Orchid was right — Alex had already known what Absolutions orders had been. Orchid had told him indirectly that she'd been ordered to kill a Nativeworlder that fit his description a while ago. He'd been hoping there was some more context to the orders, that the man had given some form of reason as to why he wanted Alex dead.
But it didn't seem like that was forthcoming.
It still doesn't make sense. The only time we met him was in that Assembly of Outworlders that Invictus brought us to. We've been with her pretty much ever since then. There shouldn't have been a chance for them to interact. So if he ever gave her orders to kill me… wouldn't it have had to be before we ever even met?
"I know, but that somehow doesn't help at all," Alex asked, scratching at the back of his neck. "This is just rude. Why did he want you to kill me? I barely even know the guy! And a lot of this still makes no sense to me. If I'm not wrong, you're saying that—"
"—he gave you the orders to kill Alex before you ever met us," Claire finished. "We were wondering about that. Do you know why?"
"No," Orchid said. She twisted the base of her staff into the ground like she were trying to install a screw in the dirt. "I never put too much thought into it. The survival of my family is my only priority."
Absolution was on that Local Leaderboard for the Initializations. He was the one that took the first place in our subsector. Maybe he used the identification glass on me. But even if he did, why would he just decide he wanted someone else to kill me? That wouldn't even get him the buffs. What, did I shit in his cereal or something?
"What does Absolution want with Alex?" Claire asked. "We've only encountered him once… and he helped us. I don't see why he would have gone and spared your life just so you would kill him. Are you certain it's Alex that you were meant to go after?"
"Yes," Orchid said sharply. She jabbed her staff into the ground again. "Absolutely certain. He didn't give a name, but he described you perfectly. There aren't many Nativeworlders that are able to travel into the Mirrorlands. You can't expect me to believe that another one just happens to conveniently exist in this subsector."
That would be quite a reach.
"I don't suppose you'd tell us when he gave you those orders?" Alex asked. He still didn't actually know where Orchid stood. She wasn't exactly on their side, but she didn't seem to be straight up against them either.
He felt sympathy for her position. Pretty much any choice Orchid made from here would land her in some manner of shit or another. Alex didn't know what her family's situation was, but it was clear it somehow depended on the Starfallen.
Orchid's jaw clenched. She was silent for a long second as she stared at Alex, as if trying to dissect him with her eyes.
For a moment Alex thought she might attack him. He didn't summon his monsters, but he kept his magic at the ready. There was no need to take pointless chances. Even with Claire present, Orchid was a powerful mage. One with access to a Partial Soul Manifestation of her own.
But Orchid didn't attack. She blew out a heavy breath. And, though she continued to watch Alex and Claire like a cornered panther, she spoke.
"Near the very start of the Initializations."
That somehow managed to confuse Alex even more. If Orchid was telling the truth, then Absolution had wanted Alex dead from basically the start of the apocalypse. Before the Local Leaderboard. That threw his only theory right out the window.
And not only that. He'd somehow known that Alex had access to the Mirrorlands.
How could he possibly know that? There are only two people that knew I'd been in the Mirrorlands this early on.
Alex's face paled as a horrible thought struck him, but he dismissed it the instant it bubbled up. Teddy may well have been alive. The smug bastard wouldn't have died so easily. There was no way Alex would allow that to happen before he got a chance to slug his former friend across the chin. He knew for a fact, in the deepest parts of his heart, that the universe wasn't going to take that chance from him.
But Teddy wasn't Absolution.
It wasn't even just a question about appearance, nor was it how Absolution knew things that no Nativeworlder ever could have. The System hadn't warped Teddy's appearance so he looked like a creepy dude with a hole in his chest. Absolution was someone separate. There was no doubt about it.
But that didn't answer how Absolution somehow knew about Alex — or why he wanted him dead.
Alex glanced to Claire in hopes of finding some answers in her eyes, but she looked just as baffled as he did. That was never a good sign. Being on top of things was usually her good point. If Claire was confused, then he was done for.
"That makes no sense. Why does he have a grudge against me? I don't even know the guy," Alex said. "And I don't know if you missed it the last few times we mentioned it, but Absolution helped us. When we were saving you from the other Great Families, he's the reason we were able to get an opening to escape the Assembly."
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"He probably just hates the families more than you," Orchid replied with a one-shouldered shrug. "It doesn't matter to me. What matters is that you are now standing directly in the path of my family's survival."
"So why haven't you attacked?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side. "You've got a domain. A strong one. We saw it during the fight. Your staff is finished too, isn't it?"
Is goading her on really the play here, Claire? I kind of like having Orchid around. I don't want to kill her.
Orchid's jaw clenched. "I'm not stupid, Claire. Alex might not be with the Starfallen family, but there's a reason Absolution wants him gone. He's somehow a threat — and you all proved that true by defeating the Region Boss."
"You could have attacked me when I was on my own," Claire pointed out. "You're not exactly stacking the odds in your favor."
"What do you want me to say?" Orchid snapped. "That I want to lose?"
