Book 4, chapter 2, a loan shark

Zee sat on the edge of a two-person-sized bed, leaning her hands in her hands, with her elbows on her knees, Bastion's soft snoring echoing from just behind her. He wasn't sleeping in her bed, but on a soft cot in her room, to help save costs.

The inn was still rather pricy, even after a steep discount offered by the proprietor Jax, but that was unavoidable. For their two rooms, it came out to a startling two hundred Dara a week which was enough to live for half a year in a similar inn back on Iztara.

Zee glanced over towards Bastion. His snoring wasn't what was keeping her up, no, it was more the pressure in her mind. Over the last couple of days, Zee was having more and more difficulty calming her mind.

The obsidian tower in her burgeoning inner world was like a weight on her shoulder, gradually releasing more and more pressure. It was like an aching tooth, where the pain was gradually getting more unbearable.

The worst part was that she wasn't sure what the problem was. Sure she had several ideas of what the problem could be, but they were sketchy at best.

The cracks on her fragment were at the top of her list, though they were thin, and didn't appear nearly as bad as before. She suspected the main culprit might be Kur Zul, that asshole of a ghost that she trapped inside her fragment.

Taking a deep breath, Zee focused a trickle of mental energy around the fragment in her mind, getting some relief from the pressure. It was a trick she used to block Dern from her mind. Now, she was now using that truck to block out the discomfort she was feeling.

A pang of grief filled her at the thought of Dern. Ever since he saved her from Kur Zul back on top of the tower, she still hadn't heard his voice. He was still there somewhere, though he was just a faint presence in her mind.

Zee clenched her fists, a seething anger filling her. She had a feeling that the ghost was responsible for Dern's continued absence. If only she was strong enough to go inside her inner world and kick that ghost's ass.

Zee let out a sharp breath. Once she got stronger, she was going to put Kur Zul in a world of hurt. That stupid ghost didn't deserve to live comfortably inside her mind after attempting to possess her, and kill Dern.

Her eyes fell on the floor, tracing the grain of the dark wooden planks. She hated this feeling. She didn't have the slightest clue of how to help Dern recover, nor how to make Kur Zul pay.

This feeling of helplessness was all too familiar, though it was one that she hated to feel. Even with her rank up to E grade, she couldn't do anything to help.

Zee raised a hand, and the air in front of her shimmered, a small armored figure appearing, completely still, like a statue. She nudged to with her mind, and the armor moved, walking around at her command like it was a puppet.

Without Dern's interference, her summon skill required her to control it, which was more of a pain than she anticipated. Splitting her focus to control every minute movement was hard and might be borderline impossible in combat.

What's worse, if the suit of armor was destroyed, it might cause Dern further harm, destroying any chance he had at a recovery. Seeing him like this pained her, filling her with a bucket load of guilt.

Mulling over her options she just sat there, watching the statue-like suit of armor for a while, working over some ideas in her mind.

Each of them seemed implausible, or incredibly troublesome. One of these ideas, one that she hated to contemplate, involved finding arrays that could drain a soul, letting Dern's suit of armor absorb it.

In theory, it should help him, though that didn't factor in the morality of such an action.

Zee let out a frustrated sigh. Too bad it wasn't a good idea. In fact, it was a terrible idea. Finding an array that could drain a soul would be difficult, if not impossible, and that was putting aside the exorbitant costs altogether.

She might not even be able to find such a thing. Even criminals weren't foolish enough to deal in soul arts, especially when it would brand them as a heretic.

Practicing soul arts was punishable by death in every empire, clan, and dominion Zee knew of, including the blood gorger's domain. It was not something that could be easily hidden either, as those who practiced it would gain a stain on their aura that could not be hidden.

After some research into the matter, Zee knew it was the reason that Dern's aura felt so unsettling. As for why her own aura didn't feel the same, Zee couldn't say.

Zee let out a frustrated sigh, which appeared to be enough to make Bastion stir on his cot. "Huh, what is it?" Bastion grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, looking over at her sitting on her bed in the dark.

"I just can't sleep is all. You should go back to sleep," Zee said her expression bleak.

Bastion must have got a look at her troubled expression or heard the worry in her tone as he stood from the cot and walked over, sitting beside her.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close against his side.

"Are you alright?" Bastion asked, his voice soft, and comforting.

Zee didn't say anything for a bit, leaning her head on his shoulder, and staring down at the floor. She had never been good at explaining her thoughts, but he was so warm, his touch alleviating much of the chill in the room.

"Not really, there was a lot on her mind. It's been hard to focus and get some proper rest with some of the things I went through in the planar space. I have been really worried about Dern," Zee said, balling her hands into fists.

