《Espers》 Episode One: Esperfall - Newsflash: Espers and Elements Espers and Elements - A Retrospective of The Great Shift Written by Ellana Sellis of the New Delta Times May 27th, 81 AEF (After Esperfall) After what was originally thought to be a nuclear attack that decimated the southern coast of Florida and so many lives lost, the world changed. Not that wiping a state off the map wasn¡¯t life-changing for Americans and the rest of the world at large, but it was something that could be worked past. Something that wouldn¡¯t just change the lives of those that experienced it to become part of history. No, it was only the start of something larger. Magic was real. Verified by hundreds of similar stories across a handful of years and dissections, it didn¡¯t turn out as people had hoped. Instead of choosing humans to wield the awesome power of the elements, the power bonded to animals and other lesser minds instead. It wasn¡¯t much at the time and the elemental secondary characteristics still hadn¡¯t emerged as they have now, but as a species, we should have known better than to dismiss the oddities pre-esper technology shows being recorded for the technological purge. Mother Nature always finds a way to adapt. It was only a matter of time before things got out of hand. From sheep that could summon lightning on their shearers to squirrels that could shoot acorns like bullets, the power of the natural and unnatural were unleashed by the newly formed espers on humans and beasts alike. [See: Conventions and Conversions of Espers for more information] Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Cities fell. Farms and processing plants burned. Forests and other natural fixtures quickly overtook man¡¯s carefully curated structure and became the norm rather than the exception. Humanity had to be protected rather than nature. Within a decade, the espers had fully dominated the natural world and replaced the entire population of non-magical animals through their increased breeding rate and natural ability to dominate a region. Strangely, the insect population was split in this regard with some maintaining, and even being protected by their esper counterparts [See: Symbiotic Relationships of Insectoids for more information]. With their ability to bend the elements in unique ways, the natural world bent to their will and became more appropriate for the dominant esper factions in the region. It may have been all well and good for the beasts, but humanity was suffering like it never had. Food became scarcer as herds of all kinds were decimated or fought back with a power unseen by man before. Climates that were once hospitable became unlivable, and soon from the now geologically unstable, poisonous regions of the West Virginia hills and bogs to the now-literal Smokey Mountains of the snowy Washington Wastes, humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction and soon turned on themselves. [See: The Splinter Wars for more information]. During this time, The Gatherers, a group of researchers, occultists, and veterinarians, began the delicate work of bringing knowledge to the masses about the espers. Without them, knowledge of the espers would never have been discovered, and humanity would have been lost to the age of the Espers. Instead, the world as we know it was changed forever¡­ 1-1: Two of a Kind From Esper¡¯s Expressions and You Espers aren¡¯t that much different than you or me. As such, a proper care regiment is of the utmost importance to improving their performance. Though it is always a question of when, rather than if spells will be replaced, research shows that with proper grooming and diet, your Esper is more likely to expend energy to attempt to refresh a more useful spell for the situation from its codex. For training, a steady diet mixed with wisp essences and lesser esper meat or foliage can fortify a training regiment, create interesting results during the adolescent stages, and modify the esper¡¯s deck of spells. Of course, a proper care routine is different for each esper. In the bulk of this chapter, we will discuss how to establish a basic care routine and modify it once established for your esper¡¯s elemental alignment and current skills. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Closing the book, Simon Tripps groaned and banged his head off the desk. ¡°Ow,¡± he moaned, rubbing the middle of his forehead as he sat back up. ¡°I deserved that¡­¡± Leaning back, he sighed and let his ashen locks scatter in the breeze from the open window. He was seventeen, eighteen in a couple of days, and ready to officially take on an esper for training for his aptitude field. Looking at the corkboard next to him, he ignored the paragraph of congratulations and propaganda from Gatherer and reread the results he¡¯d received two days ago: Career Path Results for Simon Tripps Results as of 6/14/107 AE Trade Work : 94/100 Environmental Awareness : 97/100 Combat Proficiency : 95/100 Husbandry : 98/100 Recommendation : Esper Dependent ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t much help.¡± With his testing and competency scores, Simon has his pick of the litter for jobs. He could do practically anything. He could take on an apprenticeship within the city, join the local ranger division to cull wisp and dangerous esper populations, or he could compete in the big leagues with the Esper Battle Association going hand-to-hand against another esper duelist professionally. He even qualified for a loan if he wanted to open a ranch if he got the right espers. No matter what he wanted to do, Simon was well-supported and funded. If that wasn¡¯t enough, he could even take on an apprentice for any of his choices if he wanted and make a stipend from the associated group. So, why was he reading the same book he knew by heart for the fifth time? It wasn¡¯t like all of this wasn¡¯t common knowledge. If he was taking on a frostox or a maglug maybe he¡¯d have to do some more research, but in Comet¡¯s Peak, north of the Miasma Woods and east of the Blackened Water Falls, they were blessed with an abundance of three espers types: poison, stone, and nature. ¡°Ugh!¡± It wasn¡¯t like the combination was bad to have. Stone and nature espers were hard workers, loving, and essential to the upkeep of the region, but still, it wasn¡¯t like they were exactly hard to care for. The rocats were very self-sufficient, and the bearals were powerful and clever but lacked any kind of real flexibility. He didn¡¯t even want to think about the marsats. The little, poisonous rat-descended creatures made his skin crawl with their deep purple eyes and toxic quills. They were almost as bad as the leafitters. The strange bird-descended tree dwellers were fragile and short-lived to the point they weren¡¯t even an option despite their massive intelligence. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It was true that he could come across a posth too, one of the more unique moth-descended poison espers with glowing red eyes, but they were usually too old and powerful to bond with at his proficiency level or with any of the stones he could afford. Evolved and greater espers usually were picky and too much for new duelists and rangers. More than one went mad with power and had to be put down. Simon groaned again as he got up, closed the book, put it back in its place on the shelf, and looked out the window. Nothing was even remotely interesting here to bond with and train. Even if his first esper was going to be local and free, he¡¯d still trade his thousand tokens for something different. Hell, he¡¯d trade his epsertech if it would get him a frost or fog esper, but that was illegal and trainers of all sorts needed access to the information the Espernet provided. Putting the book back on the shelf, Simon considered the passage he¡¯d read again. Things weren¡¯t always as bleak as they seemed; a common esper didn¡¯t have to stay that way. With proper feeding, care, and training, a common rocat could take on a variety of unique traits and typings. Ice wisps were common enough during winter in the region and yearly in the northern mountain range nearby and the southern mountain range near Spruce Knob. Plus, getting a frost-aligned esper would be useful. Their freezing magic could neutralize poisons, most nature-based attacks, and slowed everything else. They had good coverage to compliment the brute strength of most of the options he¡¯d have access to early on. Then again, water may be better with the prevalence of heat wisps in the coastal region he¡¯d be hitting first. Then he went back to dreaming about foxes before catching himself and finishing his prep work for the final exam. Bug spray, check. Sleeping bag, check Gloves, check. Antidotes, check. Battery Bank and phone charger, check. Lucky charm, check. Body bag¡­ He looked at the standard-issue bag. The item sent a shiver down his spine wholly unrelated to his fascination with the frosty ice espers. Everyone had one, and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone¡¯s parents bought their precious child¡¯s way through the program with less-than-stellar results. Body bag, check. Bandages and ointments¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª With his bag packed, Simon looked around his room for anything still missing. It was then he saw the clock reading 11:42 am. Not bad. Packing hadn¡¯t taken nearly as long as he¡¯d feared. He still had a quarter of an hour to reach the town square, and that was more than enough for the five-minute walk. Of course, June would kill him if he was late. With the worst of it done, Simon let the tension drop from his shoulders and smiled as he picked up his supply bag and slung it over his shoulder. ¡°See you later,¡± he said to the bookcases stuffed with manuals, research, and any fantasy novels he could salvage, the bed with its fluffy sheets and year-round comforter, the simple, steel desk, and the computer rigged with as much outdated esper-tech as he could recycle that sat atop it. This is it, he thought to himself. Time to see where the world takes you. As if cued by his thoughts, his graduate-issued phone chimed with a message from his wayward friend. June: Where are you?? I¡¯ve been waiting out front for ten minutes!!!!! I¡¯m dying!!! X_X Simon snickered to himself. She was always so dramatic and so easy to get a rise out of. Simon: Being a sentimental dork. Give me a minute, June. June: No. Get out here, dork! >_< Simon: Make me. :P In an instant, the door downstairs began to bang as June knocked, and he knew the folly of his ways as June¡¯s all too perky voice bounced up from below. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Tripps! Simon told me to make him come out.¡± Simon had never chosen his words more poorly. The laugh that followed only made it worse. ¡°Be my guest, dear. Oh, and in case Simon forgets, you¡¯re welcome to come back for dinner with your new esper. Hunter and I would love to hear how you two did, and he wants to check both of your espers out personally.¡± Dad always did make sure his friends were well taken care of. Well, all one of them since Luke left last year. Early birthdays had that advantage when the cutoff for seventeen was in the fall. ¡°You¡¯re going for a duelist, right?¡± his father¡¯s voice added. ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush your pick. You have a few days out there, so be careful. You wouldn¡¯t be the first to reach for the stars to get burned, and you know how hard it is to recover from¡ª¡± ¡°Hunter!¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling them to be¡ª¡± ¡°We will,¡± June interrupted, and Simon heard the door to his room squeak open. ¡°Thanks!¡± Looking down the stairs, June looked near manic as her red hair framed her freckled face. Despite the warmth, she wore jeans, a loose-fitting long coat, and a large-brimmed hat. She looked ridiculous as she always did, but despite her lanky frame, she thundered like a herd of deer up from below and nearly bowled him over. ¡°They¡¯re going to leave without us, Simon!¡± June said, urgently. ¡°We need to get going.¡± ¡°I need a few more things,¡± he lied and then made a show of opening and closing the drawers on his desk, making a decidedly uncertain searching sound. ¡°Lies!¡± June declared and pounced like a rocat in waiting. Before he could dodge, June grabbed him by the hood of his more modest sweatshirt. ¡°We leave now, Simon. Onward!¡± Simon laughed as she put everything into pulling him to the staircase. June was almost a foot smaller than he was, but she had the heart of a sand cat as she growled and grunted with the pull of the load. He could have easily pulled away, but it just wasn¡¯t worth the fight as the clock burned at 11:50 am. They did have places to be after all. 1-2: Travel Plans By the time Simon reached the center of Comet¡¯s Peak, he was heaving. It wasn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t out of shape and walking wore him out. No, June decided he had to be punished. So to start their newest chapter, June pushed him down the hillside behind his house. While he was struggling his way back up from the valley, June laughed like a hyena. Once he got back to the top, she made things worse as she made a mad dash for the square from the outskirts where he and his family ran the veterinary practice. Of course, he had to give pursuit. Even in his prime, a nearly six-minute mile was not something he wanted to do without a chance to warm up. Not to mention that he¡¯d just eaten. The eggs, bacon, sweet roll, and juice churning around in his stomach were starting to stage a cue in protest. Leaning off to a corner into Mrs. Baker¡¯s bushes, the rebellion succeeded to the sounds of retching and violent upheaval. June winced as she turned back to check on him. ¡°That looks unpleasant.