Taiwo eventually arrived, but Vale was already back in his tunnel, digging at the wall with the strength of ten men. Starsalt piled high around him forced him to pick his way carefully through the mounds as he made his way toward the call.
When Taiwo's eyes fell on him, her lips pressed tightly together. She was accompanied by Tiber, Slya, and Eron, all brimming with excitement—except Taiwo, whose gaze narrowed sharply at Vale.
Tiber grunted. "Well? What do you think? I wasn't there, but Slya said she could have sworn he disappeared and reappeared."
Eron snorted. "It's just his speed! Haven't you seen Knights fight before?"
"Hush!" Taiwo snapped, focusing her eyes directly on Vale.
He felt her essence-sensing wash over him weakly as she tried to determine if he was truly a Squire. Vale sighed. He couldn't undo what had happened, but he could control what happened next. "Yes. I'm a Squire."
"A Squire!" Slya exclaimed.
Even though she and the others had suspected something like this, the revelation still shocked them. Here, in the Borderlands—or anywhere really—Squires were far more powerful than normal humans. Common as they might be compared to higher-ranked Knights, people both feared and respected their abilities.
Tiber grinned. "Well, that's surprising. To think a Squire would agree to come to the labor camp, and to this wing!"
Taiwo scowled. "That's right. Unless he's a very weak Squire, I can't even feel his aura. But why did you pretend you weren't a Squire when we first met? Wait… why couldn't I sense you then?"
Vale shrugged. "I've had no access to essence for the past three years. My core had nothing for you to sense."
Taiwo shook her head. "I've never heard of someone not having access to essence—unless you were in… a special prison?"
Vale shrugged again. Now that he thought about it, it was strange his core had been drained of essence and never refilled all those years. The prison was meant to hold Knights, after all.
Slya shook her head, regarding him in a new light. Envy shone in her eyes, unhidden. "I can't believe you're a Knight."
"A Squire," Vale corrected calmly.
"That's just a rank. Once you activate your core and get your mark, you're a Knight."
"People believe it's when you've aspected your essence," Vale added with a small smile.
Taiwo exhaled sharply. "That might not even happen for a lot of Squires," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "But leave all that. Vale, you just killed someone."
Vale paused and raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell me I'll get in trouble for that—not for killing Trion. He's useless and not important enough."
Taiwo took a deep breath. "Well, you're right. But what do you want to do now? I'll write this off as the favor I owed you."
Vale stared and pointed. "Clearing up the mess I made isn't enough for what you owe me."
Taiwo nodded. "True, but it's taken a big chunk out of it. We'll talk later. And don't forget, you're still part of my wing."
She left then, dragging Trion's body and leaving a trail of blood behind.
Slya's eyes glinted. "I have a mind to drag you somewhere and make you tell me how you became a Squire. It's something I've always dreamed of."
"Have you tried the manifestation?" Vale asked.
Tiber grunted. "I've tried before, wasn't lucky. Not destined to be a Knight."
Vale nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, that's the only way to gain power in the Eternal Skies. I've heard of a continent beyond the Divide that has some kind of sword power."
Slya and Tiber exchanged a look, communicating silently. Tiber exhaled. "We don't know you well, Vale, but to be honest, now that you're a Knight, things have changed. How about this: let's make a deal. We'll provide you with full information on all the workings of the camp."
Vale wasn't new to this kind of negotiation. "And in exchange?"
They shared another look before Tiber spoke. "In exchange… don't forget us if there's a chance for you to elevate yourself. Don't leave us behind."
Vale smiled, his green eyes gleaming. "You want to be my subordinates but only if I rise in rank? Alright, that's fair. But make sure the information you provide is useful."
What a crafty deal. They didn't know if he'd become powerful or remain a weak Squire, so they settled on what might benefit them. Vale didn't mind.
They followed him into his tunnel.
Vale leaned against the wall. "So, what do you have for me? It should be worth it."
Tiber nodded. "Trion belongs to a gang with some influence in the labor camp. That's why the overseer ignored what he did. But that guy was really a small fry."
"So who's the real deal?" Vale asked.
"Kade. A wing-one worker… he doesn't really work, but he's the leader of the gang. I'm sure you've gained his attention now, even though he won't care about Trion."
"But he'll pretend anyway," Vale added, familiar with situations like this.
They nodded, and Slya shot him a look. "You should watch out. The guy's trouble, and even team leaders avoid him. But then again, it's just teams for this layer."
That jolted Vale. He had a lot of questions about Kade, but first: "What's the first layer you guys keep talking about, and how does it relate to teams?"
Tiber frowned. "This is going to take time, and we still have to break starsalt for our carts."
Vale smiled. Strength still thrummed through him, his core clearer than before. He raised his pickaxe and slammed it into the wall.
Bam! Crack!
Dust, rock, and starsalt rained down. "Just keep talking. I'll be your worker for today."