He pulled her in closer, "I am here to listen if you want to get it off your chest," Bastion said reassuringly.

Zee tensed at that offer. Dern wasn't the only thing on her mind. She hadn't yet worked up the courage to tell him that she had a second being inside her mind.

Zee was more than a little worried he might leave her when he found out about Kur Zul. She was also worried about her grandpa, and Petrie coming after her, not to mention their upcoming meeting with a loan shark.

Not to mention the inner world that was threatening to burst and explode her fragment. Or that a Kur Zul might try and possess her again. And that was just the surface. Zee was more than a little exhausted from the harrowing experience in the planar space.

She knew that keeping it all in was a bad idea, but she didn't know how to broach it. Would Bastion think less of her if he knew?

Perhaps. It was a risk, one that she decided to take. Either he accepted it, or he didn't. Either way, this was a conversation they needed to have. Zee let out a shaky breath and started talking.

"I may have left some things out of my story when I told you guys about the tundra, the Null, and then going into the tower. I left out some very important things," Zee said, staring at the floorboard.

Bastion just sat there, his arm around her waist, as she talked. Her voice turned soft, "Stealing the heart from the tower wasn't as easy as I claimed it to be. There was a ghost in there, named Kur Zul. It was the guardian of the tower, and promised me some treasure if I did it a favor," Zee said, with a grimace.

"That doesn't sound sketchy at all," Bastion said dryly.

She smiled, "That's what I thought too. I let it lead the way, but as expected, the ghost was actually leading me to the heart of the planar space itself. It wanted me to absorb the heart," Zee said angrily.

"Please tell me you didn't do that?" Bastion asked.

"Well, I sort of stabbed the heart with that profane spike that Petrie gave me. Some weird stuff happened, and I absorbed the heart, the ghost, and the tower into my body. If not for Dern's efforts, that asshole of a ghost would have possessed me," Zee said relieved to finally let it all out.

Once she was done, the room went quiet, as Bastion mulled over the bombshell she just dumped in his lap. The silence drew on for nearly a minute and Zee tensed up, expecting him to pull away, maybe even leave the room.

The longer the silence drew on the more uncomfortable she felt.

"Do you think we can actually find a method to absorb souls to help Dern?" Bastion asked.

Startled by his question, Zee glanced over, peering into his bright hazel and orange eyes.

"Is that really the only question you have?" Zee asked, dumbfounded.

"I mean, I have a lot to say. None of it really solves anything though, hence why I asked about how to help Dern," Bastion replied.

"Are you really not bothered that I have a second spirit, and a small world inside my mind?" Zee asked dubiously.

"Sounds like you have it in control," Bastion said, shrugging.

Zee scrunched up her nose, "Uhh, I really don't. Kur Zul is a prisoner for now in his tower in my inner world. I have no illusions that the ghost will try to possess me again." Zee said, concerned.

"We will figure it out," Bastion said.

"How though? Kur Zul is really strong. If not for stabbing the heart with the profane spike, and Dern's aide I would have lost control of my body," Zee replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know, we will figure it out. As long as we are still alive and kicking, nothing is impossible," Bastion said, pulling her tightly against him, the embrace filling her with a sense of security and warmth.

Zee yawned, his warmth and closeness comforting enough to make her drowsy, "I like that, it's a nice sentiment." Zee mumbled tiredly.

"So, what are your plans for the meeting with this loan shark tomorrow?" Bastion asked.

Zee shrugged, "I don't know. I was gonna just let Yukna lead the way. And if he attacks us, I was gonna stab him," Zee said offhandedly.

Bastion let out a soft laugh, "I thought so. If that's your plan, you should get some rest. There are probably Bastion said, moving to stand.

Unwilling to give up her heater, she caught him around the waist and pulled him down onto her bed. Snuggling up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, revealing his warmth.

"I feel like a prisoner here," Bastion said, amusement in his voice.

"Quiet pillow," Zee said, closing her eyes and letting out a tired sigh. He laughed and pulled the blankets over them. As it turned out, holding Bastion hostage, and using him as a heater made her night much more pleasant.

Zee was startled from deep cultivation, drawn awake by the door creaking open. She cracked open an eye, patting at the still-warm bed. Bastion smirked at her as he walked in the door, holding two plates piled high with food.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Bastion asked, with a cheeky grin.

"It was going well until my heater ran away," Zee grumbled, yawning as she sat up.

"Sorry about that. I got hungry, so I decided to fetch some breakfast," Bastion replied, setting both plates on the table next to the couch.

"That's awfully sweet of you," Zee said. She ran a hand through her tangled black hair and tugged at her rumpled uniform to smooth the wrinkles.

