Chapter 26: The Hat Trick

„Focus," Ishtar instructs, looming over him like a hawk. „You're being too harsh; Just let your mana guide you. It isn't like fire. There is no need for sudden release. Let it come naturally." She's trying to teach him water magic. Good luck with that one, girl. Jonah might be an ace when it comes to scheming and plotting, but he's actually pretty terrible at controlling his mana. I mean, sure, he's got a larger amount than, well, almost everyone, and he did come by it pretty suddenly, but I still wouldn't call him a genius by any means. Fire he could master because he's got plenty o fit inside – plenty of the explosive anger needed for it. Water, though? The guy's about as relaxed as a mother of ten. He's not gonna get this down any time soon.

„Spying again?" Aisha asks, stepping out of the shadows as I turn my head toward her. „You should really ditch the habit."

I shrug, offering her a friendly smile. My usual response. „Can't help it. Not much to do around here."

„You could always train, too."

„Nah, there's no point." My abilities with magic are sub-par at best. I can control my mana easily enough, but none of the elements are coming to me. That's because I'm one of the uniques; My magic takes the shape of something special, rather than conforming to the standard attributes. Yukiji's on the same carpet. However, her invisibility at least gives her something to work with. My magic? Well, it can be replaced with just about any regular bow and arrow. Infinite ammo is great, don't get me wrong, but what can I really do against a strong opponent? If I fought Risk, he'd take my head off before I even summoned an arrow. Raksha? I'd never even land a shot, given his mobility. No, combat is not my forte. I'm best left as the sniper, waiting to interfere with an already ongoing battle.

„Still looking down on yourself?" the girl asks me, and I notice the satchel hanging from her shoulder.

„You're going already?"

She glances at it, then looks up at the pale moon. „Yeah. There's not much more they can do for me. Time to do my part."

„Pluto is dangerous," I warn. „Their king isn't really the biggest fan of magic. Sure you wanna go?"

Dropping the seriousness, Aisha gives me a smirk. „Is that concern I detect, Obi? Who'd've thought you were capable of it."

Bringing my hand to my heart, I puff my chest out, procaliming to the heavens, „Oh, I'm a man of many layers, m'lady. You've only discovered but a few." Now, let's just hope that was enough of a diversion for-

„You're not changing the topic, Obi." Bonkers. „All types of magic can be improved. Yours is no different. You're limiting yourself before you even try."

Now, those are words I've heard before. „Isn't that what Jonah told you? Taking a cue from our dear leader?"

Suddenly, she puffs out her chest far more than I just did, taking great offense. „Who said Jonah was the leader?"

„Well, Yukiji and Snow would die for him, and he brought Raksha and I into this. If you don't like that word, then call him the center."

„Yes, I like that one much better."

„Looking to take the crown, then?" I inquire, and she smirks once more.

„You better know it. I can only enjoy a view from the top."

„Is that why you volunteered for Pluto, of all places?"

As is my talent, I bring her mood down yet again. „It's the hardest of the kingdoms we have to visit. Out of all of us, I'd say Jonah and I could handle it." She then walks up to me, and peeks through the bushes to get a good look at everyone's favorite half-fairy. „He's got a long way to go, and he's just a kid. I'd be to embarrassed to live with myself if I left the task to him."

I, on the other hand, had no issue leaving him to die. Back in the Labyrinth, I fled as soon as Arrow allowed me to. I didn't give a damn if anyone but me died. Freedom was what I wanted, and I was willing to break any rule to get it. Medea was the one holding my leash, and sos he was the one forcing me to do things. That was what I'd tell myself. The choices were not my own, as I was just a tool, not a real person.

But now? Now I'm free. Medea is gone, as is most of Valhalla. After Polaris fell and the Apostles were slaughtered, it didn't take long for the Demon King – and I shudder just mentioning him to you like this – to conquer the rest. Most people, he slaughtered, decimating the kingdom's population. Those who remain are regularly hunted to be used as food. In a world like that, no one cares if one little tool breaks free from its owner. Everything should be great, right? Daisies should be sprouting all around me, right?

Wrong.

While it's true I have my freedom now, it's also a fact that I can't put the weight of my actions on Medea's shoulders anymore. Hat doesn't exist anymore. Obi is the one who left Jonah to die, and so it's on Obi to make it right. I know Jonah kind-of forgave me, but I'm pretty sure he just did that so he wouldn't lose an ally. I'm not actually someone he considers a friend, unlike all the others here. I'll have to earn that, and I'll do that my getting him to really forgive me.

