《Endless Excursion [Digimon-Inspired Progression Fantasy]》


 EE1 - The Only Way Out Is Through

    ¡°I¡¯d leave, if I were you.¡± Brand¡¯s father told him.


    Brand said nothing. Just sat in his chair by his desk. He didn''t know what to say. Or if he could say anything. He''d been agonising for weeks about this particular topic. If he said anything now it''d all spill out in a torrent.


    His father continued. ¡°I don''t know what the future will bring for us. But I can take care of the family without you. I''ve held you back for long enough.¡± The man paused, deliberating over what to say. ¡°Truthfully, I was hoping one day I''d wake up and you''d be gone. But I should have known you''d be too loyal. I''ve talked to your mother. We''ve packed you a bag. Leave tonight before it''s too late, and go find your friends.¡± He was looking Brand in the eyes from across the room, as if searching for something in there. He gave a sharp nod to Brand, then turned and closed the door.


    Brand waited a few seconds before breathing a heavy sigh of relief. All of a sudden the weight of the world was off his shoulders. All of a sudden he was free.


    Big political changes in the town meant if he wanted to leave, to ever go on an excursion, he had to go now or never. And risk never seeing his family again. It was a torturous decision for the young man.


    But he had to leave, he had been raised on stories of his parents travelling to the far corners of the strange land they lived in and always dreamed of emulating them. As a kid he''d played excursion with his best friends, Ember and Kelvin. Of evolving, and getting their own Databeasts - that was the mark of a true adventurer. They''d both gone off on their own now, whilst he''d stayed behind to help his family after his father''s accident. They''d always talked about adventuring together, just the three of them. After two years, it was finally time to make that a reality.


    _______


    Brand walked away from his house through the darkened streets, eyes still misty.


    He had gone downstairs and his whole family had been waiting for him. Mother, father, two brothers and his sister. They had all been very sad, but accepting. His parents¡¯ Databeast, a dog-like creature named a Spinehound for the spikes that jutted out of the thick white fur along the vertebrae and the horn on the top of its head, had whined at him not to leave.


    He was somewhat embarrassed at how he''d cried with them before leaving, but everybody else had cried as well. His parents had given him lots of hugs, an adventuring backpack, and transferred him some extra BITs for food and supplies. He insisted he didn''t need them, but they insisted back that they''d worry if he didn''t take them. So he''d accepted the transfer.


    The pack they''d given him was light but well stocked. His parents still remembered their days of travel fondly, and had given him everything he could need. Food, adventuring supplies, a bedroll, a net and spear for fishing, and finally, his father''s old weaponry.


    The weaponry was a dense buckler and a bronze short sword. Most men didn''t like to fight the monsters of the hinterland up close, but his father had always maintained it was the safest place to be.


    Brand had echoed that in his youth, and played with a fake buckler and short sword with his friends, and then later with a proper set during his excursion classes in school.


    He wondered if those classes would continue after he left. What would be the point, with all citizens barred from excursion and the town closed off? The town still had to fight the Databeasts that made their way into the mines of course, but that was the extent of combat they''d see. And the violence against people trying to leave, he supposed. That¡¯s why he had to leave at night - his family might be pressured into keeping him here by other citizens, or as had already happened to one youth, the police might throw him in jail on spurious claims in order to prevent him from leaving before the new laws came into effect. Which was in less than a week. All the more reason to go now.


    Brand walked past rows of empty houses, looking for the right one. This whole area was like a ghost town now, unlike when he¡¯d played here as a kid. But he still had something to do before he left.


    Kelvin was an orphan, his parents had died young, when he was ten years old. For his inheritance, Kelvin had received the house they lived in, which wasn''t worth much when the town was losing people by the year, and three mid-grade elemental stones.


    Now, those were worth a hell of a lot. Enough that Kelvin could have sold them and got a pretty decent house uptown with all the Cabletown elite.


    But he didn''t. He''d made Ember and Brand promise to take them for themselves and attune them on their first adventure, against the insistence of the two that it was far too much for them. They''d buried them in his back garden. Then Kelvin had moved into Brand''s house and Brand''s parents raised him as their own.


    They''d gone back to that old house when Kelvin and Ember had left, and those two had collected their stones. They reburied the one for Brand by the roots of the tree. Brand hoped it was still there. He was sure it would be, given the desolate nature of the area, but his anxiety rose as he jumped the fence to get into the back garden. He had considered not burying it and taking it home for safekeeping. But he''d promised Kelvin he''d tell no-one all those years ago, and his siblings were always in his room.


    And if his parents found out the existence of it, he''d want to sell it. He hated knowing there was something he could do while they struggled.


    Brand approached the tree. He remembered it well, every branch and root. They¡¯d climbed it hundreds of times as children. He knew where they''d buried the element stone. His anxiety rose as he dug with his collapsible shovel and found nothing. In the darkness it was hard to tell if he was even in the right spot, until a ding rang out. He quickly brushed the dirt aside until he saw an unmistakable glow. Soft, very soft. It would barely be noticed unless one was really looking. But that was the glow of the element within it. He had seen it several times down in the mines, but never this bright. The poor grade elemental stones he found down there were just a twinkle away from dull.


    Brand took the stone out and slipped it under a specially made vambrace with a round leather indent to keep it in place.


    This was a common tactic for low levels going out on exhibition. They hadn''t reached the point where they could attune their element stones and absorb it inside them yet, but they needed skin to stone contact to utilise its power. The vambrace kept it locked in place, unable to fall out.


    He could feel the energy thrumming through him. At level 5 he¡¯d be able to absorb the element stone completely inside himself through a process called attunement and really be able to use it - maybe he¡¯d even be able to create a Databeast with it!


    But for now he was only level 3, so wouldn''t be able to utilise much of its power, but it still made him feel amazing - alive! As if in peak condition. And it would continuously supply him with energy as long as he kept it close. That was good, he would have to move quickly to get to the gate before it closed. He took off down the street at a jog. The gate wasn¡¯t far, but it would close at 12. It was 11 now.


    _____


    By the time he got there it was 11:30. Perfect timing, he figured. And he hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat.


    But there was trouble at the gate. The large, imposing walls were broken only by the gate that allowed human traffic through. Men patrolled across the top of the wall, while guards stood in front of the gate. There were two there in white armour, both holding titanium-carbide staffs. Both men would have element stones of their own and undoubtedly be higher level than him. Probably 5, maybe even 6 or 7 if they were diligent with their training.


    These two guards were arguing with an irate, scruffy blond man, who was demanding to be let through. Brand approached the scuffle, recognising the blond man. His name was Tommen. Brand didn¡¯t know him well, but they¡¯d done some training together in their military excursion classes. The young man could scrap if Brand remembered right, but he¡¯d never be able to take on two armoured guards on his own. The guards almost certainly had poor rank element stones.


    Brand approached the conflict with trepidation. He wanted to leave Cabletown, and now. The less trouble the better.


    When the guards noticed him, their attitude changed from slightly peeved to seriously annoyed. Tommen took notice of that and turned around, spotting him.


    ¡°Brand, right?¡± He noticed the bag on his back. ¡°If you''re trying to leave, they won''t let you.¡±


    ¡°It''s too late. The gate is closed for the day.¡± The guard interjected.


    ¡°What?¡± This took Brand back. He checked his watch. ¡°It''s barely 11:30.¡±


    ¡°They''ve changed the times apparently. The gate closes at 11 now. Just today. What a coincidence.¡± Tommen sneered.


    ¡°Hey! I told you not to take that tone with me!¡± The guard snarled.


    ¡°Come on now, there''s no need for this.¡± Brand tried to de-escalate. It normally worked when his brothers were fighting. ¡°It''s 11:30 and the gate isn¡¯t locked yet. We didn''t know the gate would be closed early. Nobody did. Why don''t you let us through?¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you back off home, kid? It''s not opening.¡± The other guard spoke and stepped forward, hands on his staff.


    ¡°This is completely unfair.¡± Brand tried a different tactic.


    ¡°Take it up with the mayor.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Tommen was fuming. ¡°You open at 6. I''ll wait here all night if I have to.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Wouldn''t bother. You won''t be getting by without a license. Effective tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Now Brand was incensed. He''d just cried tears of goodbye to his family. He''d dug up the element stones. He was leaving. He was finding his friends. He''d been held back two years, he wasn''t being held back any longer. ¡°This is outrageous! I''m not having this.¡±


    The first, most irate, guard stepped forward wielding his weapon. ¡°Listen. Why don''t a couple of traitors like you stop trying to leave and get back to your houses, and I don''t book you for the next week?¡±


    ¡°Traitors!?¡± Brand was amazed at the gall it took to call him a traitor. His family had been in this small outpost town since it''d formed. Going on excursion was part of his families¡¯ tradition for a youth - it had been a town tradition not so long ago, too. Were his ancestors traitors too?


    ¡°That''s right, traitors.¡± Said the other guard. ¡°You''ve been happy to take all the food and infrastructure we''ve given you. It''s about time you paid something back. Stop being selfish and go home. Last warning before I show you what happens to traitors to the town.¡±


    Brand bristled but didn''t say anything, staring down the guard.


    Tommen grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Come on. It''s not worth it.¡±


    Brand looked at him for a second, then looked at the guards. Tommen seemed sure. Brand nodded. The guards weren''t going to let him out. If he wanted out he''d have to find a different way.


    The two young men started walking away.


    ¡°That''s right.¡± The irate guard spat at them.


    They''d got about three metres away before the other guard yelled after them. ¡°Wait! How about I escort you two back. Make sure you get home safe, eh?¡±


    Brand made eye contact with Tommen, who also had a look of incredulity on his face. Tommen jerked his head to the side. Brand nodded and the two took off, sprinting into the night, twisting down alleyways and belting down empty streets. The guard had started chasing when they began running, but they soon lost him. Brand figured the guard probably could have caught up, or at least tried harder to get them. Guards were just adventurers too lazy to go on excursion, he figured.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°We''ll find a different way out.¡± Brand agreed, but knew it was easier said than done.


    _____


    ¡°What happened to you, anyway? I can''t think I ever saw you after school.¡± Brand started up the conversation after several minutes in silence. They''d made a plan to get to one of the more destitute parts of the wall, far from the gate, in the hopes there''d be less guards patrolling there, and were now making their way over. They¡¯d try and get up and over the wall once they¡¯d got there.


    ¡°Yeah you wouldn¡¯t have seen me. I worked like a dog until I could afford a low grade element stone, else I¡¯d have left town a while ago. Finally managed it, with a fair amount of help from my parents of course.¡±


    ¡°A low grade element stone?¡± Brand was impressed. ¡°Where did you work?¡±


    ¡°Deep mines. Best pay for someone with little education.¡±


    ¡°Woah.¡± Brand had done some work in the deep mines occasionally, when his family really needed the money. It was backbreaking work, especially for a low level. ¡°For two years? That''s rough.¡±


    ¡°Six days a week. But here we are, I made it. So I reckon with the two of us, we might just be able to get over that wall somehow.¡±


    ¡°Six days a week in the deep mines? Wait, what level are you?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Level 5.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    Tommen''s cockiness made a bit more sense now. The other man was certainly physically fit. Getting to that level at this age was no joke. He was willing to work to get what he wanted. And a low grade element stone made him even stronger - being level 5 meant he would have been able to use a fair amount of the power within it.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve attuned it already?¡± Brand wondered.


    ¡°Not yet. Thought it¡¯d be a bit daft, give my plans of leaving away. Now I might as well have.¡±


    ¡°Fair. Which element is it?¡±


    ¡°Wind.¡±


    ¡°Damn. We just might get over that wall.¡± Wind was a great element for enhancing movement.


    ¡°Ha-ha! That''s what I''m talking about. What have you got then?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Brand deadpanned.


    ¡°What level are you? Got an element stone? I told you mine. Fair¡¯s fair.¡± Tommen explained.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡± Brand thought rapidly. He couldn''t tell Tommen he had a medium grade element stone. The difference between low and medium was immense. Tommen seemed sound, but greed found ways to change a man. Especially a higher level one that might just be able to beat him. And how would he explain a medium grade stone? He could barely explain a low grade one. A poor rank stone, possibly, but if he ever used his element then Tommen would know he''d been lying - you could barely manifest an element from a poor rank stone.. And besides, Tommen had trusted him. ¡°Level 3. Low grade fire.¡±


    ¡°Woah! No way. You''ve got a low grade too? How''d you get one of those?¡±


    ¡°The easy route. Inherited.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I heard your parents were adventurers back in the day. Good for them.¡±


    Brand mentally gave a sigh of relief. Luckily the reputation of his family preceded him. They weren¡¯t exactly legends, but their exploits were known. ¡°Your parents weren''t then?¡±


    ¡°Nah. They went on a couple of excursions for kicks, but aside from that they''ve never really left Cabletown.¡± Tommen told him.


    That was interesting. ¡°What made you wanna get out of here so bad then?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Who said I want to get out of here so badly?¡± Tommen said defensively.


    ¡°Most people don''t grind for two years in the deep mines for a low grade element stone. And most people don''t argue with a guard, or plan to jump the wall, knowing it could get them locked up.¡±


    Tommen shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be an adventurer. My parents filled my head with stories I guess. Cabletown is so¡­ stifling, you know?¡±


    Brand did. There was such a cloying atmosphere around the town, especially for young people. Everything was monitored, everything was policed, and everything you did came back to affect the people close to you, socially or otherwise. Talking about going on an excursion was practically taboo. It was too dangerous to the health of the town if you died or left for somewhere else, people said.


    So it was custom that a youth would just disappear in the night, not really mentioning anything about excursion to anyone. Then the family could pretend they didn''t know their child would leave, and avoid spiteful comments at work or on the street. Then when the youth returned, they would have to spend the first weeks walking around shamefully, pretending they''d just made a big mistake and that they''d embarrassed their family by leaving.


    Brand''s father said it wasn''t like this before, when he first left. The attitude had been growing then, but it was nothing like now. Now the town was banning excursions entirely.


    ¡°Yeah, I get you.¡± Brand said.


    They didn''t say much after that. The wall was getting closer and closer and a quiet tension had settled over them.


    They''d made a rudimentary plan. Tommen didn''t have many supplies - he''d come pretty unprepared, with basically only food, sleeping equipment and a staff weapon. Brand on the other hand had been given everything he needed by his parents. One of those things was a rope.


    The wall was quite tall. About three times Brand''s height. The plan was simple, Tommen would be the one to boost Brand up the wall with his level 5 strength and low grade stone. Brand would jump off the boost and grab onto the top of the wall. From there Tommen would throw Brand''s pack up and he would let down the rope to pull Tommen up. Getting down the other side would be simple. One of them would drop down and the other would throw their packs down and then follow them.


    As long as there weren''t any guards on that exact portion of the wall, and they were quick and quiet, they should be able to get it done.


    Simple was often the most effective. If they failed they''d just have to make another plan. That was something his parents had drilled into him. Simple usually works but be ready to improvise.


    They were approaching the wall now. There was a large gap between the empty houses and the wall. This was one of the more abandoned parts of town. They didn''t see any uniformed guards on top of that section of the wall, but knew there''d be one patrolling soon. The guards were ostensibly to keep Databeasts out, rather than keeping people in, but Brand knew that the rules had changed.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked Tommen.


    ¡°Ready.¡± Tommen confirmed.


    Brand felt uncomfortable as they left the streets into the open area. He felt naked, unprotected. When walking the streets they could just claim they were just wandering and be merely scolded for it. Now it was clear that they were going to try and climb the wall, which he imagined would have much more serious repercussions.


    I¡¯m not doing anything wrong, Brand told himself. I¡¯m just doing what my parents did, and their parents before them. He took a deep breath.


    Before he knew it, they¡¯d reached the wall. They took their packs off and Tommen braced himself against the wall, dropping his hips low and clasping his fingers together to create a launch platform for Brand to stand on. Brand looked up at the wall. It had a large stone lip around the top to prevent guards falling, which he would be able to grab on to. It seemed ridiculously high up once close to it, almost mocking him with its height. It was daunting and he felt nervous.


    If Kelvin and Ember were here I wouldn¡¯t feel like this, he thought. But there was only one way to get to them.


    He sprinted towards Tommen and jumped, placing a single foot in Tommen¡¯s open hands. There was a millisecond of lag as Tommen reacted, launching Brand up. Brand kicked off Tommen¡¯s hands at the same time and he soared through the air.


    Brand couldn¡¯t believe how high he went. Once his body was on his set trajectory he seemed to keep rising and rising. As he got closer and closer to the top of the wall there was a second where he actually thought he¡¯d be able to grab onto the rim of the wall and pull himself over and he stretched his fingers out to reach it. The tips of his fingers brushed against it and he squeezed, digging his fingers hard against the rough stone.


    It just wasn¡¯t enough. One of his fingernails bent back as his left hand grated down the side of the wall and he fell. He was so close! If just a little more of his fingers had made it onto the rim he¡¯d have got a secure hold and been able to pull himself over.


    He cursed as he fell, seeing how long he had to go. He kicked off the wall slightly so his body wouldn¡¯t scrape down it and landed the fall well, turning it into a roll. One of his feet stung a bit from the landing, but he was okay and ready to go again. He just needed to be more confident, to kick off with more force.


    ¡°Whew! That was close!¡± Tommen whisper-yelled excitedly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try that again.¡± Brand told him. ¡°Just a little more power and we¡¯ve got it.¡±


    Tommen gave him a thumbs up. ¡±Full power.¡±


    Brand needed to get this next one. One never knew when they¡¯d see a guard coming along patrolling the wall, and his landing had ended up being a little louder than he¡¯d liked.


    He once again got in a sprint position, but this time gave it everything he had. He ran, leaped and bounced off of Tommen¡¯s hands. This time there was no lag between contact and being launched upwards as Tommen executed the catch and thrust upward all with one smooth motion. Brand kicked off once again and soared up towards the wall. He was approaching the wall quickly and this time he kicked off it as he hit it, keeping his upward momentum going.


    By the time he¡¯d reached the top of the wall, he was so far past the rim that it¡¯d be hard to try and grab it as it was practically at his chest. He managed to get his elbows over it, so he was hanging by his armpits. The jump had gone better than he¡¯d hoped!


    ¡°I knew a couple of traitors like you wouldn¡¯t go home.¡± Brand heard from the ground. His stomach dropped and it felt like a cold icicle had gone through his chest. The guard from before had found them. He needed to get the rope down to Tommen now before things got bad. He swung his legs up and over the wall and froze.


    Staring up at Brand in surprise was a bleary eyed guard who¡¯d been shirking his duty and sleeping on his shift.


    Things just got bad, he realised.

 EE2 - Freedom At Last

    Brand and the guard stared at each other for a second, both in horrified fascination.


    The guard grabbed for his staff on the ground beside him. Brand lunged for it, having no weapons of his own. There was a mad scramble for it, but it ended with the man underneath Brand, pushing the staff up horizontally. Brand was above, pushing down. Brand had his whole bodyweight on the guy, but the guard felt ridiculously strong.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± The guard yelled as he struggled to push Brand off him. Brand heard a thud beside him. His bag landed about two metres behind him.


    ¡°Brand! The rope!¡± Yelled Tommen from below.


    Brand had to think fast. He searched the guard''s confused face before speaking. ¡°Let us go. We don''t have to fight you.¡±


    ¡°Let you go where!?¡± The guard snarled back. Brand wondered if this man hadn''t got the memo. Maybe he''d be sympathetic to them and let them go? The guard''s arms were weakening from Brand''s pressure and the strain was visible on his face. The man on the bottom was strong, but not that strong.


    Still, it was taking too long and Brand needed another solution if he was going to help Tommen. Brand ripped up with all the force he could muster and tore the staff out of the guard¡¯s hands with all the force he could muster. It caught the floored man by surprised and the staff sailed out, landing several metres away from them on the wall, in the opposite direction of Brand''s bag.


    Brand sprinted away from the dazed guard and practically tackled his bag in his effort to get the rope out. He threw one end over the side of the wall and held onto the other end.


    He could finally see below. The guard who''d followed them was still a ways away, but gaining on Tommen fast. Brand threw the rope down and it practically hit Tommen on the top of the head and he turned and grabbed it without a second thought.


    The strain was heavy on Brand''s arms, but he''d been working in the mines for years and was no slouch. The element stone thrummed at his wrist, releasing energy. It wasn''t much, but it gave him enough of a boost to dig his heels into the railing and begin dragging the rope up as Tommen climbed.


    The guard on top of the wall had run to grab his staff. In his half awake and recently assaulted state that was the only thing he could think to do. The guard below caught sight of him.


    ¡°Rookie! What the hell are you doing?¡±


    The rookie guard straightened up into a sloppy salute immediately as he saw who was yelling at him. ¡°Captain! What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Get these two traitors or you''re done! You hear me? Done!¡± The guard captain yelled back.


    The rookie immediately acknowledged what he said and headed towards where Brand was pulling at the rope. Tommen was most of the way up the wall as the guard captain reached it. With a monstrous leap he made it halfway up the wall, reaching just beneath Tommen, despite the young man having had the advantage in climbing. Brand realised they weren''t up against a low level now. If that man got ahold of Tommen they were done for.


    Thinking fast, he leaned over the wall, holding the rope with one struggling hand and grasped for Tommen with the other whilst shouting his name. Luckily the other boy realised what he was doing and grasped Brand''s hand as they both let go of the rope.


    The guard captain fell with his arm outstretched, reaching for Tommen''s ankle. He landed hard on his back, but took no real damage, not even a brief winding. That solidified it in Brand''s mind. This man was dangerous.


    He pulled Tommen up and Tommen managed to grab onto the rim of the wall just in time as Brand took a heavy staff swing to the side of the face.


    Pain exploded out from his cheekbone, which had taken the brunt of the hit. His vision was spinning, his ears were ringing and he was dazed. The hit had rocked him and sent him stumbling back. He vaguely saw a vertical staff swing flying towards his forehead, but it was interrupted as Tommen hurled himself over the wall and at Brand''s attacker. The rookie wasn''t ready for it and him and Tommen ended up grappling, both fighting like madmen and trying to throw the other one to the floor. Tommen jumped on the rookie''s back to try and choke him from behind, but they were precariously close to the edge. A stumble and a trip took Tommen where he wanted to be - on the outside of the wall - and the guard went with him.


    Brands awareness was returning as he reached out to stop the two falling, but was nowhere near close enough. He could hear the guard captain down below impotently screaming. ¡°Get them! Get them!¡±


    But Brand took little notice. He looked over the wall to see Tommen and the rookie still going, scrapping on the green grass outside the town. The rookie was on top and Tommen looked in a bad way. Brand grabbed his bag and stumbled to the edge, dropping it over. He looked down over the rim of the wall. It was a much steeper drop on this side, at least another six feet. Brand hesitated, but only for a second.


    He was falling for what felt like ages, despite the ground rushing up to meet him. He landed well and rolled, despite his head spinning. In half a second he was standing again.


    The rookie was on top of Tommen now, knees on either side of his chest, his staff horizontal. He was pushing down hard and Tommen looked like he was in real danger as the weapon was being pressed further and further down towards his neck. He turned his head to the side in a futile effort to avoid the beam pressing down on him and pushed with his legs to try and get the rookie off him to no avail. Brand could see his face start to turn red as he struggled to fight the weight and strength of the rookie on his windpipe.


    Come on! Brand thought desperately as he searched through his bag like a madman. He was desperately tempted to abandon the attempt and tackle the rookie off Tommen but at the last second he found what he was looking for and pulled it out of his bag and its sheath in one move. It was the shortsword his father had given him.


    Like a flash he was behind the rookie with his shortsword held to his neck.


    ¡°Get off him.¡± Brand hissed as metal rested against flesh and the rookie froze. The staff practically dropped out of his hands and Tommen began gasping for air, his face full of rage.


    Brand took the man back a few paces, giving Tommen space. The young man stood up and was breathing heavily, hands held around his throat and eyes wide. It took a few seconds for him to cool down a bit.


    The guard captain was still screaming on the other side of the wall. Brand could vaguely catch threats directed towards both him and Tommen, and at the guard if he messed this up. It was hard to focus. He didn¡¯t know what to do. He had a sword at someone''s throat! And he didn¡¯t dare let go, lest the rookie turn it back on him.


    He couldn¡¯t kill someone over nothing. And he wouldn¡¯t let himself be killed. He desperately thought for answers.


    ¡°If I let you go, will you agree not to chase us?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t. Just let me go.¡± The rookie asked, terrified. Brand was shocked that he could inspire that level of fear in someone. He didn¡¯t like it. The rookie was probably around his age, maybe younger.


    ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t?¡± Brand continued, unsure if it was true. The man feared Brand, but only right now, in this situation. His bravery would return swiftly once he was let go. Even more so if he had a contingent of guards with him, all higher level.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I just won¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ve had enough. Please just let me go.¡± The poor guard snivelled.


    Brand¡¯s sword arm began to waver.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tommen yelled. Brand¡¯s arm reasserted itself. ¡°I¡¯ve got a way to stop him from following us.¡± Tommen snarled. He picked up the staff.


    ¡°What are you planning, Tommen?¡± Brand was unsure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take his knee out.¡± Tommen gave a few swings of the staff to line it up to the man¡¯s knee. Brand could feel the rookie do the tiniest of flinches each time.


    ¡°What? No.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tommen replied.


    ¡°You just want to hit him.¡± Brand said flatly. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    ¡°He was killing me! Of course I want to hit him.¡± Tommen growled. ¡°But I don¡¯t just want to hit him. It¡¯s a good plan. It won¡¯t kill him. He¡¯ll recover in time, but he won¡¯t be able to chase us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Said Brand. ¡°But you¡¯re right. Be quick. Don¡¯t mess around.¡±


    Tommen readied for the swing.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Said the rookie. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let you do it. You can hit me. I¡¯ll let you. Just move the sword away from my neck. Please?¡± It took Brand a second to digest that the guard was more scared of him than the one who wanted to hurt him. He had almost forgotten what he was doing. Now he felt ashamed for trying to take the moral high ground whilst arguing with Tommen.


    Brand made eye contact with Tommen. Tommen nodded. Brand dropped his sword.


    True to his word, the guard didn¡¯t move, save for lifting up his leg slightly as an involuntary response. The staff hit his knee with a loud crack and he grunted heavily and fell as his face scrunched up in pain.


    ¡°Alright Brand, we¡¯ve gotta go!¡± Yelled Tommen.


    Brand had almost forgotten his sense of urgency. They had to get as far from these walls as possible. Especially now that he had a second to pick up on what the guard captain was yelling, over the sound of the rookie moaning in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get you! I don¡¯t care if I have to drag you back across the wastelands! You¡¯re gonna be mining in the bottom of the pit for the rest of your lives! I¡¯m level 9! You can¡¯t run from me! I¡¯ll put you where you¡¯ll never leave! Traitors! You¡¯re mine!¡±


    Brand shook his head. The logical part of his mind figured they were just empty words, but to the emotional part there was a certain venom in the guard captain¡¯s voice that unnerved him.


    He picked up his bag and apologised to the downed rookie, who looked up at him with an expression he couldn¡¯t quite place. Anger, resentment, fear. Jealousy? Brand turned and left, following Tommen, who was keeping hold of the staff.


    The land outside the castle was mostly lush meadow plains, commonly interspersed with many thick trees. It was somewhere between a grassland and a forest. The rookie watched as the two disappeared into the dark void between the trees.


    _______


    Their situation wasn''t great. Tommen had left his bag on the other side of the wall, so the pair only had enough supplies for a few days between them and Tommen had no sleeping equipment. On top of that, they only had a vague direction with which to go in.


    However, as Brand walked through the sparse forest, he could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief. They had done it.


    A new stage of his life was unfurling before him, but he couldn''t help but feel that the ghost of his past would be haunting him for a while. Certain things tended to stick around and he knew that Cabletown would occupy his mind often. His parents were kind, but would they really be okay without him? What about his younger siblings? And when they felt the urge to go on an excursion, would they be stopped?


    Invisible chains connected him to Cabletown. He knew he¡¯d be back. He just couldn¡¯t imagine how or when. For now he had to focus on the steps in front of him, no matter where they led.


    Some places were more dangerous after dark. The forest grasslands were not one of them. Originally they would have holed up somewhere and camped, but given the threats of the guard captain and the adrenaline still flowing through their veins they decided to keep moving onward. There were plenty of small villages and towns in mostly all directions, so they were spoiled for choice. They decided to head towards a random small town, Quartz Creek. It was one of the closer ones, so they could get there before running out of supplies, but it was big enough to get lost in, if anyone truly did follow them. Shingle City would have been the obvious one to head for but they didn''t want to for that exact reason - the guard captain might catch them easily on the road there - they''d decided to take his threats into account for now, but they wouldn''t let what could be empty blustering from an impotent guard control their lives, so they''d concluded that they wouldn''t let it affect them after leaving Quartz Creek.


    Besides, Brand wanted to find info about Kelvin and Ember. He figured a larger place would be better. Shingle City was definitely on their to go list, if Tommen and Brand were still together by then. They hadn¡¯t talked about it, beyond the fact that they would travel together for now until they reached Quartz Creek.


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    Brand looked up at the sky with its strange vortexes of colour, bright pinks and purples and blues and greens and dotted lights scattered throughout. It was a grand tapestry of slow moving colours and it was beautiful. So much more beautiful than it was inside the city, where light pollution diminished its greatness. The wonders of excursion were already starting to show themselves. He¡¯d never left Cabletown before. If he hadn¡¯t left now he¡¯d have never seen the majestic swirling colours of the sky at night. It blew him away.


    He wondered what he¡¯d do after reaching the town. He¡¯d thought about catching up to Ember and Kelvin, finding them after all this time. What level would they be now? What adventures would they have had? And after that, what then? Would they want to stay with him, and babysit him while he caught up to two years of their growth? That¡¯d be extremely long for them, whilst stagnating their own growth. But how would he even find them? They¡¯d made no plans to meet up. He¡¯d told them he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d ever leave Cabletown, and they believed him. But they¡¯d left him an element stone nonetheless. Just in case he ever went out to join them.


    His heart was warmed at that and he subconsciously touched the vambrace on his left hand that housed the stone and pressed it deep into his skin. The hot energy thrummed from the stone.


    He turned his thoughts to the person beside him. Tommen was moving, but beleaguered. He clearly wasn¡¯t in great shape.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Yeah just about. Damn. That guy landed on me with his full weight and my back is absolutely killing me. I still can''t believe he beat me after though. I was much stronger than him, I could feel it.¡± Tommen replied.


    ¡°It looked bad for a second there, can''t lie. But we did it.¡± Brand encouraged him.


    ¡°Yeah. Too right. Thanks for coming back for me.¡± Tommen said somewhat sheepishly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Brand was a little confused.


    ¡°For not just ditching when you were up that wall. You had your bag. You could have just hopped over the other side of the wall and made a run for it. But you dropped the rope down and got smacked in the face for it.¡± Tommen explained.


    Brand rubbed the side of his cheek. It hurt a lot and there was a nasty welt forming. ¡°Didn''t even think of it, to be honest with you. Plus it probably wouldn''t have worked out. That guard might have chased me and I''m not sure I could have taken him alone.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Tommen replied. ¡°You could have tried to escape though. You didn''t hesitate. You didn''t even consider it. Maybe the guard would have chased me up the rope, then we¡¯d have had to fight two guards¡±


    Brand felt a little embarrassed. He hadn''t felt particularly heroic. He supposed it was loyalty that had made him stay. ¡°We agreed to get out together. I''d have never got up that wall without you. And I''m glad to have you with me, even if it means sharing my food with you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh you had to remind me! My mother''s homemade sandwiches were in my bag. I bet those guards are snacking on them as we speak.¡± Tommen complained.


    ¡°They''re probably napping in your sleeping bag too.¡± Brand laughed.


    ¡°Oh damn, I forgot about that!¡± Tommen looked crestfallen for half a second before he started laughing too. ¡°Gonna have to scrape together a bed of leaves.¡±


    ¡°I''ve got some groundsheets and a thin blanket you can have. Maybe we can alternate the sleeping bag every night?¡± Brand told him. He wanted to be accommodating.


    ¡°Nah you''re alright for the sleeping bag.¡± Tommen shrugged. ¡°Thanks though. I''ll take the groundsheets and blanket. I''ve slept on worse, I''m sure. We¡¯ll just have to resupply at the closest town. I''ve got a few BITs I can spend.¡±


    A sudden cracking of twigs caught Brand''s attention and he turned, shining his light to the right of him. In the centre of the light was a Databeast sneaking up on them. A squat grey creature on two legs. It stood about four feet tall, with a long beak and a plump round body. It had a yellow streak down its back and its feathers seemed to bristle with static electricity. Brand recognised it instantly as a Thunderkiwi. It was one of the more dangerous Databeasts this side of the grassland turf, and it usually only came out at night or dusk. It was aggressive but luckily it shouldn¡¯t be anything they couldn¡¯t both handle, despite their injuries.


    Now that they were outside the walls, Brand¡¯s shortsword was at his hip and his buckler hung loosely from his bag. It only took a second to draw it. For Tommen it took a half-second longer to draw his staff, as it was across his back, but that was long enough. The Thunderkiwi bristled with static electricity as it sprinted towards him, its long beak in front of it like a spear.


    Tommen took several steps backwards and Brand rushed forth, swiping the beak of the Thunderkiwi away with his shortsword and crashing his body into the big bird¡¯s. He braced hard and dug his shoulder in as he hit the Databeast and the Thunderkiwi was knocked back.


    It rapidly righted, trying to spear him with its two foot beak. He blocked it with his buckler, once, twice and then felt his fist reflexively tighten as a static shock hit travelled off the buckler and onto his hand.


    Just then Tommen joined the fight, finally getting himself together and circling round the back of the Thunderkiwi. He swung the staff hard and battered the Databeast in the back of the head with a huge overhead swing, but the aggressive creature just took it in stride. Brand knew it would have dropped the Thunderkiwi¡¯s HP, but without a skill to stun it that was likely all that would be happening any time soon. But it had taken the Databeast¡¯s attention, so that was good enough for him.


    The staff was a useful weapon for bashing enemies and keeping them at range, but for a Databeast like the Thunderkiwi, piercing damage was far superior. Tommen only had to parry one of its attacks before Brand had buried his shortsword in the creature¡¯s rump, all the way to the hilt. It cocked its head to the side and looked back at him inquisitively as its HP rapidly dropped to 0.


    Then it seemed to vanish quickly as all that it was dissipated into the aether. Brand felt the element stone on his wrist warm slightly as it absorbed a small part of the energy of the Databeast. That would go some way to increasing its grade - but for a medium grade stone, he¡¯d have to defeat a great many low level Thunderkiwis before he¡¯d get anywhere near high grade.


    His mental implant chimed as it registered that he¡¯d received some BITs and EXP, absorbed from the creature also. He knew Tommen would have felt something similar. Just like it had never been there, the Databeast was gone. BITs, EXP and element were all that remained.


    ¡°Woah.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Said Brand. ¡°I knew it would happen like that, but it still feels¡­¡±


    ¡°Freaky.¡± Tommen continued. ¡°Like there wasn¡¯t a huge chicken threatening our lives just a second ago.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Brand laughed. ¡°I guess we just continue on?¡± It was a unique feeling, going from danger to completely fine in a heartbeat. Oddly disarming.


    ¡°It feels weird, but yeah. Go us. Our first Databeast defeated!¡± Tommen cheered.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Now it''s a proper adventure!¡± Brand joined in the celebrations. ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Tommen replied. ¡°I need to be able to get my staff off my back faster. That''s probably the strongest Databeast that we''ll run into around here, so I''d say we''re sitting comfortably.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. 50 BITs from just defeating one Databeast. And almost as much EXP as one day down the mines! If they''d just let us out of Cabletown when we wanted to we could probably be farming Thunderkiwis right now. But we need food.¡± Brand sighed.


    ¡°Too right. Which direction are we supposed to be going in? I''m all lost now.¡± Tommen replied.


    Brand checked his compass. As ever, it pointed in the direction of the centre of the strange land they called home. The small town was centre-east from where they were. He pointed in that direction and they set off again.


    After a few hours of walking they decided to set up camp. There was a suitable spot in a small copse, as they felt safe packed tightly between the trees. They crammed together in Brand''s one person tent, with Brand on his bedroll and Tommen in a makeshift roll of groundsheets, leaves and a blanket.


    _______


    The sun woke them up the next day, though it took a while to do so - they both slept deeply after the chaos of last night, once they''d managed to get to sleep. It was the temperature that woke them, rather than the light. By about midday it had gotten hot and the atmosphere in the tent they were in was starting to get unbearable.


    Brand got up and between him and Tommen they took the tent down and got moving pretty quickly, after eating some soup from the supplies reconstituted with stream water.


    The whole thing felt surreal to Brand. Now that he''d had some time to let the events of yesterday sink in, it''d been quite the experience.


    He''d actually been encouraged by his family to leave and taken them up on it, something he''d never thought would happen. Then he''d tried to leave town and been refused by the guards, then had to force his way out through extreme violence, which had really shattered the view he''d had of Cabletown. It had always felt like a mostly regular, safe place. Now the weirdness of it all seemed prominent and he was wondering what he¡¯d missed that were lurking just under the surface of his town, if only he¡¯d dug a little.


    He felt pangs of homesickness, but the events of yesterday had cemented that he''d had to leave. He couldn''t live in a place like that, and his heart ached for his family who was still there. After all that he''d beaten a Databeast alongside Tommen, who was fast becoming a reliable travel companion.


    That they had both been labelled traitors also felt surreal. They''d given everything they''d got to the town, and so had untold generations of their ancestors.


    Between their families they''d likely built that town. Now Brand didn''t know if he could go back.


    Partly because he wasn''t sure if they''d let him in, partly because he knew they''d never let him out again.


    They walked for a while before Tommen spoke.


    ¡°What Databeast do you think you''ll get?¡± Tommen asked as they trudged across the grassland. Plenty of animals made their way around, and every so often they could see a Databeast. None of the Databeasts had attacked the duo yet, which meant it would be bad form to attack them first. Databeasts were highly aggressive to those around or lower than their level, though nobody knew why they were so violent. People speculated of course, but Brand hadn''t read enough to weigh up the theories.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t an absolute rule, but given that Databeasts got stronger, learned techniques, and evolved from defeating other Databeasts and absorbing some of the ambient energy released, it made sense that the less aggressive ones would fall behind the more aggressive.


    Certain Databeasts, particularly at the higher level, could communicate with humans and integrate into human societies. But this was by no means the standard Databeast who was mostly concerned with absorbing ambient energy from the air or taking it from their fellow Databeasts - or for that matter, a human with an element stone.


    Brand had heard of certain strange nomads that travelled the lands without element stones. It was risky, as if they did attack you were done for. But Databeasts were much less likely to attack a target if they thought the energy wasn¡¯t worth it. Conversely, they wouldn¡¯t attack one who¡¯s energy they could feel to be that much higher than them.


    ¡°What Databeast would I get? That¡¯s a tough question.¡± Brand laughed. ¡°I respect your optimism. I need to get to level 5 before we even think about how we¡¯re going to manage to find a Databeast egg given their rarity...¡± He mused a little bit more. Tommen didn¡¯t say anything. Brand continued. ¡°Well part of it depends on where you get your egg, right? My stone is obviously a fire element. So if I got it from the grasslands it might be a big exploding beetle like Bombardiero. If it''s a wetter area, maybe a salamander of some kind¡­ I¡¯ll take anything honestly. Getting a Databeast egg would be a dream come true, I''m not sure we can afford to be picky!¡± Brand laughed.


    ¡°A salamander! I didn¡¯t figure you for a salamander tamer!¡± Tommen exclaimed.


    Brand didn¡¯t know what he meant by that. ¡°What sort of tamer did you figure me for?¡± He asked, nonplussed.


    ¡°I dunno¡­ you swinging that sword around like a madman, some sort of warrior! Maybe a goblin or a knight type.¡± Laughed Tommen.


    Brand laughed too. ¡°What about you Tommen? I''m guessing you chose the wind element because you want a wind-based Databeast?¡±


    ¡°That''s right.¡± Tommen replied. ¡°Had to spend a little extra for a wind one but I don''t regret it. I already feel light as a feather.¡± Tommen bounced on his feet a couple of times as if to demonstrate, and then bounced forward into a well executed front handspring.


    ¡°That''s because I''m the one carrying the bag.¡± Brand joked.


    ¡°I''ll take it if you want.¡± Tommen offered. It wasn''t the first time he''d done so, but Brand refused last time.


    ¡°That''s alright.¡± Said Brand. ¡°It''s got my buckler attached and it''s good to be able to grab that easily. Besides, I need the extra training. Gonna have to take every little EXP point I can get if I''m gonna catch up to your level 5.¡± Hard work fuelled growth. There were theories as to why. Brand was taught that your metabolism increased and your cells replenished faster, thus absorbing more ambient energy through food and the air.


    ¡°How far away from level 4 are you?¡± Tommen asked.


    ¡°Not far actually. I can feel the breakthrough coming.¡± Brand replied.


    ¡°That''s great! We''ll try and get you there as soon as. I don''t mind taking a little longer to get to Quartz Creek if it gets you a level up. That''d be a big boost.¡± Tommen said happily.


    Brand wanted to as well and agreed. He hadn''t known Tommen much before this, but now he felt a strong sense of camaraderie.


    They walked in silence for a little bit before Brand followed up on the topic from earlier.


    ¡°Which wind Databeast did you want? Maybe we can try and get to those areas.¡± Most wind Databeast were similar to birds or insects, though there were a fair few outliers.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ If I tell you, you''ll laugh.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°Oh well now you have to tell me!¡± Brand exclaimed.


    ¡°Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted some sort of drake. A wyvern would be best.¡±


    Brand did laugh, but not unkindly. Truthfully, he was impressed. Everyone wanted to have a drake Databeast as a kid. They were the stuff of legends. They were exceedingly rare though, and usually only hatched to a Databeast egg from a strong area. Or so the legends said. Brand liked that Tommen was chasing that dream. The man had worked back-breaking labour in the deep mines to be able to take a chance at getting a dream he''d had as a kid.


    ¡°You know Tommen, anyone else I''d call crazy. But you just might be able to pull it off. You''d want to go to a mountains then. Very risky. You''d probably need a Databeast already just to survive.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I think you''re right. There''s a small chance I could get one from a regular Databeast egg, so I''ll still roll those dice. But the Fool''s Mountains is where I was going to head towards.¡± Tommen said, lost in thought.


    Brand recognised the Fool''s Mountains, named for the high levels of iron pyrite - fool''s gold - in them. They were further than one would normally go whilst on an excursion, but they were slightly less dangerous than most mountain ranges, so were a good place to get used to the mountain terrain and to know how to deal with the Databeasts living there.


    ¡°You''ve really planned this out, huh?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°For sure. I''ve been thinking about this for a while.¡± Tommen grinned. ¡°What are your plans then? I''d be surprised if you''d jumped the wall to Cabletown with me just to have some fun.¡±


    Brand thought over his words for a second. ¡°Do you remember Kelvin and Ember?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Kelvin was the shady guy and Ember was the crazy girl.¡± Tommen said. Then something dawned on him. ¡°You all used to hang out.¡±


    Brand laughed. ¡°Okay, Kelvin did look a bit shady, but he''s a great guy! Ember wasn''t crazy, just high energy.¡±


    ¡°She tried to take my eye out once in sparring!¡± Tommen exclaimed.


    ¡°It''s possible¡­ I''m sure she had a good reason!¡± Brand joked. ¡°But yeah we used to hang out. They went on an excursion as soon as they could. I''d always promised to join them. But then my dad got in a bad accident.¡±


    ¡°I think I heard about that yeah.¡± Tommen said gravely. It hadn''t been life threatening, but it had been messy.


    ¡°Well I had to stay in Cabletown for a couple years to make sure my family did okay. Now that I''m out, I''m looking to find Ember and Kelvin.¡± Brand explained.


    ¡°Do you know where they''ll be?¡± Tommen asked.


    ¡°I don''t.¡± Brand told him. ¡°They sent me letters for a while, but that stopped a bit under a year and a half ago. They were always on the move so I couldn''t send any back. I know they were in Shingle City before I stopped hearing from them, and I know which hotel they were staying in. I''ll work from there.¡±


    ¡°I''m surprised they haven''t gone back to Cabletown in two years.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°I''m not.¡± Brand replied. ¡°Kelvin will probably never go back. Ember¡­ I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Tommen didn''t pry. ¡°I hope you find them.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Said Brand. ¡°I just want to know they''re alright.¡±


    They walked on through the sparsely wooded grasslands in the direction of Quartz Creek, keeping an eye out for Databeasts.

 EE3 - Quartz Creek

    Brand dodged to the side of the jet of water but kept his eyes on the Twizard that fired it, knowing that the water was just a distraction for the more deadly follow-up.


    Right on cue, he dodged the blazing fireball that had been sent his way. With his medium grade fire stone he''d take less damage from it than Tommen, but it''d still hurt him badly.


    The Databeast they were fighting looked like a large two-headed lizard, around a metre and a half in length but its heads didn''t get far off the ground. It was quite a flat creature.


    Silly looking it may have been, the fireball that it sent out made it the most deadly Databeast to fight in the whole grasslands between Cabletown and Quartz Creek. One head could shoot water jets, the other shot fireballs.


    Fortunately it was quite slow at moving, so could easily be avoided by novice adventurers. The only reason Brand and Tommen had tried it was that Brand had a fire element stone that gave him a modicum of fire element resistance, and he''d insisted on being the bait. Tommen had taken a little convincing, but he was comfortable with taking risks to get what he wanted.


    Of course, Brand still hadn''t told Tommen it was a medium and not low grade stone, so Brand knew that he was a little safer than Tommen thought.


    Part of him wanted to tell Tommen, but he knew it would be stupid. Furthermore, he couldn''t get away with explaining how he''d got one without discussing Kelvin and Ember also having medium grade stones. Even if he trusted Tommen, he didn''t want to do anything that would put his friends at risk. If they were low levels and hadn''t attuned the stones yet, they were in danger of being targeted for them. Brand simply didn''t know what situation they were in.


    Tommen brought his staff down on the head of the lizard that shot fireballs. The Databeast turned surprisingly quickly to face him. He was sprayed with water from one of the lizard''s heads, but kept his staff holding down the fire head. This was their plan. Distract the dangerous part of the lizard, whilst Brand rushed in.


    Brand took the head shooting water off in one clean swing. He''d been getting good with his sword, and it went through the Databeast like butter.


    Tommen was still holding down the fire head with the end of his staff, but the loss of one of its heads caused the creature to panic to escape the pressure. It moved side to side erratically and then rolled over, firing another fireball, this time at Tommen.


    He could feel the hair on his hands singing as he dodged and struck out with his staff, swiping at the creature but only hitting the body.


    Brand followed up with another slash, taking the second head off. The Databeast¡¯s HP dropped to zero and it dissipated, as Brand and Tommen absorbed some of the energy released in its death as element, EXP and BITs.


    Brand felt an incredible rush of energy, like a dam breaking, and energy from his element stone joined it as it rushed around his body. He had become level 4.


    ¡°Whew! That''s the most EXP I''ve ever gotten! You must have levelled up from that!¡± Tommen exclaimed, excited.


    ¡°Yeah I did!¡± Brand said, happily. ¡°That felt great. I always forget what a rush it is. We¡¯ve made great time. I didn''t think I''d hit level 4 for at least a day more.¡±


    ¡°We''ve taken hard fights.¡± Tommen said. It was true. They''d fought any Databeast they could, and the Databeasts were only too willing to battle with them. The only one they''d avoided was a Gustadder, a venomous snake that used wind to help shoot its venom off. It was both quick and highly dangerous.


    They''d learnt that lesson already, the first time they''d fought one. Tommen had taken a nasty spray of venom to the face. They''d defeated the Gustadder, only to find that some of Brand''s antidote pills had been crushed at some point, likely when they''d escaped Cabletown, and they only just had enough to cure him. Without that he''d be in a bad way.


    He still hadn''t been great. Brand had insisted Tommen take the sleeping bag that night. He knew Tommen must have been bad, because he agreed without a fuss.


    So after that they''d avoided any Gustadders they saw, which wasn''t many. There weren''t a huge amount of Databeasts in the grasslands, but there were enough that they could fight and rest consistently throughout the day.


    They also kept an eye out, in case anyone was chasing them. They hadn''t spotted a single other person yet, but that wasn''t too surprising. They were somewhat out in the sticks and far from any roads. It reassured them that they''d made the right choice choosing Quartz Creek to go to. It was a small place without much going on. Of all the places to go to, it was one of the least useful for two would be adventurers. They liked the fact that they''d seen no-one on the way.


    ¡°Time to get moving then.¡± Brand said. ¡°I already want to hit level 5.¡±


    _____


    Brand and Tommen walked into Quartz Creek feeling good. Brand had turned level 4 while they still had supplies to spare. They had spotted Quartz Creek from a ways away; had a fairly large fence surrounding it, albeit much smaller than Cabletown¡¯s walls. There were lots of little pieces of quartz in the fence. By the time Brand and Tommen had gotten close they had to put on sunglasses to deal with the glare. A decent method at stopping Databeasts and animals from approaching, Brand figured. There was an unmanned gate made of heavy iron that Brand and Tommen simply walked through, closing it behind themselves. After the problems back at Cabletown, this was a welcome surprise.


    They found little of note once behind the walls and Quartz Creek had many of the same rundown and abandoned houses that Cabletown did. Despite being more sparsely populated, it seemed they were suffering from the same problems.


    One of the first shops they saw was by an old farm. A big bearded scruffy man with a wide-brimmed hat to block out the bright light of day was sitting outside the shop, making something.


    He appeared to be a craftsman of some kind, and he looked up as the pair approached him. He stopped what he was doing.


    ¡°Don''t stop on our account.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°That''s quite alright.¡± Said the old man. ¡°I''ve plenty of time to finish it later. Rare to see strangers around these parts.¡±


    ¡°What are you making?¡± Brand asked, curious.


    ¡°Little totems.¡± The old man held up a small wooden figurine of an insect Databeast. ¡°It''s an old superstition. Having one of these makes you more likely to get a Databeast of that type. For example this one is carved from wood deep in the forest, where this Databeast is found. This one,¡± he pointed to a stone otter he''d made earlier ¡°was made from a pebble from the sea. But most people just buy them as trinkets.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It keeps me going.¡±


    Brand looked at the various species.


