Adya…

  After Cass left the Registry, Adya escaped to where she always went when she was frustrated with things…the Rings.

  A sweaty Pellin stood just outside the third when she arrived, two younger people she didn’t recognize having a go at the first one. Sitting on the edge of the platform, he looked at her with tired eyes, “What’d he say?”

  “That he’ll think about it,” She replied, failing to keep the emotions off her face as he hopped off the edge and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

  “It doesn’t mean no, it just means he’ll think about it. Cass is a good guy, but a cautious one. What you’re offering will be a huge change in both of your lives.”

  “It’s not permanent,” She said with a shake of her head. She brushed his hand off with a shake, the frustration getting to her a little more than she wanted. “He just doesn’t understand how dangerous the world is becoming.”

  “Or always was,” Pellin said with a smile, no sign that he was insulted by her refusal of his touch. “Remember, we’re pretty insulated here. Could you imagine what it was like during the Reshaping? When they were trying to start up a new city? It must’ve been hell on Earth.”

  “That’s what this currently feels like, hell.” She groused. She knew the odds of him accepting right off the bat were minimal. Pellin was right, Cass liked to think things over thoroughly before making a decision. But the more Kara had spoken, adjudicating, as she called it, the more he’d looked at her like…like some kind of thief. A robber of experience or something even worse.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore, alright?” She asked the long-haired man. He gave her a smile and waved at her to enter the ring behind him. And that’s just what she did.

  Cassio…

  Cass wasted no time. Once the door to the Meeting Room was behind him, he moved at speed to where he thought he could find Adya.

  He still didn’t like the idea of the contract, but depending on what she said, he had a plan.

  Although assured by Kara that it wasn’t permanent, he experienced a similar feeling to when he had been automatically assigned to the Guildhall. That there was an outside force pressuring him to do this. That he had no choice in the matter.

  Monsters and incursions. Infiltrators and Dark Guilds. Stolen paths. Darkness was about to enshroud Liora, and any extra weapon he might obtain, whether it was the one he was still paying off in his bag or one linked to a combat Calling, was important. Was necessary.

  But still. The thought of binding his life, his choices, to someone else for years…it didn’t sit right. And yet, the look in her eyes continued to fester in his mind. There wasn’t desperation there, no. There was determination…and something more. Something he didn’t quite understand.

  Like the value of the contract itself, he wouldn’t truly understand any of this unless he spoke to her again. So he headed to the Rings.

  Arriving, he wasn’t surprised to find the woman battling what looked like a high-intensity Driftclaw in the ring. What was surprising was finding Pellin cheering her on from the side. Neither had noticed him yet, so he walked up quietly and stood beside one of his closest friends.

  Pellin still wasn’t aware of his arrival as the fight in the ring was quite intense, so he spoke with a soft, “Hey.”

  Pellin jumped a little to the side and looked at him with big eyes, “Don’t do that to people Cass! I feel like I’m having a heart attack.”

  “Do you even know what having a heart attack feels like?”

  His eyes returned to their normal size before he squinted, “N-no, but still!”

  Cass jutted his chin towards the battling woman, “How long has she been at it?”

  “A little over an hour. The amazing thing is, this is the same Driftclaw she started with. She just refuses to let it touch her.” As he said that, the Driftclaw danced across the center, long, thin arms raking across the area Adya was occupying. The Scout dashed left, then juked right and jumped. As she soared through the air with supernatural grace, her eyes latched onto Cass.

  Then, she fell, and in her moment of distraction, the Driftclaw attacked with speed.

  “That’s a shame, I feel like I learned a ton just by watching her. ” Pellin said with a shake of his head. As Adya sat there, her chest working like a bellows while she tried to catch her breath, Pellin looked over at him, “Hey, I hit level 9, and I wanted to give you a heads up.”

  “You’re level 9 already? Jeez, Pellin.” Cass said with a big smile on his face. “You must be the fastest leveling person in Liora.”

  “Aww, cut it out,” He replied with a smile and an embarrassed wave. “But seriously, you need to know. When I hit level 9, the System sent me a personal Quest. To get to level 10, I’ve gotta make something new using the System. Now, I’m not the most creative person in the world.” When Cass was about to object, he interrupted. “No, no, I know my faults. Too much of a loner, can’t think originally, blah blah. My mother has expounded on them enough in my life. So, I was hoping you could help me out with this, and I could find a way to help you out with something else down the line.”

