Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

“Brat, are you fucking dumb? Why in the Gods’ name would you pick an Arcane Class?” Bennett looks dumbfounded and a bit pissed about my decision.

Ah, that’s right, he only knew I had a so-called Blessing, not what it actually does. I wanted to see people's faces when I revealed I could wield multiple elements… stupid secrecy, didn’t even protect me in the end.

“I’ll demonstrate.” It’s time to see if the gamble paid off.

“Trying to show the old dog new tricks?” He huffs. “I’ve seen them all by now and I’m way, way older than you might think.” He’s skeptical, but we’ll see.

“Okay, so I wanted to play with magic and be one damn cool mage. The only problem? I couldn’t just discard all the other elements in favor of only one.” I look at him with mischief. “So why not just pick them all?”

I call on the mana inside me, which is a really simple process just imagine some vibrant ever-present energy flowing through you, or that's how mom described it. Now comes Earthian? Earthish? Earth magic… no that’s something else. Science.

Bennett seems to have already forgotten when I conjured flames out of thin air so when a flame light up in my palm again his eyes widen. Then a small pebble floats up from the ground, the sweat from my forehead gathers into a big droplet and….

Damn, I can’t add more, it’s too complex. Doing three is already like trying to climb a tree, fold clothes and read a book at the same time. I can barely do the three of those and definitely not add a fourth.

“Arcane can be anything as long as you really know your stuff.” I explain matter of factly.

“Kid, people far wiser than you have tried to solve the mystery of the Arcane since the dawn of time. Are you telling me that you, a nine-year-old girl, came up with the method to use it?” The disbelief written on Benett’s face is a bit insulting but realistically it wasn’t really me who solved it.

“I just asked the right question, that’s all I can say.” That is really all I can say, even this almost upsetting the prohibition on sharing the Skill's secrets.

Even so, I’m still standing proud with hands on my hips, head held high. It might not have been my head the knowledge popped out of, however it's mine it sits in right now. Win.

“So a knowledge type Blessing. One with information as significant as this and we can’t even learn it… Bollocks, no wonder it demands secrecy." He seems upset, except there’s nothing we can do about it. “Can’t you just show it to us?”

“Nope, can’t share it in any way.” I shake my head.

“What a shame.” He massages the bridge of his nose. “Your worth was just about to jump thirty-fold. Not that we’d ever sell you after all this trouble.”

You better not! I’d chew through my shackles and bite through your throat if you did after all that talk about raising me properly. I’m worth just enough thank you very much and what I know belongs to me and me only.

“But why exactly does the Fist need someone like me?” I ask, since he explained already that my combat potential is negligible.

“Advertisement. Sooner or later the world will learn about you, about your gifts and then we’ll present you to the wider audience.” He smiles like I usually do after coming up with a genius plan. “The eyes drawn to you will inadvertently end up also staring at us. Powerful people with immense wealth…”

It’s all about money…honestly, what did I expect?

“So the big plan is to throw me to those wolves in sheepskin after protecting me for a few years? That’s the stupidest thing I heard, shouldn’t my Blessing be kept a secret?” I yawn.

It’s still the middle of the night and I’ve only slept like four hours before all hell broke loose. I wasn’t made to work with so little sleep.

“Not exactly. Kidnapping people is forbidden by the law,” No shit, old man. “while kidnapping the Blessed is strictly prohibited by the Basbel Convention. Many people have forgotten about the clause since the Comet last crested the skies but it is there. Believe me, you wouldn’t be worth the international outrage even if you could share your secrets.”

That’s… great actually. I always hated too much attention but I think I could live with it if that were the key to my freedom. Now there’s only one question remaining.

“Then why the fuck aren’t we doing that right away?” I yell loud enough for it to echo in the forest around us.