    ¡°Oh look!¡± He pointed out a Wyvern to Tommen, who looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Good spot.¡± Said the old man. ¡°That rock comes from the Dragonsteeth Mountains. I knew what I had to carve as soon as I got my hands on it. He chuckled.


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Brand asked


    ¡°It¡¯s a fair amount. 350 BITs.¡± The man admitted. ¡°It wasn¡¯t cheap to get a hold of.¡±


    That was expensive - 350 BITs each had taken them a whole day to get from farming Databeasts. But Tommen looked tempted, so Brand decided to encourage him. He wasn¡¯t sure it would actually get Tommen a wyvern Databeast, but he wanted to support him. Besides, they hadn¡¯t exactly spent much over the last few days.


    ¡°You should get it! We ought to celebrate.¡± Brand told him. ¡°I''ll buy your supplies.¡±


    ¡°Don''t you want one?¡± Tommen asked him.


    ¡°That''s alright.¡± Said Brand. ¡°I don''t have any preferences. I''d be happy with any Databeast, so I don''t need one.¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t that mean you''d be happy with any totem, too?¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Brand laughed.


    Tommen looked for a second before picking out a wooden carving with a nice finish. It was some sort of salamander Databeast, carved as if to look life-like. The craftsmanship was impeccable.


    ¡°For the salamander tamer.¡± Tommen guffawed. Brand raised an eyebrow.


    This one and the wyvern then.¡± Tommen told the old man.


    ¡°375 BITs.¡± The old man told him, passing over the totems as Tommen transferred the money. ¡°I hope they serve you well. You''re looking for databeast eggs then?¡±


    ¡°Not quite there yet. We''ve only been out on excursion for a little bit, truthfully.¡± Brand told him.


    Tommen handed him the totem. It was great. There was a thin cord attached to the top and Brand slipped it over his neck.


    ¡°Oh, wonderful! There used to be an attunement lab here in Quartz Creek, but not anymore. I''m afraid you''ll have to head to the big city once you hit level 5 and get a decent element stone.¡± The old man chuffed. ¡°Where are you hailing from?¡±


    ¡°Cabletown.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°You''re from Cabletown?¡± The old man asked quizzically. ¡°I heard they stopped letting people out on excursion months ago.¡±


    Brand and Tommen looked at each other quizzically. They hadn''t heard anything about this. As far as they knew, people had been leaving in their droves ever since it was announced that excursions were going to be banned. People, most young but some older, had been taking the chance to leave before they never could again.


    ¡°We left a while back.¡± Said Brand. ¡°Took the scenic route to get here.¡±


    ¡°Nobody from Cabletown has come through since?¡± Tommen asked.


    ¡°Not a one.¡± Said the old man. ¡°Only getting news about it from traders. It seems a little extreme what they''re doing there, but I can understand why they are. A town needs people working. Half the kids here leave and don''t come back. I haven''t heard from my son in months. People get worried.¡±


    ¡°Well we''ve been working.¡± Brand assured him. ¡°Now we''re on an excursion, and we need to pick up a few supplies.¡±


    ¡°Right you are. Well you''re in the right place. I''m Vince MacGill, and this is my general store. What can I do for you?¡±


    They left the shop well stocked. Tommen was very pleased to finally have a new bag and bedroll, they''d managed to refill their food supplies, and they''d both bought lots of rope, given how important it had been to their escape of Cabletown. Not that they mentioned that to the old man.


    They had asked him about an inn, as they were tired of the outdoors, and he''d pointed them to the village centre. When they got there they realised how the place got its name.


    The small stream running through the middle of the village practically glowed as it reflected the light of day. Most of the rocks in the creek were some type of white quartz and the water glistened and sparkled with iridescent light.


    Brand and Tommen paused on the small stone bridge they were on and peered over the walls. It was quite a sight.


    The area they were walking through was quaint, but fairly run down. It wasn¡¯t run down in the overly depressing or criminal sort of way, it had just been abandoned. The grass around the houses looked like a wildflower meadow and some of the windows and doors had been boarded up with fairly nice wood.


    They''d passed a few people on the street and nodded to them. The people had nodded back and seemed fairly jovial, no doubt accustomed to adventurers. Brand couldn''t help but wonder where it was they were going, with seemingly nowhere to go. They hadn''t seen anyone on the road approaching Quartz Creek, although they''d only got on it themselves when they were almost at the village.


    All in all, it was a strange place.


    Brand felt quite comfortable here despite that. He found himself thinking that if it weren''t for the fact that he had to find Kelvin and Ember he wouldn''t mind staying here for quite a while. It had a different feel than Cabletown did, it was less stulted and more picturesque and free. That being said, he hadn''t seen much of it yet. Maybe he''d feel the same about Cabletown, he wondered, if it weren''t for the fact that he knew everyone there. It was nice to have a home and a tight-knit community, but it could also be extremely stifling in its expectations and social niceties.


    Here he had no obligations to anyone here though, save perhaps to Tommen.


    They had decided to stay at the inn for three days, getting the lay of the land before making their next move - or moves, if they decided to go their separate ways.


    It was called the Silverstar Inn, and they were impressed when they reached it. They saw the closed down lab next to it that the old farmer mentioned. Again, it hadn''t been destroyed or ruined, just shut down. Brand wondered whether they simply had no-one to staff it.


    If not for the farmer telling him it''d been shut down, Brand might have thought it had simply closed for the day. On the other side was an item shop, the kind that sold weaponry to adventurers and disposables to be used on Databeasts. It was a large imposing building with a sign displaying it as being MacGill¡¯s Item Emporium.


    Brand and Tommen decided to check that out first.


    It looked less like a shop and more like a hunting lodge. Weapons were displayed on the walls at dramatic angles and cabinets were interspersed around the shop floor showing the various things on offer. Some looked like simple pills, there were lots of potions, whilst other items were more esoteric in nature. The element stones were on the wall at the back behind the counter. He had the standard selection - fire, wind, earth, water, lightning. A cosmic stone hung in the corner.


    Similarly behind the counter sat a late middle aged man. The man was bald with a short, trim beard and wore pristine adventuring leathers with metal vambraces that gleaned in the light. His face was somewhat reminiscent of the farmer they¡¯d met earlier. Beside him a large purple ball with eyes, ears, a mouth and a tail was bouncing on the counter. Brand guessed it was in the Instar stage. It looked small and weak, but Databeasts could change between their lower and higher forms somewhat freely. If the man and the Databeast were a high level, that Databeast might be able to turn into a higher stage in a moment.


    The first Databeast stage was the Instar stage, and they were normally round and cute. There was not a huge variety in these, but they had a lot of variety in what they would transform into. These were mostly harmless to people and in the wild would fight amongst themselves to get to the next evolution.


    The next stage was the Juvenile stage, sometimes called the Bandit stage for their aggression towards merchants and travellers. These made up the bulk of the Databeasts in the grasslands Tommen and Brand had travelled through and every Databeast they¡¯d fought had been in this stage.


    After that was the Vanquisher stage. These were very uncommon where they were but they would be more common in other places. These Databeasts had defeated enough opponents to evolve, which was very rare. Normally the guards from multiple towns had to come together with some serious weaponry to defeat them, although sometimes a high levelled adventurer could be relied on to put one down. They were rare in these parts.


    Beyond that was the Master stage, followed by the Apex stage. There was also the emergent stage, a strange half-stage between Juvenile and Vanquisher. These were slightly stronger versions of the Juvenile stage with some of the features they would gain from the Vanquisher stage. A Juvenile Databeast usually had many different Vanquisher evolutions it could turn into, so the emergent stage was very useful in giving hints towards which it would be.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Welcome to MacGill¡¯s Item Emporium!¡± Called the shop owner from across the room. Brand and Tommen approached the counter. The Databeast on the counter bounced quicker, as if excited.


    ¡°Don''t mind him. That¡¯s Chance.¡± Said MacGill. ¡°He likes customers!¡±


    ¡°MacGill?¡± Asked Tommen. ¡°We met a MacGill on our way here. He owned a general store.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my brother, Vince. My name is Marius. He used to recommend me when people came through town, but now he thinks I filled his son¡¯s head with tales about adventuring, and that¡¯s the reason he¡¯s not come back. But you two look like adventurers yourselves! What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re quite new. This is our first excursion.¡± Brand told him. ¡°We were looking to buy some antidotes and maybe a healing potion.¡±


    ¡°Sensible!¡± Said MacGill. ¡°Rare to see such level headed young''uns! How many do you want? Antidotes are 200 BITs. Poor grade healing potions are 500.¡±


    Tommen and Brand looked at each other. That was most of the BITs they''d collected, and they still needed some for the inn. Healing potions were useful as they accelerated natural healing of wounds, particularly cuts, but they weren''t absolutely essential.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should drop the potion.¡± Said Brand to Tommen. Then he turned to the owner. ¡°Do you know how much the inn charges?¡±


    ¡°How long are you sticking around for?¡± Asked MacGill.


    ¡°Three days, we think.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°The inn charges 50 BITs a night. Tell you what, I''ll give you the health potion half-off if you do something for me. That should give you some wiggle room.¡± Said MacGill.


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± Asked Tommen warily.


    ¡°Nothing you can''t handle. In fact, it''ll benefit you too. This town used to be famous for its mine, called Silverstar Mine.¡± The owner explained.


    ¡°Like the inn?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Exactly! The mine was full of these rare crystalline formations called silverstars, because of their jagged shape.¡± Said the owner. ¡°My brother used to like carving the silverstars into these little totems. But ever since the mine shut down it''s become populated by Databeasts and he can''t get down there anymore. How''s about you collect some of those silverstars for him? About 10?¡±


    ¡°That works.¡± Brand said. He thought it was a good deal. ¡°We were going to ask you for somewhere to hunt Databeasts anyway.¡±


    ¡°I thought I''d just got out of the mines.¡± Tommen groaned.


    ¡°Sounds like I chose the right man for the job!¡± Laughed MacGill. ¡°If you come round before you head up there I¡¯ll lend you some pickaxes. There should be a lot of silverstars lying around, but they¡¯re good for some of the tougher Databeasts¡±


    Tommen and Brand left the shop with two antidotes and a potion. They felt good about their agreement with the owner and had told him they¡¯d see him tomorrow. They¡¯d decided to try and complete the quest but if they couldn¡¯t they¡¯d just farm some Databeasts and pay him the rest of what they owed on the potion.


    Now they walked next door, into the inn. It was a quaint old building but fairly large. There was a group of people in there eating their lunch on a large table and an old couple sipping their drinks at a smaller one, but apart from that the inn seemed empty. There were many unused tables in the spacious room. There was a large log fire in the centre of the room, but it wasn¡¯t set ablaze. All in all it seemed quite cosy to Brand.


    A bell rang out as Brand and Tommen entered. It had been connected to the door. There was a bustle as a young woman about their age with short red hair rushed out of a door behind the counter. She took one look at the forms of Tommen and Brand, dirty from living outside for days, and beamed. ¡°Adventurers! Welcome to the Silverstar Inn!¡±


    Tommen and Brand were taken back by her enthusiasm. Tommen took the lead. ¡°Thank you. We were hoping to get two rooms for three nights.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± She grinned at them. ¡°That¡¯s 50 BITs for three nights, 150 BITs each. Breakfast is complimentary. What names should I put that under?¡± They transferred the BITs to her and gave her their names. ¡°Do you want your rooms ready now, or later?¡±


    ¡°Later is fine. Is it possible to get some lunch too?¡± Brand asked. He¡¯d had nothing but reconstituted meals for days and was craving some proper food.


    ¡°Of course! You¡¯re right on time for our lunch rush.¡± She smiled enthusiastically at him. Brand looked around weakly, a little uncertain of whether she was being serious before smiling weakly back. He had never left Cabletown before, and didn¡¯t want to presume. ¡°I¡¯m joking!¡± She broke character and laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think my mum has turned the aga off yet. I¡¯ll put it on your tab.¡± She passed them some small menus. Many of the food items were crossed off.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing a lot.¡± Tommen commented.


    ¡°We pretty much only get in what the regulars order. There¡¯s another adventurer staying here right now, but we don¡¯t see much of him. Very mysterious.¡± She told them.


    Brand ordered, but Tommen took longer to decide. Brand decided to use this opportunity to get to know the girl - and maybe ask about Kelvin and Ember. He thought it was unlikely she¡¯d have heard anything, but if she had and he¡¯d missed it he would hate himself.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Rosie.¡± The barmaid said.


    ¡°Not Rosie MacGill, I hope.¡± Tommen murmured whilst looking at the menu.


    ¡°Hah!¡± She laughed loudly at that. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already met our two most famous residents. Not MacGill, Rosie MacGowen. It used to be called the MacGowen inn before it was the Silverstar inn. We¡¯ve been debating changing it back.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you Rosie. Your family has had this inn for a while then?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°So long. It¡¯s had its ups and downs, but we¡¯ve been here as long as the town.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s incredible.¡± Brand was impressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°I¡¯d love to do some adventuring though. Would it be weird if I asked you to tell me about your adventures? I love hearing about it, but hardly any adventurers come through here anymore.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be weird, but you might be disappointed!¡± Brand laughed. ¡°We haven¡¯t been at it for very long.¡±


    ¡°First steps, how exciting.¡± She said. Tommen ordered his food. ¡°Let me just get this order through and I¡¯ll come back to pester you about your grand journeys.¡± Rosie winked at Brand before disappearing through the backdoor.


    ______


    True to her word, Rosie came to sit with Brand and Tommen after they''d finished their meals. Both had eaten more than their fill and we''re in a good mood. Rosie had left them alone while eating, seeing that they were ravenous, but she had been hovering around. Brand figured she was bored.


    They''d met Rosie''s mother and the owner of the inn, Lily, when she had come and asked them how the food was. She was a frail but stern looking woman. They''d told her it was some of the best food they''d ever eaten, which was true. They hadn''t been eating rations for long but had quickly grown bored of them. Brand had resolved to have as much good food as he could in the few days they were spending in Quartz Creek. All the locals had milled out after lunch, whilst Tommen and Brand were still waiting for their food.


    Rosie pounced shortly after they''d finished eating.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Cabletown.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°Oh you must have had some adventures then! I heard they stopped letting people out months ago.¡± Rosie exclaimed.


    Brand and Tommen shared a look. Brand wasn''t sure how much to say. There''d practically been a massive exodus over the last few months since the mayor of Cabletown has announced that going on excursion was betraying the town. It was possible that none of them had passed Quartz Creek, and that travelling merchants had given the residents here bad information that''d been passed around like Chinese whispers, but Brand thought it was unlikely. What then, had happened to all the adventurers? And how much should he say? Tommen seemed to feel the same.


    Rosie picked up on the moment of awkwardness and leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Brand said.


    ¡°You''re not the first person to say that.¡± Tommen told her. ¡°But we left five days ago.¡±


    ¡°And they just let you out?¡± Asked Rosie.


    ¡°Well they weren''t pleased about it.¡± Said Brand, understating the event a little. ¡°But people have been leaving for weeks. The rules were supposed to be enforced the day after we left.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Rosie was surprised. ¡°It''s been the talk of the town for months since it supposedly happened. Other adventurers have been talking about it too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Brand mused. ¡°Theres something weird going on here.¡±


    Tommen made eye contact with Rosie. ¡°Maybe don''t spread that we only left when we did.¡± He turned to Brand. ¡°And we should start telling people we''ve been out for a while. At least until we figure out what''s going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Rosie said before making a zipping motion over her mouth. ¡°Your secret is safe with me. So where are all the other adventurers from Cabletown? Why did they let you out but not them?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, we had to find our own way out. But we thought the guards were just abusing their power.¡± Said Tommen. He gave Rosie the rundown of how they would have gotten out of there had been no guards to stop their escape over the wall. He just told her about him boosting Brand and Brand throwing down a rope. He didn''t want her to think they were mad ruffians with no respect for the law.


    ¡°That''s incredible!¡± Rosie''s eyes glittered with imagination. ¡°I can''t even bring myself to leave Quartz Creek, and you guys are climbing walls and breaking out of Cabletown!¡±


    ¡°It was a little dramatic.¡± Brand conceded. ¡°You want to go on an excursion then?¡± He followed up.


    ¡°More than anything!¡± She exclaimed.


    ¡°Well why don''t you?¡± Asked Tommen. ¡°The gate we came in didn''t even have a guard. Quartz Creek seems pretty different to Cabletown.¡±


    ¡°I want to! But it''s just me and my mum here, and she needs me to help her out around the place. Enough of that! Have you fought any Databeasts?¡±


    ¡°The first one we fought was a Thunderkiwi.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    ¡°We took the scenic route here to farm some Databeasts in the grasslands.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°The strongest we''ve fought is a Twizard.¡± Brand bragged a little. He was proud of what they''d managed to do.


    ¡°You''ve only been out for five days and fought a Twizard! What level are you two?¡± Rosie exclaimed. Twizards had a reputation for catching rookies off guard. Most people wouldn''t attempt them until they''d started to hit some of the higher levels.


    ¡°That fight got me to level 4.¡± Brand told her. ¡°Tommen is level 5.¡±


    ¡°That''s really good. You''ll have no trouble pretending you''ve been out for a while. I was proud of being level 3! We''re the same age, right?¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°I''m 20.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Same.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°That''s even worse! I''m 21.¡± Said Rosie dejectedly. ¡°I wish I¡¯d trained more. I¡¯ve been out with Marius a couple times, as well as others, but apparently it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°You can come out with us now if you want. We''re going looking for Databeasts to farm anyway.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Are you serious? I wouldn¡¯t be taking all the EXP?¡± Rosie asked.


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯d be good to have you with us. Besides, we were thinking of making it a more casual training anyway.¡± Said Brand. Tommen eyed him sceptically, but kept silent.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just low levelled ones it should be fine¡­ and I¡¯d have to tell Marius where we¡¯re going. I should be able to go in half an hour but I¡¯ll have to talk to my mum, see if there¡¯s anything else she needs me to do. There shouldn¡¯t be much.¡± She pondered, before getting excited again. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve been out hunting Databeasts!¡±


    ¡°Perfect, we need to rest and let our stomachs settle anyway.¡± Said Brand. Rosie took their plates and left.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Tommen asked him, once they were alone again.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want her to train with us?¡± Brand said.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with that, though frankly I¡¯d prefer it if you asked me first.¡± Tommen told him. ¡°Just surprised me a little.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a couple of reasons. One is that I have a good feeling about her.¡± Tommen raised an eyebrow at that but Brand continued. ¡°Two is that I feel like she¡¯s good to have on our side. She seems to know a lot of people in the town. And if anyone does come looking for us you can guarantee the first place they¡¯ll look is the inn, followed by the shops. We make a good impression on her and they might cover for us.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Said Tommen, dubiously impressed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well thought out. And rather cynical.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s being smart. And I meant what I said, I have a good feeling about her. I can sympathise with her, I¡¯d like to help her if I can.¡± Brand insisted. ¡°It¡¯s just weird what we¡¯re hearing about Cabletown. Sets me on edge. It¡¯s our town, we should know what¡¯s been going on within it.¡±


    ¡°And now you think, what exactly? There¡¯s some big conspiracy going on?¡± Tommen asked, not unkindly.


    ¡°I''m just a little worried after talking with Rosie.¡± Brand confessed. ¡°What if there really are guards coming after us?¡±


    ¡°To be honest.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°The guards are lazy and craven. That¡¯s why they¡¯re guards. That one who chased after us was probably just bored. I doubt they care much about enforcing a rule that hadn¡¯t even come into effect when we broke it.¡±


    _______


    Four days prior


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a visitor.¡±


    Harlow was having a bad day. He had been excited when he initially joined the guards, but it was mind-numbingly boring. Not at all what he¡¯d expected. What he¡¯d really wanted was to go on an excursion. But he¡¯d been convinced - as well as bullied and henpecked - into staying. His parents had encouraged him to go to the guards as an alternative - a healthy middle ground. He¡¯d thought they were being hypocritical when they¡¯d said that. They¡¯d gone on plenty of excursions outside the walls. But they¡¯d explained that they were wrong for doing so and deeply regretted it, and that he would too. And that if he had any respect for himself or them he¡¯d stop bringing it up.


    They had to think that of course, being so close to the Mayor. Thinking anything else whilst wielding that much power got you labelled as a traitor, and quickly.


    Several nights he¡¯d stayed up, travel bag half packed, but he could never bring himself to leave. So he joined the guards. Great. He could stand on a wall for most of the night, occasionally patrolling from side to side. It was a mostly pointless job. Anything that could scale the wall could eat him for breakfast anyway. Maybe he could radio in what he saw a few seconds before his death. Maybe there were mercenaries and bandits hoping to scale the walls of Cabletown, but were somehow too poor to pay the measly entry fee. Hell, a mercenary band could probably just move in if they wanted. Cabletown desperately needed people.


    So he¡¯d taken a nap in the middle of his shift. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d done it, nor the second or third. But it was certainly the first time he¡¯d woken up to strange sounds, like something hitting into the wall. At first he¡¯d thought it was coming from outside the walls, and got scared.


    Then when he¡¯d seen the face of a young man pop over the battlements he¡¯d remembered that the sound was coming from the human side. He was confused. What was the protocol for that, after all?


    Then he¡¯d heard his superior shouting something, so he grabbed for his staff and started swinging. Then all hell broke loose.


    Now he was sitting up in a nursing ward with a busted leg. Definitely bruised, likely fractured. Could take weeks to heal properly. And even longer before he was moving normally. He¡¯d be out of the guards for at least two to three months.


    If he thought it was mind-numbing before, this was worse. So hearing he¡¯d got a visitor was welcome news.


    Seeing it was the notoriously angry guard captain that had been threatening him throughout the early hours of the morning, however, was not. He''d been forced to give several reports of what had happened to different people already, so he assumed it was more of the same.


    ¡°There you are.¡± The captain practically growled at him.


    ¡°Captain Rizzo.¡± Said Harlow, with what he hoped sounded like a measure of respect.


    ¡°Why did you let those two get away?¡± The captain demanded.


    ¡°Well one of them took me off the wall, and then the other one sneaked up behind me and-¡± Harlow tried to explain.


    ¡°I''ve seen the reports!¡± The captain cut him off. ¡°You never should have let it get that far. A guardsman should have been able to hold them off at least. Improperly trained, you are.¡±


    ¡°I was beating them when they didn''t get the drop on me!¡± Harlow felt a little heated.


    ¡°And just how did they get the drop on you?¡± The captain snarled. ¡°You should have had 100% awareness while patrolling. If I find you were slacking off¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harlow said weakly. ¡°I just didn''t expect any movement from inside the walls. I don''t even know what they did.¡±


    ¡°Violation of the mayor''s orders.¡± Rizzo replied.


    ¡°Which orders?¡± Harlow asked.


    The captain gave him a stinkeye. ¡°I''m the one asking questions here. Did you recognise the traitors?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Harlow said, truthfully. They were a little older than him, and likely went to a worse school.


    ¡°You''ve only been in the guards for a couple months, right?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Level?¡± Asked Captain Rizzo.


    ¡°4.¡± Harlow replied. He was proud of his level. Between the accelerated levelling course his parents had got him on and all the extra hours he¡¯d put in combat training in the guard¡¯s exercise halls he was beating out a lot of his peers.


    ¡°Do you have an element stone?¡± Rizzo demanded answers.


    Harlow nodded. He''d been given one as a gift from his parents upon joining the guards.


    ¡°Well? Type and rank!¡± The captain barked.


    ¡°Poor grade cosmic!¡± Harlow spluttered.


    The captain eyed him with an open contempt that had been barely concealed before. A poor grade cosmic element stone cost just a little less than a low grade earth element stone. Earth element stones were the standard found in Cabletown, given its extensive mining operations, so they were the cheapest you could get. A cosmic element stone was much rarer, so were exorbitantly priced. Yet, a poor grade cosmic was about as useful, if not less, than a poor grade earth element stone, to say nothing of a low grade earth element stone, which Harlow¡¯s parents could have bought him.


    As such, a poor grade cosmic was the standard element stone for the striver families, intent on showing off that they had wealth and didn''t need to be practical in how they spent it. They wanted their son to be able to flaunt his element stone, and a low grade earth was unflatteringly common.


    The captain was a true believer in the Cabletown project and truly disliked such wasteful displays - especially when they came from his superiors, as they so often did. He was a practical man, and he expected others to take things seriously, so he was less than impressed with the rookie''s element stone.


    ¡°Right. You''re coming with me.¡± The guard captain told him.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Harlow asked.


    ¡°We''re following those two traitors you let slip through your fingers.¡± The captain snarled. ¡°Get moving.¡±


    Harlow paused in the middle of grabbing his crutches. ¡°The doctor told me I won''t be able to put weight on my knee for a week. I haven¡¯t even seen my parents!¡±


    The captain measured him up and seemingly felt satisfied that he was telling the truth. ¡°You''ve got a day. There¡¯s a merchant caravan leaving tomorrow. I''ll get you a leg exoskeleton. Military grade. You''ll be able to walk with that. Let whoever needs to know that you''re leaving know now, because there won''t be another chance until we''ve got those traitors.¡±


    Harlow felt numb as the captain walked away following his proclamation. Admittedly, he had wanted to leave the city. But doing so with a probably broken leg and the irate captain of the guard barking orders at him all day wasn¡¯t his idea of a good time.


    Besides, he didn¡¯t want to see those again. Sure, he¡¯d been having revenge fantasies from the moment he watched his own staff being used to smash his own leg and he¡¯d had to just stand there and take it. But his life had been almost taken less than 24 hours ago by a sword-wielding madman. He just wanted to stay home and relax. Settle a bit. Maybe let his leg heal. Then think about revenge.


    All in all, this wasn''t how he wanted his first time leaving the town as an adult to go.


    Harlow sighed deeply. He hoped his parents would visit him soon.

 EE4 - A Lead And A Bleed

    To be frank, Brand thought Rosie was terrible in combat. Rosie seemed to think so too, if her mix of frustration and apologies were anything to go by. It was strange as her fundamentals were solid and her technique was excellent. She just seemed to be either in the way or nowhere near the action. They had defeated three Databeasts, one of which was a Speron - a heron-like Databeast with a metal beak, and while Rosie had certainly played a part, she had almost been as much a hindrance as a help, tripping Tommen up as he¡¯d backpedalled away from the Databeast¡¯s assault. Luckily Brand had taken advantage of the distraction and plunged his shortsword into the Speron. Rosie had put Tommen in danger, but to be fair to her it wasn¡¯t entirely her fault


    She used a long-handled axe and performed many large sweeping movements, which interfered with Brand and Tommen¡¯s short and tight movements. The axe almost seemed too big for her, but she¡¯d clearly mastered using her bodyweight to help swing it, and seamlessly changed the leverage of it so as to cut out wasteful movements.


    She¡¯d managed to properly hit twice with it, to devastating effect. Brand knew they could make something work. Rosie was earnestly trying, she just didn¡¯t synergise well with what they were doing. He had a hunch he knew what was wrong.


    ¡°What weapons training have you been doing?¡± He asked her as they were sat resting after defeating the third Databeast of the day. They had taken on a Speron, a Heatwolf, and a Bushgle and came out on top each time.


    The trio were snacking on various things they¡¯d brought in travel bags. Brand and Tommen had left their big packs at the hotel and were using much smaller packs that only had the necessities for taking on Databeasts in the grasslands. Brand felt it very freeing that he didn¡¯t have to lug a big rucksack around with him everywhere he went.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t really tell, but I train a lot at home on straw targets. Marius coaches me fairly often.¡± Rosie said. She was clearly not feeling great after the last few performances.


    ¡°You definitely can tell.¡± Said Brand, encouraging her. ¡°Your technique is great. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯ve never trained to be in a formation before, have you?¡±


    Rosie shook her head. ¡°Marius was a solo-leveller and I¡¯ve mostly learnt from him.¡±


    ¡°Ahh that¡¯s it!¡± Tommen exclaimed. ¡°I was surprised. You¡¯re so good, you¡¯re just never in the right place. We get military formations drilled into us constantly in school. That¡¯s why me and Brand are so synergised, whilst you are¡­¡±


    ¡°All over the place.¡± Rosie helpfully finished.


    ¡°...less coordinated with us than we are with each other.¡± Tommen followed up. ¡°But we can make this work. If you look at our style, I engage at range with a flurry of attacks with my staff. I can get a lot of strikes in at different ranges while the Databeast is closing the distance. Once it has gotten close, Brand rushes in and tries to get a few good stabs and slashes in. When it turns to him, he stays in close and tries to trade with his short sword and buckler, whilst I try to damage or pin down the Databeast from the side with my staff to stack the odds in his favour. Usually we do this until it runs out of HP.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah you did do that.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m thinking we stick to that, with you hanging around behind Brand. When there¡¯s a good opportunity, you take the opposite side of the Databeast to me and swing as hard as you can. If you¡¯ve practised solo you¡¯re probably used to setting up and feinting to create an opportunity. Let us handle all that. Your goal for now should be to only hit one swing the whole fight. Try and stay the same distance that I will be from Brand. Brand, you might need to be a bit more aggressive and hold the line a bit more. Use your shortsword defensively and make the most out of your buckler.¡± Tommen explained his idea to the rest of them. Rosie seemed happy with the solution and Brand was excited to try it out.


    They got up and went looking for the next Databeast with renewed fervour.


    They found an Authorn, a bull-like plant Databeast. One of the stranger Databeasts of the low-level grasslands, being both animal and tree. It was smaller than a cow, being more around the size of a pony. Wood and flesh made up its legs and three pronged leaves with white flowers made up its fur. Its head was mostly that of a bull, but had red berries bunched on the top of its head and two long thornlike wooden spikes as its horns.


    It was a dangerous Databeast, probably a little beyond a casual session. But the trio was feeling full of energy and were raring to go, so they approached it. It became hostile as soon as it spotted them, stomping its wooden hooves. Tommen ran ahead of the other two to stop the Authorn from being able to build a big charge against them and hit them with its momentum. That was where it was most dangerous.


    Tommen¡¯s staff had a fair bit of range. By the time the Databeast had built up a little momentum, Tommen¡¯s staff was striking it across its nose as he ran past it. It whirled around, its eyes flashing the same red as the berries on its head. It had become enraged. This was what they wanted. It tried to strike at Tommen with its thorns but he used his staff defensively for the most part, only hitting with some short, quick strikes to whittle down its HP a little. His wind element stone empowered his strikes a little, boosting his speed. It wasn¡¯t much, but in the rapid flurry a little edge went a long way.


    Brand had caught up now and he swung hard at the Databeast with his bronze shortsword, slashing across its leg. The Authorn turned to him, feeling the loss of a large chunk of HP. It tried to gore him with one of its thorns, but Tommen used his staff well, using two hands to push against the thorn on the opposite side of its head, obstructing its movement. The Authorn shook free, but it was facing Brand now and less able to strike him with its thorns, as Brand kept himself square on, using his sword and buckler to block its attacks, chopping at it when he could. Tommen stayed on the side, hitting the horns and the hooves of the Databeast to continuously frustrate its attempts to take Brand out.


    The battle continued like that for several seconds, until Rosie took action. She slinked out from behind Brand warily, trying not to draw the Databeast¡¯s gaze. It noticed her, but distracted as it was with Brand and Tommen it could not divert enough attention to her. She continued to move around until she was opposite Tommen at the flank of the beast. Feeling blocked in it began to take steps back. Tommen did his best to stop it with his weapon whilst Brand pursued more aggressively now that he had more freedom to strike. The Databeast shook its head in a wild attempt to dislodge the pair.


    Rosie immediately capitalised on this, spinning around to gain momentum and swinging the axe in a long, beautiful, destructive arc around her.


    It was an excessive attack that could only be used when she had the freedom to do so. There was a hard crunching of wood as the axe buried itself into the flank of the Authorn. Its eyes were red and it let out a mighty bellow as it disappeared into the aether, its data being absorbed by the trio in the form of EXP for themselves, BITs, and element to level up their element stones.


    Rosie received a little more element than the rest of them, as she had an earth element stone, poor grade. Because the Authorn was also an earth element, Brand and Tommen had to convert the earth energy into their respective elements, whilst Rosie did not.


    They were jubilant after that victory, that their tactic had worked so well, so they decided to look for more Databeasts whilst making their way back to Quartz Creek. Despite the mistakes from earlier, Brand had been enjoying the hunting session and didn¡¯t want it to end so soon.


    The trio had decided to take a more circular route back, suggested by Rosie. They were in a more heavily wooded area now, a small forest they had seen from Quartz Creek. They had only got a little way in before they spotted their next Databeast, a Thunderkiwi. They almost missed it, as it was strutting beside thick vegetation of ferns and trees. Tommen and Brand hadn¡¯t seen one since that first night, and were excited to battle it and see how much they¡¯d improved since then.


    Tommen ran towards the Thunderkiwi, as he had towards the Authorn, while Brand and Rosie lagged behind. The Thunderkiwi was late to seeing him and he managed to get it on the back foot as he began striking. Beak clashed with staff in a fierce battle, and a ferocious squawk was heard from the ferns. A second Thunderkiwi sprinted out of the undergrowth and struck at Tommen!


    Two Databeasts working together was rare, but much more likely if they were the same species. It was somewhat uncommon for two Databeasts of the same type to find each other anyway, as there were so many different types around due to the semi-random spawning and were almost always aggressive with one another, so running into partnered Thunderkiwis was very bad luck.


    Brand and Rosie sprinted towards the battle, but before they could get there Tommen let out a loud cry of pain and dropped his staff with one hand. One of the Thunderkiwis had got him good on the arm. He stepped back, flailing the weapon with one hand to keep the two electric birds back.


    Brand got to him first, driving forwards with his buckler. The raced past Tommen and struck forward with the small shield, knocking the beak of the leftmost Thunderkiwi aside and circling round it, so that it was between Brand and the other Thunderkiwi, making it so only one could attack Brand. Tommen tried to battle the other Thunderkiwi with one hand but his staff was knocked aside.


    Rosie reached the battle now and forced the Thunderkiwi away from Tommen with wide, arcing swings. Now Brand was taking on a Thunderkiwi solo, as was Rosie. Tommen wanted to join the fight, but knew he¡¯d just be a hindrance so he stayed back.


    Brand traded hard blows with his Thunderkiwi, taking them all on with the brunt of the shield. The Thunderkiwi had no such defense and the bronze shortsword took huge chunks from its HP with every slice.


    On the other side, Rosie was finally in her element. Her axe practically danced around as she kept the Thunderkiwi at bay with big strikes that flowed seamlessly into one another. She stepped forwards and backwards whilst swinging as if fencing, and for a second the space around her seemed all hers as she controlled the distance to the flightless bird.


    Despite that, the Thunderkiwi had the pressure on her, jabbing at her with sharp beak strikes that crackled with blue electricity. She had skills, but the Databeast had her on the levels. At just level 3 with a poor grade element stone, she was struggling with the Thunderkiwi.


    Brand fared better against his. He was only a level higher, but the medium grade element stone imbued his strikes with noticeably more force. Fire was a good element for striking with more power and speed also, whilst earth boosted defence and the weight behind attacks. As such, Brand was better suited to dealing with the fast, constant attacks of the Thunderkiwi and being able to respond in kind. He was chipping away at the HP of the Databeast, but not enough to defeat it in time to help Rosie out, who was constantly stepping back, and getting tired.


    Tommen managed to grab his staff with both hands now, fighting through the pain. He wanted to help out Rosie, but her wide arcs with the axe just meant he¡¯d get in her way and put her in more danger. So he turned to the Thunderkiwi Brand was fighting and took a huge swing at the back of its long legs. The Thunderkiwi didn¡¯t realise what had happened until it had been swept of its feet, and by then Brand was bringing his shortsword down in a brutal overhead strike that dispatched the Thunderkiwi, turning it back into data.


    Tommen dropped his staff from the pain and Brand ran to take his position behind the other Thunderkiwi. This one was slightly bigger than the one he was fighting, but a few well placed strikes on its rump managed to hurt it just the same. Its head turned like a swivel and its beak moved like lightning trying to strike Brand in the head. He just managed to get his buckler in front of it in time, though the hit was hard enough to send jolts down his forearm. Rosie used the opportunity to transition into a soaring upward swing that sent the axe right into the centre of the Databeast¡¯s body. It dissipated into data as they defeated it. They stood looking at each other for a second before breaking out into cheers. It had been intense, but they had managed to overcome the dangerous situation. They took a second to regroup, and Brand asked Tommen how his arm was doing.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t too bad. I should be fine. It¡¯s a wound, but the Thunderkiwi must have got me with some sort of static. My arm went numb.¡± Said Tommen. That was rare also, Brand thought. Databeasts didn¡¯t have many techniques at lower levels. A technique, commonly called a Tech, was something Databeasts could learn as they levelled. Humans could use them too, but only by keeping their partnered Databeasts within them, after attuning their element stones. The Gustadder and the Twizard were two examples of Databeasts that learnt Techs early.


    ¡°But you¡¯re all good now?¡± Brand asked sceptically. Tommen¡¯s forearm was bleeding. It was at least a flesh wound.


    ¡°It hurts when I close my hand.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fight for today.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Maybe longer.¡± Brand told him. ¡°Drink the potion. I¡¯ll bandage your arm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth wasting the potion.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. This is why we bought it. Between the numbing from the static shock and the adrenaline you have no idea how bad your arm is. We¡¯ll be cautious now and figure it out later.¡± Brand shot back as he took bandages out of his travel pack.


    ¡°Fine. But if I drink that potion then I¡¯m hunting tomorrow.¡± Tommen begrudgingly replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what it looks like tomorrow.¡± Brand told him as he wrapped the damaged arm. He was getting annoyed at Tommen.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take you to Marius. He should be at the inn for dinner anyway. He¡¯ll know what to do.¡± Said Rosie. The other two agreed to compromise on that.


    Brand got the arm bandaged and poured some potion on the wound and Tommen drank the rest. They walked back to Quartz Creek, talking sparsely. The shiny walls flashed at them softly in the dimming light as they made their way back.


    Brand had enjoyed that hunting session. It was his first one since turning level 4 and he could feel the difference. Not only was he stronger because of his level, but he could get a little more power out of his medium-grade element stone. It had felt comfortable using that extra power. He wondered when he¡¯d be able to manifest his element. Shooting fireballs out of his hands was a long way off, but it was on the cards. Brand felt fulfilled in a way he hadn¡¯t for a long, long time. He was getting levels from hunting. He was getting stronger.


    This was what he should have been doing two years ago. Who knew where he¡¯d be right now if he had? Level 10? Level 20? Was that what level Ember and Kelvin were? Had an insurmountable gap opened up between those two and him? Maybe he would never catch up. But he was finally on the road to doing so.


    Turning to Rosie, he asked her something he¡¯d been dying to ask.


    ¡°Maybe this is a little out of the blue, but did you ever meet any adventurers called Ember and Kelvin? I figure they may have stopped at your inn.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± She replied. ¡°That sounds familiar. When? What did they look like?.¡±


    Brand¡¯s heart quickened. ¡°Sometime in the last year and a half? Kelvin was sorta tall and gangly-¡±


    ¡°And very shady looking.¡± Tommen interjected.


    ¡°Whilst Ember was short with reddish-purple hair.¡± Brand finished.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I do remember them. The suspicious man and pretty girl.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°Crazy girl.¡± Tommen interjected again.


    ¡°She was a little bombastic¡­¡± Rosie pondered.


    ¡°He¡¯s not suspicious! And she¡¯s not crazy. When did you see them? What happened?¡± Brand was excited.


    ¡°I can check the records when we get back, but I think it was around a year and a half ago. Think they¡¯d come in from Shingle City. I didn¡¯t really get to ask them anything. They only stayed for a few days and they were busy for all of it. Usually I try to get travellers to tell me about their adventures, but I didn¡¯t even get to do that!¡± Rosie explained. ¡°Maybe Marius knows more? He would have sold them items, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Woah.¡± Said Brand. If he¡¯d thought Rosie really had information on where Kelvin and Ember were he¡¯d have asked earlier. He was surprised. Quartz Creek was just one of many places they may have gone to. It was fortunate that they¡¯d been here. ¡°So you don¡¯t know where they went?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, not a clue. Friends of yours?¡± Rosie asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Said Brand, lost in thought. ¡°Trying to find them. Maybe Marius knows where they went.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Said Rosie, unsure.


    Brand couldn¡¯t wait.


    Luckily their journey back to Quartz Creek had little interruption. As Rosie predicted, Marius had closed up shop and was eating dinner at the Silverstar Inn. He was sitting with Rosie¡¯s mother, Lily, at a large table. He had finished his dinner and they were just chatting. There were more patrons in than during lunchtime, but they all had food in front of them, so Brand surmised they were all regulars who had a routine that Lily was well prepared for.


    Lily took one look at Tommen¡¯s injured arm and started scowling, before summarily fussing over Rosie. Once she¡¯d made sure Rosie was alright, she asked about Tommen.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we were wondering.¡± Rosie explained. ¡°We were going to ask Marius his opinion on the damage.¡±


    Once they¡¯d explained to him what had happened, Marius gave his prognosis. ¡°You had the potion? That¡¯s good. I¡¯d still give it a couple days before your arm is fully healed.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Exclaimed Tommen. ¡°I guess we¡¯re not going down the mines after all.¡± He smiled apologetically at Brand.


    ¡°How strong are they down there?¡± Brand asked Marius. ¡°I might be able to solo it.¡± He had originally been planning on running solo when he¡¯d left Cabletown after all. His teamwork with Tommen was an excellent boon to his excursion, but he could try to manage without it.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Marius warned. ¡°You¡¯d likely be able to beat most things down there, as long as you keep to the higher levels of the mines. But it¡¯s possible to get hemmed in down there. It¡¯s not quite two Thunderkiwis, but when two Pebblegobs are on either side of you down there, it''s very difficult to turn around or get out. I wouldn¡¯t have suggested it if there weren¡¯t two of you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Brand.¡± Said Tommen. He didn¡¯t want to take away from the other boy¡¯s training just because he himself had got injured, so felt guilty. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the 250 we owe. It was me that used the potion after all.¡± He told Marius.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. We agreed to split it. It could have easily been me using it. I¡¯ll pay my half.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°I can go down there.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Said Lily. ¡°I need you to help me out tomorrow.¡±


    "Come on mum. You''re just saying that because you don''t want me down there." Said Rosie.


    "I''m not." Lily huffed. "There''s a lot I need to get done tomorrow and I''ll need an extra pair of hands."


    ¡°What if Tommen helped you out?¡± Rosie asked, before turning to Marius. ¡°He could do that even with his injured arm, right?¡±


    ¡°I could do that.¡± Tommen nodded along.


    ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be too strenuous¡­¡± Said Marius, who looked at Lily. He didn¡¯t seem to want to overstep his bounds, Brand guessed.


    ¡°See? I could help Brand out down there, while Tommen takes over my roles here. It¡¯s mostly delivering food and talking to guests anyway.¡± Rosie said triumphantly.


    ¡°It seems a little dangerous.¡± Lily looked towards Marius. ¡°We¡¯ve already had one injury.¡±


    ¡°It was my fault he was injured.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°I said we should check the area out. If it wasn¡¯t for me he¡¯d be down there with Brand tomorrow. They shouldn¡¯t have to suffer for my mistake.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exactly make me want to let you go.¡± Her mother warned.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Tommen told Rosie. ¡°I made the mistake.¡±


    ¡°It should be alright. Depending on how strong Brand is.¡± Marius interjected, looked at Brand expectantly.


    Brand could take the hint. Normally it would be something of a faux pas to ask an adventurer their level, but Brand understood that Marius was just looking out for Rosie, and cared for her. He could choose not to reveal his level and element stone, but he was planning on going down the mine anyway and Rosie had proved whilst fighting the Thunderkiwis that she had his back in a tight situation. He wanted her down there with him. If she hadn¡¯t been there he and Tommen might have had some serious problems, even if they would have approached more cautiously with her absence.


    ¡°Level 4, low grade fire stone.¡± Brand told him. Marius¡¯ eyebrows raised as he made a face that looked a little impressed, likely due to the level of the stone. It was rare for a beginner to not have a poor grade element.


    ¡°It should be alright then.¡± Marius told Lily. ¡°I¡¯ve been down the mine with Rosie before and she¡¯s been able to hold her own. I¡¯ve no doubt her and Brand could take on anything at the higher levels of Silverstar Mine. If they¡¯re smart. It would be a good test for them.¡± He concluded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lily said.


    ¡°She really can fight.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to make sure she¡¯s safe.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay mum.¡± Rosie finished up, heartened at the support from Tommen and Brand.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Said Lily. ¡°I want you back at 5. A minute late and I¡¯m sending Marius down those mines.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Rosie gave her mother a big hug, who hugged back. Then she turned to the injured boy. ¡°Sorry for giving you extra work, Tommen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a good thing to keep me occupied.¡± Tommen told her, honestly.


    Brand was pleased with the result. He and Tommen still got to have the potion half-price after all, and now he had some backup for training. Still, he was after more than that.


    ¡°It¡¯s unrelated, but I was hoping to ask you about something, Marius.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I completely forgot! Let me check the register.¡± Said Rosie, getting up.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Marius prompted.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a couple of friends. Rosie said they stayed in Quartz Creek about a year and a half ago. Kelvin and Ember. He¡¯s sorta tall with brown hair, and she¡¯s short with reddish-purple hair.¡± Brand explained.


    Marius thought for a second before it struck him. ¡°I do remember actually. A lot of adventurers come through my shop, but they did stick out a little. Part of me thought the boy was going to try and rob me, truthfully¡­ more common than you think. But I remember because they kept asking about the ruins south of here. It attracts a strange type of person.¡±


    ¡°Ruins?¡± Brand asked. ¡°What kind of ruins?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty impressive actually. They come from one of the initial settlements in this land. There¡¯s a lot of speculation about who created it and why. Most common is that it was a laboratory town. They definitely used some weird tech to make it. There¡¯s an underground labyrinth beneath the ruins too, that seems to have been made after. Some enthusiasts like to visit it, some treasure hunters reckon they¡¯ll find something everyone else missed. But almost invariably, everybody comes away empty handed.¡± Marius explained.


    ¡°Maybe I should check it out.¡± Brand muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯d give it some time. At your level you¡¯d just be XP and element for the Databeasts there. It¡¯s dangerous. The Databeasts there are weird too. You find a lot you won¡¯t see anywhere else around here.¡± Said Marius.


    ¡°What level should I be?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°A strong 7 to survive, ideally 8 or 9 if you want to properly explore it.¡± Said Marius.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Rosie called before running back over. ¡°They stayed here a year and four months ago. For three nights.¡±


    That was two months after they¡¯d stopped sending Brand messages. He felt a sense of relief that they were okay and hadn¡¯t stopped messaging him because something awful had happened. That was soon followed by a different emotion that he couldn¡¯t quite place. They had been so close but hadn¡¯t visited or even sent him some mail? Part of him had expected that they¡¯d been out adventuring in some far off corner of the land, or traversing the wilderness and unable to communicate with him.


    To find out they¡¯d had every opportunity to message him but chose not to? That made him feel a certain something that he didn¡¯t like. A sense of distance opened up between him and them once more. Maybe they were just sitting around in Shingle City and wouldn¡¯t even be excited to see him. And now he found out that they¡¯d probably been level 7 or higher in just 8 months since leaving Cabletown.


    He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to catch up to that. That kind of levelling speed was unheard of back home.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Rosie asked


    ¡°Just the old ruins down south. His friends had been visiting it.¡± Marius told her.


    ¡°Ooh! Spooky. Local rumour has it that a mad scientist tried to create a never before seen Databeast and it all went horribly wrong and blew up in his face.¡± Rosie told him.


    Marius looked at her sceptically. ¡°Local rumour, yes. That place was created and destroyed before Quartz Creek was ever dreamed up by the frontiersmen and women traversing the area.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of Databeast he was trying to create.¡± Said Rosie dreamily, ignoring Marius¡¯ dismissal.


    The retired adventurer got up and said good night to the assembled group. He told Rosie and Brand that he¡¯d see them tomorrow and promptly left. Lily also took her leave, and his plates of food, retreating into the kitchen. Rosie went to help her.


    Tommen and Brand talked for a while, but they were both exhausted from the long day and soon headed to their rooms.


    Brand slept well, but had strange dreams of running endlessly towards the horizon. No matter how far he ran, it stayed just as far away.


    _______


    Three Days Prior


    Harlow was having a bad day. Walking, walking, walking. It was awful. The doctor had discharged him, under pressure from Captain Rizzo, once the exoskeleton was fitted to his leg. He could put weight on it mostly painlessly, but only when he walked with a limp.


    He was getting good at that. It had taken a while. At least sometime after Oxburgh.


    That¡¯s where they¡¯d gone first. Rizzo had decided that was the most likely place that the two boys, Tommen and Brand as he¡¯d learned, had gone. But they weren¡¯t there, or at least the doddering old guard stationed at the place didn¡¯t remember seeing them. Not necessarily the same thing as he wasn¡¯t sure the guard¡¯s eyesight and memory was all it could be, but they¡¯d moved on anyway. Now they were most of the way towards Shingle City. That was where they¡¯d end up heading to at some point.


    Captain Rizzo had some friends in the guard there, and had sent some messages ahead. They couldn¡¯t detain Tommen and Brand for him, but they¡¯d let him know if they¡¯d come through and where they were in the city.


    Fighting the Databeasts had been hard. The Captain could have handled them all easily, being level 9. He did finish them off to be fair, but only after making Harlow fight whatever they came across and shouting endless criticism at him before stepping in once the younger man failed.


    Rizzo had gotten him another staff for the one he¡¯d lost. Harlow had been proud of his combat skill previously, but with his leg as janky as it was his style had to completely change. For the most part he had to stand and bang whilst leaning on his good leg. Highly aggressive Databeasts like Thunderkiwis that put him on his back foot were an absolute nightmare. Luckily they¡¯d only fought one, but he could have died if Rizzo didn¡¯t step in.


    Half of him was convinced that Rizzo just wanted to shout at him though. Even if he didn¡¯t have a messed up leg, he was sure that Rizzo would be criticising his stance and swings just as much.


    So between walking, fighting and being shouted at, Harlow was really starting to resent the guard captain for bringing him along. Even though he could feel himself getting better at fighting.