  He gets a Quest, and I get offered a contract. Isn’t this the opposite of what’s supposed to be happening with our Callings?

  “Mmm,” Cass mumbled as Adya slowly stood up, “I’ll think about it. Any restrictions?”

  “Plenty, but don’t worry about it. If you come up with the idea, I’m sure I can find a way to make it work. I may not be original, but I can engineer like there’s no tomorrow. Anyways, you’ll think about it?”

  “Definitely,” Cass said with a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I-”

  “Say no more,” Pellin interrupted. He gently chucked the side of Cass’s chin, then walked towards the first ring to speak with the two within.

  Cass watched him go as the Scout approached him hesitantly. She took small steps, her eyes traveling all across his body.

  Adya stopped on the edge of the platform and looked down at him, “You look very stressed right now. Is it because of me? Because of what I’m asking for?”

  “Yes and no,” Cass replied, “You said you see the future when you look at me, and yet, you didn’t tell me you fought an infiltrator two days ago. Is that the future you’re speaking of? You’ll fight people and keep it quiet from me? I have breakfast with you every day, and you never thought to mention it.”

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  Her face ran through a gamut of expressions, “Dev told me to keep it quiet. We don’t want to spook the city.”

  Cass shook his head, “I’m not the city. If I even consider agreeing to this, I’ll need to know everything, including the real reason you want the contract. What you said before,” he paused. “What you said before was prepared. A speech. I want the unvarnished version that you couldn’t say in front of Kara.”

  She nodded slowly, “You’re right, of course you’re right. Okay…” Taking a deep breath, she lightly jumped down from the platform. Standing just a few inches shorter than him, Adya moved closer until they were only a few feet apart, then spoke in a quiet voice.

  “I’m guessing from you knowing about the Cloner that the Guild Master saw fit to tell you about the Dark Guilds.”

  “Among other things,” Cass replied with arms crossed.

  “As a Scout, we see more than other people. I’ve been contracted a few times to watch people in the city. No,” She shook her head, “I’ve been contracted twenty-two times to watch people that the Guild Master believes may be rogue agents. Not only from possible Dark Guilds, but from other Guilds and even cities within our own network. Several of them displayed signs of secrecy, nervousness, and more than a few had patterns that are related to outright violent tendencies. My ability doesn’t let me see into their minds; it’s not even one hundred percent reliable, but there are signs that we can watch for. Something’s coming, Cass.”

  “And your solution is to create a contract between us?” He asked, arms still crossed, “How does contracting with an Administrative Calling help you?”

  “It’s not for me?” She said in confusion. “I thought you understood that. The contract connects us, and from what I was able to weasel out of Dev, it’ll give us something that may just keep us alive. Together.”

  The word ‘together’ stuck in his chest like a lodged stone. Part of him wanted it, wanted someone watching his back. But another part, the louder one, screamed about losing his freedom.

  “Together, huh?” Cass said, still not convinced. “I don’t mean to be rude to you, Adya, it’s just…”

  When he didn’t speak for a moment, Adya filled in the blank space, “Pellin tells me you like your independence, and I don’t want to hinder that.” Making a choice, she stepped even closer. From this proximity, he could sense the heat emanating from her body. “I’m worried that when what comes…comes, a lot of people are going to die. The Companies and the Guild are doing everything they can, but from what I can see, it’s not enough.”

  She scrubbed her hands against her eyes while Cass stood there, waiting for her to speak again. This was the first time he’d ever seen her act emotionally, and not with the finely woven control he’d come to expect.

  “Cassio Vale,” She said after a breath, “I know you don’t know me that well. That we’ve only spoken a few dozen times. But I’m asking you to trust me. If you don’t like the contract, if-if you don’t like being so closely bound to me, then we’ll cut it off the moment you reach level eighteen. Based on how quickly you’ve leveled, I expect that to be in less than two years.”

  She lifted a hand up, then thought better of it and dropped it back down. “So I’m asking you, will you sign a linking contract with me. Will you let me be your Guardian, to protect you from the terrors of the world, just as you are trying to protect the city?”

  “You’ll promise this isn’t some kind of slave contract? That I won’t suddenly find myself running errands for you or doing anything you ask with zero control?”

  “Of course,” She said with a nervous tick in her face, “I’m a Scout, not a monster.”

  Cass nodded, “Then follow me.”