“Lower your voice, I’m looking for a place to set up camp and you’ll only draw some night dwellers with a high-pitched shriek like that!” Bennet throws me a half-assed insult but not the answer I’m looking for so I keep stomping and growling until he gives in. “Because many have already tried tricking the world by claiming to have a talent similar to yours every other year. People would call you a fraud and by the time the public was to take your side another, stronger, group of shadows would be on your heels.”

Damn, I hate how all his reasoning is rock solid. I’m used to winning at least some of my arguments or losing only against the parental threats but this…

“So why wait then? What’s gonna be so different in three years?” I yawn again, unable to hold them back anymore.

“A grand stage, a place where no one will dare question your legitimacy and where more power resides than in most royal courts.” He chuckles.

Don’t try to be mysterious you old fuck out with it! That’s what I’d be shouting if putting one leg in front of the other wasn’t taking up all my energy.

“Let’s spend the night here, we have a few days of headstart anyway.” Bennett points to the remnants of a campfire.

I drag myself over, roll out my barebone bedding and collapse.

What a night this was…

***

“I need to pee.” I mutter before even opening my eyes after my sleep is interrupted by some dumb birds chirping too loudly.

I groan after rolling over to my back, my whole body stiff after basically sleeping on the ground for the entire night. Just to add insult to injury my calf decides to revolt as I do a mighty big stretch, cramping like crazy.

“Shit!” I sit up as all the sleepiness disappears and start massaging my leg. “Every damn time.”

“Good morning, kid.” Greets me the voice I hoped I would never hear again.

Even before waking up, I knew last night was not just a simple nightmare, I didn’t just dream of my life turning upside down. This is my new reality.

The old man is leaning against a tree with his sword held to his chest and eyes closed. His cloak probably acts like a blanket in a way but even then, isn’t he uncomfortable?

“The medallion, return it.” He holds his hand out as I take off my boots to air my sweaty feet.

Oh right, I had that thing in my pocket ever since that street rat tried to steal it from me. The chain kinda snapped but I doubt he’ll make me pay for it, I have no money after all.

“Here,” I throw the accessory at him and he nabs it out of the air with his eyes closed. It’s a little cool I won't lie. “What is that thing anyway?”

“Something illegal, something the authorities really really hate.” Bennett puts the weird necklace away into his cloak of infinite goodies. “It can trick Identify to a degree so its possession is highly prohibited.”

Damn, I want one. Just imagine an Assassin wearing one of those and disguising himself as a random clerk without anyone having a clue… No wonder it’s illegal.

“Wait, so there is a chance I’ve met people wearing something like this before and I had no clue?” I crawl closer, excited and terrified at the idea.

“Not just a chance,” The old man finally opens his eyes and rolls his shoulder. “People wearing one are not easy to spot. While we’re on the topic of necklaces,” He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “Your mother wore a special one and I don’t remember you ever mentioning your species, care to explain?”

Is there any point in hiding something as insignificant as my race when the cat is already out of the bag? Wait, I’m only hiding my Species because Mom warned me people would go after me for being rare and special but… isn’t that already the case just even worse?

“She’s a Celestial, and my father is a pureblood elf so it’s not too hard to guess what I as their child could be.” Shrug after coming to a conclusion.

My Species is no longer the most special thing about me, far from it, so there’s no point in hiding it.

After some thinking, he lifts an eyebrow and asks. “Celestial… White hair, ethereal skin, and ice blue eyes?” He asks, almost scoring full points.

“Mom’s eyes are purple but yeah.” I shrug.

“Not a bad mix. Although none of your parents' blood is known to mix well with any other, your birth alone is a miracle.” He taps his chin as if reminiscing about something.

“Wow, you really know a lot. Is this all basic information amongst you sellswords?” Now it's my turn to be surprised.

He knows almost everything about the Crimson Comet and isn’t totally oblivious about Mom’s Species, impressive. It's not like these secrets are that well kept by the looks of it, just sure as hell not common knowledge.

