Andrew Rowe - On the Shoulders of Titans

I had too many questions.

I felt some sympathy for Derek. I was pretty sure he was trying to find out the same things, and using that sparring session to draw out details.

I didn’t respond to Patrick in a timely fashion, I was too lost in thought. Fortunately, I didn’t need to. Someone else shared his enthusiasm.

“I couldn’t believe it! Remember when Keras was like…” Marissa made a swipe at the air with an open palm.

“And then Derek was like…” Patrick brought his own hand toward Marissa’s, catching it.

I smiled at the reenactment, but I had other things on my mind.

Like food, for example. I’d eaten the couple things they’d handed me on the rooftop, but I was still starving.

I made my way down the stairs to the kitchen, barely aware of the conversation happening around me.

Eventually, Patrick wandered off to go play a game of Valor with Sera. Marissa stayed to get herself more food, but she picked a spot at the other side of the table rather than sitting next to me. She looked introspective, so I didn’t bother her.

I made it into the middle of breakfast before Derek arrived downstairs and sat down at the table across from me. “How’s your recovery coming along?

I’d barely been thinking about that. I still had a throbbing pain in my back from where I’d nearly been crushed by a giant spider, but the ring of regeneration was working to repair that damage. Most of my other injuries had healed.

I still had some half-healed cuts on my hand from when I’d detonated Jin’s phoenix sigil, nearly killing him. I tried not to think too much about that.

My worst symptoms were a killer headache and a perpetual burning sensation in the new attunement on my right hand. I still hadn’t figured out what it was. “I’m intact. Better than I could be, considering what we just went through.”

Derek nodded in understanding. “I should mention that I appreciate your help in freeing me from that ring.” He shuddered. “I don’t like to think about what I’d be doing if you hadn’t.”

“You’re welcome. I know it wasn’t you that was attacking us back there. And thanks for letting us stay at your house.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “It’s just practical at this point. I usually house my climber team here before and after we head into the tower. Since we just went in the tower together, I consider you a part of my team.”

I took the compliment for what it was and smiled. “Appreciated. Hope we won’t have to go back in there any time soon, though.”

He shifted to a more serious expression. “Agreed. You should sit this out for a while, at least until you recover. I can take care of things from here.”

I set my food down. “That’s not quite what I meant. If you’re going back in there, I should be going with you. I’m too deep in this to back out now.”

“The only reason I agreed to bring a Quartz into the tower in the first place was because Katashi had specifically marked you, Corin. Even then, it was a terrible idea, and I shouldn’t have let Orden convince me. I know you still want to help, but you can do that without putting yourself in more danger.”

“I think we just established that you would still be under Orden’s control if not for my help.”

Derek sighed. “With the way things happened in there, yeah. But if I’d had my way, I would have brought a team of Citrines and Emeralds to escort Vera. Orden wouldn’t have been able to seize control of all of us at once, and some of them might have even been able to break me out faster if I’d been wearing the ring.”

He paused, putting his palm to his forehead. “I don’t like to admit this, but Orden played all of us. That group was composed of people that Orden thought she could handle. She obviously underestimated you and Sera. I don’t think anyone could have predicted Sera would demonstrate that kind of power as a first-year student. But Sera isn’t in fighting shape now and you’re still a Quartz.”

I raised my right hand, then flicked on my attunement for just an instant to confirm a suspicion. “Actually, I’m not.”

Derek blinked. He obviously couldn’t see the crimson aura that I’d just seen around my own body for the first time, but he put the implication together. “Your new attunement is stronger, I take it?”

“Carnelian. I still don’t know exactly what it does, but I’ve used my right hand for dueling so much that I must have already had enough mana for my second attunement to be Carnelian as soon as I got it.”

He folded his hands back together, giving me a thoughtful look. “That’s unusual. Your right hand was stronger than your actual attuned location? I’m not sure I’ve seen that before.”

He shook his head, as if to dismiss that line of thought. “Anyway, congratulations. It’s a significant milestone to reach Carnelian, especially as a first-year student. And having two attunements is admittedly useful. But you still shouldn’t be coming with me into the tower until you’re vastly stronger.”

I shrugged at that. From a logical standpoint, I didn’t really disagree with him. Even if I’d managed to help in the tower before, that didn’t mean he could rely on me to be similarly useful in the future, and he was right that a Citrine or Emerald ally would probably contribute more to his success in a climb.

Presuming there were a sufficient number of people he could trust, that is.

I changed the subject just a bit. “I’m not sure the next thing we need to look into is even in the tower. Assuming you’re still trying to track down Orden’s operation, our best lead is Elora Theas.”

Derek winced when I said the name. Derek and Elora had been romantically involved, and they’d had a falling out after he discovered what she was up to.

So, I wasn’t surprised that Derek looked decidedly unhappy when he replied. “You’re not wrong. There were other members of the group that went with her and Vera, but I believe they’re either still in the tower or in hiding elsewhere. Perhaps working on the artificial attunements that Orden described.”

“Do you know why Elora isn’t with them?”

He glanced away from me. “Yeah. She came to me for help. She knew they’d gotten into danger after they kidnapped Tenjin and they needed more allies. She… expected me to agree to help her. I threw her out of my house.”

Awkward.

I’d done worse to Jin in a similar situation, though, so I could sympathize. “You did the right thing. Do you think she’s still trying to gather more support?”

Derek nodded. “Definitely. She’s charismatic, and House Theas has powerful friends everywhere — even outside of this continent, if rumors are to be believed. I suspect she’s been gathering people and sending them to wherever Orden had been holding the kidnapped visage.”

“And you don’t have any idea where that place is?”

He shook his head. “I’ve tried following her directly, but I don’t think she’s actually been going to that location. I think she’s just giving information to people, then they’re probably meeting with other intermediaries to learn the rendezvous point. In truth, you were one of the people I was watching. I suspected that even if you weren’t directly involved, you might know something.”

I sighed, taking a drink of water before replying. “You might have been close to the mark, in truth.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are you saying you were involved?”

I shook my head. “Not directly or intentionally. But,” I tensed, then steeled myself to continue, “Katashi mentioned that my brother was involved.”