¡± Another retch followed with the distinct splash that always came with a voided stomach. ¡°Sounds unpleasant too.¡± A third retch came, but there were no additional sounds from the battle as Simon got back to his feet and grimaced. ¡°Give me your water.¡± She did without argument as he held it above his mouth, washed the bile from his lips, swished the icy liquid through his teeth and mouth, and spit it out. He handed it back, panting heavily as he tried to get his breath back and speak at the same time. ¡°I hope¡­ Mrs. Baker¡­ doesn¡¯t¡­ mind.¡± ¡°Oh, she will, but I won¡¯t tell her it was you,¡± June assured as she made a beeline back for the square. ¡°Come on! I can see the others.¡± And June was off again. ¡°Wait up!¡± Simon called out as his stomach grumbled in its emptiness. ¡°Nope,¡± June replied. ¡°Waiting is what got us into this mess. We¡¯re almost late!¡± Simon groaned. ¡°No,¡± he corrected, trying to shoulder her into the nearby hedge. ¡°Pushing me down the hillside and laughing at me instead of just walking like a normal human being got us into this.¡± June smiled from under the brim of her hat. ¡°I said I was sorry.¡± She didn¡¯t and wasn¡¯t in any way, shape, or form, and they both knew it. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± June asked, moving into a leisurely pace. ¡±I could have sworn I just did.¡± Simon sighed. There was no winning with her. ¡°Look, we have to check in with the Ranger Gabs before we¡¯re late.¡± June raised a brow. ¡°Gabs?¡± Simon nodded. ¡°Yeah, Gabby?¡± June continued to blank. ¡°Gabriella? The tall woman with the red hair and heterochromia?¡± June scratched her head. ¡°The one who led all our instructional classes on basic esper nutrition and basic care?¡± Simon sighed as the blank stare continued. ¡°The one you thought was an esper trying to pass itself off as a human?¡± ¡°Oh, that was her name?¡± Simon slumped his shoulders. He could tell her the sky was blue, and she¡¯d forget sometimes. ¡°How are you second in the class?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re first?¡± June offered. True enough, but it still didn¡¯t explain how she seemed to lack basic people skills. Even he had those. June was just a totally different entity that only acknowledged a handful of people: her parents, his parents, him, Ranger Roy because his name sounded funny, and any wild esper that crossed her path. Anyone else simply didn¡¯t match up to her higher-than-average expectations of how living creatures should act. With a few moments to spare, the two esper trainers in training made their way into the group of other hopefuls as Ranger Gabs reached them in the roll call. Dressed in forest green pants with neon orange trim and a matching shirt, Gabs wore her hair freely normally, but for the duty she had today, it was tied back into a tight ponytail. On her right breast was pinned her silver ranger badge, dictating her authority level as higher than an iron or bronze cadet, but still below a gold. Her voice was clear and crisp with the hint of an accent she refused to share the origin of as Simon¡¯s name rang clearly. ¡°Simon Tripps.¡± ¡°Here,¡± he huffed for the last time as his lungs finally managed to catch up with his needs. ¡°June Travis.¡± ¡°Here!¡± June waved easily. Simon watched as her finger traced down the screen of her phone before looking back at the group. ¡°No one¡¯s seen Austin?¡± ¡°Not since last week,¡± a voice Simon couldn¡¯t place called from the group. ¡°I heard he dropped the idea,¡± another said snidely. Simon knew that voice all too well. ¡°And why might he have done that, Mister Petras?¡± Apparently, so did Ranger Gabs. Peter Petras had moved to town after the last trial and was two years Simon¡¯s senior. Why he hadn¡¯t passed before was anyone¡¯s guess, but Simon and June more than agreed that the man lacked any empathy for anyone outside of himself. He wasn¡¯t lacking in skill or planning, but kindness wasn¡¯t something you could easily teach. When Simon tried to say as much, Peter challenged him to a practice duel with the class¡¯s rocats. Simon accepted and under the supervision of a match judge, thrashed him soundly despite his elemental disadvantage. with his combined experience with his parents¡¯ espers, better draws, and planning skills. The conflict should have ended there and then, but when the judge was in the middle of calling the match, the bastard unleashed an Overdrive attack and injured his rocat so badly that it had to spend a week in the intensive care unit. Thankfully, Simon only had to stay two days in the regular ward due to the phantom pain. Despite being declared the winner, Peter never forgave Simon for putting him through his paces, and Peter took it out on everyone else he could. Unfortunately, Austin was one of those people that didn¡¯t have the skill or the power to stop him when the others weren¡¯t around. ¡°Couldn¡¯t cut it?¡± he offered, shrugging his shoulders. Ranger Gabs sighed, wiping her eyes and pointing to another student. ¡°Go find Austin and tell him it¡¯s safe to come,¡± she looked directly at Peter now. ¡°Any antics to knowingly interrupt a trainer¡¯s first esper capture is punishable by the stripping of any and all espers and barring of any additional license trials in accordance with the Esper Trainer¡¯s Code Section T-1.¡± Simon savored the way the smile fell from the jerk¡¯s face as his phone buzzed silently. June: Team up? ?_? Simon smiled, quickly typing his reply. Simon: Couldn''t think of a better partner. June: Your imagination needs work. I can think of at least five people that are better than you. Simon sighed as June snickered next to him. At least she was thoughtful enough not to interrupt Ranger Gabs continuing to rip Peter a new one as she oh-so-helpfully reminded him and a few others about the trainer¡¯s code of ethics. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Simon: Is there time to reconsider? June: Nope! Simon: Are you sure? Really sure? June: I just checked. Sorry, all the other teams are full. Simon: Other teams? There are other teams I could have joined and you didn¡¯t tell me? June: Could, but didn¡¯t. Sorry! Simon: -_- June: ^_^ Simon: ( ><) // _|__|_ As the lecture continued and Austin arrived with his arm in a sling, the texting devolved into a collection of pictographs as the two did their best impression of pre-esper teenagers. The only thing missing from their exchange were the catchy memes of cats dressed as colorful pastries farting rainbows. The pre-esper times were strange indeed. Still, their conversation, if it could still be called that, died down after a few moments, and Ranger Gabs finished tearing down what was left of Peter¡¯s inflated ego. Satisfied with the dress down, Ranger Gabs returned her attention to the group before her and began to fill them in on their travel plans for the week. ¡°Alright now that that¡¯s done, I don¡¯t think I need to go into the nitty-gritty of why we¡¯re here. Everyone here has earned the right to become an esper trainer and all that entails.¡± As she spoke, she moved down the line, asked for their dominant hand, and placed a corresponding glove onto it. The glove wasn¡¯t fancy or even that attractive. It was a gray, fingerless glove that had three fixtures to attune esper essence into. As theirs was a rank 5 glove, only a single one of the fixtures had a stone. It was a low-grade, thumbnail-sized, milky white opal that danced with all the colors of the rainbow when the light hit it at just the right angle. ¡°This is your trainer glove. On it, you will find your assigned attunement stone. Break it, and you¡¯re out of luck. This is a common variety of attunement opal. It can affix to any element when an esper extends its essence into it. The stone can be swapped out later once you know your esper¡¯s element for a higher sync rate. Do not attempt to swap it until you¡¯ve returned home and had the proper training for moving bonded essence.¡± No one questioned her as they looked at the tool they had longed for. Simon ran a finger over the stone. It was amazing that these hunks of rock were what it took to make an esper truly trust and rely on you. Even almost a century after they¡¯d come into being, it was still one of the great mysteries why. As Ranger Gabs began speaking again, she pulled out her phone, pressed her finger across the surface, and began to distribute one of the restricted programs to the prospective trainers, The Esperpedia. ¡°You will be traveling with me out into the base of the Great Northern Range to search for a compatible esper to the style you¡¯re most interested in pursuing. You will have five days to find your esper and attempt to bond with them in whatever ways you see fit. This app will be used to monitor your progress, for you to check in each night, or to get help if an emergency arises. The app also gets regular updates from the ranger teams and shows the region¡¯s distribution of espers. Please look now and check the report for the northern range.¡± Simon didn¡¯t need to be told twice and opened the program. As the blue screen with white letters reading Esperpedia V3 popped up and began to load the latest build of the program. The way the tiny stylized Sheeletic lit the bulbs of the screen didn¡¯t take away from the long first load time. It seemed like minutes, but soon, the main screen was active. The interface was kept simple. Five icons were arranged in a circle on the screen and depicted each function: the Esper Species Index, Local Chat, SOS, The Index, and Map. In the form of a stylized fox, the Esper Species Index was the equivalent of an evolving encyclopedia on all known Espers. Here, Simon knew he could find information on everything from deck lists of each species, natures and dispositions towards taming, refresh rates based on a variety of factors, advice on evolution paths based on the trainer¡¯s need, and oh so much more. It was the guarded treasure trove of trainer information. While it wasn¡¯t illegal to distribute it, it was frowned upon to give non-trainers all across the Espernet such hard-won information. Then, there was the risk a banned party could gain and abuse it. So, the Esperpedia was only entrusted to approved or well-advised trainers. The word bubble representing the Local Chat wasn¡¯t a surprise either. Inside it, the chat interface was broken into a chat window, a tab for private messages, and a tab populated by the regional trainers in range and their rank with first names only to give them a sense of protection while still giving them ownership of their words. Opening it, he saw everyone in the group, four Rangers, and the other locals in Comet¡¯s Peak. The others in his training group were all grayed out, currently locked from using the function, but the rest were sending words of luck to the newbies. Samuel (T2): Good luck! Gary (T3): Don¡¯t stink it up! Garnet (T3): Blaze bright! Ranger Roy (Silver): Be careful out there. Ranger Tilla (Bronze): Come back with your shields or on it, cadets. Ranger Roy (Silver): Don¡¯t make me ban you, Tilla. Bill (T1): Don¡¯t screw up. And so on, and so on. Simon read a few more words of encouragement and then moved to the next icon. The siren representing SOS was marked ¡®For Emergencies Only,¡¯ so he didn¡¯t bother to test it. He had been told that as soon as he pressed it, the entire local area would be alerted to his location and need. If he could, he could also add a message to be sent to the local chat as well with more information. Surges, sudden migrations, and other important information that couldn¡¯t wait for an update were usually distributed this way. The message board icon was a bit deceiving. The Index was an evolving, curated wiki on wisps, attunement stones, medicines, and countless other items that had slowly cropped up since the first espers were tamed. Just like the Esperpedia, the Index was a closely guarded, coveted collection of information. Not just anyone could post, but suggestions and modifications could be submitted to the Curators, a rumored Platinum-ranked group of rangers, T1 trainers, breeders, and high-ranking researchers, to be evaluated and possibly added to it. Opening this section of the app, Simon clicked on an article and read the snippet when he found what he was looking for. Attunement Stone - Opal Last Updated - Yesterday Clearance Level: T5 - Trainer Attunement Opals are the most common, simple attunement options for introductory esper trainers or trainers that are unsure of what they may encounter. As with any attunement stone when an esper agrees to be raised by a human, this stone can attune to become any element, warping the stone to fall into line with one of the elements such as electricity, frost, or earth. However, these are not recommended for greater espers or espers of a more complex mana type. The more complex the elemental energy becomes, the more likely the stone will fail and rupture, releasing the attuned mana in the form of unrestrained energy and injuring the wielder. A rupture could also cause a cascading effect and destroy other attuned stones. Elements such as gravity, healing, pain, or storm are not recommended for Attunement Opals for this reason. Related Articles: Attunement/Bonding Attunement Ruptures Attunement Stone Recommendations Per Element Greater Espers Esper Types Elemental Alignment The information was good to be sure, but again, it wasn¡¯t something Simon didn¡¯t already know from his time in training. He was already more than prepared for his second esper. Absently, his hand slipped into his right pocket and ran along his good luck charm, a thumb-sized