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Chapter 10: All That Glitters

  Rushing into the station later than I had planned, I dragged my suitcase behind me, my armour and weapons locked inside my travel rack. I had packed my entire wardrobe into my core, along with every other essential I could think of, but I carried most of the items needed for the trip with me now to avoid raising Mum’s suspicion. I had visited her last night to prove I was ready for the journey, and that Meadhbh’s training was actually working, even though I had cheated and consumed fifty million pounds' worth of mana stones over the last month.

  I had wanted to cry when I counted out my hoard, but Meadhbh had been more than insistent that I use them as they had been intended when given to me. Everything had been of low or mid-grade quality, but before absorbing each one, I had taken the time to learn to identify each of the beasts by how they felt and sounded. A part of me felt apologetic as I absorbed their life force to fuel my growth, but according to her, they were little more than imprints of a deceased being.

  “Sadie,” Mum greeted me as the clattering of my armour rack’s wheels faded away on the tiled floor of the station. “This is Ashley; you remember her, don’t you?”

  “Yeah,” I replied neutrally, attempting not to sound hostile, ‘unfortunately.’ I grumbled towards Meadhbh.

  Her hazel eyes twitched beneath the brim of her ridiculously large hat, her mouth puckered as if she had sucked on a fresh lemon. Her blonde hair was braided and hung down over her shoulders, and if it weren’t for her attitude, I might even consider her cute; however, it seemed our mutual dislike for one another was palpable. She carried a worryingly small bag in her left hand, and in the other, she held her staff. A low-grade stone was embedded in the wood at one end, but unfortunately, there were no bristles on the other to complete her witch costume. The only positive I could see while looking at her was the good pair of hiking boots peeking out from beneath her robe, but they looked far too new, suggesting she had never broken them in.

  “Is this her?” she asked sourly, glancing up at Mum before turning to head towards the platform where our train awaited. “We should go before she spoils the trip and we miss the train.” As she walked away, I couldn’t help but raise my middle finger to her back with a horrible expression until Mum slapped it down.

  “Don’t!” she growled.

  “But Moooom,” I whined and pouted like a spoiled child, “she deserves it.”

  “I want her to come home alive and as uninjured as possible,” she hissed, dragging me after her.

  ‘I’ll try, possibly,’ I grumbled to Meadhbh. ‘She said to be as uninjured as possible, which still leaves open the chance for a goblin to nibble at her toes; she can survive with nine or even two.’ I laughed wickedly at her.

  ‘Don’t push your luck,’ Meadhbh’s scathing response made me pause mid-step.

  ‘Fine, but she’ll have to part with the golden sparkly artefact she always insists on wearing. She’s like you, a golden beacon of light.’

  ‘A golden beacon? She gives off that aura to you?’ An excitement in her voice made me furrow my brow, but I didn’t reply as Ashley turned around to give me a withering stare and waved for us to hurry up.

  Mum had booked us into a first-class cabin, which was, unfortunately, at the far end of the train. After leaving our luggage with an attendant, we had to walk the length of the train to reach it. Looking through the windows, I could see that the rest of the seats in economy were completely filled, and I was glad we got to avoid sitting with them. Along the bottom of the carriages, runes of strength and protection had been applied near the wheels, and a worker was using a hose to wash away the remains of some creature that had tried to attack the train on its last journey.

  ‘I’m no dwergii runesmith, but even I can tell that these are poor-quality runes. They’re sloppy and haphazard; that section doesn’t even make sense.’ Meadhbh projected from her spot buried at the bottom of my bag, allowing her to observe more freely.

  ‘Dwergii? What on earth is that?’

  ‘Fantastic rune and weapon smiths. They are quite a small species, which they are self-conscious about. If you have the funds, anything they create, even from a young adept, is highly prized and sought after, though few enclaves remain; however, that may have changed since we last saw them.’

  ‘Oh, you mean dwarves?’ I called out, realising what she was describing.

  ‘Don’t call them that, or you will be inviting ruin upon yourself. Besides, I have a feeling that our dear friend Rylock is a Dwerga. They are a proud people and he may not wish to interact in his current form, but if I’m right, he could become invaluable to you if you can win him over.’

  ‘Fine, I’ll try not to annoy the short-tempered people.’ I snickered to myself as Meadhbh yelled at me upon my entry to the cabin, where I found Ashley had already claimed two seats: one for herself and one for her hat.

