The night of Beehive Rock had passed. Other hunter teams had been dispatched to investigate the recent drop zones, granting our squad a brief respite - except for Penelope and me. We were having breakfast, speculating that the guildmaster would soon seek us out. After all, the Remus situation wouldn't simply vanish amidst other developments.
Sure enough, before long, I sensed the plump old man approaching our guild. Informing Penelope, we hastily finished our meal and went to greet him at the entrance. Spotting us waiting, the old man beamed with delight, striding forward with arms outstretched.
"Well, hello there! I've been looking forward to meeting you two young hunters!"
"We're still apprentices, actually," Penelope corrected.
"No longer!" the guildmaster replied cheerfully. "Your mentor submitted your promotion applications before departing."
"While possessed by a Navara, no less," Penelope added flatly.
"Just minor details," the guildmaster winked. "You both returned alive, which suffices for me to recommend your promotion. Now, can you accompany me? The Templars wish to speak with you."
I understood little of politics, but suspected he wasn't eager to recommend apprentices for such matters.
"As expected," I replied. "We're ready."
Pinta briefly took control, taking a deep breath - her unspoken message clear: "Are we truly prepared?" Honestly, terror gripped me, and Pinta must have felt the same. We'd mastered control transfers, with Pinta essentially maintaining constant control, seamlessly executing my intentions with negligible delay - the physiological principles remained a mystery, but we'd developed an effective method. A mouse in our bag served as her refuge when needed. What more could we do?
The guildmaster merely smiled, leading the way. I attempted small talk to distract myself.
"Uh, about those black objects Beehive Rock dumped on us... any idea what they are? I'm guessing eggs."
He laughed heartily, his perpetual smile suggesting a diet conducive to such mirth.
"Another egg theory? Hmm, perhaps I should start a betting pool. What kind of eggs? Current guesses include insect eggs, monster eggs, bombs, waste, spore canisters, and drop pods."
"Please, not spores," I said, eliciting another laugh.
"Everyone hopes not!"
As we approached the city's more prosperous district, a magnificent temple of the Mist Watchers came into view. A colossal structure, half fortress, half art sculpture, its walls adorned with serpentine stone patterns reminiscent of the small devotees - perhaps their names originated thus, bearing eerie resemblance to the temple's misty guardians.
Entering the temple, two Templars greeted us, escorting us deeper into the building through deliberately disorienting corridors.
Yet I couldn't focus on these surroundings, overwhelmed by the most potent spiritual presence I'd ever sensed within the temple. The mere thought of approaching them sent shivers down my spine. Many spirits rivaled Remus in strength, while one far surpassed him. This entity exuded an ozone-like odor, burning like molten lava while swirling with hurricane force - too vast to be contained within a human vessel.
Our escort's arrival heightened my dread of confronting this powerful spirit, eclipsing my fear of the temple's dangers. Remus had already surpassed my comprehension; this... this was on another level! How powerful could they be? My panic intensified with each step closer, nearly compelling me to flee - until Pinta restrained me. Upon reaching the spirit's chamber, I silently thanked her. There stood the spirit's host.
A human, albeit one with an absurdly powerful soul. Cloaked in Templar attire and a helmet obscuring her face, she wore shimmering white scale armor edged in red - not conventional plate armor. My earlier assessment of her soul's mismatch with her body proved accurate, yet she seemed unconcerned, as if surrounded by an aura of psychic energy extending two feet in all directions.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, an elderly woman's voice. "The hunters! Welcome!"
She - now appearing female - approached.
"I am High Templar Gladra Karthala. I've heard you two reported the Navara incident and were briefly affected?"
"Lord Karthala," Penelope replied, bowing in a manner I'd never seen before. "I didn't expect you to personally inquire."
"My! Suspicions arose at your name, but truly, what a surprise! Miss Vesuvius the Third, delighted to meet you. I hadn't heard you'd become a hunter."
"If you wish, my lord, I'd prefer most remain unaware," Penelope replied, head bowed.
The high-ranking Templar - seemingly of noble birth - nodded but offered no response. Politics eluded me entirely, and when she turned to me, I struggled to suppress my urge to flee.
"And who might you be?" she stepped closer, inquiring.
"Oh, heavens, you're so powerful," I whispered. Penelope tensed, and Gladra tilted her head.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, uh, I mean... I'm Vita, ma'am! Uh, my lord?"
She chuckled softly, stepping nearer. I retreated behind Penelope.
"I won't harm you, dear," Gladra said, voice laced with amusement. "It's alright."
"Then... is that something you can do?" I blurted uncontrollably.
She merely smiled, offering no answer.
"Well, since I know Penelope, I assume you're our little helper against the Navara. They say you can sense relative strengths - what do you think of me?"
Like a startled owl, I peered from behind Penelope, blinking at her.
"Very powerful," I managed.
She tilted her head.
"Just 'very powerful'? That's it?"
"You... are like a natural force," I struggled to articulate, seeking more information without revealing too much. "Every instinct screams in terror at your proximity. Before seeing you, I couldn't believe you were human!"
