61 Unexpected Things

With a delicate ting, my "sister dearest" places a teacup and saucer on the glass table I sit around. Standing to my side, she angles the nozzle of her teapot down and allows a fragrant, amber liquid to fill my glass vessel. Walking to her side of the table, she pours for herself a beverage, places the pot on a silver tray on the side, and sits.

'Now, it's not as nice as mummy's, but I think you'll really like this blend. I liberated it from the unsophisticated hands of some guild members I happened upon on my way here.' Raising her cup to her lips, Huntress takes a sip. Sighing, she returns the glass to its plate.

'If you're worried I poisoned the tea, that should alleviate your concerns. Go ahead, try some. It really is delicious.'

I lift my glass below my face and look down into the liquid. Steam wafts from the cup to fill my nostrils. Its fragrance entices my nose, tempting my senses to indulge. Conceding the argument waged with myself, I lift the teacup to my lips and drink of the liquid therein.

'For all I know, you could have poisoned my cup specifically. Maybe the entire brew is tainted, but you have the antidote. Sampling your cup proves nothing. There are countless ways you could have poisoned my drink while keeping yourself entirely unharmed.'

'If you're really that paranoid, why then did you drink the tea?'

'I was thirsty.' Retuning the vessel to my lips, I take another sip. Huntress goes still. Her smile drops and, she stares at me. I place the glass cup back on its plate, breaking whatever spell that had enthralled the madwoman's mind. Renewing the grin on her face, the woman begins to laugh.

'I have to say, you fascinate me. From the moment I saw you, I just knew we'd get along. Call it a woman's intuition or blind speculation if you prefer, but I think that time has proven me right.'

I briefly look into the madwoman's eyes before returning my gaze to the liquid euphoria below me.

'It has not.'

'No?' Huntress asks. 'I think it has. Just look at what we've done together. Look at what we're doing. The two of us make quite the team, wouldn't you say?'

I return my sight to the woman, glancing briefly at her broad, mad smile before refocusing my eyes at my brew.

'I would not.'

Laughing once more, Huntress leans back in her chair and lifts her face towards the ceiling. Lost in a world of mirth, the madwoman bumps the table with her knee, forcing me to steady my cup to prevent its spillage. No such consideration is had with the woman's drink. The jolt to the table topples the cup, shattering the glass, unleashing Huntress' beverage across the stand.

'My fault. My fault.' Huntress stands to her feet. She holds a hand over the table, and from her palm, releases a purple fog. Beginning at the centre of the table drifting outwards, in seconds the mist covers the entire surface. Clenching her hand into a fist, Huntress cuts the vapour from its source and returns to her seat. Moments pass, and the thick mist thins. As it continues to dissipate, the result of its use becomes clear. When the last of the purple fog fades, the surface is revealed to be free from all signs of the previous accident.

'You can't imagine just how many times this has happened.'

Oh, I really think that I can.

To have dedicated the time in mastering an Art for this occasion, I'd imagine the frequency of these accidents is in no way inferior to the wastefulness in learning an Art to deal with such triviality.

'You know, I think that was the first Art mummy ever taught me, although "taught" might be too generous a word to describe it.' Holding her chin in her hand, the madwoman massages her cheek with her thumb while releasing a soft drone from her throat.

'If I remember correctly, the first time we had tea together, she made joining her Sect conditional on my mastery of that skill. She locked me in my chambers from sun up to sun down with nothing but her notes for company. It took me months to understand mummy's writings and months longer to actually put them into practice. I'm fairly sure I spent my birthday in my room, painfully, desperately forming runes within my bones in the slim hope that I might have just one bite of that cake she had a servant bring to motivate me.' Scrunching her mouth to the side, Huntress rests an elbow on the table and holds her face in her palm.

'I suppose, It was worth it in the end. The amount of time it saved me in having to clean up after myself has by far exceeded the time it took to learn.'

'I'm sure.' I say, receiving a pout for the effort. 'Why did you want to talk in private?'

'Do lovers need a reason to want to spend time with one another?'

'We're not lovers.'

'Not yet, you mean. I have some woman's intuition regarding that situation if you'd like to hear?'

I would not.

Softly pinching the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb, I clench my eyes shut to relieve myself from the sight of the ridiculous woman before me. I take a deep breath through my nose, priming myself for more nonsense, exhale from my mouth, and reopen my eyes.

'If we have nothing to discuss, I'm leaving.' Placing both hands to the side of my chair, I begin to lift myself. Halted by the madwoman's palm, I relax my muscles and remain seated.

'I never said we have nothing to discuss. I only thought you might enjoy my charm for a while. Have it your way, though. Let's get straight to business.' Positioning herself upright in her seat, Huntress locks eyes with mine.

'I have a reasonably good idea of what you're trying to accomplish, but I'd like for you to fill in the blanks.'

'There's not much I can tell you that you don't already know.'

'There is one thing. Why? Why? Why do this at all? If it's for the thrill, believe me, I'd understand. But that's not the reason, I can tell with these things. The Blackshire Clan have ample resources, but you're an academy student; a handful of this Clan's resources isn't enough to warrant the risk.'

Is it not?

If my plan succeeds, I'll reach rank-four in a matter of months. It's not an unheard-of feat, but impressive nonetheless. Once there, what does it matter who I offend? I'll be long gone.

