Mythshaper

My eyes fluttered open, a migraine blazing through my temples two thousand steps a second. I was being carried away.

"I'm telling you, Jen, this kid's a monster." A voice echoed into my ears, one of the constables carrying me. "If half of their testimonies were to be true, I don't think we'll be able to keep him in the cell if he decides to break out. We need to put him in the box."

"Whatever he is," a female voice returned from my left, "it is for the judge and jury to decide."

A monster. I remembered Valeria saying that, though this time it ate at my skin like a gutted knife.

"Look, the punk's awake," said the first voice, and I found a tanned enforcer rounding me, after letting me fall onto my hips. "Planning to go on another rampage, are you?"

I studied his expression, which seemed to turn a bit red under my stare.

Ultimately, I decided to gaze towards the other constable. I recognised the face, the constable who cuffed me. She was a bit on the younger side, brown hair tucked in a bun, with the light blue enforcer uniform draping over her perfectly.

"Officer," I said, my voice a little coarse but much more tactful than I had realised, "I will trouble you to inform my parents of my captivity."

A hand held me by my collar as the man glared at me. "Listen here, you little noble shit. You don't give orders to the law enforcers, hear me?"

My gaze shifted to him, which somehow angered him even more. I did not think anything I said would convince the man to act any differently.

"Aven," Constable Jen sighed. "I believe it is best if you get some fresh air."

Enforcer Aven shot another scalding glare in my direction, but he went off nonetheless.

"Sorry about him," she said, watching his dispirited figure drifting away. "Aven does not have the best regard for nobles. And knowing his past, I cannot blame him completely."

"I'm not a noble," I said, then shook my head. "Well, it doesn't matter. Please inform my parents. They are at the guest house of the Monster Hunter's Guild."

The woman scrutinised my face, studying me. "I will send someone to relay the message," she said, opening the door to an empty cell.

Ahead of us, a group of enforcers were putting the other three they had captured into separate cells.

Many such cells, each with space no more than ten square metres, lined the corridor ahead of me. Most of them held no prisoners, though I did note a dozen gazes locking onto me through the dim light. The underground confinement seemed too depressive to hold even the most marginal offender, and lacked the defensive fortitude required to detain true criminals. It was more of a temporary custody, before the convicted were sent to a more barred confinement.

"Meanwhile," she pushed me into the cell, "please do not cause any ruckus. From what I can make out, you may get out of this cell within a couple of days at the earliest. Do not add anything more to the list."

Unsure what to say, I bowed my head, uttering a curt thank you.

The cell was bleak and unremarkable by all standards and purposes. Stone surfaces on three sides, and thick iron bars on the front. I stood in the middle, the handcuffs still confining my palms. In better times, I might have chosen to examine the fabricator. Much like the Essence Restraining Net, these cuffs were restricted items; only the lawmen had the permit to use.

However, currently, my mind buzzed with images of the violence I had wrought. I hated to admit it, but the days of my training in the Chasm had dulled the blow considerably. Even still, chaotic thoughts took hold of my mind, of how I could have acted differently, how I could have seen through the whole racket.

The first death that came from my hand might have been unintentional. The next few were not.

I could say that I was in an agitated state, that my instincts acted before my thoughts could catch up. But even if I had the chance to rethink, would I have escaped, leaving the bystanders in dire straits? Would it have been better if I had not acted at all and come to the enforcers first? Would it have played out differently if I had not killed the woman?

To empty my head of those chaotic thoughts, I sat down cross-legged and decided to enter meditation. I tried, but soon my brows wrinkled. My mind, which had once been akin to a cultivated garden of creative thoughts, now remained a shambled mess, following a horrendous storm.

For the first time in a long while, I found myself unable to enter thoughtlessness. My mind kept regurgitating images of the battle that I could not even visualise in full authenticity. Neither would trying to recount them do me any better.

The dead eyes of the lives I had taken stared at me through the darkness, watching me, despising me. A severed head of a younger man rolled before me, staring at me in denouncement.

Why were regular augmenters helping half-living? Could I have been mistaken? Could I—

A disturbance caused my eyes to open. A constable opened my cell to push a drunk old man inside. I presumed the proper proceeding was to keep the captives separate, in case anything ill came to pass. Besides, there was no shortage of empty cells.

A thick smell of alcohol permeated the room, disturbing my train of thought. I could not help but scrunch my nose as the man came to sit beside me.

"How are you holding up, lad?" the old man's voice came to my ears, and instantly my eyes shot up, examining him.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Master Kaius?" I asked in incredulity. "What are you doing here?"

"Got myself in for vandalism," he chuckled. "The enforcers did not take it well to some drunk crone cursing at their doorsteps."

That explained how he was here, though I could not quite fathom that this could really be a coincidence, that the only other person arrested after me was thrown into the same cell as me.

"A few coins can get you anywhere, my lad," the wise man chuckled, noticing what I had been dwelling upon.

"You bribed your way in?" I did not need to know the answer to that, so I changed my inquiry. "Wait, how did you find out so quickly that I was arrested?"

Even my parents were not here yet, and I reckoned they would drop everything to come to my rescue.

He sighed. "We have been keeping tabs on the alchemy shop for a while. And colour me surprised when I heard a red-haired boy dispatched more than half of their numbers when little Viola went for a little investigation there."

"Viola?" I perked up.

"I figure you met her there," he said. "Pretty girl, bright violet eyes, and always seems to be angry at something."

For how little I knew of her, the description somehow seemed apt. "Is she alright?" I asked. "Did you manage to catch the half-living?"

"She tracked that monster halfway to the chasms, until Nero came in. They are a bit iffy about not being able to bait some of the bigger fish out of the shadows, but I reckon this is the best outcome for them both."

"Bigger fish?"

