Chapter 3: Fading Light and Friendly Warnings
As Sav walked away from the Hunter Association's resource wing, a familiar fragility touched his senses. The Skeleton Mouse on his shoulder gave a distinct, almost weary crrk. He focused his mana, feeling the faint connection to his summon. The "code" holding its tiny bones together was still intact, but the energy animating it, the fuel, was definitely running low. Mana exhaustion. The constant, nagging drain of maintaining an undead summon was its most infamous drawback.
No time to waste. Even as he navigated the less crowded corridors leading out, Sav began to practice the Codex Minor. He unrolled the scroll mentally, picturing the diagrams, the pathways of energy. It was a series of specific breathing exercises, timed inhalations and exhalations, coupled with silent, internal chants – specific mental frequencies designed to resonate with ambient mana. As the raw energy was drawn into his body, he had to consciously weave it, guide it through invisible channels towards his Affinity Core, the innate wellspring of power everyone was born with, located somewhere deep in the chest. There, it would slowly mix, converting into the greyish, death-touched energy unique to his Undead Affinity.
It felt clumsy. The "code" in the Codex Minor was, as he'd suspected, rudimentary. Like trying to fill a waterskin with a leaky sieve. But it was a start.
Outside, the dusty, smoky air of City D greeted him. He headed for a nearby Loft Station. Lofts were simple, elevated wooden carriages pulled by sturdy, six-legged beasts called Grav-Hoppers, their movements surprisingly smooth despite their bulk. They were the city's main form of public transport for those who could spare a few coppers.
"West Quarter, near the herbalist markets," Sav told the driver, a woman with a leather cap pulled low over her eyes. He handed over the fare and settled onto a bench inside the carriage as it lurched into motion.
Closing his eyes, Sav focused again on the Codex, on the inflow and conversion of mana. The rhythmic jostling of the Loft, the distant shouts from the streets, faded into the background. As he delved deeper into the mental exercises, another fleeting image flickered through his mind, clearer this time: sleek, metallic structures, glowing screens filled with dense lines of symbols, young faces bent in intense concentration. Kids, like him, but in clean, ordered environments, their lives seemingly revolving around mastering complex systems. There was pressure there, yes, but not the constant, gnawing threat of a Fang-Rat tearing you apart if you took a wrong step outside the walls. Here, kids grew up fast because the Changed Lands didn't offer second chances. Death was a tangible neighbour.
The Loft shuddered to a halt. "Herbalist markets, West Quarter," the driver called.
Sav thanked her, carefully ensuring his Skeleton Mouse was still stable on his shoulder, and hopped down. He needed to let Sarah's mother know he'd officially registered. His E-Rank status, while laughably low, meant he could start taking on minor sanctioned tasks, contributing something, however small.
He'd barely taken a few steps towards the familiar lane leading to their home when a voice called out.
"Sav! Hey, Sav!"
He turned to see Emily, a girl from a neighbouring house, hurrying towards him. Her bright red hair was, as usual, escaping its braids, and her face was alight with a mixture of excitement and concern. She was one of the few people his age who didn't immediately wrinkle her nose at his affinity.
"Hey, Emily," Sav said, managing a small smile. His Skeleton Mouse gave a little rattle of acknowledgement, or perhaps just shifted as its mana dwindled further.
Emily's eyes, wide and green, flicked from the mouse to his new badge. "Whoa! You actually did it! You got an E-Rank! That's… that's great, Sav!" She leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice. "Listen, I just saw Jake and his crew – Mark was with them too – heading towards the East Gate. They were all puffed up, talking about going into the Green Fringe to hunt Skitter-Beetles or something."
Sav's smile faded slightly. Jake was another aspiring Hunter, a bit older, with a decent Fire Affinity that had already manifested a small, feisty Ember-Weasel. He was loud, arrogant, and seemed to consider Sav's very existence an affront. Mark, the Earth Affinity boy with the Rock Lizard, was his usual shadow.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Em," Sav said. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on tangling with them."
Emily bit her lip, then a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "You know," she said, nudging him with her elbow, "Jake was saying he's going to catch the biggest Skitter-Beetle the city's ever seen. Probably to try and impress someone." She fluttered her eyelashes dramatically.
Sav chuckled, despite himself. "Oh, really? And who could this mysterious 'someone' be, I wonder?" He knew perfectly well Emily had a massive, and rather obvious, crush on Jake. It was a running joke between them, mostly one-sided on his part.
Emily swatted his arm playfully, her cheeks flushing a little. "Oh, shut up, Sav! It's not like that! He's just… determined, you know? Anyway," she sobered up quickly, "just be careful if you do go out. They're not exactly your fan club."
"Noted," Sav said, his gaze drifting towards the East Gate, a distant archway against the skyline. "Thanks, Em. Seriously."
"Anytime, Bone-Picker," she said, the teasing nickname sounding affectionate rather than mocking coming from her. "Now, are you going to make that little guy dance or something? He looks like he's about to keel over." She eyed the Skeleton Mouse, which was indeed looking rather droopy.
Sav managed a wry grin. "He's conserving energy for his big debut. Or, you know, trying not to fall apart. See you later, Em."
"Later, Sav! And congrats again!"
As Emily hurried off, Sav let out a slow breath. His small victory at the Association already felt overshadowed by the looming reality of the world outside. But Emily's friendly warning, her simple acceptance, was a small comfort.
First things first. Replenish mana, stabilize his summon, and then… then he'd figure out how to rewrite the code for survival.