    He told himself they were almost at Shingle City. Brand and Tommen would be there. Rizzo would deal with them, bring them back somehow, whatever.


    He would be back home soon, Harlow thought, as he limped along trying to keep up with the quick pace of the captain. He didn¡¯t want to fall behind again.

 EE5 - Delving Down

    Brand and Rosie got up and ate a hearty breakfast. Tommen was there too, getting instructed in his breakfast duties by Lily. Luckily for him there were few of those and he soon joined them with a big plate of his own. Apart from them there had only been two locals there for breakfast, and the other adventurer staying at the inn. Brand couldn¡¯t get much of a read on her as she ate, as she was draped in a dark green cloak and kept her head bowed.


    Lily had said the breakfast was on the house for Brand so he had enough energy to take care of Rosie and for Tommen because of the work he was going to do. Rosie naturally got hers for free also.


    Tommen seemed in good spirits, despite everything.


    ¡°How¡¯s the arm?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°Good. Sore.¡± Tommen told them. ¡°The wound is all good, it just still hurts.¡± He flexed his forearm before them. There was a big scar where the Thunderkiwi had managed to peck him, but unlike yesterday there was no open gash. ¡°I probably couldn¡¯t use it fully though. The potion is weird like that.¡±


    Brand was impressed and told him so. He knew that potions could do some miraculous things to Databeast damage, but it was still an incredible feat. Although potions accelerated the natural healing of the body, and he¡¯d heard horror stories about broken bones setting wrong, so they weren¡¯t necessarily a cure all.


    Not that the low level potion they¡¯d bought would be able to do that, but it was still very useful to have. A broken bone set wrong in the wilderness was usually better than being stuck in the wilderness with a broken bone.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s better.¡± Rosie told him. ¡°I felt awful thinking that I¡¯d got you really injured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be the last time I get hurt.¡± Tommen laughed.


    ¡°Yeah we¡¯ll have to get used to it sooner or later.¡± Brand agreed. Part of being an adventurer was being good at fighting. But another part of being an adventurer was being able to persevere through the pain, the long nights and the suffering. So far only his fighting had been tested. He hoped that when his resilience was tested it wouldn¡¯t fail him.


    ¡°Well hopefully not today.¡± Lily interjected, as she appeared beside them with a small plate of her own.


    ¡°Definitely not. We¡¯ll be safe and effective. Get in the mines, get the silverstars and get out. No messing around.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be okay down there?¡± Lily asked her daughter while putting her hand on Rosie¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. A little cavern isn¡¯t going to scare me.¡± Rosie said.


    ¡°You too Brand?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent the last couple of years down the bottom of a mine. I¡¯m loath to go down there since I only just got out but unfortunately this is going to be second nature to me. You couldn¡¯t find a better escort, except maybe Tommen.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°Good.¡± Lily gave him a warm smile.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be jealous of someone going down a mine, but I do wish I could join you.¡± Tommen laughed.


    ¡°By the looks of it you¡¯ll be alright in no time. I¡¯ll give you the grand tour of Silverstar Mine in a couple of days.¡± Brand joked back.


    They all finished up with the food and idle banter and Brand and Rosie said their goodbyes and headed towards MacGill¡¯s Item Emporium, where Marius was waiting for them.


    ¡°There they are! The two adventurers of legend, ready to delve into the depths of Silverstar Mine for treasure and glory!¡± Marius exclaimed as they entered. His round purple databeast, Chance, was bouncing on the counter once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let mum hear you say that!¡± Rosie giggled. Brand laughed too.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the pickaxes right here. Remember, they¡¯re mostly for mining the silverstars but if you do run into any rock Databeasts then they¡¯re probably the best weapon you¡¯ve got. And Rosie, I¡¯ve got you a little something extra just in case.¡± Marius said as he handed them the pickaxes, and Rosie a potion.


    ¡°That¡¯s far too expensive!¡± She exclaimed.


    ¡°Nonsense. Your mother would have my guts for garters if I didn¡¯t give you one of these. Remember to use it if anything happens. There shouldn¡¯t be any Databeasts worth worrying about, but you ought to be smart.¡± Marius explained.


    The Databeast, Chance, bounced up and down more vigorously on the counter.


    ¡°He also wants you to be careful.¡± Marius told them.


    ¡°We will!¡± Rosie told them, before petting the bouncing creature. They left the emporium and Rosie guided Brand in the direction of Silverstar Mine. It wasn¡¯t far out from the rest of Quartz Creek, but it did occupy its own space by the wall. Nothing was surrounding it and whatever infrastructure had been there was now taken down.


    Only a solid iron wall remained in the entrance of the mine, with a door in the centre. Any Databeast would struggle to get out, unless they were smart enough to deal with the relatively complicated lock put in place. It would be simplicity itself for a human, but most Databeasts wouldn¡¯t know where to begin with it.


    As such, Rosie and Brand were past it in a flash, locking it behind them. Their head torches lit up the darkness of the mine, a familiar feeling for Brand. A sliver of excitement crept into his mind. Yes he was back in the same-old same-old, back mining through the bowels of the land, but this time as an adventurer! Even what should be familiar to the point of boredom, heading down a cramped and dull mineshaft, was now alive. A Databeast could attack him at any time - and that''s what he was here for!


    He looked at Rosie. Her smiling face looked back at him, full of excitement as he was. Brand thought the emotion suited her. She was dressed in proper combat fatigues, with the small pickaxe in her hand and the long shafted axe across her back. Given the size of the mine she wasn¡¯t likely to use it, but there were a few larger clearings in there where she could.


    Brand questioned it a little, but ultimately understood the decision. If he for some reason couldn¡¯t use his short sword and buckler in an area, he¡¯d still feel much more comfortable with them on him.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°Oh yes. I was up half the night thinking about this.¡± Rosie told him.


    ¡°Really?¡± Brand was surprised. He was excited when he actually got in the mine, but up until that moment he¡¯d considered it a slog.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Databeast hunting twice in two days? Just take me on excursion already.¡± She laughed.


    ¡°Maybe Tommen could look after the inn for a few months¡­¡± Brand joked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fill my head with crazy fantasies now.¡± She joked back. ¡°Come on. Let''s see if we can get a few levels today.¡±


    ¡°A few levels! Now that¡¯s the kind of crazy fantasy I can get behind.¡± Brand said, drawing his pickaxe like a weapon.


    The pair headed down into the mine. Marius had given them the rundown of the place. There was a long main tunnel that split into three large caverns. Each cavern had a tunnel that continued further into the depths of the mines, but those tunnels were sealed off with metal doors similar to the entrance of the mine. Rather than anyone being able to access them, a key was required to venture further into the depths. There were branching paths off the main tunnel, but they didn¡¯t lead anywhere, therefore Rosie and Brand were unlikely to get lost.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to find a Databeast. Brand was well aware of what to look for whilst down the mines, they had it drilled into them often back in Cabletown. As such, the vaguely humanoid piece of rock jutting out of the wall didn¡¯t fool him for a second. Its top reached just above waist height and it had a slightly different consistency than the rest of the stone cavern.


    That was a Flintimp for sure, or he was off his rocker.


    Brand motioned for Rosie to stay back, then gave it a second thought. Rosie¡¯s whole style was big single hits. This was the perfect target for her. He pointed at the Flintimp, then motioned a big swinging attack. ¡°Full power¡± he mouthed to her. She looked at him, then back at the Flintimp and her eyes grew a little wider. She looked back at him and nodded.


    Full power was indeed what she went for, and an incredible clanging rang out through the mine. Sparks flew and pieces of shattered Flint went flying. A low cry of pain rang out from the Flintimp, its eyes flew open to show bright yellow orbs and sparks flew as it gnashed its sharp teeth together.


    The Databeast looked like a humanoid with sharper limbs and a more square head. It turned to Rose and dragged one of its sharp stone arms against the other, bathing her in a shower of sparks. As the bright reaction blinded her it swung both arms forward in an X shape.


    Brand had been ready though, and the Flintimp walked straight into the trajectory of his pickaxe. Right where Rosie had hit previously. The first thing a miner learnt was how to swing properly. The second was accuracy. The third was how to look busy, but that was neither here nor there.


    The blow finished off the Databeast. And just like that it dissipated into the aether.


    A great first start for the adventuring duo. They both absorbed the element, BITs and EXP. It was a fair amount for each. The Flintimp had both earth and fire element, so both Rosie and Brand gained a fair amount of element. Brand had no hope of upgrading his medium rank fire stone any time soon, but the only way he¡¯d ever do it was with thousands of little moments like this. The grind was here, now, and he was living it.


    If all of their time was spent like this they¡¯d have a great hunting session. But Brand knew better than to expect that.


    ¡°Good work.¡± Brand told Rosie.


    ¡°You too.¡± She gave back.


    He nodded and they continued on. They had resolved to clear the first level of the mine of Databeasts, so they moved cautiously and patiently. This wasn¡¯t an in and out raid, this was a thorough extermination.


    Not that it mattered. Databeast eggs would always spawn, and they¡¯d eventually fill with element, transforming into an Instar-stage Databeast. There was no winning against such things permanently. They could defeat everything here but soon enough it would be back full of Databeasts.


    For humanity, just existing was a battle without end. Though that was a cause they took up gladly.


    So when they encountered the first smaller shaft branching off the larger main shaft they followed it down. It was cramped in there and Brand felt a little boxed in. Rosie was only a little shorter, so she must have felt the same. He went down first. It was likely that if they got into a fight Rosie would have no way to help him out.


    Brand¡¯s head torch illuminated the entire tunnel, so when the Pebblegob at the end spotted him and started bouncing towards him it was no surprise.


    Despite him being well prepared, he knew it would be a difficult one.


    The Pebblegob was little more than a round Databeast with an enormous mouth that took up most of its body. It almost seemed like an Instar-stage Databeast, if not for its expanded size, its highly defined features, and the level of danger it presented. No, Brand knew this was a Juvenile-stage Databeast for sure. He took a good look at the thing gaining momentum on the way towards him with deadly intent.


    It had eye cavities but no eyes to speak of, and little chains of linked stones flopped behind him. Those could make for a devastating whip if the Pebblegob decided to twist mid bounce. Its only saving grace for an adventurer was that it wasn¡¯t that large, reaching only around Brand¡¯s knee in height.


    Even that wasn¡¯t too bad as that made the Databeast very difficult to hit. Furthermore, its rocky maw could crush bone. Brand had to be careful, so he told Rosie to move back and give him some space. Being able to retreat and keep a safe distance was essential to fighting such a creature.


    Unfortunately that was not to be.


    Somehow they had attracted the attention of another of the bouncing creatures. It must have followed them down the mine shaft, hunting those who thought themselves the hunters.


    Rosie yelled to Brand as she realised she couldn¡¯t back up, and had to face another of the stone mouths hurtling towards her.


    Brand couldn¡¯t help her even if he wanted to. And he knew she could hold her own. All he could do now was deal with the one in front of him.


    The first step was to arrest its movement. Just as it reached him, Brand turned his pickaxe horizontal and shoved it into the Databeast¡¯s mouth. A hard force met a tougher object as the Pebblegob bit down on the end of the pickaxe. It couldn¡¯t quite swallow it whole and two prongs stuck out of its mouth, making it look like it had tusks. Now that would have been fearsome indeed, Brand mused, but his gambit had worked and the Pebblegob had had its momentum shut down.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Marius¡¯ pickaxe held up well against the stone jaws clamping down on it, but now Brand had a second issue; trying to get the Databeast to release the pickaxe. He swung the pickaxe as hard as he could in the cramped cavern, straight into the wall beside him. The Databeast was smashed between a rock and a hard object and in all its little wisdom, decided to let go.


    Probably the right choice, as Brand would have just bashed it against the wall again and again until its HP drained to zero. Its situation wasn¡¯t as grave as that right now, but it still wasn¡¯t great for the small Databeast. It was a type that relied on momentum and a devastating attack to cripple or defeat its opponents in one.


    Now that Brand had stopped that attack, it was mostly a sitting duck. But a cornered Databeast fights the hardest, and Brand wasn¡¯t foolhardy enough to put himself in danger for no reason.


    So when he swung, he didn¡¯t over-commit. A sharp, measured strike with the business end of the pickaxe was good enough for him, and it sent rocks flying as he battered the Pebblegob once and then twice. His caution proved to be well-founded, as the Databeast took the power of the second hit and spun with it, whipping his chains of stone round at the adventurer.


    The pickaxe turned vertical to block them all, before shoving the Pebblegob back and then hitting it with another well-placed strike. That was enough to bring its HP to zero and soon enough nothing was left of the Databeast as it broke down into its component parts, as all things do.


    He had been hearing the sounds of battle and metal on stone ringing out behind him as he fought his own opponent, but at some point it had stopped.


    He turned to see Rosie grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°You got it quick then?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°It ran straight onto my full-force swing.¡± Rosie confirmed.


    ¡°Reckless. But good work.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°This hunt is going great.¡± She said. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Brand could see his BITs increase on his digital interface. Between the two Pebblegobs and the Flintimp they¡¯d already made a fairly successful hunt, and they¡¯d barely got going.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± Brand said. ¡°Marius¡¯ prediction about two Pebblegobs was right. If I was on my own it could have gone proper badly.¡±


    ¡°He would know. He¡¯s the one who usually clears this floor.¡± Rosie replied. ¡°Don¡¯t think he has for a while though.¡±


    ¡°All the more EXP for us.¡± Brand joked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not far from level 4.¡± Rosie said, pleased. Brand was also pleased. Getting her a level higher would be a big boost at this point.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get it today then.¡± Brand cheered her on.


    They continued through the mine, thoroughly checking each branching path and clearing it. They defeated several more Databeasts before they reached the main cavern where it split into three paths down.


    There they found a surprise though. There were no Databeasts there to face them.


    Given how densely populated Silverstar Mine had been up to this point that was quite a surprise. Rosie and Brand checked all around the large open space, but with their limited head torches they weren¡¯t able to really investigate the place. Brand thought he saw a shadow moving quickly out of the corner of his eye but when he turned to look there was nothing.


    But no Databeast attacked them. If there had been any there, they almost certainly would have. Brand and Rosie had originally planned to clear that cavern out and take a long rest there, but they both felt unsatisfied with the sudden drop in the progress they had been making.


    Brand didn¡¯t want to rest even though he felt he probably should. He was feeling tired, he realised, and was quite irritable. It had been a long day, and why was he getting Rosie to level 4 again? He could be working on his own progress.


    So given that he had to do twice the work for half the gain, he¡¯d rather not stick around in the large cavern.


    Rosie, who had been cheerful for the most part, seemed to catch his mood. When he had wondered which of the paths to go down, she had snapped at him that they¡¯d decided to go down the leftmost path, then work their way across to the middle and the right.


    He had almost felt like saying she could go down that path alone if she was so set on it, but his logic took over and instead he just gruffly grunted in her direction as he headed that way.


    She could do what she wanted, he thought.


    The first thing they encountered was a Flintimp. This one must have been more sophisticated than the one at the beginning, because they almost walked right into it before it tried to skewer Brand. Luckily he¡¯d had his copper shield, but it really could have gone poorly.


    That bad start had set them up for going into a bad fight. Brand and Rosie got in each other''s way, almost hit each other, continuously failed to hit big shots against the Databeast. Despite that they did defeat it, but it had showered Brand with sparks a few times and he was fuming. He and Rosie walked in silence, defeating two more Databeasts, a humanoid rock Databeast called a Stonisse that learned Techs early and could cast rocks at them and a second Pebblegob.


    Brand realised something was seriously up when she muttered something about becoming level 4 and then rolling her eyes when he offered her congratulations.


    He mentioned leaving but she just shrugged him off. Eventually after some back and forth she agreed to leave after they¡¯d cleared the section of the mine they were going down now, one out of the three paths following the large open cavern. They were almost there and Brand didn¡¯t feel like putting up with any more of her arguing so he agreed.


    Besides, he wanted to hit some Databeasts. And he wasn¡¯t a million miles away from level 5, which was nice. He wanted to catch that number whilst Tommen was sitting out, although it seemed extremely unlikely.


    His levelling speed was insane compared to when he¡¯d just been working away, passively absorbing EXP into his cells through respiration. That was why hard work increased levels more than just sitting around relaxing - a higher work rate led to higher metabolism and cell activity.


    Working like a dog had got that done for him previously. And even more so for Tommen. But defeating Databeasts was a different world of levelling, and they were working hard on top of that. He¡¯d probably gained more EXP since leaving Cabletown than he had in the previous year of working.


    Level 5 was also the level you could attune your element stone. It was a big milestone for any adventurer, as you could take a Databeast egg within yourself and fuse it with the element stone you¡¯d attuned to create a Databeast that you could summon at your beck and call.


    You could fuse an element stone that wasn¡¯t attuned to you with a Databeast egg, but then you¡¯d create a free roaming Databeast, like the ones they had been defeating so far. It would be a waste of valuable element stones and an egg. You wouldn¡¯t get them back by defeating the Databeast either, so the act would be ruthlessly extravagant. So until you¡¯d hit level 5 and attuned the element stone in a lab, you couldn¡¯t get a Databeast of your own. That¡¯s why it was such a big milestone.


    The only problem for an adventurer was finding the Databeast egg. Finding one was something that could only really rely on luck.


    So the impulse to level drove Brand on, even when he knew something was wrong with him and Rosie. They¡¯d been in such a good mood previously, but now they were annoyed with each other and easily frustrated.


    But that same frustration caused him to set aside the reasonable part of his mind, so they continued down the mineshaft they¡¯d been following. Eventually they reached the end of the mine and found the path blocked by a heavyset iron door, indented in the earth.


    ¡°That¡¯s just great.¡± Brand muttered. ¡°We should have just gone back when I said to.¡±


    ¡°Well now we know for a fact that it¡¯s clear. If we hadn¡¯t gone down here you¡¯d just have to go down it again tomorrow.¡± Rosie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my problem.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°Well excuse me for actually wanting to go Databeast hunting the one time I get to. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, Mr. Big Shot Adventurer.¡± Rosie shot back.


    ¡°I do know what it¡¯s like, actually. And yeah, since I¡¯m the adventurer here you should be letting me make the decisions.¡± Brand argued.


    ¡°Hey, I came here to help you out. You¡¯d have been crushed to death by Pebblegobs if it weren¡¯t for me. And that Flintimp almost got you earlier. Some adventurer you are.¡± Rosie said with venom.


    ¡°Better than a barmaid playing adventurer because she¡¯s bored at work.¡± Brand snarled.


    ¡°And yet I¡¯m still better than you. No wonder they stopped letting people from Cabletown out on excursion, you guys are just embarrassing yourselves. Stick to mining next time.¡± Rosie spat back.


    Now Brand was getting real hot under the collar. That was his family and friends. Who did she think she was to talk about them like that? ¡°Because Quartz Creek is so great, huh? Some family legacy you¡¯ve got, running the only inn in the village-wide retirement home of Quartz Creek. You know, me and Tommen would have never considered it if it wasn¡¯t so worthless that we thought anyone chasing us would never expect that we¡¯d waste our time coming here.¡±


    Rosie turned to him, proper staring him down now. Brand thought she might reach for her axe. His fingers hovered over his short sword. ¡°You¡¯d have to be pretty worthless to die here then.¡± She growled.


    Her back was against the door to the lower floors of the mine. She didn¡¯t have much space to move. If he locked her down he reckoned he could take her. On the other hand, she specialised in solo combat and one good hit could put him down.


    Her head torch moved slightly as she strained to see something. ¡°What¡¯s that behind you?¡± She asked.


    That cemented it in Brand¡¯s mind. She was really going to try him. ¡°If you think I¡¯m falling for that, you¡¯re dafter than I took you for.¡± He said.


    She shot him with a glare that went right through his body. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I thought I saw something move in the shadows.¡±


    Brand had thought he¡¯d seen that earlier also. Suddenly he felt like he¡¯d gained a new sense of clarity. Had he really been thinking about how he¡¯d go about killing Rosie, down here in the darkness? And had she been thinking the same?


    He whirled around, searching through the blackness behind him. He started moving forward rapidly, making his way back up the mine. If Rosie was still feeling murderous she¡¯d struggle to hit him, and if his sudden hunch was right then it¡¯d expose it.


    There.


    There was indeed a flickering in the shadows of something moving rapidly through the darkness. Something fleeing him, just out of sight. He couldn¡¯t tell what, though he had some ideas.


    ¡°We need to get out of here, now.¡± He called behind him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Rosie asked. She didn¡¯t sound annoyed, though her voice still had a certain edge to it. They had said some nasty things to each other earlier, after all.


    ¡°A Databeast messing with us.¡± Brand told her. ¡°We need to get out and coordinate a proper plan.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡± She told him.


    They moved quickly but warily, and soon they were on the other side of the entrance to the mine without incident. They locked it behind them, then Brand slumped down against it. Rosie joined him, sitting next to him. All of the animosity they¡¯d held towards each other earlier had disappeared, and all that remained was some confusion and a little bit of hurt.


    They stayed silent for a few minutes before Rosie spoke. ¡°What happened down there?¡±


    Brand thought over what to say. ¡°I suspect there was some sort of Databeast with a Tech that could manipulate our minds somehow. Making us angry at each other, getting us all heated whilst it stayed in the darkness. Such Databeasts are rare but I¡¯ve heard stories. I should have prepared for this.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it was able to do that. That¡¯s crazy. How do we even beat that thing?¡± Said Rosie, miserably.


    ¡°With some flares we should be able to bring it into the light. Defeating it should be easy. If it could have taken us it would have, instead of hiding back and using Techs.¡± Brand told her.


    ¡°Okay. That works. It¡¯s getting late though. We¡¯ll probably have to do that tomorrow.¡± Rosie nodded along.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me tomorrow then?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Rosie exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m not letting some Databeast control my mind and get away with it. I¡¯m defeating that thing tomorrow. Just don¡¯t tell my mum or Marius. They¡¯d think it¡¯s too dangerous if they knew what happened today.¡±


    ¡°Well if they let you go Databeast hunting today then they should tomorrow¡­¡± Brand said, thinking. ¡°Damn! I completely forgot that we were supposed to be looking for silverstars!¡±


    He and Rosie laughed at that.


    ¡°Well it works out.¡± Brand continued. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell Marius we couldn¡¯t see very well in there, so we¡¯ll need the flares to find the silverstars in the darkness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Rosie replied. ¡°I hope Tommen¡¯s done alright today. It shouldn¡¯t have been too difficult for him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have done alright. Not as good as us though, I¡¯m sure. Apart from the end, we were pretty successful.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Yes! I hit level 4!¡± Said Rosie, absolutely beaming. That was the reaction Brand expected, instead of the sullen muttering in the mine. He had half-heartedly offered his congratulations then, so he did it properly now.


    ¡°Congrats, honestly. You were a force to be reckoned with before, can¡¯t wait to see you in action now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡±


    They made their way back down to town, getting the supplies they needed from Marius. He was surprised they hadn¡¯t collected all the silverstars today, but seemingly bought the reason for them getting the flares they needed.


    They returned to Silverstar Inn, and Lily sung Tommen¡¯s praises for all the help he¡¯d given throughout the day. Brand had known Tommen was a hard worker, so he wasn¡¯t shocked. Tommen had complained about his arm a little, so when Rosie suggested her and Brand go down the mine again the next day whilst Tommen continued to work the inn he accepted it. They all sat down for a big meal together after the regulars had come and gone, and Brand soon excused himself after eating for a bath and an early night. He¡¯d felt exhausted after the day he¡¯d had.


    In the night he dreamed that he was confused and disoriented, slowly walking down a long mineshaft into the bowels of the earth forever.


    _______


    Two Days Prior


    Shingle City was a bust, but Harlow was still happy to be there. It was by far the most impressive settlement he''d ever seen, and compared to Cabletown it was absolutely bustling with people. Although there were probably a lot of people from Cabletown that had moved here and the same was likely true of the similarly empty Oxburgh.


    Everyone had moved to Shingle City it seemed. Though Harlow had noticed a dearth of children. Perhaps everyone here had moved from the surrounding areas? Shingle City seemed like a giant databeast, dragging in the youth from all around it, continuously supplying itself with the young of the towns around it whilst producing none of its own.


    Harlow hadn''t really thought much of it before, but the ratio of young to old was much lower in Cabletown to Shingle City.


    It was fair to say Cabletown had a lot more elderly than children.


    In Shingle City, the most common people you''d see were young men and women. It made the lack of children all the more noticeable. It was like they''d all spawned out of the aether like Databeasts.


    Still, Harlow was amazed. He''d seen more Databeasts in his first day than he had his whole life in Cabletown.


    There was a certain energy here. Harlow wondered whether it was the first place he¡¯d visited that actually felt alive. It was abuzz with energy and people actually doing things, rather than just trudging through their stodgy lives.


    So he was very glad they''d be staying the night there and a little the next day, before moving on. He wanted to soak up every bit of Shingle City that he could get.


    That seemed to make Captain Rizzo¡¯s opinion of him even worse. There was no pleasing the irate captain of the guard. His rage seemed to grow every day, and he took it out on Harlow in the form of verbal lashings and physical intimidation. He yelled at Harlow for moving slow. He yelled at Harlow for fighting poorly. He yelled at Harlow for being unable to sleep properly because the gigantic exoskeleton locked onto his janky leg made his favourite sleeping position completely uncomfortable.


    All in all, this was Tommens fault. Tommen. Harlow had been given a name to put to the tall boy with dirty blond hair. And now he seemed to think of little but that name. Oh how Harlow hated him. When he walked he hated him. When he fought Databeasts, he hated him. When he tossed and turned at night, he hated him.


    Tommen. That was the one that destroyed his leg. Why had he wanted to? Why had he felt the need to do that? Just because Harlow was beating him in a fair fight. Harlow probably wouldn¡¯t have tried to chase Tommen and Brand after they¡¯d let him go. Tommen had no need to take a staff to Harlow¡¯s knee. He¡¯d done it just for the sick pleasure of it.


    And Brand. The man who had made him stand there and take it, under the threat of execution. He shivered when he thought of that scene. The young spectre of death hovering behind him, bronze shortsword drawn.


    They were both to blame. And as much as Harlow disliked Captain Rizzo, he was the only instrument of revenge Harlow had right now. So he had no choice but to follow him. They would catch the two traitors eventually. There were only so many places they could be and someone must have seen them. If it wasn¡¯t in Oxburgh or Shingle City then it would be in Gazer¡¯s Peak, or Cherry Village, or Ash Baths, or Quartz Creek, or Bowenham, or Renscamp. There was nowhere the two could go that they wouldn¡¯t be found. Harlow would have his revenge.

 EE6 - Revenge In The Pit

    Brand slept poorly. He had had a restless night, continuously waking up and falling back asleep to the same monotonous dream of walking deeper and deeper under the ground, down queerly shaped mineshafts and erratic, jerking pathways.


    Still, it was nothing a good breakfast and revenge against a Databeast couldn¡¯t fix, he figured.


    Rosie seemed similarly groggy when she joined him. Tommen however was in a great mood. He had actually gotten less sleep than the other two, but had been up much of the night talking to the mysterious other adventurer than was staying at Silverstar Inn.


    Tommen was gushing about all of her adventures. She had been regaling him with all the things she¡¯d done, and he had been loving it, although it had made him eager to join Brand today.


    His arm was still a little injured though, and Brand had told Tommen what had happened yesterday, so Tommen was willing to sit out the day so Brand and Rosie could give the mind-manipulating Databeast it¡¯s comeuppance.


    The blond-haired boy seemed to be enjoying the ins and the outs of the inn work. Brand was sure he¡¯d be bored witless if he had to do it for any longer than his Marius-mandated rest time, but for now Tommen seemed to be making the most out of the situation he¡¯d found himself, mostly by talking to the regulars. By all accounts, they seemed to have fascinating stories to tell, which he was now recounting to Brand.


    ¡°Mr. Oddberg was telling me about his time as a pilot in Shingle City. He would carry batteries into the great auroras in the sky and the electromagnetic storms would recharge them. It was apparently quite a lucrative business for a while, as he had partnered with an adventurer with a particularly powerful Databeast, a Phantplasmagora and a medium-grade lightning element stone.


    So the adventurer would bring out his Phantplasmagora alongside them to defend them from the various Databeasts that plagued the wandering electromagnetic storms in the sky. Mr. Oddberg was saying the adventurer did it for free! He just wanted to fight the Databeasts up there and struggled to find a pilot willing to go up there regularly. So it was a win-win for both of them. The adventurer eventually moved on and Mr. Oddberg never got a deal that good again. I wonder where he went.¡±


    Brand, despite his tiredness, was amazed at the story. He never would have guessed a small place like Quartz Creek would attract so many interesting characters. Rosie had evidently heard the story before and continued to pick at her food with an uninterested look on her face.


    ¡°A Phantplasmagora? Isn¡¯t that an evolution of the Thunderkiwi?¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Yeah, I think it can be. Rare though.¡± Tommen said. ¡°Speaking of, Ravena was telling me-¡±


    ¡°Ravena?¡± Brand¡¯s ears pricked up. ¡°Who¡¯s Ravena?¡±


    ¡°The other adventurer staying here. Didn¡¯t I mention that? She¡¯s a great huntress. We could really learn a couple things from her.¡± Tommen said, clearly very taken with the young woman.


    ¡°What have you learnt so far then?¡± Brand''s tone made it clear he wasn¡¯t as impressed.


    ¡°How to hunt the Databeasts of the Rusted Desert.¡± Tommen said, clearly unperturbed by Brand¡¯s doubting. ¡°Bet she would have picked up immediately that you were getting brainwashed if she was with you yesterday.¡±


    Rosie shot him a glaring look. ¡°Not so loud!¡± Tommen rolled his eyes. He had said it quite quietly, thought Brand, so he assumed Rosie just didn¡¯t want him to mention it at all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the mighty Ravena going today then?¡± Brand asked, genuinely interested despite his sarcasm.


    ¡°She¡¯s already gone actually. Gets up with the dawn. There¡¯s a forest south of here, past the busted town your friends were investigating. She says there¡¯s some old relics here, and reckons that this area was one of the first places settled by humans when we first came here. She¡¯s looking for Databeast eggs and wants one from a forest, so it works out.¡± Tommen explained.


    ¡°Guess you¡¯ll be following after her once you¡¯ve finished washing the pots huh?¡± Rosie teased.


    ¡°He can probably track her by scent the way he¡¯s been sniffing her behind.¡± Brand piled in.


    Tommen¡¯s face darkened and he looked genuinely annoyed. ¡°While you two have been playing silly buggers in the mine I¡¯ve been getting valuable advice from more experienced adventurers. I¡¯m injured and still making more progress than you two layabouts. And actually, she did say I could go with her when my arm¡¯s healed. I was going to ask you two to come with, but I guess I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, my bad.¡± Said Brand. ¡°It was a bit far. Had a bad sleep, been feeling grumpy.¡±


    ¡°I''m not a layabout. I¡¯m level 4 now.¡± Rosie muttered, a little sourly.


    ¡°You are?¡± Tommen was impressed.


    ¡°We must have completely forgotten to tell you with everything else going on!¡± Brand exclaimed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that slipped my mind. The hunt was going great until right at the end.¡±


    ¡°Well done! Maybe you can come with me and Ravena after all.¡± Tommen laughed.


    ¡°Well by the time you¡¯re off hunting with your mysterious adventurer I¡¯ll be back in the kitchen washing pans, if it hadn¡¯t slipped your mind.¡± Rosie said miserably.


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± Said Tommen. Brand thought there was something weird about the way he said it. Perhaps he really felt bad for reminding her of what she couldn¡¯t have?


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the best. Maybe I¡¯m not cut out for this life. Can¡¯t even clear the first level of Silverstar Mine.¡± Rosie grumbled.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Brand was almost offended. ¡°We¡¯re clearing out that mine and we¡¯re cut out for this life.¡±


    She smiled apologetically at Brand. ¡°Sorry. I forgot you couldn¡¯t clear it either.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Tommen muttered.


    Brand rolled his eyes. ¡°A small setback means nothing. Lesser adventurers - like Tommen - would have died there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. Anymore trash talking and I¡¯ll have to go vent on some Databeasts with you.¡± Said Tommen, and he took his and Brand¡¯s finished plates and walked into the kitchen.


    ¡°Well. Now that the dead weight is gone, let''s get moving.¡± Brand said. Rosie looked at him, surprised. ¡°Sorry. Trying to be funny. Came out harsher than I expected. Really though, get that down you and we¡¯ll get on it.¡± Rosie nodded the affirmative and started wolfing her meal down.


    __________


    Brand and Rosie entered Silverstar Mine once more, but this time with grim expressions. Brand felt trepidation in his heart. He was worried about his mind being manipulated once more.


    It was an uncomfortable feeling, having your mind penetrated like that. Brand felt himself second guessing every emotion he had, even the positive ones. He didn¡¯t know how to protect his mind, he didn¡¯t know how to even get started.


    Also, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was as safe as he thought. What if the Databeast was more prepared now? What if it hadn¡¯t used its full power yesterday, and he and Rosie would turn on each other immediately? Could it blind and confuse his mind to such an extent that he¡¯d think he was attacking the Databeast, but was actually attacking Rosie? It shouldn''t be able to, but his mind wandered... was that an effect of the Databeast? It was so easy to go in circles once he knew his mind was vulnerable.


    He knew they were going into a dangerous situation. Rosie knew that also, they had talked about it on the way through Quartz Creek to the mine. But they had both agreed that they couldn¡¯t back off.


    They had both been violated and almost turned on each other. They would team up to turn on the one trying to manipulate them. This was more than just retribution - this was right.


    In unison Brand and Rosie turned their torch headlights on and Brand closed the door to the mine behind them, locking it. They were in now. There was no way to go but down. Brand led the way, wielding his buckler and ready to grab his sword or the pickaxe, depending on the enemies they were about to face.


    Rosie held a proper torch that illuminated through most of the darkness. She was using it to scan the walls and areas past Brand. If there was anything lurking then they would see it.


    They retraced their steps from yesterday, making their way down to the large cavern where they suspected they¡¯d find the mind-manipulating Databeast. They were thorough once more, with Brand heading down the branching mineshaft paths whilst Rosie stayed in the main tunnel with the blinding light. She would yell if she encountered trouble and Brand would head back. Brand would also yell if he encountered trouble, but Rosie was to stay there in the main tunnel and make sure nothing went up it and past her, while Brand would try and deal with the danger on his own, which he should be more than capable of.


    If he thought he was going to die he would call for her assistance, but not before. They didn¡¯t want to let, what they suspected was an intelligent opponent, give them the run-around. Not that they expected to find anything down there, as they had cleared it yesterday.


    Despite their expectations, Brand found a Flintimp down the same mineshaft where they¡¯d battled two Pebblegobs. He took it apart with a ruthless determination. When it tried to pierce him with its sharp lance-like arms the batted them away and swung his pick like a hammer in a devastating follow-up. When it tried to blind him with sparks he merely took a short step back and rightly predicted its next attack. When he feinted hard with the pickaxe it drew its arms up like an X to defend its face and he turned the attack from a casual swing into a brutal spinning one, as he used the moment of pause he got to build up his momentum.


    The huge attack returned the Databeast into the aether in but a moment. Brand took a second as he absorbed the EXP, BITs and element alone for the first time. He got a bit more than he would normally, when partnered with another person.


    It was his first time defeating a Databeast alone - and a fairly strong one at that.


    He hadn¡¯t really thought about it before he went into the battle. Somehow it felt like a milestone even though he felt far beyond the level where defeating his first Databeast on his own should be a big deal.


    And then he was back on the move, briefly relaying to Rosie what had happened. She asked a couple of questions but didn¡¯t press him too much. They were locked in, committed to the mission.


    Before they knew it they were in the vast cavern that split three ways. As with yesterday Rosie and Brand could spot no Databeasts. Brand thought about how suspicious this was now. Rosie and Brand had come prepared. Because they were sure there was a Databeast in here, and it was a dangerous one.


    From his travel pack Brand pulled a pack of four flares. He ripped two out of the four and passed them to Rosie. They both lit one each and threw them to the side, before placing some tinted glasses over their faces. Even in the darkness of the pit they were in, the white hot lights of the flares could blind the two would-be adventurers, and they needed their wits about them.


    With sudden flashes the cavern exploded into sight. The gnarled rock faces hid crevices and ledges, and Brand could see the whole of the subterranean hall. There were still wooden structures that supported the place from when it had been a mine, but aside from that it looked much like any other hole in the ground. Brand looked carefully from side to side.


    Something flickered in the darkness. Brand was ready.


    A lit flare went soaring towards the movement Brand had seen out of the corner of his eye. The Databeast was quick, but not quick enough.


    Brand and Rosie got a full-frontal view of the Databeast that had been hiding from them. Brand had heard of it, but only in rumours amongst miners. An Anugent.


    It was human-sized but extremely skinny. Bones of silver gleamed out at them from under loosely wrapped cloth bandages. The face was metal also, but had a distinctly canine affectation. Red eyes gleamed out from under the hooded eyes. The Databeast was frozen as it watched them, seemingly expectantly.


    It was slightly different to the general Juvenile stage of the Anugent, however. The wrapped bandages were not part of its usual appearance, and Brand surmised that the Databeast was in the Emergent stage, somewhere between the Juvenile and Vanquisher stages. The bandages were likely representative of the Vanquisher stage evolution it was turning into.


    This Databeast was certainly powerful.


    Brand hadn¡¯t known what to expect, but he sprinted forward. He could feel himself growing frustrated that Rosie wasn¡¯t beside him. He imagined Rosie was feeling the same frustration at him for sprinting after the mummified Databeast with the shiny metal skeleton. The Anugent was working its mind-manipulating Techs on them, even now wanting them to turn on each other.


    He wouldn¡¯t fall for it. He had to trust Rosie would feel the same, else he was done for.


    Brand was at the bipedal canine in no time, his pickaxe swinging through the dank air towards the Databeast. It ducked down in a flash, narrowly avoiding the tool-turned-weapon that sought to decapitate it. It swung its arm out, punching towards Brand. Brand''s shield stopped it dead with a thud.


    Brand had really hunkered down and put some weight behind the block, but he was surprised at how well he stopped the blow. The Anugent¡¯s strength stat must have been low. Brand suspected it¡¯s natural abilities skewed towards the non-physical, such as its mind manipulating Techs.


    Its eyes flashed red and it nimbly leapt backwards. Brand pressed the attack but stopped in his tracks as Rosie screamed out ¡°Brand! Look out!¡±.


    He gritted his teeth, angry that she hadn¡¯t given any more useful information as he assessed his surroundings. He knew it was just the Databeast messing with him, but that didn¡¯t make the irrational feelings any less real or strong. He realised just in time that a Pebblegob was hurtling towards him. He leapt over it, looking back at Rosie. She was currently fighting hard against a Flintimp.


    Brand trusted her to take the thing out. Solo fighting was her style, and he had to deal with the Pebblegob and ensure the Anugent couldn¡¯t escape.


    He faced down the two now. The Pebblegob stood in between Brand and the silver Databeast, as if defending the Anugent like a guard dog. Brand was surprised until he saw the Pebblegob¡¯s eyes glowing the same red as the Anugent¡¯s, which was eyeing him coolly.


    It looked like Brand and Rosie¡¯s minds weren¡¯t the only ones it was capable of manipulating.


    Brand worried that another Databeast would be sent after Rosie and he¡¯d have to rush to back her up, now that he knew the Anugent facing them was capable of sending one. But he surmised that because it hadn¡¯t, it either couldn¡¯t or was fearing for its own safety.


    Brand could take advantage of that.


    He rushed towards the Anugent. The Pebblegob rushed to stop him. Brand turned, rushing the Pebblegob and swinging his pickaxe in a rapid flurry of blows. Brand didn¡¯t relent until it had returned to the aether.


    A metal fist hit him in the spine, sending him tumbling a few steps forward. Pain flooded his back as something important twinged wrongly.


    Brand growled in pain. He swung the pick as he turned, hitting nothing but air. His world spun a second later and pain blossomed in the bottom of his jaw as an uppercut from the Anugent sent him even further back. The shades went flying off Brand¡¯s head and he squinted, holding up his shield and pickaxe in a defensive posture.


    He blocked a further strike by the Anugent, but the flashing of its red eyes signalled another attack.


    Damn, why was Rosie not helping him? Was she so useless that she couldn¡¯t even take on a single Databeast? No, he shook the thoughts from his head. He wouldn¡¯t be turned against her.


    But the momentary lapse in concentration was all his opponent needed. A large shape came soaring out of the darkness from the roof of the cavern towards Brand.


    An unbelievable high pitched screeching rang out, amplified by the enclosed space of the mine. Brand felt his ears go numb and his eyes shake as the sonic attack struck him and he could barely concentrate enough to fend off the new Databeast that had beset upon him with leathery wings and lashing claws.


    He defended his vulnerable parts well, but it wasn¡¯t those that the Databeast - that Brand identified as a Chiroptenor - was after. After a brief flurry of combat with the aerial beast it suddenly pulled back, its strong claws grasping onto his pickaxe as it did so.


    Brand was unprepared for such a strategy from the usually unthinking Juvenile Databeasts and the pick flew out of his hands. He growled his frustration and drew his short sword, leaping after the batlike Databeast.


    A sharp, short slash cut through half of its leathery wing and it began to tumble to the ground near Rosie, who Brand now noticed was beset by two Flintimps and was being pushed back into a corner.


    He wanted to go and help her despite his growing annoyance, but he knew what was coming next and he spun around low, swinging his buckler like a weapon. There was an almighty clang as the Anugent was knocked sideways, its lithe form putting up little resistance to the hefty shield striking into the side of its head.


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    Brand was satisfied with the hit and tried to follow up with the pommel of his shortsword, but the long limbed Databeast backed up once more, making itself scarce. In the bright lights of the flares Brand couldn¡¯t see all that much, so instead of chasing the Anugent Brand whirled around once more and finished off the Chiroptenor. The bat Databeast let out a piercing sonic scream as Brand dashed in but a few well placed slashes and stabs put an end to the thing.


    He spied the Anugent fleeing down one of the previously unused tunnels. He was very tempted to chase, but decided Rosie was his number one priority. Especially when he saw a Pebblegob making its way towards her. She was cornered now, almost completely occupied with defending against the Flintimps. Brand looked around for his pickaxe, but in the blinding lights he couldn¡¯t see it.


    Deciding that fighting now done poorly would be superior to fighting with better equipment done later he ran towards the Flintimps with his shortsword drawn. He sheathed his sword and locked it in before raising the sheath like a weapon, using the pommel as a substitute mace.


    That mace stopped the Pebblegob in its tracks when Brand swung it like a bat. It hit true and the reverberations shook through Brand''s hands and he almost dropped the sword. It took some real strength to keep his grip steady.


    The Pebblegob turned to bite him with its massive maw, but dodged it before swinging his buckler into the head of one of the Flintimps. It turned, flinging sparks at him as it did so. A bladed arm went to pierce his stomach but he batted it aside with his sword and struck the Flintimp in the head with the pommel. Another arm came for his throat but he backed off, tripping over some rocks as he did so.


    Rosie had managed to finish off her Flintimp now that she was fighting alone and she wielded her pickaxe like a master as she brought it into the side of Brand¡¯s Flintimp. It was an almighty sound, but Brand barely heard it.


    The only thing in his world was pain. He felt as if his leg was being ground to dust. The Pebblegob was biting down on his leg with its crushing maw. He writhed in agony, trying to remove his calf from the Databeast¡¯s vice-like mouth. He brought the pommel of his sword down again and again on the rock Databeast as he panicked to remove it. He tried to force his buckler between the round grinding stones that made up the Pebblgob¡¯s teeth and his leg but it made no difference to the immense crushing pressure.


    ¡°Stop moving!¡± Rosie screamed.


    Brand realised what was going on and grasped his knee with both hands, forcing his leg to be still. It kept him from rolling and wriggling in a pathetic attempt to dislodge the Databeast that was slowly pulverising his leg, at least for long enough that Rosie could bring her pickaxe down like a sledgehammer in a violent overhead swing.


    It embedded itself deeply in the Pebblegob for a second before the Databeast turned back into its component parts and dissipated into the aether. Brand heard the pickaxe crash into the hard stone ground a second later.


    The relief was immediate but his leg still felt as if it was under the torturous grip of the Pebblegob¡¯s stone mouth. It had been badly hurt, but he didn¡¯t think it was broken.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± Rosie asked. She held a hand down which he grasped and she pulled him to his feet. Brand didn¡¯t feel the reflexive annoyance at her, which he assumed was because the Anugent was no longer targeting them. It had fled, but he¡¯d seen down which passage it went. They could get it.


    He rested on his sheath for a little, gingerly testing out putting weight on his leg. Nothing snapped.


    ¡°I can move.¡± He told her. She nodded. He started to walk, using his sheath as a crutch. It was a steady limp. Rosie quickly walked ahead, pickaxe at the ready. He merely followed, squinting. Their head torches illuminated a lot, but Rosie still had a flare to use.


    The Anugent couldn¡¯t escape them now, not when they were so close to defeating it.


    Brand pointed Rosie in the right direction and they stalked down the mineshaft with grim expressions on their faces. They had come with a mission and they would complete it no matter the cost.


    There were no more Databeasts down the mineshaft they travelled. It was a slow and cautious walk, but the Anugent must have summoned them all to come up and assist it.


    They found the Databeast waiting for them at the bottom. Its back was to the metal door that sealed off the lower levels of the mine from the top level. The two looked at it, blocking off the mineshaft. Rosie lit the last flare and threw it close to the Anugent. Its red eyes flared. Brand could feel the urge to attack Rosie from behind growing within him.


    He almost laughed. As if he¡¯d break now, so close to his quarry. The Anugent was physically weak. Mind techniques were all it had. And Brand wouldn¡¯t be fooled twice.


    He suspected something was up so he kept vigilant whilst they approached the lone Databeast. Those instincts proved to be right. Some of the stone in the cavern looked wrong, as if mixed up. He kept an eye out, and kept close to Rosie. The cavern shook slightly and the Anugent looked ready to move. Brand grabbed Rosie by the shoulders and pulled her back.


    An enormous mole the size of a small pony burst from the ground before them, blind eyes glowing red and showing the Anugent¡¯s control over it. Rock and dirt flew over Rosie and Brand and the flare they had thrown was launched around the cavern. The mole barrelled directly into Brand. He was unsteady after pushing Rosie to safety and the mole had hit him like an unleashed cart and knocked him to the ground, its hefty body weighing heavy on his injured leg.


    Its claws ripped at his clothes as it twisted its body towards him, but to Rosie¡¯s credit she had already started swinging her pickaxe at it, as she didn¡¯t have time to draw the long axe from her back. Brand shoved his shield into the mole Databeast¡¯s face, using it to pull his good leg out.


    He used that to push free of the beast. He didn¡¯t recognise the type. His bad leg slipped free of the Databeast¡¯s heft and he rolled to the side just in time to see a flash of movement in the shadows.


    By now he recognised exactly what that was. The Anugent was trying to escape in all of the confusion. He wouldn¡¯t have that. Rosie was fighting off the mole, giving him a second to make a decision. He stood shakily and leapt, seeking to tackle the waist of the Anugent as it fled.


    Something locked down his ankle as he was halfway there. He couldn¡¯t get exactly where he wanted but he reached out with everything he had, grasping the ankle of the Anugent as he had been grabbed. He hit the ground hard with his chest, but didn¡¯t let go. His shin hurt and he looked back, trying to shake free.


    The mole must have used some sort of Tech. The earth had formed in a hard shell around his foot and he couldn¡¯t move it.


    No matter. If he couldn¡¯t crawl his way after the Anugent, he would just have to bring it to him.


    The Anugents feet were strange and elongated, both oddly canine and human. Those legs were now bucking and trying to kick at him. Brand squeezed his hands tightly on the Databeast¡¯s ankles with everything he had, trying to pull them down towards him.


    The Anugent scrambled but was unable to stop him. Knees struck Brand¡¯s face as he dragged them beneath his chest, much as the mole Databeast had done to him.


    He moved his hands up now, grabbing the Anugent¡¯s hips and dragging down once more. Fists rained like hammers down on Brand¡¯s face but he kept himself tight to the silver body. The cloth bandages protected him from the rough metal digging into him, though it still hurt. He kept dragging the Anugent down beneath him until he was chest to chest with it.


    It was wildly flinging its arms against him. He shoved them to the side with his superior strength and brought his buckler down on its head. It sounded like a cannon had gone off, the way the clanging bounded around the tight cavern walls.


    The Anugent kept trying to fight him but he held the arms down with his sword arm, locking them into his armpits. He smashed again with his buckler. The Anugent struggled but could do nothing to stop him. Brand struck the pinned Databeast again and again and again and again. Its eyes flashed red and the mole was on Brand¡¯s back now, tearing through his clothes. He continued to hit the Anugent. He felt the cool wood of Rosie¡¯s long axe against his back as she used it to shove the hefty mole Databeast off him. He continued to hold and hit the Anugent.


    He could feel something working on his mind but it couldn¡¯t get through. He felt numb, almost distant from what was going on. Detached. He knew his hands hurt. Brand hit the Anugent. He knew his legs hurt. Brand hit the Anugent. He knew his back hurt Brand hit the Anugent. Brand knew he was exhausted as he hit the Anugent. But it didn¡¯t mean anything to him at that moment. All that mattered was hitting the Databeast until it became aether. And he did. Again and again, until he was hitting nothing at all.


    Just like it had never existed, the Anugent was gone, transformed into EXP and element and BITs. A lot of it, if Brand¡¯s visual overlay was anything to go by.


    A high pitched squeal rang out behind him as the Anugent dissipated. Even in his detached state Brand could tell the mole Databeast was enraged. It bowled at him once more, knocking Rose to the side and tearing through the ground to reach Brand, knocking his leg free. It burst up from the cave floor at him once more, knocking him onto his back as he tried to flee.


    The claws were swinging for his face now, and he weakly held his sword and buckler up in some pathetic facade of a defence. His arms were terribly weak now, and the pressure forced them down and away.


    The mole Databeast managed to get off some quick scratches across his face before Rosie embedded her axe in its back for the last time and it faded into the aether just like the Anugent had.


    Rosie and Brand stayed there panting for what seemed like an age, her standing and him lying where he¡¯d fallen. Blood dripped slowly down his face. The wounds were shallow; the mole couldn¡¯t get any decent force behind its blows after having to push through Brand¡¯s defence, weak as it was.


