Page 51

The Mission

T he gold in my pocket felt heavier with each step away from the Cleric’s Guild, as if the three new skill books tucked inside my cloak were dragging me down rather than empowering me.

High Priestess Elayra’s words echoed in my mind.

“ The Captain has his eyes on your party now .” I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be congratulatory or a death sentence.

I scanned the bustling marketplace for Sky, my heart rate quickening when I couldn’t immediately spot his wolf ears among the crowd.

We’d agreed to meet outside the Cleric’s Guild after two hours, but I was early, my training session with Elayra having gone faster than expected.

She’d seemed distracted, almost hurried, as she transferred the spells to the illusory copies, nothing like her usual methodical self.

“Looking for someone?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the voice behind me. Spinning around, I found Sky leaning against the stone wall of the guild, partially hidden in the shadow of a column. His blue eyes were watchful, darting from face to face in the crowd.

“You scared me,” I said, letting out a relieved breath. “How long have you been there?”

“Not long.” His tail wagged behind him, betraying his cool and collected facade. He was happy to see me. “Did you get what you needed?”

I nodded, patting my satchel where the skill books rested. “Three new spells. You? ”

“Nature’s Embrace, like I wanted. And something called Feral Senses.” His ears twitched forward. “Lets me see and hear things normal people can’t. Might be useful if we need to... avoid certain people. Or spy.”

I understood his meaning immediately. If the RSB was planning to keep us on a tight leash, we needed every advantage we could get.

“We should head back,” I said, glancing nervously at the sun. “The others will be waiting.”

Sky pushed off from the wall, falling into step beside me.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, both of us scanning the crowds for any sign of RSB uniforms or suspicious figures.

The marketplace was especially crowded today, merchants hawking their wares with extra enthusiasm, no doubt hoping to capitalize on the recent surge in ambition from the ceremony.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Sky muttered, his ears flattening slightly against his head. “We’re being watched.”

I tensed, resisting the urge to look around wildly. “RSB?”

“Not sure.” His hand brushed against mine—a small, reassuring gesture. “Just keep walking. Act normal.”

We continued through the market, weaving between stalls and groups of shoppers. I tried to appear casual, even stopping to examine a display of dried herbs that might be useful for potions. All the while, Sky stood close, his body angled to keep both me and our surroundings in view.

“There,” he whispered suddenly, his gaze fixed on a point across the marketplace. “By the fruit stall. Don’t look directly.”

I pretended to examine a bundle of sage while casting a sidelong glance in the direction he indicated. A figure in a nondescript brown cloak stood partially concealed behind a display of apples, their face shadowed by a deep hood. They seemed to be following our movements with careful attention.

“Just one?” I murmured, handing the herb vendor a few copper coins.

“That I can see,” Sky replied, his voice barely audible. “Could be more.”

My fingers itched to reach for one of my new spell books, but I resisted. Using magic in the crowded marketplace would only draw more attention, exactly what we didn’t need right now. Besides, Selas was considered a safe zone. Aggressive action with magic was illegal.

“Options?” I asked, moving away from the herb stall with Sky close behind.

“Back alleys would give us cover, but also corner us,” he muttered. “Best bet is to stay in the crowd, make our way home. Safety in numbers.”

We quickened our pace, not enough to appear panicked but enough to put distance between us and our shadow. The watcher moved too, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease.

“They’re definitely following us,” Sky growled, his hand moving to rest on his weapon.

“Wait,” I said, spotting a familiar face in the crowd ahead. “Is that Jeremy?”

Sky’s eyes narrowed as he followed my gaze. Sure enough, the nervous RSB soldier who had escorted me back from the dungeon was browsing a weapon stall, his armor conspicuously absent. He wore simple civilian clothes, but his military posture gave him away.

“Could be a coincidence,” Sky muttered, unconvinced.

“Or an opportunity,” I countered. “He warned us before. Maybe he’ll help again.”

Before Sky could protest, I changed course, steering us toward the weapon stall. Jeremy noticed our approach, his eyes widening slightly before he schooled his features into careful neutrality.

“Fine selection of daggers,” he commented loudly as we approached, his eyes darting meaningfully toward our pursuer.

“We’re being followed,” I said under my breath, pretending to examine a small hunting knife. “Brown cloak, by the fruit.”

Jeremy didn’t look, but his jaw tightened. “Not RSB,” he murmured. “We’ve had reports of a few muggings in town but haven’t been able to catch them yet.”

