Willem stared, dumbfounded. As a martial artist, he had some understanding of the different tiers of power.
To be able to use the surface of the water as a springboard... "Brother Blackwood" had to be at least an Adept in the Knight Tier. A Novice couldn't possibly possess that level of inner energy control.
He, a practitioner of external styles, could only look on with envy. He knew this wasn't true flight; it was too forceful, too splashy.
True masters could skim the water's surface without a ripple, as if treading on solid ground—a skill that marked the threshold of the Mage Tier. A realm he knew he would likely never reach.
On the cliff top, Elias scanned his surroundings, then took off at a run.
Willem's heart sank. He's abandoning us. They were in the middle of nowhere, deep in the Wild Abyss, for all he knew. Without Elias, his chances of survival were zero.
But Midge, his eyes still fixed on the figure on the cliff, said with quiet certainty, "He won't, my lord. Lord Arthur is a good man. He won't leave us."
Willem was taken aback. How could the boy be so sure? This was a man who would risk his life for a sack of grain, a man who valued wealth above all else. What wouldn't he abandon?
But the boy was right. Elias had stopped beside the giant's skeleton. He kicked at its massive bones, testing their strength. Satisfied, he ran along the cliff edge, timing his leap. He launched himself into the air, landed gracefully back on the drifting tree, and turned to Willem.
"When we pass under the skeleton," he said, "can you make the jump?"
Willem gauged the distance. "It's high. On solid ground, yes. But from this floating log... I don't think I can get enough power."
"Alright," Elias said. "I'll give you a boost. Be ready to grab on."
"No problem," Willem assured him.
As the tree drifted into the skeleton's shadow, Elias grabbed Midge, tucked the boy under one arm, and then seized Willem's arm with his other hand. With a great heave, he flung the brawny man into the air.
Willem landed clumsily on the giant's ribcage.
The tree dipped and swerved. Elias ran along the trunk, leaped, hooked an arm around a rib, and swung himself up, still carrying Midge. He scrambled across the massive bones and leaped to the safety of the cliff top.
He set Midge down. The boy, biting his lip, looked up at him with an expression of pure adoration.
But Elias was already on his knees, untying the sack from his back and pouring out the bags of Elven Grain. He checked each one.
The packaging was high-quality, waterproof. The grain was safe. He then checked his other valuables: the waxed-paper bank notes, the metal scroll tube. All secure. He'd lost a few loose silver coins in the fall, but the important things were intact.
A moment later, Willem cautiously climbed onto the bank, having walked across the skeleton's arm like a tightrope walker. He collapsed onto the ground with a groan. "Gods, it feels good to be on solid land."
The great tree, its duty done, drifted away down the river.
Midge, his ordeal finally over, looked up at the purple-tinged evening sky. "It's beautiful," he sighed.
Elias, who had just stood up, glanced at him and froze.
The plunge had washed their hair loose and scrubbed the dirt from their faces. With his hair framing his face, his large, bright eyes gazing at the sunset, a small smile playing on his lips, Midge was... striking. Ethereal. For a moment, Elias was completely captivated.
The boy noticed his strange stare and immediately looked away, flustered.
Elias clapped him on the shoulder. "Brother Blaze," he said with a chuckle, "have you ever noticed? Your squire here could almost pass for a girl."
Midge, blushing, waved his hands in frantic denial.
Willem, still sitting on the ground, laughed. "I noticed the day he came to us, three years ago."
"Three years?" Elias asked, surprised. "He wasn't raised in your household?" Most squires were.
"My old squire was a thief," Willem explained. "Midge showed up at our gate, a starving orphan begging to sell himself into service. My parents saw that he was literate, well-mannered, and decided he was a good fit."
At the mention of his past, Midge looked down, his brief moment of joy vanishing.
"My mother always said he has an androgynous face," Willem continued. "The kind that's beautiful on a man or a woman. She said when he grows up, he'll be a handsome lad, and break a lot of hearts."
"Well now," Elias said, amused. He reached out and playfully pinched Midge's cheek. "Look at this smooth skin. I hope I haven't just saved a future heartbreaker."
The boy's face was a mixture of embarrassment and a strange, dazed pleasure.
Willem got to his feet. "He's a good kid, Brother Blackwood. A bit messy, and always covered in dirt, but he's a hard worker. You never have to worry about chores when he's around."
Midge looked at his master, confused. Why is he saying this?
Elias was confused too. "Brother Blaze, have you got water in your head? Why are you telling me all this?"
Willem's expression turned serious. "If you are not offended, Brother Blackwood, I would like to give Midge to you. As your squire. As soon as we find paper and ink, I will draw up the deed of transfer."
The words hit Midge like a physical blow. To be passed around like an object... a look of profound hurt flashed across his face.
Elias looked from the boy to Willem. "No, thank you," he said flatly. "I don't need one."
"Please, Brother Blackwood," Willem insisted. "You saved both our lives. You must accept."
A squire? Another mouth to feed? And a witness to all his secrets? Not a chance. "I appreciate the offer," Elias said, his tone final, "but I'm used to being alone. Perhaps after the Royal Trials, if I pass and find myself in need of an attendant, I will take you up on it then."
It was a polite refusal. He had no intention of passing.
Willem, dejected, had no choice but to accept.
"It's getting dark," Elias said, scanning the horizon. "We need to find shelter." He turned and walked away.
Willem waited a moment, then followed with Midge. "Don't blame me, kid," he whispered to the boy. "We're in the Wild Abyss. I can't even protect myself, let alone you. He's a ruthless man, but he's powerful. If he agrees to protect you, it's your only chance of getting out of here alive."
He was afraid that in the next crisis, Elias would simply abandon them. He'd seen the man's capacity for violence. He was a killer. The safest place for them was under his protection.