I felt the bead of sweat trail down my spine, making me shiver.

My fingers clenched and relaxed, twitching in a nervous rhythm.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuckity, fuck, fuck.” My mouth wasn’t far from my fingers.

I sucked my breath inward, mentally beating myself over once again. What should I do? Return with a figurative tail between my legs and mar my, already sloppy, performance even further? I wasn’t sure Domina would be generous for another lesson.

Risk my luck? I glanced around, looking at the crowd. I was standing in an open plaza and, as open plazas do, it was filled with people milling, trading, and walking to their destinations. They definitely knew where they were heading, not like a genius over here. Could I ask someone for directions or merely asking something like that was bound to get my neck ripped out as well. Or some other part of my body.

Speaking about that disastrous chase. My eyes, roaming through the crowd, spied someone I didn’t expect to see at all. The red NPC. Still wearing his brilliant red coat. Albeit now he wasn’t reading, but playing cards instead. By himself. And by the look on his face, he was clearly losing. His tail darting back and forth.

I shook my head and headed over. He was a wermage, and it was obvious from the crowd as well. He was clearly left alone, despite his eccentric actions. The crowd bending around him like a school of fish around a shark. I would’ve done the same if not for the words of the assholes that were chasing me. From how they worded it he wasn’t just passively in their way, he actively blocked them off, merely seconds after letting me through.

Suffice to say, I had strong reasons to believe he tried to help me that day. Perhaps, he would again today.

“Your sight is in my heart.” I bowed to him.

He jerked upward, clearly distracted by his game, and glanced at me askance. His eyes darting from me to the card in his hand. I tried to apologize only to be stopped by his smile.

“And your name is on my lips.” He completed the greeting, stunning me with his attitude. Mother, uncle, Erf is up in the social circles, being greeted with maximum politeness by a wermage himself!

He tucked the card into his coat and continued speaking. “Although I do not know your name. How about a fair exchange. If you forgive my appearance-” he gestured at himself, a rather imposing figure. His long raven-black hair was simply braided at the back, crowned with a solid set of horns. Horns that I couldn’t really place within any species that I knew of. They were large and curved, full of intricate ridges and a tint of blue along the edges. His skin covered in dark scales right where they grew from his head, just above his ears. The word ‘demonic’ came to mind, exacerbated by his red attire.

The rest of his face, if one would take away the pointed ears with amber earrings, would fit perfectly on a poster about a good detective in the early days of cinema, still in 2D. 90’s they were called. Also adding to the dashing devil stereotype.

While I goggled at his continued levels of politeness. He moved on: “-I would be delighted to know your name.”

“Erf.” I choked out. Wondering what have I gotten myself into.

He gathered the rest of his cards, putting them away. “A succinct name,” and the most polite way to call an obviously slave name. “My name is Albin Shebet Chasya. Of the House of Records”, He pointed out at the trim of his dress, richly detailed with golden quills. “But you can call me Albin. Or Al for short.”

I smiled thinly at him. “How about Albin Chasya, instead.” The house name was commonly omitted in personal conversation anyway, but calling him even by his given name was asking to get a neck short haircut. With a rusty blade most likely.

“If you insist,” He grimaced. “So, I assume you were looking for my assistance, am I correct?”

“Ah yes, I was looking for a Primary Kiymetl Manor, Virnan Kiymetl Shah specifically.” I waved a scroll to describe my task, happy to steer him away from an awkward discussion about his name. Wondering to myself if this might be the correct time to hit the floor running instead. “If you would be so kin-”

“Come!” he was already walking away at a fast pace, waving at me with his sleek but fleshy tail. “I will show you the way, I was bored to death anyway here.”

I swore under my breath and rushed after him. Despite his extremely suspicious attitude, he was actually helping me right now. And he helped me greatly before. I was sure about it now. As such, despite the alarm bells still ringing in my mind, I’ve decided to risk it. Needs must when the devil drives. Or walks extremely quickly being well above two meters in height.

“Are you new to the city?” The Mephistopheles slowed down seeing me huff behind.

“Ah. Yes. Few weeks.”

“Splendid city, is it not?” He was rather talkative.

“Hah, Yes.” I wasn’t, however. I was still trying to catch my breath. This whole meeting was already bad for my heart, sprinting after him through the crowd didn’t help either. And I was still hungry, my body still craving nutrients after the chase.

“So…” He drawled, smiling at me conspiratorially “You enjoy geometry and mathematics?”

His words made me stumble. “Wha?” Did he just-.

“No I haven’t read your mind,” He interrupted me grinning, which didn’t alleviate my worries at all.

I scowled at him. It only made his smug more prominent.

“Finally, a genuine emotion! None of that polite chit-chat!”

I held my glare for a moment, then sighed. I gave up on his exuberance. “What gave it away?”

“Well, think about it for a second. We have here is you, who has very little knowledge of the city in general, and doesn't even know the location of a Pillar Manor specifically.” His hand carelessly waved in the direction of the floating towers. One of which we were approaching ourselves.