"Oh!" she softly exclaimed. "Interesting. How might you compare this strength...?"
I stammered. Please! How much did she expect me to divulge?
"I don't know, you're like... a million starving orphans strong! Do you ask everyone capable of sensing power to stroke your ego?"
She leaned closer, her soul pressing against me, twisting and flowing around our bodies, filling every gap. Where it touched burned like fire, tearing at my skin with excruciating pain - yet Penelope seemed unaffected, so I feigned indifference.
"Indeed," she confirmed, stepping back. I hurriedly inspected my hands for burns.
"Now, to business," Gladra continued. "As a national asset, we aim to capture Remus alive. Failing that, retrieve his sword. Otherwise, I'll erase Litia Village from the map - troublesome for our cartographers. So! How do you plan to poison your superiors?"
This... was brutally direct.
"I mean, I really don't want to, but do we have a better option?" I asked.
"Not really," the high Templar murmured. "Given Remus's status, capturing him proves challenging. My intended operatives are unavailable. I could kill him, but we seek capture. Sufficiently powerful Templars could subdue him, yet we can't dispatch so many high-ranking knights from the city simultaneously. Lacking capable individuals, we must rely on you youngsters."
"I don't—"
"Pardon me, Lady Karthala, but this strategy seems... unreliable," Penelope interrupted. "Joking aside, I understand sending Vita after the Navara, but why me? Frankly, I'd rather not participate."
"Oh, that complicates matters. Litia Village lacks a biomancer. If Remus doesn't acquire one, he'll seek one elsewhere - bad news for your friends. As one of the few biomancers aware of the Navara situation in the city..."
If Remus controlled a biomancer other than Penelope, it would indeed be disastrous - but interestingly, for the opposite reason she assumed. Biomancers could detect the Navara; Gladra believed a slime-possessed Remus controlling one would realize no Navara surrounded me, when in fact... it would expose Penelope's presence. Post-rescue, complications would arise.
"I understand," Penelope replied flatly. "How accurate is this intelligence? Doubtful a village as large as Litia lacks a biomancer."
"Quite certain, at least two days ago," Gladra explained with a smile. "Litia remains under surveillance. An unusually high number of powerful individuals reside there - likely why Remus targeted it first."
"Sounds grim," I said. "Any additional compensation for this task?"
Priorities dictated maximizing gains. If I could extract more funds from the Templars, I'd certainly try.
"Compensation depends on performance," Gladra replied. "Return Remus and/or his sword, and you'll receive generous rewards for recovering national treasures. Fail entirely... well, if you return alive, you'll still be compensated, though I'd be displeased."
"Ah," I said. "Great pressure."
"Oh, you should feel pressure," Gladra helpfully explained. "Of course, if you deem the task beyond your capabilities, we could avoid the risk. I'd simply vaporize everyone Remus's contacted recently."
"You don't think that's excessive...?" Penelope asked.
The high Templar shrugged.
"Perhaps we wouldn't need lethal poison for most, but Litia Village must disappear."
Was this woman mad? Next time instincts screamed 'run', I'd heed them.
"You won't," Pinta said through ventriloquism.
I hated how often she might be right, but could we please not converse in front of a high Templar? Too dangerous.
Pinta barely perceptibly shrugged my shoulders.
"...I'll try," I replied to Gladra. "I want to save Remus, and it seems our only option. Penelope, if you don't wish to go, you needn't."
"I'm fine," Penelope assured. "I can handle this. I believe we have a chance."
"Excellent!" Gladra exclaimed. "Now, who wishes to wield this virtually inexhaustible poison?"
"Oh! Me!" I immediately volunteered. This sounded fantastic! Besides, Penelope could poison minds, rendering the poison unnecessary - though...
"If virtually inexhaustible, why not divide it equally?" I asked.
"What, do you think I possess two 'Everfulls' to distribute?" she scoffed.
She flicked a coin-like object to me. Catching it, I noted its unexpected weight, coolness, and shine - resembling two flat circles stacked together, one engraved with patterns, the other hollow.
"Metal?" I asked, striving to mask my astonishment.
"Indeed, an 'Everfull'," she replied. "A silly name, as it does eventually deplete - merely a minor spatial magic artifact. Rotate the ring clockwise, invert it, and it connects to a larger container here. Once your supply diminishes, we'll replenish safely from the city. But if you exhaust its current contents... let's hope you don't."
"How... valuable is it?" I whispered.
"Well," Gladra said, "if lost, either recover it or don't return to Skyhope City."
Wow, that sounded like a death threat! How had I been hired by someone so casually murderous?
"Imagine being trapped inside her," Pinta said through ventriloquism.
Not now, Pinta!
"Anyway," Gladra continued, "you're both ready to depart? The escort should have the carriage prepared."
Oh, wonderful! More Templars eager to see me dead - nothing 'wonderful' about that!
"Imagine that," Pinta muttered.
"Pinta!" I hissed.
"Yes?" Gladra asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I said yes!" I squeaked. "Ready! Ma'am! Lady Ma'am!"
"This way," Gladra said, striding from the room.
I followed, realizing I had no alternative.