50
Things were getting pretty heated.
Jin constantly felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders.
It was like a weight pressing down. Not the comfortable weight of an iron bar loaded with heft, but an uncomfortably sharp weight. Like a sack of broken glass. He could feel the itch of it.
Fulka was pushing Fergus to go now.
Before his brother arrived.
He liked how strongly she supported his friend, but felt there was a cold hard dagger at their backs which was leading them all towards a precipice. And soon it would force them to jump.
Fergus couldn’t see it now.
He was smitten by the girl.
He wanted to impress her.
Getting the core had become a quest for him. Jin could tell Fergus thought of himself like a knight in the old books. A knight charging into battle for the love of a maiden and the honor of his father.
But Jin had doubts about the last part.
Growing up with Fergus, Jin had seen his friend’s father often. And had never once seen even a sliver of kindness in the sharp old man’s eyes for his son. That kindness was reserved for his other children, who he thought were more talented.
In some ways, they were.
But Jin had always felt Fergus had a stronger spine than his family gave him credit for. It’s just that it was repressed by their expectations and hidden behind his bitterness.
It was good to see that spine showing itself thanks to Fulka.
But Jin still wasn’t sure Fergus wasn’t biting off a little more than he could chew.
He also had doubts about the letters only Fergus could read.
He doubted Fergus’ father would entrust him with anything so important as the Primal Core. Even if such a weapon existed, what was stopping Fergus from taking it for himself once he touched it?
That’s why he was being told to wait.
Wait for the trustworthy child to come and take the core.
So, in a way, maybe Fulka was right. Maybe Fergus should act quickly.
But Jin still thought the whole idea was suicide. And that thought dragged at him like an anchor.
His family owed the Paddstones.
Did it owe them this much?
His eyes dragged across the Common Room to where one of Milo’s team, the Tank called Selma, was sitting with Cerena and her little team. They looked cozy.
Real cozy.
Selma was giggling. That was something which fascinated Jin.
A woman like her didn’t seem the type to giggle. She looked like she would stride through her enemies with a calm expression. Her eyes, which gleamed bright with amusement, should be cold. Cold because all emotion should have bled out of her after having lived a life of violence.
She was like him, Jin thought.
Yet, she giggled.
The sound bubbled into his ears. She wasn’t that far away.
In another life, he thought he might have approached her. Got to know her. She and Belt seemed to get along well enough. And Belt was an easy guy to like.
Maybe the three of them could have hung out in a tavern.
Jawed about Tanking and whinged about their teammates for hours over cups of beer.
That would’ve been nice.
But the girl was Milo’s. She’d even called herself that enough times that the rumors were scandalously explicit.
Tania and Selma. Two of the most beautiful women in the Academy had just dropped down around that guy’s feet like little hounds. Their eyes wide and mouths open with drool every time he was in the room.
There was no hiding how she felt about Milo.
She practically buzzed with emotion when he was close.
Even when she was pretending not to.
Jin sighed.
If Fergus wasn’t so hung up on Milo’s lack of mana capacity, things maybe could’ve been different.
Now?
Now he felt strange thoughts as he watched her. Her shoulders looked strong. The sword she always carried was huge, too. It’d take a lot of strength to move it around. And word was she was also an electromancer.
If he couldn’t get to know her, maybe he could fight her?
All the Tanks skirmished with each other a bit in Finklestern’s classes.
But on the rare occasion she showed up, she was often paired with Belt. The two of them had fun.
He wanted to have fun with her, too.
Maybe if he could win, it’d prove he was something to her.
The thought made him frown.
Why did he need to prove anything to her? There was no need.
Still.
A fight.
A duel, even.
Might be fun.
“Jin?” Fergus dropped into the couch next to him. “Sorry, I’m late. Garmstooth went on and on.”
“It’s alright,” Jin said. He took out a small envelope. “Fulka asked me to give you this. She’s got a class with Vizzingbelle.”
“Vizzingballs, you mean?” Fergus sneered, taking the envelope. “Thanks. She mapped out the Vault pretty well. I bet even Haddrow would be shocked.”