The Towers are vast. Far too vast to chart in infinite lifetimes. Once I have the strength to survive within the Towers, I need never look back to Aspire until I have the power to defend myself from my growing list of foes. It would have been preferable to avoid life as a Maverick for as long as possible, but I won't shy away from it, not when I have the chance to attain power that most in this life will never have.

A rank-four Tension Master is the elite of the Tension world. Once a practitioner advances into rank-four, they undergo a profound change. There is a reason an Art's true capacity is measured by its distance from rank-four.

Perhaps the risk is too great.

Perhaps I'll soon come to regret it.

Perhaps I'll be discovered too soon and die pitifully, alone and unnoticed.

I would do it all anyway.

I would rather fall in reaching for greatness than lay in obscurity, never achieving anything that makes life worth living.

Smiling, I look into the madwoman's eyes.

'Whatever my reasons might be no longer matters. It's already too late to turn back, and I wouldn't even if I could.' My smile tugs at my lips; I let it spread and display it for the madwoman's appraisal. 'I suppose, if you really must know, you could say I'm doing this all for a girl.'

Opening her mouth, staggered sounds bounce from her throat. Though the beginnings of words start to take form, the words themselves never fully manifest. Flapping her lips open and close, the woman indicates her desire to speak, but before anything resembling intelligible makes its way to my ears, a soft tap on the door ends her efforts.

'Who is it?' Whether by instinct or intent, Huntress draws from her side a dagger. With the ringed pommel of the weapon between a finger, she swiftly rotates the knife, hiding its bladed end beneath the cuff of her lab coat.

'Lord and Lady Mohan?' The voice from the other side of the door calls out. 'I have news to report.'

I stand to my feet and walk towards the door. Taking the doorknob in my hand, I twist and swing the door open, revealing from behind the pale face of my fiancee.

'Alicia? What are you doing here?'

'Logan!' Without another word, the girl throws herself at me. Burying her face in my chest, the girl wraps her arms around me and transmits from her body to mine every wild thump of her heart.

'I was so worried.' Alicia says, loosening her hold and looking into my eyes.

'There was a never need to worry. The guiltless need not fear scrutiny.' Placing my hands on Alicia's shoulders, I gently dislodge the girl from my chest. I take her by the hand and lead her towards the table. 'You said you had news?'

With tears in her eyes, my fiancee slowly, almost absent-mindedly, nods her head as I guide her into my seat. Moving towards the silver tray, I withdraw two glass teacups and place them in front of the two women. Gripping the handle of the teapot, I fill Alicia's cup first followed by my "sister's".

Taking her glass into both hands, Alicia lifts her cup to her lips and drinks of the brew. Though seemingly dazed at first, her eyes regain focus as the drink passes her lips.

'This is excellent.' Alicia says with genuine surprise, unable to be hidden from her voice.

'You said you have news to report.' Hearing my words, Alicia pauses all movement, her cup held within her hands halfway between the table and her lips. As if searching for something in the distance, the girl's eyes lose focus.

Fear?

No, dread.

The distinction is subtle but significant. Fear would point to immediacy; dread, on the other hand, indicates a looming threat. Something on the horizon, but not yet here.

The tailor works fast. If he survives what's coming, I might call upon his services in the future.

'Logan…' Alicia's eyes grow ever wider. Her irises dance in the white. Her arms tremble, spilling hot tea over the back of her hands. Wincing at the pain, Alicia drops her cup, shattering the glass vessel but simultaneously breaking dread's hold over her gaze.

'Lady Mohan, I apologise! No matter the cost, I will replace this cup, I will purchase you a new set. I hope… Did it hold any sentimental value?' Standing to her feet, Alicia bows to my "sister." Using her pointer finger and thumb, she begins collecting the broken shards of glass. Huntress leaves her chair. She takes a step towards Alicia and wraps her hand around Alicia's wrist, halting her actions.

'Please, do not concern yourself with this. I break more cups in a day than you could ever break in a lifetime. I have spares and spares for those spares. If I run out of those, I have even more spares. Think nothing more of this. Besides, were you not about to reveal your news.'

Breathing deeply, Alicia slowly steadies her renewed quivers. Seconds pass with only the girl's breaths for ambience. With clenched fists and a protracted exhale, Alicia returns to her seat.

'Logan… Our Clan's Tower outposts have been destroyed… All of them… Gone. Over forty rank-four Tension Masters, two-hundred rank-three masters, and nine-hundred rank-two and rank-one masters are missing, presumed dead. Even if some of them survived, over five thousand miners are confirmed to have died, and the Bishop and Vorpal Clans have already laid claim to our territories. Logan… We could lose our name. I… I can't go back that; I won't go back to that!'

The tailor works fast, indeed. Even with the Bishop's Clan's funds, I wasn't sure he'd be able to entice a rank-five maverick to our cause. Some things money can't buy. As it turns out, the brutality of a brute isn't one of them.

I stand to my feet only to fall back into my chair as the floor rumbles beneath me. The ceiling cracks and dust sprinkles down from above. An explosion blasts from outside, quaking the ground once more and showering dust upon my head.

'What is happening?' Alicia screams.

Answering her call, the wall at the end of the room detonates as a large boulder crashes into the chamber, spraying fragments of furniture in every direction, demolishing all in its path.

From the gaping hole punctured through the room, I see it.

Standing at heights rivalling even the massive structures of the Blackshire stronghold, a titan of lava and rock. It holds out its hand, and a bolder materialises in its palm. Pulling back its arm, the monster takes aim.

This I didn't expect...