Chapters 53-54

Chapter 53 – The Mayor

Mayor Boro’s round face glistened with sweat as he ushered Talia and Keanu out of Lana’s General Store. 

“Now then,” Boro said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief, “I’m sure you young Water Riders have many questions. It’s not often we have visitors from the Academy, after all.”

Talia and Keanu exchanged glances. 

The mayor’s sudden appearance and his rush to get them out of the store had only heightened their curiosity about the mysterious city.

“Actually, Mayor Boro,” Talia began, her voice steady despite her growing suspicion, “we do have some questions. For starters, what exactly happened to Placid City? Most of it seems abandoned.”

Boro’s smile faltered for a moment before he plastered it back on, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. 

“Ah, well, you see, it’s quite simple really. Economic downturn, you know. People seeking better opportunities elsewhere. These things happen to small cities all the time.”

Keanu frowned, his hand unconsciously moving to rest on one of his daggers. 

“But the damage we’ve seen... it looks more like the aftermath of some kind of attack.”

The mayor’s laugh was a bit too loud, a bit too forced. 

“Attack? Oh my, no! Nothing so dramatic, I assure you. Just the ravages of time and weather. We’re quite exposed to the elements here, you understand.”

Talia wasn’t buying it. 

She pressed on, her blue eyes fixed on Boro’s face, watching for any tell-tale signs of deception. 

“We’ve heard mentions of something called the Placid City Catastrophe. What was that about?”

At the mention of the catastrophe, Boro’s face paled visibly. 

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could form words, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“That’s quite enough questions for now, I think.”

Professor Iakopo strode towards them out of nowhere. 

The flickering street lamps cast strange shadows across his features, making him look older and scarier than usual.

“Mayor Boro,” Iakopo nodded to the portly man, who seemed to sag with relief at the professor’s arrival. “I’ll take it from here. You should get some rest; it’s been a long day for all of us.”

Boro nodded gratefully, mopping his brow once more. 

“Yes, yes, of course. Thank you, Professor. Students, it was a pleasure meeting you. Do enjoy your stay in our humble city.” With that, he hurried off, his footsteps echoing in the quiet street.

Iakopo turned his attention to Talia and Keanu, his expression unreadable. 

“As for you two, follow me.”

The professor led them through Placid City, past crumbling buildings and overgrown lots, and back to place they were staying. 

The few locals they encountered hurried past with downcast eyes, as if afraid to make eye contact. 

The whole atmosphere of the place felt wrong, like a wound that had never properly healed.

Finally, after they arrived in the hall, Talia and Keanu saw that all the other students had been gathered there. 

“Listen carefully,” Iakopo began, moving to the front and starting to explain what was going on. “

“The reason I brought you all here is that the Water Rider Academy is responsible for the cleanup of dungeons in many cities. Every two years we must clear the Placid Cave in Placid City so that the monsters won't overwhelm the locals.

“The Placid Cave is not just any training ground. It’s a zone of highly concentrated Mana, home to a very dangerous amphibian species of snake-like creatures.”

“Snake-like creatures? What makes them so dangerous?” Someone asked. 

Iakopo’s expression darkened. 

“These aren’t ordinary beasts. They have the ability to slowly evolve into Drakes - creatures so powerful that only a full graduate from the Water Rider Academy should face one alone.”

Talia felt a chill run down her spine. 

“Is that why we’re here? To face these creatures?”

“Not exactly,” Iakopo replied. “Your job will be to clear out the weaker specimens, the ones that haven’t yet evolved. It’s a necessary task to prevent Drakes from appearing in the future.”

The professor moved to the table, pointing out various locations on the model. 

“We’ll be operating in rotating teams. Each group will enter the cave, eliminate as many of the Abyssal Creatures as possible within their assigned time limit, then return to the surface for the next team to take over.”

As Iakopo continued explaining the details of their mission, Talia’s mind wandered. 

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than the professor was letting on. 

The mayor’s evasiveness, the state of the city, the mysterious Placid City Catastrophe - it all pointed to something more. 

“Professor,” Talia interrupted, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, “what exactly was the Placid City Catastrophe? It seems to be connected to why we’re here.”

Iakopo’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. 

