Chapter 3, undercover 2.

(Reskeme)

The door slammed closed, letting the stinging heat of the hearth wash over a short, wiry young man. Taking a deep sigh of relief, the young man straightened his shoulder length silky black hair blowing on his cupped hands.

" Can you stock the fire, Adam? It's getting chilly in here." Asked an elderly woman holding a tray of drinks, standing next to a table of patrons.

" Of course, Maybell, do you need any help in the back?" asked Adam, hanging his cloak on the coat rack.

" I won't hear that tonight my dear, today is your day off." said Maybell, placing mugs on the table with a deft grace that belied her years.

" Come sit down and relax with me young lad." said a middle-aged man relaxing in front of the hearth.

Adam strode over towards the hearth and put several logs smelling of pitch onto the fire. Smoke billowed up the chimney, and the fire crackled merrily..

" Can't right now Jack, I have some stuff I want to do for my day off." said Adam.

" Is Maybell not giving you enough time off? A strong young man like you would do fine at my shop. Ill give you two days a week off," said Jack, winking slyly at Maybell, who was making her rounds passing out mugs of steaming mead.

" Dont go poaching my workers, jack." said Maybell, cracking a friendly scowl. Adam smirked at jack but he had no intention of changing his living arrangement. Maybell allowed him to stay in a room at the back of the inn for working and he rather enjoyed the customers that visited regularly. Adam strode past the customers, nodding at many familiar faces as he headed for his room at the back. He used his key to open the solid wooden door and stepped inside. Once the door was secured behind him with a click, he examined the scattered papers covering the bed.

He let out a sigh, allowing his illusions to fall. His red skin and white hair were a stark contrast to his illusionary appearance. Every time he saw it, Reskeme had trouble grasping the change. As for the papers on the bed and floor, they were his plans for structural advancement. Reskeme pushed the plans aside, ignoring his horrible first attempts and picking up one of the most recent papers.

The drawing was a poor rendition of a skeleton with several points marked out on the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, chest, neck and brain. The most important fact that needed to be kept in mind was that Reskeme's body needed to be strengthened before he could create his monster's heart. Reskeme took in a deep breath. The scariest part was the fact that when he started strengthening his joints and mana veins, he couldn't stop until he was finished with all of them.

Reskeme let out a long breath. He removed his amulets from around his neck. He pulled off his clothes, revealing his red chest marred by black freckles. Reskeme smiled at his reflection in the mirror, his frame bare aside from the gold and silver timepiece on his wrist. He found his appearance rather odd, but was thinking he might be handsome. Reskeme smiled. That was right, he was handsome. If anyone didn't like his skin colours, they could go screw themselves.

Reskeme crossed his legs and examined the paper one last time. His right hand shook, the time piece chiming lightly on his wrist. He didn't know why but Reskeme heeded Trishas words. She had said he should never remove it and so he was taking her words seriously. Reskeme didn't let the warnings about filthy gunk deter him. He channel mana, but instead of allowing it to follow easily through the small channels snaking throughout his body, Reskeme pulled in nearly double the normal amount.

Like widening a trench, his mana entered his right leg and with stinging pain that rocked Reskemes body, the mana forced his mana channels wider. Reskeme gasped as the agony washed up his leg and through his chest. The channels in his leg warped and widened as Reskeme pulled more and more mana in. He followed the channel slowly, keeping his eyes closed, feeling for the mana and slowly but forcefully pulled the stream of mana along his channels.

Reskeme's right knee exploded in pain and he cried out. The pain rose as every second more pin pricks of agony raced up his body. The mana reached his waist and Reskemes' focus nearly faltered when the mana flowed down his other leg. His eyes welled with tears as the mana channels widened. A stench like a foul gutter filled the air as both his right and it covered left leg were covered in viscous sweat that ran down his body like oil. Reskeme shuddered as gunk like tar collected on his skin. He gagged as he pulled the mana along the channels to his stomach. Reskeme would have been lost, but because he had channeled mana so much, he had created pathways, allowing him a path to pull the mana along.

