20.2. New provisional member

“I feel sorry for the people who feel they need the embrace of the abyss,” May said with a solemn voice.

“What are you sorry for? It is their decision,” Heron said.

“You might be right that I shouldn’t be sad. But I just can’t get myself not to care. What must have happened that you have come to such a point in life where you wish for eternal darkness than to join the creators?” May asked.

“You make an interesting point,” Heron concurred. “Well, we can’t know unless they tell us.”

“Too bad they've been killing themselves before clergy can get any answers. I can’t imagine what they think they know that is so important.” Almir said.

“Well, I, for one, think they got their hands on some powerful drugs and they lost their minds,” Lucia interjected.

“I don’t see why we need to theorize. It is just a matter of time before someone talks and we get answers.” Icarus said. “And from what I heard from Irene, I think we should let Heron go back to his tavern and rest.”

“It’s okay, I can still stay,” Heron said.

“It’s not the matter if you can, it is if you should. And the answer is no, you need to rest.” It was Irene who stepped in. “So, you best be going now. Rest so you can meet up with Richard regarding the item.”

Heron bowed his head. “Well, everyone, I am honored to be joining you, and I’ll listen to our healer and head out.”

“Heron, I’ll drop by the tavern tomorrow morning, so be up around eight.” Richard added as Heron walked towards the door. Heron showed the okay sign with his hand and walked out.

“Good morning,” Richard waved to Heron as he was coming down the stairs. Heron waved back.

“Good morning, sir,” Heron bowed and sat down at the table.

“So, let me cut to the chase. It is about the item.” Richard said.

“Yes, it is not on me. It will take me about a day to get it,” Heron said. “I just need to get a ride to the location and back.”

“What is the location of the item?” Richard asked.

“It is where Haugstad used to be.”

“Ah, ok, so we can make it there and back before the evening.”

“Oh, you don’t need to come with me,” Heron waved away. “I can just go by myself.”

“And risk you getting robbed? Don’t be ridiculous. Order your breakfast and then we better get going.”

“Whoa,” Heron said, staring at the vehicle parked in front of the tavern.

The cabriolet gleamed with its open roof, brass-plated body, and a tangle of copper pipes feeding a compact steam boiler up front.

“I agree you don’t see many of these around town,” Richard proudly said. “They are expensive. I mean, just look at those wheels. They are thick and iron-rimmed. Ready to handle any dirt road.”

“If you say so,” Heron was scratching his head. “I don’t know a single thing about these vehicles.”

“Well, for starters, this one is called a cabriosteamer. Special type of steam car. It may attract attention on the road, but it is one of the fastest vehicles around. So, in the case of a bandit raid, we have the speed advantage.”

“I guess it is good to know?” Heron wasn’t sure if that was the best-selling point for the car.

“Now hop on in. I barely had time to drive it. I rented it this morning.”

“So it is not your car, sir?”

“No way. It's too expensive to afford. And also outside this mission, not really practical. But with such nice weather, it would be a shame not to ride one. Now come on, let's get going.”

Heron settled into the passenger seat, sinking into the dark leather.

“Comfortable, isn’t it?” Richard smirked as he adjusted a few levers on the dashboard.

“I… guess,” Heron muttered, running his fingers along the stitched seam of the seat. “Feels like I shouldn’t be sitting on something this expensive.”

“That’s what the cleaning fee is for,” Richard said, completely unbothered. “Now hold on.”

He pulled a brass lever forward, and the cabriosteamer lurched to life with a throaty hiss. Steam puffed from the pipe behind them, rising in a white coil into the crisp morning air. The engine’s rhythm settled into a confident thrum.

They rolled out from the front of the tavern and onto the main street.

The wheels crunched over the last stretch of cobblestones as they approached the gate.

“Good morning,” Richard greeted the guard as he pulled over, pulling out his adventurer card. “We are going on a brief trip to a nearby village. Can you let us through?”

“Yes, sir Pridens,” the guard nodded and opened up the gates.

With the walls behind them, the road was giving way to open fields and the winding dirt road ahead.

“All right,” Richard said, tapping a valve with unnecessary enthusiasm. “Let’s see what she can do.”

He pressed down on the accelerator.

The cabriosteamer surged forward with a sharp release of pressure. Ffsshhht! And the world blurred just a little. Wind whipped Heron’s hair back. Richard grinned like a madman.

Heron gripped the side rail, laughing under his breath despite himself.

They‌ reached the ruins in about three hours. With the speed the cabriosteamer was going, they didn’t get a chance to talk, as the sound of the engine giving its all was just too loud.

As they exited the car, in front what once were gates of the village, they were covered in dirt.

“Well, I guess I overdid it. Clothes washing is on me.” Richard smiled.

Heron was caught off by this side of Richard. He was used to seeing him as the strict, straight-backed leader. But out here, with dust on his boots and laughter still lingering on his face, he looked warmer. More human. Almost like someone Heron could forget to be nervous around.

“Thank you, sir?” Heron didn’t know how to address the situation.

“Oh, I’m sorry if it was too much. We’ll have more time going back, so I’m going to drive slower. I just got excited. There are few chances like this during missions, so don’t get used to this. Now lead the way.” Richard gestured to him.

“The soul crystal is hidden in the old mill,” Heron said. “It is about a fifteen-minute walk.”

They headed down the narrow path toward the mill between overgrown grass and foundations of what were houses. Some stone walls and wooden beams still stood solid, though time had softened their edges.

