Startled, I raised my head and t Tana’s gaze, finding her eyes glistening with emotion. It took a mont for to process what she had said, but when I did, a thick wave of panic clogged my throat.
"I suspected as much, at least, that you were a slave," Dyson ntioned darkly. "But to think you actually had one of these rumored Soul Crests."
I closed my eyes and bowed my head, grasping the folds of my skirt so tightly my knuckles turned white. In the passion of the mont, I’d spoken without thinking. No matter how badly I yearned to crawl away and hide, there was no going back. Now that they knew, they’d surely send back to the church, and-
Helron regarded closely, absently scratching his chin. "As fascinating as your past seems, I can’t say it’s the most pressing matter. Escaped slaves are commonplace around here. Weren’t you two about to be enslaved, anyway?"
My breath caught, and I looked up, blinded by tears. The guild leader was gesturing at Tana and Sorrin, who both nodded in agreent. Suddenly, what Tana had ntioned to after our fight in the goblin cave ca rushing back. They’d been captured by slavers and had barely escaped before making their way to the Northern Continent. Did they...did they really not care?
Rasce barked a short, mirthless laugh. "Don’t tell this is what you’ve been hiding the whole ti. You’re an escaped slave? At least make your secrets worth discovering, not sothing everyone already assud."
I stared around in disbelief, only partially hearing the conversation. I had much more to hide, so much more, but they seed satisfied with just his much. All of my worry and anxiety...dismissed like winter winds before the spring.
Tana reached across the distance and laid her hand atop mine, her touch warm and comforting. "This ’Lord Byron,’ was he your master?"
Brushing a tear from my eye, I nodded. "One of them. Vithrass said he was a mber of the Circle, but to ...he’s more of a demon than any I’ve killed."
Helron cleared his throat, leaning forward and gazing at steadily. "Lord Byron? The sa as ruled High Valley?"
"You’ve heard of it?" I asked weakly, not daring to et his gaze. That was the beginning link of a long chain of questions I couldn’t answer. To walk down that path was to face those who had discarded and sold to that monster.
"Indeed," he mused, settling back in his chair. "There are none with any sort of influence who haven’t. High Valley was the only ti in recorded history a ninth-circle spell has actually been used in battle. The shockwaves alone were felt as far north as the southern shores of the northern continent, nearly half the world away. They say the entire city was vaporized, save a single, mysterious church, which stands atop its original foundation floating on the caldera lake created by the spell."
I groaned, feeling faint. "Does it?"
He grinned, watching the expression of the other adventurers closely. "I was rather struck by your strange appearance outside of Westfall, and did a little digging. Apparently, you appeared the sa day that spell was cast. Given the recent introduction of the Soul Crest, which you admitted to possessing, I feel there’s only one logical conclusion to make."
"That’s enough," Tana said, glaring at the guild leader. "Can’t you see it upsetting her? Whether she was a slave to this ’Lord Byron’ or not is irrelevant right now. All that matters is that the Circle wants her back, sothing I don’t intend to let happen." Her gaze swept around the room, resting on the mbers of the Glory Chasers one after the other. "When she beca a mber of this party, we decided to trust her. Since then, Starlight’s proven herself worthy of that trust ti and ti again."
"I agree," Sorrin said, giving a small smile. "Without her, we’d be at the rcy of this strange curse, without a chance of understanding what we’re up against."
Everyone was silent for a mont, and I held my breath, my heart trembling in my chest. At long last, Rasce sighed and kicked his feet up on the table.
"I said it before, and I’ll say it now. It’s not that I distrust you, Starlight. But you bring a hell of a lot of baggage with you, and I won’t move forward unless I know the risks. Is there anything else you’re hiding from that we need to know? Sothing about...inquisitors?"
His eyes narrowed as I flinched, and he leaned forward.
"N-no!" I squeaked, but my tail practically writhed anxiously, betraying my words.
