Inch by Inch

“I don’t want to fight anymore.”

It was, Kane reflected, not the best choice of words. There was much he left out in that short sentence. Brief though it may have been, it was the product of days of consideration, meditation, and internal debate. It had consumed his thoughts when he wasn’t… lost. Without that knowledge, without the details, the experience, that sentence could be misconstrued easily. It looked like his teammate — his team leader — had.

Jay stilled in an instant, frozen in a half twisted position as his top half faced towards Kane while his legs were stretched out on the bed. What was funny was that as soon as his body stiffened, his Threads exploded.

Strands coiled over and over, twisting and tying themselves into knots only to splinter, torn into shreds only for those shreds to rebuild themselves. The Threads spread throughout Jay’s body, some following the twist of his hips while others fought against it. They were everywhere, but especially in his head. There they were fine, often so thin he could barely perceive them unless he squinted, narrowing his vision, his world down to the smallest sliver.

And the color. Oh, the color.

Shades of luminescent purple. The darkest, most frightening of yellows. Blues that lit up the room. A red that left you tired. Greens that tore at your heart, wrenching emotion from nothingness. An orange of death.

Shimmers danced along never ending lines. Fireworks blossomed, giving birth to worlds, creating tapestries only to destroy them seconds later in the next explosion.

Kane didn’t have words to describe most of what he saw, but he wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to.

Even as he reveled in the threads, some faint vibration pulled him away from them. What was it? Why?

Oh.

He was talking to Jay.

Kane wrenched himself back, pulling away from it all until he could close his eyes and see.

“Kane,” Jay said, gritting his teeth so it can’t have been for the first time. “What do you mean by ‘I don’t want to fight’?”

Ah. He had said that, hadn’t he? They were in the small dorm, just back from the Wonder, which had such incredible...

“Kane!”

Right. Ana had just fled, finally facing her breakdown, that anxiety that had been building up in her over the last few weeks. It wasn’t the best time for it all to come out, but then again, when was it ever?

He turned his head, loosening his grip ever so slightly. She wasn’t far. Pacing back and forth in the alley beside the dorms. It was a little disappointing to see her fingers still. She was wringing her hands again and again, but not in the interesting way.

“I want to use my Word," he said as he turned back, interrupting just before Jay escalated to shouts.

Maybe he’d been lapse over the last week. The normally polished shopkeeper was losing his patience quite rapidly. Or maybe it was what had happened with Ana. Tempers were high. Dad had always told him that tempers made people snap what they shouldn’t.

He’d need to be quick. Like Ana, it wasn’t the best time to bring this up, but when was it ever? Best to untie the knot as soon as possible.

“You and Ana can fight. I want to use my Word. I think it.. I think I see magic.”

He still wasn’t sure. After all, he hadn’t gotten the threads to do anything yet, but he could see them and that was the first step. The Wonder had confirmed that it was magic he saw. It couldn’t be anything else. The threads that coiled around Lauchia’s giant rock... The size and scope of them... They were so great that even the smallest strand was larger than it made sense for any rope to be.

Jay looked startled. Whatever he’d been expecting Kane to say had not been that. The surprise had even consumed his previous annoyance.

“Magic?” Jay asked, mouthing the word like he was trying to taste it. “Magic as in enchanting, lightning, explosions and all that?”

Kane nodded. He did wonder how many of the stories were true, now that the prospect was so much more real and significant for him.

Jay swung his legs off his bed and to the floor, sitting fully upright. It was a bad habit to rest in bed with your outdoor clothing on, but all the dorm’s furnishings were on the cheaper, rougher side. It was all designed to resist wear rather than for comfort, from the pillows to the bed matting. Kane decided it was best not to mention this to his team leader and derail the conversation again.

The earnest shopkeeper-now-adventurer looked like he was deep in thought, fully considering Kane’s few simple words and his single, possibly very complex, one.

Kane wondered what that was making the threads do. It would be oh so easy to relax and look.

“Magic as in study for decades and all that?”

