Chapter 26: Noble's Guard

With my bright violet eyes, I stay low beneath the table, obstructing them with my arm. Through the haze of my arm, I watch and listen in on the conversation between the two people known as Jessica and Leo.

“Right, I’ll radio for backup...” Jessica replies, but pauses abruptly, “Hey! Wait, I think there is someone laying on the floor.”

“Huh?” A clicking noise is suddenly accompanied by a blinding light. The light illuminates the shivering young woman. “Yeah, there is, and she doesn’t look so good. Radio for an ambulance as well; once backup arrives, we’ll extract her,” Leo says.

Jessica nods, pulling out a black box. She speaks into the black box, “928 to central."

To my surprise, a voice actually answers, "928, go ahead."

"We have a 10-21 possibly in progress at the ‘Boathouse’ in central park. We are requesting backup immediately and an ambulance for a civilian down."

"928 copy.” A shrill beep comes from the black square, and it again starts talking, “Central to all available units, looking for assist for 928 with possible 10-21 in progress. Location is Central Park, Park Drive North East 72nd Street the ‘Boathouse’ restaurant can someone respond?"

“876 copies en route.”

“Roger, 876.”

‘This is growing complicated fast; I should flee… I believe they are likely here to help the woman.’

“Should we go ahead and try to pull the woman out? She obviously needs help sooner rather than later,” Jessica asks, placing the black box at her side.

“Like I said, wait for backup.”

She grunts a bit bitterly, “10-4.”

‘Time to leave. The woman’s words seem to confirm they do not have any ill intentions.’ Entering a squatting position, I wait for an opportunity to leave. However, the people outside keep shifting their light about the room as if searching for someone. ‘It is an utter mystery for whom they might be searching for. I cannot tarry here.’

Using the cattail, I grip whatever I can find and throw it toward the other side of the room. The object smashes against the wall, and the light snaps over there in an instant.

“Someone’s in there!” Jessica shouts.

“Come out with your hands up!” Leo states in an authoritative tone, “We know you’re in there.”

A second clicking sound as yet another light makes itself known. Now over half the room is blindingly illuminated.

‘...That did not go as I hoped at all.’ Slowly, I begin crawling from table to table, doing my best not to be spotted. The cattail swings behind me, almost like an actual tail, but I cannot afford to wrap it around me in case I need it. ‘There was a back door; I shall leave from there.’

“There!” Jessica shouts.

‘Do they see me!?’ I cease all movement, freezing mid-crawl. The world turns so silent I can hear the twitter of birds hiding from the cold weather on the patio outside. ‘Should I flee?’

A moment later, she sighs and says, “Damn, I hoped that would work.”

“That’s only ever worked on that guy hiding in a dumpster that one time, and you’ve done it every single time since.”

‘Trickery!’ My gaze turns toward the window. ‘Forget it. If I flee across the lake, they will be unable to pursue me.’

With the cattail, I grab a chair and sling it toward a nearby window shattering it. Both lights shoot toward me, but I have already committed to running.

“Freeze!” Leo commands.

‘Aye, the weather certainly seems chilly!’

“Shit!” Jessica shouts, as one of the lights turn away, “I’ll go around back.”

Leaping through the window, I am again on the back patio. Hastily I pass between the railing. The kiln bumps against the bars as I drift slightly downward. Once more hovering over the lake, I sprint away.

A voice echoes across the lake, “Stop!”

‘Just because thee tells me to does not mean I shall do so!’

With the light about to illuminate me, I fall flat unto the lake to hide but allow the haze to keep moving me away. Alas, it does not seem to be enough as the light shines onto me.

“Stop! You’ll freeze to death, moron!” she yells.

‘Nay! Not stopping! It is good she does not seem to realize I am not a person, however.’

“Dammit! 928 to central. We have a 10-60 suspect last seen swimming toward Bethesda Terrace."

“Roger 928, 876 officers in pursuit of the suspect, please proceed to Bethesda Terrace.”

“10-4. We’ll be there in approximately three minutes.”

‘...Let’s not go back to the seed just yet. I will instead take shelter in the thicket of trees directly across from the Terrace.’

A few minutes later, when I arrive at the small thicket of trees on the lake opposite the Terrace, I can see more blue and red lights reflecting off the lake.

‘How did they know I was in The Boathouse? I was not expecting anyone until morning.’

As soon as I hide in the bushes, the familiar blue wall appears.

‘Cosmic System, prithee! Can thee be a tad more considerate in regards to displaying the walls? It is rather distracting. Especially when I am in the middle of something! Times like now are not all that disrupting, but walls while fighting and such get in the way.’

‘Thank thee.’

As time passes, more of the red and blue emerge from the twilight darkness. I part some leaves, attempt to obscure my eyes, and can see people walking around with lights as if searching. Half an hour later, two bright lights approach my location.

‘Pray thee, do not find me.’

