Counting to Infinity

Chapter 12

Raine and Nikolay found a recognisable mule sniffing around the building.

"Rascal?!"

At the sound of her name, the mule's ears perked up. She whinnied in acknowledgement, joyfully galloping towards Nikorai.

Upon realising that Raine was currently in control of the vessel, Rascal mischievously nipped at the hem of their shirt. When Raine jumped back in panic, she chased after him with her probing nose.

"Ack! Rascal, stop!" Raine yelped, feebly attempting to push her away.

Rascal momentarily obliged, if only to stare at him with a mirthful twinkle in her eye.

Raine noticed that Rascal still had their original bags that were tied to her saddle, along with a new, smaller bag. He scrutinised the unfamiliar addition to Rascal's luggage, but it appeared normal enough from the outside.

Walking closer, Raine warily unzipped the mysterious bag.

Placed atop the contents was a piece of white paper, somehow perfectly unharmed from Rascal's journey to the Order of Truth. Magic, maybe? Wait. If it was possible to put magic in things, then was it possible to have a magic-fuelled trap?

Do you think this is a trick?

Rascal wouldn't let any distrustful people near her. They'd receive a kick in the face at best. Besides, you've already touched the bag. If there was any malicious magic, it would have activated by now.

Well, that was the most consolation he would get from Nikolay. Raine picked up the slip of paper and peered at the small writing on it.

"Enjoy...?" Raine read aloud, confused.

The single word was neatly printed on the paper, leaving ninety percent of the note blank.

Thankfully, nothing immediately bad happened to them when they touched the strange message, but it seemed to leave more questions unanswered. It clearly wasn't Lysandra, since she hadn't said anything about Rascal being here.

Regardless, I'm glad that we have Rascal here. We need to get away from here as fast as possible.

Raine peered below the note and saw layers of clothing beneath. Nestled among the fabric were other necessities, like toiletries and food that would have expired during their multi-week stay with the Order of Truth.

And on top of sending Rascal back to us, they've even included a little care package.

Check the bag for any possible tracking devices. I'm not risking us getting caught for a second time.

On it-

Actually, let me do it. I need peace of mind right now.

...Right.

Raine gave way for Nikolay to establish a connection with the vessel. Their switch-overs were becoming more fluid, he noticed. Before, they had an awkward split second where neither of them occupied the vessel's physical controls. He supposed it was also practice and getting used to each other's presence. When their consciousnesses had first made contact with each other, it completely removed any barriers between them. Not that it gave them enough time to peer into each other's deepest secrets, but the deeply unsettling feeling ensured that they avoided each other. Now, the sensation had dulled significantly — most likely thanks to Nikolay's habit of putting up a force-field around his thoughts — and they were able to easily slip past each other without hesitating.

Seems clear, Nikolay said after a thorough inspection of the bag's contents. But we'll have to double check when we have the time later.