“Great,” Sky muttered, shaking his head. “Now what the hell do we do?”

“Simple,” Jeremy replied, puffing up his chest, smiled, and held out an arm to me. “I’ll escort you home.”

I hesitated, glancing at Sky, whose tail bristled with obvious displeasure at the suggestion. I could almost feel the jealousy rolling off him in waves.

“It makes sense,” I whispered to him. “The RSB uniform might scare them off.”

“He’s not wearing a uniform,” Sky growled under his breath, but he seemed to understand the logic. Even without the uniform, Jeremy’s face wasn’t unknown. And three against one was much better odds. With a reluctant nod, Sky stepped aside.

I took Jeremy’s offered arm, feeling oddly formal as we began walking. Sky flanked my other side, his ears constantly swiveling to track sounds around us. I could practically feel the tension radiating from him .

“Act natural,” Jeremy muttered through his smile. “Laugh like I said something amusing.”

I forced a chuckle that sounded hollow even to my ears. “So, off duty today?” I asked, trying to make conversation that wouldn’t seem suspicious.

“Personal day,” Jeremy replied, his eyes scanning the crowd ahead. “Captain’s been... demanding lately.”

Sky snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”

We continued through the marketplace, making our way toward the residential district. I risked a glance back, relieved to see our hooded follower had fallen back, apparently deterred by Jeremy’s presence.

“Why are you helping us?” Sky asked bluntly when we were far enough from the market’s noise.

Jeremy’s shoulders tensed. “Not everyone in the RSB agrees with the captain’s methods,” he said quietly. “Some of us joined to actually protect people.”

“And yet you follow his orders,” Sky challenged.

Jeremy’s face hardened. “You’ve seen what happens to those who don’t.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between us. I squeezed Jeremy’s arm gently, an unspoken thank you for the risk he was taking. His lips twitched in acknowledgment.

“Your friends are waiting at your place,” Jeremy said as we turned onto a quieter street. “All returned safely with their new skills.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, suspicion creeping back.

“Because you’re all being watched,” he replied grimly. “Every member of your party has a shadow. Captain’s orders.”

My blood ran cold. “All of us? All the time?”

Jeremy nodded.

Sky cursed under his breath, his tail lashing with agitation. “So now we’re being stalked by vultures all the time.”

“Yes, but the RSB ones won’t kill you,” Jeremy pointed out. “At least, not without orders.”

“That’s comforting,” I muttered, no small amount of sarcasm in my voice.

We were approaching our house now. I could see Kuro standing in the doorway, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt as he watched our approach. His eyes narrowed when he spotted Jeremy.

“Your guard dog looks ready to attack,” Jeremy observed dryly.

“Can you blame him?” Sky retorted .

Jeremy sighed, releasing my arm. “This is where I leave you. Try to stay in a group from now on, especially if you leave the city walls.”

“I appreciate the escort,” I said, genuinely grateful despite my lingering distrust.

Jeremy nodded, his eyes darting nervously down the street. “One more thing,” he murmured, voice barely audible. “There’s talk of another mission. Something big. The captain’s planning to send your party.”

“When?” Sky demanded, his ears swiveling forward.

“Soon. That’s all I know. I’m sure someone will deliver the official summons soon.” Jeremy stepped back, resuming his casual browsing posture. “Good luck with your training. Those new skills should serve you well.”

As Jeremy disappeared back into the crowd, Kuro strode toward us, his face tight with suspicion.

“What was that about?” he asked, eyes tracking Jeremy’s retreating form.

“Not here,” Sky growled, ushering us toward the house. “Inside.”

The moment we crossed the threshold, four pairs of eyes locked onto us. Kai stood from the table, his normally composed features creased with concern.

“You’re late,” he said, relief evident in his voice. “We were about to come looking.”

“We had company,” I explained, dropping my voice despite being inside. “Both the unwelcome kind and... whatever Jeremy is.”

Rhia’s eyebrows shot up. “The RSB soldier? What did he want?”

Sky closed the door firmly, checking the latch twice before turning to face the group. “To warn us. Apparently, we all have RSB shadows now. And there might be others watching us too. There are some thieves looking for our gold.”

“Great,” Kuro muttered, slumping into a chair. “Just great.”

“That’s not all,” I added, meeting Kai’s gaze. “Jeremy says there’s another mission coming. Again. Something big.”