Resonance of the Scavenger

Extraction

The Capital was a beautiful place but in a harsh way.

After being in the depressing Scavenger Town and the overwhelming Wilds, the brightness of the Capital felt almost mean. The white marble streets were so shiny that they reflected the suns light in a way that was hard to look at. There were these lamps floating above like they were tiny stars that were trapped. Even the animals that pulled carriages looked special. Their scales caught the light in a way that was not normal.

Everything in the Capital looked perfect.

Everything felt clean.

Kaelen did not.

He kept his head down. Walked through the Lower District, where the big fancy buildings started to look more like regular houses and apartments. His left arm hurt a lot. It felt cold and achy.

When he looked at his arm he felt sick to his stomach.

There were lines spreading from a cut on his arm like dark veins. They pulsed a little like they were connected to his heartbeat.

The Core, this thing inside him said, "The bad stuff is spreading. Your arm might not work in six hours.. Your heart could be in trouble in twelve hours."

Kaelen swallowed hard.

"I need to see a doctor " he said.

The Core said, "The regular doctors will report this to the authorities."

Kaelen said, "Then I need to find a kind of doctor."

The Core said, "You need someone who knows how to deal with this kind of bad stuff. It needs a kind of treatment."

Kaelen said, "That means you need to be activated.. We are in a city with a lot of scanners that can detect you."

The Core said, "If we are careful we might be able to avoid being detected. We need to find a enclosed space."

Kaelen looked around the street.

This part of the district had a lot of people who were not rich. There were signs on the buildings that said they had rooms for rent. The buildings looked like they were leaning in like they were sharing secrets.

Kaelen stopped in front of a looking inn. The sign said "The Broken Compass".

It looked like a place that would not ask a lot of questions.

Inside, the air smelled like food and old wood. There was a lamp burning behind the counter, where an old man was polishing a glass.

The old man looked at Kaelens clothes and boots. He seemed to notice that Kaelen was very thin.

"Do you have a room?" Kaelen asked.

The old man said, "How long do you want to stay?"

Kaelen said, "Three nights."

He put some coins on the counter. Copper, but one silver coin, which was all he had left.

The old man counted the coins slowly.

"The room is on the floor at the end of the hall. Do not do any magic that can hurt things."

Kaelen nodded.

The old man said, "And if you get blood on the bed you will have to pay extra."

Kaelen nodded again. He went up the stairs.

The room was small. A bed, a basin and a small window that looked out over an alley.. It had a door and the door had a lock.

Kaelen locked the door.

Then he sat down on the bed. Rolled up his sleeve.

The black lines had spread up to his elbow.

His skin felt not numb just cold.

Kaelen said, "Do it."

The Core said, "Get ready."

Kaelen bit down on a piece of leather from his belt.

The Core did not start slowly.

It felt like an explosion down his arm.

Not warm not comfortable.

It was like a cut.

Kaelens back. He made a sound but it was muffled by the leather. There was a light under his skin like lightning trapped in his veins.

The black lines. Twisted.

Kaelen could feel it. The bad stuff was fighting back trying to spread

The Core said, "Focus. Make the energy go towards the cut. Do not let it spread."

Kaelen forced himself to focus on the pain. He imagined the energy as a knife cutting away the stuff.

Then there was a smell. Like something was burning.

Kaelens arm was smoking a little.

The black lines shrunk, dried up and turned to ash.

With a hiss the bad stuff disappeared and grey flakes fell on the bed.

The heat was gone.

Kaelen fell back gasping for breath.

His arm was red and sore. It did not feel cold anymore.

The Core said, "It is fixed. The energy was contained. It will not be detected from away."

Kaelen asked, "How away?"

The Core said, " one hundred meters if the detectors are very sensitive."

Kaelen lay still listening.

He could hear footsteps in the hallway, a door closing and people laughing in the street.

No one was knocking on his door.

No one felt anything or no one cared.

Kaelen got up. Wrapped his arm in a clean piece of cloth. The skin was sore. It was alive.

Being alive was enough.

Kaelen said, "Tell me about the test I have to take tomorrow."

The Core said, "The Academy will look at three things: how much you can do how much you can control and how you can use it to fight."

Kaelen said, "I know I can do a lot because of you."

The Core said, "You are like a path for me.. You do not have a lot of control."

Kaelen asked, ". Fighting?"

The Core said, "You can survive.. That is not the same as being trained."

Kaelen took a breath.

"So I should not try to be too strong " he said.

The Core said, "That is correct."

Kaelen walked to the window. Looked out.

He could see the Academys towers rising above the rooftops like spears. There were lights on in the windows and people were moving around.

Somewhere in there rich kids and prodigies were getting ready.

Kaelen put his hand on the glass.

"I do not belong here " he said.

The Core said, "That is correct."

Kaelen said, "You are not good at making me feel better."

The Core said, "I was not made for that."

There was silence for a moment.

Then Kaelen asked, "Why did you choose me?"

The Core was quiet for a time.

Then it said, "When I was found other people tried to connect with me.. They got hurt. They wanted to use me for power."

Kaelen asked, "And what about me?"

The Core said, "You did it because you had to. You did not want power or control."

Kaelen looked at the Academys towers.

"So I was just convenient " he said.

The Core said, "You were compatible."

That answer felt more true.

Kaelen put out the lamp. Lay down keeping his arm up.

"Wake me up before dawn " he said.

The Core said, "Yes."

The city outside was alive. Magic was flowing through the streets and people were ambitious.

In the room Kaelen focused on staying calm. The Core was quiet like a weight, inside him.

Tomorrow they would test him.

They would try to figure out what he could do.

They would give him a number.

Kaelen closed his eyes.

For the time he was not afraid of being called Blank.

He was afraid of what would happen if they found out he was not.