Ah.

There was that complication. There might be a reason why Kane hadn’t been able to make any of the threads do anything. He didn’t want to study for decades. It sounded restrictive, and there was so much to see.

He considered what answers he could provide, but in the end he just grimaced and stayed silent. There was nothing he could add to that description. He didn’t know anymore himself.

“Can you do anything with… magic?” Jay asked, looking at him quizzically but warily, like he could call forth the elements any second now.

“No,” Kane sounded out reluctantly. He knew how this would sound. “I haven’t been able to do anything yet.”

Jay blinked at him. A decidedly more neutral expression settled on his face, one that Kane did not like. It was blank. Not accusing or angry, but still recognisable. It was the face you made when you were about to discuss something a child had done out of ignorance. It was a condescending face.

He hated when people made that face.

“Well, I won’t argue against you practicing...” Jay paused as he tried to decide what to say. “Your Word. If you need help, you can ask me?”

It was less an offer than a question, but Kane gave him the benefit of the doubt. He still glared at Jay for the face, though.

“Until you do... figure it out, will you keep training and fighting with us?”

Kane nodded. That was fair. Magic was rare, but he knew that those that used it usually did so from a position of safety rather than in the melee. He could hardly stand back and watch them fight without being able to do anything.

“Right,” Jay said, faltering, as he couldn’t decide where to take the conversation from here. “I guess we can discuss it more tomorrow when we sort out our training schedule?”

“Yes.”

That was fine. It might have been too soon to bring the prospect up, but better to do it sooner. Loose chains had a way of tangling themselves up.

Jay looked once more at the door. Kane knew what he was thinking. Now that he was sitting up, it was a much shorter step to leave and search for Ana.

Kane looked off to the side once more. “She’s fine. Give her some time.”

Jay gave him a tight smile and awkwardly lay back down on the bed.

Kane finished unpacking his bag, and moved the sword to the edge, within arm’s reach, as his mom always taught him.

He laid down on his own bunk and loosened his grip.

The threads twisted and spiraled and -

| i i i ¦ i i i | i i i ¦ i i i |

The dorms woke up slowly, but as more stirred and the volume of life increased, it gained momentum.

Jay knocked lightly on the door. He waited a moment before opening it and stepping inside.

Kane was still in bed, lying down with his hands tucked behind his head. He was staring at the ceiling, something Jay would have taken as a sign of him dozing off and not noticing his arrival the day before, but after their talk last night, how aware Kane was of his surroundings wasn’t clear anymore.

Ana had been sorting through a bag before he arrived, but she set that down and faced him. Her posture was stiff. They hadn’t talked last night. He’d stayed awake until she returned, fighting the urge to ignore Kane’s advice and go look for her. It was dark when she came back. Too late to speak of anything, and she’d gone straight to bed.

“Good morning.” Jay set the bucket of water on the stove in the center of the room. It didn’t look like either of them had been out yet. They would be thirsty, and they’d need to be hydrated for what he had planned.

“I know we need to talk about last night,” he said, looking at both Ana and Kane when he said that, though it was only Ana that winced. “And about the team and... everything, I guess, but are we good for now?”

Ana waited a second before giving a jerky nod.

Kane hummed and sat up smoothly, arms stretching overhead. His bed sheets crumpled at his waist. He stared at Jay and raised his eyebrows. “Is there something else you want to do now?”

Kane had big green eyes. Were they a little too wide? Was it a sign he was using his Word to look for magic? Or was Jay just overthinking it after last night?

“Eh..” Jay pulled his attention back. “I did. I don’t want us to talk on an empty stomach and... there’s the dog track.”

He looked towards Ana to see how she felt about that. They had done no training or fitness since the fight against the Oddities. This would be hardest for her.

She had gone a bit red in the cheeks, but wasn’t immediately objecting or complaining, which was a positive.

Behind him, Kane groaned. He hadn’t complained about the training during the trip to Lauchia, but he hadn’t been particularly excited about it either. The dog track was another level compared to what they had done.