Which leads me to another question, one that’s been bugging me ever since he first saved my ass. Just as he’s opening his mouth to answer my first question I jump at the opportunity and throw the big question at him.

“So, was it merely a coincidence you showed up last night just at the right time?” I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. “That you knew about the fire and families disappearing without a word and to top it off knew where my house was when you brought me back home?”

That’s right, just because I’m a child doesn’t mean I can’t notice these things. The adults have ignored me countless times already but I am listening and I can also make deductions.

I see the old man’s eyes widen and the air get stuck in his throat as I begin the interrogation. He didn’t expect to have this conversation, typical adult.

“Well, was it all a piece of good fortune?” I press on as he tries to win some time by doing some fake coughing.

“Not really. I was sent to find and…” The word you’re looking for is abduct. "save kids like you ever since we first stumbled into a kidnapping like the one yesterday. This is not the first time the Comet has passed Aelion lass, the hundredth maybe. We have scriptures about it, we knew what, or rather who the shadows were looking for after a little research.” Huh, convenient… “Also, while celestials are extremely rare about a hundred years ago I served with one as brothers in arms. May Malor guide him in the afterlife.” Damn, he must be old, like really old.

I don’t really like his answer.

“And if not for the shadows taking off with me then what, would you just walk up to our door and ask my parents to hand me over?” I get straight to the point with a frown. Maybe he is no better than those bastards after all.

This time he falls quiet for good. I let the conversation boil in the flames of uncomfortable silence before grabbing a sandwich Mom packed me before I left. It’s good, the thickness of the bread, the ham, a little salt… everything just the way I like it. And I won’t be able to taste this for at least three years…

A few rebellious tears escape my eyes as I enjoy the meal, taking slow and heavy bites before Bennett finally breaks the silence.

“I don’t like doing this either, you know?” He grumbles. “Battle, glory and riches are what I signed up for, not dragging children away from their families and babysitting them.” Now there are two of us then. “I wasn’t sure you were the one, nobody was, but the word spread about someone with the Crimson’s Blessed Class living in Meliorport so I came to make sure.”

No fucking way one of those idiots couldn’t keep their mouth shut. It was supposed to be a secret, our secret… Damn, they must’ve told their parents who then told their friends who then told their neighbor and so on… Oh, I’ll bring vengeance the next time I meet the gang.

I hope they’re alright.

“I guess I would’ve tried to reason with your family.” Sounds stupid, old man, and you know that. “The other two we found, kids like you, had no one to take care of them so… it wasn’t as difficult. As a last resort, I would’ve tried to kidnap you probably. That way your parents live and all that chaos could’ve been avoided.”

My chewing gets more and more aggressive throughout his explanation. I don’t like what I’m hearing, not one bit, even if just kidnapping me from the start would’ve been the best option where nobody got hurt.

“Just because your reasoning is right does not mean I agree.” I swallow the last bite. “This Blessing… it’s not worth it. I didn’t ask for any of this, I’m still not even sure I want to fight anyone.”

All the blood and screams from yesterday still haunt me and the mourning faces… the lucky ones lost their home like me, the others had something priceless taken from them. I don’t think I can live with taking part in causing so much pain.

“Fighting isn’t always a choice lassie, trouble finds you one way or the other and you can either stand up for yourself or accept your fate.” The old man responds, pulling out his sword and applying some sort of oil to the blade. “If there’s a third option do tell, even towards the end of my life I’d love to know what I’ve missed out on.”

“Licking boots probably.” I chuckle dryly. “Sucking up to someone strong enough to fight for you, it’s the only option I can come up with.”

“Eh, not my cup of tea.” Bennett shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t think I fit the role of fairytale princess in the first place.”

Yeah, I don’t like this option either.

“I already saw what you can do against that poor boy in that alley,” Hey, I’m not proud of that old man! “care to learn more?”

I’d be fucking dumb to say no to that after this slightly demoralizing speech about standing up for yourself, wouldn’t I?