A wave of nausea washed over Kael. No one could help him? That couldn’t be right.
Instead of heading back toward the scavengers hunting grounds, panic took hold and he headed for his scavenger friend Ilias’ house. He knew his friend would be home, last week he made enough money to last a month.
Kael was right. Ilias greeted him warmly and invited him inside without question.
- Kael! Good to see you man! What’s up? Why aren’t you out working?
Kael glanced around nervously, then raised his bandaged hand. Ilias immediately connected.
- What happened? – he asked, his voice cautious.
- Well, there was… an accident last night, – Kael said, forcing calm as he untied the gauze. – It involved something called Living Rubber. You know, the stuff in your book.
Ilias stared at him in disbelief.
- Living Rubber? – he repeated. – Liquid Living Rubber?
Kael nodded and turned his hand. The rune glowed green, and this time it pulsed faintly, in time with Kael’s heartbeat.
- But that’s incredibly rare! – Ilias blurted out. – I’ve only ever seen it once in its liquid state. Even the hardened form is rare… and valuable.
- Well... that’s not a priority for me now at all. – Kael groaned.
Ilias studied the rune uneasily.
- I don’t know, – he said after a moment. – This is… complicated.
Kael nodded. – I already went to a mage. He tried a few things, but none of them worked. He said no one would help me. – His voice faltered at the end.
Ilias nodded slowly.
- As I already told you, I once encountered liquid Living Rubber. There was a small puddle of it in one of the passages. I reported it, and a brigade of the Legion of the Onceblinking Star showed up almost immediately. They destroyed it and sealed the area off.
He glanced at Kael again, clearly uneasy.
- Based on that alone, it’s dangerous. Extremely so. Didn’t the book say anything else?
Kael shook his head.
Ilias stood up and began to pace the room thoughtfully.
- What I do know, – he said at last, – is that the Legion of the Onceblinking Star has dedicated its Core to destroy Living Rubber and prevent its spread. If anyone knows what that stuff really is, and what to do about it, they’re the ones.
Hope lit Kael’s face.
- But be careful, – Ilias warned. – If anyone up there finds out, they might kill you.
However, Kael wrapped the gauze back around his arm, drawing strength again from the sight of his goal.
- That’s enough for me, – he said. – Thank you for the good advice, Ilias, you really helped a lot! I'll report back, and you have a good rest!
Ilias smiled and shook his hand.
- Anytime. Good luck. And don’t forget to return the book when you don’t need it anymore.
Buoyed by that momentum, Kael left the apartment and made his way toward the upper levels.
Unlike the lower quarters, the upper floors were clean and tidy, their streets laid out in precise lines. White quartz gradually replaced the dull greyish-brown stone below. The higher Kael climbed, the more out of place he felt, unsettled by the difference of his own appearance and the polished calm environment around him. Here, wealth, refinement, and taste ruled, rather than survival, necessity, and austerity. The headquarters of the various orders rose proudly among these immaculate streets.
Kael did not have to search long to find the headquarters of the Legion of the Onceblinking Star.
The massive gate of the order, carved from wood and stone, radiated strength and dignity. For a moment, Kael nearly turned back, but after he considered what had already happened to him made him to enter.
Knowing he was likely an unwelcome guest, he slipped past the guards at the entrance and crept deeper into the building, moving quietly through the halls. He did not know exactly whom or what he was looking for, but that uncertainty did not deter him.
An information board came to his aid. After studying it carefully, Kael decided the Library would be the best for him to find answers.
He made his way toward it, avoiding the Legion’s patrols with persistent success.
Then suddenly a sharp voice rang out behind him.
- Stop, stranger! Who are you, and what are you doing in the headquarters of the Legion of the Onceblinking Star?
Kael froze and slowly turned.
Before him stood a young, handsome soldier clad in black leather armour. He was short but muscular, his blond hair neatly combed to one side, his dark eyes sharp and appraising. The sigil of the Onceblinking Star gleamed proudly on his immaculate armour.
Kael took him in for a moment, then spoke.
- Um, I’m Kael. A scavenger, – he said carefully. – I’m trying to get to the Legion’s library.
A flicker of disgust crossed the soldier’s face, quickly masked by a neutral stare.
- I see. And what business does a vile scavenger have in our library?
Kael answered without hesitation.
- Well, to find out what the Legion needs, I'll have to look in the library.
The lie slid from his tongue as if practiced. His voice did not tremble, even though his life might have depended on it.
The soldier studied him again, then nodded slowly.
- Very well. But I don’t like you, Kael, the scavenger. Something about you is… wrong. – His gaze hardened. – I’ll be watching you. Rhane of the Onceblinking Star has his eye on you.
Kael did not really know why the handsome soldier was suspicious of him. He involuntarily clenched his bandaged hand into a fist.
Perhaps Rhane had sensed his tension, or the rapid heartbeat pulse beneath the gauze. His attire might have raised doubts as well. Or perhaps he simply despised scavengers. Or, more likely, a bit all of them.
Whatever the reason, Kael could do nothing but nod resignedly, signalling that he understood the warning.
Rhane’s gaze softened slightly. He gave a curt nod in return and walked away.
Kael exhaled and slipped toward the library, reaching it without further incident.
The Legion’s librarians proved surprisingly helpful. Soon, with their helpful assistance Kael had several heavy volumes stacked in front of him, all devoted to Living Rubber and its known manifestations.
Reading them here did not feel safe. After a moment’s consideration, Kael paid a considerable sum to rent the books and made his way out.
No one stopped him as he left the headquarters, the volumes tucked firmly under his arm.
The dangerous journey to the Legion’s headquarters ended in a success that surprised even him. He stepped out from the main entrance, brimming with pride and joy.