“Alright, grab a drink and get ready for a run.”

While they did and finished the last of their preparations before exercise, Jay tried to busy himself in the same way. Tried, as he couldn’t stop his attention from turning to Kane, the area around him and, well, everything the swordsman was doing. One word filled his thoughts.

Magic.

Why did Kane think he could do it? Was he trying to do it now? Were they surrounded by magic now?

Just what was it that Kane was seeing?

The questions continued as they left the dorms and started walking. They became more pointed each time Kane seemed to lose focus. Twice, when Kane appeared particularly dazed, Jay found himself holding his breath and waiting for something to happen. Nothing ever did. In his distraction, he didn’t notice Ana was trying to get his attention until she gave up and spoke.

“What is the dog track?” Ana asked.

Jay winced. Oh. She didn’t know. They were only a minute or two away from the adventuring bureau now.

Kane even stirred from his usual doze to raise his eyebrows accusingly at Jay.

Jay frowned back. How was he meant to know that she didn’t know if she didn’t ask?

“It’s kind of a task, but not. It doesn’t count for our monthly quota, but we do get paid.”

“Oh?” Ana perked up at the mention of money. He wondered if that was because she still expected them to fail and didn’t want to walk away empty-handed. She looked down at her own training clothes, shorts and loose top. “Then why are we dressed for running?”

Kane snorted, clearly enjoying what was about to come.

Jay winced. He was not looking forward to it. “Well.. the dog track is an adventurer fitness thing. Most city states have something like it. In Lauchia, it’s a race around the outer walls.”

Ana nodded in response, seeing the link to the money side of things now. She nodded until the last part of the sentence caught up to her. Then her face fell as she realized that Lauchia’s walls were not Kavakar’s.

“Around the walls?" she asked faintly. “Or a district’s walls? Not the giant walls we entered yesterday, right? Not the entire way around Lauchia?”

“We don’t have to run it all?” Jay tried.

Ana rounded at him and glared.

“I thought you knew," he offered weakly.

With a hiss of frustration and worry, Ana powerwalked ahead.

Jay decided it was best not to tell her to save her energy for the run. Beside him, Kane snorted again.

The street outside the bureau of adventurers was busy. There must have been over a hundred adventurers milling about and readying for the run. Most wore general exercise clothes like his team, but some were fully outfitted in armor and carried weapons. These were the more serious adventurers.

Jay would be among them one day, but it was a step too far for his team now. Especially considering only one of them had armor to wear.

It wasn’t only adventurers that had turned up to the dog track. A crowd of locals were picking comfortable spots to sit and others queued by a few stalls. Some people liked to bet on the daily winner, and others found it funny to watch the race.

“New faces! I thought I knew all of Lauchia’s new batch of adventurers.”

His team turned as one to face the voice. The speaker was a man about their age. He looked cheerful, with a wide grin and big ears that poked out of his sandy hair. Like them, he was dressed for a run, in a long black and gray tunic that reached his knees. Another adventurer.

“Ohh, serious faces too. Some new contenders for the win today?”

Jay gave the man a tight smile. Ana had waited for them to catch up as the crowds got thicker around the bureau, but she hadn’t stopped tapping her arm. She was still nervous about the run.

“No, we’ll be lightly jogging and walking today. It’s our first day in the city,” he said. To his relief, his words seemed to calm Ana down a little, and the tapping slowed.

“And that’s why I don’t know you yet.” The man stuck his hand forward. “I’m Peter.”

“Jay.” He shook the offered hand. Ana introduced herself and Kane when he didn’t react to her elbow jab.

“So which guild are you part of? I hadn’t heard that any of the recruiters were back yet,” Peter asked. He seemed to be quite friendly and open. It was a shame that he was managing to pick awkward subjects.

“Independent, actually,” Jay answered, keeping his smile in place.

“Oh.” Peter blinked, smile disappearing in surprise. He rallied quickly. “That’s brave. Not many people go that way.” He took another look at Jay’s team, seeing Kane’s wandering, unfocused gaze and Ana’s short stature. Peter didn’t say anything, but the concern showed on his face.