"The group you found yourself involved with has some ties to a cult called Phantom Columnae," he paused, unsure if he should explain further. "Most of their members range from greedy fools and deranged nutjobs to the worst sinners tracing back to the days of the founding. The cult was perhaps constituted with a different belief, but nowadays they are hellbent on disavowing the Oracle, claiming that the Spell is stealing resources from the world to empower the Oracle.

"I should not be telling you all this. Ashlyn certainly would not like it, but considering your involvement, I guess I do owe you some explanation.

"So, remember how I rushed off from your home? Well, as it turned out, the Phantom Columnae had spent great resources to capture one of my protégés. You might have heard of him. His name has been ringing all over the empire, for good and ill. Anyhow, Nero was in dire condition after the attack, but that blighted boy was as stubborn as a mule. By the time I got to him, not only did he not leave for somewhere safer, he even pulled Viola into his schemes, a mere undergraduate despite her capabilities, to fish out the upper seats of the cult, using themselves as bait."

I understood a little better now, though there was still a question bugging my mind.

"Master Kaius, those people, the ones in the alchemy shop, they were not half-living. Why are they helping in whatever atrocities the half-living were up to?"

"That answer to that question might vary from person to person, though more commonly it all roots back to human greed." He exhaled, and somehow there was no reek of alcohol. "I have lived a long life, lad. I have met honourable men and seen them lose their way to inner demons and wrought atrocities they had vowed to protect others from. I have even seen those half-living fight their base instincts and do what good they can with the cursed power they had been afflicted with. Alas, the number of rejecters has been dwindling since then.

"This group you met, in particular, were abducting potential children, sometimes selling them into slavery, while the worst off were coerced and compelled into brainwashed foot soldiers of the cult."

I sucked in a frigid breath, still having trouble taking it all in.

I had nothing to add to that. "Master Kaius, thank you for accompanying me. I did not know if I could… if I…"

The elder clasped my palm, his far warmer than mine. "Anything for you, son." He bowed his head, a flicker of emotion running through his aged face. "Now you might have trouble sleeping for a few days. Make sure to talk it all out with your parents. Even if those people deserved a worse death than the swift end you brought them, it takes a heavy toll on the mind, especially a mind as young as yours. Tucking it in will only burden you. Your parents, both Jinn and Ashlyn, will understand far better than you think."

I nodded.

"Speaking of your parents, it seems they are here."

Accompanied by Constable Jen, both Mum and Father strode towards my cell in heavy steps. As soon as the constable opened the cell, Mum shot forward to pull me into a violent embrace.

"My little pumpkin, are you alright? Did you get hurt? I should have never let you go off on your own." That was followed by a thorough examination.

"I'm fine, your relic protected me."

Mum was not convinced. "Come on, we will take you home at once," she said, bringing me out of the dimly lit cell, Father accompanying me on my left, while Master Kaius stood up to leave as well.

"Where do you think you are going, old man?" the constable asked, standing and obstructing Master Kaius on his path.

The elder smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sweet Jen, how little Jemus is these days? Tough as a nail, I presume?"

The woman's expression went from that of a stalwart lawman to complete befuddlement. "How do you know my father?"

"Oh, that suddenly reminds me, I have two gold Leafs tucked in the soles of my shoes." Saying that, he began removing his shoes to bring out the coins. "Truly a coincidence that the fine to get me out of here is exactly these two coins."

He handed them to her. The woman stared at him, rubbing her temple. She really was having a tough day at work.

As we ascended to the main hall, I noticed more familiar faces there.

Elnar, our guide for the chasm runs, had come on behalf of the Monster Hunter's Guild, along with a couple of others. I even noticed Viola standing on the far side, solitary, while what caught my attention was someone arguing with the pot-bellied inspector.

"Listen, Arbiter, I really cannot hand over the prisoners to you," he said with utmost authority. "You may precede me by a couple of ranks, but without the authority of my superior and a judge to preside over the case, I cannot hand you the convicts."

"That's what I'm asking you," argued the young man. "Go call the one in charge."

"And I'm telling you he's not available," the inspector cried. "Went off to attend more serious business."

The young man was clearly displeased by how the inspector behaved, but he did not argue anymore and turned in our direction.

At once, my pupils contracted, and my breath hitched. The face. I had seen it once. It was the same half-living I had met near the food stall, now colour having returned to his pale exterior.

"He's not a half-living, lad," Master Kaius said, his palm patting my shoulder.

I frowned, waiting for him to explain, as I could clearly sense the strange hint of midnight essence from him.

"So this is the kid you were talking about, Kaius," Nero said. "And also the one who caused my ingenious plan to go down the gutter."

I had no clue what to say. Thankfully, Mum took in my stance. "It's been a long while, kid," she said. "I have heard some good things about you, but it seems even after reaching fable class, you are still acting all the same."

"Good seeing you too, Mistress Ashlyn," Nero said without taking any offence. His gaze drifted to my father and faltered for a moment before he spoke again. "Well, consider this my straw before they revoke my authority as an arbiter."

"But that wouldn't change how you work, would it?"

"You know me. So long as it works, why change?"

The inspector coughed. "Mistress Ashlyn, we have the bail papers ready for your son, if you please."

As Mum took care of the legalities, I watched Viola, the violet-eyed girl, stride towards me with a familiar sword in her hand.

"Your blade," she said, handing it to me.

"Umm, thank you," I said. After a moment, I added, "I should have listened to you back there."

The girl scanned my face. If I were waiting for her to console me, all I heard was, "Yes, you should have."

Then she walked out of the station.

"Arilyn, you need to sign as well," Mum called. As I joined her, her eyes drifted to the departing figure, her pupils contracting.

"What is it?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Mum shook her head. "The veil on her seems to be made by me."

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