My eyes popped out at the implication. Was it true? Was I really getting an audience within a floating castle of magic? I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. I’ve spent so much time last week sweating at my soap, hoping for a miracle. And here I was, getting my wish granted because I knew how to add and multiply quickly in my head!

“-who has a missive from the-” ‘Al’ twisted his head, peering down at my scroll, and then continued, “branch house. Now If I was thinking rationally, why would someone send a missive if the messenger doesn’t know where he is going?”

I was going to the floating tower! I wonder how would I feel inside? Does it have an anti-gravity field? Or was is it somehow anchored into the air?

“And not even paying attention to his guide.” He added morosely.

“I beg your pardon! I was simply overwhelmed with the fact that I am actually heading to one of the Pillars!” I quickly tried to apologize, and then, after cautiously looking around, continued. “So why would someone do that, Albin?”

“Well, it is elementary, Erf! It is because the messenger is the missive himself!” He went on proudly, making me snort at his choice of words. No wonder he was so willing to talk to me plainly like that. The devil needed a companion, a sounding board for his ideas. He also needed a pipe and a violin.

“And the math?” I urged him on, knowing better what was expected from me.

“Well, who is Virnan Kiymetl Shah? The old fox has been a well-known party of the House of Trade for the last two centuries. Well known across the city, and I dare say an entire country as one of the most prominent teachers of rhetorics and geometry.”

I sucked the air in, suddenly remembering Domina’s words. Yeah, I should definitely keep my mouth under control.

He nodded, clearly expecting my surprise, “Indeed, everything makes sense if you look at it logically” and winked at me, grinning once again. “No mind-reading required.”

“You seem to know mathematics yourself.”

My statement amused him for some reason. “Well, I do possess some familiarity with it, after all, a man of my status wouldn’t dare to stay uneducated. But what made you think so? An why specifically mathematics and not geometry for example?”

“Your logic. One might say they are part of the same study. Math is inherently logical, and a lot of logic is mathematical. And geometry is simply a form of mathematics.”

“Hmmm, Logic and mathematics, language and science. A very bold link for you to make.” he mused satisfied. “You know that statement about geometry would probably put you at odds with the Old Fox out there” He waved at our destination, which already started to loom over my head.

“Should I avoid it?” That would be extremely important to know.

“Depends if you can prove your ground, He is old but not senile, yet.” I had a sinking feeling ‘Albin’ revelled in spitting at the social norms. Talking about someone in such a manner, especially to the messenger of the same house. Uncaring if I even bother spilling this to anyone. He probably avoided braiding his hair in the normal fashion for the same reason.

“What is there to disprove? One is part of the other.”

“Well don’t ask me, I am a historian myself, but what I remember is that they consider geometry more ‘pure’” Yes, he did the quotation marks.

I frowned. “Pure? They are stuck in two and three dimensions at most, I fail to see how they can easily describe anything in higher dimensions, or anything infinite just as a start. I mean it’s possible, but without heavily relying on math it would take years and it still wouldn't make sense!”

He looked at me. I actually shivered under his gaze. First, it was blank, then cold, and then amused. And the grin was back. “She is one smart cookie, isn’t she? I wonder where did she find you from.”

I sighed, He was making mental circles around me again. But I gave myself some credit. He had a vastly greater pool of knowledge about this place compared to me. “She is. And perhaps one day I will share my story with you in greater detail.”

We were close to the gates of the compound. Gigantic tower looming above us as if holding the sky itself.

“Oh, but you must.” He laughed heartily “I would be a poor historian to miss such a tale!”

I smiled back at him, bowing slightly. “Until we meet again.”

“Erf.” His tone was gentle but neutral, unusually for him. I raised my head. He stood in front of me, his hands in sleeves. “Do you know why they call you murks?”

I frowned at his non-sequitur. What was he about? “Because we have no sparks?”

I really didn’t want to find out that I was wrong and the other shoe was finally dropping.

“That’s what many think.”

I glanced around, the street was dead. He chose a perfect spot to drop another bomb.

“We have?”

“Have or have not is hard to tell and beyond my knowledge. But if you do have it is definitely not lit up.”

“So?”

He bent forward, his face close to mine. His eyes azure. “The mind-reading Flow does exist. Luckily, very few know about it, but you don’t have to worry.” He pulled back, his voice still quiet. “The mind magic cannot touch you. Any of you. It finds your minds… Murky.”

That was extremely valuable knowledge to have, given at an extremely odd time. Flow? Is that how they called the magic? why are there two words instead of one?

“Is there a reason, why you are telling me this, right now?”

“Apart from the fact that it is the first time we spoke? No, just thought that you should know.” His grin was back. The moment broken. The crowd loud around us.

“Remember,” He tapped his head. “Within your mind. Until you speak.”

Until I speak.

The orb.

I bowed my head in quiet acknowledgement. When I lifted my eyes he was already walking away. What an odd fellow. Helpful but odd. Didn’t even set up some method of communication for the future. Or did he think we will stumble onto each other like that again?

Now that I think about it, maybe he did. And, maybe, he was right too.

I turned around, facing the gates. I sighed. I counted to ten and then I knocked.