spinel, an almost fog-colored gemstone he¡¯d found when a frost wisp stuck around too long one early spring day. It wasn¡¯t as good as an opal for general use, but it would be perfect for a frost or fog-attuned esper. The last and arguably the most important of the icons was the regional map. Opening it, Simon found himself where he expected smack dab in the local map in the center of Comet¡¯s Peak, surrounded by other trainers as marked by the small, green pips. On the right were four icons, a plus, a minus, a square between them, and a green icon marked with a stylized fox. The Plus was grayed out since he was already zoomed in as far as the map would allow. Pressing the square would bring him to the regional map, which showed him all of Comet¡¯s Peak for about ten miles in all directions. On his map, he could still see the pips, but they were a quarter of the size. There were other marks added as well, roads, safe trails, and curated mana wells to help espers recover safely. Pressing the minus brought up a larger map. Simon continued to press it until he had half the continent, from the Great Divide to the Atlantic Ocean, displayed. On each version of the map, the green fox icon remained unchanged. This was the region report he had been told to read. Since it would change based on what he was looking at, he pressed on the plus icon until he could view for miles around Comet¡¯s Peak and scrolled north until he reached the Great Northern Range. Once there, he pressed the last icon for the report: Esper Report: Great Northern Range - Base Updated: Today at 10:47 am Clearance Level: T5 - Trainer Local esper population: Stable Element Attunement in order of Population: Earth, Stone, Plant, Poison, Wind, shadow Incursion: Active - Greater Espers Incursion Attunement: Plague, Energy, Fire, Nature Postulated Incursion Reason: Territory Dispute Danger Level: Elevated Danger Area: Isolated to Greater Espers The information was¡­ a bit underwhelming compared to what he¡¯d expected. The incursion was interesting, but greater espers were always trying to protect their groups. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a territory dispute to break out near the beginning or end of seasons. The typings were interesting though. Plague espers were usually hunted on sight, so a greater plague esper was rare. Deadly, but rare. Energy was more common but usually wasn¡¯t a general typing you saw above ground in this region. Greater energy espers could shoot fire as well as lightning or even control magnetic forces depending on their progression and disposition. Greater nature espers, well, nature embodied everything natural in the world. It was the least dangerous and most versatile of the three while also being the most dangerous. Simon would be steering as clear as he could from that grouping. When he looked up from his phone, Ranger Gabs was looking at him. He faltered a bit, placing the phone back into his pocket. ¡°Well, Mr. Tripps, what have you learned?¡± He repeated what the report said, and she nodded. ¡°Good to know you weren¡¯t just playing games like Peter.¡± He could feel his eyes roll, but there was nothing he could do to stop them. Being compared to Peter was like being compared to the sludge at the bottom of one of the abandoned industrial plants from the pre-esper days¡ª toxic. Thankfully, Ranger Gabs ignored it. ¡°So, any questions?¡± When no one raised a hand or a word, Ranger Gabs smiled like a snake with a cornered rat. ¡°I hope you¡¯re all prepared for this because there¡¯s no going back now.¡± 1-3: No Take Backs Event - Incursions Last Updated: N/A Clearance Level: T5 - Trainer Incursions are events when rival esper groups invade another¡¯s territory. Normally, these are not dangerous events, but raise the general danger of an encounter while traveling or attempting to find an esper willing to be raised or trained. Incursions have three ratings: Isolated, Wide-Spread, and Full-Scale An isolated incursion is a small area conflict. Usually resolved within hours if not days, they do not usually require Rangers or outside forces to disperse them. These pose little threat outside of their region and should simply be avoided. A Wide-Spread incursion is a large area conflict. Usually, these still resolve themselves, but they can devolve into Full-Scale invasions of territory based on the defender¡¯s response. These occur when numbers grow too large, food becomes scarce, or the season has been particularly harsh on a subspecies. These are more likely than others to spread into human-controlled territories and are usually observed by a team of Rangers. A Full-Scale incursion involves a concerted effort to overtake a region by another group. These can involve large areas and swaths or land contested by equally large and powerful groups. Normally, these only occur with multiple greater espers working with a concerted effort by other similarly minded espers. These can result in massive changes to an environment and are usually directly conflicted by Rangers and Duelists. Anyone in the area of a Full-Scale incursion is advised to head to a safer location. Related Articles: The Great Divide Greater Esper Esper Types Wisps Rangers Duelists ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Oh, come on,¡± June groaned. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Back to her, Simon grumbled. ¡°Do you know the last time I was in a car?¡± he asked from the bushes as he relieved himself. At least he hadn¡¯t thrown up this time. ¡°A year?¡± ¡°Try four,¡± he grumbled zipping up and turning to her. ¡°And that was on roads designed for them, and there were seatbelts!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a road right there,¡± June explained, motioning to the dirt path just wide enough for the large vehicle. ¡°That is not a road.¡± ¡°It is totally a road, dork.¡± ¡°No,¡± Simon said slowly. ¡°June, that is a trail.¡± He bent down and made quite the show of presenting his evidence. ¡°Note the lack of paving, the deep divots, the tree roots that haven¡¯t been cleared from the edges, the erosion¡­¡± June shrugged it off. ¡°Trail¡­ road¡­ it isn¡¯t like this area is meant for clunkers anyways. Rangers and the like ride espers more often than not.¡± She had a point, but Simon wasn¡¯t going to give it to her. ¡°The least they could have done was make sure the bridge was more solid.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°Until we were off it!¡± ¡°Coincidence.¡± ¡°Poor maintenance.¡± The two continued to bicker until the group reassembled, and Ranger Gabs got off the bus. Around them, the twenty-two aspirants were silenced. ¡°Open your maps and mark this as our meeting place,¡± Gabs said. ¡°Hold your finger down and wait for the radial menu to appear. Pick the small flag, and name it Point Alpha. You are to return here as soon as you have your esper or once five days have passed. If night as fallen, stay where you are and set up camp. Return to us at sunrise. If you are in grave danger, use the SOS to signal me or another Ranger for help. Using that without getting your esper will put you off until the next trial if your injuries are grave enough, but it will not otherwise count against you. Questions?¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Where are the tents?¡± A woman with sunshine golden hair, Meiya if Simon remembered her name correctly, asked. Ranger Gabs simply smiled. ¡°Did you check your suggested item list?¡± Meiya paled. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t. Any other questions?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª As they¡¯d planned, Simon and June teamed up and broke away from the pack as fast as they could in search of their espers. While there was safety in numbers, it also meant competition for the local population of espers. Neither of them wanted to compete with the likes of Peter or Hale despite the code of ethics in place. There were always ways to skirt the rules when no one was watching and those that were could be easily intimated. The two already had their minds set to the task long before they¡¯d arrived anyways. Despite Simon¡¯s motion-sickness, they¡¯d poured over the local report, referenced the Esperpida entries, and cross-referenced the Index to come up with a list of viable candidates. The variants in the region included espers descended from wild cats, birds, rabbits, deer, elk, foxes, wolves, and a smattering of insects. A few reports cited bears recently from common markings and wisp remains, but the reports had been mostly unfounded. At the end of their research, all of the espers had potential, but only a few were prepared without too much effort. June was dead-set on becoming a duelist despite it being her second-lowest score. From her own lips, the life of a wandering duelist working their way through the ranks was ¡®calling to her.¡¯ She had a good head on her shoulder for the most part, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem with the right partner. She would have to choose carefully even with the best of luck. Since she was already quick and clever, she wouldn¡¯t have a hard time impressing her list of possible partners. She wanted something as clever and as quick as she was to have access to a deck full of quick, versatile spells to start, then allow other larger spells to be adapted for her use. So, she had chosen to try for a rabbit, a deer, or a dragonfly descendant. Simon thought that her quick thinking could be better spent training something slower and stronger, but she disagreed fully with that idea. Her partner had to keep up with her, and that was that. She had preferences that shifted like the wind though, so something rare or shiny might shift her attention like a corvid to a new toy. Simon on the other hand¡­ Simon had other plans. ¡°You really think we can make it in the five days with what we¡¯ve got?¡± June asked as they approached the base of the mountain trail. ¡°I¡¯m all for creative use of rules, but this seems¡­¡± ¡°She said we could go anywhere in the range,¡± Simon reminded her, grinning. ¡°Yeah, but do you think frost is the best element for me?¡± June pushed. ¡°I was thinking of checking on the fire incursion¡­¡± ¡°The incursion area?¡± Simon said with mock surprise. ¡°You mean the one thing that Ranger Gabs specifically said we should stay away from? That incursion area?¡± June ignored his sass. ¡°If we just happened to come across one, we didn¡¯t go looking for it, did we? We couldn¡¯t stay away from something we didn¡¯t know was there?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a smoking crater of full fire?¡± ¡°Especially if it¡¯s a smoking crater full of fire.¡± Simon sighed. ¡°If, and that¡¯s a big if, we come across one, I¡¯ll help you scout it out, but we aren¡¯t going to go looking for it. Got me?¡± She saluted and snickered as a smile nearly split her face. ¡°So, peak trail first?¡± He nodded, opening up the map and pointing to the different notes he¡¯d made. ¡°Everything points to a migrating pack. My dad even referenced one moving through the area we¡¯d be in, and I¡¯m pretty sure he didn¡¯t mention the species because he knew I¡¯d do something stupid.¡± ¡°Oh, so you admit it¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°Stupid is a strong word,¡± Simon said, weighing the option as he put the phone away and began to walk. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to call it lacking in common sense.¡± June smiled, all too glad to be helping him bend the rules into pretzels. ¡°Common sense aside, how are you going to impress one?¡± ¡°My cool disposition? My icy stare? My frosty¡­¡± ¡°Bad,¡± June groaned. ¡°All bad. Stop it.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t,¡± Simon sighed half-heartedly. ¡°It¡¯s a terminal condition.¡± ¡°If they hate puns, we¡¯re all dead. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Thanks for your grave concern, June.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What?¡± Simon grinned, unable to stop himself. ¡°We better get moving before we¡¯re dead tired.¡± ¡°Sometimes, Simon, I hate you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t hate me, I¡¯m all you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Well then, I hate myself.¡± ¡°You love yourself too much for that.¡± June sighed. ¡°I do.¡± Simon tossed her a smile as he looked over his shoulder. ¡°I know.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª A few hours later, the pair had trudged up the poorly maintained mountain path and were reaching an elevation that cared little for the time of year. A cold breeze blew from the north and tried to put out the fire of their body heat. Unfortunately for it, Simon came prepared. A new pair of gloves, a hat, and a scarf came from his pack with a second set for June. Of course, she complained about the dull gray coloring, but she didn¡¯t stop wearing them. "Mountains are cold,¡± came a muffled comment through the dense scarf. ¡°Yes, they are June,¡± Simon said slowly. ¡°Also, the Sun is hot, and the water is wet.¡± ¡°Can you not just let me complain in peace?¡± ¡°Can you just not push me down a hillside?¡± ¡°You were fine.¡± ¡°So are you.¡± June sighed. ¡°I could just leave you here, you know.¡± Simon laughed. ¡°You could, but who¡¯d put up with you then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I could find someone,¡± June grumbled, moving to punch him in the back of the shoulder. ¡°Ow,¡± he replied, rubbing his shoulder in mock pain. ¡°The emotional pain, June. You can¡¯t find another me. I¡¯m irreplaceable.¡± In a better mood from his suffering, mock or not, June smiled. ¡°Remember, Simon, you¡¯re not the protagonist in our story. I am. I¡¯m the irreplaceable one.