Eliona's War 2: Veiled Healer

Chapter 26

"Where did you get this?"

Maun turned the scroll over with careful hands as he examined it. His gaze lingered on the symbol, a pensive line forming in his brow.

They stood in the map room. Maun had been the first clansman Severance had found when returning from his adventures in the Ruins, but once he'd pulled out the scroll, Maun had immediately yanked him into the map room where they could talk undisturbed.

"The Ruins," Severance said. "Why does it have the Veiled symbol?"

He watched as the Veiled man ran his fingers gently over the black ribbon. Maun made no attempt to undo it.

The rest of Severance's party hadn't made much of a fuss when he'd tucked the strange scroll into his Inventory, though Ironhide had given him an odd look. The two friend requests that came after that were even more bizarre. One had, surprisingly, come from Valentin. The other was Ironhide himself, who sent along a short message:

Good work today. Let's party again sometime.

Just remembering that message made Severance smile faintly. Those weren't words he heard often, nor were they ones he ever expected to hear.

"Hm." Maun's hands stilled and his head sharply lifted. His cobalt eyes zeroed in on Severance's face, before dropping down to take a proper look at him. It seemed like he noticed the sorry state of Severance's attire for the first time, for his lips twitched in what could have been amusement or disapproval.

Severance was all too aware of the dried blood splatters all over his coat, though he didn't think they were visible thanks to the perks of wearing black. Yet his tattered pants and holey boots—courtesy of bloodthirsty fish that had a lot more teeth than normal—gave him away.

"What?" he said defensively.

"You were in the Ruins?" Maun's voice was perfectly conversational, yet Severance had to suppress a shudder. His sense of danger skyrocketed.

"Yes?"

"Well done, Sev. I didn't realize you were so eager for battle."

Severance's face contorted. That's what Maun was thinking?

"No, I just went to meet up with a friend. That's all. Then stuff happened and I somehow ended up in the Ruins. It wasn't on purpose."

"I see." Was that actual disappointment in Maun's voice? Nah, couldn't be. "So, your friend went with you?"

"Yes, with some other people from his clan. And a couple from Wann Mi."

Severance hoped that wasn't a problem. He knew the clans didn't always get along, but it wasn't like he was out running the streets with the crazed Free Traders, ransacking villages and slaughtering puppies.

Maun idly tapped a couple fingers against the mystery scroll. "I suppose they saw you take this, then."

"Well, yeah. They didn't even see it at first. Not until I picked it up. But none of them knew what it was. I don't even know what it is."

Maun's brows lifted. "It's unlikely any of you would. But there is the chance one of them will talk, and it may reach someone in their clan who does know. Which means..."

"What?" Severance asked, annoyed at how Maun just trailed off at that particular moment.

Maun flashed a smile. "It means you're in trouble, Sev. Because if this is what I think it is, everyone's going to want it. And if one clan knows, it's only a matter of time before all the clans know."

"Oh." Well. That sounded nice. Severance blinked. Then he narrowed his eyes, because no, that sounded the opposite of nice. Why would such a dangerous thing be rewarded in a dungeon treasure chest? And for that matter...