Kael woke and sat up. His night had been restless, but at least he felt somewhat restored, ready, or nearly so, to face a new day. The events of the previous evening lingered only dimly in the back of his mind.
Then his gaze fell on the split piece of Living Rubber chunk lying on the table, and the memories surged back like a splash of cold water.
He jumped out from the bed and stared at the back of his left hand.
To his horror, a small rune glimmered there, faintly glowing green. Kael stared at it in horror, having no idea what it was.
On closer inspection, the rune appeared to be etched beneath his skin. It was narrow and delicate, yet it left his hand numb. Kael scratched it involuntarily, but it had no effect.
Kael was overcome with unease. He did not know what the mark was, nor what it might become. And this kind of uncertainty was quite different from the uncertainty he had known as a scavenger. If he couldn’t dig up enough one day, he would get hungry. This was a predictable and familiar uncertainty: if he failed, he starved. But the rune had pushed him onto unfamiliar ground, steering his life toward consequences he could neither predict nor understand.
He had no choice but to find out.
Kael hurried to his first-aid kit, pulled out a length of gauze, and carefully wrapped the back of his left hand, concealing the rune from prying eyes. Whatever had happened was unlikely to resolve itself, and besides, the money he had earned the yesterday would not last forever. He could not afford to stop.
Kael gathered his usual equipment and set off, his bandaged hand tucked close to his side.
Along the way, an idea struck him. He detoured toward the shop of a mage he occasionally sold loot to. The man was someone, Kael knew to be relatively decent, even by the low standards of the lower levels, which was quite a rare thing anyway.
- Hello, – Kael called as he stepped into the crowded shop. – I’ve got a small problem. Think you could help me?
The wizard looked up from his work and studied him for a moment. A slow smile crept across his face, though it carried no real warmth.
- Sure, – he said. – What’s wrong?
Kael slowly raised his bandaged hand.
- Magical injury, – he said. – Can you take a look?
The man nodded, and Kael unwound the gauze.
- Mm, – the wizard murmured as the green rune came into view. – That doesn’t look good. Where did you get it?
Kael hesitated. Then, cautiously, he said, – Something… spilled on me.
Something indefinable glinted in the wizard’s eyes.
- Well, – the wizard said at last, – We can try. No guarantees, tho.
For the next half hour, various magical procedures, powders, and potions were tried on the back of Kael’s hand. None of them had any effect. The rune neither faded nor reacted in the slightest.
- It seems I can’t help you, – the wizard said finally. – That’ll be two thalers.
Kael paid without protest, though the sum swallowed nearly half his remaining money. The wizard gave a small smile in satisfaction. As Kael turned to leave, the man spoke again, almost casually.
- I do hope it isn’t an injury caused by Living Rubber. Because if it was… – he paused for a moment. – Noone can help you.
The words seized Kael’s throat like ice. He turned back, but the shop’s door closed behind him, cutting off any chance to ask more.