    Rosie handed him the potion. He almost gulped it down before realising that she was covered in small burns. There were marks all over her body and her clothes were torn in places. Brand realised it must be from the Flintimps. He handed the potion back to her.


    ¡°You drink it.¡± Brand told her.


    She actually laughed at him before speaking. ¡°Your leg is all sorts of messed up and you¡¯re bleeding all over the place.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken. You¡¯re bleeding yourself, and covered in burns.¡± He said. He wanted to drink it himself, truth be told, but he felt Rosie was a higher priority right now. ¡°If your mum sees you like that she¡¯s never going to let you leave her sight again. Those Flintimps did a number on you. I can see how much BITs I¡¯ve got. Plenty enough for a potion.¡± He spoke between shallow, staccato breaths.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± Rosie told him flatly.


    ¡°A little. I do feel somewhat detached from my pain. I also think I¡¯m thinking quite rationally because of that. I can push through this long enough to get back. But I¡¯m the adventurer here, right? I¡¯m supposed to look like this. And you¡¯re supposed to come back without a scratch. And you¡¯re probably going to buy another potion when we get to the Item Emporium anyway, right? If you drink the potion we keep your mum and Marius happy right now and we both end up drinking potions before the day is out. If not, we get your mum angry and we both end up drinking potions before the day is out. In the end, one scenario is better.¡± Brand pushed himself up into a standing position with the help of his sword sheath. Rosie immediately helped him.


    ¡°You really are talking crazy. How my mum feels should have nothing to do with it. You need healing now. If that isn¡¯t going to be done willingly then I¡¯m going to pour this potion on you.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Brand replied. ¡°I¡¯m walking back to the Item Emporium and buying a potion. I¡¯m not having that one. You try to give it to me and we really will fight. If you don¡¯t drink it it¡¯ll just go to waste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather tip it out than drink it while you¡¯re walking around like that.¡± Rosie said, annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t. Then I¡¯d feel obligated to buy you a new one when we get to Marius. We got a lot of BITs, but not enough to want to waste them like that.¡± Said Brand as he started to shuffle up the mineshaft. His leg hurt, but he couldn¡¯t really register how much.


    ¡°Stop being obstinate!¡± Rosie half-yelled.


    ¡°It¡¯s your potion!¡± He half-yelled back. ¡°Stop making such a scene and drink it.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m starting to want to. But I won¡¯t, without you.¡± Rosie replied. Brand sighed. Rosie continued. ¡°How about we both drink half? And then we drink another half each when you get one from the Item Emporium.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re doing that we may as well just stick to my original plan.¡± Brand said tiredly.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s either that or I¡¯m tipping it out. You first.¡± Rosie smiled sweetly.


    Brand sighed before drinking half the potion and handing her the other half, which she downed.


    ________________


    Brand and Rosie left Silverstar Mine looking and feeling much better. There was a certain lightness in Brand¡¯s step despite the limp on his bad leg, and Rosie¡¯s burns didn¡¯t look so bad at all now. Both of their open wounds had stopped bleeding. When it came to healing short term damage, there was really nothing better than a potion. Rosie had helped Brand walk the whole way to the Item Emporium despite that.


    Marius had been closing up shop and getting ready to go into the mine after them, so he was relieved when he saw that Rosie and Brand were back. He didn¡¯t seem too put off by their injuries, and congratulated them when they recounted which Databeasts they fought, leaving out the fact that the Anugent was in the Emergent stage and so several levels higher than either of them.


    Marius was well impressed, and was pleased to sell Brand the potion, which he and Rosie split once again, with her drinking first this time.


    ¡°I feel better already.¡± Brand told the other two. Chance, the small Databeast that belonged to Marius, bounced happily in response.


    ¡°Me too. Some of these were starting to sting. Now they just itch a little.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°Ahh, now that¡¯s the sign of a job well done! Ahh I do miss a good hunt.¡± Said Marius, pensively. No doubt remembering the glory days, thought Brand. ¡°Speaking of a job well done, do you have the silverstars?¡±


    Rosie and Brand looked at each other in shock. They¡¯d completely forgotten their reason for being down there.


    ¡°Honestly, no. I don¡¯t remember seeing a single one.¡± Said Brand, a little surprised at himself.


    ¡°Me neither.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°I forgot that¡¯s why we were down there.¡±


    ¡°Not a one? They should have been all over the place!¡± Marius exclaimed. ¡°You two must have been really distracted to miss that.¡±


    ¡°We were a little¡­ But surely not so distracted as to completely miss it.¡± Brand wondered aloud.


    Rosie groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re gonna have to go down there again!¡±


    ¡°Well Tommen ought to be healed by then, so I guess it¡¯ll be me and him.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse! I¡¯d rather be down in that hole in the ground than be stuck hanging around the inn all day. Unless¡­ you¡¯re the injured one now! Maybe you can be at the inn while Tommen and I go get some silverstars.¡± Rosie declared.


    ¡°Not happening.¡± Brand chuckled. ¡°The potion is already working. I¡¯m going to be right as rain tomorrow and I don¡¯t mind which one of you is with me, but I¡¯m not sitting out.¡±


    ¡°Not fair. Marius, tell him that he needs to rest for a bit!¡± Rosie joked.


    ¡°Ahah well maybe we should go see your mother first before you argue about whether you¡¯re adventuring or not.¡± Marius laughed at the two bickering. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else you need then I¡¯ll finish closing up and come with you.¡± Brand and Rosie nodded their affirmatives and waited for him, despite them only going next door to the Silverstar Inn together. Marius joined and Chance bounced behind him excitedly.


    Brand felt that there was something going on, but given that it wasn¡¯t his place to speculate he simply left it.


    When they got to the Silverstar Inn it was just before the dinner rush of a couple or more locals. Marius called out as they walked in ¡°guess who just cleared the first level of Silverstar Mine!¡± in a booming voice.


    Lily fell on Rosie immediately, looking her over and cooing with worry about the state of her daughter.


    Rosie rolled her eyes a little and said she¡¯d be fine, and that with the potion she¡¯d drank her mother wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell tomorrow. Lily looked at her with stern eyes, judging whether the girl was telling the truth or not, and was really fine. She seemed to judge that she was. Tommen was there too, leaning against the bar. He looked at Brand with knowing eyes, as if he had some secret. Just what was going on?


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you Rosie.¡± Lily said, ¡°I really am. I never wanted you to become an adventurer, even before what happened to your father. But I can see now that you¡¯re built for it. Marius helped me see that.¡± She smiled at the man. ¡°I think you need to go on an excursion Rosie. I can¡¯t hold you back anymore.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious mum?¡± Rosie looked at her mother, who nodded, then at Marius, then at Tommen, then back to her mother. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever hear that. I don¡¯t even know what to say. Who will help with the inn?¡±


    ¡°Marius will. He made me an offer that if you could clear the mine, he¡¯d merge the shop with the inn. He can help out here, and we can sell his items in the inn. I won¡¯t have to do it all myself. Of course you have to come back though, and send me messages whenever you get the chance.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t believe this!¡± Rosie yelled as she hugged her mum. There were tears behind Lily¡¯s eyes but Brand could see a sort of acceptance in there too. He had seen the same look in his own mother¡¯s face not too long ago. Rosie hugged Marius after she finally finished hugging Lily. ¡°Thank you for believing in me.¡± She told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one that taught you! I know how good you are.¡± He laughed.


    Brand looked at Tommen, who was observing all this with an expectant smile. The gangly blond haired boy hadn¡¯t been shocked at all. ¡°You knew?¡± Brand asked him.


    ¡°Heard about it, yeah. You wouldn¡¯t believe how pleased I am that you guys made it.¡± Tommen smirked.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Rosie helped save my arse against those Thunderkiwis. What are we gonna do without her if we get jumped by a couple of Databeasts and she¡¯s not there?¡± Said Tommen. Brand laughed.


    ¡°You mean you want me to come with you!?¡± Exclaimed Rosie.


    ¡°If Brand is okay with it.¡± Said Tommen.


    Rosie looked at Brand with wide eyes. Brand was amazed she¡¯d even question it. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with Tommen¡¯s logic. You just saved my arse too, remember? I¡¯d have to be pretty mad to turn that offer down.¡±


    Rosie beamed at that before joking ¡°true, you guys would be in real danger without me.¡± Then she turned to her mother. ¡°Are you sure, mum?¡±


    ¡°Not at all my love. But I trust you, and know I¡¯d be hurting by keeping you here.¡± Lily looked at the two boys with her, now familiar to Brand, stern impression. ¡°Make sure to take care of my daughter, you hear? Or I¡¯ll be sending Marius after you.¡±


    Chance made a gurgling, chirping sound at that. Brand assumed it was in support of the statement. It was hard to process that threat given that Brand had no idea how strong Chance was, or how strong Marius was for that matter. But he had at least one Databeast, so was likely strong enough to take on both Tommen and Brand with no issue.


    Patrons began bustling in, so the group split up. Tommen and Lily went to work the inn, whilst Rosie and Brand took what felt like a much deserved rest. Marius joined them, and they regaled him with their tale of what they¡¯d done down the mine in greater detail. The man was well impressed, but kept letting Rosie know he expected nothing less.


    Brand thought Rosie was lucky to have such support. It looked like he would be sticking around with Tommen and Rosie for at least a little bit longer. He had been hurt and injured but was already on the mend. The excursion was already a roaring success by his estimation.


    ______________


    One Day Prior


    Harlow hated his limping leg. He hated his training that Captain Rizzo had started instructing him on. He hated Brand and Tommen. He hated that he¡¯d left Shingle City, with all its bright lights and beauty. He hated dumping through the stupid wastes and hunting Databeasts with his stupid guard staff. He hated a lot right now.


    But hate is a powerful emotion.


    Harlow felt driven and purposeful in a way he never had before. He had a mission. He had revenge. His strength allowed him to do things he never thought he could. He was walking miles every day and defeating Databeasts he¡¯d never thought he would. He and Rizzo had holed up in a cave one night, and Rizzo had sent him down alone. He¡¯d defeated two Pebblegobs and a Flintimp. He had thought about shouting for help with the Flintimp - that would have been the smart thing to do. That would have been the guard thing to do.


    But he knew he couldn¡¯t stand the salt of the earth sneer of Captain Rizzo. He knew he¡¯d get it anyway for something, but he wouldn¡¯t hand Rizzo the opportunity on a platinum platter. So he¡¯d gone headfirst into his first fight with a Flintimp and come out the other side with only minor cuts and scrapes. He knew he wouldn¡¯t get a potion for them - or probably for anything that wasn¡¯t life threatening - so he didn¡¯t even mention it, just grunting when Rizzo asked him if he¡¯d cleared the cave.


    Harlow was proud of himself for that. He was starting to think of himself as something more than a guard. Not an adventurer, as he was still in the service of Cabletown, but maybe some sort of special forces? Capturing criminals who had fled after breaking rules and defying the mayor''s orders.


    Exactly how they¡¯d done that, he wasn¡¯t sure. But they had, and they¡¯d thought to mess him up in the process. And now Captain Rizzo was making him atone by bringing the traitors in. If he didn¡¯t, well, Rizzo had told him that there were whispers back home that Harlow had aided and abetted them in their escape. And if he didn¡¯t manage to bring them back, he might just be held accountable for their crimes in their stead.


    Harlow had spluttered with rage at that. What about his leg? What about his family? How dare he be accused. Rizzo had told him he¡¯d managed to walk for several days on his leg, so it couldn¡¯t be that bad. Harlow was so amazed that he couldn¡¯t think of the words to say. He¡¯d just stared at the older man.


    Harlow ruminated on all that and more as he trod the dirty black road. He could see the plumes of smoke in the distance that signified they were close to Ash Baths. Fire Databeasts had started popping up more and more and Harlow was sporting some nasty burns. He was collecting a lot of BITs by now, but Rizzo was making him transfer them to drives and keeping them. The Captain said he was keeping them to buy Harlow a proper element stone, a low-grade earth one. Harlow believed him, as Harlow¡¯s parents had the pull to get the captain fired, and he seemed to be a true believer in the Cabletown cause and regularly opined on that subject, often spitting harsh words at Harlow for being a representative of the younger generation that the man seemed to despise for its lax nature and its unwillingness to do its part for the greater good.


    Still, Harlow would be pleased for the short respite he got in Ash Baths. Hopefully they found Tommen and Brand there. If not, it would be a long walk to Quartz Creek.

 EE7 - Cabletown Business

    Brand woke up feeling bright. Him and the rest had been up that night feasting and celebrating, getting to know one another. It was a good way to ease the fears of Lily, who had grown more comfortable with the idea of Rosie leaving with the two boys as she¡¯d become more acquainted with Tommen, so now it was Brand¡¯s turn to assuage her feelings.


    Besides, he liked meeting new people. It was a rare thing back in Cabletown and most of the time when a discussion was had it seemed to be more of a probing inquiry into one''s affirmations on what was best for the town. Here the people seemed genuinely interested in him. It was quite refreshing.


    They had all talked of their motivations and their goals. Brand talked for a little too long about Kelvin and Ember. Lily opened up about Rosie¡¯s father, who had been an avid adventurer before he died. Later, when they were back to merriment, Ravena walked in looking dirty.


    This was the adventurer Tommen had been raving about, so they invited her to the table and she wolfed down a meal. She had not stayed long, but told them of her adventures in the forest.


    She reaffirmed what Tommen had said earlier that day that they were welcome to go out hunting with her. It couldn¡¯t be tomorrow though, as she had found a lead on a ruin and she wanted to go quick and alone.


    That was alright, they figured, as they needed to finally collect the silverstars tomorrow. Now that they had cleared out the Anugent, they figured that they¡¯d be able to collect them easily. Tommen hadn¡¯t been down the mine yet, so Brand was eager to show him the scenes of their battles.


    There wasn¡¯t much to show, but when Brand thought about it, it really was a life and death battle against the Anugent and its mind-controlled minions. The first of many, he hoped, although it was a little disconcerting to think about. Draining.


    He had felt so tired after yesterday. The thought of doing that again made him feel exhausted, but weirdly energised. Like a second wind came through him whenever he was hit by the tiredness caused by thinking about the arduous battle with the Anugent.


    He had overcome the silver Databeast. He had proved that he could take on an Emergent level Databeast with Rosie. That was no joke. They had got lucky that it was mostly a Tech-based Databeast with weak physical stats, else it could have just steamrolled them with sheer strength, as most Emergent level Databeasts could.


    But still, it was only through grit and endless determination that he and Rosie had managed to overcome the waves of Databeasts. It was a miracle they weren''t more badly injured.


    Furthermore they¡¯d both levelled up. It had taken them both some time to realise it, but they¡¯d felt stronger and had more control over their element stones. Brand had noticed first. With his mid grade element stone he could almost manifest the element itself and he¡¯d felt almost able to do that now, which meant he was a level closer to being able to. Using rocks to create sparks and start a fire might soon be a thing of the past for him once he could summon flames with just a thought and some MP.


    Furthermore both he and Rosie had noticed that they¡¯d felt a burst of energy after the Anugent was defeated. They¡¯d thought it was just pleasure and relief at defeating a strong enemy, but with the greater control of their element stones that settled it - they had both levelled up to 5.


    Now all three of the fledgeling adventurers could attune their element stones, they only needed to get to a lab to do so. Unfortunately the one here in Quartz Creek was still unused, else they¡¯d do it here. As it was, Shingle City was probably their best bet.


    Brand couldn¡¯t wait to attune his element stone. One because it allowed him to get a bonded Databeast if he could find an egg. Two because his mid grade stone would be completely absorbed into his body and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing it. Then he could feel like he¡¯d really done right by his friend Kelvin for the gift. And three because he¡¯d be able to see his stat sheet whenever he wanted. It was a silly thing, but he¡¯d only ever seen it when he¡¯d gone to the lab back in Cabletown for a quick check-up. He wanted to be able to see his HP, MP, and all his stats whenever he liked. That was another adventuring milestone.


    All in all, defeating the Anugent had been well worth the suffering from that point of view.


    Tommen cursed that he hadn¡¯t been there himself. He knew that they were up against a fairly powerful foe, but he hadn¡¯t realised that they¡¯d either be in that much danger or gain so much EXP that they¡¯d rocket up to his level. He¡¯d probably have hit level 6 with the energy from that Anugent and Brand and Rosie would have been far safer.


    It was whilst showing Tommen these scenes of battle that they¡¯d noticed something rather strange that they hadn¡¯t noticed the day previously. The earth that the mole had burst out of was very disturbed, to the point that it looked quite strange. It was basically an indent in the ground with a loose covering of mud that seemed more like a pit trap than anything. Tommen and Brand took a few swings each at the rock-filled dirt and soon uncovered something they hadn¡¯t expected. A second tunnel.


    It was very small, only a little bigger than the large mole-like Databeast that had no doubt carved it out of the rock under the instruction of the Anugent.


    It went down diagonally, so they could crawl down the pathway if they dared - and certainly they did. Brand had just thought the mole was lying in wait merely to ambush them with the Anugent in a pincer attack and that that¡¯s why the silver Databeast had gone down this way, but he realised now that maybe the Anugent¡¯s mind control Tech had a certain range, and it had called the mole from down the very tunnel they¡¯d just unearthed.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to crawl until they¡¯d found themselves in a completely new tunnel, one where they could stand easily and even swing their arms around if they wanted to. No doubt this was once one of the mining tunnels, a lower level that the trio wasn¡¯t supposed to have access to. But then again, the Anugent wasn¡¯t supposed to either.


    Brand wondered what the Anugent had been up to, and led the way down the tunnel while encouraging the other two on.


    There was a noticeable lack of Databeasts down there, and all of the branching tunnels had been collapsed, seemingly intentionally by the frequency of the closed caverns.


    Brand was tempted to surmise that he and Tommen could excavate the tunnels and the trio could head down into the deeper layers of the mine if they felt brave enough, but first he wanted to see what the Anugent had done all this creation for.


    There was some sort of design down here, but why? Had the Anugent simply defeated all the Databeasts in its area and then fortified the surroundings? Or was there something else going on?


    Either way, it betrayed a strange intelligence that Brand had merely glimpsed during the battle. Commanding Databeasts with mind control Techs was one thing, and could even be considered instinctive for the Databeast, constructing a home was something entirely different from the young man''s perspective.


    The trio continued walking down the long, single tunnel. It was leading them somewhere. They hadn¡¯t seen a single Databeast so far, which was also extremely curious. That is, until they reached the end of the tunnel they were walking down.


    In the darkness of the cavern it was hard to see exactly what it was until they¡¯d shone the light directly on it. Before that it had just seemed like the wall at the end was shifting. The ground shook. Something was moving - or trying to. And it was so big that it filled up the entirety of the tunnel. Two large arms like long spindly tree branches grasped at dirt, whilst a fleshy body undulated up and down. It took Brand a long second to realise that the Databeast was trying to free itself.


    The tunnel itself was about two and a half metres. The Databeast must have been far taller, since it seemed to be completely buried in the ground, and its body was cramped and crowded even within the tunnel. It was a freakish and terrible thing to Brand¡¯s view, he has never seen one anything like this.


    It had no proper face or head to speak of, but was covered in large crystal gems about the size of a fist that swivelled around like eyes, and strange holes that seemed to open and close like a sponge in some version of breathing. Its colours were psychedelic with swirling pinks and greens and blues, except for its long arms. Its main body was fatty and bulbous, but those arms resembled nothing so much as bone with their yellowish off white colouring and freakishly long and distended appearance. There was no weight around them at all, and Brand could see a great many joints going down those disturbing arms.


    It let out a shrill scream from holes all over its body as they approached with weapons drawn, the arms scrabbling to get it out of the dirt it was buried in but to no avail. The Databeast reached out for the trio with extended arms, trying to grasp them. When it found it couldn¡¯t, all the gems swivelled across its body to face Rosie, who stood in the middle of the group.


    A red flash occurred, and Rosie jumped back just in time to dodge the laser it had fired at her. The Tech was easy to predict, but quick. Brand would have to watch out for that.


    ¡°Nice moves.¡± Tommen told her. ¡°Let''s get this big thing.¡±


    ¡°It''s strange. What''s it doing down here?¡± Brand asked.


    The Databeast readied another laser, firing at Rosie again. With another rapid step she dodged it.


    ¡°It''s a Flungeon! It can do this for hours! Defeat it quickly.¡± Rosie yelled, moving in on the Databeast and swinging her axe.


    The Flungeon, strange as that name seemed to Brand, immediately reacted by trying to grasp her with its nightmarishly long bone fingers.


    To her credit Rosie seemed ready for this and ducked under one arm and buried the axe head into one of the many opening and closing holes on the weird body. The Flungeon screamed out of the many holes once more as the remaining arm grasped Rosie and lifted her slightly in the air.


    The hand had grabbed her by the waist and the many segmented arm had wrapped around her like a boa constrictor, many little bones locking into places once it had her.


    ¡°Brand!¡± Tommen yelled as the gems swivelled to face Rosie once more, but he was already moving. Both he and Tommen had shot off as soon as Rosie had started moving, and Brand was already swinging to try and hack at the arm holding Rosie. Tommen had seen what he was going for and rushed the other arm with his staff, holding it vertically to pin the hand against the wall. It tried to wriggle out, but he''d found a joint near the wrist of the hand that he could press into easily and it wouldn''t be able to slip out.


    Rosie screamed as the laser attack shot out for her, but Brand had found his attacks with his sword mostly ineffectual against the hard bone and had instead jumped and raised his bronze buckler in front of Rosie. It deflected the laser attack but knocked his hand aside into her.


    The hand that Tommen was pinning had stopped trying to wriggle free, and instead the many segmented arm had extended upwards and looped once around Tommen''s neck. The Flungeon whistled with pleasure as Tommen was forced to drop his staff to try and fight against the arm slinking around his windpipe.


    Brand wasted no more time and dropped his short sword to grab his pickaxe. With expert precision he smashed it into the long spindly bone arm that held Rosie and the arm split horribly. Its gems immediately swivelled to Brand and shot lasers at him but he dodged and swung the pickaxe upward in a wide loop, shattering the rest of the arm in two and freeing Rosie.


    She immediately moved into action and grabbed her own axe from the Databeast¡¯s mouth hole that she''d embedded it in.


    ¡°I''ll focus on defence!¡± Brand yelled, raising his buckler. ¡°You free Tommen!¡±


    Rosie started raining down blows on the arm, chaining attack into attack.


    For Brand''s part he dropped his weapon and held the buckler by the strap on the back with both hands.


    The job defending was hard. Because the lasers all focused on a central point, if he got that central point with his buckler he''d defend the laser cleanly.


    However if he failed to predict it accurately, as he did a couple of times, he''d get struck by a couple of the lasers.


    They were weak when they were from a single gem, not the concentrated beam of many, but they still caused little burns to form along his arms that stung rightly.


    Still, it wasn''t long before Rosie smashed through the spindly white arm of the Flungeon and freed Tommen, who ripped the bony segments from around his neck and gasped for air.


    Brand stayed on target for defending the lasers whilst Tommen took a second to recover, and Rosie attacked the gem eyes. Once she''d managed to remove one with her axe, Tommen grasped his pick and started hacking at the gems too. When only a couple remained, Brand also joined in on their offence, taking his short sword and stabbing up the gigantic Databeast that was blocking the entire tunnel. The Flungeon whined and screamed horribly through the whistling holes all over its body as the trio swung their weapons. In the last it fired off a reverberating sonic attack through those dreadful holes that made them all clamp their hands over their ears, but it only gave the Flungeon temporary respite and prolonged its suffering as the three soon picked back up their weapons and continued butchering the Databeast.


    Before long it had faded into aether, and each one received a huge amount in BITs, EXP and element. Brand had thought Silverstar Mine would be a quiet place to farm weak Databeasts, and he certainly hadn¡¯t expected to be facing down dangerous Databeasts daily in there. As the Flungeon disappeared, they got to see what it had been guarding, and what the Anugent had done all this for. The trio gasped.


    Behind the faded body of the Databeast they saw silverstars in abundance, piled high in stacks around the central chamber, surrounding an indent carved into the floor. And in that indent was something they¡¯d never expected. A Databeast egg. The three stared gobsmacked.


    ¡°Is that what it was protecting?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird behaviour, right? Databeasts don¡¯t normally protect eggs like that. Or stack silverstars around them. Is that why we couldn¡¯t see any before? They¡¯d all been taken here?¡± Rosie asked genuinely. Brand looked into the ground before them. There was a big dip where much of the Flungeon¡¯s body had been buried beneath the earth. He didn¡¯t think it had made that on its own, or trapped itself in there voluntarily.


    ¡°I think the Anugent did this.¡± Brand told them. ¡°Look at the claw marks in this pit. I think the mole dug the Flungeon into here, under the command of the Anugent. The Flungeon was probably under its control too, at the time. But since we defeated the Anugent, it¡¯s been trying to escape.¡±


    ¡°But why do this? Why would the Anugent want this egg so badly? Databeasts spawn from them all the time. Why this one?¡± Tommen pondered.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to let me sound a bit crazy here, but I think I might know.¡± Brand replied. ¡°I think the Anugent was trying to create another Anugent. That¡¯s why there¡¯s silverstars stacked to the ceiling. It was silver itself, maybe it thought that it could use the silverstars to create another one. People try similar things all the time. We know that the environment affects the spawning a little bit. So I think it was trying to create a second Anugent. Or maybe it was just trying to spawn a strong Databeast that it could control. Who knows the mind of a Databeast?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad we finally found those silverstars.¡± Said Rosie as she stared at the Databeast egg. ¡°Maybe you guys can take those and I¡¯ll take the egg.¡±


    ¡°Right. The Databeast egg. What do we do now?¡± Said Tommen. ¡°How on earth do we decide what to do with it?¡±


    Brand looked uneasily at Rosie and Tommen. Would they want it for themselves? Why should they want to share it? Certainly he wanted it for himself. But he wouldn¡¯t want to fight them for it. If there was a way to do this without bloodshed he¡¯d take that route. But it had to be fair to him. He almost chuckled at that. If the Anugent had just shown them this egg when they were under the influence of its rage-inducing mind control, he and Rosie would surely have cut each other apart. Right now the other two looked towards him, as if for guidance. Brand was surprised at that.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°We could sell it and split the money¡­ but that would just be unsatisfying.¡± Rosie and Tommen nodded.


    ¡°One of us should take it.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°You two were the ones who defeated the Anugent. It would feel wrong for me to have it.¡± Tommen told them. ¡°You two should take it. But I¡¯d want to know that I¡¯d get something out of it.¡±


    ¡°Something out of it? Like what?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°Coming with me to the Fool¡¯s Mountains. Helping me to get a Databeast of my own.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°To get you your wyvern?¡± Brand chuckled. It almost seemed like a crazy thing to say. There was a Databeast egg, a real one right in front of them. And Tommen was still thinking about his fantastical goal. Brand was actually impressed. He was also overcome with emotion that Tommen would just let him have this one. Even if Tommen didn¡¯t want the Databeast himself, the kind of money he could get for selling it was no joke.


    Tommen nodded seriously.


    ¡°Rosie?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She replied.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Brand asked, eyes still on the Databeast egg as if any minute it would transform into a Databeast and his hopes of having his own Databeast would disappear with it.


    ¡°Gosh, I don¡¯t know. You can have it, I guess. Up until yesterday I never even thought I¡¯d leave this town. Now you¡¯re saying I can be an adventurer with my own Databeast? I don¡¯t even know. Maybe I do want it. But only one of us can have it, right? Have either of you two attuned your element stones?¡± She asked. They both shook their heads. She cursed. ¡°If only Quartz Creek still had its own lab we could do that here. Marius should have a void capsule. Maybe we take it back to him. The void capsule will stop it absorbing any more element and transforming.¡±


    ¡°Marius? The man is like a father to you. Maybe he¡¯d just take it from us and give it to you.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Marius is a fair man. He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Rosie said, feeling unfairly accused.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but it¡¯s hard to know that.¡± Brand replied.


    ¡°You really think I¡¯m just trying to take it?¡± Said Rosie, defensively.


    ¡°I just wanna know where your head is at.¡± Brand replied.


    ¡°Well how badly do you want it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Pretty badly.¡± He told her. ¡°Well - I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be faced with this so soon. It¡¯ll probably get me a fire and earth Databeast right? Like a Flintimp. I always assumed I¡¯d be happy with any Databeast I got, but now I¡¯m not so sure. A Flintimp would be a useful partner, for sure. It just doesn¡¯t feel like me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know you¡¯ll get a Flintimp. There¡¯s lots of other fire Databeasts you find in caves. Besides, just because it came from here doesn¡¯t mean you can only get Databeasts you find down here.¡± Rosie countered.


    ¡°I know that. I just - I don¡¯t know what to think. I want it. I want you and Tommen to have it, too. I don¡¯t want to scam you two.¡± He turned to Tommen now. ¡°And. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll go to the Fool¡¯s Mountains with you. I have to find Kelvin and Ember and I don¡¯t know where that¡¯ll take me.¡± The two had occupied his thoughts often recently.


    ¡°Then maybe I do want it.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to the mountains, if Brand agrees that I can have it. If I can do something for you too, Brand. Maybe help find your friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you can do both.¡± Brand told her. ¡°How about this? Whoever gets the Databeast helps the other two to get Databeasts of their own.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should be the one to take the Databeast egg then? By the time I help you two get Databeasts, I might have hit level 15 and be eligible to attune another element stone and get another Databeast. Then I can go to the Fool¡¯s Mountains alone and neither of you have to come with me.¡±


    ¡°I thought you only wanted a wyvern?¡± Asked Rosie.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°You never know, this could be one.¡± Tommen replied.


    ¡°Let''s decide this later.¡± Said Brand. ¡°But we¡¯ll make a pact now that whoever gets the first Databeast has to help the other two get Databeasts of their own. Then we bring this back to Marius and get it in a void capsule, then head to Shingle City and get our element stones attuned.¡± The other two agreed. Brand spat on his hand, Rosie and Tommen spat on theirs. He then shook hands with the both of them, who shook hands with each other. They had a brief debate on who should carry the Databeast egg, but concluded Tommen should as he was the less injured of the trio. He put it in his bag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your silverstars!¡± Said Rosie as they got ready to leave. Brand quickly filled his pack up with the rucks of silverstars that had been placed around the egg and they got going.


    They got out of the tunnel, and quickly, then got out of Silverstar Mine and headed down the road. They were only walking down the road for a few minutes towards MacGill¡¯s Item Emporium when Brand stopped in his tracks. Tommen froze similarly and Rosie bumped into the back of them.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, before following their gazes. She saw an irate looking older man and a limping youngster around their age with a large exoskeleton on one of his legs.


    _______


    That Very Same Day


    Harlow and Captain Rizzo approached Quartz Creek with weary legs and minds. Ash Baths had been quite terrible. It had started off perfectly well, as although they hadn¡¯t found Brand and Tommen, they had stopped to recover in the invigorating spas that the town was named for. That was all going well, until Harlow got to talking with a burly man tattooed from head to toe in Databeasts, who was relaxing in the volcanic water beside them.


    When Harlow had told them they were from Cabletown, the burly man had had opinions about the way Cabletown was handling its population. And they were not very approving ones.


    Captain Rizzo had opinions too. Very strong ones. They¡¯d argued hotly, which seemed to Harlow at odds with the sweltering temperature they found themselves in. It had all gotten a bit dramatic from thereon.


    To the Captain¡¯s credit, when the man in the baths had swung for him, he handled him pretty easily and quickly. A devastating one-two followed by an elbow was all it took to put the big man down. Unfortunately for Harlow and Rizzo, it turned out Ash Baths had a rather unique system of rule in comparison to many of the towns around them.


    That is, gang rule. Not the cronyism of petty politics that Harlow¡¯s parents like to engage in, but the brutal violence of raids, theft, extortion and beatings. All that is to say that Ash Baths was a rather young town, and no dominant force had properly established itself. Different gangs had the run of different areas and different volcanic baths, so when the burly man¡¯s cronies and goons came for Harlow and Rizzo and they had fled, they found that they were surrounded by another gang whose territory they¡¯d run into. When that gang had realised Rizzo had dropped a rival gang¡¯s boss unconscious, they welcomed him with other arms.


    The previous gang they¡¯d been fleeing from and fighting off had then associated them with the rival gang, and used it to gin up support from their members to attack this rival gang, and Harlow and Rizzo who were currently enjoying their temporary protection.


    Needless to say, they¡¯d had other priorities than getting involved in violent inter-town conflict, namely the capture of two traitors of their own town. But when they¡¯d tried to leave, the gang who had been protecting them took it as a personal insult that they wouldn¡¯t help them out against their rival, especially as they had been so kind as to protect Rizzo from the thugs he was fleeing from.


    Things were looking ugly until the mobster that Rizzo had dropped in the baths led a raid on the gang that was protecting them, turning the scene into absolute chaos and carnage.


    Harlow barely remembered what had happened after that. It was a whirlwind of weapons, and with his impaired mobility he¡¯d faced down serious damage at the end of some blades. Luckily he¡¯d managed to avoid any serious cuts by swinging his staff like a madman. Frankly he was amazed that he hadn¡¯t been more seriously hurt. He¡¯d attributed that partly to Rizzo though, who was fighting like a man possessed.


    The Captain was a real force to be reckoned with, Harlow realised. Many of these men must be a similar level to Rizzo, Harlow guessed, but the guard was dropping them left and right with his staff with no issue. It was quite a sight to witness.


    Halfway through the bombastic brawl Rizzo had grabbed Harlow and dragged him off. It had been a half-sprint that was agony to Harlow¡¯s knee despite the exoskeleton and they¡¯d managed to get out of Ash Baths with no more trouble.


    They hadn¡¯t had a chance to rest since then. Rizzo had once again decided that Harlow wasn¡¯t up to scratch, and forced him to battle every Databeast they saw, no matter how weak or strong, whilst yelling criticism at him. Harlow had even managed to level up to 5, a great milestone, but Rizzo just took that as an opportunity to double down on the training. Harlow knew his parents would be very proud when he told them, and would likely throw a big party and invite all their friends. That would be nice, but as for right now he was stuck grinding over and over again.


    But right now even the energy boost that levelling up gave him did little to alleviate his exhaustion. He was weary of the pain in his leg and the endless trudging and the fighting someone else¡¯s battles. He¡¯d tried to make this last point to Rizzo in an effort to discover what Brand and Tommen had actually done, but Rizzo had just looked down his nose at him and told him that Cabletown¡¯s battles were his battles too.


    Harlow privately wondered if the Mayor¡¯s battles were indeed Cabletown¡¯s battles, but decided the smart option would not be to say it out loud. He didn¡¯t want to end up like that mobster in Ash Baths. Unlike him, Harlow had no-one to come running and help him out. It is what it is, he decided.


    All in all, the walk to Quartz Creek had been long. Harlow didn¡¯t expect to find anything there, but he would be glad for a stop at whatever inn they had and a short respite with nobody hunting for his head. The incident at Ash Baths had seriously affected him. All the danger he¡¯d been in recently, from both human and Databeast, had been really wearing on him.


    So it was that thoughts of rest and respite occupied his mind as he walked the streets of Quartz Creek, heading towards the town centre. He certainly wasn¡¯t prepared, physically or mentally, to finally find the people he¡¯d been looking for.


    Harlow stopped mid-step when he saw a flash of dirty blond hair attached to a tall, lanky body. Wrath blossomed in his heart. Tommen. His mind went back to that anger filled face in the dark of the night! How different that was. How that expression had haunted him when he lay awake at night.


    It felt strange to get a proper look at the lad. Now Tommen looked like a deer in headlights. This was the man who¡¯d taken his leg from him, and yet it wasn¡¯t at all! Tommen seemed completely different when taken by surprise in the daylight. And by the looks of things he¡¯d been using Harlow¡¯s staff! The cheek of it!


    Harlow¡¯s blood ran cold when he saw the boy next to him. He hadn¡¯t expected that. Brand. Unruly black hair with blue eyes shining out beneath dark strands. A bronze shortsword at his side, gleaming in the sun. The same blade that had threatened to take his life, if he¡¯d moved.


    The brute and the killer. But who was the girl with them? Harlow imagined her as some similarly criminal character. Ideally she¡¯d just step aside and let Cabletown handle Cabletown business in bringing back some traitors, but somehow he knew it wouldn¡¯t be quite that simple.


    ¡°That¡¯s them.¡± Harlow said, loudly, his brows forming into a deep crosshatch as he glared at the two young men who had abused him just days before. Rizzo whirled to see where he was looking. The two had stopped stock-still. The girl was looking between them, surprised, and then peered at Harlow and the Captain.


    ¡°You there!¡± Yelled Rizzo. ¡°You¡¯re coming back with us!¡±


    ¡°Not on your life!¡± Tommen yelled back.


    ¡°What exactly is your problem?¡± Brand asked loudly, seemingly perplexed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a couple of traitors.¡± Rizzo told him. By now a couple of people were watching the ruckus on the street. There obviously weren¡¯t many civilians in Quartz Creek, but the altercation was bound to attract some attention.


    ¡°Traitors! As if!¡± Brand replied hotly. ¡°You can¡¯t change the law on a whim. We haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    Harlow could have screamed at him. He was sure his voice came out a higher pitch than it should have when he replied. ¡°Nothing!? What about my leg!? What about how you were going to kill me, Brand! And now we¡¯re going to take you back to Cabletown to get the punishment you deserve.¡±


    Brand¡¯s expression softened at Harlow¡¯s outburst, but Tommen simply laughed out loud when he saw Harlow¡¯s rage-filled face. ¡°They sent you? I expected some sort of crack squad! I almost don¡¯t believe it.¡± He managed to get out in between laughs.


    Anger bubbled out of Harlow and he started walking towards Tommen with dangerous intent. Tommen saw the limp and began to laugh once more. Then Rizzo began to walk with him and Tommen¡¯s face got a little darker.


    The blond boy was clearly ready to rise to the challenge, before the smaller boy, Brand, put a hand on his shoulder. Brand walked in front of Tommen and the other girl joined him. Were they protecting Tommen? Surely he didn¡¯t need it? Tommen seemed likewise confused, until realisation dawned on his face.


    Harlow was mad as anything, but he noticed that. He¡¯d always been one for details. Details meant something. But what did these ones mean? He couldn¡¯t discern.


    No matter. They¡¯d find out once they¡¯d captured the boys, he was sure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, girl, but you¡¯re not from Cabletown. Leave Cabletown business to Cabletown guards, and we¡¯ll leave you be also.¡± Rizzo said, with a fair measure of politeness.


    ¡°What are you going to do with them?¡± She asked defensively.


    ¡°Take them home.¡± Rizzo replied.


    ¡°They don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going whether they want to or not. They¡¯re young and don¡¯t know what¡¯s best for them. Neither do you, girl.¡±


    ¡°My name is Rosie, not girl.¡± She told him. ¡°And you should leave before Marius gets here.¡±


    ¡°I intend to leave. But these two are coming with me.¡± The Captain told her, and readied his staff. Harlow did the same. Brand drew his shortsword, Tommen raised the staff from behind the other two, and Rosie hefted her axe. That was something Harlow didn¡¯t want to get on the wrong side of.


    Rizzo swung his staff in a Blitz, smacking Brand and Rosie to the side. Rosie defended with the middle of the axe handle and Brand with his shield, but the hit still sent them stumbling. Rizzo had aimed well towards areas they couldn¡¯t defend well. Tommen backed up once more. Why is he doing that? Thought Harlow.


    Rizzo pressed the attack a little before seeing Tommen didn¡¯t want to engage, then he rapidly switched to Brand. Rosie swung her axe at Rizzo but Harlow jabbed his staff towards her face. She had to abort the attack immediately and dodge to prevent her own momentum crashing her into the end of the staff.


    That was what Cabletown teamwork was all about. Protection through disruption of the enemy. He kept Rosie at bay through attacks, whilst Rizzo dealt with Brand. He was throwing attacks constantly. To Brand¡¯s credit he was using his buckler and shortsword well to defend the overwhelming assault, but it wasn¡¯t long before hits started getting through, heavy and hard. Brand was getting battered.


    Rosie was swinging at Harlow, but she was highly aware that she was using an axe against a living person, and was trying to avoid any lethal damage. Harlow was aware that he was outside of his jurisdiction and she wasn¡¯t a Cabletown citizen, so he was just trying to stop her attacks from getting through rather than hurting her. As such they were in a bit of a stalemate. Harlow watched Tommen take his bag off gently and place it a little away from the fighting before getting involved. Interesting.


    Tommen attacked Rizzo from behind. The guard captain had expected it though and managed to turn and block before striking Tommen¡¯s legs out from under him. Brand tried to capitalise on it and hit the Captain in the back of the head with a pommel, but Rizzo thrust his staff behind him under his arm and caught Brand in the chest, sending him down also and choking for air.


    Harlow moved backwards, towards where Tommen had placed his bag. He saw Rosie¡¯s eyes flash over to the bag and widen slightly, and suddenly she seemed to care far less that she could kill him. Her swinging strength and aim increased tremendously. Very interesting, Harlow thought, as he increased his own tempo.


    Rizzo had drilled him well, and he fought Rosie back despite her sudden intensity, although he had to stop taking into consideration that she was an outside party. He had to fight properly or risk death.


    Tommen and Brand tried getting up, each swinging like madmen at the Guard Captain, who was handling them both with some difficulty.


    Harlow shoved Rosie back to give himself some space before sprinting at Tommen, swinging his staff with full force at the lanky boy¡¯s knee. How he¡¯d love to make it crack, he thought.


    Tommen defended the strike, but it allowed Rizzo to smash him in the face. He grunted in pain as his nose broke and blood sprayed in a beautiful arc. Rosie yelled out and started a renewed attack on Harlow, but he managed to turn and go back to defending all her violent swings.


    Rizzo however capitalised on the opportunity and managed to drop Tommen once again with his staff, before landing a brutal overhead hit onto the top of Brand¡¯s head. Harlow was amazed he didn¡¯t hear the sound of shattering bone. Rizzo then swept Brand¡¯s legs with a low kick, and the boy landed hard on his back. He then shoved the end of his staff underneath Tommen¡¯s chin so he wouldn¡¯t move.


    Rosie squealed in happiness, and Harlow turned a little to be able to see why. A man had appeared, wielding only an axe handle. He looked angry. A round purple Databeast bounded behind him. It was only in the Instar stage, Harlow surmised. Still, that wasn''t good news. A small village like this shouldn''t have anyone with a Databeast. Hopefully he wouldn''t interfere with their business.


    ¡°Marius!¡± The girl yelled with excitement. Rizzo was still standing over Tommen and Brand, staff pointed towards the traitorous duo.


    ¡°Get away from her!¡± Snarled the man Marius towards Harlow. Harlow looked at Rizzo for confirmation who narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.


    ¡°This is Cabletown business, don''t get involved.¡± Rizzo yelled.


    Marius was locked in on Harlow though, and ignored Rizzo. In a flash the man was before Harlow, swinging his axe handle down. Harlow blocked it, but the force sent him stumbling back away from the girl.


    He dropped his staff and raised his hands in submission. The newcomer pulled the girl to the side before turning on Rizzo.


    Harlow didn''t know how well Rizzo would do, but Marius was fast.


    ¡°The girl tried to interfere, so she was detained. We didn''t hurt her. These two are coming back with us.¡± Rizzo spoke loudly.


    Marius scoffed. ¡°Not a chance.¡± He said as he swung the axe handle down again once more. It smashed the staff in two as Rizzo brought it up to defend the strike. Rizzo seemed prepared for that eventuality though as he quickly recovered, swinging the two half-pieces like a couple of batons right at the man¡¯s face. The man backhanded them away pretty effortlessly though. His stats were simply that much higher than Rizzo¡¯s. He followed up with another slap that echoed out loudly as Rizzo


    With nobody focussed on him, Harlow had an opportunity to take. It was pretty obvious he and Rizzo were coming out on the wrong side of this confrontation. He needed to do whatever he could to salvage that, and get something out of the loss. Tommen¡¯s bag that he¡¯d been so willing to defend was now lying on the ground, to the side.


    It was a basic one, clearly bought at a general store. Harlow¡¯s had been also. There was a slight difference in colour, only enough to be barely noticeable. The only thing Harlow had in there were rations.


    Tommen however, clearly had something in there precious to him. It took just a second for Harlow to switch his bag with the one on the ground. He was sure nobody had seen.


    Rizzo tried a strong kick towards the man but he batted it aside once more and shoved the bottom of the axe handle into Rizzo¡¯s solar plexus. The guard captain bent over in pain, gasping for air, and the man pushed him back once more, causing him to fall on his back. Harlow rushed to his side and helped him up. Rizzo was scowling and angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you once more to leave.¡± Said Marius.


    Rizzo glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re harbouring fugitives from Cabletown.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re no longer yours to worry about.¡± Marius told him.


    ¡°Quartz Creek will regret this.¡± Promised Rizzo, glaring. He dropped his weapons limply to his side though. ¡°Come now Harlow.¡± He said as he began to walk away, fuming with anger. Harlow joined him, shooting a last look towards Brand and Tommen. Tommen¡¯s expression was mocking. Brand¡¯s was somewhere between confused and pitying. Harlow wanted neither mockery nor pity. The traitorous duo had got one over on him once again. He¡¯d get both Tommen and Brand for this.


    _________


    Later That Day


    Rizzo and Harlow were sitting in another cave, around a fire. They were becoming a staple of their campsites and Harlow knew it wasn¡¯t long until he¡¯d be told to clear the lower parts of the cave and ensure there were no Databeasts to bother them, but first Harlow wanted to check out his loot.


    Harlow didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d taken Tommen¡¯s bag. It had seemed like the young man was protecting it ferociously, and Harlow had just wanted to take something from Tommen, much like Tommen had taken from him when he¡¯d stolen his staff and his ability to walk.


    Perhaps Harlow had thought Tommen was keeping something precious in there. That guess turned out to be more than correct, and Harlow had to refrain from gasping when he saw the Databeast egg just sat in the bag, surrounded by strange metal stars. He didn¡¯t want Rizzo to know, after all. It was a deep blue with what seemed to be metal on the very top and the very bottom in a crown-like jagged pattern, yet when Harlow touched it it was soft and spongy like the rest of the egg. It shimmered wonderfully to his eyes though, in the dying firelight. Each Databeast egg was slightly different, some suspected that this gave hints as to what Databeast would spawn.


    Harlow had never expected to see one in the bag.


    He tried to hide the bag between some rocks in the cave. It just about worked as a hiding place unless you walked right up to it. It was a poor spot nonetheless, but he didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t absorb the Databeast egg now, as he''d only just hit level 5 and hadn''t had the chance to go to a lab and attune his element stone.


    So he needed to get to a city with a lab. But it had to be soon. Who knew when the Databeast egg would accumulate enough element to fully form into a Databeast? He thought about it a little before he decided to broach the subject with Rizzo, who was sat with his back to Harlow, contemplating and licking his wounds.


    ¡°Captain¡­ any chance we could go to the city soon? I want to attune my element stone. I want to get stronger.¡± It was the best excuse he had. Rizzo would let him out of his sight for a little bit. Then he could absorb the Databeast egg and Rizzo wouldn''t be able to say anything about it.


    He''d just have to count his blessings that Harlow now had a Databeast, and they could better get Tommen and Brand.


    ¡°No.¡± Rizzo told him. ¡°You haven''t collected enough BITs for a low grade earth stone yet. You''re not attuning that cosmic one.¡±


    That was bad. Every second Harlow waited was another second that the Databeast egg could absorb enough energy to just create a regular old Databeast, not a tamed one. He really couldn''t wait.


    ¡°If you lend me some money we could afford it. Then I''d have been able to take on both Tommen and Brand. I know I need it.¡± Harlow pleaded.


    ¡°If you want to get stronger, focus on defeating Databeasts. Not begging for handouts.¡± Rizzo said.


    ¡°Well how long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Several months, I''d guess.¡±


    ¡°What? I''ve been defeating Databeasts every single day. Surely it''ll be sooner than that.¡± Harlow was shocked. It would surely be sooner than that, else what was he risking his life for?


    ¡°I''m taking a cut of it. Partly for your training, partly for babysitting duty and saving your life, partly as tax for Cabletown.¡± Rizzo told him.


    ¡°What!? You can''t be serious! You''re robbing me?¡± Harlow exclaimed. ¡°I need to attune my element stone and I need to do it now!¡±


    ¡°I''m doing what''s best for the town. You would have died without me. You owe me the money for every fight you lost with a Databeast where I had to save you.¡±


    ¡°You forced me to take those fights!¡±


    ¡°If you hadn''t let those traitors slip away this never would have happened. You have to take responsibility for your actions.¡±


    ¡°You''re mad! I''m going to the city with or without you.¡± Harlow was flustered now.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Rizzo laughed darkly. ¡°You can''t leave. You''re a Cabletown guard now. You can leave when I dismiss you, else you''re a traitor too. When did you get so uppity? You must think because you saw me lose earlier that you can walk all over me.¡± He stood up to look at Harlow.


    ¡°No no no, not at all, Captain.¡± Harlow tried to reassure him.


    ¡°What did you do with that bag anyway? I saw you skulking around with it earlier. You took it from the blond boy.¡± Rizzo asked.


    Harlow froze. Should he just come clean? Rizzo would undoubtedly take the Databeast for himself, and Harlow was loath to give it up to the much disliked mentor he found himself stuck with.


    But if he said he didn''t know what happened to the bag and Rizzo found out he was lying, there''d be hell to pay later.


    If he said he did know and explained that there was a Databeast egg in there, Rizzo would probably get it. Maybe that was for the best though, despite his gut reaction against it. In the long term, Rizzo getting a Databeast was probably the quickest way for Harlow to get his revenge.


    The question was, did he really want Rizzo to have a Databeast? He was really growing to dislike the Captain, especially after finding out that the man had been syphoning off his BITs.


    But he did want to be on the Captain''s good side, being essentially trapped alone with him for the foreseeable future. And if there was no way to get himself a Databeast, wouldn''t it be better than letting it go to waste?


    Besides, it would be poetic justice to see Tommen brought back to Cabletown by what Harlow assumed would have been his Databeast. If Rizzo could master it and bring Tommen in, then not only would it be delightfully ironic, Harlow would have played a big part in getting him the Databeast that made it all possible.