  Mum had just been ahead of me, but while I was distracted and talking with Meadhbh, it seemed she had vanished, no doubt off to find the dining car and get herself a drink for the journey. Standing in the doorway, I hesitated and wondered if I should go join her, but I sat down in the empty window seat, too lazy to continue. With my head turned to face out of the window, I noticed her glancing over at me before returning to look out again, but I simply ignored her.

  The two of us would venture out alone while Mum stayed behind in the hotel, waiting for our return. The immediate vicinity beyond the walls was quite safe, as the Irish hunters and other mercenaries patrolled the area, clearing away anything more dangerous than goblins and wolves. With Dublin as the only inhabited city remaining on the island, there was significant profit in selling permits to guilds and hunter teams for exploring the vast open landscape.

  “So what can you do for me then?” she finally spoke, breaking the silence as the train started moving. “Am I going to have to carry you along and keep you safe?”

  “I’m not doing anything for you, and I don’t expect you to carry me. We will need to work together to take down whatever monsters we encounter. Sure, you’ll have to deal with most of the damage, but after that, I can extract the stones for us to sell, and perhaps anything else that might be valuable.” I replied sourly, glaring at her.

  “Well, don’t get in my way then,” she said, turning her nose up at me and looking out of the window again as we left the station.

  “Look, what’s your problem with me? You’ve always displayed this sour attitude while pretending to be nice in front of others. Is it because of my ridiculous rank or something?"

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  I had always had a sore spot due to my lack of strength and the stigma that accompanied it. Treated little more than as a precious thing to be protected, I struck gold when I became close with Josie and joined Trevor’s team. They didn’t really mind once I proved I wasn’t deadweight to them and actually had a place within the team.

  "Yes, you’re just F-tier trash who let your team down, yet you dare show your face around Madam Whitta…." I never allowed her the chance to finish that sentence as I leapt across from my seat and punched her in the face.

  “Don’t you ever dare to speak about my friends or Mum like that again, or I won’t settle for just a single punch,” I growled menacingly at her and sat down, kicking off my shoes and putting my feet up on the other seat.

  ‘Incompetent child, how dare she say such things.’ There was a surprising amount of venom in her words that matched my feelings, and I closed my eyes, wanting to focus on my music instead of looking at her. From the corner of my eye, I noticed she remained where I had left her for a few moments before she hid her face under the brim of her hat. I felt as though I had hit her harder than I intended, unaccustomed to the increase in strength I had gained under Meadhbh’s training.

  The rest of the trip passed without incident, with Mum returning midway after having lunch with a friend she had met in the dining car. Ashley remained quiet and briefly disappeared to apply some makeup to cover the mark on her cheek from my fist, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything to Mum. When she came back, I had cozied up to her, smirking at Ashley, who sat across the way, chewing the inside of her cheek, unable to say anything. Meadhbh had calmed down from her earlier vehemence and turned on me, calling me childish, but I did my best to ignore her.

  Arriving in Dublin by ferry, I left the other two to do their own shopping and made my way directly to the hotel where we were booked. Mum would stay behind for the week we were away, on standby in case we returned early or if I requested an emergency extraction for us. Roaming patrols policed the area, ensuring that none of the higher-tier monsters strayed too close while leaving the weaker ones for those who wouldn’t venture far.

  As I donned the armour I had been gifted, I made my way down to the training gym located in the basement of the hotel, specially constructed for those preparing to venture beyond the walls. Dublin’s primary industry now centred around the guilds and teams setting out, with tens of thousands paying for the licence to hunt in the areas beyond. A dozen others occupied the exercise machines while some sparred in the rings, watched by referees and teammates. Seeking solitude, I entered a small private gym at the back, and stepped inside, savouring the tranquillity.

  Exhausted after the long journey, I started by warming up on the treadmill, setting it to a brisk pace while carrying my shield, switching it from one arm to the other to distribute the effort. Watching from the bag I had left on the bench, Meadhbh would randomly call out directions for me to turn and defend myself against invisible foes. The shield was enormous for me, but surprisingly lighter than those crafted by human blacksmiths, made of an unknown material of which even she didn’t know the precise origin.

  ‘She’s here,’ Meadhbh said, startling me as I nearly toppled to the floor while I tried to discern whom she was referring to, pondering if it was Freya, as my thoughts had been on her.

  I glanced at the door as it unlocked, and I watched Ashley step inside. Since our cards were under the same suite, it wasn’t a huge surprise that she could do this, but I was annoyed by her intrusion. ‘Do you think she’s here to get revenge for what happened on the train?’ I did my best to avoid looking at Meadhbh as I glared at Ashley, adjusting my grip on the shield in case she launched an attack.

