A gentle chime from the disc.
Elenya's voice, slightly fuzzy.
"You're late. Remain in position. Changing direction."
Asthia clicked the disc once and leaned against the wall of the alley. Her eyes closed for a beat too long.
Reth touched her elbow lightly. "You alright?"
He was at her side. A faraway bell tolled. Third hour. Just after dawn.
"Unless Elenya's smart, she'll appear from the lower east," Asthia said softly. "Otherwise, we'll need to relocate."
Reth inclined his head.
"That beast—the one we battled. Someone created it. Nourished it with mana and abandoned it there."
"Yes," she replied.
"So this wasn't a mistake."
Asthia's jaw clenched. "It never is."
Footsteps resounded in the alley.
Elenya emerged from behind the shadows, dripping cloak. Her eyes swept over them—then came to a halt.
"What did you do to you two?"
Asthia didn't even glance up. "You're late."
Elenya's eyes fell to Reth—his bloody side, limp arm, bandaged head. Her face changed quickly.
"Saints. what occurred?"
"Later," Asthia said. "He's bleeding now. Right ribs, arm. Could be poisoned. Can you assist?"
"I'm a mage, not a healer."
"I know. Just make the bleeding stop. Don't need a miracle.
Elenya faltered. Her hands started to shine as she knelt by Reth. "I can slow the bleeding. Maybe ease the damage. But I'm not casting healing spells I don't have faith in casting them they take too much mana control."
"Then don't bungle it," Asthia said serenely.
Reth attempted to say something, coughed—wet and harsh. Asthia didn't even blink.
Elenya groaned and whipped out a crystal. "Just what I didn't need to have to deal with."
Light from her spell caressed Reth's injuries. He stiffened, but remained silent.
Asthia stood watching, arms folded, unmoving.
"Whatever did this to him?" Elenya demanded.
"Later," Asthia ordered. "Heal him first."
Elenya glared as if she wanted to refuse. But the blood beneath Reth's ribs silenced her.
"Fine. But if he dies, it's on you."
"Noted."
Elenya moved quickly. Her magic put a stop to the bleeding. She covered the wound with a silver patch—tenuous light lines closed it like mesh.
Reth breathed in slowly. "That's. better."
"It won't hold," Elenya told him. "He requires proper care."
"No time for that. Not in Redhill," Asthia replied.
Before long, they moved on.
Redhill above remained noisy. But they knew the places of silence—dark alleys, broken doors, worn paths the guards ignored. The city had cracks. They utilized them.
It took nearly an hour to arrive at a destroyed building near the old wall. Ivied. Burned. Vacant.
Elenya opened a rusty gate with a minor spell.
"This was once a ministry dorm," she said wearily. "now burned. No one comes here."
Inside, everything was covered in dust. The air smelled like mold and ash.
Reth collapsed onto a broken bench. Breathing hard, but the patch held.
Asthia took three more steps—then her leg gave out.
"Damn it—" Elenya caught her. "You walked like this the whole way?"
"I'm fine."
"You're not. You're also bleeding."
Asthia tried to brush her off, but her hand was shaking. Her boot was torn. Her ankle—purple and swollen.
"Sit down before you fall over," Elenya snapped, digging into her bag. "I don't want two half-dead friends tonight."
Asthia didn't protest.
Elenya knelt beside her, setting out kit—crystals, bandages, bottles.
Reth stood watching, eyes half-closed. "Didn't you say you're not a healer?"
"I'm not. Just a mage with bad luck and a well-stocked bag."
She broke open a bottle and poured it on Asthia's ankle. It hissed and steamed.
Asthia grimaced. "That's acidroot."
"Kills infection."
She bound the ankle and etched a pale blue sigil across it. The swelling reduced.
Then she went to Asthia's side. Dropped back the cloak. A purple-rimmed gash.
Mana-burn.
Elenya was silent. She simply uncorked another bottle—thicker, incandescent—and splashed it onto the wound.
Asthia gasped through gritted teeth.
"I hate this job," Elenya grumbled, applying cloth to the wound.
"You already mentioned that," Asthia whispered.
"And I'll say it again until someone pays me more."
The radiance in the cloth diminished as the magic took effect. Not ideal—but sufficient.
Elenya relaxed back, panting.
"You're fortunate I arrived when I did."
Elenya dried her hands. "Now speak. What occurred?"
Asthia rested back, lids closed for an instant. Then she began speaking.
"It began with the City Lord's son. We were close to the estate district, observing the party. Trying to get in."
"Everything was going well," Reth supplied, "until he opened his mouth."
"He insulted Reth. Reached for me. Thought his title granted him authority."
Elenya arched a brow. "And?"
"Reth struck him. Hard. Several times. Broke something, likely."
"You assaulted a noble on the streets?" Elenya stared. "Seriously?"
"He provoked him."
Elenya laughed, a quick, harsh sound. "You already have a price on your head. Are you looking to make it worse?"
Asthia went on. "He shouted his name when we left. Louder than anyone else. Guards came. We had to run."
"Where to?"
"Sewers," she replied. "You showed us the map once. Smuggler's route from long ago."
"Yeah, I recall. It was supposed to be safe."
"It wasn't," Asthia replied. "The ground caved. We fell."
"What into?"
Reth's voice was deep. "A massive cave. Full of mana crystals. Dozens of them."
.
Elenya sat back against the creaky wall of the safehouse, fingers running along the border of the frayed map laid out on the table.
The faint lantern danced, casting tremulous shadows on her face as she absorbed what Asthia and Reth had said.
"A Mana Abomination in the sewers. and a hidden mana crystal deposit? That's bad," she said quietly. "A full mana deposit is extremely rare. But Redhill's City Lord hiding it and smuggling the crystals? That's worse."