Suddenly hairline fractures appear all over the sphere. They’re not deep enough to make it crack, though.
“I don’t know,” I say slowly.
It’s the Zantrax, isn’t it? It must have caused these hairline fractures when I used external energy.
“This is amazing! I wonder if the contact with the true form had something to do with it,” she adds excitedly. “Regardless, if more cracks appear, the seal might actually break by itself. This is… I must make a record of this. Perhaps I can write a paper on it when the seal breaks and—” She continues to ramble on about the implications of such a momentous event and what that might mean for her career—and for my lifespan, of course.
“We will keep this under surveillance, but you must come here every week, all right?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it,” I say. On the one hand I’m feeling a tiny bit guilty for lying about the source of the fractures, on the other hand a small sense of excitement blooms inside of me. Perhaps thereishope after all for me.
That excitement follows me throughout the day as I complete my work obligations. Yet in the back of my mind, a dilemma continues: how can I make more money?
Now that I have renewed hope for the future, and that I might live for many years to come, I want to share that life with my Moe. Just thinking about it makes me giddy from head to toe. We might not have interacted as much as I would have liked in the past week, but even those shared moments during meals meant so much to me. Having her near, knowing she is safe and well does wonders for my mood—and for my sleep.
I don’t think I’ve had such a restful sleep before. Of course, that also has to do with those sweet dreams in which I imagine us closer, skin to skin…
Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping toward a specific region of my body.
Damn it!
I cover my mouth with my hand, my entire face flushed.
Finishing my work, I get ready to leave, excited to get home for dinner.
But as I exit the building, I hear a commotion around the corner.
“How many times have I told you to stop loitering around here?” Someone shouts.
Moving closer, I see one of the officers holding another male by his shirt and shaking him.
“If you continue like this, I’ll have no other recourse than to have you arrested.”
“You’d do this to your brother?” The male in his grasp cries out.
“Yes! You’re at my place of work, Teras! You’re causing issues for me.”
Seeing that it’s a family feud, I silently walk away.
“What trouble am I causing? I’m just giving people another option! As if I don’t know the pittance wages you have!”
“The option you’re giving is against the law! Mercenary work is illegal!”
“Only in some instances! Smaller jobs are not illegal! And they pay more than you make in months, sometimes a year!”
The sound of their voices continues to reach my ears, and the wordmercenarygives me pause. I’d heard some things about that line of work. Warriors at lower levels would take on mercenary assignments both for the pay and to gain more experience, the ultimate goal being to reach level five and join the army, then level nine so they gain the title of a Son of Tenebreis.
Elysand has often spoken badly about them, mostly because mercenaries are not regulated the same way other warriors are. There is also the matter of the nature of the assignments—some of them including assassinations, which are illegal.
As I walk home, though, the idea of mercenary work continues to plague me. I’m not sure exactly what it pays, but if what that man said is true, then it could solve all of my financial woes.
But do I dare do it?
It’s dangerous work. Not only do I not have a lot of experience in the matter, but I would have to rely on Zantrax to complete any assignment.
But isn’t this what you need to do?My inner voice argues.
To further weaken the seal, I must consume more Zantrax. If I were to use those temporary abilities to earn more money, that would be an added bonus.