  She had changed her clothes, but beneath the absurd robe and hat she still wore, I could see some light armour protecting her vital points and a small dagger hanging from her waist. “Madame Whittaker suggested that I join you for a few hours, so we could work on our teamwork.”

  I wanted to argue, but she was right. Our training should have started the day I got roped into this ordeal; instead, I had focused on building my strength as much as possible. Seeing her eyeing my sword cautiously, I sighed and slid it into my scabbard as I watched her release the tension in her shoulders and lower her staff slightly. Turning off the treadmill, I walked across to my bag while she eyed me suspiciously. I placed my sword and shield on the table, disarming myself.

  “It’s no secret that we don’t like each other, but I need to know this: will you be able to follow my orders? You must stand behind me, and I can’t watch to ensure that you are ready.” I tried to remain calm while looking at her standing there, glaring at me.

  “Why should-”

  I didn’t allow her to finish as I slammed my fist down on the table in frustration and turned away to gather my things to return to my room. “We’re done here. I’ll tell Mum to find someone else to take you.”

  I was disappointed; I had hoped to extend an olive branch after the incident on the train. Neither of us was justified, but I was willing to apologise if she would as well. Meadhbh yelled at me, and I spun around with my shield, feeling an impact and looking down to see rock fragments patter to the floor. Enraged, I rushed towards her, shield raised, and used it to batter her staff aside before grabbing her by the cloak as she looked at me, wide-eyed and in shock.

  “That’s the only free shot you’ll ever get on me,” I hissed, my face inches from hers. She struggled in my grasp but was unable to push me away as I breathed heavily, adrenaline pumping through my body. I was surprised by my own strength and released her, watching as she collapsed heavily to her knees. Reaching down, she flinched, but I picked up her staff and walked back to the table, throwing it down next to my sword.

  “Why are you so strong? You were meant to be some weakling.” I heard her sob as I turned to watch her pick herself up. The golden aura surrounding her had grown brighter, yet I felt something else—an urge to embrace her.

  “Appearances can be deceiving,” I growled, trying to suppress whatever sympathy was clawing its way out of me. “Did you think that if I were weak, you could push me around? Grind me under your heel? Beg for your protection beyond the wall?”

  Grabbing her staff and my belongings, I strode back across the room to her and shoved it roughly against her chest as she stumbled, reaching up to catch it when I released it. “You are sorely mistaken if you think I am anything like what you believed I was. I watched my friends die right before my very eyes, powerless as the poison coursed through my body. If we were to go out like this, I would follow, but only to drag your cold, lifeless corpse back and claim it was your own damn fault.”

  As I swiped my access card at the door, I felt her hand grip my shoulder, causing me to pause with my hand on the doorknob. “Please don’t go, I’m sorry,” I heard her whimper.

  Sighing, I released the door and turned to look at the top of her hat as she stared down at the floor, her face concealed beneath the rim. Meadhbh had remained silent since her warning about the attack, no doubt wishing to let us resolve this ourselves. “You attacked me without reason; why should we spend a week together?”

  “You hit me earlier!” she shouted, looking up and pointing to her cheek.

  “For good reason! You called me F-trash and insulted Mum! You’re lucky I only struck you once. Then, when I refused to help because you didn’t drop that attitude, you attacked me. Those are two very different situations. So, again, why should I assist you?” I raised my voice, offended that she still believed she was in the right.

  Turning around, I swiped my card once more, prepared to leave. “I promise to do everything you ask of me; please don’t go, or I will be expelled from the Academy. I need this.” Clenching my fists, I felt my knuckles crack as I lowered my head.

  ‘Meadhbh, what should I do? I’m not sure if I can trust her. Hell, I don’t even know if I can trust myself. Am I truly ready to fight again?’ I kept my back to the door, eyes closed as I reached out to her.

  ‘Go with her. I can tell she is sincere in what she is saying. You’re not used to it yet, but I can read her flow, and she’s not lying. I also believe you will gain more from this trip than you realise, perhaps even your first Guardian.’

  Listening to her, I let out a sigh and allowed my bag to slip from my shoulder as I turned and side-stepped Ashley, who had stayed where she was, staring at me with red, bloodshot eyes. Sniffling back a sob, she followed me quietly, all of her previous aggression and defiance vanished. “Fine.”

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