„Try as I might, I can never seem to read your mind," Aisha says, breaking the silence. I glance at Jonah once more, only to see him snapping back at Ishtar yet again, earning his head a new bump. The woman hits hard. I should know.

„Trust me," I tell her, bringing a finger to my temple, „you don't wanna see what's in here. It's not fun."

Sighing yet again, she walks into the clearing. „I'll see you when I return, Obi. I'd ask you to be the adult of the group, but I fear that would be asking for trouble."

„Good call," I confirm. „You going to say goodbye?"

„Yeah. I better just get through with it, or it's only gonna be harder."

„Oh? Could it be? Is the same woman who openly proclaimed to be too busy for companionship showing her tender side?" Gasping dramatically, I take a step back. „Don't tell me! He's your friend!?"

She smacks my arm gently, but is definitely at least a little entertained. „I turned down your companionship, not your friendship. There's a difference. And yeah, I guess you could say he's a friend."

We both then realize that we were noticed, and Jonah waves us over. „I'm gonna pass," I tell her, then focus some of my mana into my legs, and jump up into the trees. Goodbyes are one of my many weak points, so I might as well just leave it to them.

So, Aisha's going off to her assigned kingdom already. This leaves Jonah, Marcus and I to handle Jotunheim and Alfheim. They're all relatively new, and certainly nowhere as old as Valhalla, but they've managed to grow quite a bit. Couldn't tell you much about them if I tried. Jotunheim is all the way in the north, nowhere near the oh-so-loosely defined borders of Valhalla, a whole chain of mountains separating the two kingdoms. Alfheim, on the other hand, is an island nation. Allegedly, it doesn't even have a ruler. I wonder how that one works. Might be my place to choose. I don't do so well when talking to kings. Took me all of one conversation with Luck to get banned from the throne room or his chambers.

"You're sneaking around again," Yukiji suddenly starts, surprising me enough to lose my footing. I just barely manage to flip around and land on my feet. "That's fourteen-six. My lead."

"I'll have you know, I was having an emotional crisis," I reply, desperately trying to pout my way out of the loss. "That one doesn't count." Alas, it's not likely to work. Only Jonah's allowed to see the soft side of this particular cat.

"It counts. Fourteen-six." Bingo. "What emotional crisis?" Crap.

I look up at her, and realize that she's not wearing that kimono of hers anymore. "A fashion statement, or have you finally realized how ugly that thing was?"

She gives me the glare of a murderous pit viper, and I notice a pair of birds fly away from her. Not sure if they're able to sense her mana or not, but I'm sure as hell not. "It got dirty."

"You know you've got magic users all around you, right? One of them could've cleaned and dried it instantly."

She looks away, then shyly tugs on the white dress she's wearing. It loosely falls around her body, and isn't something every single djinn likes to wear. Wait. Is she... Is she dressing up for someone?

"Who's the lucky djinn?" I ask, grinning as widely as possible. Her stoic façade vanishes instantly, and her face turns tomato-red as she tries to come up with an excuse.

"I-I-no-what."

I feign a gasp. "Don't tell me it's Jonah!"

"No!"

"So Raksha, then? He's a bit old for you. How scandalous!"

"It's not him, either!"

The smirk I give her brings with it realization of what she just said, and she puts her hand over her mouth. "Please don't tell."

"Please don't ask about my emotional crisis."

"Done." Turning invisible, she vanishes from sight. Well, that was easier than expected. I'll still have to get her back for that scare. She's gotten herself quite the lead in our little game, and it's time I earn back some points. Not right now, though. It takes a lot of prep time to one-up her. Instead, I mosey on to the village. It's probably not that safe to be in the Wyrwood this late. The bigger bugs like to leave the ground when it's darkest.

When I enter the village, I see Raksha there, dancing around a fire with several other djinn. You'd never believe him to be capable of that. If someone told me I'd be looking at this half a year ago, I'd've lost my life's savings betting against that person. I guess it's the feeling of being back home. In Polaris, he was always on edge, and kept looking over his shoulder, as if any single individual in the crowd could attack him at any moment. I don't disagree. This place is better. When you spend your life performing solitary missions, you kind of adapt to the solitude. Wyrwood Village is far easier to relax in than a crowded city.