Reskeme had an Epiphany then. That was why he needed to wait so long before attempting this. So his mana channels could grow slowly on their own. His hands froze as the thread of mana reached his left arm. With focus and a force of will, he pushed the line of mana along his right shoulder and then down to the fingers on his right arm. Each time when he passed one joint, Reskeme's body would spasm. His focus falters as his will came into contact with another's will. Anger welled in his chest as he sensed the invader. Reskeme in a world of pain threw all of his will at this entity.

His body vibrated in excitement as something invigorating suffused Reskemes body. Reskeme paused, the power filling him, swirling and settling into channels of its own. He could sense the will of this intruder as it screamed. It was not a vocal sound, but a noise that resonated with Reskeme's very soul. Licking his lips and his body thrumming with excitement, Reskeme threw his will at the intruder, again and again, each time pulling a piece of this foreign substance off and absorbing it. Reskeme shudder in delight as his body absorbed this foreign power instinctually. The power he was pulling away filled Reskeme's body, flowing along channels Reskeme had never noticed were even there.

The foreign presence burst as with renewed energy, Reskeme broke through and widen the channels in his fingers. His mind in a haze, he probed the time piece, searching for more of that delicious sustenance. It brought Reskeme back to reality as a shudder of pain that made him fall on his side shot through his body.

Gasping for breath, Reskeme refocused on staying alive and pulled his mana like guiding a snake up his neck. Taking ragged breaths, the mana reached his skull and with a burst of agony, Reskemes' world went black.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Reskeme blinked blearily from the floor, his ears ringing. He took in a deep breath and gagged. The horrible stench wafting off him entered his nose like the worst smelling gutter he had ever stepped in. Reskeme glanced down at his bare chest, shuddering at the gunk covering his body.

" Adam, are you alright? What is that awful smell?" asked an elderly woman in a concerned voice.

" I'm fine Maybell, can you stop that loud Knocking?" asked Reskeme massaging his temples. The gunk covering his temples was slick and Reskeme's fingers slid grossly.

" You better not be lighting stuff on fire again?" said Maybell.

" No, that was just that one time." said Reskeme, his head throbbing as he smirked at the memory. He then took in another breath through his nose and gagged.

"You are going to need to do something about that awful smell." said Maybell, her voice nasal.

" Can you bring me a washbasin and some towels that you don't mind me burning? This stuff is all over me." said Reskeme.

" What in the hells did you do?" asked Maybell.

" I did some mage stuff and now I'm covered in gunk." said Reskeme, not wanting to move from his laying position. Luckily for Reskeme, he wasn't near any of his bedsheets and so nothing other than a patch of the floorboard and the air was affected.. Several long minutes passed where Reskeme became more aware of the fact that he was stuck in a corner of his room and didn't want to touch anything. He heard soft footfalls through the door.

" Can you just leave that out there? I will come get it." said Reskeme.

"Adam, are you sure?" asked Maybell.

" Yess, I don't want anyone to smell me in person. Trust me, it smells worse than that pie jack made." said Reskeme.

He waited until the footsteps faded before putting on an illusion and snatching the steaming bowl of water and the various threadbare washcloths. Reskeme returned to the dirty corner of his room and began the arduous task of washing himself from head to toe. He didn't know how long he spent like that, but the soap filled washing basin looked like a sewage pond after and Reskeme finally felt clean. The foul smell was still in the air, but after scrubbing the floor, Reskeme decided he needed to empty the basin. Now clean, he redid his illusions and dumped the foul wash water into the gutter. He could swear a passing flock of insects fell over dead after one smell of the foul substance from the bowl. Feeling much better now that he was clean Reskeme went to help Maybell for the day.

Now back in his disguise and dressed in a cotton shirt and pants, Reskeme helped Maybell with the day's work by cleaning the inn and catering to the customers. After an hour of this, Reskeme was wondering why it was morning and not evening. Had he really been laying on the floor all night, that could explain why his side was aching.

" Is it morning? "Asked Adam, confused.