"That you want to stay," Claire said. "You don't want to leave. There are things here that you've worked for. That you care about. We have a town that isn't under the control of any of the Great Families. Absolution doesn't know where you are — and neither do the Starfallen."
"You think that'll last?" Orchid asked. "I'm not an idealistic idiot. I'm not going to throw everything I've worked for, everything my family has sacrificed for me, just so I can feel more relaxed. I have a duty."
"I'm sure May will see it the same way if you leave," Claire said idly.
Orchid's mouth snapped shut. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't bring her into this."
"Why not?" Claire said. "She's your student. The girl loves you, you know. It's easy to build a very strong attachment to a mentor figure that inspires you. That's even more true when the mentor in question clearly cares. How do you think May will react when she finds out you turned on us?"
"I didn't turn on anyone. You were the ones lying the whole time."
"And?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "Would you have done any different? It isn't like we had a choice. We've never done wrong by you. You have a spot in a town positioned to become incredibly powerful. You fought and defeated a Region Boss alongside us. Don't try and pretend like the rewards aren't good. You're eating well. Better than you ever would begging for scraps at the feet of the Starfallen's table."
"So what?" Orchid demanded, throwing her free hand up into the air. "You want me to choose the honorable death? To become an Oathbreaker and stand around enjoying life while teaching May until either Absolution finds us and kills everyone or the Starfallen get tired of waiting and raze my family because of my failures?"
"No," Claire said. "Of course not. Nobody would join the losing team."
"Then what are you saying?" Orchid asked. Her lips thinned and the tip of her staff lowered slightly.
Alex tensed. Whatever Claire was gunning for didn't seem to be working. Orchid was an inch away from attacking them. The only thing that gave him pause was the fact that there wasn't a single flicker of concern in Claire's features.
"Nobody would join the losing team," Claire repeated. "So why would you?"
A disbelieving laugh slipped from Orchid in a bark.
"Are you really implying that this is the winning team?" She gestured around the forest with her staff. "Do you think this is a joke? Do you know what Absolution is? Do you know who the Starfallen are? Who are you to claim you can win anything against them?"
"Do you know who we are?" Claire countered. "How long did it take you to first unlock your Partial Soul Manifestation, Orchid?"
The other woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What does that—"
"Just answer me. The first time, not how long it took you to pull it out from beneath the System's thumb."
"Five years of training, but only because we were very deliberate with the Aspect Gems I took. It was probably more like two years of actual time and three of waiting and training other things. I didn't grow up on a powerful planet. If I did, then my family wouldn't be in this situation. What does that have to do with anything?"
Claire pointed Alex. "He got it in a week."
"This is a newly initialized planet. Resources here are far beyond anything on my home. And he — wait. What?" Orchid's gaze snapped to Alex. "You have a Partial Soul Manifestation?"
"Yeah," Alex said slowly.
"Bullshit," Orchid said. "There's no way you've already gotten one."
Claire arched her eyebrow. Again. She'd been doing a lot of that during this conversation, but Alex couldn't blame her for spiking the balls that Orchid prepared for her.
"Why would we lie about that?" Alex asked. "Did you see all the rewards we got from the Gorgonaga? It would be weirder if I didn't have one."
"No," Orchid said with a shake of her head. "It wouldn't. You're rash, but you're not stupid enough to cripple your future. I don't believe that you've already managed to unlock your domain. A speed like that is unprecedented."
"Maybe for your planet, but don't forget where we are," Claire said. "All the Outworlders on 274-50 are making the System pump up the threat… and the reward that comes with defeating those threats. Why would you throw your lot in with the old guard when they've perfectly prepared a new wave to tear all the riches from their hands?"
Orchid didn't respond immediately. Her eyes danced from Alex to Claire and then back again as thoughts buzzed through her head so clearly that they were nearly visible behind her eyes. "Are you trying to imply that you think you'll grow so powerful that we can defeat Absolution and keep the Starfallen off my family's back until you can destroy them? Are you really arrogant enough to claim that?"
Alex and Claire exchanged a glance.
"Yeah. I'd rather keep you on board. You're useful, and you have information we need," Alex said. "And Absolution is a prick. If he wants me dead, then I'm happy to return the favor."
Orchid hesitated for another second. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. Then her stance lowered. "The lives of my entire family ride on my shoulders. Failure is not an option. I have to kill Absolution… but I can't throw my lot in with you just like that. I can't believe your words. If they're wrong, if you're too weak… my family is done for."
Damn it. I really didn't want to do this.
"Don't," Alex said softly. "There are two of us. You won't win this."
"Which is why I won't be fighting both of you," Orchid said. She drove her staff down into the ground before her and her gaze locked on Alex. "I'll just be fighting you. And I'm going to do everything I can to kill you, Alex. No more words. I want to see real proof of the strength you claim."
"Whoa," Alex said. "I only just—"
"I'm restrained by the System. If you really did unlock your Partial Soul Manifestation… you should be able to more than put up a good fight. Show me that you're strong enough to follow." Orchid clapped her hands together and a wave of heat and power exploded out from her with a primal roar. "Partial Soul Manifestation: Emberlord's Descent."