell me about yourself and your past, going into as much or as little detail as you’re comfortable with, of course. Maybe even show me your engravings?” The latter part, he said with a pitched voice to disarm her.

  “And if I win?”

  “Then…you don’t have to tell me?” he squirmed.

  She grinned. “I already don’t have to. What if…you joined me for another dungeon run?”

  “Gladly,” Theo sighed. She could’ve found something worse for him to do, easily. “I’d join you either way, you know that, right?”

  “Sure, but this time, it’ll be on my terms.” Teeth flashed, white as the moon but dripped with an orange tint from the nearby flames. Theo found himself mesmerised once more, but the feeling only lasted a fraction of a second. He realised that ‘her terms’ wouldn’t be so agreeable as Theo would’ve hoped in a normal dungeon run. What if she’d make him fight the boss alone? What if she’d force him to torment the Treens with fire again? But what if her sharing her past was as difficult for her? If she was providing a term for her victory in this bet, then she must’ve already agreed to his terms, right?

  “O-okay,” Theo agreed.

  “But what if we’re both wrong?”

  “Then…nothing’s changed?”

  “Deal,” Grace nodded.

  They eyed each other, fumbling for a way to physically show their agreement to the terms of the wager. Theo would’ve gone for a handshake, but he was once more lost in her visage. A shift in the status quo of the party closer to the flames caused them both to stir, turning their heads away from each other with a jerk. Silence fell in the same moment, leaving nothing but the crackling of firewood as ambiance.

  Julie had risen, now standing on her firm feet, facing Drian’s direction. She took a deep breath; her face went through several expressions before settling on determination. Her hands didn’t seem to catch on, twitching as they were. Theo could swear her right hand was clutching for the handle of her axe, Havoc, the Woodslayer. She couldn’t reach it with a flick of her wrist, and her arms were listening to the same orders her face was.

  Then, she stepped towards Drian, one stride at a time.