¡± ¡°You wound me.¡± ¡°Baby.¡± The two continued their argument for another few minutes before they began tracking the supposed pack in earnest. Hours passed on the sparsely covered high hill that passed as a mountain in the lower range before the cold began biting rather than nipping. For a time, the two continued to push on. Simon constantly checked on his map for updates and the environment for signs of espers passing through. They¡¯d found signs, but they were not what Simon was searching for. All of them were feline or rodent, nothing in the way he had been searching for. Soon, the light began to dim, and, holding his hand to the horizon, Simon sighed. If the trick he¡¯d been taught was right, they had maybe the better part of an hour until the sun set, and they lost their light. It would only get colder up here then, and the more dangerous espers would begin their hunts. Dark and shadow espers were no joke. With a sign of defeat, Simon made a motion to June and the two began down the nearest trail to the base of the mountain where the winds wouldn¡¯t be able to find them. ¡°Simon,¡± June asked simply. ¡°Yes, June,¡± Simon sighed, already knowing what she was about to ask. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a giant barrier of scary-looking ice the last time. Was there?¡± 1-4: A Howling Good Time From a good five feet on either side of the only navigable path down, a thick two to three-foot wall erupted from the ground. Even before his hands moved to touch it, he could feel how the temperature dropped the closer they got to the structure. ¡°Magic,¡± he said simply, pulling back and opening up the Esperpedia. It didn¡¯t take him long to identify the culprit: Barricade Spell Type - Conjuration Elemental Alignment - Multiple (The effect changes based on the element used) Refresh Rate - Greater than 4 Battle: Create an elemental barrier sustained by magic to break the line of sight of an opponent and create an obstacle. The Elemental barrier¡¯s radius will vary based on the power spent to fuel the skill, increasing the refresh time before the spell can be summoned again. The barrier lasts until destroyed or until the duel ends. Field: Create an elemental barrier in a variable radius based on the power spent to fuel the skill. This barrier lasts until destroyed or decays. ¡°Shit,¡± Simon cursed. ¡°Good shit, or bad shit,¡± June asked. ¡°Bad,¡± ¡°Spicy food bad or¡­¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time,¡± Simon spat. ¡°We¡¯ve been trapped.¡± To his surprise, June was silent for a long moment, considering the situation more seriously. She walked up next to Simon, placing a hand on his shoulder as she scanned the barrier and the long, scattered embankment on either side. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯s bad,¡± Simon said, thinking back to all he knew about pack mechanics. ¡°If they¡¯re trying to defend the territory from us, this isn¡¯t a migrating pack.¡± ¡°An incursion?¡± Simon nodded. ¡°And there aren¡¯t many that will challenge them around here. Frost has an advantage against pretty much everything in this region. Poison espers don¡¯t come up this high usually, and nature is scarce as well because of the environment. Add in that the few wind espers in this region aren¡¯t pack hunters either, and we have a problem.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s bad?¡± June offered, putting the pieces together. Simon nodded. ¡°We need to get down before¡ª¡± An inhumanly high yowling like the winter wind itself caught their attention before the warning could leave his lips. The sound was picked up again, and again, and again, repeating itself as an echo of the first, but only growing stronger with each new voice. ¡°Before they catch us?¡± June offered. ¡°Before they catch us,¡± Simon repeated blandly as glowing blue orbs began to light up the night like wisps of power. One by one, the elemental creatures crept from the trees they¡¯d left behind. Turning to make a break for the embankment before they were encircled, the two were met with more of the icy canines lying in wait for their pack¡¯s call. This close, Simon could see the fog of their breath, see the way the half-light was glittering in the ice of their fangs, and practically feel the frost of their coats pressing against him. This was not how he imagined meeting his first wild frost espers. One by one, the circle tightened and their backs were to the embankment. Things only went from bad to worse from there. White wolves, as the creatures were commonly referred to, were territorial and dangerous, and the fact that not just one, but twelve of them were there didn¡¯t help matters. When matters couldn¡¯t have gotten worse, a new wolf entered the half-circle. It was as large as three of the others lumped together with fur crafted from row after row of needle-thin, icy fur. In the center of its forehead, a third eye lingered, showing its status as a greater esper of the species. It really was an incursion. No one moved as the parties examined the other. ¡°June,¡± Simon whispered across the growing wind. ¡°Don¡¯t break eye contact with the big one. Back away slowly. Don¡¯t run.¡± ¡°Which one is the big one?¡± Simon hissed. ¡°The one in the center with the arched back and the third eye.¡± ¡°It was a joke!¡± She hissed back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing behind us though.¡± Simon¡¯s foot touched the space behind him. Sure enough, they were already against the edge. ¡°Do you want to die or risk a few broken bones?¡± Neither option was great, but when something unseen and cold latched onto his leg, the decision was made, and with a cry, Simon fell back over the edge backpack-first and down the steep embankment of the mountainside. ¡°Simon!¡± June called out over the unnaturally frozen wind before a growl cut her off. The greater esper approached her, step by casual, sure step, and June did what she did best. She followed her friend to the edge of the world and back. ¡°I¡¯m coming! Don¡¯t die on me!¡± Ripping the shimmering sheet of an insulated blanket from the side of her bag, June prayed to whatever god was listening, spread it in front of her as quickly as she could, tucked her feet under her, and pushed herself down the frozen slope with a loud, lingering curse against Simon¡¯s luck. The icy surface took her, and away she went for about fifty feet until she fell off and traveled the rest of the way sitting against the frosted ground and steering with her legs. What should have taken hours passed in minutes as the two fell down the side of the mountain, crossing rocks and narrowly avoiding trees. Greenery passed in a blur, and then the slide began to slow. Speed began to slack as stomachs and other parts met grass and mud. Soon, the two had come to a stop, and death had been told to take the evening off at least for the moment. Despite coming out of an incursion alive, it isn¡¯t to say they got out unscathed. Simon groaned as he lay on the ground. His pack lay scattered across the last third of their journey when the top of it split taking a blow meant for his head from a nasty-looking rock. His arms and legs were covered in small cuts where he¡¯d either been rubbed the wrong way, gravel and stones had met sensitive flesh, or sticks had made their presence known. The knees of his pants were gone, his chest hurt, and his wrist was tender and slightly puffy. Thankfully, it moved just fine as he tested it laying in the dirt and waiting for the world to stop spinning. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. June was the better of the two, having taken a better angle and having more control than Simon had, but she still had her own concerns as she dug through her backpack for an extra shirt and wrapped it around her waist to cover the missing back of her pants. In rare form, neither of them made a joke. When Simon was up and moving, he rummaged through his bag and offered her a change of clothes. Though she denied the shirt, June gladly took one of his extra pairs of pants, hiked them up, held them in place with her belt, and returned from the trees holding the remains of her worn-through jeans and underwear. ¡°That,¡± June finally said, putting the ragged cloth pieces away. ¡°That was not fun.¡± ¡°It was not,¡± Simon agreed sadly as he looked back up into the soft, rolling white mist rolling in from above. ¡°But we made it.¡± ¡°We did.¡± June rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as Simon continued to take stock of his bag. ¡°I know we almost died, but I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t find what you wanted.¡± He sighed, rubbing the cold spot on his leg that was finally starting to warm. ¡°I should have listened to Dad.¡± ¡°He does know what he¡¯s talking about most of the time,¡± June said, adding in a little salt to go with the mud and pride he¡¯d already swallowed. ¡°Still, he isn¡¯t always right.¡± Simon grumbled and finished taking stock of what was left of his bag. He hadn¡¯t lost many essentials, mostly the extra he¡¯d packed away from what he could tell. The deeper he went, the more confident he became in their continued survival. All in all, the two had been lucky to only lose the tent, some pants, a few pieces of extra clothing, and some rations that oddly looked more chewed through than wore out. Simon examined a wrapper before holding it out to June. ¡°What does this look like to you?¡± She took it, examined it, and handed it back. ¡°Like you were holding out on me. Where did you find Midnight bars?¡± He groaned, but she continued. ¡°It also looked like something ate it.¡± He nodded his agreement, put the wrapped in a side pouch of his bag, then went back into its depths. One by one, he removed the items from the bag and began to make small piles. A second after he sorted through the rations near the bottom, Simon dropped the bag with a gasp. A sharp chittering sound rang out, and soon he began dancing like a crazed ape as something moved visibly under his shirt. ¡°June! Help!¡± ¡°Simon!¡± June rushed over as he fell onto his back, and the front of his shirt began to bulge. The fabric stressed before the long mass wormed up through to his neck, and stuck its furry little head out to look up at June with eyes as blue as a glacier. The creature was a pure white, frosty snake¡­ No, not a snake¡ª A weasel? A marten? A¡­ snow noodle? The creature¡¯s pure white fur was telling as its deeply blue nose and eyes searched June¡¯s face for hostility. When it didn¡¯t detect any, the esper ignored her and returned to rubbing its tiny little hands all over Simon¡¯s face leaving small trails of light frost before returning to study every part of him it could get its little paws on. ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± Simon cried, afraid to move in case the esper decided to explore other places or put those cold paws where they really didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Help!¡± June could do no such thing as she nearly collapsed onto the ground laughing as if her mind had long since abandoned its post. ¡°S¡ª Sn¡ª snow noodle!¡± ¡°Quit laughing and help me!¡± The snow noodle, as June referred to it, had left the shirt now and was exploring its new perch curling up and around his arm. As the oppressive cold left his chest, Simon took the chance to sit up safely. As soon as he did, the small esper dashed across his shoulders and scampered across his body like it was a playground, leaving frosted footprints across his shirt, hat, and then his hair when it wiggled underneath the lining. ¡°Cold!¡± Simon practically yipped. The frosty nature of the esper gave a whole new meaning to the word brain freeze. June continued to laugh hysterically at the entire situation. Despite his lack of help, Simon took full advantage of his clothing and cornered the creature as he scooped it up in his hat. ¡°Well done, Simon!¡± June said, still trying to suppress her laughter. ¡°Quiet you.¡± Holding it like a closed bag, he set it down carefully a step away for himself and released it a moment later. As it opened, Simon looked down into the opening at the snow noodle and gave it a warm smile. ¡°Hello.¡± At the word, the esper peeked its head out of the bag and cocked it to one side as if asking a question as it studied Simon¡¯s face. ¡°Do you want to come work with me?¡± he asked gently. Its nose wrinkled as it moved a bit closer to get a better look at him as Simon kept eye contact. The long, white creature paused as his hand went to his pocket, but soon curiosity won out as something altogether new came from it, a small, brownish square that smelled of spices and meat. As it watched, Simon ripped a piece from it and set it in his open palm. The esper didn¡¯t seem violent, more curious than anything, so he intended to take full advantage of that fact. ¡°I¡¯m looking to become a trainer for espers,¡± Simon explained as it sniffed at his outstretched hand and the treat within. ¡°And, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting my first partner. There¡¯s so much we can do together.¡± The small esper took the treat without further hesitation, and Simon watched it in awe. Within moments, the meat froze solid, frosting over as the esper sat on its hind quarters and rubbed it against its fur. Once the meat was nearly frostbitten, the esper began to munch happily, devouring it within seconds with its glimmering white teeth. He¡¯d never heard of weasels in the area before, but it didn¡¯t really matter. The esper before him was everything he could have honestly hoped for. It seems curious, energetic, and aligned with frost! Taking a breath, the time was now or never as Simon attempted to bond with the frosty esper, offering his opal set glove to it. For its part, the esper seemed constantly curious about Simon. After eating the frozen meat, it began to explore the offered gloved hand. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt,¡± he promised. ¡°Go on.¡± The esper sniffed at the glove, moving from top to bottom as it did. The esper seemed to examine everything, in every way it could. It felt the glove with its paws, then smelled each fiber and stitch of the item. It experimented, trying to pull the glove off, but Simon clenched his fist. ¡°None of that now,¡± he laughed. ¡°I need this.¡± The esper cooed in disappointment at losing its prize but seemed happy enough when Simon didn¡¯t pull his hand away. Instead, it moved on to examine the glimmering opal. The closer it got to the stone, the more the stone began to glow in the coming night. The soft, frosty blue glow only grew until the snow noodle of a creature pressed its icy, blue nose against the stone and nuzzled it. In that instant, Simon felt the cold rush of elemental power bind to his soul as tightly as a second skin. The icy sensation of frost radiated from his hand like a wave and surged through his veins as if it were his own. As it did, Simon felt the changes associated with magic begin in a way he was not prepared for. Simon gasped as the cold permeated his entire body. It felt like he¡¯d been given CPR by the ice itself as every breath cooled his lungs. As his lungs froze, his heartbeat slowed in time with his falling temperature as each pulse of mana flooded through his veins. As his body cooled, his muscles seized trying to adapt to the new sensations. He could feel his eyes starting to freeze, and his blood sloshed in his veins as if it were slush in a river as the attunement opal accepted all the mana it could handle from the fluffy creature and bonded it to Simon¡¯s body. Then, it was over as quickly as it had begun. He was left panting, gasping for breath, but otherwise Simon felt completely normal. Looking over his hands, his arms, and feeling the beating heart in his chest, it felt as if nothing had happened. It was not like his dad or the books described it. Being bonded to an esper was a rush of sensory input no report could ever really cover. To him, it felt like being dunked into a frozen river and having that river become part of his body before being pulled back out, instantly warmed and dried, and drinking an energy drink before being shoved back into the forest where he knelt. ¡°Simon?¡± June asked after a moment, her laughter finally coming to an end and full of hope. ¡°Did you¡­¡± He felt alive as he looked around him and then back down at the small creature sitting back on its hind legs, looking at him expectantly. Without words, he knew what it¡­ no, what she wanted. She wanted to be groomed. The wordless request seemed to echo in a tone that wasn¡¯t his own, but it was at the same time. A smile nearly split Simon¡¯s face, and scooping up the snow noodle in his hands, he gave its fur a series of long, gentle strokes. The frost marten radiated pleasure at the action, rolled over, and demanded further pets in the form of a pleading whine when he stopped. Now bonded as they were, the frosty touch of the creature didn¡¯t bother him more than the cool night air. June was grinning almost as wide. ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± He¡¯d always imagined this moment, that he¡¯d know just the right name for his esper when the time came. He had hundreds of names at the moment, but as she sat curled in his arms, he went with the first thing that came to mind as he looked at his friend. ¡°Her name is Powder.¡± Powder cooed like ice skittering across a snowbank as she demanded more pets, and Simon happily obliged. 1-5: Decked With one esper down and the sun setting about as fast as a pair of trainers falling down a mountainside, the pair needed to start thinking about camp for the night. Powder didn¡¯t stray far from Simon when she wasn¡¯t laying across his neck like a scarf and was little help for scouting out the area alone without having a stronger bond to her trainer, so once June stopped cooing over the frost marten and gawking over Simon¡¯s now icy blue eyes, the two humans split the tasks. Playing to their strengths, June began setting up camp while he went around and looked for a better site than the small clearing they¡¯d fallen into. Simon trusted June to do a good job, but it would be a little close tonight with her blanket in shreds and only two sleeping bags unless he found some firewood. He didn¡¯t mind the close quarters since he had known June as long as he could remember which, of course, got him thinking about the girl he traveled with. Simon and June had been inseparable since their mothers found them playing together in a puddle of mud made by June¡¯s mother¡¯s water esper, Charlie. According to the story, the river hound saw Simon looking at plants alone and took the initiative as June cooed about a new bug she¡¯d found. He just walked over, babbled at Simon, picked him up, and plopped him right down to meet the other lonely child. June laughed at him. Simon sneezed at her, and a mud pie later, history became legend in the Tripps household as whatever pact two children could seal while eating mud was done. Simon chuckled as he picked up some firewood. Years later, they were still out in the woods, playing with sticks, and hunting for espers. They had been there for each other through everything thick and thin, and there wasn¡¯t much one didn¡¯t know about the other¡­ No matter how many times Simon told her not to share some things. Even with a little too much information between them, the two of them still did everything together, but neither wanted to point out the obvious. Neither of them smelled like roses by this point. Covered in mud, blood, and sweat, it was going to be a long few days for them both if he didn¡¯t find a creek or spring by tomorrow night. Still, the perimeter of their site was good, the mountains were to their back with the snow far, far above the tree line, and the forest seemed empty except for the constant firefly-like light of green elemental wisps. Powder watched them constantly, but Simon had no interest in her gaining any kind of plant affinity. The two just wouldn¡¯t work well together as frost stifled the growth of nature attributes. Speaking of¡­ As they walked, Simon focused on the opal and summoned his partner¡¯s status to learn more about her. It was the one magic a bonded partner was granted to use without their esper. As his intent drew on the stone, Powder looked at him curiously, raising her head just a bit to give him a once-over before flopping back down like a wet noodle before noticing the hood on his sweatshirt and crawling up into it to act as a lookout. Simon only chuckled as the information came to life on a blue screen in his vision. Esper Status Name: Powder Species: Adolescent Frost Marten Esper Type: Bonded Esper Element: Frost, (Open) Current Status: Healthy Codex Status Deck: 6 Expand? Spell Start: 4 Draw: 1.5 Merge: 2 Endurance: 10 Ability: Boundless Energy Powder¡¯s Endurance is increased by 5. Release Bond? Y/N Simon whistled. The stats weren¡¯t bad at all for the little girl. She already knew six different spells to call upon and could summon four to choose from when they were in danger. For every two spells he¡¯d cast with her, he¡¯d get three refreshes up to the usual seven an esper could hold in its mind at a time, and she had a merge capacity of two. Only being able to combine two spells at a time for casting wasn¡¯t terrible, but it was in the lower range. If she¡¯d had one, she would have been useless as a duelist¡¯s companion. Basic spells were sometimes powerful, but a single elemental shot was nothing compared to a merged elemental shot, even at two. Powder¡¯s endurance was a major selling point. Powder could call upon her power ten times a day before needing to visit a mana well or take a long rest to recoup. On a normal day without combat or extreme efforts, she could spend a massive amount of energy before becoming fatigued as well. If you factored in her small size and her ability, she would be a force to be reckoned with if she were trained properly, and when it came time to evolve to the next stage, Powder would be an absolute nightmare in the right hands with the right elements at her disposal. Mentally nudging the expand next to deck, he read her learned spells: Deck: 6 Elemental Shot Form of Snow Winter Blast Agility Terrain Hazard Blizzard Most of the spells were variants of the ones he¡¯d seen over again. Elemental Shot was a basic spell every esper knew in one form or another. It was nothing more than a blast of elemental energy. Form of Snow would be a full-body modification spell that gave him some sort of attribute or resistance like Form of Fire did. Winter Blast was where his expertise started to falter. From the name, Simon figured it was probably the second tier of elemental shot or some sort of deterrent against an attacker like Terrain Hazard. In his experience, the Terrain Hazard spell did something to the ground or put something into the air to make the environment less than hospitable to their opponents. Agility would give him speed, and Blizzard was probably a stronger winter blast. He¡¯d have to check in the Esperpedia later. By the time he got back to the camp, June already had a roaring fire going in record time. He was thankful for that. While he didn¡¯t feel the cold as deeply as he did before meeting Powder, the night was starting to bite deeper, and that fire would keep the wild espers at bay. His bond would also work for her, allowing her body to be closer to the warmth of the fire without hurting her. ¡°Nice job,¡± Simon said as he settled in near the fire. ¡°Warm and toasty¡­¡± June shushed him, and he winced. Though neither of them said it, they both knew they couldn¡¯t deal with a pack of white wolves and a greater esper of frost if they came calling. As Simon thought about it, he made a mental note to call it in once they settled down. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t ruin June¡¯s chances of getting an esper if he used the SOS app. That was when he noticed her lap and the fact it was¡­ cooing? ¡°June¡­¡± Simon said slowly. Powder peeked her head out of his hood and looked over his shoulder curiously. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What is that¡­?¡± She looked up from the mass and smiled as her hand ran through the black, wispy mass. ¡°His name¡¯s Phantom. He was nosing around the camp, so I offered him some honey drops to be my esper.¡± Simon took a few moments to process what he was seeing. Then satisfied with what he¡¯d seen, he rolled his eyes and groaned. ¡°Of course, you did. A shadow¡­¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°It¡¯s a shadowquill,¡± she helpfully offered as the quills bent around her fingers like tiny snakes before returning to their straight, sharp, needle-like appearance. ¡°At least, it¡¯s between that and a woodchuck of some kind. Woodchucks have quills, right?¡± Woodchucks did not have quills, Simon remembered from their History of Species class. ¡°A shadowquill, a rare esper type and species for the region, just so happens to find its way to the camp, just so happens to have a sweet tooth, and you just so happen to have just the kind of candy it likes.¡± June shrugged. ¡°Sounds about right.¡± ¡°I fall down a mountain and nearly get frozen by mine, and yours comes to you for candy and a warm lap?¡± She paused for a moment as if considering that and pipped out her response. ¡°Yep. I do have a great lap.¡± Simon sighed. ¡°Sometimes, June, I wonder if you really are the protagonist in our story.¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m the one people come for.¡± The way she grinned, he was surprised there wasn¡¯t some brown marring that smile. ¡°Oh, there are people now?¡± Simon asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Of course.¡± June shrugged as nonchalantly as possible with a porcupine in her lap. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know them. They¡¯re very important, Simon.¡± ¡°Oh? And I¡¯m not?¡± The eye roll that followed those words was so intense that there was a chance of him going blind. ¡°I mean compared to them¡­¡± she began, taking her fingers up to begin counting as if to stake stock of the situation. ¡°You¡¯re, like, sort of important. A solid seven, at least.¡± ¡°Ha, ha,¡± Simon said, going to his bag and starting to rummage. Finding his jerky stash, he split it between Power and himself. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± he asked through a mouth of dried meat. ¡°No,¡± she said, taking out a small foil pan and holding it over the fire. ¡°But I¡¯ll be done for the sake of our friendship.¡± ¡°To the power of friendship,¡± he said, raising his slice of jerky towards her popping foil treat. In his merriment, Powder skittered from the hood, up his arm, and began freezing the ration. ¡°Hey! No, bad Powder!