“That’s not relevant to your current missiona. Focus on the task at hand. You’ll be entering the cave in two days’ time. Until then, I suggest you rest and prepare.”

With that, the professor dismissed all the students, making it clear that the conversation was over. 

As Talia and Keanu left the main hall to take a stroll outside.

“Well, that was informative,” Keanu muttered sarcastically.

Talia nodded.

“Keanu,” she said suddenly, “I’m worried about Fiora. Have you noticed anything... off about her lately?”

Keanu’s brow furrowed in thought. 

“Now that you mention it, I did see her talking to someone from Elder Kawena’s School earlier. Looked pretty chummy, too.”

Talia stopped in her tracks, her face paling. 

“Wait, Elder Kawena’s School? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why? What’s wrong with Kawena’s School?”

Talia hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. 

Finally, she decided to trust Keanu with what she knew. 

“I heard from a reliable source that Elder Kawena was one of the people who didn’t want me admitted to the Academy. I don’t know why, but it can’t be good if Fiora’s getting involved with them.”

Keanu whistled low. 

“That’s some serious information. What are you going to do about it?”

“I need to talk to Fiora,” Talia said decisively. “Warn her, if I can. But first...” 

She trailed off, her eyes scanning the darkened streets.

“First what?” Keanu asked.

Talia’s expression hardened with determination. 

“First, I need to get stronger. Those Slashing Crusters we fought - I can use my [Blood Siphon] skill to become stronger. If we’re going to be facing even more dangerous creatures in the Placid Cave, I need every advantage I can get.”

Keanu nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his face. 

“Makes sense. Want some company while you hunt?”

Talia smiled gratefully. 

“I would love to. Just wait for me, I’ll go talk to Fiora first.”

***

Talia finally located Fiora’s room in one of the upper floors. 

The door was open and she was siting there with the same auburn-haired girl she had seen her with the previous days.

Taking a deep breath, Talia strode towards them. 

“Fiora,” she called out, her voice carrying in the quiet night air. “I need to talk to you.”

Fiora’s head snapped up, her expression morphing from surprise to annoyance in an instant. 

“What do you want, Talia? I’m kind of in the middle of something here.”

Talia pressed on, undeterred by Fiora’s hostile tone. 

“It’s important. Please, just give me a minute.”

Fiora rolled her eyes dramatically. 

“Fine. What is it?”

Glancing at the other girl uneasily, Talia lowered her voice. “It’s about Elder Kawena’s School. I’ve heard some things... I don’t think you should get involved with them.”

Fiora’s eyes narrowed dangerously. 

“Oh really? And what makes you such an expert on Elder Kawena’s School? Last I checked, you were just as new to all this as I am.”

“I know, but-”

“No,” Fiora cut her off, her voice sharp. “You don’t know anything, Talia. You’re just an idiot who thinks she knows best for everyone. Well, guess what? I can make my own decisions.”

Talia felt her frustration rising. “I’m trying to help you, Fiora! Elder Kawena is not a good person. You need to stay away from those people!”

“You’re unbelievable,” Fiora spat. “First, you hog all the attention of the Great Families, and now you’re trying to tell me who I can and can’t associate with? Get over yourself, Talia.”

With that, Fiora stormed out of her own room, leaving Talia standing there, stunned.

Agalei gave her an apologetic look before hurrying after Fiora.

As Talia watched them go, she couldn’t help but feel like she had just made things worse. 

She had tried to warn Fiora, to protect her, but all she had managed to do was push her further away.

Sighing heavily, Talia turned and began the long walk back to the entrance to meet with Keanu. 

They had two days to prepare, to grow stronger, and to find more about what was really going down in Placid City. 

Chapter 54 – More Slashing Crusters

The streets chittered with the sounds of the crickets that had taken residence in the buildings that humans had abandoned. 

Talia and Keanu moved silently through the shadows, their footsteps muffled by the sand that had begun to reclaim a lateral street. 

It was one of the main signs of the state of disrepair of Placid City: the sand had slowly accumulated over the cobblestone and stomped over it so many times that it had made a natural silencer for the two. 

However, in any other city, this would have been a problem.

Sand could hide holes and uneven surfaces on the street, which meant carriages - or people even - could get in trouble over it. 

That’s why it was so important to constantly maintain the streets.

