How did he figure it out? Was I that obvious? Oh man, he's going to hate me if he does. Wait. Why do I care what he thinks of me, he's a random stranger who got pushed into one wild run of crazy circumstances, and nothing more! She holds her hand to her chest and takes a deep breath. It didn't make sense. No one had ever just felt her listening in. Not once! There had to be some unique circumstances that allowed it to be possible. The throbbing pain in her knee, however, is not helping with her brainstorming, and she groans out loud. This whole week has been reality slapping me in the face. This sucks, having to find out all my knowledge base is useless as things go increasingly off the rails!
"So…” she turns to face Drenar, scuffing his boot on the polished floor. “You want to go first?”
“About?” Just come out and say it, she already knows he knows.
“The mind reading. Alex picked up on you, the rest I guessed.” He nods down for a second, but looks calm and relaxed. She isn’t and is tense. “Hey, I’m not judging. We’re a wildcard, I get it. This whole week has been one of unprecedented chaos.”
"Alright, you weren’t a hundred percent sold. How did you know for sure?” He puts a finger to his lips–just like Julia? She’s seen that commonality between gestures that they do–they must be close.
"Once I was clued in, I could tell by your facial expressions. It didn't take long to put it together. You could just ask me what I'm thinking." He should be extremely disturbed by the invasion of privacy, but then again, he also had a drakensoul, which meant he probably never had a break to be alone. "Plus, Kyle was whispering something to you, and you gave him this real disgruntled look." She relaxes her posture and folds her arms. He’s examining her for the first time. “You look like you’ve had one rough day, by the way.”
She lets out a soft exhale–she probably doesn’t look glamorous at all, what with someone trying to stab her and the bruise on the side of her face. "It’s…been beyond the norm,” she half-answers. “You know something, I can think of another novelty of a drakensoul. Two people, trying to solve problems together." There's an opportunity to salvage this mess, and she straightens up, arms crossed against her chest. "What else was a clue?"
"The unique lavender eyes. And the bright red hair, which I assume is quite natural, and not a twenty-something fashion style," he says wryly. She raises an eyebrow.
“Standing out in a crowd isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Drenar. Wait. You mentioned you can see my eye color earlier. Not many people can.”
“Why, though?”
“Oh, that?” She’s surprised by his curiosity–he doesn’t want to dive into the heavy stuff yet. “Um…it’s a strange quirk of magic. A few people say that I have lavender-colored eyes. I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason to it, it’s a quirk of mana in our bodies?” Except King, of all people, had seen it. She doesn’t know why he would. That comment about having a connection fills her with dread. Is it tied to her psionics?
No one from her family or community has ever spoken about it. They’ve never discussed the full spread of their powers, only because they didn’t want people trying to test their limits and descending into madness, something that had happened to the earliest generations of kitsune. “Look, I didn’t mean to intrude–my psionics have been a little screwy the past day or so. It's been triggering when I don’t plan for it, and…sometimes, my curiosity gets the better of me,” she admits–why is she telling him this? This is a terrible first impression! Seconded only by meeting him, while looking like she was on the receiving end of an epic beating. Which she was.
"So you can hear both of us. I gotta say, this is probably not something you expected, huh? I’ll also apologize in advance for Alex, he’s…a little bit of a dragon out of the sky.”
That paraphrase of ‘fish out of water’ is so terrible, that the gods themselves might smite you down! She can’t help but laugh at this, and Drenar rolls his eyes.
"Well, this is entertaining." She scuffs her shoe on the floor. "Look, I need a favor. Can you keep this one on the down low? It’s an ability that is, well, not universally well-loved in the mage community.” Damn it, why can she not stop falling for that boyish charm? It’s a strange juxtaposition, considering he’d put several enemies on the bench already today like a hardened warrior! “Also, why are you not freaked out?”
"Look, I am no stranger to secrets, if it’s important to you, then my lips are sealed. And don’t tell Julia. She’ll be your new best friend, to glean what rattles around in my head." He glances at the open door, the conversation continues without them. She nods slowly. “Plus, you’ve heard of how my weeks’ gone. At this point, there’s little that’s going to surprise me. So, tell me about your psionics, I mean, is it something you have full control over?" He asks in a softer tone, but he doesn’t try to put distance between them. If anything, he leans in a little. As if it were something interesting to him.
"For me…yeah, mostly. For others, not always." What she meant to say was that it had been extremely difficult to not use it when she was younger. And it had resulted in her hearing unflattering things that had otherwise ruined a few friendships. Four thousand years of having to adapt to this, and we still have only the barest grasp on it, she thinks bitterly. “I don’t know much, to be blunt.”
"You’d think people would talk about it a lot more,” he comments. “It’s truly unique, no dragon has anything close to it.”
"There's a lot of reasons people don’t talk about it, Drenar," she sighs. "I'm a massive security risk no matter where I go, or where I work. Curtis and Zameren knew, and they quite frankly broke the law by letting me work here. I can't lose this place, okay?" What the hell am I doing, stop staring at those verdant eyes, you don't open up to anyone! She winces when she realizes that Curtis is now in a body bag, and she helped put him there.