    There was one last option open to him. To plead his case to the Captain and see if the man would find it in his heart to give him the Databeast, given that Harlow was the one who took the bag.


    ¡°About that¡­ I looked in it. That''s why I wanted to go to the city. There''s a Databeast egg in there, and I wanted it for myself, because I''m the one that found it.¡± Harlow confessed. After having decided that Rizzo having it was preferable to letting it transform into a regular untamed Databeast despite how much he disliked the man, this was really the best path for him.


    Best case scenario: Rizzo said he could have it. Worst case he said no and took it for himself.


    The Captain studied him for a few seconds. ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡±


    Harlow was starting to regret his words. Maybe he should have just tried to make off in the middle of the night with the egg despite his limp and hope for the best. Dodge the dangerous Databeasts, somehow avoid Rizzo¡­ and be labelled a traitor and never be allowed home. Never see his parents or his comfy bed again. He mentally sighed.


    ¡°No, I''m not.¡± Harlow told him, and took the bag out from where he''d stashed it. He unzipped it, showing the Databeast egg. There it was, in all its pristine glory.


    ¡°You took this from Tommen?¡± Harlow nodded at the question and Rizzo started to laugh, and hard. ¡°Traitors get what they deserve. You wanted this egg?¡± Harlow nodded again. ¡°You can''t have it. You know that.¡± Harlow''s stomach dropped. ¡°But I''ll be fair. Cabletown needs me to have it, not you. But you will be compensated for your contribution.¡±


    ¡°Compensated?¡± Harlow laughed. Now that the cat was out of the bag he felt that he wasn''t pleased about it at all. Maybe he should have just let the Databeast form and then farmed it for what little BITs and EXP it had. ¡°What kind of compensation?¡±


    ¡°I''ll get you that low grade element stone. No cost. And you keep all your BITs. And I give you a commendation when we get back. That''ll get you on the fast track for a promotion.¡± Rizzo answered.


    ¡°That''s it?¡± Harlow asked. ¡°That''s not worth the price of a Databeast egg. Not at all.¡± On the inside he didn''t think it was too bad. His parents would absolutely love to show off the commendation to all their friends. They¡¯d shower him in gifts for it. He thought he should get all his BITs and the stone anyway though. Still, he knew that the Databeast egg was worth far more and he wanted to push for more.


    ¡°The mayor owes me a couple of favours. I''ll use one of them for you.¡± Rizzo told him. ¡°And you''ll get the best guard uniform and weapons. Full exoskeleton rather than just a leg.¡±


    That was a little better, but it still didn''t even put the cost. ¡°I want a low grade cosmic element stone, not an earth one.¡± He told Rizzo.


    Rizzo raised an eyebrow.¡°Not a chance. I''d be surprised if you could even find one. It¡¯d be worth almost as much as the egg.¡±


    ¡°Wind then.¡± Said Harlow defiantly. Rizzo stared back at him, unimpressed. But Harlow was resolute. That was his petty resistance against the overbearing nature of what was good for Cabletown. His big rebellion was to go for a wind element stone instead of an earth one. It would be worth a lot more, but he still felt pathetic just saying it. It was barely a rebellion at all.


    ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t get mad at me if you regret it later.¡± Said Rizzo through gritted teeth. He was getting tired of Harlow''s games, and the boy¡¯s greed in the face of the greater good. ¡°Now give me the egg.¡±


    Thanking Rizzo, Harlow obliged. It hurt to give away the egg, but he was fascinated to watch as Rizzo placed one hand on it and absorbed it directly into himself. He¡¯d never seen a Databeast egg getting absorbed, but had always wanted to.


    It was almost like watching a Databeast be destroyed, thought Harlow, as the egg broke down into its arterial components and was absorbed by the guard captain.


    Seconds later in its place, something new began to form. Light dazzled Harlow as it coalesced into an Instar stage Databeast. It was round and white, with a metallic sheen, looking almost like platinum. It had big eyes and dog-like ears. Its mouth elongated forward like a snout with a black nose at the end of it. It bounced up and down on the spot.


    Captain Rizzo had become a Databeast tamer.

 EE8 - Tensions High

    The day was hot, but Tommen was hotter. Indeed, he was steaming, he was fuming with rage and the tall lad had taken to walking around red in the face muttering curses and expletives. After all, the little rat Harlow had robbed them!


    Brand felt much the same, though his anger was much colder and more composed. He knew deep in his heart that he¡¯d get Harlow and the Guard Captain for this. Hell, the whole of Cabletown was responsible as far as he was concerned, especially the draconian Mayor whose word had been enough to shut down Brand¡¯s exit of the town in an attempt to separate him from excursion, the practice of his ancestors that had been passed down to him. That Cabletown had sent people to bring them back had cemented Brand¡¯s wrath deeply in his heart, and that they had then robbed him of a hard-won and fateful prize had only affirmed that he was correct.


    He didn¡¯t know when, but he would see those running Cabletown suffer for this.


    For her part, Rosie was glumly back to performing her chores at the inn. None of them had ventured out of Quartz Creek for fear that the guard duo would attack them. At least today.


    Yesterday they¡¯d been on the hunt with Marius beside them, desperately searching for the guards and the stolen Databeast egg.


    By now they¡¯d accepted that if they hadn¡¯t found the two guards, they never would in time. So they could do nothing but stew over the fact that their Databeast egg was taken from them.


    So what could they do? Brand wracked his brains but could only come up with a single, simple solution. He needed to train and get stronger. Their levelling speed had been extremely rapid, though they¡¯d put themselves in life and death situations to do so.


    So that¡¯s what they needed. Risking life and limb. But that still hadn¡¯t been enough to stop Cabletown from seizing them. Only the timely intervention of another person had saved him and Tommen.


    Marius had agreed to take the three to Shingle City, and to get their element stones attuned at the lab there. That would happen tomorrow though. For now they had time to think.


    Brand stood in the training yard with his buckler and short sword, practising over and over again what he¡¯d done against the guard captain. How he¡¯d lost. What he¡¯d have to do better.


    He stayed like that for a long time. He was seething with rage that had crystallised into a certain type of highly focused calmness. He was completely locked in, concentrating on nothing but the vision in his mind of the guard captain swinging with his staff. But this time it didn¡¯t hit him. He slipped under, or stepped back, or blocked it. This time when he slashed with his sword and the guard captain blocked it, Brand had a follow up. A punch. A trip. A step off that allowed him to chain another attack after it and keep the captain on the back foot.


    Anything.


    And soon enough all that had begun to flow. Again and again he went over every interaction in his mind, drilling himself against them until he¡¯d created something seamless. His shoulders burned. His wrists ached. He didn¡¯t let the form get sloppy and so Brand just kept moving until the pain became a dull background sensation. There was only one thing on his mind, in his eyes. He saw it again and again. The last moment, the perfect moment of the flow. Where he ran Captain Rizzo through with his bronze shortsword.


    No matter which sequence of events he did to avoid getting hit and to hit his visualised opponent, it always ended with a sword through the belly.


    And then, all of a sudden, Brand stopped.


    Sweat covered him. His right hand was bleeding where callouses had torn open. His shoulders and upper back burned on both a muscular level and deeper. He moved his shoulders forwards and backwards but no matter which position they were in they hurt.


    He sheathed the shortsword, resolving to clean the handle later and took off his shirt, which was now absolutely drenched in the exertions of his labour. He threw it on the ground beside him and it made a hard slapping smacking sound on the floor.


    ¡°And just when you thought the show couldn¡¯t get any better.¡± Joked Tommen. Brand whirled around upon realising he had an audience. Rosie was there being nudged by Tommen in a comical fashion, and joining them was the mysterious other adventurer Ravena.


    Brand immediately felt embarrassed and picked his shirt up, which hurt everywhere. Upon realising once more how soaked it was, he didn¡¯t put it on and decided to face the three bare-chested. He also noticed that the sky was darker than when he started.


    ¡°You guys were just standing there watching me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We''ve been talking too. I honestly thought you knew and just didn''t want to let yourself get distracted.¡± Tommen helpfully filled him in.


    ¡°We''ve been here for so long, how could you not have realised?¡± Rosie asked, shocked.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Said Ravena. ¡°Maybe you should rest a little.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s going on? And what time is it?¡± Brand said, dismissing their concerns.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°We were discussing our next moves now when Ravena joined, and decided we¡¯d need your input before we got too off the rails.¡± Tommen explained. ¡°Then we found you in your training trance thing. And decided to wait it out, and that you¡¯d talk to us when you were done.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Said Brand, once more feeling a little self-conscious. ¡°So what did you decide?¡±


    ¡°Ravena has some business in Shingle City. She¡¯s offered to go with us to Shingle City with Marius and then escort us back here if we need it.¡±


    ¡°Escort us back here? Do we want to?¡± Brand asked. Then quickly followed up with ¡°not that there¡¯s anything wrong with here¡± after seeing Rosie¡¯s taken aback expression.


    ¡°Well I figured you¡¯d want to. Your friends were looking for something around here.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°And you?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind some extra training before visiting the Fool¡¯s Mountains.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t mind visiting back to see my mum.¡± Rosie added.


    ¡°Those two guards know we¡¯re here now. Might be daft to come back so soon.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°I could take them.¡± Ravena told him confidently.


    ¡°You sure? One of them was real strong. Likely has a Databeast now too.¡± Brand muttered, annoyed.


    ¡°I heard about that. I¡¯m sorry they stole from you. But yeah I reckon I could take him. At the very least he¡¯d be putting himself in danger. I¡¯ve fought Databeasts stronger than him.¡± She confirmed.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± He told her. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta say though, I really hate the idea that we need an armed guard. What¡¯s the point of leaving Cabletown if it manages to keep us boxed in anyway? What if those guards chase us all the way to Fool¡¯s Mountain?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get stronger then.¡± Tommen told him.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been doing that pretty well so far.¡± Ravena said. ¡°An Anugent one day and then a Flungeon the day after? That¡¯s no joke.¡±


    ¡°And then we got our arses kicked by some small town guards.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Cabletown¡¯s no joke either, it seems. What did you do to rile them up?¡±


    ¡°Just left. They didn¡¯t like it.¡± Tommen told her.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re sure that¡¯s all? If I¡¯m sticking my neck out protecting you I want to be sure they aren¡¯t going to send a proper fighting force after you.¡± Ravena looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Well¡­ we may have got in a scrap with one of the guards as we left. He was there yesterday, the one keeping Rosie out of it.¡± Tommen shrugged in a noncommittal manner.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that!¡± Rosie exclaimed.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Brand interrupted. ¡°We were going to, honest. Especially after they attacked us. Never expected to see him there, didn¡¯t recognise him for a second.¡±


    ¡°Oh you didn¡¯t recognise the guy with the one giant exoskeleton on his leg? Pretty memorable feature you¡¯d think. Or is everyone walking around with just one? All the rage in Cabletown are they? The trend must not have hit dinky little Quartz Creek yet.¡± Rosie sounded genuinely annoyed.


    ¡°Actually he didn¡¯t have it before¡­ that might have been our fault.¡± Said Brand, looking at Tommen a little guiltily. Tommen shrugged again.


    ¡°Oh of course it was. Brilliant.¡± Scowled Rosie.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you so worked up? You don¡¯t have to wear one if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Tommen joked.


    ¡°I¡¯m annoyed because if I¡¯d realised you two were going around assaulting town guards, I might not have made a pact that¡¯s gonna bind me to you!¡± She pointed at them angrily.


    Brand was a little taken aback, but he tried not to feel too hurt. She was being reasonable. ¡°We just didn¡¯t know at the time what the situation with Cabletown was and wanted to say as little as possible. I didn¡¯t think of it at all when we made the pact. If we knew you¡¯d be this put off by it we definitely would have mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I thought you liked our daring escape from Cabletown?¡± Tommen preened.


    ¡°I liked you two escaping for your freedom, not being a couple of violent thugs.¡± She told them.


    ¡°Freedom fighters is a nice middle ground, I¡¯d say.¡± Tommen shot back.


    ¡°Ruffians.¡± She replied.


    Brand was a little conflicted. You didn¡¯t just break a pact. Pacts were what had kept their people going through some of the darkest times in their history. Hell, much of their legal system was based on pacts. Not to mention the honour behind them. When it was just you and another adventurer out in the wilderness, one¡¯s word meant everything. A pact meant everything.


    But if Rosie wanted out then he did feel obligated to let her loose from any requirements. There was precedent - if there was trickery behind the pact then it was really no pact at all. At the very least he would uphold his side, and help her get a Databeast egg if he got one before her. ¡°If you really want out¡­¡± He began, before he was interrupted.


    ¡°I do not want to break the pact!¡± Her voice rose half an octave before she composed herself a little more. ¡°I just would have liked to know all the information beforehand!¡± And with that Rosie turned on her heel and stormed off.


    ¡°You handled that well.¡± Tommen deadpanned to Brand, who rolled his eyes in response.


    Ravena, who had been quietly watching the whole scene, raised an eyebrow. ¡°A pact..?¡±


    Brand then realised that the whole thing must have seemed strange to her. Pacts weren¡¯t normally so quickly sworn between people.


    Tommen was the one that responded. ¡°When we found the Databeast egg, we made a pact that whoever first tamed a Databeast would help the other two get theirs.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Ravena told them. ¡°Bold. Even worse that you got your Databeast egg stolen from you then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find more. At least three more.¡± Tommen said brightly. ¡°And when we do, we¡¯ll find the two that stole ours and let them know why they shouldn¡¯t mess with us. See who the real Databeast tamers are.¡±


    ¡°Even bolder. Well I wouldn¡¯t mind it if you find some whilst we¡¯re adventuring together. I need first dibs though.¡± Ravena laughed.


    ¡°Well if you¡¯re not averse to making a pact with two ruffians¡­¡± Brand joked.


    ¡°Too bold by far.¡± She joked back and Tommen laughed along.


    ¡°Come on now.¡± Said the tall dirty blond lad. ¡°Lets get some food in us. It¡¯s starting to get late.¡±


    At the mention of food, Brand¡¯s stomach made a noise like a drowning whale and he bent forward in pain. He hadn''t realised that he was absolutely starving!


    They headed off into the inn whilst talking, while Brand wondered once more just how long he¡¯d spent training.

 EE9 - The Road To Shingle City

    The road was long and tiring, but Brand had slept well. His dreams were of him training over and over again, fighting endlessly against enemies that weren¡¯t there and getting ready for when they would be. His shoulders still ached from his tiresome training the day before, and his heavy pack on his back locked them into a position of soreness that they were constantly straining against.


    Still he felt that he was in good company and was pleased with their destination. Shingle City wasn¡¯t far away now, and that meant he was making progress in the search for Ember and Kelvin. All the drama in Quartz Creek had almost distracted him from his main goal, which drove him forward down the long and dusty road.


    He knew Kelvin and Ember had been investigating the abandoned laboratory town near Quartz Creek, but not why they¡¯d done it. Before that they¡¯d been in Shingle City. He¡¯d get some levels before exploring the abandoned town, but for now he might be able to figure out their motivation whilst in Shingle City.


    Given that Ravena was also exploring ruins near Quartz Creek, he figured he might be able to get some info from her.


    ¡°Hey Ravena.¡± He called, sidling up closer to her. The rest of the group hadn¡¯t been talking much, so they immediately began listening in. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why exactly were you exploring the forest ruins near Quartz Creek?¡±


    She laughed at that, as if he¡¯d told a funny joke. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t mind you asking. Usually people ask me to stop talking about it! I¡¯m a researcher-adventurer at Shingle City, and I investigate the initial migrations across Excoria by humanity. I¡¯m looking into those ruins to assess their age and what they were used for. And I think I might have found something interesting.¡±


    Brand could see everyone else had perked up their ears at that. He had to ask for all of their sakes. ¡°Oh wow. What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Well. There¡¯s a strong theory that excursions, like you are all on now, were much more heavily ritualised all those years ago. And that there was a sort of liminal space where the youth - and sometimes older - partaking in excursions would go to at a certain time of the year. From there they¡¯d organise which groups they¡¯d travel in, where they¡¯d go, and what they¡¯d try and achieve. In these liminal spaces would be semi-permanent shaman with a Databeast that has mind-altering abilities, possibly like the Anugent you faced before, and they would initiate those going on excursion into Adventurers and Tamers. Nowadays, those two terms are used interchangeably, but back then they appeared to refer to two different groups. But back then, Adventurers would be larger groups tasked with the exploration of new lands and areas and battling the Databeasts there, whereas the Tamers would be smaller groups of people searching for Databeast eggs, OR they would be setting out to ¡°tame the land¡± and set up a new outpost somewhere that would later transform into a settlement.¡±


    Brand was frankly awestruck by the explanation. They¡¯d had a quick rundown of the history of their people in school, and had learned the barebones of the history of excursions, but most of his historical education was spent on recent or semi-recent political events in Cabletown, usually with a very heated attitude by the teacher. He remembered when a student had questioned his teacher''s telling of events. That had been an ugly display that quickly subdued the poor boy, who had nodded meekly whenever he was addressed after that. Which was often, as the teacher had seemed to want to make an example of him. It had worked, and Brand had learned from the interaction to smile along and keep quiet during his history classes.


    If Ravena had been Brand¡¯s teacher however, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have been able to stop talking. His mind was practically spilling out of him with all of the questions he wanted to ask.


    ¡°So first you¡¯d become a Tamer and then you¡¯d become an Adventurer? And then maybe a Tamer again?¡± Brand asked her.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that you¡¯d be an Adventurer first, but those on their first excursion would have one or two mentors that would guide them. After gaining some levels you¡¯d attune your element stone, and then you¡¯d become a Tamer, but once again you¡¯d go out with an experienced mentor, likely someone looking for their second Databeast egg whilst you look for your first. Then you¡¯d be an Adventurer if you go out again, a proper one with a Databeast, and you¡¯d likely have some youngsters with you that are on their first excursion. And then if you get to the level where you can get two Databeasts, you¡¯d go out with some youth who¡¯s after their first one. So you see it was different the excursions of today where most people go with those their own age, often as a leisurely activity and travel. For these people, excursions were a deeply integrated part of the community and building bonds. The fact that Tamers and Adventurers had their own designations and were specifically treated as occupations of their own, outside the settled society shows that there was a level of importance and distinction attached to them.¡± Ravena explained.


    ¡°And what about those who set up new cities, what about them? Presumably they weren¡¯t youngsters?¡± Rosie wondered aloud.


    ¡°It was rare that someone would set up a new settlement, but those that did were highly respected as Tamers. They had to leave on an excursion to set up an outpost in a designated place. For exactly one year they would have to stay there and hold it down, as a year from the day that they left excursions would be sent to that outpost with people ready to start new lives there, turning it into a real settlement. That year was how they proved their mastery of the land. To be a Tamer setting up a colony would get you a lot of respect and status. For the new humans who found themselves in our harsh world, it was a symbol of resilience and pride, that we would not be destroyed and could even flourish.¡± Said Ravena.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Brand took that all in, thinking to himself about the implications. Would he ever be up to the task of doing that? And if he did, what if it turned into another Cabletown? How would he feel, if the town he set up had turned into that? He wondered if the Tamer was turning in his grave. Brand certainly would be. He wondered too, if he could find out the name of the brave Tamers that set up Cabletown, or whether that had been lost to the winds of time. He asked Ravena this.


    ¡°I think you ought to be able to. Most places can.¡± She told him.


    ¡°I was told the names of the people that founded Quartz Creek.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°My family name was among them, but I don¡¯t remember the others. But we¡¯re quite recent compared to most places. I don¡¯t think they were called Tamers then.¡±


    ¡°No, the highly ritualised practice of excursion turned into what we see today. Though in more dangerous parts of the world they take it a lot more seriously than we do.¡± Ravena told them.


    ¡°They take it seriously in Cabletown.¡± Brand muttered. ¡°They just go about it the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little confused. Earlier you said there was a shaman during excursion. What was the point of that?¡± Asked Tommen.


    ¡°Right, so.¡± Ravena was growing more animated by the second. Brand thought it was very cute, and wondered if there was anything that would make his eyes light up like that. With that being said, he was very content to watch hers light up as well. ¡°I said before that Adventurers and Tamers were considered distinct occupations to the settled life, and that excursions were taken more seriously than today. The rates of death were much higher, and it was closer to something like war. War against an unknown enemy, that was how excursions were treated. A necessary part of your duty, but highly dangerous.


    ¡°Well, there was a lot more trauma associated with it, a lot more fear. These were ordinary people you see, it wasn¡¯t something you could just go home and quit like today. Adventuring is self-selecting for certain traits nowadays, but that¡¯s a different story¡­ The shaman would help transform the mind of the Adventurer or Tamer through ecstatic states and they would no longer be a baker, a lab technician or a miner, they would be an Adventurer or a Tamer. And then, before returning to the settlement, they would visit the shaman again, who would alter their mind in a more soothing way to prepare them for settlement life once more. There was one exception to that rule though.¡±


    ¡°The Tamers who founded new settlements?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! They were Tamers for good now, permanently on excursion. Only, the excursion they were on was making sure their settlement never failed and was never overcome by the Databeasts.¡± She said, pleased.


    ¡°So, the ruins you were investigating was one of these shaman-camps?¡± Asked Marius, bringing the conversation full circle.


    ¡°I think so.¡± She told him. ¡°But if so, they¡¯re one of the largest ones we¡¯ve found in this area. It would be a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± He responded.


    ¡°Well for one, this place would be more important historically than we remember. But also, a lot of these shaman encampments tend to be close to areas that have a high amount of Databeast eggs - sometimes called sprite eggs by researchers - form. So it¡¯d be useful to the tamers of today!¡± She said cheerily.


    ¡°Really!?¡± Tommen exclaimed. ¡°Well why are you leaving? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already got a Databeast?¡±


    She smiled at him, before a shimmering light appeared and coalesced in her arms. Everybody stopped moving to observe.


    A round creature sat there, with four stubby little legs, big pointed ears and a stubby little black mane in a mohawk shape. It was as if someone had squashed a puppy into a ball shape and made it the cutest thing ever, Brand thought. It looked up at them with big eyes and then started panting.


    ¡°This is Clerk. I got him around the same time you guys found your Databeast egg. I didn¡¯t want to rub it in. He¡¯s not the only reason I¡¯m going back though, I need to check with my supervisor and see whether he thinks my findings are right. If so, there¡¯ll be more BITs and more help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me we¡¯re walking away from the area filled with Databeast eggs!?¡± Tommen was gobsmacked.


    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t say filled, just more common. But I¡¯ll take you there when we get back. Besides, you need to attune your element stone.¡± She told him.


    ¡°Can I pet him?¡± Rosie asked, referring to Clerk the Instar-stage Databeast.


    Ravena smiled again and put Clerk on the ground. Clerk looked up at her, seemingly confused, but trotted over to Rosie when she squatted. His little legs moved rapidly, but he didn¡¯t get there very fast. It seemed he was more of a Databeast for being carried. Rosie cooed and picked stroked him, which he seemed to like, then he went around inspecting the shoes of the gathered humans.


    He made Brand think of his parent¡¯s Databeast, a Spinehound, and he got a pang of homesickness. When would he see his family again? Even the little things, like getting up and petting the Databeast, were outside of his reach for now and in the foreseeable future. He liked his new companions, but he sorely hurt that he knew where his family was but couldn¡¯t access them, and that he didn¡¯t know where his old friends were, even though there was nothing stopping him from seeing them.


    He felt alone despite the company. He petted the Databeast as it came to him, feeling a little better.


    ¡°I meant to ask.¡± He said. ¡°My friends were investigating the abandoned laboratory town near Quartz Creek. Do you know anything about that? Why they¡¯d be doing that?¡±


    ¡°I know a fair bit.¡± Ravena replied. ¡°In fact, I suspect the shaman camp I¡¯m investigating was the camp for that town specifically. Which is also unusual, as most shaman camps are usually supported by a number of settlements. So this one seems to be special in a lot of ways. But anyway, I wouldn¡¯t know what they were doing there specifically, but I do know of a group that often pays adventurers to carry out research there, my supervisor is mildly affiliated with them. Come with me to the College and my supervisor will be able to give you their HQ.¡±


    Brand smiled and his heart felt full again. He was on the right track! As they got a move on once more, Brand found that the dusty road wasn¡¯t so long or tiring anymore, after all.

 EE10 - Shingle City College

    Shingle City was incredible! Brand didn¡¯t have to be there long to figure that out. He wasn¡¯t the most social person in the world, and when he was he liked to stick to small groups, not the large crowds clamouring and clattering their way around the streets. But there was a certain bustling energy about the place, a certain something that he found he liked quite a lot, once he thought about it.


    There were so many young people! He hadn¡¯t noticed the lack of it before, but Cabletown certainly didn¡¯t have an age distribution like this. The youth there were few and far between, and often on the way to their mundane job. It was slow there.


    Here it was fast, and he could feel the electric touch of danger just around every corner. Not the danger of Cabletown, which would slowly grind you into nothing, where fear was built into you via social ostracisation. In Shingle City the danger was an undercurrent of violence combined with excitement, and the feeling of wanting more - greed, desire, emotions of taking that spurred one into action.


    Brand was completely taken in by it. He walked past grand houses and he wanted to live there, to figure out what made the people here tick, to accumulate power and levels and energy and¡­ find like minded people that wanted as he did, as he suddenly realised that he always had and just hadn¡¯t been able to express it before.


    It was a strange thought, but he felt like he could be free here, despite all the people hemming him in as his little party made their way to the College that Ravena worked at. She was a student working to become a proper scholar, and her supervisor was a professor there.


    He thought that was very cool. And it was obviously working for her. She¡¯d got herself a Databeast. She got to go on missions investigating ruins. She had a place in Shingle City.


    Brand wondered what it was that he wanted. Once he found Kelvin and Ember, what would he want to do? Now that Brand realised that he wanted things, that he yearned for so many experiences and achievements and glory, he felt like he might overwhelm his friends both new and old if he spoke his mind.


    He felt overwhelmed himself.


    Marius had left them after getting them into the city. The man wanted to get back to Quartz Creek, but he¡¯d made sure that the group had got into Shingle City before leaving. He¡¯d had a fairly emotional goodbye with Rosie outside the walls, but it was nothing compared to the outburst Rosie¡¯s mother had had when the girl had finally left Quartz Creek, even if they¡¯d be going back there soon. They were mainly in Shingle City to attune their element stones and to try and gather some information, and luckily they could do that in the same place. The College.


    The College had a lab attached to it. That was part of the reason they were going there. Ravena¡¯s supervisor would be able to help them attune their element stones very easily and cheaply and Ravena herself would get her Databeast checked up on in the lab after. Brand felt his medium-grade fire element stone against his wrist. He felt the hot energy flowing into his veins. Soon it would be there permanently, permeating his body.


    He hadn¡¯t been sure he wanted that to happen, before. He obviously wanted a medium grade stone - who didn''t? And fire was a very cool element. And that it was a gift from one of his dearest friends? Of course he¡¯d attune the stone, no question about it. But he¡¯d always thought there¡¯d be some level of doubt in his mind when it came to actually attuning it, some doubt as to whether fire was really his element. Not earth? Not wind? Water? Even cosmic? It would be so long until he could attune another element stone, after all. Ten levels. That was bound to take a while.


    But now that he was close to actually going through with the attunement there was no doubt in his mind. Fire was the element for him. He wanted that fire stone attuned so that he would be the same as Ember and Kelvin, and he couldn¡¯t wait to get it done and go Databeast hunting. To see what he could do with it. And when he got a fire Databeast from a Databeast egg, well he was sure it would be cool as anything.


    While distracted by thinking about Databeasts, he almost walked into one. A large green humanoid bunny creature was on the road, following behind its tamer. He was almost mesmerised by all the sights. He¡¯d seen more tamed Databeasts here than he had in his whole life! Tommen and Rosie were looking equally amazed, but Ravena didn¡¯t bat an eyelid as she escorted them through the city.


    Just another thing that made her seem cool to Brand. But then she also had a Databeast of her own. Brand wondered how great it would feel to be walking down this street if he, Tommen and Rosie all had Databeasts beside them.


    Or, he wondered, would it just feel mundane? Surely not. The sense of accomplishment was almost intoxicating now when he thought of it, let alone when it actually became real. It would surely take a long time before the feeling lost its power and faded into the background.


    Brand would also get proper, full time access to his stats. He¡¯d seen them before every so often at a check up, whenever he did his routine visits to the lab in Cabletown. But now he¡¯d have them available for access at any moment of his life. Get proper access to his system.


    He wondered if he would check his stats a lot, or micromanage them. The medium grade fire stone ought to boost his stats a lot, more than Tommen or Rosie could expect. He wondered if they''d notice. It would be obvious to the professor whilst doing the attunement, but the lab meetings were always highly confidential so there¡¯d be no way for Tommen or Rosie to know. Still, Brand had decided he would tell them after.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Partly for the sake of honesty, and wanting his friends to know about his business. He still felt bad about lying to Tommen on the first night they got out of Cabletown. He¡¯d told Rosie he had a low grade stone too. It wasn¡¯t a nice feeling. Medium grade element stones were just worth so much, he knew he couldn''t be telling everyone he met that he had one. But partly he also wanted to tell the two because he¡¯d be having their back and they¡¯d be having his. At least he hoped Rosie would after finding out he¡¯d lied to her again. Those two deserved - needed - to know all of his capabilities and what they could expect from him.


    He hoped it would be a lot. He hoped he could do a lot for them. Tommen¡¯s goals were lofty, but Brand knew he could get there. As for Rosie, he didn¡¯t know what she wanted. But maybe he could help her find out.


    They arrived at the College, and Brand found the building very impressive. It wasn¡¯t quite imposing, as it wasn¡¯t particularly large, but it had a lofty grandeur to it. There were a lot of grounds around it with trees dotted about, but the figure of the college cut through all that with its beautiful architecture.


    A rusty red colour permeated the flat building, though several little spires were tipped with black at the tops. Gothic pillars seemed to stretch the whole of the way around the building, and as they approached Brand saw that small Databeast reliefs were carved all over the walls. On the roof larger gargoyles and grotesques of various Databeasts looked down on them. Brand recognised a number of the Databeasts they had fought, including the bull-like Authorn, the Thunderkiwi, and a leering Chiroptenor, the bat-like Databeast that had attacked him under the influence of the Anugent.


    Brand felt like a real adventurer. But there were so many Databeast carvings that he didn¡¯t recognise yet, which humbled him. It was still a nice feeling though, to have taken the first steps on a journey and still have so far to go.


    The door to the College opened smoothly, and a receptionist nodded as Ravena entered. She nodded back.


    ¡°Just down here.¡± Ravena told them, and led the way.


    The place was a little musty and smelled like old books. The hard stone floor had worn down over time, and provided a satisfying sound when hit by the adventurers boots. People seemed busy with a quiet focus whenever they passed them. All in all, Brand felt he had a great first impression of the place.


    There was a certain sense of quaint serenity intermingled with the grandiosity of the building.


    They passed through several hallways until they found Ravena¡¯s supervisor. Through a large glass window, Brand could see he was in a small office room with comfortable chairs. The professor was sitting in a big green armchair, and three other people were sat around him. Two of them were around Brand¡¯s age, and another a little older. It looked like they were having an animated discussion. When the professor saw them he raised a hand in acknowledgement to Ravena, who gave him a brief wave back. The people in the room looked over, but quickly returned to their talk.


    The people in the office room continued talking for a couple more minutes whilst Ravena explained that the professor was giving a lesson, and that the College was much more about one-on-one discussions and teaching through mentorship than the typical lessons that Brand and Tommen would have had in school, where thirty or more students would have been attended by one teacher with a strict lesson plan.


    Soon enough, the three students filed out and said their greetings to the assembled adventurers before they were on their way.


    The professor stood at the door, a pleasant smile upon his face. His name was Theodore Dalton, Ravena had told them. Brand was surprised at his appearance. He was somewhat short, skinny and balding with blond hair, but he wasn¡¯t at all as old as Brand had expected him to be. When Ravena mentioned a professor Brand had thought of an old man doddering about, powerful in spirit but not in body. Possibly with a big beard or dramatic moustache.


    On the contrary to the image in Brand''s head, this man was probably in his late 40s, clean shaven, and there was a certain spring in the way he walked and a certain heaviness to his posture that made him seem both robust and spry. To his credit he was wearing a waistcoat, dress shirt and suit-trousers, so he did fit that aspect of Brand¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Ravena!¡± He said warmly and extended a hand.


    ¡°Master Dalton.¡± She said, grasping it.


    ¡°I got your message, and am excited to hear of your progress. But first, introduce me to your companions.¡± Professor Dalton said.


    ¡°Of course. This is Tommen and Brand from Cabletown, and Rosie from Quartz Creek. They were all hoping to attune their element stones today.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem-¡± The professor started, but Ravena hadn¡¯t finished speaking.


    ¡°And this.¡± Ravena said as bright light rapidly began to coalesce into a round Databeast with four stubby legs and a mohawk mane, right into her arms. The light was reflected in the glittering eyes of Professor Dalton, as they grew wide and he smiled. ¡°Is Clerk.¡± She finished.


    ¡°Well done!¡± He applauded. ¡°That¡¯s quite the little beauty! A Ruffmutt if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± The professor put out a hand and the dog Databeast smelled it a little before rubbing his face into it. Professor Dalton began to scratch it behind the ears.


    ¡°Thank you, Professor.¡± Ravena beamed.


    ¡°Now I really want to hear about what you¡¯ve been up to. We should celebrate. But first I¡¯m anxious to get in the lab and give this little one a proper analysis, see what it can do. And of course get your companions attuned. Who would like to go first?¡± Professor Dalton asked.


    As soon as the professor said that, something clicked in Brand''s mind and he realised something.


    ¡°I know these guys have been waiting a long time to get attuned, so I don¡¯t mind going after them.¡± Ravena told him.


    Brand could see Tommen and Rosie were about to speak, but he knew he needed to get in edgewise and say his piece first. ¡°Actually if it¡¯s all the same to you, I wanted to talk to Tommen and Rosie about something private anyway. So it would be okay with me if you went first.¡± He wanted to tell Tommen and Rosie that he had a medium grade element stone before he¡¯d got it attuned, not after. It would have felt like a betrayal otherwise. The two looked at him surprised, but then agreed.


    ¡°Ooh. Mysterious, how exciting.¡± Ravena laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll go first then.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± Said the professor. He gestured to the office. ¡°If you¡¯d rather sit there instead of standing around here, then please make yourself at home. My lab is just down the hall if you need anything, you can¡¯t miss it.¡± He led Ravena down the corridor.


    Tommen and Rosie looked at him expectantly. He walked into the office and sat down on one of the three chairs surrounding the armchair. It was quite comfortable. The other two followed him in, closed the door behind them and took the other seats.


    Brand looked at them and didn¡¯t quite know where to start. He suddenly realised he was nervous.

 EE11 - A Personal Conversation

    ¡°So what was it you wanted to talk about?¡± Rosie asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ it was just that I felt I hadn¡¯t been entirely honest with you two.¡± Brand said. Tommen perked up inquisitively, whilst Rosie¡¯s face darkened.


    Rosie sighed, as if resigned but pained. ¡°You don¡¯t have more people chasing you, do you? What have I gotten myself into?¡± It hurt Brand a little to hear the disappointment in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± He said, trying not to be annoyed. A little at her for assuming the worst, but mainly at himself for not being clear. ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad. I guess people might be after me if they knew. But they don¡¯t. The thing is¡­¡± He braced himself, surprising himself that he was really saying this. Telling them now wasn¡¯t the optimal course of action, telling them after he got the element stone attuned would be. But still, he felt that he had to do this. ¡°My element stone isn¡¯t a low grade fire like I said. It¡¯s a medium grade one.¡±


    Tommen sat back like he¡¯d just taken a physical hit, looking shocked. The gap between a low grade element stone and a medium grade element stone in price was immense. ¡°Whew! Well done! Where on Excoria did you get one of those?¡± Tommen asked excitedly.


    ¡°Kelvin gave it to me. He and Ember had ones too. We were going to all get them attuned together. But then my dad got in an accident and I couldn¡¯t leave with them.¡± Brand explained. He almost felt like he was outing his friends too, even though Kelvin and Ember would have attuned their stones long ago by now.


    Tommen¡¯s face really became shocked now. ¡°He had three!? Wait¡­ I swear I remember him being broke?¡±


    ¡°It was his inheritance. The last thing - the only thing really - that he got from his parents.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°But wait¡­¡± Tommen started, but Brand interrupted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mystery. As much to him and I as it is to you. But that¡¯s how I got it.¡±


    ¡°I see. And you wanted to brag about it. I don¡¯t blame you, I¡¯d be doing the same.¡± Tommen nodded along, pretending to be serious.


    ¡°Would you?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d probably keep it to myself.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I can see why you couldn¡¯t wait to attune it though. I¡¯d have left Quartz Creek as soon as we realised it didn¡¯t have a lab!¡±


    ¡°It has a lab, there¡¯s just no one there to work it!¡± Rosie defending her home town.


    ¡°Whatever, I just mean that I get why Brand would be in a rush to attune it. Hell, I am, and mine¡¯s only a low grade.¡± Tommen said.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s the thing, I was never sure I really wanted it.¡± Brand said. Tommen looked at him as if he¡¯d grown two heads, and then a third one. Rosie was also seemed confused.


    ¡°You what?¡± Tommen spluttered. ¡°You didn¡¯t want a medium grade element stone that you were given for free? Are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°I did, I just didn¡¯t. If that makes sense. Of course I wanted a medium grade stone, of course I wanted one that Kelvin had given me. I just wanted to have some sort of say in it, you know?¡± Brand explained.


    ¡°The only say you should want to have in it is yes!¡± Tommen exclaimed.


    ¡°I did say yes. I am saying yes.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± Asked Tommen.


    ¡°How do I say this¡­¡± Brand started. He took a pause before continuing. ¡°I wondered about the fire element for so long. I was so impressed when you told me that you¡¯d worked so hard for so long to get a wind element stone, because that¡¯s the one you wanted. You could have gotten an earth one for a half the price, taken the easy way out and saved yourself a year of your life. You decided what you wanted and you went after it. I wanted that too, to not just take the first one that had been offered to me, the easy way.¡±


    ¡°Well if you want to trade¡­¡± Tommen joked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask me that.¡± Brand laughed back. ¡°I do want it, I was just surprised that I wanted it so much, you know? I want to be the one deciding my own destiny. Not just having other people handing it to me along the way. But I do want it.¡±


    ¡°So why are you telling us this now?¡± Rosie asked. ¡°It must be for something important if you couldn¡¯t just tell us after the attunement.¡±


    Brand hesitated, looking at the two faces. He didn¡¯t really know what to say. Rosie seemed genuinely confused, whereas Tommen seemed to have a level of understanding. He blurted out the first thing that came into his mind, because it was the truth. ¡°Because you two could still steal it from me now if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t get it.¡± Rosie blanked. ¡°Are you saying you want us to stop you from going through with it, or what?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Brand was getting a little frustrated with himself again. ¡°I just didn¡¯t tell you guys - didn¡¯t tell anyone - because I was worried somebody would try to steal it from me. But I wanted you guys to know that I trust you. I didn¡¯t want to only tell you after I¡¯d already attuned it, and knew that you guys wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. I felt like I had to say that I trust you now. It wouldn¡¯t feel the same otherwise.¡±


    ¡°And after this, there¡¯s no more lies or half-truths?¡± Rosie asked.


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    ¡°No more, honest.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Good. Congratulations though. It¡¯s really cool you have a medium grade stone, not gonna lie.¡± Rosie said.


    ¡°Cheers.¡± Said Brand, touching his wrist.


    There was silence for a second before Rosie spoke up. ¡°I do get what you mean though. About not wanting a good thing because you didn''t get to choose it. The inn is a little like that for me. I do want it, I just want other things too, you know? My ancestors helped build Quartz Creek, and the inn is part of that legacy. But my ancestors that moved there weren''t just preserving what they had, they were travelling and trying to take greatness for themselves. I want to live up to them. I want to follow in their actions. But I also plan to look after the inn and cherish how long my family has run it. So I think I get you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that''s sorta what I''m getting at. It felt like I was just being pushed around by the currents of fate. My dad was the one who encouraged me to leave. My family supported the decision. I''m not sure I would have done it otherwise. And I don''t like saying that. This stone was given to me and I really have no choice but to accept it. I have to find Kelvin and Ember, which is technically my choice, but they''re my oldest friends so how could I do otherwise? It just feels like I''ve been responding to other people acting. But for some reason accepting element stone and attuning it doesn''t feel like that anymore. I''ve made up my mind and this is my choice. My action, to become the person I want to be.¡± Brand said passionately, everything rushing out of him. He was feeling fired up, perhaps fitting for the stone he was about to absorb.


    ¡°I wonder that I''m the same. That I might never have left Silverstar Inn if you two hadn''t come along.¡± Rosie said. ¡°I''m worried I''ll never know, now.¡±


    ¡°That''s how I felt in Cabletown too, from a young age. Everything decided for me, all my personal choices derided.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re right, that I chose my fate more than you. I made a plan and I executed it, and here we are. But I do think it was just because I really couldn''t stand the stifling place. So my hand was still forced if you look at it like that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all victims of fate in the end then?¡± Brand said, a little sardonically.


    ¡°Come on now.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°We¡¯re out of Cabletown now, and free to make every choice in the world. We can go wherever we want, do whatever we want.¡±


    ¡°I have to find Kelvin and Ember.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°And you¡¯re still being chased by those guards.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°But Tommen is right! It¡¯s between us and fate now. The amount of other people getting involved is zero. We can do a lot with what we¡¯ve been given.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. And when I find Kelvin and Ember, that just means even more freedom. The more I think about it, the better fate looks!¡± Brand replied.


    ¡°There¡¯s a world out there for the taking, and I want it.¡± Tommen proclaimed cheerily.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split it three ways.¡± Brand laughed. ¡°A third each.¡±


    ¡°What about Kelvin and Ember?¡± Rosie asked.


    ¡°Woah! They weren¡¯t here for the discussion. Brand can give them his share.¡± Tommen argued.


    ¡°Sure, they can be my captains. I don¡¯t mind splitting a third of the world if it¡¯s with them. Brand said.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then!¡± Rosie agreed. ¡°A third each.¡± They each put a hand out, one on top of the other. Then raised it up in a traditional cheer.


    Brand felt heat from his element stone wash over him and he felt content to be aside friends who wanted the world as well. He could see Ravena and the professor talking to each other outside the room. Brand realised they must have been waiting outside because he¡¯d made it clear he wanted to have a private conversation with Rosie and Tommen. He was done with that now, and felt a little rude to have monopolised the professor''s room, even for a good cause.


    ¡°Come on, let''s see how Ravena did.¡± Brand said. The other two turned to see the others waiting outside and stood up.


    They walked out and Ravena and the professor greeted him.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°It went great.¡± Ravena said. ¡°Clerk is in great nick, and he even has a Tech!¡±


    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Said Tommen, admiring the round little dog at their feet.


    ¡°Clerk, now!¡± Ravena called. It took a second of concentration, but suddenly the little Databeast transformed before their eyes. No longer was it a round little canine with stubby legs, now it looked halfway to a wolf. A lean mean killing machine, slavering for their lives and ready to strike at any moment. The trio took a step back, although Clerk was still quite small. He yapped affectionately, which seemed very strange coming out of such an angry looking face.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very impressive. Affectionately called Puff Up. It¡¯s an illusion based Tech and it should give us a hint on the way it¡¯s going to evolve. At least, one of my colleagues seems to think so¡­¡±


    ¡°Woah! So he doesn¡¯t really look like that?¡± Rosie asked.


    She got her answer as he seemed to collapse back into his round, cute form.


    ¡°Incredible.¡± Said Brand honestly.


    ¡°Who knew he had it in him?¡± Said Tommen, impressed also.


    ¡°Now then, I trust you¡¯ve had your conversation?¡± Said the professor. ¡°Who¡¯d like to get started?¡±


    Tommen and Rosie looked at Brand. ¡°I suppose I would.¡± He told the man.


    ¡°Excellent, if you¡¯d just like to follow me¡­¡± Said the professor as he led Brand down the hallway and into a room. The lab was very impressive to Brand¡¯s eyes. Big control panels, certain exercise equipment hooked up to monitors, and of course a big full body scanner and resonance machine. This is the equipment the professor would use to analyse Brand and initiate the attunement process.


    ¡°Just in there. Stand straight and tall, place the element stone in the little plinth before you.¡± Brand did so. ¡°Just there, perfect.¡±


    The professor scanned both Brand and the medium grade fire element stone.


    ¡°Ahh, I think I understand the reason for all the cloak and dagger now. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t impose by asking questions.¡± The professor chuckled.


    Brand nodded. ¡°Just pleased that I won¡¯t have to keep it so jealously guarded for much longer.¡±


    ¡°Now that I can believe. Watch out though, I wouldn¡¯t spread it too much at your level. Some unscrupulous people tend to believe that if they can kill a person with a higher level element stone, they¡¯ll gain a lot more element than they would otherwise. They might be right too, so I¡¯d keep it close to the chest around the wrong type of person.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Said Brand truthfully. He¡¯d never heard that before. It felt strange, unsettling to know he could be weighed up for the element and level he contained. He did that to Databeasts, sure, and Databeasts certainly did it to him when they attacked him. But people doing it to people? Weird. He knew people killers were out there, but why? Why kill your own kind, when a Databeast would do?


    ¡°But apart from that, enjoy being stronger than other people your level. Don¡¯t use it as a crutch though! Levels and skill can certainly overcome a grade of element.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°Alright. Excellent. Starting the attuning process now.¡± The professor affixed him with an intrigued look as he pressed the button. The machine whirred and everything flashed white and blue, then reds and yellows and orange as he merged with the element stone.

 EE12 - Fraying Tensions

    Harlow swung with abandon at the termite Databeast, also known as a Termiterror. They were big things, pure white and bipedal and reached a little below Harlow¡¯s chest at a full stand. Their arms were somewhat stubby and weak, but their bulbous fat heads had enormous pincers on that could do something nasty to him. They mostly attacked with their faces, so opened their heads up to big damage from his staff, but it still felt uncomfortable to fight the aggressive blighters.


    Two had been defeated in this fight and there was only this one left. Watchdog, Captain Rizzo¡¯s Instar-level databeast stayed by the sidelines. It had been joining Harlow in his training sessions and they had only increased in ferocity since the event that spawned the canine creature. The captain was pushing hard on both Harlow and his Databeast in order to level up his Databeast and get him to evolve from the Instar stage to the Juvenile.


    Harlow and Rizzo had gone to a nearby town, Oxburgh to get him a low grade wind element stone and get it attuned. It had worked, and Harlow had never felt so good, or light on his feet. Certainly not Tommen had kneecapped him, anyway. But Rizzo seemed to think that he¡¯d done Harlow a great favour by honouring his side of the bargain for the Databeast egg, and that Harlow¡¯s debt to Cabletown was even greater than it was before. He refused to let up on the youth.


    So, Harlow had little choice but to spend his days in the aftermath of his battle with Tom and Brand and Rosie in a battle frenzy. His leg hurt every minute now, but it had progressed into a dull ache, a constant reminder that his enemies were out there. While initially his fighting style had been truly hampered given his lack of agility, Harlow now felt comfortable in his ability to stand and trade with any creature, Databeast or animal from Earth, on Excoria. As such the termite Databeast posed little threat. He was merely weakening it, beating it down with brutal efficiency. Watchdog, on the sidelines, waited for its opportunity to strike.


    The Instar-stage database was small and round with stubby little legs, which meant it couldn''t move very fast. It also meant that it was absolutely no threat to the Juvenile-stage termite Databeasts. In order to level quickly, Captain Rizzo had turned Harlow into Watchdog''s power leveller, defeating things most of the way so that the little Databeast could finish them off.


    They''d been down the cave for days. It was a strange place, full of twisted metal veins that seemed to run through the ground. Large crystals jutted out the ground on occasion, and odd angular metallic structures that seemed natural reflected a rainbow of iridescent colour at them. Harlow was stood stunned as he hadn¡¯t seen anything like it, but Rizzo had just grunted and said ¡°It¡¯s bismuth¡± before continuing on. Harlow hid his amazement as he followed the guard captain through the tunnels. Sometimes Harlow had to squat down, which was exceedingly hard on his damaged leg, or other times he caught it whilst walking on uneven ground. He wasn¡¯t enjoying the underground, but for the most part the tunnels were fine and left plenty of room for him to stand up straight in.


    They had been skirting around an enormous hive of termite Databeasts that had seemingly colonised an entire area. This was fine as long as they only fought the Juvenile-stage Databeasts, but if a Vanquisher-stage appeared then they were probably done for. Rizzo was probably approaching a Vanquisher in strength, but he wasn¡¯t quite there yet. Harlow and Watchdog had to get a few more levels before they¡¯d be able to support him there.


    Luckily Watchdog was already level three. The Databeast had been almost exclusively fighting and defeating higher level Databeasts than it for several days now, and it was reaping the rewards. Every level gave it a noticeable boost in strength and speed, and although its diminutive form didn¡¯t change and wouldn¡¯t change unless it evolved, the Databeast had gained a mean streak, a certain glint in the eye that made it seem more dangerous than when it first spawned.


    Harlow didn¡¯t really like it. At first he¡¯d been amazed with the Databeast, awed at seeing someone become a tamer for the first time in his life, and seeing a Databeast brought into this world. He still was, really. It was incredible. But he was starting to resent the pup as he resented its master, and its constant presence was growing frustrating to him.


    Not to mention it was stealing his kills. He bashed the termite repeatedly in the head and knocked it onto its side and Watchdog ran in to savage the downed Databeast. Before long it disappeared into EXP, BITs and element.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you powerlevel Watchdog, while I take on some termites on my own?¡± Harlow said, tired.


    ¡°Why would we do that?¡± Asked Rizzo.


    ¡°It¡¯d increase our growth rate. And it¡¯s good to switch things up every so often.¡±


    ¡°I need to manage you in case something goes wrong.¡± Captain Rizzo said.


    ¡°Seems unlikely it will. We¡¯d level faster if we split up a little.¡± Harlow replied. He was tired of having Captain Rizzo on his back, constantly.