  Together, they left the Rings. Adya didn’t ask any questions as they passed by Jim, his hearty smile not settling right in the moment. Nor did she say anything when they passed through downtown, Cass taking them on an unerring trip through the city.

  When his childhood home came into view, he stepped up and knocked, Adya staying down by the steps. The person opening the door was none other than his father, the smile on his face not lasting as he noticed the young woman just behind him.

  “So she offered the contract?”

  “You knew?” Cass asked with some recrimination in his tone. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He shrugged, “It’s just not done. The proposition isn’t like asking someone to marry you, but it’s still a private affair. Are you here to ask for my advice, because-”

  “No,” Cass shook his head, letting the anger of the moment pass through him. “Can you grab someone with an electricity Calling? We need to run a quick test.”

  His father tilted his head sideways at that, but didn’t question him, “It’ll cost me a penny, but I’ll get it done for you, son. Why don’t you two go ahead and come in, I’ll be right back.”

  Stepping past him, his father walked with a long gait as Cass entered his old home, waving Adya in behind him. They sat on the couch for a few minutes, not speaking, before his father arrived, an older woman in tow.

  “How can I help you?” She asked.

  “You have an electricity Calling, correct? One that lets you push your power into others?”

  “Yes, that’s right.” She said with a nod, “It’s a bit more varied than others, but it should get the job done.”

  Cass nodded, then quickly shucked his robe and held his hand out to her, “Please electrocute me.”

  “What now? And why did you take your clothes off?” His father asked.

  “Before I can accept the contract, I need to know Adya isn’t a Cloner or something worse. Guild Master Hollis and Maestro Moore informed us earlier that Changelings' powers don’t work when electricity is introduced to their bodies. Because I don’t want Adya to think I’m unwilling to do as I’m asking her to, this is the next best thing. As for the clothes, if you see any dark colors appearing under my skin, you’ll know I’m not Cassio Vale.” He shook his hand up and down, “So please, electrocute me.”

  The woman took his head hesitantly, “How much juice do you need?”

  “For me? A lot. For Adya, you can give her a lesser amount, though still profound enough that you believe it’ll get the job done.”

  The woman’s hand gripped his own, but no electricity passed from her to him. Instead, a blue nimbus surrounded them both, one that sent small sparks of electricity out into the world. In a moment, the nimbus contracted around Cass, leaving the woman untouched as a small lightning storm erupted across the skin of his body. As the bolts passed in and out of him, he gritted his teeth, the dual pain of his survivor path meeting the trial he’d put himself to for proof of his sincerity.

  His muscles locked up tight as the smell of ozone suffused the area. Twice in one day, he was subjecting himself to a minor form of electrical torture, but it had a purpose. Even as he felt his heart stutter for a moment, he didn’t allow himself to make a sound. Not that he could, as his jaw was clamped shut.

  When it was done, he sagged, smoke lightly drifting from his skin, and his underwear nowhere in sight.

  His father quickly threw a blanket over him, covering his unmentionables as he spoke loudly, “I still think you took this too far. If you wanted to show off your body, there are easier ways.”

  “Shut up, dad,” Cass groused as he felt the burns and marks across his skin start to clear up. It wasn’t as intense as when he’d worked with the Valiant’s leader, but it did the job as promised.

  Stepping back, he grabbed his robe and moved away to put it on. As he re-entered, Adya was down to her underwear as well, his father holding a different blanket at the ready.

  Because she’s willing to do this, it should already confirm that she’s not a changeling. But still, I need to see this through. She’s asking for my trust with this contract, so she needs to show the same.

  Though he knew he was attracted to her, he felt none of that now, even as she stood there in her underwear. His eyes moved away from her frame the moment the much thinner nimbus encapsulated both her and the woman holding her hand. She didn’t show any signs of being a changeling.

  Hearing his father commenting on where she could get changed, Cass turned around. Adya was wrapped in a blanket, and her hair stood on end.

  “Oh,” He said reflexively without meaning to. She moved past him with a great deal of red creeping into her cheeks as Cass stood there dumbly. Once his father escorted the electricity-based woman out, promising to pay her when they met again, he returned and gave his son a thumbs-up.

  “No Changeling there.”

  “No…”

  “And she’s a pretty young girl who seems quite dedicated to you…”

  “Yeah…”

  “I’m just say-”

  “I get it, Dad! Stop!” Cass turned at the sound of the door opening. Adya stood there, her hair partly pressed down. He spoke first.

  “Ask me again.”