“Curtis was the traitor?” Drenar asks quietly. She nods. “The Talons are recruiting child soldiers, running unethical experiments on us, terraforming the environment, and more. It looks like he beat you and Kyle to hell before you put him in the grave. Don’t feel guilty about it.”
“You’ve never killed anyone, how can you relate?” she states coldly. He shakes his head.
“I almost did. Twice, now. I’ve left a path of broken men and women behind me, between me, Julia, and Angela. That’s not something that’s filling me with comfort Joey, those are human beings who could have easily died if I hadn’t been so focused on fighting to disable. I can think of at least a few of them who might have permanent injuries.” His solemn expression is what convinces her–not even the grim recognition he has in his thoughts that he did what he had to to protect himself, and others.
“So yeah, I can relate. I just watched a hulking monstrosity toying with a dying soldier on live television. He snapped his neck like a wishbone on Thanksgiving while grinning. There are truly awful people in this world that I might have to remove from it, to keep others safe at some point.” Even now, he still is reflecting on his actions
The silence between them speaks louder than words.
“I trusted Curtis. I trusted him, and it was the wrong call, Drenar,” she says quietly. “But then you come out, and say that this might be something that couldn't be avoided.”
“You do what you have to do, to protect your friends, and others caught in the line of fire. You hold onto that, and don’t let it go. That’s what Nick told me. And I know Nick well enough by now to know he's been through awful things.” His solemn tone only lends weight to his belief in those words.
“Yeah, that sounds like Nick, alright. He’s…not always had the easiest jobs, let’s just say.” She’s much quieter on that line, because she knows he went on missions that he still can’t talk about when sober with Amaranth, chief among them. Or having to collect the remains of brave mages who thought they could walk into a magical biozone without a care in the world.
“Hey, can you settle something, considering Nick clams up the second anyone mentions you? Were you guys…well…”
“No, we were never together. Nick was there with Amaranth, not for me,” she states with a smile. “Someone made a bet, didn’t they?”
“Time for Angela to pay up,” he grins. “Now, I know you couldn’t hear me thinking that just now. Actually, I have another question. How far away can you use that ability? It sounds like you haven’t tested much.”
"Huh? I dunno, I never really thought about it. A few meters?" It's a struggle for her to answer because she's never actually tested the limits on it. It was something that was simply there, if she wanted to use it. "Why are you asking?"
"Because I had an idea."
Uh oh. Does this kid have ideas? This could lead to utter disaster, most likely. "What idea?"
"Psychic radio," he grins. She stares at him, her mouth agape for a second.
"What."
"Okay, hear me out. Silent communication. Now, I hand signaled something to Julia earlier. You didn't pick up on it, did you?"
"I…well, no. But I do know several languages," she added proudly. "Wait. Why do you know that, anyway?"
"Her grandma Sasori is like ninety percent deaf. I learned from her, the rest, I picked up from taking some lessons online. Plus, I guess there's a bit of a novelty of having a coded language between us. That girl has certainly made life interesting with the antics she's gotten me into," he adds with a chuckle. "The point I'm trying to make is, don't view it as some taboo thing. Get creative. Could you not relay messages with Kyle in dire circumstances, or where you two are physically cut off from one another?"
"Hearing surface thoughts is pretty straightforward, Drenar. And it's a one-way radio." Or at least, she thinks it is.
"Well, let me ask you this. If I picture an elephant…can you pick up on it?"
"Huh?"
"If it's just picking up brain signals, does that include visual images?" She glances down, thinking about it. When she boiled it down, all she was doing was attenuating electric signals from the brain. Or was it that simple?
"I honestly have no idea. There isn't exactly a tutorial or a book dedicated to this." Or the fact that this ability is almost exclusive to Kitsune, and we haven't been keen on publishing our one unique ability, and give people more reasons not to trust us!
"Alright, now, try again."
"Come again? You want me to pry in again?" she asks heatedly. He nods.
"Yes, exactly. I give you permission, short of giving me any compulsions, phobias, or nervous tics, to listen in."
What is with this guy? I'm beginning to think he's utterly mad, or maybe he's genuinely curious. Is this going to cost me something later? She sighs, and puts her hand out. "Alright. Pinky swear, I won't put in an overriding fear of spiders."
"Everyone is afraid of spiders. Except entomologists. But they're just crazy," he adds. She can't help but laugh at that a bit. "Now, I'm going to picture something. Tell me what it is."
"Alright, fine, mister Rashalda. But if I fry your brain in the process, don't say I didn't warn you." I can't believe I'm doing this. She reaches out with her ability, and she feels that subtle connection. Like someone pulling a string taut, in a mental sense. It was that same invisible strand. She peers at him, and he's got his eyes closed and arms folded, as if deep in thought. This doesn't work like this. It can't, right? She focuses in, and–
Why am I suddenly picturing a square? A red square, and a blue circle, circumscribed inside of it? She realizes how stupid it was going to sound. "A blue circle inside a red square?"
He opens up his eyes, and nods. "So it works for more than surface thoughts."
Boo. You could have pictured anything! Scantily clad women, a giant spider, your messy room back at the house with all sorts of nerd paraphernalia. What a waste of imagination! Joey, however, is left speechless, even ignoring Alex's comment.