    ¡°And what if you die to a Databeast? What if I face a Vanquisher and need some back up? You¡¯re not as good as you think you are.¡± Rizzo told him. That was probably true, thought Harlow. But he couldn¡¯t tell if the man genuinely believed what he was saying, or was just using it as an excuse to parasitise off Harlow¡¯s hard work. Rizzo was also absorbing EXP, BITs and element from the kills, after all.


    ¡°What if I die then? My own life, my own risks. If I think danger is worth growth, then that¡¯s what it is.¡± Harlow said, standing up for himself. It was the wrong thing to say to the captain. Rizzo¡¯s face grew ugly with anger. Behind Harlow, Watchdog snarled. Harlow stood firm, looking at the man. They were about equal in size, though one was much more dangerous than the other. Harlow knew it wasn¡¯t him.


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    ¡°Your own life? Who raised you up? Cabletown.¡± Rizzo yelled. ¡°Who gave you the clothes on your back? The strength of your arm? Cabletown. Who taught you to fight? Who let slide your failures? Cabletown. Who does your life belong to? To whom do you owe everything!?¡± Rizzo¡¯s rage-filled eyes searched Harlow¡¯s face while the little dog Databeast continued growling behind him. The silence stretched. It was clear Rizzo wasn¡¯t going to accept anything less than an answer. Harlow had a lot of them. To whom did Cabletown owe? Harlow¡¯s family had been among the first of the prestigious bunch to join Cabletown.


    Harlow felt he owed his parents a lot, they had always supported him. Or had they? They¡¯d sent him to all the best schools, given him all the advantages, made sure he¡¯d done well. But had that been to ensure he was the best that he could be? Or was that to brag to their friends? He¡¯d always been compared to his parent¡¯s friends'' children, as no doubt they had been compared to him. Who was going to do more for Cabletown. He hung out with some of them but he couldn¡¯t call them friends of his own. How could he be friends with them, when every time he met them he was confronted by a twisting in his stomach, both a feeling of intense seething inferiority mixed with a sneering superiority. So they¡¯d given him advantages for selfish reasons and put up barriers between him and those who were supposed to be his peers.


    But still, they were his parents. And they still had given him things, regardless of motivation. So maybe he did owe them. And they were part of Cabletown so maybe he did owe Cabletown, as Cabletown owed him.


    Maybe he owed Rizzo too, one for putting him on a collision path with Brand and Tommen and two for dragging him out on a broken leg and giving him a janky prosthetic, but only on one leg. He had come to realise that this had changed his whole body posture by making his legs uneven in size and weight. His back had been sore recently because his uneven hips had sent his whole body out of whack.


    He had seen himself reflected when he went to bathe in Ash Baths. The chaos there had quickly made him forget, but he remembered now. His body that he had been so proud of was now even more lean and muscular - thanks to Rizzo¡¯s brutal training program - but his form was hunched and gnarled, a twisted abomination of what he could have been.


    So Rizzo had made him stronger, but also made him a mess. Maybe he owed Rizzo too. And even Brand and Tommen. But all those three were from Cabletown also. So if he owed anything then maybe he did owe Cabletown.


    ¡°Well?¡± Rizzo demanded.


    Harlow met his gaze with surety. ¡°Cabletown.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Cabletown! Cabletown! Cabletown!¡± Said Rizzo, smashing his guard staff against the walls as he said so. ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it boy. Now get ready, that ought to have brought some more of those Termiterrors over here.¡±


    ________


    Rizzo had been right, it did bring more Termiterrors. Lots of them. Harlow supposed the man had wanted to prove a point, and he did that. Harlow had needed Rizzo¡¯s help to survive the assault of five of the termite Databeasts attacking him. Of course, Rizzo had only joined in once Harlow was already overwhelmed and feeling the vice-crush of clacking jaws around him.


    Still, once he¡¯d got back to safety and made a momentary recovery, it had felt good to push back the expeditionary force of five Termiterrors with Rizzo and to corner them and defeat them. Fighting side by side with someone was something Harlow thought he could get used to, though he still hadn¡¯t made his mind up on whether he trusted the captain of the guard. A Databeast of his own would have been great to fight beside, he thought.


    He cursed when he thought of how he¡¯d had to give Rizzo that egg. But he decided he¡¯d have a better Databeast than Watchdog anyway. In fact he was glad that he hadn¡¯t got that specific Databeast egg. Although that being said, it¡¯d have been a different Databeast if he¡¯d been the one to tame it. So it was sort of a moot point.


    The point was that he wanted valuable companions that he could trust to have his back, and that he actually liked spending time around. Not for the first time he¡¯d wondered exactly when they¡¯d be going back home. Not because of the hard ground to sleep on or the battling or the endless walking, but merely because he wasn¡¯t sure just how much longer he could stand the always irate captain of the guard.


    They¡¯d stopped now and set up a temporary camp behind a giant bismuth crystal that jutted out the side of the wall and just concealed a little indent that they could set up as a semi-hidden shelter from the denizens of the tunnels. Shortly after their encounter with the five Termiterrors they¡¯d seen - first felt - a Vanquisher stage databeast making its way through the passageways beneath the ground. They had hid up the tunnel the Termiterrors had come from and waited for the lumbering thing to pass.


    It was an enormous mammalian creature of some kind, though instead of hair it just had grey-leathery skin. Its back legs were much larger than its front and it walked bipedally and comfortably in a hunched over manner, though it stopped once to put its front paws on the ground whilst sniffing around.


    That was when Harlow saw its face. It had a freakish appearance that could have been cuter on a smaller creature. It was almost mouselike but elongated. Harlow thought it looked like a shrew had been stretched over a hornless rhinoceros and then lost the hair. Most startling of all were the two pointy incisor tusks that stretched out of its upper jaw towards the front of itself, giving Harlow no doubt that he didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of a charge by the creature.


    After it had gone and they could relax, Rizzo had told him that it was a Hy-Rex and one of the scarier Vanquisher level Databeasts. So knowing that that was wandering around, they¡¯d decided to take extra caution in setting up their camp and making it difficult to spot, if one didn¡¯t already know where to look.


    But that made the camp no more comfortable and after a while of cramped sitting he proclaimed that he wanted to go for a short walk as his leg was aching after being kept in a poor position for a long time. It was half true after all, all the best lies were.


    Rizzo just gave a noncommittal grunt in response, so Harlow wandered slowly to get himself some alone time and enjoy the majesty of the underground tunnels they found themselves in. Despite the pain and discomfort, the vast caverns really were amazing, covered in fluorescent algae and all wonders of beautiful metal. It made being here that much nicer. It almost distracted from the constant and endless stream of pain that flowed upwards from his knee.


    He limped forward on his bad leg and thought of his argument with Captain Rizzo earlier. ¡°Who do I owe this broken and mangled leg to?¡± Harlow muttered under his breath. ¡°Cabletown.¡±

 EE13 - Attuning

    A red hot glow blinded Brand as energy flowed into him. He felt as if he was meditating, as he could feel the energy flowing around his body. It began in his chest and flowed up to his head. He could feel his head then and there was a soft sensation akin to burning. It was strange that such a feeling should ever be soft or nice but it certainly was. He was suddenly aware of everything above his neck. His tongue sat in his mouth and he felt all of it, and then he was conscious of his ears and that he could move them around if he felt so inclined. Then his eyes and he thought about how there was nowhere he could move his eyes to relax them. Then his cheeks, then lips, then chin before it flowed down his neck and into his left arm.


    His fingers were alive with sensation. It felt as if someone was stroking his palm and then tracing them down to his fingers and then back up to his shoulder and down his left leg. Brand flexed his foot, feeling it all before the sensation moved to his right leg and his right foot. It travelled back up to his right arm and down that. He opened his hand and closed it and it felt like he was holding an illusory ball of soft flame. The feeling travelled back into his chest and his whole body was alight with power.


    And then it was over. But Brand could still feel the latent remnants of that intensity around his whole body. He was still overly aware of all the sensations running through his limbs. Strength. Intensity. Energy. Fire.


    Brand felt like seizing the world. Finding the Databeast egg after the win against the Anugent and Flungeon, the fight with the guard captain, and seeing Shingle City in all its majesty had been one wake up call after another. He wanted excitement and power, and he was in just the place to get it. Attuning his element stone had simply been the first glorious step.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Asked Professor Dalton.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt better.¡± Said Brand, honestly.


    ¡°Good. Interesting! I find people react in really quite different ways, it¡¯s always fascinating. I myself almost fell into a trance like state after my first attunement¡­¡± Dalton told him.


    ¡°Oh wow. Does it differ by element stone type and grade, do you think?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Hah! Now you¡¯re thinking like a scientist. If I had the funding I¡¯d recruit you, we always need someone good in the field. Element stone seems to show some level of difference, but actually we find those differences disappear when we control for personality type. You see, certain personality types are more likely to choose certain types of element stones. It¡¯s a fun area of research. No, best we can tell the element stones are simply activating a certain part of the brain. Perhaps the subconscious? Or some level of pure instinct? Not much funding for that either though, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Said the professor.


    ¡°Really? I would¡¯ve thought that studying element stones would be fairly essential.¡± Brand wondered.


    ¡°Certain aspects, yes. The creation and accumulation of element in element stones, now that gets a lot of funding. The psychology for how and why they affect us how they do, not so much. Though I¡¯ve often wondered if there¡¯s some secret key in that that would unlock a door we don¡¯t know that we should be looking for. But that¡¯s just speculation. Shall I give you a full body scan, or would you prefer to keep that private?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the scan, since I¡¯m here.¡± Brand said. The professor pressed a button and there was a whirring above as crosshatched green lasers shot down onto him, spinning once. With the machine sufficiently satisfied the lasers disappeared.


    ¡°Well! Fairly nice stats, I¡¯d say.¡± Said Dalton. Brand looked himself.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Brand


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Element Stone


    </td>


    <td>


    Medium-Grade Fire


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Attributes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Defense


    </td>


    <td>


    8


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Spirit


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Wisdom


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    9


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tolerances


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Cosmic


    </td>


    <td>


    30


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Fire


    </td>


    <td>


    55


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Earth


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Water


    </td>


    <td>


    1


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Wind


    </td>


    <td>


    1


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Electric


    </td>


    <td>


    2


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


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    ¡°And your fire tolerance is even higher than expected! That¡¯s a damn fine stone. Hold on, 30 cosmic tolerance! That¡¯s on the border between poor and low! Where on Excoria did you get it?¡± Professor Dalton asked, amazed.


    Brand had no idea and he cringed a little as the secrets he didn¡¯t know he had were exposed to others. If he had known about it he would have felt a little more in control of the situation. Now he was lost.


    Most element stones accumulated only resistance to their element, as they were found in places full of it. Usually a little earth element would accumulate in a fire stone as they were usually mined in volcanoes, but Brand couldn¡¯t imagine anywhere that had enough fire and cosmic element to imbue the stone with this much energy. The secret behind the origin of Kelvin¡¯s element stones only grew.


    ¡°Quite alright if you don¡¯t want to say. I was merely surprised.¡± Dalton said.


    Brand merely smiled with an air of non-committal confusion and shrugged. He didn¡¯t think it was worth revealing how little he knew, especially as he was beginning to suspect that these stones were far more valuable than he¡¯d initially thought, and Kelvin¡¯s parents death must have been inextricably linked to them somehow. The less information that got out the better.


    To that end he wondered where Kelvin and Ember had had their stones attuned. Surely not here, else the professor would have recognised his stone and theirs and remarked upon such shocking similarity. The man had been surprised to see a medium-grade fire element stone with significant cosmic energy, as he rightly should be, but three in as many years would have certainly been memorable enough for him to link the two incidents.


    The thing that was so surprising about the stone was that most element absorbed by the stone would be converted into fire, and some elemental energy would be lost during that process. But there would be residual amounts of the non-transformed elemental energy that the stone would absorb straight. That was why the stone had a few points in the earth tolerance, as it would have absorbed it from the environment and from the earth Databeasts Brand had defeated.


    For a fire stone to absorb that much cosmic element meant that it must have had enormous amounts of cosmic element poured into it. Who would be that wasteful? Cosmic tended to be much more rare than fire, after all. Anyone who could put it in such a high cosmic environment could have simply put it in an even better fire one.


    Or was it simply a rare stone, stolen away from the fire/cosmic area from which it had formed in? Brand had never heard of such a place, but that didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t exist.


    Either way the stone was immensely valuable. And now that he had it attuned nobody would be able to take it from him.


    ¡°Just scanning your vitals¡­ hormonally you look good. Body fat 15%, muscle mass around 50%. I¡¯d say you should eat a fair bit while you¡¯re here and pack on some weight, it¡¯ll give you a bit more to burn through when you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m gonna eat as much good food as I can before I¡¯m on rations again.¡±


    ¡°Hah, then you¡¯ll want to check out Argyles. Has the best barbecue this side of Excoria. Ravena knows where it is.¡±


    ¡°Sounds amazing.¡± Brand said, and he meant it. He could already feel his mouth watering at the thought, but held back.


    ¡°Hunger spiked! I can see it on the chart.¡± Dalton laughed. Brand laughed too.


    ¡°Moving on. Stress levels high - but I hear you¡¯ve had a stressful few days - hormones seem good, muscle damage is very high in your shoulders and forearms! What on Excoria did you do to them?¡± The professor exclaimed. That was something Brand had almost forgotten about, the constant ache going numb to him now.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± He said sheepishly. ¡°I sorta got distracted training, got really lost in it. By the time I refocussed I¡¯d been training for hours and hours with my sword and shield.¡±


    ¡°Well! That¡¯d certainly do it. Though I wouldn¡¯t recommend training like that again for a while. One of my colleagues might be interested in that actually¡­ But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve more important things to do. Want to get right back out on excursion, I hear?¡± Dalton said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As a matter of fact I was wondering if I could ask you something.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The professor replied, still looking over his vitals.


    ¡°Well my friends, Kelvin and Ember¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for them. I assume you don¡¯t remember anyone like that? They would have been here around half a year ago?¡± The professor shook his head so Brand continued. ¡°Well it seems like they were looking into the abandoned laboratory town near Quartz Creek on behalf of some people in Shingle City.¡±


    ¡°Ahh I see. It should be easy to track some people down that knew them then. There¡¯s a couple of dedicated groups that would pay for that. One such is in our very own university. Perhaps I should take you to them after this?¡± Said Dalton.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t take up too much of your time. You¡¯re already doing this for us after all, besides everything else.¡± Brand said, wanting to be polite. He rather liked the professor and thought the man might have more important things to do than do Brand favours all day.


    ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve got a free schedule for at least a little while. Besides, I like doing this sort of lab stuff. Make sure to come back here when you get a Databeast, eh?¡± The professor winked. ¡°On the subject, I quite like discussing the origin of the old lab town actually. It I used to be quite taken with it back in the day, before realising there were other things I ought to be looking at.¡±


    ¡°What do you think the origin of the ruins is then, professor?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Please, Theo is fine. My own ideas on the subject were somewhat unorthodox to tell you the truth. And I haven¡¯t been keeping up closely with the research that has been happening, so I couldn¡¯t tell you if they¡¯ve been further discredited in the time since then. Alright, looks like you¡¯re all up to scratch! Just try and rest your arms and shoulders for a while. There¡¯s a few good spa and massage services tailored towards adventurers actually, they¡¯re a bit expensive and I wouldn¡¯t usually recommend them but honestly your muscles could use the care.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Said Brand. He shrugged a little to feel his shoulders bounce. They really were pretty brutalised.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll just see to your friends and then I¡¯ll get you to the experts. We¡¯ll see if they know the people you¡¯re talking about. By the way, that old lab town tends to be called QBEA.¡± Said Dalton as he led Brand out the room.


    ¡°Kubea?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°Right. Means Q-B-E-A, but it¡¯s said like kubea. It¡¯s used for ease of communication. There¡¯s a few theories as to what it stands for, but it¡¯s written in a few places around the lab town. We think that¡¯s what it was called.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Brand said, nodding along.


    He met with Tommen, Rosie and Ravena and they met him with cheers and congratulations. In all the discussion Brand had almost forgotten - attuning your first element stone was a huge thing! He smiled and thanked them, feeling the power thrumming through him that had almost become second nature. He was a different man to when he¡¯d walked in that room.


    Tommen went with Dalton next and Brand chatted to the two girls. He was really growing to like them, despite knowing them for a shorter time than Tommen. They¡¯d asked him how he was feeling, to which he could only answer that he was great. He mentioned the barbecue place, Argyles, to Ravena and she agreed that they should go there to celebrate.


    When Tommen came out he was beaming, pleased as anything. Brand was very happy for his friend - he knew that this was the first step on a long journey for Tommen.


    Then Rosie came and went, and the reality that she¡¯d really left home and gone on excursion seemed to sink in. She hugged Brand and Tommen and almost seemed close to tears.


    Eventually they¡¯d all settled and Professor Dalton went over his conversation with Brand and reiterated that he¡¯d take them to see one of the ruins experts that he knew.


    ¡°This man is the head of the X Investigation Society. He¡¯s a good man, passionate. A lot of things to say, so don¡¯t let him distract you too much. And try not to let him get into an argument with you. He¡¯ll be bringing up counterpoints years later.¡± Chuckled Dalton, clearly reminiscing, as he led them through the storied walls.


    ¡°Professor - Theo - you never actually told me what you¡¯d believed about the ruins.¡± Said Brand. ¡°Just that it was unorthodox.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡± Chimed in Ravena.


    Brand couldn¡¯t wait to hear it now. Tommen and Rosie looked equally interested.


    Professor Dalton laughed once more. ¡°Oh yes, right. Well I used to think - and this is just speculation mind you - that the lab there wasn¡¯t native to this world, it wasn¡¯t created here. That it came through with us when we entered Excoria."

 EE14 - Thaddeus

    Professor Dalton didn¡¯t take long to reach the office of his contemporary - another professor in the college, one Eileen Grey. Dalton had explained that Eileen was the head of the QBEA Research Committee. They had interrupted her while she was marking papers, but had told her they could wait. She insisted that they didn¡¯t and ushered them inside to see what all the fuss was about.


    So they piled into the office, with Brand and Tommen electing to stand, whilst Dalton, Rosie and Ravena all found chairs. Dalton had initially told Brand that he should take the seat on account of his damaged shoulders and back, but Brand explained that he was quite alright standing and that sitting on a chair and positioning his arms on the rest actually felt worse than standing. It was only a half-truth as both bothered his shoulders similar amounts, but he was very comfortable standing for long periods of time regardless.


    Also, Brand was starting to realise that he wasn''t particularly fond of sitting down. He wanted to move!


    But even more than that, he wanted to know the locations of Kelvin and Ember. So he waited while Dalton exchanged pleasantries with Grey, introduced the group and went about telling Eileen the reason for their visit.


    ¡°Kelvin and Ember you say?¡± Mused Eileen. ¡°As a matter of fact I do remember them, though they never did any work for me.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Brand asked in a startled outburst. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°A little over a year and a half ago. I vaguely remember someone bringing them up in a committee meeting before that though. They had been trying to do their own research into the ruins, and of course we academics are more than happy to talk to whoever is genuinely interested in our work. Frankly, it¡¯s such a relief to finally find people whose eyes don¡¯t just glaze over when you start talking about - well anyway, they had been looking into QBEA themselves and discussing it with some committee members. Eventually they ended up approaching those committee members and asking to do research excursions for them. That''s the main reason I remember them, we had a talk about whether or not to do that. Unfortunately we didn''t have the funding, which is when Thaddeus swooped in.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Said Dalton, exasperated.


    ¡°Indeed Theo. So I know they did some work for him, but I haven''t heard of them since.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, who''s Thaddeus?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°He''s a former member of the committee. He was kicked out because we disliked his practices. While dedicated and intelligent, he''s a looter, willing to damage and destroy the site to get more funding, and more than willing to use unsavoury means to find out what he wants.¡± Eileen explained.


    ¡°He''s bad news.¡± Said Dalton. ¡°He has connections with certain gangsters in Ash Baths and he''s been helping them expand into Shingle City. Because of this he''s been able to hire adventurers at a rate that we can''t. And not just for research on QBEA, he''s practically setting up a rival college. It''s getting to the point where we have to do something about him or be swallowed up in the vortex he''s creating.¡±


    ¡°Right. It''s gotten to the point where I''ve begun Databeast training again. Just in case.¡± Said Professor Grey.


    Dalton looked a little surprised at that. ¡°I didn''t realise you''d begun training again.¡±


    ¡°But you think that this Thaddeus might know where Kelvin and Ember are?¡± Brand interrupted.


    Dalton turned to face him. ¡°He''s probably your best bet. But if you''re serious then you really must be careful dealing with him.¡±


    ¡°I have to agree.¡± Said Eileen. ¡°He''s a dangerous man, and if he has something that you want he''ll leverage it against you.¡±


    ¡°I see. But at the end of the day he does have something that I want, so I don''t have much of a choice. I''ll try and find out what anyone else might know, but if Thaddeus ends up being my only option then that''s what it is.¡± Brand pondered aloud.


    The two academics looked at each other. It was Professor Grey that responded. ¡°Okay. I''ll tell you where you can find him. But if something bad happens you can come straight to us and we''ll do what we can to protect you.¡±


    ¡°We''d also be glad to know what he knows. Since our information is mostly public and his isn''t, then we''re at a disadvantage. His operations currently exceed ours and we need to know what he''s up to to ensure that he''s not damaging QBEA in some way. We couldn''t pay much in BITs, but we could offer other things like training, support in getting Databeasts and research on your Databeasts once you have them.¡± Professor Dalton told him.


    Brand could read between the lines. Dalton wanted him to play double agent. He was willing, but unsure if he wanted to cross this man he''d never met, especially when Thaddeus was the only lead he currently had. Did he really want to get himself involved with this brewing conflict, when he had bigger fish to fry?


    ¡°I understand. Let me talk to Thaddeus first and see how it goes. But if anything comes up, I''ll let you know.¡± Said Brand. He meant it. He didn''t really want to get involved, but Ravena had agreed to go on excursion with him and protect him from the Cabletown guards. Furthermore, Dalton had been nothing but kind to him so far, and helped him attune his element stone. Brand figured he owed them some level of loyalty. Dalton nodded.


    They then talked some more as a group, Tommen and Rosie recounting their short adventures while Brand stepped out of the spotlight, and then talking about the ruins Ravena had been looking into and its relevance to QBEA.


    After talking for a while, the gang of Tommen, Rosie, Ravena and Brand excused themselves to go and find accommodation. Eileen and Dalton had told them where Thaddeus¡¯ usual haunt was, Club Argent, so Brand wanted to go and find him.


    They''d all agreed it was probably for the best to wait and mull it over when they were more settled in, but Brand didn''t want to wait. He knew he was being stubborn and taking the emotional, not logical, position but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Listen, you''re right. But I can''t wait. I can''t just sit around when there''s a chance he''ll know where they are, and I could spend tonight mulling over how to get there. You guys can stay here when I go.¡± Brand told them as they sat in the lobby of the hotel they''d booked. It was a cosy place known as The Wayfarer. Tommen and Brand were on a sofa, the two girls facing them on comfy chairs. A round table was in between them and it hosted four creamy hot chocolates. Brand took a sip of his after speaking.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Tommen told him. ¡°We can¡¯t just send you there into the lion''s den all alone.¡±


    ¡°It might be easier getting him to talk if it¡¯s just me.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°And it might be easier trying to save your life if there¡¯s all of us there.¡± Rosie countered.


    Brand didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°He¡¯s not an absolute psycho, right?¡± He asked Ravena.


    She shrugged. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d do anything to you for just talking to him. The problem is once he digs his claws in.¡±


    ¡°Should be okay then.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°We agreed to help you find Kelvin and Ember.¡± Said Rosie.


    ¡°You can, you will. You¡¯re welcome to come with me. But I know you want some rest, and I want you to get some. If you really insist on coming too, I won¡¯t stop you. But I don¡¯t think you should feel obligated to. I¡¯m just doing this so I can get some rest tonight.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°You really feel like you have to go now?¡± Tommen asked. Brand nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯m coming with you. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going anywhere without bringing backup.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Rosie told him.


    ¡°It might be smart for me to hang back. If he recognises me it could reignite bad blood.¡± Said Ravena. The other three nodded. That was okay, it was what they had expected. They had the bonds of oath and battle between each other, but they had no such with her. Truthfully, Brand would have felt weird bringing her along. He knew she would help them out if they asked, but he didn¡¯t want a live-in babysitter. And really, she had only agreed to help them out with the Cabletown guards.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find Thaddeus in Club Argent. It¡¯s only a 20 minute walk from here.¡± Ravena told them before giving them more in-depth directions. She had decided to head to a gym. They were places where a tamer could book a private room for all manner of training for themselves and their Databeast. The most common was simulating holographic enemies for the Databeast and tamer to fight, and Ravena had been wanting to try them out for years. But they decided to meet back at the hotel later and then head to Argyles for some good food.


    So they split up and Brand, Tommen and Rosie headed deeper into town, heading towards the mysterious Club Argent. They had been warned that Thaddeus might not even be there, or that they might not be able to see him, so it may be a wasted trip.


    Brand didn¡¯t think it would be wasted even if they didn¡¯t find him though. The town was an interesting enough sight and somehow it was even more special when it was just him, Tommen and Rosie. They were all experiencing this for the first time together. Bright, neon lights lit up the town and Databeasts abounded. The lights were almost enough to distract from all the closed down areas interspersed between shops.


    A thuggish looking bald man with a wolf Databeast sitting at his heels hung outside a packed venue that caught Brand¡¯s eye. It was the largest building on the street and by far the busiest. Two holograms were projected above the building, each with a tamer and a Databeast beside them, facing off.


    One of them could only be described as a hunched over, bipedal mouse-monster that had taken on the aspect of a dinosaur. Two brilliant tusks jutted out. The writing beneath that said ¡°Jessie¡¯s Hy-Rex¡±.


    On the other side, facing it down was an enormous looking plant with a huge mouth full of teeth and vines flailing everywhere. The writing beneath that one said ¡°Tristan¡¯s Triffedera¡±.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to work out that these were two vanquisher-stage Databeasts. Brand had heard about this place before. It was - as the enormous lettering on the front also helpfully informed him - The Excel Arena. It was a place where tamers could put their Databeasts to the test, receiving BITs, items and element stones as compensation for winning.


    They got some from defeating another tamer anyway, of course. Even when they were attached to tamers, defeating a Databeast would still lead to a loss of BIT, element and EXP to the winning tamer. So losing a Databeast fight could still set you back. Of course, losers in The Excel Arena would still get paid to show up if they had a bit of a name to them.


    Brand had always thought he might compete one day.


    The trio passed by shops, restaurants, hobby houses, and lively bars on their way to Club Argent. The atmosphere was nice. High energy, but not overly dangerous. In a place like Shingle City that had accumulated most of the young people in the area out on excursion, it would be risky to attack anyone if you didn¡¯t already have a good grasp on how strong they were. So the trio didn¡¯t feel particularly unsafe, despite being surrounded by people more dangerous than them.


    They made it to their destination sooner than expected. Club Argent was large and loud, with a long line out the front door. Brand balked at the thought of waiting around there for ages. Besides, they weren¡¯t exactly dressed for the club compared to all the flashy outfits on display in the line.


    There was another section, clearly for VIPs. Brand looked at the other two, shrugged, and made his way over there. Two bouncers stopped them in their tracks as they approached the door. One of them was tall, the other was short, but they were both about the same width despite that.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t coming in dressed like that.¡± Laughed the short one.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Thaddeus.¡± Said Brand, unbothered.


    ¡°Is that right? Haven¡¯t seen you around before.¡± Sniffed the tall one.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t been around much before.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°We¡¯re here about QBEA.¡± Said Brand, hoping that¡¯d get them in. It did. The short one laughed and the tall one rolled his eyes, but chaperoned him into the building and down a side door. The intense poppy-punk music blared for the few seconds they were in the club but once they¡¯d got down the side door it almost completely disappeared. Brand wasn¡¯t necessarily a fan of entering soundproofed hallways, but it was what it was.


    They passed through the hallway up some stairs. Unlike the over the top exterior of the club, this area was anything but. It was worn down industrial, with white paint flaking as they walked past. Concrete stairs were accompanied by a bannister of stainless steel. They ended up down another hallway on the second floor. It was fairly wide and there was only one room at the end. A man sat out in front with a chair and a desk, filling out some paperwork. He looked up as they approached.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Asked the scholarly grunt. ¡°You don¡¯t have an appointment.¡±


    ¡°These lot claim they have information about QBEA.¡± Said the tall bouncer.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Said the grunt, looking at the trio with interest evident in his face.


    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t say that. I said we¡¯re here about QBEA.¡± Brand replied, a little more sheepishly than he liked. He really wasn¡¯t used to misleading people, though it¡¯s something he¡¯d been doing a lot lately.


    ¡°What?¡± Said the tall guard, annoyed. He turned his body to face them, looking intimidating.


    ¡°Well what about QBEA then?¡± The scholarly grunt asked impatiently. ¡°You¡¯ve got three seconds before I throw you out.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not so much about QBEA-¡± started Brand.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Exclaimed the tall bouncer, walking towards them. The grunt stood up from his desk, ready to move to action.


    ¡°It¡¯s about my friends Kelvin and Ember!¡± Said Brand loudly, squaring up as the big guard approached.


    ¡°Get them out of here!¡± Yelled the grunt. The bouncer lunged to grab Brand, and Brand grabbed him too. He wasn¡¯t prepared for the strength of the man though, who shoved him into the wall. Tommen jumped on the man¡¯s back and Rosie sent a hard kick with steel toe-capped boots into the bouncer''s shin. The grunt was moving now, but was interrupted by a door opening behind him.


    A man strode out from inside the room. His hair was mid length and pulled back. He was a fairly large man, but lean and had a scholarly look about his face and a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Brand didn¡¯t doubt for a second that this was Thaddeus.


    ¡°Kelvin and Ember, you say?¡±

 EE15 - Growing Anger

    Harlow was back on power leveling duty for the little pup, Watchdog. To his dismay he was performing admirably and the Databeast was gaining levels every few days it seemed. He wasn¡¯t surprised then, when another Termiterror fell before his staff and brute force, and the little dog froze like it had been hit by something unseen. It began to gleam with a shining brilliant light, which Harlow had seen before only when the Databeast egg had been infused with an element stone.


    Watchdog was evolving.


    Despite his resentment towards the little beast, Harlow was fascinated. The light was so bright it felt like he should be being blinded, but he wasn¡¯t at all. It was as if the light was contained inside the little Databeast. And that light was growing upwards as its form changed into something larger.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Said Captain Rizzo, a satisfied look on his face. Harlow couldn¡¯t help but agree. The evolution had felt like a long time coming after the near constant warfare they¡¯d been engaged in. Harlow had almost levelled up twice.


    They¡¯d been skirting round the Termiterror colony, battling for days, and even heading deeper and deeper into the underground. The two guards were starting to think that the Termiterror colony had simply taken advantage of an already existing structure. They¡¯d seen wondrous sights down there, more of the massive bismuth crystals that had so entranced Harlow, as well as enormous lengths of copper running underground. Rizzo had resolved to tell Cabletown - copper was one of their main trading commodities, so it¡¯d be terrible news if someone else stumbled upon this vein and set up a mining colony here.


    Not that either of the guards really expected that to happen. Cabletown¡¯s population was dwindling, and the same seemed true of every other small town around them. There wasn¡¯t a massive demand for new copper, and there wasn¡¯t much in the way of new populations to expand into the area.


    At best some Cabletown official would take a note of the place and if they ever saw a new population centre moving in - or somehow Cabletown ever ran out of copper itself - then they could take the necessary steps to preserve their way of life. No, Cabletown was likely to be far more excited with the show going on before Rizzo and Harlow¡¯s eyes right now.


    A juvenile stage Databeast being added to Cabletown¡¯s roster was no everyday occurrence.


    Watchdog was transforming, his limbs elongating and pushing him upwards until he was bipedal and standing around the same height as Harlow. The light faded and revealed an extremely skinny figure of glinting metal bones and red eyes glaring out from under a hooded metal brow. A long snout stretched down from under it that brow, revealing a mouth of malicious fangs. Its forepaws hung low and loose, as if slightly too long for its body.


    A bipedal metal canine stared at Rizzo and Harlow. It eyed Harlow up before turning to Rizzo. Harlow was unsure how he felt about the little pup changing so quickly. Before it was a bother and an annoyance. Now - a threat? But Harlow didn¡¯t feel intimidated, he reckoned he could batter it. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be able to take on a Termiterror on its own.


    ¡°Incredible.¡± Breathed Rizzo.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Harlow.


    ¡°An Anugent.¡± Rizzo told him. ¡°Rare, but powerful. And its Techs¡­ Oh this is good news for Cabletown indeed.¡± Smiled the Captain. Harlow had never heard of an Anugent, but by now he knew that Rizzo wasn¡¯t easily impressed.


    ¡°What Techs?¡± Asked Harlow. He knew that Rizzo had an earth element stone. The Databeast was silver. Perhaps it could manipulate metal in some way?


    Rizzo didn¡¯t answer for a second, as if weighing something up. He was staring off into the distance. Perhaps checking his new stats, and that of the Databeast? Watchdog turned its head 90 degrees to look at him, which Harlow found a little unnerving.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what it gets later. You never know how these things turn out. First, Watchdog has got to learn to fight without them. It¡¯ll take some time until he¡¯s used to his new body. He¡¯ll need a training partner. Stand ready.¡± Said the captain, expectantly.


    ¡°You must be joking.¡± Said Harlow. He¡¯d just finished defeating some Termiterrors so that the Captain¡¯s Databeast could evolve - which should have been his Databeast, anyway - and he was exhausted. Watchdog however had just been jumping in on all of Harlow¡¯s hard work and leeching off the EXP. The dog had been fresh as a daisy, even before he¡¯d evolved.


    Originally Harlow had thought that the captain was just pushing him this hard as a form of intense, old school training.  Now he was really starting to think it was all some sort of long-form elaborate punishment. And even if it had been training, Harlow quietly stung that he knew Rizzo would have only put that effort into training him so that he could make himself useful to Cabletown. There was no strong bond between mentor and mentee there, only a pragmatic application of logic on behalf of a place that had never cared for Harlow. He was growing weary of the captain and his antics.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Ready now. Watchdog will be attacking regardless.¡± Said Rizzo. ¡°Watchdog, go!¡±


    Harlow growled and readied his staff just in time to block the long metal claw that had been aiming for his face. He batted the Databeast¡¯s paw to the side but it had been readying up a bite. This one had some real force behind it, but he caught the Anugent¡¯s mouth with his horizontal staff and turned the Databeast away again. This time it went with it, dipping to the side of him.


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    He turned and swung after it, but it was ready. It had already begun moving the opposite direction as soon as he had started swinging. As such it managed to duck way under his overhand swing and get behind him by moving the other way than the one he was going. The Databeast had known what he was going to do!


    Worse, Harlow realised. Watchdog had naturally been studying Harlow¡¯s fighting style the whole time they¡¯d been in combat together, pretty much since the Databeast had been created. It had been able to predict what he was going to do and how to use his biggest weakness - his lack of mobility - against him. Harlow had never felt so exploited, and cried out in pain as a paw hit him in the shoulder blade, drawing blood.


    He was no slouch though, and had already been shoving the end of the staff behind him, under his armpit. It hit the Anugent hard in the upper ribs with a satisfying thud, metal though they were. Harlow knew he¡¯d taken some HP points there. Still, that didn¡¯t stop a second paw slicing down his arm, drawing blood once more.


    Harlow was incensed as he turned and swept with the staff, knocking the feet out from underneath the Databeast. It landed hard on its back and tried to roll up but Harlow was on it and beating it with his staff now that it had lost its main advantage, its mobility. He started raining down heavy blow after heavy blow as the Databeast struggled to, and failed to, escape.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Called Rizzo. Harlow stopped and stumbled back a few steps before collapsing down, exhausted. Rizzo held up a disc and touched it to the Databeast, who was now looking fairly worse for wear. Harlow¡¯s ability to cause damage with the staff just kept getting better and better. The disc flashed green and disassembled, floating into the Databeast.


    Of course, that was a healing disc. Watchdog sat up, completely healed as Harlow stayed sitting there. Watchdog looked at him, then looked at Rizzo.


    ¡°Well done Watchdog, great fight.¡± Said Rizzo.


    Harlow looked down at his arm, bleeding. It wasn¡¯t too bad, but it wasn¡¯t particularly enjoyable either. It was barely a flesh wound. ¡°Got any of those for me?¡± He muttered, knowing that there wouldn¡¯t be.


    Rizzo looked at him, unimpressed. ¡°You should¡¯ve bought some potions in town if you wanted healing. Besides, that¡¯ll heal naturally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just like my leg.¡± Mumbled Harlow. His knee had been hurting him worse than ever. ¡°Besides, you still have my BITs.¡±


    Rizzo scowled and chucked him a pouch. It landed in the dust in front of Harlow. It had a bunch of drives on, containing most of the BITs Harlow had been collecting in the lead up to the fight with the two traitors. He grabbed the little bag.


    He and Rizzo looked at each other. Watchdog stared him out too. Harlow was growing tired of this. Just as Harlow was about to say something the sound of marching feet echoed up from the tunnel beside them. The telltale sound of Termiterrors.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡± Said Rizzo. ¡°Get up.¡±


    Harlow wearily stood.


    The Termiterrors were only in a small group of four, so Harlow and Watchdog faced them down comfortably. They had been taking on groups larger than this whilst Watchdog was still in the Instar stage.


    The fight was fairly standard, with Harlow acting as the frontline brute and fighting like a savage whilst Watchdog, now in his Anugent form, nipped with has teeth and sliced with his claws from the sidelines. Harlow knew the dog could do more - he¡¯d just done more to Harlow, after all - but he put it down to a learning phase, and that the silver werewolf would help him out more as he adjusted. That is, until Harlow got close to defeating one of the Termiterrors and Watchdog leaped in, tearing the Termiterror away from Harlow and to the side, while it got stuck in ripping and tearing with its fangs. As the Databeast was nearly done for, it disappeared quickly under the Anugent¡¯s assault.


    Harlow couldn¡¯t believe it! The dog was still stealing kills! And he was left to take on the two remaining Termiterrors. The audacity of this overgrown mutt astounded him.


    Each time he was about to finish one of the Termiterrors, Watchdog leaped into action, giving it its full force. Harlow was fuming as he faced down the last one. In his anger he made a mistake, and the Termiterror managed to get a brutal stomp off on his good leg, twisting his ankle and spraining it. He cracked it over the head with his staff and it disappeared. Watchdog had lunged for it, but Harlow had managed to kill it quicker, so the Anugent just went straight through it.


    His ankle didn¡¯t hurt that bad, but since he leaned on that leg a lot whilst walking and fighting, Harlow knew it would be a serious impediment to him.


    ¡°Nice work.¡± Said Rizzo.


    ¡°Nice work?¡± Spluttered Harlow. ¡°What on Excoria was that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asked Rizzo.


    ¡°Next time, tell Watchdog to get properly involved. Or you get involved.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°I thought he did well.¡± Said Rizzo.


    ¡°Of course you did.¡± Said Harlow. Rizzo was starting to look angry now.


    ¡°There are more Termiterrors coming. Stop whining. Watchdog, you did well. Do the same again.¡± Said Rizzo. It was true, Harlow could hear Termiterrors making their way over to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fighting half to the death so that your Databeast can clean up every kill I get.¡± Harlow told him.


    ¡°You get the EXP too, what are you worried about?¡± Scoffed Rizzo.


    ¡°Make him fight alongside me properly. You can heal him with one of your little discs. No disc is going to save me.¡± Harlow was steadfast.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Said Rizzo. ¡°Now do it.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Because I said so. Get ready to fight¡±


    The Termiterrors were almost on them now. There were six of them, a difficult task.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Growled Harlow.


    ¡°Well¡­ maybe it is time to do some training with you after all, Watchdog. Watchdog, make him fight.¡± Captain Rizzo smiled as he gave the order. Harlow¡¯s brow furrowed in suspicion and confusion as Watchdog¡¯s eyes flashed red, and suddenly it felt like his mind had been hit by an enormous wave. His eyes almost rolled back as he paused, putting up an intense resistance to the mental attack.


    But it was no use. He had been unprepared and the Databeast had a strong Tech. He could feel his thoughts being changed and manipulated in real time. He was fuming at Rizzo before, but now he was seething.


    And then, all of a sudden, that didn¡¯t seem to matter that much. He didn¡¯t really care that Rizzo had set his hated Databeast on Harlow to make him fight. He didn¡¯t care about the mocking red eyes behind him, but he was very much still angry. And he would take out that anger, no doubt - merely, he had a new focus. The Databeasts that were coming for him, trying to take his life. Those Termiterrors had made a mistake coming down this tunnel today. Harlow leapt towards them, ignoring the pain in both his legs.

 EE16 - Making Plans

    Thaddeus sat behind a large desk with various paper piles stacked atop it. There was a large velveted armchair behind that he reclined in comfortably.


    Brand, Tommen and Rosie were all sat on plastic chairs that reminded Brand of his time in school. The room was mostly threadbare and hard concrete like the corridor outside, but there were a few bookshelves on the walls overflowing with stacked tomes.


    Thaddeus looked at the trio expectantly for a long time. He had invited them in and insisted they sit. Around ten seconds passed as the two groups looked at each other before Thaddeus spoke up.


    ¡°Well? You wanted an audience with me, did you not?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to know what you know about Kelvin and Ember.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Is that so? And why should anything I know concern you?¡± Said Thaddeus, half amused.


    ¡°The goodness of your heart.¡± Said Tommen. Brand couldn¡¯t tell whether Tommen was mocking the man.


    ¡°Not much left I¡¯m afraid. All worn down. I¡¯m trying to hold on tightly to what remains, not simply give it out willy-nilly to every Tom, Dick and Harriet that starts a fight with my guys outside and then comes into my office with a list of demands. Which reminds me, introducing yourself is among the basics of courtesy.¡± Said Thaddeus.


    Brand suddenly felt a little rude. His heart rate was still fairly high from the beginning of the confrontation with the bouncer earlier, and the tension had followed him into this room. He relaxed a little, realising that Thaddeus - whatever else he may be - was just a man.


    ¡°I¡¯m Brand, this is Tommen and Rosie. Kelvin and Ember are old friends of mine. I thought you might know where they¡¯d be.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Thaddeus Frittchard. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. As for knowing where your friends are, I don¡¯t. Last time I saw them was¡­ Well that would be telling, wouldn¡¯t it? Why don¡¯t you help me figure out how you knew I knew them, and I¡¯ll see what I can remember.¡±


    ¡°Talked to the owner of a shop in Quartz Creek. He says Kelvin and Ember were looking at QBEA. I ask around here and find out you¡¯re the only game in town - the only one paying, anyway.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°Tried those sops at the academy already, did you? Hah! All that supposed prestige, but completely unwilling to do what it takes. The founders of that college certainly had the stones for it, let me tell you, else the institution never would have lasted half as long as it did.¡± Thaddeus laughed mirthfully as he said the sentence, but settled into a pensive sadness as he seemed to sink into thought. It lasted half a second before he continued. ¡°Well anyway. You¡¯re right, they did work for me for some time. Investigating QBEA indeed.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re not working for you anymore? Do you know where they went after?¡± Brand was getting a little agitated. He wanted to know if Thaddeus had done something to them. Normally he could control himself but Kelvin and Ember set off his emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. You seem like a good kid. I hired those two to go on a few expeditions to QBEA. The first few were short, making sure they could double check information for me, confirm some ideas of mine. Regular stuff, making sure they could do the work I wanted and survive. The two were interested in QBEA anyway, we had some interesting conversations actually. And then I sent them deeper into QBEA, giving them some coordinates and info few know about. Their first proper test, to bring me some actual research, to advance my work. And do you know what they did? They stiffed me. They took a look at what I asked them and then skipped town. Can you believe that? I¡¯d paid them upfront too. And to think I was actually worried when they didn¡¯t come back in time. I liked them, and adventurers who are genuinely interested in such things can be so hard to find.¡± Ranted Thaddeus.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have done that without good reason.¡± Brand told him.


    ¡°What good reason then?¡± Thaddeus laughed.


    Brand stayed silent, both of them knowing he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Well maybe you¡¯re going to find out, eh? How about you go to QBEA, bring me back what they were supposed to. That might jog my memory a little, help me remember where they went.¡± Said Thaddeus.


    ¡°If they didn¡¯t want you to see something, why would I?¡± Asked Brand.


    ¡°Because this time, I¡¯m not paying up front. You want to know where they are right? I can see it in your eyes. You¡¯ll do it.¡± Said Thaddeus. Brand stayed silent, so the man continued. ¡°Frankly, they owe me. And now you¡¯re going to deliver on what they failed to, if you want to know where I saw them last.¡±


    ¡°How do I even know you know where they are?¡± Asked Brand suspiciously.


    ¡°They owed me work for payment rendered. Do you know what happens to people when they cross us? My men chased them for a while. Almost got ''em once or twice too. If you want to know where they went after here, I¡¯m the only one in Shingle City that can help you out.¡± Thaddeus said amused.


    ¡°You better not have hurt them.¡± Snarled Brand, standing.


    ¡°Protective pup. If I¡¯m not mistaken they were both stronger than you are now when they fled from me, so I do admire your bravery.¡± The sitting man laughed.


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    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to QBEA yourself then? If you¡¯re so strong.¡± Asked Rosie.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people that don¡¯t like me in this town. In some others as well. I¡¯d hate to be caught out alone in the middle of a Databeast hotspot by people who would find it trivial to make it seem as if a Databeast had finished me off. The retinue I¡¯d have to bring wouldn¡¯t be worth it, would it? These are the basics, people. You really don¡¯t know what Shingle City is like, do you? A set of country bumpkins wander into my office. Are you going to QBEA or not? I¡¯ve been nice enough to answer all your questions, how about you show a little respect and answer one of mine?¡± Thaddeus demanded.


    Brand looked at Tommen, who nodded back at him, then at Rosie who did the same.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Hah. That¡¯s more like it. Let''s see if you can, first. None of you even have a Databeast yet, right?¡± Thaddeus asked. The trio didn¡¯t respond, playing silent. ¡°Thought so.¡± Said Thaddeus. ¡°But if you can¡¯t handle it, there''s no skin off my back. I¡¯d hate to see some promising youths bite off more than they can chew, but what can you do? Well, I want my information, so try not to die. I¡¯ll give you a couple of test runs first, before I decide you¡¯re ready for the big stuff.¡±


    __________


    Later That Day


    Brand, Tommen, Rosie and Ravena were sitting at Argyles, waiting for their meals and mulling over what they¡¯d gotten into.


    ¡°So you¡¯re actually doing this?¡± Ravena asked. ¡°I¡¯m not judging, I just want to know. It¡¯ll make things a lot easier for me knowing where I stand.¡±


    Rosie and Tommen looked at Brand. It was his choice here. They were going along with what he wanted and suddenly he felt unprepared with the mantle of leadership. He didn¡¯t know how he was going to play this.


    ¡°I think so¡­ I don¡¯t like Thaddeus. I don¡¯t like that he sent people after Kelvin and Ember, and I don¡¯t like that they obviously had some reason not to give him the info that he wants, and I especially don¡¯t like that I don¡¯t know why. It feels like a betrayal that I¡¯d be giving this guy something that they refused to. But I don¡¯t have much of a choice. If I want to find them he¡¯s by far my best lead.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°I think if you don¡¯t do this, somebody else eventually will.¡± Said Rosie. ¡°I think we just have to do it and hope Kelvin and Ember knew that Thaddeus would get what he wanted and aren¡¯t too cut up about it.¡±


    Ravena nodded. ¡°Rosie is right. If it¡¯s not you, it¡¯ll be someone else. Personally I¡¯m suspicious that he already has the information, or that he¡¯ll be sending you after something new. Or maybe he¡¯ll just work you to the bone in exchange for information that he doesn¡¯t have anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. As a matter of fact, I prefer that. It¡¯d feel less like a betrayal of them if I¡¯m getting different info for Thaddeus.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°My main worry is this.¡± Said Tommen, leaning in. ¡°What if Thaddeus tells you where Kelvin and Ember are, then gets some guy to tail you just in case you really do catch up to them. You heard him, they¡¯ve crossed him and he doesn¡¯t take kindly to that.¡±


    ¡°Very good point.¡± Said Ravena. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a moment where you let your guard down, or stop thinking about ways he could play you. I know I¡¯m biased, but he¡¯s bad news.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Frankly, I don''t mind spending a bit of time investigating QBEA. It¡¯s almost exciting.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that we¡¯re there yet though.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°We might be okay going there with Ravena around, but I imagine she can¡¯t protect us forever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d still be risky with just me. I tend to shoot from the back, and Clerk doesn¡¯t even have his Juvenile stage to evolve into yet. If one of you guys could run tank then it''d be different, but as you are now I worry that I wouldn''t be able to to weaken something enough for it to be able to seriously injure you.¡± Ravena explained.


    ¡°Well when we fight, Tommen and I tend to lock the Databeast down by crowding it with his staff and my shield.¡± Brand said.


    ¡°It''s not the worst idea if you were able to coordinate extremely well. Even then I think you''re a little under leveled. An encounter or two like with the Anugent or a Flungeon might level you up quickly enough to get to 7. That''d probably make it safe enough to go to QBEA.¡±


    ¡°Those were difficult fights!¡± Rosie exclaimed.


    ¡°There''s very few safe ones. But it would be different with me there. I can deal a lot of damage. The problem is finding Databeasts of that calibre outside of QBEA. Maybe we could skirt the outskirts and pick off a few things there.¡± Ravena said.


    ¡°If you''re willing then we''ll never turn an offer like that down.¡± Said Tommen.


    Ravena shrugged. ¡°Well I need to level with Clerk anyway, so it''d benefit me too to take on some weaker Databeasts. Having you guys to play frontline would help a lot with keeping him alive. Stock up on potions and it could be quite productive.¡±


    ¡°It''s decided then! We¡¯ll conquer QBEA!¡± Declared Rosie. The four cheered and raised their glasses to that.


    They made small talk and Ravena told them about Shingle City until their food arrived. Delicious slow cooked barbecue meats of all kinds. Brand''s mouth was watering. It was the best their BITs could get them - literally. Much of the food consumed in Excoria was made with BITs, the little units of data could be converted into most anything if you had the know-how, technology, and required materials. They chowed down and it was some of the best food Brand had ever tasted. He said as much to Ravena.