Richard stepped in behind him and took a slow breath. “Hard to imagine the entire village went up in flames,” he murmured.

“They still haven’t caught all the people responsible,” Heron said.

“It is only a matter of time. Crimes such as these don’t get overlooked, even if the victims were villagers.”

As they entered the mill, Heron went straight to the corner where the grain was stored.

A small heap of old wheat on top of the door, now pale as straw, brittle to the touch. Only fresh traces were his from several days before. When he brushed it aside, the stalks broke into thin flakes, scattering like dry parchment.

Beneath them, the outline of the small floor panel appeared.

“Here,” Heron said.

He pulled the latch. The square door lifted with a tired creak, revealing the small room below. Inside, exactly where he’d placed it six years ago, sat the cloth pouch. A thin film of dust coated it, but the fabric had held up.

Heron reached down, closing his fingers around the pouch.

“I’ve got it,” he said quietly.

“And you haven’t opened this pouch?” Richard asked.

“I looked inside when I came back to check on it before. But I haven’t touched it. I remember that much.”

“Alright, I trust you. Hand over the pouch then,” Richard ordered. Heron complied.

Richard untied the pouch, and a faint blue glow lit up from within.

“You really were telling the truth,” Richard smiled as his eyes gleamed at the flowing white sparks.

“Alright, this concludes our business,” Richard said as he tucked away the crystal. “It will take us a few days before we set out, so you should get friendly with the rest of the members.”

“I’ll do my best,” Heron replied.

“You oughta; these are people who will protect you, so don’t want them to miss anything aimed at you,” Richard laughed. “Also, we’ll not be going to Tuska directly; we will be doing a few missions. I hope this is fine with you.”

“Yes, I assumed that would be the case. But I’d like by the end of the next cycle to cross Tuska’s border.”

“That is a reasonable demand. If you prove yourself, consider it a deal. Now shall we get back?”

On their way back Richard was driving slower, and while still noisy, they could have had a conversation. But Heron didn’t know what to ask. A lot has happened in the last few days, and he wasn’t even acclimated.

At one point, Richard broke the silence. “May I ask you how ‌you got your hands on this crystal? Is it related to the person you are tracking down?”

“My father Haran gave it to me before abandoning me in that mill. He also told me to get to Tiwaz and seek the Bratti family.”

“Do you know anything about the Bratties?”

“No, I only have the pendant and know my father is related to them. Do you know anything, sir?”

Richard paused for a bit. “No, nothing comes to mind. I asked only because of mission details. The more you tell me, the better we’ll be prepared for whatever is ahead.”

“If I knew more, I’d share,” Heron replied.

“I figured,” Richard nodded. “Also, Heron. You’ll be doing some special training too. I’ll speak with Irene. You are not to share this with others. Understood?”

“Umm, I guess that is fine, sir. But may I ask why?”

“You are more sensitive to crystals, which is nothing dangerous in itself. But if you were to interact with them during the battle without proper adjusting, you’d become a liability. And I don’t want others giving you a hard time because of it.”

“I don’t know why it is happening. Last time it was during the trial. I was being healed, I think. I remember only a black void with patterns of faces forming like a wall, trying to talk. I heard only one voice. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it. But you are right, I’ll be a liability if I don’t share these types of occurrences.”

Richard looked over at Heron and gave a brief smile. “Thank you for sharing. You can trust me. Marcus informed me about the past instances. But in my experience, people who encountered this phenomenon were fine once they acclimated. In the cities, we do it since we are born, we forget what a shock it would be for a villager to use any crystal-powered tool that requires him to be a proxy.”

“A proxy?”

“I figured you lacked knowledge. I’ll be filling you in as time goes on, but for starters, a proxy is what we call a crystal user. The most common case is that you use the catalyst to direct your thoughts into crystal, and then it converts them into a command. Some just need any spark like the blower to know you want to turn it on and off. But for others, you need to focus on how they should work. So it takes training to master some of them.”

“Ok, that makes sense.”

They continued to drive in silence, and they arrived at the gates as the day was switching to night. Richard drove Heron in front of the tavern.

“Do you have spare clothes?” Richard asked.

“Yes, I bought some newish clothes when I was returning from Altaria yesterday. This girl, Emilia , mentioned secondhand stores, so I ran into one on my way back.”

“Well good, get all you need washed and I’ll reimburse you for the costs. Also, ask the keeper for directions to Jamtara’s furnace. We’ll be at that pub in two hours, and I’d like you to join us.”

“Thank you, sir,” Heron said as he was exiting the cabriosteamer. “I gladly accept.”

“Then I’ll see you tonight.” Richard waved and drove off.

As he entered his room in Altaria, Richard, still covered in dirt, went over the small wooden desk. The desk was plain looking and unobtrusive, but at the bottom there was a small hole, one for a small key. He pulled out a necklace with a key, crouched under the desk and unlocked a hidden compartment.

He then pulled out what looked like a small stone tablet with seven holes on it forming a crystal in shape. All slots were carved in and polished, but one slot was occupied. In the said slot, there was a red crystal with yellow sparks flowing within it. Richard pulled out the pouch he had got from Heron. He went over to a cabinet and, after a bit of searching, between what were his clothes, he found a pair of gloves.

He put the gloves on and then reached for the blue soul crystal, and placed it in one of the free slots in the tablet.

The creators blessed me with luck. Only five more to go. He smiled as he put the tablet back into the compartment.