"Sweet of me, what are you talking about, both of these plates are for me," Bastion said with an impish grin.

Zee slipped from the bed, and trudged across the room, plopping down next to him.

"Har, har, very funny," Zee said, stabbing a fried egg with her fork.

Mid breakfast, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in,"

Yukna peered inside, her mousy brown hair falling down in front of her black-rimmed glasses.

"You two ready? We need to get going," Yukna asked.

Zee glanced over at Bastion, who shrugged. "Might as well, no point in putting this off,"

Zee stood, adjusting her sword belt to a more comfortable position around her waist.

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go meet this guy," Zee said, striding from the room.

Using the directions on the card given to them at the Vemmel brother's bank, they walked to the canal finding a boat.

"Where too?" Asked the boatman, his expression friendly and inviting. The boatman was a short allevark, with short brown fur, with only a pair of black pants, leaving his furry chest bare.

"Into the stacks please," Yukna said, tossing him a pouch filled with Dara.

The boatmen grimaced, hefting the light purse and eying the sun which was slowing setting in the west.

"The stacks are not a safe place at night, are you sure that is where you would like to go?" The boatmen his expression was hesitant.

Bastion tossed the man another purse, this one just as heavy as the first. The boatmen smiled.

"Ahh, well, now we are talking. Come, come, get in, I will have you to the stacks in no time at all," The boatman said cheerily all of his hesitation fading immediately.

The thin boat rocked as they climbed in, settling on the well-worn wooden seats. Merky water splashed as the Allevark boatman pushed off the pier, using his long paddle to propel them forwards.

"What kind of boat is this?" Zee asked, excitedly watching the traffic on the streets blur past. Standing at the rear of the boat, the boatmen grinned, exposing several broken teeth.

"Many foreigners simply call it a gondola." The boatman said, his voice deep and pleasant to her ears. With the array around his wrist translating, it was hard to pick out his words, though they did sound like some variant of the Allevark tongue.

Guided by the boatman, the gondola rushed along between the streets, passing under bridges, and taking sharp turns along the expansive waterway.

This was one of the main forms of transport in the city, though not just anyone could buy a boat and hop in.

The canals were a maze of confusing turns and close encounters with other passers-by, the boat cutting through the water with surprising speed.

There were other faster forms of transport that flew, but those were exclusive to people with boatloads of Dara. Along their boat ride, she even spotted a few, flying above the rooftops, moving at a startling speed, radiating a heavy pressure.

She really wanted to ride in one of the flying boats, but had to settle for the waterways for now. The narrow boat blurry past rows of fancy mansions and docks lining the wide canals, many of which were single, double, and three-story houses.

Gradually, the sunset and the canals grew narrower, the buildings less opulent. The boatman didn't seem too worried, humming along as he paddled.

He even lit a lantern near the bow, lighting the way once the sun had properly set, casting the decrepit buildings in a somber light. By now they were in a decidedly poor section of the city, most of the buildings looking run down each building towering for nearly five to six stories.

It looked like a ten-year-old took some houses and piled them on top of each other, squishing the buildings together like a sandwich.

"I thought this city was the capital of Tartana? These slums look just like the ones back on Iztara, if not worse" Zee said, eying the boarded windows on a house that was leaning to one side.

"And? What's your point? Every city has poor people, no matter how rich it appears," Bastion said, his eyes bouncing around, flitting across the streets bracketing them.

He looked on high alert, his body tense as if waiting for trouble. Near the prow, the boatman pushed them toward the edge of the narrow canal, pausing.

"Here you are, the stacks, just as promised." He said with finality.

"Do you know where the blind spider pub is?" Yukna asked, hopefully.

The boatman snorted gesturing to the street. "I never heard of it. Besides, I fulfilled my end of the bargain, any further is up to you," He said unhelpfully.

Yukna scowled, tossing him another pouch that clanked loudly as the boatmen caught it.

"Ahh, the blind spider. That sounds much more familiar, it's only a few minutes away," The boatman said, pushing the gondola back out into the center of the canal.

Zee glared at the man's back as he rowed through the narrow waterways, arriving at their destination in only a minute. The boat jostled as it came to a halt, right in front of a run-down pub, a jaunty tune echoing from the building.

She looked up at the worn and cracked sign hanging from the eve of the doorway. It was hard to tell with the worn paint, but it was definitely, a spider, though it was hard to tell that it was blind.

"Here it is, off with you," The boatmen said.

The boat jostled as they climbed up onto the street amidst a pile of trash, just before the Allevark boatmen pushed off.

The slosh of water crashing against the pew faded as the boatman paddled back up the canal, leaving the three on the dark, dirty street.

"Well, he was a bundle of joy," Bastion said dryly, his boots droning along the rough cobbles.