    ¡°Makes you glad you came, eh?¡± She replied. ¡°This is why I always come back to Shingle City.¡±


    ¡°It has definitely made the trip here worthwhile.¡± Said Tommen. ¡°Though attuning our element stones was pretty great too.¡±


    ¡°Attuning your element stones can be done anywhere though. You can only get this at Argyle¡¯s.¡± Ravena countered.


    ¡°Shingle City is an interesting place. I¡¯m glad we came, even if we could have attuned our element stones elsewhere.¡± Mused Rosie.


    ¡°Glad I could show it off a bit. Anything else you want to do while you''re still here?¡± Ravena asked.


    ¡°Well Professor Dalton mentioned a massage place.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°We can do that tomorrow, before we leave.¡± Said Ravena


    ¡°And I''ve always wanted to go to the Excel Arena.¡± Brand followed up.


    ¡°Ooh yes!¡± Rosie exclaimed.


    ¡°That would be cool.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°Well we should go then, tonight!¡± Chimed in Ravena excitedly ¡°I know a guy who can get us tickets. He told me if I ever get a Databeast to come fighting in the arena, and he was only half joking. He''ll be pleased when I show off Clerk!¡±


    The four paid up their meals and headed on towards the Excel Arena. Brand was excited to see the fight advertised earlier when he had passed the building, between Jessie¡¯s Hy-Rex and Tristan¡¯s Triffidera.

 EE17 - A Night On The Town

    They were outside of the Excel Arena in no time after finishing up at Argyles.


    ¡°Randall!¡± Called out Ravena to a shady looking man by the door. They had skipped the line, going straight to the bouncers on the VIP side. The second time this day, following their intrusion into Club Argent to see Thaddeus. Brand was worried he was going to start getting an ego with all this special treatment.


    ¡°Ravena, what a pleasure. I thought you¡¯d be long gone. Finally come around to my offer on fighting?¡± Asked the man as they approached. He had a short squashed face that was vaguely reminiscent of a lizard¡¯s. Big eyes. Brand mentally wondered if this man would blink much at all, before dismissing the thought.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Said Ravena, summoning Clerk in a lightshow. ¡°But maybe soon.¡±


    ¡°Well well well! This is welcome news. Come right in, I see you¡¯ve brought friends. I know what you want from me Ravena, there¡¯s space left if you promise you¡¯ll be fighting one day.¡±


    ¡°As always.¡± Laughed the girl.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be a star one day. Mark my words.¡± Said Randall to Brand, winking as he did so. Not quite a blink, Brand concluded.


    After a brief talk and introduction to Randall they got into their seats. The benches were mostly full but there were small gaps here and there and in no time at all they¡¯d found some space on the benches that could fit four. Brand was squeezed in between Tommen and Rosie, Before leaving Cabletown he¡¯d have been a little put off by being squashed between two people and feeling their legs and shoulders against his, but after even his short time on excursion he¡¯d become much more comfortable with less personal space and getting grubby. Days out in the wilderness and fighting for your life tended to make you care a little bit less about certain things and appreciate others more. And Brand was surprised to find he was actually quite excited to go to an event. He wanted entertainment before he got on the grind again. They looked down upon the stage. Two tamers stood on opposite raised platforms overlooking either side of an eight sided cage.


    They¡¯d missed many of the fights already, but since they¡¯d got some tickets for free, only watching four fights, including the main event, was already very generous. The announcer was already talking as they sat down.


    ¡°...Renault¡¯s Thunderkiwi! Tamers, are you ready?¡± Both nodded. Two Databeasts spawned within an eight sided cage with no roof. One was a Thunderkiwi, as Brand had heard. The other was a Stonisse, a Databeast Brand and Rosie had quickly dispatched the first time they went into Silverstar Mine. It was a sort of goblin covered in hard and heavy stones and it learnt Techs early. Brand expected this to be a good battle. ¡°Then fight!¡± The announcer called, and the two were off. The chain-link of the cage lit up bright blue and created a translucent barrier between the Databeasts and the crowd.


    The duo both started by using Techs, the Stonisse summoned three rocks which hovered in front of it and the Thunderkiwi¡¯s blue line on its back lit up brightly. The Thunderkiwi let out a burst of lightning directed out of its beak, but the Stonisse had already waved its hands and the stones had flattened out into a single flat piece of rock, which the lightning crashed into.


    It burst the impromptu shield completely apart but fizzled out before hitting the Stonisse, which had an impish grin on its rocky face and let out an apelike laugh.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Said Rosie. ¡°That was weirdly human!¡±


    Brand had to agree. He was very surprised to hear something so regular coming from a Databeast. He knew some were capable of higher emotions, but that it was certainly rare in the Juvenile stage. Were all Stonisse so intellectually advanced, or just this one? He wondered.


    The Stonisse dashed forward to engage with the belligerent bird, which pecked at him with brutal efficiency. The Stonisse swung back and managed to get some good clubbing strikes in with its heavy hands but the Thunderkiwi was clearly doing more damage. The line down its back glowed blue once again and it released a static explosion around its body that sent the Stonisse back flying. The Thunderkiwi chased up but the Stonisse had used a Tech of its own - the three rocks had appeared again, where the Thunderkiwi had been. The Stonisse sat up and pulled back with its hands sending the three rocks careening quickly into the back of the Thunderkiwi¡¯s head, dazing it. The rocky goblin quickly stood and grabbed the Thunderkiwi by the head and beak and began repeatedly kneeing it in the head.


    One, two, three, four, five as the back of the Thunderkiwi glowed a brighter and brighter blue. ¡°End this!¡± Came the call from the Stonisse¡¯s tamer. The Stonisse nodded - another display of intelligence to Brand¡¯s eyes - and then summoned only a single rock this time - a hefty one at that, and growing in size above the Thunderkiwi. It was struggling and fighting, but the Stonisse kept a strong grip on its head and beak.


    Then the Thunderkiwi planted its feet and released another static blast that broke the Stonisse¡¯s grip and launched it away from the Thunderkiwi. The boulder above it fell at the same time, striking hard on the flightless bird as the goblin smacked into the side of the cage. Both disappeared in a soft white light and returned to their tamers.


    ¡°A double knockout! A truly formidable showing there folks, absolutely stunning! Give it up for Renault¡¯s Thunderkiwi and Dustin¡¯s Stonisse!¡± Called the announcer.


    The crowd roared, Brand with them. An incredible showing. Tommen was on his feet and Rosie had grabbed Brand¡¯s arm at some point. The excitement had already gotten to them, that fight was pure action. If they were all going to be like this, Brand knew they absolutely had to come back.


    The second fight was underway in no time at all. The announcer concluded that the previous fight was a draw and that both fighters would receive their winnings, which got a huge round of applause from the crowd, and began announcing the next fight as two new tamers stepped up to the raised platforms.


    ¡°And for this next bout we have a real treat, two old timers, two legends of the Excel Arena stepping in to battle once more! You already know their names, but for the slow among you we have Steven and Emma!¡± The crowd went off again and Ravena joined in exuberantly. She turned to the other three.


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    ¡°I grew up watching these two!¡± She said excitedly. Brand thought that was the coolest thing he¡¯d ever heard.


    ¡°This is a Vanquisher level bout. Steven has brought his Magmangel to the fight! He means business! And Emma has risen to the challenge, bringing out her Arachcannonier! This is not one you want to miss!¡± Screamed the announcer.


    ¡°Keep an eye on that Arachcannonier.¡± Ravena told him quickly. ¡°You end up seeing a lot of them at QBEA. If you can learn a thing or two now that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°No chance of seeing a Magmangel then?¡± Tommen joked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a rare Vanquisher evolution reached by Steven¡¯s Flintimp. Go deep enough down Silverstar Mine and you might find one. But you¡¯d be lucky.¡± Ravena said.


    ¡°Woah.¡± Said Brand, as the two Databeasts came out and faced each other. The Magmangel was a hovering, angelic being made of stone. It looked more like a statue than anything else and stayed still as one. Its wings didn¡¯t move as it hovered, but had pulsing veins of red running through it all over, bleeding through cracks. Its eyes were the same bright colour of lava as the veins and they glowed against the blue of the cage. It was hard to believe that the Databeast could evolve from something like a Flintimp, given its regal majesty.


    On the other side the Arachcannonier was an enormous black and hairy tarantula, with the bright sheen of metal on its abdomen. Where it originally would have something to spin a web, there was a rotating cannon mounted off the back.


    The battle started quick, both tamers yelling out Techs to their Databeasts, who fired them off in rapid succession. Balls of fire and metal shot were traded constantly as the two Databeasts circled each other. The Magmangel hovered above where the Arachcannonier could reach with its legs, but its buckshot from its cannon certainly could. It had changed to that after failing to hit the flying Databeast with heavy balls of lead.


    Still, the Magmangel seemed to be winning as the fireballs it launched exploded and scorched the Arachcannonier badly even as the buckshot chipped away at it.


    Emma seemed to realise something had to change and she yelled out to her Arachcannonier to do so. He shot something new from his cannon - it looked like a web, but one made of hard steel. It had heavy metal balls at the corner of each part of the web and it completely wrapped around the Magmangel, bring it down. Steven shouted something out in response, having some tricks up his sleeve also.


    The Magmangel actually moved. Its wings flapped once and an enormous surge of tidal lava flooded from it, completely covering the Arachcannonier. In no time at all the competition was over as the Arachcannonier faded back into Emma.


    ¡°Incredible! A ranged battle from two of our longest running competitors! Give it up for Emma! And give it up for your winner, Steven!¡± Called the announcer and the duo got the applause they deserved.


    The third fight came quick as well, the announcer seemingly couldn¡¯t wait to tell the crowd.


    ¡°And now, two rising prospects we¡¯ve been keeping a very close eye on. A battle between Juveniles that promises to be nothing but thrilling! Neither of these youths have lost a single bout! But tonight, someone¡¯s 0 has got to go!¡±


    The announcer introduced Bellamy¡¯s Gravener, a bipedal lizard looking humanoid with floppy ears, sallow grey skin that bordered on the translucent, and large fists that seemed too large for its body. Sharp claws tipped each finger, but it lifted its hands closed like a boxer. It was one of the strangest Databeasts Brand had ever seen. It almost had childlike proportions, with big eyes and hands and it seemed to be grinning and relaxed, having a good time. On the opposite side was Lucy¡¯s Heatwolf, a fire based evolution of Ruffmutt. Ravena¡¯s Clerk wouldn¡¯t turn into that, but it could if it defeated enough fire-based things and absorbed their aether. A Ruffmutt born of a fire element stone would likely turn directly into a Heatwolf for its Juvenile stage though.


    The fight was over almost immediately. Brand could tell Lucy was very good, and her Heatwolf was dangerous. Bellamy¡¯s Gravener was something else though. He didn¡¯t even use any Techs that Brand saw, merely battering the Heatwolf with its fists. The Heatwolf was throwing out Techs like it was going out of fashion and fireballs exploded all over whilst a mane of fire adorned the Heatwolf¡¯s neck. But none of them seemed to hit the Gravener. If it did, perhaps it just ignored the pain.


    In no time at all the Heatwolf had returned to aether and into Lucy. Brand was stunned.


    ¡°That Bellamy works with Thaddeus sometimes.¡± Whispered Ravena with some venom.


    Brand took a mental note to watch out for him. The young man had black hair and blue eyes, like him. After a performance like that, he¡¯d be hard to forget anyway.


    The final fight was soon upon them and Brand was excited to see it. They took a break in between the last fight and this one, building the tension and letting everyone revitalise for it, but now the four were back in their seats and excited as anything. The stands were completely packed now.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event for the evening! In the blue corner! We have a Hy-Rex fighting under the Tamer Jessie holding a professional record of eight wins and one loss! He is TYRANT! the REIGNING, DEFENDING CHAMPIOOOON!¡± The crowd went wild at this statement, cheering and yelling. Brand, Rosie and Ravena joined in but Tommen was louder than them all, hooting his support and getting properly into it. ¡°And in the red corner we have his opponent, the challenger Triffidera fighting under the Tamer Tristan. Holding a professional record of six wins and zero losses! He is a MEAN, GREEN KILLING MACHINE and his name is STRANGLEEEEEER!¡±


    The crowd erupted after that with some making choking motions with their hands and yelling loudly in a weird sound as if they were being choked. Clearly the plant had some fans in the arena. Brand was getting excited, Rosie¡¯s eyes were bright and Tommen was practically salivating and hanging off the edge of his seat. Ravena had Clerk out in her arms and was telling him to pay attention, while the little Instar Databeast looked up at her confused.


    ¡°Jessie! Aaaaaare you ready?¡± The tamer nodded. ¡°Tristan! Aaaaaare you ready?¡± Tristan nodded. ¡°Theeen summon your Databeasts!¡± Two flashes of pure white light and Brand saw the two Vanquisher level Databeasts. Two entire stages above Clerk. Brand couldn¡¯t wait to see what Clerk¡¯s Vanquisher stages would look like. He couldn¡¯t wait to get a Databeast of his own and feel the power of the Vanquisher stage. For now he¡¯d have to settle for watching from a stage.


    Jessie¡¯s Hy-Rex, Tyrant, was enormous. It was like a T-Rex was wearing a rodent. Or a rodent had had all of its proportions changed to fit that of a T-Rex. It was covered in thick, brown fur and had enormous back legs, a long naked pink tail, short stubby grasping mouse-hands and its head had black eyes and a short, wide snout which produced long sharp incisors and tusks. It was a strange and yet terrifying sight.


    Brand couldn¡¯t imagine what he¡¯d do if he saw one whilst out on excursion.


    Tristan¡¯s Triffidera was an altogether different beast. It wasn¡¯t as large as the Hy-Rex, but Brand was still amazed by it. It was a tall, singular, thick stem with a huge mass of tangled white roots. The stem was topped with a gigantic mouth with sharp serrated brown spikes. It waved around a mixture of gripping and cutting vines - the gripping vines were covered in little stems with tiny vine leaves on the end and the cutting vines were covered in bramble-like spurs


    ¡°Aaaaaaand FIGHT!¡± Called the announcer.

 EE18 - The Rumble In The Shingle

    ¡°Aaaaaaand FIGHT!¡± Called the announcer, and just like that the two Vanquisher level Databeasts were off.


    ¡°Strangler, Growth.¡± Called Tristan. He was skinny with an unusually deep voice. He kept his hoodie up and his face obscured with a mask.


    ¡°Get him, Tyrant!¡± Yelled Jessie. Unlike his opponent Jessie seemed plain as plain could be, average height and wearing just a black t-shirt and jeans, showing off muscular arms and light brown hair and eyes. Despite that Brand noticed a certain unique hardness to his tone - there was an underlying ruthlessness in his call. The yell was somewhat wasted anyway, Brand thought, as the Hy-Rex had wasted no time in barrelling towards its opponent, even before Jessie had let the words fly.


    Strangler, the Triffidera Databeast, was clearly using some sort of Tech. It glowed green and began growing noticeably bigger. It was still dwarfed by the Hy-Rex but by the time the enormous Databeast had smashed into Strangler it had cut down the gap significantly.


    Strangler arrested Tyrant¡¯s momentum but a little as the Hy-Rex lifted the Triffidera up off his roots and smashed it into the fence.


    This obviously did some serious damage as its stem gave off a horrific splitting sound, but Tristan seemed unbothered. ¡°Tear him up, Strangler! Drain him!¡± The plant wrapped its vines around the Hy-Rex, penetrating into its thick fur and its roots reached to tangle around the Hy-Rex¡¯s legs. The Hy-Rex threw its head from side to side to dislodge the Triffidera but it didn¡¯t work. Then Strangler¡¯s vines glowed with the same green light as earlier and began flashing red as they drained HP from the Hy-Rex.


    Jessie called out in the same callous voice as earlier. ¡°Tyrant, Great Tusk! Now grind!¡± They Hy-Rex let out a high pitched screech that didn¡¯t seem to match the immensity of its body and its tusks started growing much longer and thicker through the stem of the Triffidera and Tyrant began wildly raging its head back and forth, sending fibrous lumps left and right as the stem of the gigantic plant Databeast was hollowed out.


    ¡°Stop the movement! Vice Maw!¡± Called Tristan and the Triffidera¡¯s enormous mouth clamped down on the back of the Hy-Rex¡¯s neck. It didn¡¯t pierce the skin but it did manage to stop Tyrant from being able to gore the plant Databeast any more while it continued to drain the Hy-Rex¡¯s health. The stem was currently healing around the tusks making movement even more difficult for the frustrated Hy-Rex. The Triffidera looked like it had the upper hand now.


    ¡°Tyrant, Stone Body!¡± Called Jessie and in a flash the Hy-Rex was covered in earth, both rocks and soft dirt creating a layer of its body that the Triffidera¡¯s vines weren¡¯t penetrating. Suddenly the draining stopped and the Hy-Rex retreated. The Triffidera tried to keep it there with its Vice Maw but it simply had a mouthful of dirt once the Hy-Rex had backed up. Brand had wondered why it hadn¡¯t just stayed on the Triffidera now that the grand and drain tactic didn¡¯t work on it, before realising that the tusks had shrunk back to the size they¡¯d been before it used the Great Tusk Tech and were also covered by a layer of dirt. Poor for stabbing. Jessie had other plans than stabbing though.


    ¡°Another charge Tyrant! Knock him about!¡± The man yelled. The Databeast knew what he wanted and it dashed at Strangler once more. This time, instead of penetrating it with its vicious tusks, it came from a different angle of attack and turned side on to stomp at the Triffidera with its giant legs. It kicked and stomped at the slow moving plant, battering it about whilst the plant tried to fight back by striking with its heavy whipping vines. They struggled to find purchase in the soil armour around the Hy-Rex, though they were slowly working their way through it. Brand could see it wouldn¡¯t be enough as the Hy-Rex turned and whipped the Triffidera in return with its rodent-like tail before turning to its other side and beginning the stomping and kicking anew.


    ¡°Strangler, climb him! Get your roots into his back!¡± Yelled Tristan, voice breaking a little. Brand could understand the pressure getting to him. Both Tristan and Jessie and seemed fairly young, but were already having Vanquisher-stage fights, so they had a lot of drive. Realistically, Tristan wouldn¡¯t lose out on much as far as Brand knew, but when you were that driven even a small setback felt hellish.


    The Triffidera had managed to grab and isolate a single leg of the Hy-Rex with its gripping vines and was rapidly moving its roots up the side of the gigantic Databeast, using its cutting vines to penetrate into the rocky soil covering the Hy-Rex and drag itself up the side like it was scaling a wall. It wasn¡¯t that much smaller than the Hy-Rex, so it would have been an amusing sight if the battle wasn¡¯t so exciting and the two titans so ferocious.


    The Hy-Rex rampaged and stampeded around left and right, trying to throw the Triffidera off. It crashed into the side of the cage, hoping to crush Strangler, but that only allowed the plant to push its stem against the wall and push itself higher onto the back of Tyrant. It began to dig its roots in deep.


    ¡°Now Growth once more!¡± Yelled Tristan. Brand watched in fascination as the plant Databeast glowed green once more and got even bigger, rivalling the Hy-Rex in size finally. Its roots stretched all over the back of the Hy-Rex, cementing itself in there and visibly weighing the gigantic beast down.


    ¡°Drain him again.¡± Said Tristan, more confident now. The white roots pulsed red as it stole HP from the Hy-Rex.


    ¡°Dislodge him Tyrant!¡± Yelled Jessie. The Hy-Rex struggled and thrashed but it was no use as the Triffidera used its vines, roots and maw to hold itself more and more in place. It grew slowly tighter like an anaconda choking the life from its prey. ¡°Now Tyrant, Brutal Impact!¡± Jessie¡¯s eyes were intense as he screamed that. The Hy-Rex gained a sudden second wind as it leaped towards the side of the cage, then used its two great legs to push off that backwards like a diver.


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    Brand thought it was a beautiful moment of elegance from the terrifying creature.


    ¡°Black Brambles!¡± Tristan had shouted whilst the Hy-Rex was soaring through the air.


    The Hy-Rex landed on its back and there was a sound like an explosion going off. The Triffidera wouldn¡¯t have been able to dislodge itself in time if it had even tried. Its stem, roots and maw looked thoroughly destroyed, splitting apart and sending plant fibres all over the arena, as well as the rocky mud that had covered the Hy-Rex. But as the dust cleared Brand could see that the vines the Triffidera had wrapped around the Hy-Rex were as intact as ever. More than that, each one was covered in dark and wicked curved black thorns that dug in deeply to the Hy-Rex. It bellowed in pain as it tried to stand up but two of Strangler¡¯s ivy covered vines had wrapped around its legs, making it unable to properly reposition itself.


    ¡°Great Tusk! Dig through the vines Tyrant!¡± Called Jessie. The tusks on the Hy-Rex grew long and sharp once more and used its excellent head mobility to start slicing through the vines encircling it around the chest. It sliced through several before Tristan changed tactics once more.


    ¡°Drain, Strangler.¡± He called. This time the entire body of the Triffidera, pressed up against the Hy-Rex as it was, began to glow red in pulses as the Triffidera absorbed the HP of the Hy-Rex.


    ¡°Roll and gouge the body!¡± Called Jessie, but even he could see it was too late. The body of the plant was beginning to reform from the drained HP, while the dinosaur-like rodent got weaker and weaker. In no time at all, Tyrant faded. The crowd let go of the collective breath it had been holded and roared in amazement at the thrilling title fight. Tristan had dethroned the champ and remained undefeated! The whole room was standing, some were jumping up and down in their excitement, but all were cheering.


    Tristan had absorbed Strangler back into his body and was celebrating on his raised platform. Jessie looked angry, but was clapping along as a sign of respect.


    ¡°Aaaaaaand there you have it! Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a new champion! Raise your voices for Tristan¡¯s Triffidera, STRANGLER! Undisputed ruler of the Vanquisher division! And still undefeated in the Excel Arena! Good night and thank you for coming! One last round of applause for Tristan and Strangler!¡± Yelled the announcer. Brand was clapping his hands in amazement at the battle he¡¯d just observed. Tommen was sitting back and clapping and looking drained, though his eyes were bright with this new form of entertainment. Rosie was applauding on Brand¡¯s other side, eyes wide. Ravena was whistling with her fingers in her mouth. All of them were drowned out by the crowd though. They knew what they had come to see and the fighters delivered.


    Tristan and Jessie left their platforms and shook hands before departing back down the ramps they had come from.


    ¡°Great huh?¡± Asked Ravena after they had left the Excel Arena. They had left with the crowd and she¡¯d waved to Randall as they¡¯d done so. He was surrounded by some of the fighters and was chatting away, but had still waved back to her.


    ¡°Incredible!¡± Said Tommen, who was practically bouncing on his feet. ¡°We need Databeasts, now. How long would it take to get up to Vanquisher level?¡± He asked it somewhat rhetorically, but Ravena answered anyway.


    ¡°If you guys keep going at the pace you¡¯re at now, fairly quickly. The chance of dying is pretty high though.¡± She laughed.


    ¡°Might just be worth it.¡± Joked Rosie.


    ¡°That was really cool.¡± Said Brand. ¡°Are you actually going to be fighting in there? I reckon we can get Clerk to Juvenile in no time. Some of those fighters were really good though.¡± He was thinking of Bellamy and his Gravener in particular. Lucy and her Heatwolf had seemed strong, but that Gravener had still battered it pretty handily. The thought of little Clerk that had only been born a few days ago fighting that thing made Brand feel protective. It also seemed a little crazy that it would be possible at all, but that was the reality of Databeasts.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s honestly one of the best ways for young tamers to get better, plus the Arena pays you even if you lose. If you get on a winning streak you can do really well for yourself.¡± Said Ravena. ¡°When you all have Databeasts you¡¯ll have to give it a go.¡±


    ¡°We would have had one already if it wasn¡¯t for that wretch Harlow.¡± Said Tommen, suddenly turning angry. Brand understood his pain. Seeing this other people around their age - apart from Steven and Emma who had been noticeably older - fighting in the Excel Arena with their Databeasts had made what Harlow had done to them even more real.


    Before there was just the anger that he¡¯d taken something extremely valuable from them. Now they were seeing what could have been their future before their eyes and it was incredibly frustrating. Brand could have been down in that arena, but instead he was forced to watch others have what he wanted. He felt a flash of fire energy circulating his veins from deep within. It was odd coming from inside himself instead of his wrist.


    ¡°I was just thinking, if I ever see him down there I¡¯m gonna jump down and beat him badly. Honest.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Come on guys don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯ll be in that arena no matter what Harlow does! I can feel it!¡± Declared Rosie. ¡°We¡¯ll have Databeasts in no time.¡±


    ¡°Hah! I thought you guys might want to rest here a bit longer after seeing the delights of Shingle City, but you¡¯re already raring to go.¡± Ravena laughed.


    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t mind going to that spa first¡­¡± Said Brand, thinking about his damaged shoulders and arms.


    ¡°First thing tomorrow we¡¯re hitting the spa, then we¡¯re hitting the road.¡± Announced Tommen. ¡°All in favour?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Said Ravena.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Lets go!¡± Rosie finished.


    They got back to the hotel and headed straight to their rooms, exhausted and ready to sleep but buzzing with the events of the day. Brand¡¯s mind whirled for a while before settling into a deep slumber.


    Brand dreamt of having a Databeast of his own, an enormous titan that was battling through leagues of Vanquishers as he traversed the world. Brand tried his hardest but no matter how much he looked he couldn¡¯t see the exact form of the Databeast he had, he could only see the incredible intensity of the flames surrounding it.

 EE19 - A Brawl In The Underground

    Harlow felt absolutely worthless as he sat around the camp. That¡¯s because he was. Worthless and seething with rage as he sat staring at Rizzo and Watchdog, who had reverted from its Anugent form to its Instar stage Ruffmutt. It sat down sleeping, looking cute as cute could be. And yet just hours ago it had violated his mind and made him fight when he hadn¡¯t wanted to. He had said he wouldn¡¯t fight the Termiterrors, but Rizzo had made the Anugent use mind control Techs to get him angry and mentally convinced him to attack them. He knew the Anugent could do it again.


    Harlow was angry. He was so angry he could do nothing but sit there. It was a cold anger, one that wouldn¡¯t leave his side when he simmered down. He hated Rizzo and Watchdog. He¡¯d see them destroyed. It was almost meditation as he sat near the edge of the camp, watching them, mind empty of everything but hate.


    ¡°You should relax, we¡¯ve got a long day tomorrow. We¡¯re going to go deeper, see how Watchdog fares against something stronger.¡± Said Rizzo.


    Harlow said nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta speak eventually.¡± Said Rizzo. Harlow didn¡¯t. ¡°Even if you¡¯re mad. If you won¡¯t do it for yourself, do it for Cabletown. Don''t¡¯ take it so personally.¡±


    Harlow still said nothing.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll get Watchdog to make you.¡±


    Harlow actually laughed at that. And then he laughed some more, and then laughed until his cheeks hurt. By the time he was done laughing he finally felt back to his senses. With one last chuckle he stood up and raised his staff, power of the wind flowing through him and into the attuned weapon.


    And then with both hands he brought it down into the ground before him. And then again. And again. He was fortunate in where he hit; it was hard stone, and the sound of clanging rang down the tunnels surrounding them.


    Rizzo just looked at him, taken aback, before speaking. ¡°That¡¯s a really, really bad idea. If a Vanquisher comes, you¡¯ll be the one to fight it.¡± Harlow just laughed again, still banging away.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, stop!¡± Snarled Rizzo. ¡°You¡¯ll get us all killed!¡± When Harlow showed no signs of stopping he shot up and dashed at the young adventurer, trying to grasp the staff out of his hands.


    Harlow felt the wind energy from his element stone surging through him as he glided back just out of arm''s reach of the captain. They stared at each other for a second, neither one moving. From behind Rizzo, Watchdog growled.


    Harlow lifted the staff a little.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± Rizzo warned.


    Harlow smashed it into the side of the wall, sending chunks of bismuth flying and clattering along the ground. The sound echoed for what must have been several seconds.


    ¡°You stupid little-¡± began Rizzo, but the sound of approaching Databeasts threw him off. ¡°Watchdog, Juvenile!¡± He called as Watchdog transformed from Ruffmutt into Anugent in a shower of soft light. He then turned to Harlow. ¡°After all I¡¯ve done for you¡­¡±


    Harlow still said nothing. In no time at all a large group of Termiterrors were upon them. There were eight of them, although one was larger than the rest. Unlike most Databeasts where the Vanquisher form usually varied a lot from the Juvenile, this Vanquisher did not. It was very similar to the other Termiterrors, it was simply larger, faster and much more scary. Its carapace was thick and it had a hard shell on its back. Harlow could see two wings sneaking out.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine them being useful in this cave system, but he was glad of that. The Databeast looked terrifying enough whilst standing.


    The group was approaching fast. Something growled beside Harlow, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was Rizzo or Watchdog.


    The first Termiterror hit Harlow like a brick wall. Yet Harlow, trained as he was and being unable to move well, hit harder. He felt the wind still with him as he struck the Databeast hard with his staff to arrest its movement, swept its feet out from under it and brought his staff crashing down on top of it in a smooth and swift motion.


    ¡°Make them fight amongst themselves, Watchdog.¡± Demanded Rizzo as he squared up against the Vanquisher level Databeast. Watchdog concentrated its Tech and all of a sudden one of the Termiterrors turned on its compatriots, confused, and began attacking them. Two of the Termiterrors focussed on holding down their ally. For his part Watchdog slid behind Rizzo, defending his back. It was needed as two of the Termiterrors tried to flank Rizzo. Rizzo and the Vanquisher Termiterror began to trade blows. For the first time Harlow saw something fairly equal to Rizzo in ability. Rizzo had beaten everything they¡¯d come across fairly handily, except for Marius in Quartz Creek, who had wiped the floor with him. Harlow thought it was good to get a general estimate of Rizzo¡¯s power. It¡¯d come in useful later. If they both survived that long.


    Harlow faced down two of the Termiterrors as the one he had beaten rose. It was 3vs1 against him. Not a problem. He had taken Termiterrors on in worse odds. And despite his leg he was feeling light as the wind - his element stone was working overtime somehow. Not enough to dance around his enemies and ignore his injury, but enough to move like he hadn¡¯t in a long time.


    One of the Termiterrors lunged for him but he took a step back and swiped with his staff, knocking it to the side. The next two were already moving at him but he beat them to the punch by moving to the side and jabbing in the face of a Termiterror. The third one managed to swipe at him while he was doing so, knocking his head back. He brought the staff horizontal and shoved that Termiterror back to give him some space.


    That¡¯s when the ball of mud hit him in the face.


    The first Termiterror he¡¯d knocked to the side had summoned it. He leaped towards that one, both pushing off and landing with his good leg, swinging his staff in a brutal arc. It struck with the awful sound of cracking carapace.


    Just that was enough to return it into aether. Harlow was getting good at defeating Termiterrors.


    Rizzo and Watchdog had managed to defeat two Termiterrors, but were getting pushed back by the Vanquisher level Databeast. Rizzo was putting up a hell of a fight though. Watchdog was doing well supporting him. The three Databeasts that had been distracted by the Anugent¡¯s mind meddling were now freed from it however. The three Termiterrors were free to put the pressure on Rizzo whilst he fought against the Vanquisher level Databeast.


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    Harlow was content to battle the two that were still facing him down. Comfortable in the fight as he was, trading blows with the two Termiterrors and coming out on top of each exchange, he had some freedom to watch Rizzo fighting.


    The Vanquisher Termiterror was an absolute monster. Every time it struck it made a sound like a cannon going off. Rizzo was both extremely fast and in the right place at the right time, but even with perfection of technique it could only mitigate so much of the damage the Vanquisher Databeast was doing. The other three got their swipes in at Rizzo in these weakened moments, although Watchdog was defending against those well.


    Harlow wondered if he should hurry up here and help Rizzo out, even for the sake of his own survival. It might make sense to do so, but he chose otherwise.


    He did fight against the two Termiterrors beset upon him though, at a leisurely but violent pace. He saw Rizzo getting pushed back as Harlow defeated the two Databeasts around him. Rizzo was still fighting hard, but the pressure was too much. A gigantic hit from the Vanquisher Termiterror knocked him back into the wall. The three smaller Termiterrors jumped on him but Watchdog jumped in front and took the beating for him.


    Rizzo, furious, knocked the Termiterrors back before taking another big blow from the Vanquisher. He looked like he was going to throw up as it crashed into his stomach but he held it. The gigantic Termiterror swung again and so did Rizzo, in a crazed and haphazard wild swing with his staff. They both hit. Rizzo¡¯s staff smashed the Databeast in the side of its head, cracking the carapace slightly. The Databeast knocked Rizzo down the tunnel. Rizzo didn¡¯t seem to realise he¡¯d wounded the Databeast - Harlow only noticed because he was an outside observer calmly watching the action, and he was at the right angle to see the damage. Rizzo wasn¡¯t.


    Rizzo did however notice that Harlow was just standing watching and rage flashed over his face.


    ¡°Enjoying the show? Why don¡¯t you cover our retreat, boy? Watchdog, now!¡±


    The Anugent turned to him, eyes flashing red.


    Harlow knew what it was doing. He knew it was trying to take control of his mind. In fact, he¡¯d expected it, and it really stung deeply. And then suddenly Harlow didn¡¯t care about all that. He didn¡¯t mind dying. He didn¡¯t mind fighting for his life whilst Rizzo and Watchdog escaped. In fact, he could think of no better way to go out. On some deep level, it struck him as purpose itself.


    ¡°Cabletown thanks you.¡± Spat Rizzo as he fled, Watchdog scampering behind him.


    And Harlow thanked them too, in his heart. This wasn¡¯t due to the mind control. Indeed, the mind control was something of a buff right now, something he¡¯d hoped for. Harlow knew he¡¯d never be able to escape the Vanquisher Databeast, not with his leg. Better to go down fighting. And if fighting, better to go into it with a clear sense of purpose.


    Furthermore, the last time the Anugent mind-controlled him he had ignored the pain in his knee. It had hurt as bad as anything he¡¯d felt later on, but in the moment he felt nothing but the desire to fight.


    That was how he felt now.


    The three Juvenile Termiterrors had chased Rizzo off down one of the tunnels. Harlow could hear the sounds of movement, but not battle. Rizzo must have felt in a real bad shape. But now it was just him and the Vanquisher Termiterror.


    He looked at the Databeast properly. It was bashed up pretty badly, and all over. Its legs had heavy indents, one of its arms was leaking something, there was the crack in its head that Rizzo had caused. It looked around.


    It seemed unsure of whether to chase after Rizzo or to finish Harlow off. Thanks to Watchdog¡¯s mind control Harlow wasn¡¯t in a mind to give it a choice. He felt the wind element flow through him. He felt angry, extremely angry. But he also felt empty, weightless. He almost glided across the ground as he went after the Vanquisher Termiterror.


    He smashed the large Databeast again and again with his staff, dodging left and right as he did so, relishing in the new freedom of movement he¡¯d found. He struck again and again at the side of the Vanquisher¡¯s head where Rizzo had cracked it, mostly with hard jabs of the staff. He could feel it doing damage each time.


    Then, finally, the Vanquisher databeast caught him with a massive strike. It was bound to happen eventually, and Harlow was sent absolutely flying across the tunnel, bashing into everything on the way. His ribs felt busted, his arms were screaming at him, and he¡¯d landed weird with his legs. Another hit like that would probably kill him.


    Luckily, the mind-control was still affecting him, so he cared little for that. What he cared about was destroying this Databeast. He stood, pretending to be more wounded than he felt and limped his way over to the Databeast. It moved to him too, very quickly.


    His wind energy still flooded through him though and he danced and dodged his way around each strike, rapidly trying to unlearn as much of his stiffness and immobility as he could before it got him killed.


    He hit the Databeast again and again but did little damage. When a swiping blow almost hit him, he realised he had no choice. He was starting to flag in energy and his pain was starting to really come through. Both the mind control and his adrenaline were weakening. He had only one choice.


    He felt the wind rush through him as a surging gale. He performed the exact same move as Rizzo did. He swung his staff wildly. Like Rizzo, it connected on the side of the Databeast¡¯s head. Like Rizzo, he got knocked off his feet by the strike of the Databeast and went tumbling. There was a flash knockout before he was back awake.


    He looked up and the Databeast had gone! He began to laugh once more. He had done it! It had really worked! Laughing hurt his ribs but he couldn¡¯t help himself. It was all so absurd!


    There was an incredible, intense rush. It was a familiar one by now. A level gained.


    Of course he¡¯d levelled up. He¡¯d just defeated a Vanquisher stage Databeast!


    Harlow half-crawled his way to where their bags had been. He opened Rizzos. He found a briefcase containing several potions. And not low level ones either - these were the real good stuff. He downed two and lay there for what felt like hours as his head spun. He took everything of use from Rizzo¡¯s bag, which included the remaining potions and some BIT drives, and put it in his own. Then he stumbled down the cave.


    His journey downwards was calm and directionless. He ran into a handful of Juvenile Databeasts, all of which he dispatched fairly easily. Eventually he had to stop and set up camp, once he was comfortably assured that he wouldn¡¯t be found either by a roaming Databeast or an angry Rizzo out for revenge.


    He found a place to set up camp, a little divet in the rock that couldn¡¯t really be called a tunnel. He moved in there and froze. He came face to face with a Databeast staring up at him, a Stonisse! It must have been hiding in wait preparing to launch some sneak attack, he thought, surely!


    Why else would it have stuffed itself in a crevice?


    Harlow raised his staff, about to attack the Stonisse. When it didn¡¯t flinch or move, he paused. He stared at it for a second and then looked around himself suspiciously to see if it was shaping the earth around him in some way. The little rock goblins were tricksy, but he saw no evidence of it doing anything beside sitting there looking miserable.


    It really seemed as if it just didn¡¯t want to move even when faced with certain destruction. Very odd behaviour from a Databeast - or anything, really.


    ¡°What are you doing little Stonisse?¡± Asked Harlow rhetorically, looking down at the forlorn Databeast.


    It looked back at him, no feeling in its gaze. It was disturbing for the young man.


    ¡°You look depressed. This is awful.¡± Said Harlow, lowering his hands. ¡°You¡¯re making me almost want to destroy you, just to put you out of your misery.¡±


    ¡°...Destroy¡­ me.¡± Croaked the Stonisse in a raspy imitation of speech.


    Harlow almost dropped his staff.


    ¡°You can talk!?¡±

 EE20 - Harlow And The Stonisse

    ¡°You can talk!?¡± Harlow gawked at the hunched and depressed Stonisse. The Juvenile Databeast was a goblin-like creature covered in rugged stone skin punctuated with little pebbles. They weren¡¯t the strongest of the Juvenile Databeasts but they had strong Techs and were crafty, so even the experienced adventurer had to keep his guard up about them. Harlow had never heard of one talking before though.


    ¡°...me¡­ talk.¡± Said the Stonisse. It was evidently struggling, but it understood words enough to respond in kind. But, Harlow supposed, most Databeasts understood words fairly instinctively. How else could a day old Databeast understand instructions from its Tamer?


    Harlow mentally ran through his options of what to do with this Databeast. He couldn¡¯t defeat the Stonisse, could he? It didn¡¯t want to fight back and it could talk. But was that so different from the other Databeasts? Why did that make it so worth saving? Besides, it had asked him to destroy it. Admittedly that was a rather strange proposition, but why should he turn it down? He mulled it over.


    ¡°And why do you want me to destroy you?¡± He asked, still confused.


    ¡°Destroy me.¡± The Stonisse replied, shrugging.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s not helpful.¡± Said Harlow. ¡°I¡¯m not going to destroy you.¡±


    The Stonisse fixed him with an evil glare briefly before looking down again. It didn¡¯t try to convince him. It didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Harlow stood there for a while, staring at the Databeast. He really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to attack you so don¡¯t attack me, okay?¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Okay.¡± It said, not really caring. Harlow was almost sure it rolled its eyes.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He said back. ¡°I¡¯m going to put a cover over, to hide this little passage. It should stop Databeasts wandering in here.¡± He said. Then realised there already was a Databeast in here. ¡°Other ones, I mean.¡±


    The Stonisse shrugged. Harlow took some steps back towards the entrance before taking a deep breath and turning his back on the Databeast. Every instinct he¡¯d had drilled into him over the past few weeks told him this was a bad idea. Yet he did it anyway. Or at least briefly, because he turned to side eye the stone goblin. It was still watching him, but it wasn¡¯t making any secret moves to come and attack him. He still had an idea in the back of his mind that this was some elaborate ruse to catch him off guard.


    It wasn¡¯t. He set the stone grey tarp up with no problem. It wasn¡¯t a huge deterrent but it would be well enough to hide from any Databeasts that weren¡¯t looking closely at the walls. Which they usually didn¡¯t. It was a fairly standard piece of adventurers kit, lightweight and mobile and affords a lot of protection for the little effort it requires, which was just attaching some holds to a rock face or other semi-flat surface.


    Harlow didn¡¯t really know what to do now. He¡¯d had a vague idea that he would make his way somewhere safe that Rizzo couldn¡¯t find him in case the mad captain decided he wanted to chase Harlow down. The nutter might be crazy enough to try, though it¡¯d be a wild goose chase finding anyone around here. And then once Harlow had found that safe place he¡¯d curl up and sleep. Now he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to, but he didn¡¯t feel like he could leave this odd situation alone either.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a heck of a day.¡± Said Harlow, not necessarily towards the goblin but towards the world. He just had to declare in a statement this absurd fact of his existence.


    First he was mind-controlled, then he was fighting for his life - and actually defeating! - a Vanquisher Databeast, and now he was sitting in a small cavelet with a Databeast who could talk and seemed to have lost the will to live. Any one of those would have made it a notable day, and yet they¡¯d all occurred in the same! Or perhaps they hadn¡¯t. Down here days could be anything and he wouldn¡¯t know. Periods between sleeps you could definitely call them.


    The stone goblin didn¡¯t reply, but it didn¡¯t seem bothered either. Harlow had only really got it motivated when it talked about him destroying it, which was a behaviour he didn¡¯t feel like encouraging. But he still wanted to engage the odd Databeast. Seeing that it didn¡¯t seem to care about him talking, he decided to babble about various things to see what might provoke a reaction from the Stonisse. Or maybe he just wanted to hear himself talk. It had felt like a while since he was allowed to cut loose.


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    He was rattling on for a while about everything, his leg and his life, Brand and Tommen and chasing them down, Rizzo and Watchdog. Where he went to school Everything.


    ¡°Rizzo tried to convince me to get an earth element stone. I thought about it. It could be fun - I like stone actually. I wouldn¡¯t have minded if it turned into a Stonisse. You guys are cool.¡± Mulled Harlow. ¡°I got a wind one instead.¡±


    Suddenly the Stonisse¡¯s face lit up and got closer to Harlow¡¯s. ¡°Wind! Me wind!¡±


    Harlow jerked back, unsure of what suddenly transpired. He decided to take it chill and try and slowly explain whatever misunderstanding there was. ¡°You¡¯re an earth Databeast, not wind.¡±


    The Stonisse¡¯s face dropped and Harlow felt awful. It scrunched up its face as if thinking about something with great difficulty. ¡°Me stone¡­ not wind. Me¡­¡± It¡¯s brow squeezed with exertion.


    Harlow tried to help. ¡°You want to be wind?¡±


    The Stonisse was excited again and nodded up and down vigorously. ¡°Me want!¡±


    Harlow didn¡¯t know how to break it to the little creature. ¡°But you can¡¯t be wind if you¡¯re stone. You know that right?¡±


    ¡°Me know.¡± Said the Stonisse, dejectedly. ¡°Me want¡­ destroy.¡±


    It suddenly dawned on Harlow what this whole thing was about. ¡°You don¡¯t want to live because you¡¯re stone and can¡¯t be wind!?¡±


    The Stonisse shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°That is so dark, little one. Why would do you want to be wind so badly? Is it really that good?¡± Harlow asked, shocked but also morbidly curious.


    ¡°Want wind.¡± It replied, scrunching its face up again. Harlow realised his mistake, the Stonisse didn¡¯t have much in the way of vocabulary unless it was using words he¡¯d said to it recently. Still, it managed to get another sentence across. ¡°You want wind. Why?¡±


    ¡°Why did I want a wind element stone? How do I even answer that?¡± He mulled.


    ¡°Answer that.¡± Said the Stonisse. Harlow laughed.


    ¡°Well really, I suppose a big part of it was shoving it in the guard captain¡¯s face, and his ideas about Cabletown¡­¡± He trailed off when he saw the Stonisse¡¯s face scrunch up again. ¡°Okay, okay. How do I even explain that? So where I¡¯m from, Cabletown, of course you have to do what you can for the good of the town. You have to sacrifice so the town can prosper. But people like the guy I was travelling with until just now, they have very rigid ideas about how you should do that. His way is by everyone cutting back and being super strict on themselves, being efficient and cheap, being¡­ whatever. So he wanted to force me to use an earth element stone-¡±


    The Stonisse spat its disgust.


    ¡°-for the sake of the town. My parents on the other hand got me a cosmic element stone, which is about as much of a luxurious and expensive stone as you can get. They wanted to be able to show me off to their friends at parties, Harlow the guard with the cosmic element stone. Might make them seem like they were keeping up with everyone else, hah.¡± He joked dourly. ¡°Wonder what Rizzo would think of their extravagant parties. Maybe he knew. Maybe that¡¯s why he took pleasure in making me march out with a destroyed knee.¡± He gestured to the exoskeleton supporting his damaged leg. The Stonisse poked it and hummed, not sure what to make of it. He pointed to his own knee and stone grew around that leg to mimic the exoskeleton. He looked up at Harlow.


    ¡°Woah. You must have crazy control over earth to be able to do that!¡± Harlow exclaimed. The Stonisse pulled a sour face at being reminded of its elemental predicament and let its leg revert to normal. Harlow tried to distract the goblin again. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m getting sidetracked, I partly wanted a wind element stone just to shove it in the face of everyone in Cabletown who wanted me to have something else for petty reasons of their own making. Wind was¡­ freeing in a certain way. I guess wind is like that anyway. When I feel the energy flow through me my leg bothers me less. I can move better, I¡¯m more weightless, I¡¯m more¡­¡± Harlow trailed off as the Stonisse had been slowly leaning forwards towards him, eyes wide as if entranced with his words.


    ¡°Free?¡± It asked, sounding almost hopeful.


    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Want wind. Want free.¡± Stonisse said, defeat still in its voice.


    ¡°Hah! Well I have a wind element stone and you¡¯re more free than me.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Want more free.¡± Replied the Stonisse.


    ¡°Well maybe we can make you more free?¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°With wind?¡± Asked the Stonisse.


    ¡°Erm¡­ maybe? I think if you defeat a lot of wind Databeasts you might unlock a wind variant? It¡¯d be a lot of work. But it might be possible.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Defeat wind? Defeat free?¡± Asked the Stonisse, disappointed at the prospect of having to destroy what he loved to become it.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure all of them love freedom as much as you do¡­¡± Said Harlow, a little unsure of how wind Databeasts thought about the world.


    ¡°Where wind?¡± The Stonisse waved to the area around him. ¡°Earth.¡±


    ¡°Well okay, down in the bottom of the mountain there aren¡¯t many wind Databeasts. But if we leave here we¡¯re bound to run into some!¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Leave here? We?¡± Asked the Stonisse, perking up slightly. Harlow just realised what he¡¯d said and offered to the small stone goblin. Well he couldn¡¯t back out now.


    ¡°Yeah of course. We. As long as you don¡¯t mind journeying around with a cripple. I¡¯m even less free than you, haha.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°We.¡± The Stonisse nodded and cemented the partnership.

 EE21 - A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

    Harlow had found a not so rough area of the crevice to catch some sleep in. He¡¯d decided to trust the Stonisse to not kill him in his sleep, but he still tried to sleep lightly just in case. He hadn¡¯t realised how battered he was though and fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke he saw the Stonisse still sitting in the same place as if carved into the rock face, eyes closed but somehow still looking depressed. Harlow was pleased to find that he was alive, but honestly wasn¡¯t sure if it was just because the Stonisse didn¡¯t care enough to try. Harlow hadn¡¯t ever really talked to a Databeast before, mostly they just attacked him on sight.


    ¡°I think you need a name, Stonisse. Do you have a name?¡± Asked Harlow.


    The Stonisse looked at him then looked away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± The Stonisse shrugged, so Harlow continued. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a name then.¡±


    ¡°Give name.¡± The Stonisse shrugged again. Harlow figured there¡¯d be a lot of that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you Shrugger then. For now anyway, until I can come up with something better.¡±


    The Stonisse fixed him with an unimpressed glare. ¡°Something better.¡±


    Harlow shrugged in response. The Stonisse scowled.


    ¡°Come on Shrugger. You ready to get out of that hole in the wall you¡¯ve lodged yourself into?¡± Said Harlow, feeling better. He wasn¡¯t exactly chipper, but he felt on it and wired, as if he¡¯d just drunk several cups of BITCaf. He had a jovial attitude but he knew if he stayed still for too long he¡¯d start wallowing, so he had to get up and move. And Shrugger had agreed to get moving with him, so that¡¯s what they were going to do.


    The little rock goblin tried to get up but struggled. It looked around itself, confused. Harlow watched in amazement as it stretched its arms out and grasped two little handholds on the wall that it had grown out to meet its hands. The Stonisse pried itself out of the wall with a great exertion and Harlow was both impressed that the goblin had got up and extremely curious as to how long it had been there to cause such an occurrence. It looked at Harlow as if to say ¡°what now?¡±.


    ¡°Let me focus my energies, take this cover down and then we¡¯ll get moving.¡± Harlow explained.


    ¡°Get moving?¡± Asked the Stonisse.


    ¡°Yes, get moving.¡± Harlow confirmed..


    The Stonisse looked left and right. ¡°Get moving..?¡±


    ¡°Oh you mean where? These tunnels were made in a certain way. As long as we head upwards, we¡¯re heading out. Doesn¡¯t really matter in which direction. That¡¯s how Termiterrors build down here apparently. Unless you¡¯re above ground, in which case heading further inside is upwards towards the top of the Termiterror nest. But we¡¯d know if we were there, since we¡¯d have seen some light every now and then.¡± Harlow explained. Rizzo knew his stuff, he had to admit that. Harlow had no idea why, given that the man had seemingly little interest in the world outside Cabletown and its inhabitants.