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Simon and June talked for a little bit and compared their espers. Compared to Powder, June¡¯s Phantom was a bit more average for an umbral esper as she shared his information for an evaluation. Esper Status Name: Phantom Species: Adolescent Shadowquill Esper Type: Bonded Esper Element: Umbral, (Open) Current Status: Tired Codex Status Deck: 5 Expand? Spell Start: 7 Draw: 1 Merge: 3 Endurance: 8 Ability: Bathe in Darkness Any attacks made by Phantom are umbral in addition to all other types. Like most umbral espers, they had a lot of spells to call at any time but took a while to recharge. Most of them disabled their opponents before ending them, so it wasn¡¯t necessary to recharge. What surprised Simon the most was that Phantom¡¯s Spell Start was higher than the deck itself. That was rare in itself and meant June would always have all of her spells any time she needed them and at least two doubles to Merge with. Their spells though¡­ Deck: 5 Quill Shot Form of Shadows Coat of Quills Blinding Shadow Terrain Hazard According to the spells, their only offensive ability was Quill Shot. All of the others were strictly defensive or retaliatory in nature. The information made June deflate a bit as they both knew what it meant. Neither would say it aloud, but her chances of being a duelist were dropping by the moment. As the firelight danced in the darkness and the popcorn finished popping, the two set the night¡¯s watch. Simon took the first watch while June conked out under the thermal blanket. The soft white light of his phone glowed even in the firelight as Simon began his report to the regional chat rather than the SOS. His name had been surprisingly updated already, as had June¡¯s. Instead of just reading ¡®Simon¡¯ in gray, his name had been turned white and had his designation on it as T5, a tier five esper trainer. His heart swelled, but he tried not to let it go to his head as he reported their findings. Simon (T5): Possible incursion event in the mountains of the Northern Range about three or four hours from Point Alpha. There¡¯s a pack of white wolves and at least one greater white wolf. No one was hurt, but they seem to be extremely territorial. Might be a Full Incursion. Avoid it at all costs. They are not friendly. With that done, Simon reread the message before hitting send. When it appeared in the regional chat, there was a quick response from a familiar face. Ranger Roy (Silver): Thank you for the report, Simon, and congratulations to you and June on your successful find. I¡¯ll buy you guys dinner when you get to town. We¡¯re dispatching a group of Iron and Silvers to the Great Northern Range Now. Regional Report will be updated upon confirmation. Did you get pictures? Simon (T5): Was too busy not dying. Ranger Roy (Silver): Confirmed. Take care. He skimmed the local population for any of the other trainers, but the majority were still gray at the end of the first day. It didn¡¯t surprise him though. Most trainers were picky and would be looking for more than just an elemental preference. They¡¯d be watching them for tells and hunts at their abilities before they make their choice to approach. Simon knew he could work with just about any esper and would have gone above and beyond if he¡¯d gotten any fog or frost esper. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to worry about that as much as he¡¯d imagined. To his surprise, one of the group was upgraded to a T5 as well. Austin. Of all the people he¡¯d met, that boy had the potential to be a great breeder if his esper was up to the hard work. Good for him, Simon thought. He loved when hard workers got their rewards. Feeling a bit more pep in his step, he opened the basic messenger app and reported to Ranger Gabs. Simon: June and I have our espers. We set up camp for the night, so we¡¯re checking in. We¡¯re safe. For a long while, there was no response. Usually, the rangers replied quickly when they were messaged, and it was only ten o¡¯clock. When he was sure that a response wouldn¡¯t come, he clicked the screen off and fed a few twigs to the fire. The fire devoured them, and he kept a steady stream going to keep himself busy. It was almost a half hour before a reply finally came. Ranger Gabriella: Confirmation picture and species? Simon figured they¡¯d have to confirm it, so he took a picture of the sleeping June and her Phantom, then flipped the camera around to get a headshot of himself and Powder. Each image filled the screen as Simon attached them and added the required information before sending it. Again, there was a long pause before the ranger responded. Ranger Gabriella: Espers confirmed. Congratulations. Return to camp when you can. Simon: Gotcha. And that was it. ¡°Huh. Thought there¡¯d be more to it.¡± For a long while, Simon looked at the screen, expecting some emoji, another message, or even a picture of the smiling local ranger. Nothing came through no matter how much he willed it, but then again, she did have a job to do tonight. With that in mind, Simon put the phone away and reached a hand up to scratch at Powder¡¯s head. The small creature nuzzled into the hand, happy for the attention as she grabbed on with both paws and began scampering down his arm like it was just another plaything before making her way back to his hood. She seemed to like it there quite a bit. For the next few hours, everything was quiet. The shadows didn¡¯t move, the forest chirped and sang with the sounds of the night, and all was right with the world as Powder fell asleep in the cradle of his hood. For a long while, he did nothing else but listen to the forest, and when June¡¯s turn came, Simon toyed with the idea of letting her sleep through it. He discarded that though when he realized they¡¯d be terrible for walking the next morning if he slept past noon. She awoke easily, stretching like a cat before vacating the bed to Simon. ¡°Wake me if there are problems.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± June said, putting a few more sticks on the fire. ¡°I¡¯ll just let you die peacefully.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª The morning came quicker than Simon thought possible. It seemed only a few moments ago that he¡¯d closed his eyes and put his head against a pillow made from June¡¯s backpack. With a yawn, he stretched himself out and sat up. ¡°Morning,¡± June yawned, lacking her usual enthusiasm that rose with the sun. ¡°Morning,¡± Simon replied as he worked a kink out of his shoulder. ¡°I take it we survived.¡± ¡°No, we both died. We¡¯re just ghosts that still have to wake up.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost your touch.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it back once I get some coffee back at camp.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to¡ª¡° ¡°Simon¡­ so help me, if you keep me from my coffee, I will drag you back up that mountain and throw you to the wolves.¡± He rolled his eyes at her, she flipped him off, and the dynamics of friendship continued without interruption. Even without a bed and exposure to the world at large, Simon was enjoying the trip. For being out in the wilderness, it wasn¡¯t so bad. After the morning rituals were complete, Powder was at his shoulder chittering away about something while Phantom had taken up residence in June¡¯s backpack. The shadowquill was perfectly fine being as unsocial as possible while the frost marten kept examining everything it could get its little frosted paws upon. Simon had to protect his phone more than once as she found his way into any pocket he had. Just because you were issued your espertech phone when you turned ten, didn¡¯t mean they were easy to repair or maintain. It was just one of those things everyone had for protection and to start learning responsibility. The thought of its upgrade began dancing in his head not long after he placed the phone back into his front pocket rather than his back. Once he got home and his new profession was confirmed, each official trainer would be given an upgrade to their phones. Simon could practically taste the Attribute Scanner and its expansion app. Still, no matter how excited he got, Simon found himself giving June sidelong glances when he could spare it from their walk. He wasn¡¯t going to argue that Phantom was an excellent find, but if all it had was a defensive-based load out, it was going to take a lot of time, effort, and resources into getting its codex into true fighting shape. If she didn¡¯t present herself right or failed any part of the practical they decided to give¡­ ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± June said, putting her hands behind her head as they walked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about me getting to be a duelist, right?¡± Simon winced, had he been that obvious? ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± She grinned as they stopped to talk for a moment. ¡°I can take care of myself, Simon.¡± ¡°I never said you couldn¡¯t,¡± he argued. ¡°Ah, but you implied it, my friend. Phantom and I will be able to get that position no matter what they throw at us. Worse comes to worst, I don¡¯t really know what other position they could put us in. Umbral espers don¡¯t have many practical jobs outside of combat. I mean there¡¯s always work in appropriations and redistribution.¡± Simon paused for a minute as that grin of hers grew. ¡°No. Bad June,¡± Simon groaned. June seemed to consider that for a moment before Simon added. ¡°No thievery.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Simon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m plenty of fun. Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the thief stealing all our fun.¡± And so, the bickering continued for almost half an hour before their phone began to blare. Someone nearby had sounded the SOS. Pulling out the device, Simon nearly dropped it when he saw the message. Emergency! SOS Issued by Ranger Gabriella (Silver) Esper Trial Camp One: Point Alpha has been overrun. Greater Energy Esper sighted. Fire Espers in league. The siren repeated three times message before becoming plastered on their screen. Opening the app, Simon checked the region chat and saw it frightening blank. Somehow, the regional chat was grayed out. They were on their own. June took one look at him, and he gave her the nod. That was all it took before the two of them began to run towards camp, putting thoughts of any more exploration to bed. 1-6: Flames of War When Simon and June first left the camp, it had been a place of safety guarded by the unstable force of Ranger Gabs and her rocat, Bob. It hadn¡¯t needed them to do anything, and they¡¯d moved at a leisurely pace. As the smoke continued to rise through the forest canopy and they came running, that camp was just a memory. Flames played across the landscape like drunken ferrets, twisting and turning from the highest points of the pine forest to the lowest brush as the superheated power of the espers consumed everything that could burn circling the end of the trail they¡¯d driven to arrive. The closer Simon and June got, the more obvious the damage became. ¡°Gabs!¡± Simon called into the smoke, coughing as he took a lungful of the burning air. June, always faster on the upkeep, had already torn something off and handed it to him. It was soaked, but he didn¡¯t question it as he saw June wrap it around her face. He did the same and though it was a bit harder to breathe, the fabric absorbed the worst of it, acting as a filter for the smoke. All around, the smell of smoke and ash billowed from the dried underbrush that hadn¡¯t been cleared since last winter. The needles carried the flames like oil and rose up the tree trunks like snakes. If that had been all though, Simon was confident Powder and the Rangers could handle it. A resonating roar reminded him that this wasn¡¯t all there was though. Somewhere, a battle was raging, and it was their job now as trainers to assist in emergencies. Now or never, Simon thought to himself as his mind reached out to Powder. Time to get to work, Powder. The esper tensed in his hood and hunkered down in its folds, but she responded as an esper should. Powder¡¯s mind reached back, and the two became one. Her power flowed through the opal and into Simon, granting him access to magic of his own for the first time. His blood ran cold, but unlike the first time, it didn¡¯t bother him. It felt natural as the bond strengthened. His senses increased as his smell sharpened to a razor¡¯s edge. He could feel everything now as the sensations wared with the cold in his flesh and across his bond. As if confirming their connection, power overlaid his vision as a selection of spells appeared. Spell List: Elemental Shot Form of Snow Winter Blast Form of Snow He hadn¡¯t had a chance to research what the spells did specifically yet, but if they did what he thought, it wasn¡¯t going to matter. Frost melted into water, and if he was going to be of any help, he needed a lot of it. The brush couldn¡¯t burn if it was frozen solid, after all. Pulling at his spells, Simon didn¡¯t waste any time. He needed as much power as he could muster to deal with the blaze, so he took two spells into him, Winter Blast and Elemental Shot. As he did, he felt the power flow into his hands, and the air around him begin to grow thick with fog. The white, cold, swelling mist flowed easily in the warmer air, slipping between his fingers before Powder¡¯s power prompted him with a new message. Merge? Depending on how the two manifested, he¡¯d have something to work with, plus he¡¯d get three spells in return. He didn¡¯t have a reason not to merge them right now. He couldn¡¯t hold back if he wanted to help. Mentally, he confirmed the action, and the spell list was updated. Spell List: Elemental Shot Elemental Shot Form of Snow Form of Snow Form of Snow Agility Deep Freeze Not for the first time, Simon wished he had been able to do a little more research, but he didn¡¯t have the mind for it last night. He hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d need to know everything yet. Hopefully, it didn¡¯t come back to bite him as he summoned the power of the new spell. If the fog from the first two spells manifesting had been anything to go from, this spell truly had the combined power of the two. In one hand, he held the glowing, white power, and the mist was thicker than wet wood smoke, blocking out everything it covered and gathering across the floor like a blanket around him. Even to his frost-protected senses, it felt cold. