The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 9, 123rd continuation)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1

Part 9, 122nd continuation

Landing Page

“I came to deliver some charms.” Kaito smiled. “That does seem pretty obvious to me, Lucy, considering what I have in my hands.” He turned his attention back to Bertram. “Being injured doesn’t make you useless, but it does mean you need to relearn how you can again be useful, which can, sometimes, be the hardest part of getting injured. Although I’ve never had wings myself I’ve worked with others who did when they found themselves in very much the same position as you.” Kaito crossed the room, dropping the charms in front of Lucille before moving on to stand next to Bertram. “Having wings is both a blessing and a burden, Bertram, because you get used to having them, so when they’re suddenly gone you don’t know what to do. The healers are certain that there’s nothing more they can do?”

Bertram nodded. “I won’t ever be able to use them again, thanks to the assassins.”

“Then what we need to do is find you another way of being useful to Lucille and Peric, because that’s what you need.” Kaito glanced over his shoulder at Lucille. “It doesn’t matter to them whether or not you are, as you’re Bertram, but I know it does to you, which is why this has all been so hard for you. Although they both understand that it’s hard for them to help you when they feel so guilty for what they didn’t manage to do.”

Lucille looked down at the charms when she felt Bertram’s eyes on her. “Lucy, it wasn’t your fault. I know Quiar told you something was coming, but she couldn’t tell you anything more than that, so you couldn’t have prepared for the attack any better than you did.” Biting hard on her lip, to stop herself from saying something stupid, she let herself look at him. “We had the charms that meant he let go of me before he managed to kill me, because that was what would have happened if you hadn’t, and we both know that, so I will only ever feel grateful to you for what you did do.

“Peric, there is no reason for you to feel guilty. You couldn’t cope with the emotions that you could feel and I understand why you chose to use Kaito’s charm. It was the logical thing to do, otherwise you would have gone insane, which would have been so much worse than this. Maybe I won’t be able to use my wing any more, but Kaito is right. I can learn to be useful again. Once that happens things will be easier, although I will always wish that things had been different.”

“Had we known, though, we might have been able to stop this from happening.” Peric sighed. “We might know, logically, that we made the right choices, but that doesn’t make what happened any easier to deal with.” He looked at Lucille and their eyes met. “You’ve been hurt and it hurts us too.”

“Unfortunately it is very likely that things are going to get more difficult.” Kaito glanced around at the three of them. “I’m certain you all know this already. That’s why I have charms ready for the trip and I’ll keep making them until you leave, because Fasach…” He shook his head. “Even though I haven’t been there I’ve heard stories and I am going to do everything I can to keep you safe. Lucy, you need to be especially careful, as there’s chance the counterfeiters might be trying to get hold of a Moonjumper.”

“Sadly, that isn’t something that’s surprising.” Lucille sighed. “We know they took a record book from the Moonjumper Bureau in Sheepshank, which holds within it the names of everyone who’s travelled here, but I’m the one who’s in the most danger as I’m here now and I’ve been doing everything that I can to bring an end to the counterfeit ring.”

“By doing that you have made yourself more desirable.” Kaito sighed. “I’m working on making a tracking charm, so if something does happen to you someone can find you, but it’s not easy to do. You being here makes things much more interesting.”

“If Lucille hadn’t been here then I doubt that we would be here now.” Peric shrugged. “Her arrival might well have been the thing that caused the raven to make the choice that she did, as the leader of the counterfeit ring would have wanted to know about Lucille and the record book would have been proof

“Every cloud has a silver lining.” Kaito looked at Lucille. “You need to be more careful than the others.”

“I know, Kai.” If it hadn’t been for Durai and Sal she would have gone over to Kaito, but they didn’t know about the life Kaito had left behind. “I promise you I will be as careful as I can, although I won’t stay hidden out of danger. This is my world and I will do everything I can to protect it, even from the people who live here if they’re doing something like this. Maybe the majority of people will see me as nothing more than a Council interloper, but I was chosen by Quiar for this job, so I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

Kaito smiled at her. “I know you will.” She could tell he wanted to say more, but didn’t dare. “You are the right Moonjumper to look after this world, which is why Quiar chose you, and I’m glad that I can help you with what I’ve been doing.” Their eyes met. “Look through what I brought with me and tell me if you need anything more.”

“Do you have the money to pay for charms from him?” Durai asked, looking between Lucille and Kaito. “Being the best means you get to charge much more for your charms than the average maker does.”

“Yes, I do.” Lucille couldn’t help wondering why Durai had asked that, but she kept the question to herself, as she didn’t know him well enough to be certain she wanted to hear the answer. “The Council pay their Moonjumpers well for the job that they do.”

“Okay.” Durai smiled. “It’s just the market traders thought it would be nice to do a little collection, to thank you for the help you gave them, so if you did need anything we can help.”

Lucille stared at him. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yes, really. Coming here was one thing, but the work you did to help them make certain they would stay in business means that they all look to you as someone special, someone they could never have expected to be lucky enough to meet.” His smile grew. “I’ve heard rumours that the builders are looking into making you a cottage somewhere between Sheepshank and Seahorse Port, so you have somewhere to stay when you return.”

“Why would they do that?”

Meriwether laughed. “You still don’t understand what you’re done, do you? Lucille, you may not have expected to do what you did, but you have made a lot of people understand that there is a difference between a Council Moonjumper and the Moonjumper who is meant to be here. By getting involved with trying to bring down the counterfeit ring you have become someone to be looked up to and to be looked after. For the rest of your life you will have a home here.”

“It’s just…” She brushed a hand through her hair. “This has happened on other worlds, but I thought I’d have more difficulty getting the people of this world to accept me.”

“Had you come here at a time when there wasn’t a crisis you would have done. You chose to jump straight in, even though you knew it was going to be dangerous, so they see you as the sort of person they need to be on their side. Quiar already chose you as her Moonjumper and now the people of Seahorse Port have chosen you as theirs. Stories of you will be all over this world before you know it, so when you step through one of the other doors they will automatically know who you are.”

“Unfortunately, as useful as that will be in the future, Lucy, that’s the reason you’re going to be in so much danger.” Kaito sighed. “They’re going to have heard stories about how wonderful you are and they’re going to want you on their side.”

“Which will never happen.”

“They don’t know that, though, so they’re going to do everything they can to make it happen, to make you theirs, so they own a Moonjumper.” Kaito shuddered. “If they get their hands on you, Lucy, it’s not going to be nice.”

“Kai, I know.” Lucille smiled at him. “I’m going to do my best to make sure they don’t, but this is something that I’m prepared for, in the same way that I’m prepared for the possibility of something like that happening on all of the worlds, no matter how friendly the people there have been in the past.”

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.