But it was clear that Placid City didn’t have a strong need to do so—or, at the very least, there was no one up to the job.

It was sad, really.

It spoke of people who had come to accept these poor conditions as the norm.

Talia breathed in while exchanging a few glances with Keanu, jogging right by her side.

There was something to the boy that she had met for the first time on Professor Iakopo’s boat, during that madman’s first test, that reassured her. 

Keanu had a calm, collected demenaor and, most importantly, never appeared to be far behind Talia in his thoughts.

Fiora was a very smart girl - or at least Talia thought so - but even the blonde had a way of thinking that didn’t really resonate with her at all. 

Keanu’s mind, instead, as proven by their stroll earlier during the day and the fact that he had readily agreed to come killing Slashing Crusters with her, followed the same tide cycle of hers. 

There was a connection there, something Talia couldn’t yet understand fully. 

But it did make her feel at ease when she shared her time with him.

Soon, they had made their way into the non-cobbled path that they had taken from the beach where the Siren’s Song had landed. 

The air was thickened by salt here and less by the rotten wood that seemed omnipresent in Placid City. 

They were far enough from the buildings that both felt comfortable talking about their night-skulking without having to worry about Professor Iakopo.

"How many should we go for?" Keanu whispered, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow. "We're supposed to be resting for the cave expedition. What if the Professor suddenly decides we have to go tomorrow. He could fail us."

Talia nodded, her grip tightening on her glaive. 

"Well, he might,” she exhaled. “But I need to get stronger, Keanu. Those Slashing Crusters are our best chance at that right now. Plus, Blood Siphon also restores some stamina. If we don’t expend too much fighting them, we might come back in a few hours, and sleep enough to be rested in case that piece of crap decided to put one over us."

“I don’t mind getting some more levels,” the boy replied. “I wish I could have gotten more before coming at the Academy. I feel like I’m too weak.” 

As they approached the beach where the battle had taken place earlier, the remnants of the conflict became more apparent. 

Broken shells and patches of dried ichor stained the sand, and here and there, the mangled remains of Slashing Crusters could be seen.

"I still can't believe how quickly you took down those Cruster during the fight," Keanu remarked, a note of admiration in his voice. "Even without Mana Crystallization."

Talia smiled wryly. 

"Thanks. But it's not enough. I can’t really summon it at will yet. Not during a fight. It’s… hard to concentrate enough. Maybe I’m naive, but I didn’t think being on the battlefield would be so much different in terms of Mana Control. Maybe that’s why that bastard brought us here.”

“He’s infamous around the Academy for his methods,” Keanu said with a sigh, “but he does have the reputation of someone who knows what they’re doing.” 

They paused at the edge of the beach, surveying the area. 

In the distance, several dark shapes could be seen moving across the sand – more Slashing Crusters, drawn perhaps by the remnants of their fallen kin.

"Looks like we've got company," Keanu muttered, his hands moving to the hilts of his daggers.

Talia nodded, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation. 

"Let’s not engage too many at once. Let’s try to single out one at the time so we don’t get overwhelmed. We don’t know whether they might be able to summon more of their friends.“

As they crept closer, Talia's mind wandered to the events of the past few days. 

The mysterious circumstances surrounding their arrival in Placid City, the tension between her and Fiora, the looming threat of whatever awaited them in the Placid Cave – it all swirled together in a confusing mix that made her more anxious than she would have liked to be. 

"Keanu," she whispered, "by the way, what do you make of all this? The city, the cave, Professor Iakopo's secrecy?"

Keanu was silent for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought as they hid behind a large stone, still rather far from the closest Slashing Cruster. 

They had singled out one that was currently munching on the corpse of another monster.

Talia found it a waste that she hadn’t been able to use [Blood Siphon] on all of the dead ones, but Professor Iakopo had wanted to bring the guards back to the city. 

"I think there's a lot more going on here than we've been told. That Placid City Catastrophe the mayor mentioned – I bet it's at least somewhat connected to why we're really here."

Talia nodded in agreement. 

"My thoughts exactly. And I can't shake the feeling that it has something to do with my mother, or maybe even my father."

Before Keanu could respond, a sharp screech cut through the night air. 

One of the Slashing Crusters had spotted them.