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. With a prayer in his heart, Simon aimed for the nearest spot of flame and released the power. Simon¡¯s research would have helped him immensely in this situation. The power of Deep Freeze was more than he was prepared for as his hand kicked back while a beam of shimmering blue lightning shot forward. Nearly knocking the unprepared trainer on his rear, the frozen lightning hit the flames, the ground, put out the local fire, and kept going with all the sound of falling snow and cracking ice. Struggling with the power, Simon kept trying to regain control as the beam traced up the tree, flash-freezing the branches and putting a stop to the flames before they could spread. As the power began to wane, Simon was able to regain control and sweep the attack for the few more seconds it lasted across the ground. The final flames froze and vanished as ice coated the burning fuel before melting and cooling hot spots in one swoop. When the power died, he heard June cheer. Simon grinned, sure he¡¯d done what he set out to do, until the simmering hiss of steam was replaced by loud cracking. ¡°The tree!¡± June called just in time for a large crack to appear in the bark. Simon did his best not to get caught. With June¡¯s warning, Simon ran and ducked behind the truck where June now waited with her phone open and her eyes glued to the screen. A moment later, the large plant exploded in a shower of wooden shrapnel that broke the few remaining windows and sounded more like ice than anything he had done. ¡°Care to help?¡± Simon asked as he prepared another set of spells to merge, a pair of Form of Snow which created something called Blanket of Frost. Quickly checking his list, he combined the spells he could before casting the original spell. The two Elemental Shots became Greater Elemental Shot and Agility joined with Form of Snow becoming Snow Dancer. Spell List: Greater Elemental Shot Greater Elemental Shot Blanket of Frost Snow Dancer Agility ¡°I already have,¡± she said. ¡°I mean with the fires,¡± Simon explained. She held up her phone. ¡°I am,¡± she explained again and began looking out through the smoke. ¡°We¡¯ve got company.¡± Apparently, his stunt had gained the attention of the lesser espers as he summoned the Blanket of Frost. Despite still feeling warm, ice spread across his limbs. The shell around him grew thicker and thicker, turning him into more of an armored mass than a human. His will moved the armor as if it were his limbs as he floated in the center with a frozen esper on his shoulder, chittering with all the anger she could muster as she looked out over his shoulder at the growing mass of fire espers. He could feel the duration of the spell as if it were a ticking clock and spared June only a glance before running full tilt at the beasts. They were long, dangerous-looking badger creatures with long flaming knives for claws and eyes like burning coals. Burning coals hissed out under an assault of the crushing power of ice and snow as Agility took hold. Simon had used espers in combat before and was no stranger to hand-to-hand combat, but the way the icy shell responded was nothing short of amazing as he crushed espers one after another, sending their assembled mana up in a flare of dying fireflies and leaving behind little more than mana stones and other minor loot drops that coalesced from their expelled mana. One. Two. Three. Four espers fell to his crushing blows until the icy shell shattered in a hail of frost and shard of ice. He had been ready for that though as the three remaining fire espers circled him. In his mind, he felt Powder¡¯s awareness extend to his and he knew where all three opponents were ready to pounce. At least until June skewered one in a barrage of obsidian quills that came like a rain of arrows. ¡°Nice, June!¡± Looking over was a mistake as burning claws ripped into his arm. The smell of burning meat and melting flesh nearly made him sick, but he settled for simply screaming in pain as he fell to the ground, grabbing at his arm. June was there in an instant, hunched over him protectively as a shell of glimmering black covered them. The attacking esper bounced off the shield, trailing quills of inky black that dissolved as its burning coat flared. Thankfully, the barrier held. ¡°Idiot,¡± She scolded. ¡°You know better than to let your guard down.¡± He did, but he wasn¡¯t in any shape to argue it as the cauterized wound still smoked. It was pain like nothing he¡¯d ever felt, but it did help him focus on what had to be done as Powder climbed down and curled into the smoking ruin of his flesh, cooling the wound enough for him to focus. ¡°I know,¡± he hissed, pulling out a bandage and trying to wrap it before the shell fell. ¡°I¡¯ve only got barriers in the lineup right now. I can buy you some time, but not much. Can you still fight?¡± Simon looked to Powder, the little creature seemed to burn with annoyance. She was a chittering noodle of anger as she glared beyond the opaque shell to where the other espers waited. Simon could feel her annoyance and indignation at hurting her playmate, hurting him, he realized after a moment. Well, the feeling was mutual. He¡¯d have to pay them back and fight. He couldn¡¯t deal with the injury if he was dead now, could he? He nodded, summoning the two greater shots into his hands. After remembering the kickback of the last greater spell he used, he released the second prepared spell and focused on the first. He could always call it back quickly enough. ¡°Whoa, don¡¯t freeze me,¡± she warned, pulling back from her place above Simon. ¡°The barrier ends in a few seconds. Attack them.¡± He nodded as June began counting down, holding onto the growing power of the Greater Elemental Shot. ¡°Five¡­¡± The cold began to bite as the spell drew more and more ambient mana from the world. ¡°Four¡­¡± Frost began to gather across his skin. ¡°Three¡­¡± The power began to quiver as he held it in place, or maybe it was his hands¡­ ¡°Oh fuck!¡± June cursed. ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± The shell dropped and Simon stumbled, doing his best to aim carefully and letting Powder''s instincts for battle guide his hand. The first bolt shot true, freezing the fire esper in place before it shattered like a broken mirror. Encouraged, he pulled the second and let it fly, but it went wide, freezing, and exploding, another tree. The falling limbs finished the esper off though, so it all worked out. Warmth seeped from his arm, soaking the makeshift bandage. That only left the one who had ripped his arm to shreds. Simon growled like a beast as Powder did the same. An Elemental Shot came to mind, and he threw it true, striking the beast and dimming its light before he cast Terrain Hazard. Powder¡¯s spell cast the entire world in white light, freezing the world and creating a sphere of winter around the burning esper. The creature¡¯s dim light was enough to stave off the worst of it, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough. His arm burned dangerously, the power he¡¯d been wielding taking its toll on his damaged body. Still, he couldn¡¯t let up. ¡°Incoming!¡± A bolt of lightning punctuated his thoughts, and the world went white as he caught a glimpse of rangers rushing onto the scene. 1-7: Graduation or On a Limb and a Loan The group of rangers that arrived was like a force Simon had never seen before. Each one wielding two or three espers at a time as the forces of powers beyond his reach clashed like nobody¡¯s business. The ground shook as the area was cleared, the wild espers culled, and more freshly attuned duelists began to return either at the call or after gaining their espers. In time, it was over. As the fires rest of the fires were cleared, Simon¡¯s wound was dealt with thanks to the magic of a life esper, but the wounds were deep, and the scars would remain. Eventually, he would get full use of his hand back too, so that was a bonus. June happily told him that it made him look much more mature. If scars were what made him mature, Simon would have rather been a child the rest of his life than go through with that again. His blood still felt cold as he gathered around the controlled fires of a campfire as the new ranger, Ranger John, ran down the results of the incursion that had overrun the camp. ¡°As many of you have assumed, the incursion has been dealt with in the only way it could. Twenty-seven lesser espers have been culled, the greater energy esper seen with them has seemingly vanished, and we are missing quite a few from our ranks including Ranger Gabs who have been radio silent since early last night. Though she sounded the alarm, nobody, esper, or fragment has been found. It is assumed she is hunting the esper but its natural signature is interfering with the tech she¡¯s carrying.¡± Though the ranger tried to sound hopeful, even June could tell what he really meant. Still, Simon didn¡¯t want to think Gabs had gotten herself killed. She was a silver ranger on the brink of gold for god¡¯s sake, she knew not to do something so stupid. Then again, she¡¯d also contacted him long after the supposed radio silence began. Powder took him from his thoughts as she rubbed her head against his cheek, projecting a desire for attention. Simon raised his hand, stroked her fur, and turned back to Ranger John. ¡°I know that you still have a few days left on your trip. Normally, you would spend this gathering essence, hunting wisps, practicing with your esper sparring with the others, or whatever else it is that you do now as a rite of passage, but this trip has ended for those of you that are here.¡± Murmurs rose across the assembled few, knowing that over half of their number was still missing. No one seemed to like the idea, they liked it even less that they were being forced to now that they had their espers. For many, this would be their last chance to test their powers before they were given their assignment to train for. It would be the last time they could test themselves any way they saw fit and see if they made the right choice. But, that was just the way of the world sometimes, wasn¡¯t it? Ranger John continued unconcerned with their murmurings. ¡°In the absence of Ranger Gabriella, I will be your evaluator when we get back to town. Every one of you has found your esper and gotten it to align itself with your efforts. From here, you will be asked for your preferred profession, your esper will be evaluated, and your new tech will be issued based on what position you end up in. Once it¡¯s been confirmed, Trade workers will be given the tuning tool, Duelists will be given the analyze attachment, rangers will be given the coverage tool, and those involved in the raising of espers will be given the husbandry tool. If your score is high enough, you will then be allowed to do as you see fit within that professional caste. Low enough, and you will be put into an apprenticeship until your master sees fit to release you into the trade.¡± Simon knew this was coming, but he kept shifting his eyes over to June. Taking out his phone, he pinged her. Simon: You okay? June looked at him as she looked up from her screen. He smiled at her, and she shrugged as she replied, typing in a storm of clicks. June: Sort of? Yes? It¡¯s just weird is all. I expected to have a chance, you know? Ranger John has a strict reputation from what I¡¯ve been hearing and doesn¡¯t allow anyone without an 80 or higher to choose duelist. He¡¯s got stupid high standards for those that want to fight, and I just don¡¯t have what he wants. I¡¯m going to be stuck sewing clothes for the rest of my life or doing acupuncture or something else with Phantom until I can get my score up. It sucks. -_- Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Simon paused, reading the text for a second time before he looked back at June. She was smiling, but there was a sadness in her eyes that hadn''t been there when they¡¯d been fighting not so long ago. He didn¡¯t know what to say to that. He didn¡¯t want to patronize her, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t fair. She¡¯d saved his ass more than once over the past few days. Sure, she could be irritating, annoying, a bit absurd, slightly demented¡­ He sighed, unable to finish the thought as he was next in line. ¡°Simon Tripps, your esper is¡­¡± The frost marten looked up from his hood and chittered at the ranger in annoyance. Her bright blue eyes and nose twitched as she finished making her annoyance known and cuddled back into his hood. Holding up his phone, there was a bit of light and a ping of data updated on Ranger John¡¯s device. ¡°A frost marten, rare in these parts. Where did you find it?¡± ¡°Her,¡± Simon corrected, a detail tugging at his mind. He¡¯d already confirmed this with Gabs, hadn¡¯t he? ¡°She found me though. I can¡¯t take all the credit.¡± Ranger John gave him an approving nod. ¡°Some of our greatest allies find us, not the other way around. Frost is a good all-around element. It also lends itself as well to the trades as it does to combat. Have you decided which way you want to go?¡± Simon had been thinking long and hard on that, and the decision wasn¡¯t actually that hard when it came down to it. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a dual path.¡± He could practically hear June¡¯s neck snap towards him. Her eyes practically burned through his skull as Powder sent him a warning. He knew what he wanted though, and watched as John nodded. ¡°Which two paths?¡± Simon smiled. ¡°Husbandry and duelist.