"Are you an idiot?" Tana said with an exasperated sigh, though to my surprise, she directed her words at Rasce. "What demonkin isn’t scared of inquisitors? When was the last ti you’ve actually seen one other than Starlight? They’ve all been killed, enslaved, or scurried off to join so cult sowhere. Even that damned Vithrass only shows up in the shadows, and he seems to have plenty of power and influence."
Dyson nodded, and Rasce stared at a mont longer before sinking back into his seat. I let out a breath, and consciously unclenched my hands, forcing my fingers to release my skirt. My tail still stirred anxiously, but after a few breaths, I managed to fight off most of the crushing panic.
Helron watched the exchange with an amused smirk, drumming his fingers against the armrest. As silence plagued the room again, he stood, adjusting the folds of his robe. After looking around the room for a second, he withdrew a small pouch and set it on the table with a tallic clink.
"After discovering the curse, it beca apparent we would need so kind of defense. Our guild treasury has items prepared for all manner of circumstances, and after so digging, I ca across these little trinkets," he said, withdrawing a small, golden pin in the shape of the rune symbolizing "adventure." "These pins protect the wearer from curses and other magical influences below fifth circle. I’ve already distributed them throughout the guild, aning you can trust anyone wearing this pin. If anyone asks what they are, just claim it’s a new tactic to recognize official guild adventurers from unregistered ones."
Sorrin accepted the pin skeptically, rolling it between his fingers several tis before glancing at .
"It’s safe," I said, nodding. "But it won’t necessarily work up to fifth-circle. It looks like it only works proportionate to your own soul, but not any stronger than fifth." The enchantnt on the pin was indeed impressive, but didn’t hold any particular spell. Instead, it simply enhanced the soul’s natural defenses, drawing on its power to create protection based on the level of the soul.
"Ah, that makes sense," Helron mused, giving a curious look. "They’re old guild gear, hailing from a much more uncertain ti in Heartland’s history. I tested them myself, and being fifth-level, I assud they would work homogeneously for everyone. Please forgive the incompleteness of my research."
Sorrin waved him aside and, with my approval, pinned it to his collar. He did the sa for Tana and tossed the bag over to our table. Dyson snatched it out of the air and offered a pin, but I shook my head. Even though I understood its effects, the thought of accepting an unknown magic item made my soul ache.
"Starlight, even if you don’t think you need it, not wearing it might bring unnecessary questions. Once we gain control of the situation, these pins will beco standard issues for all adventurers in Heartland. Not displaying it simply won’t be an option," Helron said.
I hesitated, staring at the pin for a long while. It glead in the firelight, twisting slightly as Dyson’s hand wavered. With a short, uneasy breath, I reached out, my fingers shaking so badly I paused, uncertain whether I could even pick it up. Images of the Soul Binder amulet flashed through my mind, and for the briefest of monts, Dyson’s outstretched hand overlapped with the smooth, deceptive fingers of the High Inquisitor.
"Here, let help," Dyson said softly.
He reached forward and clasped the hem of my cloak, smoothing it out before sliding the pin into the fabric. I half-expected the magical protections to activate and keep the pin out, but the magic must have accounted for accessories, allowing Dyson to secure it to my cloak above my right breast.
"Thanks," I whispered, covering the pin with my hand.
The small, tal rune, warm with Dyson’s body heat, pressed into my thumb, carrying the weight of a mountain. Fortunately, despite my deep-rooted fear, nothing happened. It truly was just a pin, albeit with so redundant protection.
"Good girl," he whispered, patting my shaking hand.
His touch startled , and I jumped, my hand quickly returning to my lap. Reluctantly, I looked up to find everyone watching. They wore small, encouraging smiles, and Sorrin even gave a thumbs-up.
Helron cleared his throat, clasping his hands together atop the table. "Now that that’s settled, let us return to the next issue. After driving off that damned curse but before making my way here, I spoke with the City Lord again, this ti without Inquisitor or Circle interference. He had so very interesting things to say about the circle."
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