“Check the bushes near the lake; stupid moron might be dying of hypothermia after swimming through the lake,” a man says.

“Right,” another man replies, “I thought I saw something purple when we pulled up anyway.”

Hearing this, I retreat deeper into the thicket. The two men spend the next hour searching the area near the bank and some of the nearby bushes.

“Let’s go, they aren’t here anymore, and I’m damn near freezing to death.”

With that, the two men depart. ‘Thank the lord they are leaving. Who are these people in black anyway? They seem to be some wealthy man’s guards. Mayhaps the noble from the castle I spotted the other day? If so, it is quite shocking to have seen that female guard, Jessica. Perhaps, this world does have a few good points.’

Suddenly, I notice the horizon, where I can see the sun beginning to rise.

‘Would returning to the bush near the restaurant be a bad idea? I think I shall, but I should wait a day before attempting to move…’  The snowfall picks up, and a new set of noble’s guards arrive, making the decision for me. ‘Aye, let us wait a day, shall we, Earl? Until then, we shall practice our skills and stay out of sight.’

…

…

…

After the noble’s guard left, the night was fruitful, and I managed to increase several skills. At the moment, I am still in the thicket I fled to this morning. Currently, I sit dissecting a goose I managed to sneak up on several hours earlier. It fought courageously, almost too courageously, but in the end, I persevered.

‘Earl, did thou hear what I thought in my head when I attacked this goose? I hope so because it was quite a fun quip! Aye, I shall reenact it for thou!’

I raise the cattail and point straight ahead. Imagining the honking goose in front of me, I make an internal smirk while clenching my fist.

‘Ha! Fowl creature, thy goose, is cooked…!’ I place my hand on my chest with a satisfied nod. ‘See Earl; if thou had a chest, it would hurt from laughing so hard. It was quite the jest!’

My gaze turns downward toward the massacred goose.

‘Although, without the glass, I had to use a sharp-looking rock instead. I am not happy about what I have done to this poor animal’s carcass, but I hope it would take solace in knowing its sacrifice was not in vain.’

Having learned and lectured all I believe I can from this goose’s body, I set it to the side for the moment. Thinking about ways to grow stronger, I abruptly remember I need to refine Nebula.

‘First things first, Earl, may I refine some Nebula?’

Reading the message, I hastily shake my head. ‘Nay! Last time I passed out! Earl, is it possible to select how much I refine at once? I cannot afford to lose awareness every time.’

Earl gives me a long list of refining options, and I eventually spot one that is near what I wished for. ‘Earl, I pick the one that allows me to refine the maximum amount of Nebula without losing my shield.’

The kiln’s flame lights up, and I can feel what I believe is mana being pulled from my body.

‘Aye, Earl. Please display the adaptations thou recommends, and I can afford with my current Essence values.’

‘It seems like some of the other adaptations disappeared, not to mention whatever that ‘R’ number is has dropped even more. Also, dress and skin have separated into their own adaptations. Odd.’

I read through Earl’s list of recommendations. Out of curiosity, I summon the full list of adaptations to find the reason Earl did not recommend more if they seem to interfere with previously selected adaptations. Not only that, but some of them are just plain outlandish, like one that changes the cattail into a shrimp's tail.

Deciding to simply focus on the ones Earl recommends, I examine them one at a time.

‘To be honest, having to refine is a bit of an annoyance and nearly makes me wish to select the Raka Factory Horns, but I am not exactly looking to grow horns… Still, I shall consider it again in the future. The negating membrane is also very tempting; not only has the glow of my eyes been a bit of a problem, but regaining one of my lost features is tempting. It would be nice to be less… monstrous. The wings seem like they look elegant, and it gives me an attack with range. Yet, wings jutting from my head permanently makes me nervous about picking it.’

Shrugging my shoulders and shaking my head, I continue.

‘The Paste Pearl seems like it would also solve my problem of accidentally shedding paste, so that is tempting as well, except I cannot fathom why I would ever want to feed it to something.’

Studying the final one, I am surprised it is still an available adaptation as a few days have passed since then.

‘This last one, it speaks of separating the haze. Does that have something to do with the colors in the chronicles? Also, it is another adaptation that provides some range…’

I reflect for a while, considering all the adaptations. Yet after contemplating for some time, the final one is the only one that allows me greater diversity. Everything else I am capable of already to some capacity. This makes it a very tempting selection.

Suddenly, Earl’s box appears, so I check my status. I note that I still have a bit over a hundred mana left in reserve for my shield.

With a nod, I make a decision. ‘Earl, I believe I shall select the final adaptation, “Throng of Haze.”’

I raise my arm to watch the process and watch as small bumps appear beneath the haze, scurrying about like bugs. They look like hazy versions of the copepod throng I ate as if through a tunnel below my skin. Thank the lord, I do not have a mouth, or I may shriek. However, to my relief, they move to the kiln and vanish.

‘...Perhaps, I should have chosen a different adaptation.’