Without either of them realizing it, it had charged them from behind.

[Slashing Cruster - Level 9]

Talia and Keanu saw  its blade-like appendages glinting in the moonlight as it charged across the sand.

"Here we go," Talia muttered, readying her glaive. 

The Slashing Cruster charged at Talia.

Immediately, she tried focusing her mind on Mana Crystalization. 

Without it, her weapon would barely scratch the monster's tough carapace.

"Come on, focus," she muttered to herself, trying to clear her mind of the thoughts that had plagued her since arriving in Placid City and the urgency of the impending battle. 

She visualized the flow of mana within her body, originating from her core and spiraling outward like tendrils of crimson light. She focused on channeling that energy through her arms and into the blade, imagining it coating the metal in a protective and empowering sheath.

The first spark of mana flickered at the base of the glaive's blade.

Talia could see, in her mind's eye, the intricate patterns forming as the mana began to spread across the weapon's surface. 

But the sudden, shrill screech of the charging Cruster shattered her concentration, causing the glow to waver and dim.

However, the Slashing Cruster was upon her in seconds. 

“Damn it,” she swore, unable to transition from Mana Coating to Mana Crystalization under the present conditions. 

She battered the claw of the monster away and, taking a step back, sliced her own forearm, letting her blood snake alongside the glaive’s shaft up to its blade. 

Then, using [Hemomancy], she expanded the blood into a razor-sharp crescent that she swung at the Slashing Cruster.

Thankfully, her control of [Hemomancy] had improved and the blood-based attack bisected the tall monster, making its top half topple unto itself. 

As the bisected Slashing Cruster fell to the sand, Talia allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction.

[Hemomancy reaches level 11!]

However, her relief was short-lived.

A sharp cry from behind her caught her attention. Talia whirled around with wide eyes.

Keanu was locked in combat with another Slashing Cruster. 

"Keanu!" Talia shouted, her voice tinged with concern. “Where did that come from?!” 

She took a step towards him, but froze as movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention.

More Slashing Crusters were emerging from the shadows, their chitinous bodies gleaming dully in the moonlight. 

They scuttled across the sand with frightening speed, their blade-like limbs raised menacingly. 

Talia counted at least five more approaching from different directions.

Perhaps this hadn’t been a great idea.

"We've got company!" she called out to Keanu, raising her glaive defensively.

Her eyes darted from one approaching Cruster to another, trying to gauge which would reach them first.

Keanu grunted in acknowledgment, too focused on his current opponent to spare a glance at the incoming threats. 

He ducked under a sweeping strike from the Cruster, then spun away from a follow-up attack that would have skewered him.

Talia tried thinking of their move.

They were outnumbered and would quickly become surrounded by monsters.

Plus, if these five had heard her fight one Slashing Cruster, she could imagine even more would come out of their hiding place now that there were only two of them fighting. 

Soon, they would be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the monsters. 

"We need to get out of here," Talia said.

“Wait!” Keanu said. “Allow me!” 

“What?!”

Talia opened her mouth to ask what in the Deep was he thining, but her words were cut off as two Slashing Crusters lunged at them simultaneously.

She brought her glaive up in a wide arc, forcing one back and ducked the attacks of the other.

"Keanu," she gasped between strikes, "we can't keep this up. We need to go!"

Keanu didn't respond immediately.

Then, just as Talia was about to repeat herself, something changed.

A soft glow began to emanate from Keanu's daggers. 

At first, Talia thought it was just a trick of the moonlight, but the glow intensified rapidly, spreading from the blades to envelop Keanu's hands and arms.

"What the-" Talia began, but her words died in her throat as she witnessed what happened next.

The glow around Keanu's daggers suddenly flared, becoming blindingly bright. 

Talia had to squint against the intense light, and she heard the Slashing Crusters emit high-pitched shrieks of distress.

As her eyes adjusted, Talia saw that Keanu's daggers were now coated in a shimmering layer of what appeared to be water. 

But this was unlike any water she had ever seen. 

It glowed with an inner light, and as Keanu moved, small droplets broke free from the main mass, floating in the air around him like miniature stars.

“Be ready!” Keanu shouted.

Talia would have expected fear to be in his words, but instead, there was something else.

Something like…

Excitement.