Even so, the change in Raksha is extraordinary. For quite a while, I used to think djinn weren't capable of smiling. He'd wear that dorky grin whenever Jonah got close to him, sure, but he never gave a genuine smile.

Looking down at the barrel next to me, I see reflection inside the water it contains. I'm smiling. Why am I smiling? Oh, right. The need to get close to people made me a master of acting the fool. Sometimes, I even fool myself into thinking I'm a nice guy. As soon as I drop the grin, the killer is free to be seen by all. Never would have thought I'd turn into this. I'm not always sure which face is the real me, but a simple look into my past is enough to remind me. I'm a killer. I've been killing since I was four. It started with a man who tried to kidnap my brother and I. I smashed a nail-covered board into the side of his head, and he dropped. I can still remember the prolonged twitching that ensued. The next was my brother, whom I killed to put him out of his misery. The man who'd tried to take us had been a poison user, and so my brother's fate had already been sealed. When I took the man's belongings, I realized it was a feasibly way to survive. I had no parents or friends, and so I risked no one but myself. I started out small, robbing food stands or clothing bazaars. Within two years, I started planning larger operations, intercepting caravans as they neared the capital. Word got out, and a squad of magic knights was sent to capture me. Medea had a habit of collecting spies, and so she took me in instead of imprisoning me. The days after that were all the same. I learned magic, and became a professional killer, despite being in the spy division.

"Do you still think about it?" I hear someone say, and urgently turn around, facing the nothingness of the night. Weird. I guess I'm more tired than I thought.

"Hey, Obi!" I hear Ayana, one of the djinn, call to me. "Come dance with us!" She's with Raksha's group, making complete fools of themselves, and not caring one bit. Must be nice. Though they claim to be trapped here in the forest, the djinn have no idea what a real prison is.

My hand involuntarily comes up to my neck.

It's something you can never get away from.

"I'll pass!" I yell back to her, and she shrugs, then continues moving with the rest of them. Instead of just watching them like a creep, I head back to my tent.

However, as soon as I reach it, I hear a moan coming from inside, forcing me back. Damn it, Marcus. I told you to warn me ahead of time. Where the hell am I supposed to sleep now?

He wasn't my first choice for a roommate, but Jonah said, and I quote, "I don't want to be near your fish-like feet. Go find a another tent, or I will put a pillow over your face while you're asleep, then sit on it until the insufferable snoring stops." I tried Aisha after that, but she assumed I had something else in mind, then set my trousers on fire. Snow wound up going with Jonah, to everyone's utter shock, and the two girls paired together. That left me with Marcus, since the idiot twins are joined at the hip, and being apart would inconvenience them because of it. Have I regretted staying with him ever since we came here? Yes. Have I thought about ending it all on multiple occasions? Also yes. However, has it ultimately brought us closer together?

No. He sucks. I hate him so much.

Groaning loudly enough for the two lovebirds inside to hear, I walk away in search of something to do until it's safe to enter. Snow's probably asleep, so I can't go pick on him. I don't much care for the twins, given my previous experiences with the Apostles, so they're out.

Sensing a familiar presence behind me, I grin at him right away. "Already done?"

"Spent all my mana," Jonah answers, breathing heavily. Dust and bruises cover his face and arms, and there are massive bags under his eyes.

"How?" I ask. "You still had more than I ever will when I left."

"Bug attack." I snicker, and he attempts to raise his hand to hit me, but it just falls back to his side. "Too tired. Can't counterattack."

"You need to bathe," I tell him, and he immediately glances at my boots. "Not one word about my feet, Jonah."

"You know me so well." He manages a brief smile, which is a rarity these days. Ever since Polaris went bye-bye, he's been in a constant mood. It's like he thinks it's his job to beat the demon army or something. Just mentioning them brings him close to a manic frenzy. It's not pretty.

And it's not the worst part. I haven't told any of the others about this, but I'm pretty sure his memory got worse again. I mentioned the name Kieran to him during a conversation about what happened before Polaris vanished, but he didn't seem to recognize it. If his mind is so damaged that he forgot his own family, I worry about whether or not it will ever repair.

"I think I'm gonna go take that bath now," he says, turning around to walk toward the hot springs.

"Mind if I join you?" I ask, and he immediately starts perking his ass out. Oh, brother.