" Of course Adam. Have you been inhaling too much of that foul smelling stuff? I noticed several dead rats in the back alley. Whatever it was, its toxic." asked Maybell, shuddering.

" Hey I cleaned up, and I even used that soap you left." said Adam.

" Well, you still owe me some coins for destroying my towels. And maybe you should clean the floorboards again. "said Maybell.

" It's not my fault I was nocked out." said Adam scrubbing a pile of soapy dishes in the sink.

" Yes, it is, you freaking idiot. Even I know enough to tell you doing magic without supervision is dangerous." said Maybell. Adam lowered his head in shame as Maybell stare him down. He focused on the dishes in the sink to hide the fact that her words got to him.

" I'm sorry, next time I will do it where someone can watch me." said Adam. After nearly a minute of Maybell glaring at Adam furiously, her expression softened..

" Did you succeed?" asked Maybell, her tone less steely. Adam grinned hesitantly and brushed aside his silky black hair from his face.

" Yes. But it wasn't pleasant. Next time ill let you know beforehand." said Adam.

" You need a mage to be watching you, not me. I know it's dangerous, but that doesn't mean I know anything about magic." said Maybell gesturing emphatically with her bony pointer finger. Adam swallowed. He couldn't do what she asked for obvious reasons. Exposing himself to complete strangers while he was at his most vulnerable was not possible. He paused. He had a friend. Michael was someone he could trust, right?

Adam nodded his head in agreement to Maybell.

" Well, now that I have scolded you, tell me what you did to yourself. That way I can tell the city guard what happened if you suddenly die." said Maybell.

Adam hesitantly channeled mana. His body screamed in pain, but Adam grinned like an idiot. Before, when he had channeled mana, it felt like drawing water through a drainpipe. Now with his mana channels widened Adam's body positively vibrated as his widened channels held nearly fifty percent more mana.

" Well, before it felt like I could channel a bowl full of mana. But now it feels like I can channel a bucket full." said Adam, sensing the flow through his veins. Adam's body felt ragged, still healing from the trauma of widening his veins. He stretched his body, his body felt stronger and faster as though the process had cleaned his body of unnecessary gunk to allow more mana to flow through and his body to operate more efficiently. His new senses probed his body, fascinated with the depth of feeling he was getting from his body.

Adam cocked his head as something odd that he had never sensed before was unveiled. He could sense something else, a flow of power that flowed opposite of his mana. Adam stares past Maybell's shoulder, ignoring her questioning look. Adam probed his will along his widened channels, following the route through his body. Curiously, this other power was intertwined with his mana channels. Adam shudder. Whatever this power was, it wasn't like mana. Adam had the distinct impression this power was the diametric opposite of mana. Now that he was aware of the power, he had an instinctual feeling for the power like it had always been with him. He reached out with his will to see what happened..

" Hello Adam, are you still there?" asked Maybell, snapping her fingers in front of his face. Adam shook his head, returning to the present. His deep focus broken, pulling his senses away from his mana channels and that other power.

" Yes, sorry I got distracted." said Adam, wondering what that power was.

" What did you discover?" asked Maybell, cocking her head questioningly, like wise women tend to do.

" Something odd, I cannot decide what it is." replied Adam, hoping she didn't recognise the lie.

" Well, when you discover what it is, just make sure to be cautious. You never know what mysterious new types of magic can do." said Maybell, smiling like she knew more than she was revealing.

Adam cocked his head at Maybell, wondering just how much the old woman knew? She seemed like a Mundy, but Adam couldn't tell. Most mages went around flaunting their power, but other than her knowledge, Maybell seemed normal.

" So how many more days is there until classes start?" asked Maybell.

" I have two days before the first day of class. Before school starts I want to find my friend." said Adam.

" Well, I'm sure you will find him. If he is going to the academy with you, then it won't be long before you two meet up."said Maybell. Adam smiled and nodded his head. He was still overwhelmed with the new, more intimate sensations of his body, but the menial labor helped him grow accustomed to it. Adam smiled. If this was just the beginning, he couldn't wait until he had a monster's heart.