Naeva-To Fight a Monster

Chapter 17

Naeva woke the next morning feeling more comfortable than she had in a very long time. She knew that it didn't make any sense. After all, she still wasn't a member of the order. She'd only spent two or three nights in this house, with a solid week between this time and the last.

There was just something about how these people treated her, something about having a group that was so willing to protect their own that they had spent the entire week refusing requests, all so they could have time to find Naeva and bring her home.

Home. That was a word she hadn't even thought about in a while. It was nice. Naeva hadn't had any refuge since Master Zero had trained her. With her growing skill and the help of the Champions, she felt like she could actually start healing.

She rolled out of the bed (nearly hitting the floor way harder than intended; she was used to sleeping on the ground) and moved to the door. She stepped into the commons to find all eyes on her, and she suddenly realized that she'd gone to bed before Valerian had brought the rest of the order back.

Erin rushed forward and hug-tackled Naeva, almost knocking her to the ground. Naeva, very unused to affection, resisted the urge to squirm.

Finally, Erin released the hug, holding Naeva by the shoulders at arm's length. "I'm impressed, Naeva; you managed to scare me. Don't make a habit of that, yeah?"

Polina nudged Erin aside and mercifully didn't hug her. It was surprising; Naeva had been expecting the grand show of affection from her, not Erin. "I'm glad you made it home safely, Naeva. Welcome back."

Naeva felt the stress of the moment melting away as Polina spoke, similarly to her first Umbra Jump. It didn't quite feel like her voice was the thing soothing her, though...

Before she could ask, Radley said, "So, Valerian says you survived the Gefroren mountains, but you only had your combat gear. I've been wondering all night, so spill. How exactly did you survive that?"

That stopped the celebration short. The room fell silent, and everyone took their seats in the commons, Naeva somewhat hesitantly.

"I landed near a shack around the southwestern peak," Naeva said, mentally retracing her steps. "An old man named Orlando lived there. He took me in for a few days, and then I used those coins you gave me to pay for a spare coat. He honestly provided a lot of help."

"Help...?" Polina asked, confused.

Radley scowled. "I thought you'd been kidnapped."

"I'll get to that," Naeva promised. "I thought I'd lost my phone in the tumble. As it turns out, Orlando had nicked my phone and hidden it in the coat. I picked that particular coat out of luck. I didn't realize it was in an inside pocket until I was a day away from Altarraum."

"That was when you figured out the buttons and called me," Valerian guessed.

Naeva nodded. "You guessed it. Mid-call, Orlando caught up to me and broke the phone with a thrown rock. I tried running, but he knocked me down and dislocated my shoulder.

"I put it back in its socket and tried to punch him, but he turned his skin to stone and shattered just about every bone in my right arm. He-"

"Hold it," Erin said. "He turned into stone? Like a Gefroren golem? Only golem I've ever seen killed was a young one, and the guy who killed it didn't get any power from that, yeah?"

"Orlando was a monster," Naeva explained. "He said he'd acquired the ability from a golem, but he definitely didn't have the same powers we do. He turned into stone, and it made me have to use the only vial that survived his purge.

"Anyway, I managed to break through using my staff, and when he promised he would continue to kill weary travelers, I shattered the head." Naeva broke off. She had always killed in self-defense, but looking back, that had been pure bloodlust in her final swing back there.

Naeva shook off her worry. "Anyway, I felt a power flow into me when I killed him. He had to have been a monster."

Erin perked up. "You can turn into stone now?" Erin asked, surprised.

"That could come in handy," Radley noted. Then he hastily added, "if you ever decide to join."

Naeva sighed. "Fine. I'll stick around your order for now, if only because I have nowhere else to go."

Radley nodded, and Polina beamed. "You won't regret-"

"Anyway," Naeva pressed, not wanting to catch on that subject, "I can't turn into stone. Humans can't change physical features, remember?"

Radley shrugged. "Fair enough. It gave you something, though. You know, when I killed the Aquarius and the phoenix, I immediately knew how to use their powers; it just took practice to make it into muscle memory. Didn't you get some instinct with Orlando's power, whatever he was?"

Naeva scowled at her hand. "No. I can feel it in there, but for some reason, whenever I try to focus on Orlando's power, I can only think about the griffin I killed when I was eleven. It's like the power itself is repelling my mind."

"You will figure it out," Valerian assured her. "You're an intelligent girl."

Sensing an end to the conversation, Naeva leaned back in her chair. Radley picked up their last phone and handed it to her. Polina and Valerian went to their respective rooms, and Radley and Erin left to catch up on work for the rent now that Naeva was safe.

Not wanting to sit around doing nothing, Naeva scanned the room until she noticed the notebook Valerian had been reading when Anna had contacted him. Curious, Naeva moved to his chair and grabbed the notebook. She glanced at Valerian's door and cautiously opened the notes. It took her a moment to decipher the handwriting, but then she was able to read it easily:

-Naeva missing

-Hostile voice on phone
-Mentioned a stalker from home earlier-Finstrese bandit?
-Stalker was well-known-not well-liked
-Took a rare, powerless artifact from every active clan, no exception
-Name is Vernal Chevalier

-Missing past two years

Naeva stiffened at leaned over the notes. The order had apparently interpreted Orlando's voice on the phone as Vernal's, and Valerian had started hunting him down. Feeling a creeping dread, she continued to read:

-Lost trail

-Follow artifact lead?
-Rumors lead back to Tierisch
-Runes on stones look familiar to an elderly Gefroren woman in Phazan
-Vernal is in-

The notes cut off for the rest of that page, so Naeva turned the page. That one was empty. Maybe that was when she'd contacted him. The familiarity of Vernal's strange behavior made her sick with worry. What evidence had Valerian found?

She stood up to go ask him, but a hand rested on her shoulder, startling her. Valerian stood behind the chair, his eyes lit with concern but the rest of his face a stony mask.

"You want to know about the notes I didn't finish," he said. It was a statement, not a question.

She was afraid of the answer, but Naeva needed to know. What had Valerian found about the single most dangerous person she'd ever known?

"Yes, I do," she said, her voice feeling stronger than her thoughts.

Valerian took the notebook from her and pulled a pen from his pocket. Starting from the incomplete note, he wrote several lines. His expression dire, he then handed the notebook to Naeva, who read intently:

-Vernal is in disguise. Somehow, he became a highly ranked Tierisch lieutenant, just barely under the princess
-He's more versatile than I thought, more so than any warrior I've ever seen
-Can't find his false name
-I've discovered a potential use for the stolen Gefroren stones
-Must warn Terro house as soon as Naeva is safe

Naeva looked up. "Warn them of what? What are those stones?"

Valerian's expression still showed his fear. "Those stones are change itself, and if he figures out how to use them, the world as we know it will never be the same again."