Jay was about to come up with an excuse and shuffle his team away, but a commotion in the crowd saved him the trouble.

“Here we go,” Peter said with a renewed smile.

Two figures pushed through the crowd, their teams following in their wake. The figure closer to Jay, a man, wore a black and gray tunic. It was the same kind as Peter’s. His hair was strangely long for an adventurer, the dark brown curls falling down to his shoulders. He didn’t look around him as he strode through the crowd, not that there was a need as people got out of his way.

“Jason.” Peter supplied as they stared. “He’ll lead the Bedrock guild today.” Peter paused a second, but when none of them said anything continued. “Oh right. You aren’t from Lauchia. That’s his Word, Lead.”

Jay looked at Peter in surprise, but the big-eared adventurer had already begun introducing the other figure.

“Maya,” Peter said, as if that explained it all.

Maya wore armor that had been made to fit her. It needed to be, as she was one of the tallest in the crowd. The metal gleamed in the morning light, but it was a reflection from clean metal rather than polished. Her armor was not for show. It bore wear from fights. She wore no helmet and had black hair that was tied up in a tight bun. The crowd parted before her too, but she was focused on a discussion with a teammate.

Jay recognized that armor.

“She’s from Marching Orders,” Peter continued. “Her Word is Smash.”

“Should you be telling us that?” Ana cut in, clearly annoyed. It was one thing to hear about someone’s Word from them directly, but this felt more like gossip.

Peter shrugged. “It’s common knowledge in Lauchia. Those two are seen as the standard for adventurers, for us. You’ll be hearing plenty more about them if you go anywhere in the city.”

Ana sniffed but didn’t continue the argument.

“Anyway,” Peter gestured at his own clothes. “I need to catch up to the others from Bedrock. I’m hoping to be one of the top runners today. See you around.”

Jay gave him a goodbye and a wave, but he was caught up in his own mind. It wasn’t a surprise to see the Marching Orders here, but it hurt a little anyway. For a very long time, he thought that was his future.

A horn blew a minute or two later. The adventurers at the front bolted, sprinting away from the bureau. Those in the middle followed at a steadier, but still quick, pace. Eventually, the movement trickled back to where Ana, Jay and Kane stood.

“Let’s start at a light jog. Ana set the pace and let us know if you need to slow," he ordered. He planned on calling for walking breaks every twenty minutes anyway, but only she would know how she was doing.

Ana gave a nod. Kane easily kept pace beside them with his long legs. He was practically strolling.

The crowds cheered as the adventurers set off.

| i i i ¦ i i i | i i i ¦ i i i |

It was a very different scene well over an hour later. The street outside the bureau was near empty by now, but the smell of sweat lingered. Most of the locals were long gone, but a few remained chatting or taking the stalls down.

Ana collapsed to the ground as soon as they arrived. It took several moments and many complaints before Jay got her up and slowly walking. After that, he left for the adventuring building. Kane was under strict instructions to keep her moving. If she stopped, it would only hurt more later.

It only took him a minute to go in and register his tag. When he got back out, Ana and Kane were taking long drinks from a bucket of water someone had helpfully left out.

“How much?” Ana croaked, legs trembling. “How much was I paid for that?”

Jay took a cup and drank. “Two bronze.”

“Two. Two bronze,” Ana whispered, first in despair, then in anger. “All that for two bronze?”

“Mmhm. One bronze for a bread roll, and one to wash your clothes.” Jay pulled at where his own top was sticking to his skin. “It’s a tradition.”

“I don’t care if it’s a tradition!” Ana whimpered, slowly moving her legs. “I wouldn’t do that for twenty bronze.”

“You can take the money or you can do it for free.” Jay shrugged. “Running will keep you alive.”

Ana let out what could either be a furious wail, or a sad acceptance depending on how much of an optimist you were. Jay decided to take it as acceptance.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat.”