¡± The ranger seemed to consider this and looked hard at the screen of his phone. ¡°Your scores are phenomenal, Simon. I don¡¯t think that will be a problem. It¡¯ll be a lot of work though, and the funding¡­¡± He took a breath, praying to whatever power above cared about him as he interrupted the ranger. ¡°Since you brought that up,¡± Simon said. ¡°I know my scores allow requesting an apprentice to assist me, right?¡± John gave him a look and nodded. ¡°That is correct. You¡¯ll have a list of potential apprentices sent to you as soon as we return.¡± Simon shook his head. This was it¡­ ¡°I already know who I want. I formally request June Travis as my assistant in dueling and rearing espers.¡± He could hear the ticking of fingers on the screen, but he ignored them, especially when he felt his pocket beginning to buzz like a swarm of angry pyroclastic bees. He watched as John brought up her scores, knowing full well that Simon probably already knew the results. ¡°We will discuss this later, but¡ª¡° he turned his attention to June. ¡°It is ultimately your decision. I will talk to you both later if you do not object.¡± June shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t object.¡± John nodded and continued down the line. Despite her moving next to Simon, June said nothing. Her phone was away, and he didn¡¯t dare check his own for fear of what horrors he¡¯d unleashed upon himself. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter to him. If June wanted to be a duelist, and he had the power to make that happen¡­ well¡­ that was just what he was going to do. The next ten minutes were spent in awkward silence as Ranger John continued to evaluate and assign the fates of the other six members that had returned to the camp. As he did, Simon noticed Peter had not been one of those that returned the call. Before he could think any more of it, Ranger John returned to them and waved them back toward the burnt-out remains of their old van. There, away from the group, he sighed. ¡°Simon, you realize her compatibility with that and her shadowquill are not exactly suited for the life of a duelist or a rancher. Shadowquill are defensive creatures and better suited for sewing or medicine than true combat.¡± Simon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡± ¡°Believe it or not, that¡¯s the truth.¡± Simon considered that for only a moment before June interrupted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that my choice to make if he accepts me?¡± John nodded. ¡°That it is, but you realize that there are stipulations to apprenticeships. Ones that I am allowed to set as I see fit and have approved by the Esper League and Governing Board?¡± He wasn¡¯t, but he nodded. June followed suit. ¡°Good. Here are my terms for your apprenticeship, June. In one year¡¯s time, you will compete in the Harvest Festival back in Comet¡¯s Reach. You will finish in the top three, or you will be reassigned. Your esper will also be reevaluated at that time. If you cannot compete in the field with your shadowquill at that time, you will be reassigned to a job more fitting your skills. Do you understand and accept this requirement?¡± June didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I accept.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he said, turning to Simon. ¡°If you fail to produce a winning esper in the next year with your apprentice, you will also be deemed unfit and be reassigned to a more fitting position.¡± Simon did his best not to show his surprise as he replied. ¡°My scores¡ª¡° ¡°Are good enough to do whatever you see fit, but as a master, you must be tested as well. So, your role as a master is now being put to the test. Knowing this, do you still offer June Travis a formal apprenticeship as a duelist under your care?¡± ¡°Simon¡­¡± ¡°I do,¡± he said, ignoring June¡¯s plea. ¡°In for a penny, in for a pound, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ranger John asked. ¡°Something my parents say.¡± Ranger John nodded. ¡°Very well. I will see you in just over a year. Keep yourselves out of trouble until then.¡± He said, making a few clicks on his screen. ¡°I¡¯ve forwarded your request to the Governing Board, and you should be getting your assigned plot and equipment sets soon. Good luck, and enjoy the ride back.¡± Bonus Episode 1: Match Start - November 22nd, 2027 The moon rose in its full glory above the horizon. Not a cloud in the sky blocked the cold, gentle light from falling onto the breaking waves of the lonely sand as a pair of individuals clad in mixed attire pulled their small craft onto the shore and into the sand beyond the tide¡¯s reach. There, the two men, one dressed in a flamboyant button-up shirt with khaki shorts, and the other in what amounted to business casual, unloaded something no larger than a paper box. Trimmed in deep red and almost wholly silver, the markings on the box glimmered in the light, casting a ghostly radiance across the coastal beach. As they began pulling items from it, a carpet, a small table, an exorbitant number of rocks, some candles, a sheep, a tent, and a telescope, it was clear that things weren¡¯t quite as they appeared to be. Magic was afoot. Not the kind of magic that involved pulling a rabbit from a hidden compartment in a top hat or having packages arrive after only a day of waiting. No, no! This was real magic! And of course, it was in one of the most magical places on Earth. "Who would have thought the secret to magical dominance would have been here all along, Caliban,¡± the man in the Hawaiian shirt said as he brought the scope down to gaze into the distance beyond the shoreline to the kingdom waiting beyond. ¡°Fucking Disn¡­!¡± Caliban scoffed, interrupting the first. ¡°That man knew his arcane arts, Steve. Why else would he have enacted the ritual here? You know as well as I do the rumors. Would you have chosen Florida to spend your eternal life as a lich if you didn¡¯t have to?¡± ¡°Prefer Washington myself. Imagine what would have happened if his followers hadn¡¯t botched it when they froze him.¡± ¡°Leading to the magical leak we¡¯re here to exploit and seal.¡± ¡°Florida man, only magic could explain that spiritual entity,¡± Steve mused again then turned the telescope to the stars above. ¡°Did you see it made the news yesterday?¡± Caliban sighed. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Someone rode an alligator into a Mcdonald''s yesterday! He said he¡¯d pulled a machete from its head even and declared himself king of Florida!¡± ¡°All the more reason to seal it up. I hear that sometimes it¡¯s manifesting as a were-crocodile now.¡± The thought made Steve shiver. ¡°That''s the last thing we need. Are we close enough to the leyline to do it here?¡± ¡°Going to have to be, Steve. We can¡¯t storm the castle now, can we?¡± ¡°The harmonics of the convergence ratios,¡± Steve argued. ¡°The calibrations were for-¡° ¡°We¡¯ve run the numbers more than once,¡± Caliban pointed out, interrupting Steve¡¯s rant. ¡°As long as we¡¯re in visual range to see the castle¡¯s ramparts, we¡¯re close enough for the margin of errors to pick up the slack created by distance.¡± From the crates, three golems about the size of the sheep were pulled out and given a few arcane directions before they went to work carving a circle in the sand before cauterizing it into glass. They were painfully slow, but it was better than the blowtorch Steve wanted originally, and in the meantime¡­ Steve pulled out a deck of sleeved cards and began shuffling. ¡°Care for a game while we wait?¡± Caliban raised a brow. ¡°You really brought a deck with you? We¡¯re sealing away rogue magic here. Protecting the world from chaos? Our job? Does any of that ring a bell?¡± ¡°It Seemed appropriate,¡± Steve argued. ¡°I am playing blue.¡± Caliban sighed. They did have some time to kill. ¡°Alright, Captain No Fun. Elder Dragon or Oathbreaker?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Do you have to ask?¡± Steve asked, flipping over the blue-bordered creature sitting next to the now-shuffled deck. Caliban produced his own from his pocket, flipped over an alien-looking creature, and began shuffling. ¡°Oh, come on! No one likes playing against that.¡± ¡°Your end is promised,¡± Caliban smiled. ¡°Just like Walt¡¯s and his demesne.¡± *** Several turns and twenty commander damage later, Caliban was smirking as Steve jumped buck naked into the ocean¡¯s cold embrace. There was something satisfying about using a horror from beyond to put Steve in his place, poetic even. Hearing his yelp of displeasure made it all the more so. By the time Steve had returned to the beach, Caliban was ready and handed Steve a towel produced from another pocket and smiled. ¡°You brought it on yourself, you know.¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know you had a colorless counter spell and stifle? It was lethal damage!¡± ¡°I always have a trick up my sleeves. It¡¯s why I wear sleeves, Steve.¡± Steve scoffed. ¡°So do I!¡± ¡°But mine stop the stack.¡± ¡°Damn, moon-dweller. That was unfair.¡± ¡°Well, so is stopping anyone from having fun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m having fun,¡± Steve countered, finished with his drying and getting dressed. ¡°Case in point. Now, are we going to get to work or not?¡± Dressed for action and the game finished, the two set the table aside and looked at the newly carved ritual circle. All that was left was to trigger the ritual, hide the evidence, and return to¡­ The glowing light of the ritual circle drew his attention like a shark to blood as the glassed sand took on an eerie blue glow. ¡°Fuck! Steve! Break the circle! We weren¡¯t ready!¡± The table fell as Steve stumbled to grab the sheep. The creature was strapped to a stake in the ground, but it proved little issue as he pulled it from its earthly bounds and threw it into the circle with a surprising bah! The sickening crack it made as it landed wasn¡¯t as surprising as Steve continued his mad dash to protect their work. ¡°We¡¯ve got this!¡± Magic crackled through the air like thunder as the energy began to build and arc within the runic structure of the circle. ¡°We don¡¯t have this!¡± Caliban yelled over the growing thrum of magic ¡°We have this!¡± Steve said, knocking the golems over and out of the circle as he tried to clear the circle or any taint. ¡°Get out of there!¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done!¡± Power crackled like snapping bones as the glass ring strained under the power. Small shards of imperfection rose into the air and evaporated into a fine powder before vanishing into atoms. Pieces of Steve¡¯s clothing frayed, starting to come apart like a colorful puzzle that would never have all of its pieces again. ¡°Now, Steve!¡± Steve¡¯s muscles screamed, and his kneecaps popped as he propelled himself in exactly the way he shouldn¡¯t through the air. Like a swan stuffed from too many deep-dish pizzas and late-night visits to Dairy Queen, the man¡¯s form spread bulged against the moonlit sky for exactly five seconds before his massive form came crashing into the ground, but it was worth it. Steve had cleared everything but the sheep from the circle and was safely on the outside where lightning was not striking anything that moved. ¡°BahhAAAAHHHH!¡± Poor sheep. Arcing energy surged from the ground, following the circuit of the sheep¡¯s legs like a Jacob¡¯s Ladder as the power continued to swell. Like a bonfire catching fire, the circle began to flare. They¡¯d accounted for this though and planned accordingly. The second layer of the circle triggered as the power passed from mildly dangerous to extremely dangerous, erecting a shield to protect the continuing ritual from corrupting the natural order. With nothing to feed off of but the life force and imagination of the sheep, the magic of the proto-demesne would be brought back into a natural balance with the world¡¯s leylines. Steve sighed with relief despite the horrifying bleating. It wasn¡¯t the worst he¡¯d ever heard, and he even still had most of his shirt and shorts! He grinned, patting Caliban on the shoulders. ¡°I told you we had it. Nothing to worry¡­¡± Caliban didn¡¯t meet his gaze. Worse, he didn¡¯t have a snide remark. That only meant trouble. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Caliban?¡± Caliban paled and broke his friend¡¯s hold. His muscles bulged unnaturally, ripping the fabric of his fine-tailored suit and spilling the contents of his pocket spaces onto the ground like a stream of junk from an inter-dimensional yard sale. With no mind for the vials of slime, powders, and recreational items, the hulk of a man began pounding on the barrier of energy, sending waves of force rippling through it. ¡°We need to stop it!¡± When that didn¡¯t work, he picked up the table and began slamming it against the light. ¡°Help me!¡± Steve looked at him, confused and sweating nervously. ¡°We can¡¯t stop it. It¡¯s self-perpetuating now. It¡¯ll be fine though. You said so yourself. We have the margins¡­¡± ¡°Your cards are still in there!¡± Steve looked and whimpered as there near the sheep, a deck of cards lay spilled across the ground. Imagination for the formless energy to leach and enact intent from¡­ ¡°Damn it, Steve!¡± Energy swelled within the ritual, and in a glorious display that would put any firework display to shame, the two could only helplessly watch as the glow of power overtook each and every card of his precious deck, the sheep, and then radiate out like the light of a neutron bomb. In that instant, the world went white power immeasurable exploded in all directions as a final phrase rang out through the air to usher in a new age of magic. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Oh shit, indeed.