“She’s pretty good,” Jin allowed.
“She’s amazing,” Fergus said softly. “I feel good about it, you know? The plan, I mean.”
“Really?” Jin frowned. “I don’t know, Fergus. It feels… Janky.”
Fergus cocked his head. “How?”
“I can’t explain it. But it just seems simple. Too simple.”
“Well, even Garmstooth says the best plans are the simplest plans. Anything complicated will always break down.” Fergus nodded to himself. “Like, if a plan is simple, you can adapt quicker without having to alter too much on the run.”
“Are you sure she can blow a hole through a wall, though? These walls are pretty damned thick.”
“She says she’ll be able to,” Fergus said. “She’s been practicing on the training yard today. And tonight Vizzingbelle’s actually getting them to practice on some walls.”
‘Not granite, though.”
“No. But there’s not that much difference.” Fergus waved a hand. “Besides, she’s a geomancer. Granite’s just rock, right? She’ll figure something out.”
“Alright,” Jin said. He shook his head. “I just… Is this the right thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“This thing you want to get,” Jin said. “This core thing. You said it’s a weapon, right? A big one?”
“The biggest.”
“So, the Mage Court’s gonna hunt us, Fergus. You sure your father will protect us?”
“I’m sure.” Fergus said it firmly. “He wants that core more than anything, okay? If he can get it, he’ll protect us from those old bastards.”
“And the Headmaster?”
Fergus put a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “It’ll be fine. The plan’s good, Jin.”
Jin sighed.
He didn’t know what else to say.
“Alright,” he said at last. “You know best.”
“Trust me.” Fergus grinned.
“I’m trying,” Jin said drily. “But I still think we’re rushing.”
“I don’t have much choice. My brother will be here soon.
I can’t let him take this chance from me, Jin.
I just can’t.” Selma’s eyes drifted over to Selma.
“And then there’s them. It’s driving me crazy that they’re being allowed to use it.
It doesn’t seem right. If they can, then there shouldn’t be anything wrong with me using it, too. That’s all there is to it.”
“Selma whipped Belt today,” Jin said absently. “Kicked his ass from one end of the room to the other. Finklestern nearly died watching.”
“Eh. He probably let her win.”
Jin shook his head. “He didn’t. And Tania’s a nine. Maybe they’re just good at what they do.”
Fergus stared at Selma for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he thought that through.
“Maybe those two are,” he admitted. “But that normie can’t be good at anything.”
“He can shoot.”
“So? Jin, Fulka can, too. And you’re an amazing Tank. You’re Finklestern’s best, right?”
Jin pursed his lips.
That’s what Finklestern had said.
But that was before today. “I thought so.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. No matter how good they are, it’s abnormal to go through dungeons that fast. I don’t get why no one else understands that.”
Jin nodded. There was no point arguing. Fergus was like a dog with a bone now. “I guess.”
“It’s the core,” Fergus said. “I’m sure of it. I’ve never been sure of anything else in my whole life. Even Fulka agrees with me.”
“Yeah.” Jin’s lips curled a little. “But she’d agree with you if you told her that the sky was green.”
Fergus flushed brightly. “You think so?”
“Yeah, I do.”
‘Don’t be silly.” Fergus looked pleased, though. “I was gonna approach her. After this is over.”
“I guessed you would.”
“She’s real nice.”
“Seems like.”
“I’m serious.”
Jin smiled a little more easy. “I know. That’s why I’m worried, Fergus. I think if we got through with this, there ain’t gonna be no turning back. It’ll change our lives. Or end them. What if she gets hurt? How will you feel then?”
“She won’t get hurt.”
“We’ll be going against security. The Mage Court.”
“She’ll be fine,” Fergus insisted. “We all will be. The plan is simple. It can’t go wrong. We’ve mapped it out and everything.”
Jin nodded.
There was no going back.
Not anymore.
His eyes slid across to where Selma was laughing with Belt. Belt didn’t look too bothered by his loss today.
He decided to sit down and write to his mom that night.
Just to tell her he was fine.
That he loved her.
And wished he could be at home eating her meals.
He missed her meals.
The food here was shit.