"I know right? A charmer that one," Yukna said.

"Are you not mad that he scammed us?" Zee asked, curiously.

Bastion shrugged, hefting a small sack of coins, and shaking it.

"I mean, I expected as much. Besides, I relieved him of his purse," Bastion said with a grin.

Zee laughed, opening the front door to the pub with a loud creak. A wave of sound and the stench of liquor, urine, and week-old throw-up wafted to her nose.

The door slammed shut behind them, with a loud bang, drawing the curious attention of the patrons. The loud drone of shouting, glasses clinking, cards shuffling, and coins sliding on wood mixed together with a poorly strummed lute filling the air with a cacophony of sound.

Zee didn't pause at the door, walking between the tightly packed tables towards four stools situated at the bar.

She pretended to ignore the leers and curious glances at the group, though she paid close attention to her surroundings with her spatial ripple skill.

An Allevark with a rumpled apron sidled over, "What'll you have?" He asked, his tone gruff.

"Give us four mugs of your best silver ale," Bastion said, collapsing onto the stool next to her with a feigned tired sigh.

"Coming right up," The bartender said. A few seconds later he returned slamming down four foamy cups of something that smelled distinctly sour.

Zee took the cup anyway, taking a mouthful of the contents. She immediately regretted her actions. It was just as unpleasant as it smelled, sour, bitter, and just all-around awful.

She blanched, noting that Greg had already drained half of his, looking to enjoy his own.

Zee scrunched up her face, and despite the unpleasant flavor, she took another sip. Ordering this specific drink was a part of how to meet with the shady person they were here for.

Zee assumed their contact owned the bar, and would be warned the moment someone ordered this specific drink.

And she was right. The bartender returned a few minutes later after having disappeared into the back. He placed a key in front of Bastion.

"Here is your room key, you are staying in room five," The barkeep said, gesturing towards the room with his chin.

Bastion snatched up the key and feigned a yawn, that was not very convincing.

"Let's go, I am exhausted," Bastion said.

They followed him towards the stairs, all the while, Zee scanned the room, noting that they had drawn the attention of several groups who were pretending to play or drink.

Well, it's not like they had been all that subtle when ordering their drink.

Zee was willing to bet that most if not all of the people in this bar worked for the guy they were going to meet.

They walked up a set of creaky stairs using the key to enter a room with a slanted five embossed above the peeling paint on the door frame.

Entering the dark room they shut the door behind them, only then did a lantern flicker on.

An older human male waited for them, sitting in a high-back chair. He wore a drab brown cloak, over a doublet, and silk pants his weathered face clean-shaven.

His aura, at the peak of E grade, probed them, his gaze roving them up and down.

After a few seconds, he spoke, his voice soft, and warm, like a kindly grandpa.

"I am Rin, the owner of this establishment, as well as many others. How can I help you four this fine evening," The man asked.

Yukna stepped forwards, "We are looking for a loan, to start a business," Yukna said.

"I am aware. Though your reasons for infuriating the Tenku clan still baffle me. Don't you know that you will make them an enemy if you continue down this course?" Rin asked calmly.

"We can take care of ourselves, all we need is enough money to get started," Yukna replied, ignoring his question.

The older man smiled. "I may be amenable to giving you the ether crystals you want, for a fee of course," Rin said.

"What fee?" Yukna asked.

"Well, you see. This blockade that the undead and the church are imposing is scaring the nobles on the core worlds. Many have tried to flee, getting captured and converted or killed." He grinned." My smuggler ships on the other hand are sneaky enough to get passed," Rin said.

Zee glanced between the others who looked equally confused as herself.

"And, you want us to what, help escort ships through the blockade?" Yukna asked, sounding as dumbfounded as Zee felt.

Rin smiled. "My ships may be the best out there for smuggling, but we still need good guards. The nobles we will be escorted for an exorbitant fee are demanding higher security, which I am working to supply," Rin explained.

"Soo, if we do one of these escort missions you will give us the loan to open our own shop?" Yukna asked.

Rin crossed his leg, his lips turning up into a half smile. "I will give the loan. Plus I will give you each fifty ether crystals," Rin said.

"That much! That's insane," Yukna said.

Rin shrugged. "What can I say, the nobility are desperate to get through the blockade," Rin said.

"But why would you offer us so much?" Bastion asked, suspiciously.

Rin grinned, "Because, if you don't make it back, It's a small loss. If you succeed, I get a big payday. It's in my best interest to properly motivate you," Rin said.

"Can we think about it?" Yukna asked.

Rin shrugged. "You have three hours before the next ship leaves. If you are not on it, we do not have a deal." Rin said.