"Sorry, but you'll have to buy me dinner first." He acts like he's just messing around, but he's been flirting with just about everything in this village for a few days no. Raksha hasn't really been paying much attention to him, preferring to be with the other djinn. This meant Jonah focused almost entirely on training. One night, I caught him punching a tree until he'd scrape the skin off of his knuckles. He would then heal it, then continue punching, trying to learn how to enhance his strength. I had to put Poppy Petal juice in the milk I gave him to get him to sleep. Whatever kind of hero complex he has, I'm betting it has something to do with Snow and Yukiji. He's become so protective of them, it's almost like they've known each other their entire lives. Part of me can't help but think his feelings about Kieran didn't go away with the memories of him, and so he simply redirected them toward his two adopted kids.

"Come on," I tell him, catching up to him. "I need something to do, anyway."

"Tent busy again?" he asks, raising a brow. I just roll my eyes, and he laughs lightly. "You know he only does it 'cause none of you talk to him, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when was the last time you had a conversation with Marcus?"

"Just earlier today."

"That didn't consist of telling him to get the hell out."

"Three weeks ago." I sigh for the umpteenth time this evening, looking up at the starry sky. They've been getting less and less visibly as the Dark Mist washes over the skies. Most likely, it's something the Demon King brought with him, or it could have been one of the other demons who've no doubt been freed by now. We don't really know what it does, as it seems to avoid Wyrwood in general, but it's not a pretty sight. The fact that birds refuse to fly near it is proof enough of it being bad.

"Marcus is lonely," Jonah says. "He uses any excuse he has to come and talk to me. Aisha keeps brushing him off, and the twins are too busy to waste time entertaining someone."

"He can always talk to the djinn."

"He's shy."

I laugh out loud upon hearing that. "Yeah, all the shy guys get "pussy for days." How silly of me not to realize that!"

"Don't be an ass," he tells me, nudging me with his elbow. He can barely stand upright. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

"So, when're you gonna be heading to your kingdom?"

"Soon," he replies. "I've just about learned all I can about fire, wind and earth. Water and ice are a bit difficult, but I should get them down in a few days. You'll be going with me, of course."

"What?" I ask, blinking wildly. "Why me? Wouldn't the kids be a better choice?"

Jonah snorts as we reach the hot springs, and immediately starts taking his clothes off. I barely look away in time, and he quickly jumps inside. "Yukiji and Snow are staying right here, where it's safe. Dex and Patrick can take Marcus with them. I need a physical fighter."

"You're stronger than I am," I tell him, taking my shirt off. "Your enchantments are no joke."

"They're still only Basic Enchants. I still need someone else with me to utilize them to their full extent." He takes a breath, then dives down, scrubbing his body all over. I take off the rest of my clothes, then get in. Thankfully, the naturally-occurring bubbles cover everything of importance.

"What other enchants are there?" I ask, and he holds his hand up. A small flicker of light appears at his fingertips, then looms there, attracting a few moths from the trees around us.

"High Enchants affect nature instead of individuals or weapons," Jonah explains. "I didn't use light magic just now; I simply amplified the light that was already there. It takes a lot less mana than elemental magic, making it a lot more useful. Those who master it can even create fire from nothing by enchanting the heat and light around them. The result would be an equivalent of fire magic, but it would be far less mana-consuming."

"Which is such a problem for an all-powerful fairy," I point out, and he splashes some of the water at me. "What? It's the truth. Mana control is where you're lacking, not quantity. You're just about tied for first place when it comes to that."

"If you don't count..." he starts, then looks away.

"Yeah." It's a sore topic, as none of us are eager to recall the suffocating power of the Demon King. Whoever the hell Nyarlathotep is, his power is greater than all of the Apostles combined. It's nothing short of ridiculous. "I'll do it, by the way."

Jonah looks at me, cocking his head a bit. I wonder if he knows he looks like a dog sometimes... "I'll go with you. Ready to leave when you are, boss."

Smiling softly, he nods, then leans back on the rocks behind him and starts closing his eyes. "Thanks, Obi."

"You're not gonna fall asleep, are you?" I ask.

"Of course not, Obi." Those were his last words before falling asleep. Shaking my head, I pull him out of the water, then, with all the care necessary to avoid touching anything, I get him dressed, and carry him to his tent. It's a good enough excuse for me to stay there as well, so that's exactly what I do.

In the morning, Isthar rushes into our tent, screaming.