What else about this is there that I don't know about? I've known this kid for five minutes, and he figured it out. "Seriously? Who are you?" She asks with narrowed eyes.
"So, you've never thought to check its other utility?" As much as she hats his strange intuition, it also reminds her that she has the same drive for answers and exploring mysteries. He's taken that conciliatory tone again. "Not even a little?"
"No, Drenar. It's frowned upon." Because it's always inherently linked to Kitsune. That's why. She won't dare to say that one aloud. He sighs and shakes his head. "Plus, if anyone found out, every previous action, every academic publishing I've done, all my research would immediately be under scrutiny, and people would accuse me of stealing other people's work. And I would never do that. I would never risk it. So you can imagine why I never even tried more than the basics."
"So everyone's cool with the conclave mind-wiping witnesses whenever magic spills out in public, but not cool with psionics? What a load of crap."
"Two different things," she reiterates with a huff.
"Not really. Not from my viewpoint." He leans back against the wall, gazing out at the crystal windows and the lake now shrouded in darkness up above them. “Magic is a utility. It doesn't break down into good or bad, right or wrong. It's a tool. What matters is how it's used. And does someone else pay the price if it's misused?"
This kid is so weird. Why do I find myself agreeing with him? "That's a…viewpoint that many don't share," she allows herself to say.
"Eh. I had a good role model," he replies casually. "She was the least judgmental person I've ever known. Mages are people, too. Intent matters. Plus, just consider me. I’ve caused a path of destruction–most of it aimed at Talons, mind you–and yet no ones calling for me to be locked up as a dragon, with inherently deadly abilities. We can’t judge people for simply being what they are. Who they are should be the only thing that matters, from my point of view.”
“Who was this person? They sound wise.” he bows his head down.
"My mom. I was completely lost without her for a long time, Joey. I had to figure out life all over again, and I had just gotten my bearings when all this happened. The single most resounding thought in my head since Julia showed me Amaranth's book, and learning the truth about these creeps and what they've done, is that I vowed they'd never get away with what they've done. I wasn't going to keep letting them ruin people's lives for some petty revenge plot against the Conclave, if I could do so.”
“So, collapsing a minehead, blowing up ranger stations, burning down schools, and having a slug-out fight with a militant criminal organization, was all part of that plan of yours?” she suggests with a straight face. He keeps his straight face for a few more seconds.
“You’re right, no one would ever believe I could have done all of those.” his face crinkles as he tries to hold back laughter, and he utterly fails. "Believe me, it wasn't part of the plan."
He does settle down after a few seconds, and he's wearing that somber expression. "It's just…I've always felt helpless against the chaos of the world for a long time. And I wasn't about to sit idle and hope for the best, given what I know. Mom always told me, 'if the people with the power to change the future do nothing, then who will?'"
"And you think you have that kind of power?" she asks.
"That's the point. Everyone does. They just have to believe in it, and each other, and they can't give up." He looks at her, with that stoic determination. "People are ready to give up, or give up hope, or pass the buck to someone else. No one is powerless. I refuse to believe that anymore. Right, wrong, or stepping on the toes of authority, I'll do something about Crosomer, and put a stop to his plans."
Maybe…there's more to him than I took him for. It's a comforting notion in the idea that he isn't completely reckless, or crazy. He's holding onto a firm reason why he got involved. "S,o how'd you convince the others to join you in this absolutely bonkers plan?"
"Well, Julia and Angela needed no persuasion. They were affected by this, same as me. Plus…Julia's been my rock I've had at my back since we were three."
"I did pick up that you guys are close." To him, it's an observation. To her…why does she care about that?
"Close is a relative term. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn't for her." Something in the way he says it just rings oddly–even considering their likely narrow escapes in the past week. “Angela is utterly steadfast–I dunno how she does it when we’re in the thick of it.”
"What about James?"
"James…is our voice of reason." Drenar winces at that statement. "He thinks I'm reckless and liable to get myself killed. Before I Awakened, he’d have been right. Except for this thing here. There’s a bit of a…complicated history with this piece that I’m still wrapping my head around.”
He takes a dagger and sheath off his thigh, and holds it out to her–not to point at her, but for her to inspect it, and she lets out a sound of surprise. “Guess what this is. I found out something after we had to power down the golem.”
“Huh?” she spends only a split second, puzzled by his reaction. She holds the dagger, still tucked away, and notes the incredible etch work, and the textured grip. It’s extremely well made–the quality of the steel is almost unearthly. “Well, the design work looks like something you’d find at a vendor at a Renaissance fair, but that’s too easy. It’s very light. There are some runes active–strange, I can’t decipher this, it’s not standard rune work. The grip is ergonomic, simple but effective, and the gem in the center looks to have a mana crystal core, powered by the user…what else? Kyle’s the expert on this honestly, not me.” She slowly pulls the dagger out of the holster and gasps. What she’s seeing, she recognizes. And it’s something she never expected to see again.
It’s ringing like there’s a chorus of chimes going off, and the realization hits her like lightning. “Holy Gaia, Valkyrian steel?!”