    Harlow sat and meditated for a while as he let the wind energy flow from the element stone within him and travel around him, then through his staff and back into him. Harlow was aware that he¡¯d been using the wind energy a lot, and that it was somewhat irregular for someone of his level and grade of stone - low - to be able to channel so much of his element. It was obviously a good thing, he just didn¡¯t understand it.


    He knew that practising with feeling and moving your element around your body was great to develop those talents, so he¡¯d decided to take up the habit of doing it when he had a second.


    The freedom he¡¯d felt whilst empowered by the wind and urged on by Watchdog¡¯s mind-control had led him to remember what it was like, not so long ago, to be unencumbered by injury. Although back then he¡¯d never felt so strong. Back then he¡¯d never been so capable as he was right now.


    He grinned. If his leg ever got fixed, he¡¯d be a monster.


    After a few minutes of that training he couldn¡¯t wait any more. The idea that Rizzo might be stalking him somehow made him concerned. He¡¯d seen how doggedly Rizzo went after Brand and Tommen. He still wasn¡¯t sure why the guard captain was chasing them. Thinking about it now, it made him frustrated. Before he had been caught up in the action and the chaos and the chase and the sides - Cabletown versus its traitors.


    But now he¡¯d clashed with Rizzo and Rizzo had abandoned him to die down in these tunnels against a Vanquisher Databeast. Did Rizzo even know he was still alive? It was possible. If Rizzo returned to the scene and found that Harlow had looted their bags and left, he might understand that Harlow had ditched him for good. They¡¯d been arguing before that. Rizzo must have known Harlow wasn¡¯t gonna stick around and put up with the guard captain anymore. But where did that leave them? Where did that put Harlow in the Cabletown hierarchy?


    Could he return and be protected by his parents? He knew the captain of the guard held some clout in Cabletown, and would even more so now that he had acquired a Databeast of his own. But Harlow had gained some achievements himself. And surely his parents would be angry and offended that their only son had been mind-controlled through the use of a Databeast¡¯s Tech to fight to the death. Surely¡­


    The more he thought about it, the less sure he was. Would his parents say that he should have died for Cabletown? Would Rizzo say that Harlow was a coward, and Rizzo was just doing what he had to do for the good of Cabletown?


    On that note, would Rizzo even admit to controlling Harlow¡¯s mind? It was his word against Rizzo¡¯s. And unfortunately for him, Rizzo had mind control techniques.


    As far as he knew they could only be used to manipulate people through anger, but there was a lot he didn¡¯t know and not much he was willing to bet on.


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    Rizzo would just surely call him a traitor. Maybe Rizzo really did think he was a traitor. Maybe Rizzo was stalking down wide open tunnels now, angry and dripping with saliva whilst searching for Harlow. It was possible. Very possible. And that brought him back to his initial train of thought¡­


    He was spiralling. He took a second to breathe out and empty his mind. The wind element was flowing through him once more and he felt calm. The anxiety was gone. He was moving forwards. Onwards and upwards.


    ¡°Come on then Shrugger.¡± Said Harlow whilst taking and packing down his cover.


    The Stonisse followed him, looking glum and as if it was having second thoughts about the whole ordeal. Harlow thought that was okay though; he was impressed that the little Databeast had agreed to join up with him in any case. It hadn¡¯t asked him to destroy it again, so that was a bonus.


    They set off up the passageway and Harlow was surprised to find it took them a while of walking - slower than he¡¯d liked as uphill was bad on his knee - to encounter any Databeasts. The first was a Pebblegob which had really bitten off more than it could chew. It came bounding down the tunnel towards the duo. The Stonisse flicked its fingers and a spike jutted out of the ground just as the Pebblegob was approaching with its open mouth. It speared into the Pebblegob¡¯s maw, stopping it in its tracks and doing serious damage. It only took one hit from Harlow to end the Databeast.


    ¡°Wow. Nice one Shrugger. I¡¯ve got a feeling we¡¯re going to make a great team. You¡¯re already more useful than Watchdog.¡± Laughed Harlow. The Stonisse shrugged.


    They continued on through the twisting tunnels, not really engaging in any dangerous fights but finding consistent Databeast battles. Not many Termiterrors though, which reinforced Harlow¡¯s idea that they were heading the right way.


    Still, eventually they did come to their first serious fight. Three large Flintimps, one in the Emergent stage - the temporary mix between Juvenile and Vanquisher that combines the traits of both - but all on the way to Vanquisher. The Emergent stage one had sharp metal on the end of its bladed arms and when it struck them together it created a spark more akin to a fireball that it shot at Harlow.


    The Stonisse through a scattering of mud it has summoned, which summarily put out the fireball whilst it was still in the air. Harlow was impressed at the simple counter - the fireball had genuinely scared him a little. He couldn¡¯t really block it with his staff, and dodging it would be an effort. He circulated the wind in his body as the three Flintimps approached, hoping to increase his movement enough that the fireball wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    It never came to that though. The fight was long and gruelling, with Harlow using his staff to battle six dangerously bladed arms trying to lop his skull off. The Stonisse continued raining mud on the Flintimps so that they couldn¡¯t deal any serious fire damage to him. In the end it was a slog that required Harlow to break down each of the Flintimps individually before he could finish them off. But succeed he did, and Harlow received a lot of EXP and BITs, as well as lots of little slicing flesh wounds and small burns. He put off using a potion as he didn¡¯t feel he needed it yet despite the little droplets of blood running down him and ruining his clothes.


    He used gauze and bandage to wrap the worst of the wounds. The other ones had stopped bleeding by the time he was done with the bigger ones. Their fight against the Flintimps had attracted a Pebblegob, but the Stonisse had dealt with that whilst Harlow tended to his wounds. Shrugger had materialised a little hammer and used that to break down the opposing earth Databeast.


    They continued on, defeating Juvenile after Juvenile before running into their toughest challenge yet.


    A group of ten Termiterrors. Certainly more than he¡¯d ever take on on his own. However he could see a sliver of light behind them, illuminating the cave slightly. It was almost blinding after being down in the barely luminescent caves, but he knew for sure it was their way out. The tunnel the ten Termiterrors were in was fairly small, so the Termiterrors would struggle to surround them in there. Harlow signalled to Shrugger and then went charging into the tunnel with a running limp. Shrugger was just beside him.


    The Stonisse launched large stone spikes from the side whilst Harlow took the Termiterrors head on. The Stonisse was hitting brutal shots, firing small javelins that eviscerated entire chunks from the bodies of the Termiterrors as Harlow kept them at bay. This Stonisse had very strong Techs, Harlow realised. He knew the Databeast was creative and clever with its Tech use, but that it could combine that with some serious power. This Databeast was as good an ally as he could get - as he¡¯d ever had.


    Four Databeasts went down like that, turned into aether, before Harlow took a brutal kick to the stomach from a particularly large Termiterror and doubled over. Chaos erupted after that. The remaining six Termiterrors tried to capitalise on the moment of weakness, all stomping and kicking around. Harlow fell back, using his staff as a purely defensive tool.


    Despite that several hits got through and bloodied his face.


    Another stone spear absolutely wiped out a Termiterror, taking a huge chunk out of its face before it turned to aether. Two of the Termiterrors wailing on Harlow jumped over his downed body to deal with the Stonisse.


    ¡°Shrugger!¡± Harlow yelled. He felt the wind energy surging through him once more. He shoved the three Termitterors attacking him back with his horizontal staff. They grasped onto the staff, so he simply let go of it and they went careening off. He turned and saw two Termiterrors stood over where the Stonisse should be and pummeling downwards.


    Harlow leapt and dragged one backwards, dashing it to the ground behind him. The other Termiterror turned to him and the two began punching wildly.


    Down low he could see that the Stonisse had covered himself with a shield of stone that was rapidly reforming into a spear under the power of the rock goblin¡¯s Techs. A spear that went right through the Termiterror Harlow was fighting, turning it to aether. The spear clattered on the ground at Harlow¡¯s feet and he picked it up and turned to catch the Termiterror he¡¯d thrown to the ground in the stomach with the pointy bit. The Stonisse lobbed a rock at its head for good measure and it joined its compatriots. Only the three Termiterrors Harlow had knocked to the ground with his staff remained and the duo made short work of them.


    They were sitting on the floor after the battle. Harlow had levelled up again. He was pleased about that, and pleased that Shrugger had taken next to no damage in the fight. He was surprised to reflect on how angry it had made him when he thought he saw Shrugger getting beaten, but was pleased to finally find a companion that he liked.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost out now, Shrugger.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Out now.¡± The little goblin repeated. Harlow laughed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get a move on.¡± Said Harlow.


    ¡°Move on.¡± The Stonisse agreed.


    They got closer and closer to the daylight and it felt glorious after being down in those tunnels for so long. But also a little disorientating. The young man took one last look around as if he couldn¡¯t believe that he was really leaving just like that.


    Harlow saw a big crystal of bismuth coming out of the side of the wall. The shimmering rainbow crystal with its oddly straight lines fascinated him and he broke a piece off to keep for later. A memento of this weird excursion down the Termiterror hive.


    He and Shrugger left the cave into the bright sunlight of the outside world.

 EE22 - Floatation Tanks

    ¡°This is incredible.¡± Sighed Rosie as she relaxed in the mud bath. Brand had to agree. He had been so pleased to get properly clean after travelling on the road, so initially a mud bath didn¡¯t sound so appealing. But now that he was in it he felt very relaxed and rejuvenated. The fire energy going through his body seemed to respond well to the heat of the bath and he felt more comfortable than he had in a long time. He imagined Rosie felt even better, due to her earth element stone.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need to go back to Quartz Creek.¡± Said Tommen, neck deep and mud and with his eyes closed. ¡°Maybe we could just stay in here all day, relaxing. Who even needs a Databeast?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve already got one, so not me. I guess we¡¯re staying.¡± Joked Ravena.


    Tommen cracked open an eye to look at her. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right. We don¡¯t have time to be wasting sitting around in mud. We¡¯ve gotta get going.¡± Clearly her words had set off his competitive spirit. He didn¡¯t get up though.


    Brand wasn¡¯t so conflicted. Recovery was a necessary part of getting stronger. Spending half a day in this spa would probably be worth several days of recovery just sitting around. ¡°Glad you pushed us into getting the full package Ravena. We didn¡¯t know what we were missing out on.¡± He said. They had already been in the sauna - something else that agreed with the fire element flowing through him - and massages, which did wonders for his injuries.


    ¡°And the best is still yet to come.¡± She told him.


    Ah yes. The floatation tanks. He was looking forward to those, that was for sure. Supposedly they were the favourite of adventurers, and for good reason. They allowed the adventurer to relax in a different way - and get deep into meditation. They made you feel like you were just floating in the aether, just you alone in the void.


    And at those moments you could really feel your element in a different way. The lack of other senses heightened the ability to sense the element stone that had been attuned by the adventurer. For Tamers this was doubly true, as they could feel the energy flow between themselves, the element stone within them, and the Databeast.


    Ravena had been very excited to try it now that she had Clerk, but she encouraged the others to get one themselves. None of them had ever been in a floatation tank anyway, but she promised that the experience was unlike anything it would have been had they done it before attuning their element stones. Then it would have been relaxing, now it was an experience.


    So Brand was looking forward to it.


    But he put thoughts of that to the side while he soaked in the bubbling mud bath and relaxed. Soon his thoughts turned to Harlow. He wondered what the other boy was doing. Was he training while Brand soaked here? Part of Brand hoped he was relaxing too in a mud bath somewhere else, not gaining EXP. But part of him hoped the boy was training like a madman, slowly breaking himself down and destroying himself, until one day the fatigue sets in at the wrong time and a Databeast he should be beating easily catches him off guard and does some serious damage.


    It was a dark thought, but Brand sat there and marinated in it for a while before shrugging it off. His mind turned to Cabletown and his parents. Was his dad getting by? Were his siblings working, studying, having fun? Could they have fun in Cabletown? Would they find the little oases of freedom scattered within those walls where there was nobody judging, evaluating, punishing?


    He wishes he could have shown them all of them, but he had been busy working. That was life and all, but he came to realise he didn¡¯t know his siblings anywhere near as much as he¡¯d liked - or as much as he¡¯d thought he did.


    There was a pain there, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see them now. He knew he would at some point. He could feel it within him, clear as the power flowing from his element stone, was a certainty that he would see his family once more.


    As for right now, he couldn¡¯t even beat the captain of the guard. In fact, Brand and Tommen were delivering Databeast eggs right into his hands, so they were making the forces of Cabletown arrayed against them stronger. Brand knew the Mayor had some serious backers too - he was under no illusion that the guard captain was the strongest person in Cabletown. He would have to get stronger.


    ¡°Brand! You alright there?¡± Asked Tommen.


    Brand shook himself out of his thoughts to see Tommen, Rosie and Ravena standing up in the mud and looking at him. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m alright. Just thinking. You should try it sometime.¡± He quipped.


    ¡°We thought you¡¯d gone into another one of those trances mate. Rosie was going to dump mud on your head to see if it woke you up. Now I wish I¡¯d let her.¡± Tommen joked back.


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll just go for it.¡± Said Rosie innocently.


    ¡°We¡¯re hitting the floatation tanks.¡± Said Ravena. ¡°You coming?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Said Brand, pushing himself up and out of the mud. A woman with a Stonisse asked them if they were done. When they confirmed that they were the Stonisse used a Tech to literally pull off the mud from their bodies and form into a ball, which it promptly deposited to a storage container on the side. They made their way to the showers and rinsed off before heading to the floatation tanks.


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    They were strange pods, oblong and pure white. Each one had four poles around it, creating an enclosed space. When they got into the tanks those poles would turn on and create a temporary void. This meant element could not enter or leave, allowing the adventurer to more fully sense the element around and within them.


    A similar technology was used in void capsules that could contain a Databeast egg and prevent it from hatching.


    ¡°We have half an hour, but that should be more than enough.¡± Said Ravena as an assistant opened up their pods. ¡°Make sure to make the most of it!¡±


    Brand climbed into his pod, relaxing back into the liquid. It had a strange consistency. It was a viscous liquid, yet it supported him in some way. As he got comfortable he found himself becoming more and more weightless, until he felt like he was floating through nothingness.


    ¡°Ready?¡± The assistant asked him.


    ¡°I am.¡± Said Brand.


    The assistant closed the pod door and all that was left was Brand in darkness. No sound penetrated the tank¡¯s walls and no light entered. It was just him with his thoughts. He relaxed into utmost comfort as no part of his body required something else to hold it up. He was of a perfectly similar consistency to the liquid he was floating in, so it kept him there.


    And then, all of a sudden, the void poles around the pod went on. Brand physically flinched, as if he¡¯d been startled by a loud noise. Yet that was a strange reaction, as he felt something of the opposite. Rather than something being produced that made him jump, it was something being taken away that shocked him. He hadn¡¯t known that he¡¯d felt connected to the element of the world before this, but now that it was gone he felt cut off in a way he hadn¡¯t known he could.


    Ravena hadn¡¯t prepared him for that.


    But then, she didn¡¯t have a mid-rank element stone. The difference in stone ranking supposedly presented itself in hundreds of little ways. Ever since he¡¯d attuned he¡¯d felt slightly different, and wondered whether this had anything to do with it. He lay there taking in the feeling, examining the energy around him. Now that he couldn¡¯t feel the rest of the world, the fire within him felt even hotter. He took a deep breath and felt himself absorb some of the energy from around him, fuelling the furnace within.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Thought Brand, amazed at how visceral that experience felt. He knew from a theoretical perspective that he slowly absorbed the energy of the world whilst living and going about his daily life. Feeling the sensation in practice was like something else entirely.


    He closed his eyes and felt that feeling for a few minutes, focussing entirely on that, not particularly conscious of anything else. His breathing was like a small bellows, every breath he took made the fire element within him shine in a burst as it absorbed the element. He focussed further on his breathing, taking deep and long dragon breaths. He blew out hard and sucked in with intention. He could feel the heat increasing as the jumbled energy of the world around was slowly purified into fire within him.


    He was fire. He burnt and destroyed and consumed and nothing could hold him back. He was energy personified. A glorious blaze was building within him.


    He focussed on it, circulating the energy around his body again and again. And again and again. And again and again. He felt it in the tips of his fingers, in the tips of his ears, moving across his scalp, down on the soles of his feet and the ends of his toes. And it permeated throughout his whole body and filled his muscles with relentless, purifying energy. His bones were soaked in the scalding heat. His skin was alive with


    He was a combusting flame floating in the middle of the void. It was just him and nothing else. And he was burning, ever supplied by the endless source inside him. But ever hungry, ever wanting more fuel to consume. He could release the flame and bring it back to him. He separated several small balls of fire from the main source and made them orbit him, his control over them immaculate. He was circulating the fire energy in a different way now.


    And then suddenly he was no longer in the void. Immediately he was a raging wildfire scorching through the world and destroying everything in his path, taking every element and using them to fuel his glorious flame, a patchwork of everything reoriented towards one purpose¡­


    ¡°Brand!¡± A big hand grabbed his shoulder and shook it. His eyes snapped open and the fire rose to a crescendo. A small ball of fire the size of a thumbnail appeared between him and¡­ Tommen?


    Immediately the fire extinguished as Tommen jerked back, eyes wide. Brand lay there, dumbstruck. Tommen looked around but the two girls were talking to the assistant. Only Brand and Tommen had seen what had happened. Tommen looked back at Brand.


    ¡°What on Excoria was that!?¡± He whisper-yelled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Stammered Brand. He couldn¡¯t do it right now, he could feel it. Before it had just happened and had felt so right. Not so now. Now it felt wrong. It was difficult to explain.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. And I thought I¡¯d made breakthroughs. You were having another trance-thing, so I volunteered to wake you. Wasn¡¯t sure if it was a medical emergency or something. But we¡¯ve already overstayed by more than a few minutes so we ought to go. Are you feeling alright?¡± Tommen asked, holding out a hand to help pull Brand up.


    ¡°Never better.¡± Grinned Brand as Tommen pulled him up. He¡¯d actually manifested his element! That was the first step towards a human learning a Tech independent of their Databeast! It was rarely done of course, and often redundant if one actually had a Databeast, but still a mark of great skill and ability.


    They joined the girls and said thank you to the assistant.


    Rosie noticed there was something up with the two of them, as Brand was still overjoyed and Tommen was side-eyeing him with something between amazement and envy. ¡°What are you so pleased about?¡± She asked, genuinely interested. ¡°Good session?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later when we¡¯re on the road.¡± Said Brand.


    ¡°Off to Quartz Creek again then!¡± Rosie declared.


    ¡°To get us some Databeasts!¡± Declared Tommen in response.


    ¡°And explore some mysterious ruins for my research.¡± Added in Ravena, reminding the trio what they would actually be doing.


    Brand laughed. He couldn¡¯t wait to find out how the others had felt during their floatation tank experience. Luckily the road to Quartz Creek was fairly long and they wouldn¡¯t have much else to talk about.

 EE23 - Back To Quartz Creek

    ¡°So,¡± said Rosie when they had finally got out of Shingle City and on the road to Quartz Creek once more. ¡°What were you guys smiling about back at the floatation tanks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know too,¡± Ravena added. ¡°But also I¡¯m concerned about these trances you keep falling into Brand. ¡°They¡¯re fine right now but you make yourself extremely vulnerable when you enter them. We were really struggling to wake you up - if it happens in the field you¡¯re not just putting yourself in danger, you¡¯re making yourself a liability for us as we¡¯ll have to protect you.¡±


    Brand was taken aback. The idea that he needed protecting stung a little bit. After all, hadn¡¯t he always been the first to put himself on the line for others? He was tempted to tell her and the rest to just leave him if that happened, to take care of themselves and not risk their lives for his, but luckily he saw how ridiculous a request that was in time before saying it. It would be insulting to bring it up to the others, especially since Rosie and Ravena already were risking themselves to protect him by accompanying him and partly because he didn¡¯t want them to leave him there to defend themselves, even if it meant risking their lives.


    He had things he wanted to do. Things he needed to be alive for.


    And besides, the group were something of an impromptu team by now. Ravena was a little more temporary and outside the group than the rest, but she was still part of it. And telling team members to put themselves first was an easy way to break a team down from the inside. It was also advice he knew he¡¯d never take himself.


    All in all, he decided to swallow his anger at being protected because he accepted that he did need and want their protection. They all had goals they wanted to achieve. They wanted to achieve them together. Brand, Tommen and Rosie had sworn on it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what gets me into the trances,¡± said Brand, ¡°but I haven¡¯t entered one yet without a strong sense of self-reflection. Bear in mind there¡¯s only been two, but I still reckon I won¡¯t enter into another one randomly. I¡¯ll be mindful not to think too much though,¡± he laughed. ¡°As for the floatation tanks, I don¡¯t really know what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± Said Tommen flatly, hitting Brand with a bemused look before turning to Rosie and Ravena with excitement. ¡°He manifested his Element! He set fire to the air with just a thought!¡±


    ¡°Woah! Really?¡± asked Ravena. ¡°How is that possible? Just what were you doing in that floatation tank?¡±


    ¡°Well you said it would be a good experience.¡± Brand shrugged. ¡° I just focussed on the flame inside me. And I have a mid-rank Element Stone, which probably helped.¡±


    ¡°Alright that helps, but still! That¡¯s unheard of! I take it back, enter those trances whenever you want,¡± Ravena laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing Brand!¡± Rosie said. ¡°Can you do it now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying this whole time we¡¯ve been walking.¡± Brand told them. ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened yet so I imagine not.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s difficult to multitask! We should stop so you can give it a proper go.¡± Rosie told him.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Ravena added. ¡°Let''s walk a little longer to get somewhere a little more secluded though. In the meantime you can tell us all about what you were thinking whilst in the floatation tank.


    So the four wandered on whilst Brand filled them in on feeling the void and the fire, the orbit he felt around him and the oneness of himself and the fire. Ravena told him that the research in manifesting elemental power in the physical world showed that most people have a differing self-conception of themselves and the element within them, but that a self-conception of some kind is almost always associated with wielding elemental power. Oftentimes humans could use Techs that their Databeasts could under certain conditions. If a Tech was used enough and the Databeast hit a certain level then it could ¡°load¡± the Tech and their Tamer partner could use it.


    But certain adventurers could wield element more freely, manifesting it as they wished. It was very difficult to be able to do and almost unheard of at the lower levels and without massive amounts of training. That Brand could perform even the bare minimum of that skill was incredible.


    When they¡¯d got a bit of privacy, Brand sat down to get into a more contemplative state and try to summon the ball of fire once again.


    ¡°You just told me not to try this while we¡¯re out in the field,¡± Brand said to Ravena.


    She had the sense to look a little embarrassed, but laughed at the joke. ¡°That was then and this is now. Now get meditating!¡±


    Tommen, Rosie and Ravena stood around Brand whilst he relaxed and focussed on his breathing. They were to look out whilst he tried to focus and recreate the small ball of fire he¡¯d made just earlier in the day.


    And that¡¯s what they did. No Databeasts came to bother them, no people passed by. They all just sat there.


    Brand sat there meditating for over half an hour but nothing he did could stimulate his energy in the same way. Perhaps it was the flowing wind that settled on his bare arms, perhaps it was the rustling of the leaves or the tapping of Tommen¡¯s foot. He¡¯d learned to differentiate between the breathing and Rosie and Ravena. He realised he liked the gentle noises of his groupmates shifting around.


    He also realised he couldn¡¯t summon fire whenever he wanted. He couldn¡¯t even begin to, and he didn¡¯t understand how he had the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling it here guys. I can¡¯t do it and we¡¯ve got places to be. I love Excoria at night, but I prefer the beds at Silverstar Inn. And I want to get moving to the ruins tomorrow if possible.¡± Brand said, getting up and dusting his arse off. ¡°Every second we spend doing something functionally useless right now is seconds we don¡¯t spend defeating Databeasts. Getting more levels is a viable method towards drawing out your element.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better myself!¡± exclaimed Tommen. ¡°We can focus on meditating in your downtime.¡±


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    ¡°Can you teach me how you did it when you do stop to meditate?¡± asked Rosie. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fall even further behind you guys.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Brand. ¡°Though I¡¯m not actually sure what triggered it.¡±


    ¡°If you want to do something now, you can focus on feeling and cycling your energy through your body.¡± Ravena told Rosie. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s great practice and we should all be doing it. You¡¯ll just feel slightly more tired when we get into a battle with a Databeast. Given the strength of the ones around here, we should be okay. We won¡¯t do it whilst scouting out QBEA or the ruins.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll practise that,¡± said Rosie.


    Brand continued circulating his energy also. He had been doing it whilst meditating, but it was more difficult to do whilst walking. It was like using two entirely different sets of muscles to do two different things. It was like rubbing your tummy whilst patting your head, except one of those required an entirely different arm made of psychic energy.


    Still, he was just about managing it. At least until they encountered their first Databeast, an Authorn. The large cow-plant Databeast stomped threateningly as they approached it, but Ravena has asked the others to take a backseat on this one. She had Clerk run up and dodge the attacks of the Authorn whilst she brought out her bow. She took half a second to channel energy into it before firing a powerful thudding arrow into the cow Databeast. It bellowed, enraged, and changed from its attempts to squash Clerk into paste and reoriented towards Ravena.


    It made it about halfway towards her before the second arrow pierced it and went out the other side as it transformed into aether before their eyes. They all rushed forwards to absorb the BITs, EXP and energy it released.


    That was one problem with range. In theory you could defeat Databeasts from very far away with projectile weapons but if you were too far away you simply would not be able to absorb the spoils of war.


    But Ravena and Clerk needed practise and it was quicker for Ravena to defeat the Databeasts with her bow than it would be if they all got involved when the Juvenile Databeasts roaming the tree-studded plains were so easily put down by her and she didn¡¯t necessarily need a frontline.


    That would change as they went through the ruins and the outskirts of QBEA, but for right now it was easier for all of them.


    Besides, Ravena¡¯s shortbow wasn¡¯t being used from an extremely long range. If they moved quickly the party could still absorb much of what they needed to.


    Ravena defeated a few more Authorns in this manner before they decided to partner up to defeat them. There seemed to be a whole herd of them just scattered about, so it was a fairly perfect training scenario and gave them a good chance to get used to fighting with Ravena, and her with them. They would go into partners of two and then switch up after defeating an Authorn each.


    First Brand was up with Tommen. Their battle was fairly standard, as they were already used to fighting alongside each other. Tommen moved to the side just right when Brand went to capitalise on an opening. Brand kept the Authorn fighting him face on when he could tell Tommen wanted to move and reorient himself around the Databeast. They supported each other smoothly.


    It felt better to Brand than it used to. The both of them had clearly improved, and the morning in the spa had clearly treated them right. Brand¡¯s shoulders were still sore but he quickly forgot them in the heat of battle.


    They defeated the Authorn fairly quickly but still found Rosie and Ravena waiting for them. The two girls must have brutalised their opponent in no time at all.


    Next Brand was up with Ravena. They briefly went over the plan. Brand was to take the Databeast straight on whilst Ravena circled to get a good shot and then he was to not move once she started aiming.


    Brand felt comfortable taking on that role. He charged the next Authorn and got a few cuts off before it started trying to take his head off. Then he kept his shield firmly in its face and stabbed only at the best opportunity. Ravena was circling as soon as he¡¯d started his charging and in less than a few seconds she¡¯d shot and the Authorn dissipated.


    He looked at her a little dumbfounded and she chuckled and waved as she walked over to absorb the EXP. It was as simple as that. One shot, one kill. His minor damage to the Authorn¡¯s HP had been enough. He looked over to Tommen and Rosie as they ground down the Authorn and defeated it. It was still quicker than how he and Tommen had done it, but it was much slower than Brand and Ravena defeating the Authorn.


    He then switched partners once more to join Rosie. Their plan was fairly simple: all out attack the next Authorn they saw with wild charges and crazy attacks in a pincer movement to try and defeat the Authorn before Tommen and Ravena did.


    They failed at that, but they were still damn quick in dispatching their Databeast. Tommen and Ravena were watching, amused. They rotated partners like that until they had defeated most of the scattered Authorns in the field. Then Ravena pointed something out to the rest of them.


    ¡°See that Authorn over there? It¡¯s a lot more red than the rest of them. Especially there, around its neck.¡±


    Brand looked and Ravena was right. It wasn¡¯t immediately obvious from this distance but once pointed out that one was clearly different from the rest of them.


    ¡°That must be a boss. It¡¯ll be why there¡¯s so many Authorn here.¡± Ravena told them. ¡°It¡¯s in the Emergent stage but we ought to be able to take it no problem.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as strong as that Anugent? And the Flungeon?¡± asked Rosie, unsure.


    ¡°Yeah but there¡¯s four of us here. This will be good practice. If we can¡¯t take this, you guys can¡¯t manage QBEA. I¡¯ll send in Clerk to distract it first, using his Tech. You two guys run in and lock it down. Rosie will pincer from the right, I¡¯ll go from the left.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± said Tommen.


    Brand agreed also, though he was somewhat apprehensive about their ability to take it on. It was rather large and the only reason they kept the regular Authorns at bay was because they could shut down its movement. This one might be able to shrug him and Tommen off with no problem. Still, he agreed.


    They got in close and Ravena ordered Clerk to transform. In a second he looked like a little monster with slavering jaws ready to attack any one of them. Clerk charged the Emergent level red Authorn whilst yapping. It drew its attention and the Authorn turned its back to them in order to battle Clerk. Ravena took the opportunity to shoot, hitting it in the back as Tommen, Brand and Rosie moved in.


    It turned, immediately enraged. Red vines covering its body pulsed like angry blood vessels straining at the skin. Brand crashed into it, bronze shield to its nose and bronze sword into its side. Tommen used his staff against its horns, threading it in such a way that he could use the staff as a level to manipulate its face and stop the charge before it really started.


    Rosie started hitting one side of the Databeast with her long two handed axe as it struggled to gore her against the best attempts of Brand and Tommen. Another arrow embedded itself in the beast¡¯s side. Rosie hit it again and the Emergent Authorn shoved Brand backwards, lifting his feet off the ground as it did so.


    It then shoved Tommen back and turned to face Rosie, who was shifting. Brand dived forward and stabbed the Authorn from below. Another arrow thudded into it and just like that it disappeared into aether.


    Clerk dropped and landed onto the ground with a soft thud. He had been holding onto the Authorn with his teeth and when it disappeared he had nothing more to hold on to. His transformation had run out now, so he looked cute and cuddly again.


    Ravena walked over to them, looking smug.


    ¡°That was easy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    And it was. Brand had been concerned initially but no longer. A Databeast on the same level as the Anugent they¡¯d faced, defeated just like that.


    He was excited to see what the ruins and QBEA had to offer him.

 EE24 - Big Decisions

    Brand felt a spike of anxiety as he spotted Quartz Creek on the horizon. He thought it was stupid - no, knew it was stupid, but knowing that Rizzo and Harlow were around here still made him feel like he was on enemy territory. He flowed his energy into his bronze sword and could see the metal glimmer in response. It felt good. He wasn¡¯t the same person he had been when he¡¯d met Rizzo and Harlow last.


    Besides, they had won last time. Even though that was entirely due to the strength of Marius, it still felt good to have beaten the two guards chasing them. It was a basic, instinctual thing and though Brand knew that he didn¡¯t have the power to defeat Rizzo, he still felt a boost of confidence at the thought of having done so. Even though they¡¯d lost the Databeast egg.


    That inner turmoil was a drama that he knew would repeat itself over the next few days while he acclimated to Quartz Creek and the fact that Rizzo could be hiding around every corner and ready to jump out from every shadow from now on. It was just something that he had to get used to - he could only blame himself for not getting stronger.


    It helped that he had more people on his side. Though he did occasionally wonder if Rizzo would be calling for reinforcements.


    If you¡¯d described the scenario to him before he¡¯d left Cabletown, Brand would have laughed out loud. The whole thing would have seemed ridiculous. Yes he¡¯d have said that Cabletown was bad, but they weren¡¯t psychotic. They only did what they thought was best, they were just misguided. That¡¯s what his parents had thought after all.


    But they were wrong. He had been wrong. Rizzo was a deranged madman who was chasing them across field and city to lock them up for a law that hadn¡¯t even been on the books when he¡¯d tried to enforce it. And Harlow? What on Excoria was his problem? The mad creature had been following them around, hobbling on a broken leg. He didn¡¯t know how long Harlow had taken up to heal, but he really doubted it was enough. Especially since he had half a powersuit strapped onto it. Brand had seen them used rarely in the mines and they were no joke.


    The only explanation that Brand could think of was that Harlow was like a mad dog chomping at the bit to get revenge. Why couldn¡¯t he have just left Brand and Tommen well alone? They never would have had to attack him if he hadn¡¯t tried to stop them leaving Cabletown. And maybe then Harlow wouldn¡¯t be out for blood and could just be back home, enjoying his life. The boy had even attacked Rosie in his madness. Brand couldn¡¯t forgive that.


    It was also possible that Harlow was an ideologue, hell-bent on bringing Brand and Tommen back to Cabletown, much as Rizzo was.


    Brand put the thoughts of the guards behind him as he passed the gates to Quartz Creek. They entered the long way so that they could meet up with someone and finally put a quest to rest.


    ¡°Vince MacGill!¡± said Tommen as they stopped at a little stall full of carvings, where an older man sat with a hat over his face.


    The man lifted his brim up slightly to see who it was, and his face lit up as he saw Rosie.


    ¡°Rosie, sweetheart! I¡¯d heard you left! And these must be the adventurers that stole you away from our humble town. Why, I regret selling you those totems now! Put ''em up, scoundrels!¡± said Vince as he raised his hands in a boxing stance.


    ¡°Woah!¡± said Tommen, putting his hands up in surrender.


    Rosie laughed and put her hands on Vince¡¯s fists. ¡°Stop this now, we¡¯ve come to give you something.¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re sure you¡¯re alright Rosie. Why, when I heard you¡¯d been attacked I was in a right state. I was glad then that Marius was around to help you, but I¡¯m still not sure why you have to gallivanting off like every other youth in town.¡± Said Vince, lowering his fists.


    ¡°Well if Marius wasn¡¯t an adventurer he wouldn¡¯t have been able to save me, would he? And we were attacked in the middle of town, so it''s not necessarily safer inside than out.¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°Aye but still, there wouldn¡¯t have been trouble if these two adventurers hadn¡¯t come through this way anyway, so it''s a moot point. Adventurers causing problems, adventurers solving problems, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright.¡± Said Vince. ¡°What did you come to bring me then?¡± he asked, sitting down placidly back down in his carving station.


    Brand opened up his bag and showed the rucks of silverstars they¡¯d picked up from the mine after defeating the flungeon. They hadn¡¯t exactly forgotten about it, but other things had taken a massive priority over the completion of their quest to deliver the silverstars to Marius¡¯ brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this then?¡± Vince said, peering in. ¡°You want to trade or something? I¡¯d be mighty tempted, can¡¯t lie. What do you want for them?¡±


    ¡°Well we promised your brother we¡¯d deliver you ten silverstars in exchange for half off a potion. Didn¡¯t realise the mess it would get us in though,¡± laughed Brand. ¡°But here we are. You can have the extras for free. Where should I put them?¡±


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    Vince eyed them sceptically. ¡°Marius put you up to this? If he thinks that¡¯s gonna solve things between us¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course he doesn¡¯t,¡± said Rosie. ¡°But he knows you¡¯d liked carving them and you can¡¯t get them easily anymore. He¡¯s just being nice. Accept the gift.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll take it. My thanks to you for getting them for me. If you stick around I¡¯ll even carve you some totems as a thank you, eh? How does that sound?¡± Vince asked them.


    ¡°What are these?¡± asked Ravena.


    ¡°They¡¯re totems. Little carvings of Databeasts.¡± answered Vince. ¡°The old story goes that if you have a Databeast carved of the right material on you when you hatch a Databeast egg within yourself then you¡¯re more likely to get that Databeast. Or one of a similar type.¡±


    ¡°How old is this story?¡± Ravena¡¯s interest had been piqued.


    Vince shrugged. ¡°My grandma told me about it. Seemed to be common knowledge around Quartz Creek. Or it was just a good excuse to sell totems to adventurers willing to do anything to give themself an edge.¡±


    ¡°Mum told me the story too.¡± said Rosie. ¡°As a kid. I don¡¯t know how true it is. I never got one myself, thought mum would be mad about it.¡±


    ¡°And she had every right to be, young lady. But since you¡¯re going out there and facing the world anyway it¡¯d be better if you did it with a strong Databeast by your side. I¡¯ll make you the strongest one there is as a totem.¡± Vince proclaimed.


    ¡°Ahah that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s even something that I¡¯d want. Honestly, I thought a Pebblegob would be kinda cool, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re the strongest by any means¡­¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°A Pebblegob? Are you mad?¡± Tommen exclaimed.


    ¡°I think it would be useful. It could help lock down Databeasts while I hit them with my axe.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, I guess¡­¡± Tommen conceded quickly.


    ¡°And if the material really matters, perhaps a totem carved of silverstars is more likely to get you a Pebblegob than it would, say, an Authorn.¡± Ravena mused.


    ¡°Ooh! I didn¡¯t think about it before, but an Authorn would be cool too!¡± Rosie said with eyes bright.


    ¡°Not exactly what I had in mind when I talked about a strong Databeast protecting you¡­¡± Vince protested. He and Rosie quickly fell into an argument that Tommen contributed to.


    ¡°You¡¯re really taken with this story, huh?¡± Brand asked Ravena, who was lost in a reverie of thought.


    ¡°I am,¡± she confirmed, ¡°and I want to know more about it. Where did it come from and why? QBEA has enough weird things going on. As far as I¡¯m concerned it¡¯s another possible piece of the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°You think this story relates to QBEA? How?¡± asked Brand, though he was already piecing things together in his head, he wanted to hear Ravena¡¯s opinions before he solidified any errant suspicions he had.


    ¡°QBEA appears to be dedicated to studying Databeasts and the way they evolve from one form to another. Flungeons having a combined Juvenile and Emergent stage suggests they were in some way successful at actually applying this. If this old story comes from genuine scientific practice that was present in QBEA, now preserved through a sort of folk transmission from parent to child, then it¡¯s important to try and reconstruct the observations that past scientists made that led to this.


    ¡°If it''s true that one of these totems really helps with the formation of a certain type of Databeast, then what does that mean for the hatching of Databeasts? Is it that the person is more capable of visualising that Databeast, so the Databeast is more likely to assume that form? Or is the Databeast literally reading the world around them for information that it then uses to create the Databeast¡¯s form? In that case, literally pulling information from the totem to help inform it. Of course it would be pulling from other places too¡­ We really don¡¯t know how a Databeast egg determines the form precisely, only that it¡¯s definitely affected by the Element Stone and likely affected by the person, environment the egg was taken from, and myriad other minor factors. Weather conditions? Temperature? Seems to be, but not strongly. If the totems do have an effect in the hatching of the Databeast, that would be a massive breakthrough in understanding the process as a whole.¡± said Ravena.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know that the totems really do help, right?¡± asked Brand.


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± said Ravena. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely one of those things to file away for later. It could be the key that unlocks everything, or it could just be an odd practice created to scam would-be Tamers.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep it in mind then,¡± said Brand.


    ¡°Okay, I will make you both a Pebblegob and an Authorn totem,¡± sighed Vince to Rosie, who celebrated.


    ¡°Brand, Ravena, which totems do you want?¡± asked Rosie.


    ¡°You must get strong ones. To protect Rosie, since she does not want to protect herself,¡± said Vince.


    Brand laughed. ¡°I already have one though. I wouldn¡¯t know what else to get.¡±


    ¡°You can have two.¡± said Tommen.


    Ravena took a more analytical approach. ¡°Some of these totems are levels higher than Juvenile. Since multiple Juvenile Databeasts can transform into the same Vanquisher stage, how does that work for hatching? Does it make your hatched Databeasts more likely to turn into a Juvenile stage that can reach that Vanquisher stage, or does it make it more likely for a Juvenile stage to evolve into a specific Vanquisher?¡±


    ¡°Both. So the story goes. That¡¯s why higher levels cost more,¡± said Vince with a sly grin. ¡°After material and carving costs are taken into account, anyway. That salamandrake totem I sold this young man.¡± He said, pointing to Brand. ¡°Is high level, but fairly cheap because it was made with local wood and was very easy to carve.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s worth getting higher level ones then.¡± Said Tommen.


    ¡°Well hold on,¡± said Ravena. ¡°It¡¯s hard to test this with higher level Databeasts. Maybe we should commission some higher level ones for when we¡¯re out of here. And get some Juvenile ones for right now so that we can properly test this. We¡¯re going to get you guys some Databeast eggs after all, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going all in on this then?¡± laughed Brand.


    ¡°You bet,¡± Ravena confirmed. ¡°Theo and Elaine are going to love this.¡±


    ¡°What are we going for then?¡± asked Brand.

 EE25 - Preparation

    ¡°What if I choose something that I can¡¯t have? Like a Water Element Databeast? Or a wind one?¡± Brand pondered.


    ¡°That I couldn¡¯t tell you,¡± proclaimed Vince MacGill. ¡°But if I had to guess, it¡¯ll bring you closer to getting a mixed element Databeast.¡±


    Ravena nodded and added ¡°the lines between different Element types and their respective Databeasts can get somewhat blurred. Not just Databeasts that appear to be two types, like the Twizard, but ones that blur the lines between two types, like the Flintimp. And then there are Databeasts like Ruffmutt which are more neutral-coded, as they can appear in people of any Element and they are capable of evolving with any element.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, we saw a fire element evolution of Ruffmutt in Excel Arena. The Heatwolf? You¡¯re saying there¡¯s wind and water variations too?¡± asked Rosie.


    ¡°Yeah, and electric and cosmic also. But more neutral variations that someone with any element can get also exist.¡± explained Ravena, nodding.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sticking with my original choices,¡± said Rose. ¡°I¡¯d like a Pebblegob or an Authorn, no matter what anyone else says.¡± She stuck her tongue out at Vince.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Brand said as he looked over the choices and thought about all the Databeasts he¡¯d seen. The problem was he hadn¡¯t really encountered many fire element Databeasts. Off the top of his head there was the Twizard which was water and fire, the Flintimp and its evolution the Magmangel, which were cool but very earth based. The only pure fire Databeast he¡¯d seen was the Heatwolf and though it seemed cool, he wasn¡¯t sure it was for him. ¡°The Salamandrake¡¯s Juvenile form is the Twizard, right?¡± He asked the collected group.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± said Vince.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably its most common Juvenile form,¡± confirmed Ravena, ¡°still a rare one though. And I assume your Element Stone hasn¡¯t collected much in the way of Water Element. I¡¯d say it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯d get it, so it wouldn¡¯t be the worst experiment.But there aren¡¯t many fire Databeasts around here anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a Twizard totem then,¡± said Brand. ¡°I don¡¯t mind taking a backline Databeast. If it can do big damage while I take the frontline that¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    ¡°One with such strong Techs would make your own progress with using Techs even better too,¡± nodded Tommen approvingly.


    That was common knowledge. Some Databeasts had strong Techs, some had strong bodies. Generally the ones with strong Techs would enhance its Tamer¡¯s ability to wield that element, and it would be able to Load the Techs sooner, so that the Tamer could use them sooner. For this reason strong Tech Databeasts were often sought after by certain adventurers.


    ¡°So Authorn or Pebblegob for Rosie, Twizard for Brand, what do you want Tommen?¡± asked Ravena.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You know I want a wyvern of some kind. I really can¡¯t think of any Wyvern Juveniles around here to be honest with you.¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any that I can think of¡­ but sometimes regular Databeasts can have odd evolutions,¡± said Ravena.


    ¡°I know of one,¡± said Vince, ¡°but it¡¯s quite rare. Appears around here with consistency though.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°A Darkdron. Lizardlike and stealthy. Fairly well hidden - if they are around then you might not spot one. I have a Darkdron totem carved out of blackthorn from the forests. That would certainly have some sort of wyvern evolution,¡± said Vince.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that one then,¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡± said Ravena with a big smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m excited now. Love running experiments. Thanks you guys for agreeing to try this.¡±


    ¡°Happy to help,¡± said Brand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need time to carve the Authorn and Pebblegob out of silverstars. The Twizard I¡¯ll make out of flint found near the rivers. The Darkdron I can give you right now,¡± said Vince. He then searched for a little while on his stand and pulled out a carving of blackened wood. There was no doubt in Brand¡¯s mind that this Databeast could become a wyvern. It was a skulking elongated lizard with long limbs and clawed hands. Its head was long and pointed and its scales were carved beautifully. Tommen took it and slid it on his string with his other wyvern totem.


    Brand thought the Databeast looked very cool. He wasn¡¯t quite sure that it suited Tommen though. The blond boy was long and gangly like the creature, but it had a certain patient, sophisticated elegance to it, the same kind you might find from a cat.


    Brand thought the world of Tommen, but his strengths weren¡¯t what one would call catlike. He was intelligent and driven, and ready for brutality when the situation called for it. Perhaps more of a dog guy. Or a bear? It was hard to crystallise the thoughts, but ultimately Brand just had a gut feeling that the totem wasn¡¯t really right for Tommen.


    He didn¡¯t say anything though. This was an experiment after all, and though it felt weird to turn a momentous experience for them into a codified, tested experiment, Brand didn¡¯t feel like it took the fun out of it. It just added an extra level of interest to the whole situation. He definitely wouldn¡¯t mind getting a Twizard. Indeed, he was salivating at the thought of having a Databeast with that level of firepower - and possibly even using it for himself.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    It still hadn¡¯t really hit him that he could use his element offensively until he thought about how dangerous Twizards were generally regarded as. If he could wield that same power from behind a sword and shield then he¡¯d barely need to summon a Databeast to take on most of the things around Quartz Creek. Unless he came up against a Vanquisher or a strong Emergent level Databeast, he fancied his chances soloing things around here.


    With that being said, he was very unlikely to get a Twizard, so it was a somewhat moot point. He was definitely going to get a fire element Databeast though, so he would be able to do something. Even if he got a Flintimp then that would have a variety of very useful skills for him. As would a Heatwolf.


    In the end it all brought him back to his original answer. That he¡¯d be pretty happy - and excited - to have a Databeast of any kind. He was having fun just thinking about all the ways different Databeasts would compliment him and his skills. And how he could train those skills to compliment his Databeast. It was all so much!


    Brand broke from his train of thought before he fell into any more weird trance-like states. He was getting a little paranoid about thinking too much, that he could be caught off guard around here. The spectre of Harlow and Rizzo wandered around his memory. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d see them again, but just being in Quartz Creek raised his hackles.


    ¡°Alright! Time to get a move on!¡± said Brand. ¡°We¡¯ve got ruins to explore.¡±


    ¡°Gotta meet my mum first.¡± Rosie told them. That much was true, they had promised to head there as soon as they were back.


    The party made their way down to the main road of the village. Brand once again took a second to enjoy the beautiful river that lent the small town its name. The glistening quartz was blinding him playfully as he tried to watch the shimmering stream of water trickle down.


    He was glad to be back! Shingle City had been great fun and he¡¯d like to spend more time there, but there was something that felt right about being in Quartz Creek. This was where he¡¯d had some of the most momentous and dangerous moments of his life, just recently. Using this place as their base of operations whilst power levelling was what he was accustomed to. He knew what he was doing here. This was a place of growth.


    They were going to get Databeasts here. He could feel it.


    He lingered a little in the feeling before they continued onwards. The others had been waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± called Rosie as she walked into the inn. Some of the regulars cheered. Her mother, Lily, wrapped her up in a big hug.


    ¡°Now don¡¯t leave again!¡± called Mr. Oddberg from his plate of pub grub. Rosie laughed.


    Brand saw that construction was beginning between Silverstar Inn and the Item Emporium. The two were being merged into one identity, both for travelers ease of use and so that Marius could help out at the inn whilst watching his shop.


    ¡°How was it away from home? You can come back anytime¡± asked Lily.


    ¡°It was great. Missed you though.¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± sighed Lily. ¡°Guess what you really missed is the food, huh? Sit down and I¡¯ll make you all a plate.¡±


    Rosie smiled sheepishly. They all sat down. Marius came over and joined their table. They briefed him on what they¡¯d been doing since he left, and explained that they¡¯d come back mostly to follow up on Ravena¡¯s research on Renscamp and then they¡¯d gain levels there before heading to QBEA. Brand explained that he¡¯d made a deal with Thaddeus, and who he was. Marius didn¡¯t seem to be too impressed.


    ¡°You seem to be playing risky. You might make yourself another enemy you can¡¯t beat there.¡± Marius told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to betray him. I couldn¡¯t if I wanted to. I need to find Ember and Kelvin,¡± said Brand.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t drag Rosie into a big firestorm, alright? If it was just you I¡¯d laugh along and tell you to have fun, be young. Make enemies and try not to die. But if you get Rosie hurt because you were acting a fool, you won¡¯t have the guards or Thaddeus to worry about.¡± said Marius.


    Rosie was talking away with Mr. Oddberg, who was regaling her with his own stories of Shingle City. She stopped and turned to Marius. ¡°I trust Brand. If he doesn¡¯t act like a fool we¡¯re going to have some boring adventures.¡±


    Brand laughed and shrugged at Marius. ¡°I¡¯ll be smart. We¡¯ll get stronger. We¡¯re catching up levels on Thaddeus daily.¡±


    ¡°And his goons?¡± asked Marius.


    ¡°Those too¡± said Brand. Marius didn¡¯t press the issue, but Brand didn¡¯t get the impression he was pleased. Maybe the man regretted encouraging Rosie to leave? Brand didn¡¯t know. But Rosie¡¯s defence of him warmed his heart. He knew Rosie was partly defending herself, as she wanted to have proper adventures and would hate to see Brand¡¯s adventuring spirit crushed down, but he also knew she was telling the truth about trusting him.


    After dinner Ravena pulled out some ordnance maps of the area they were going to go to tomorrow.


    ¡°Alright, Renscamp starts here,¡± she said, pointing out a slightly elevated area. ¡°And it¡¯s mostly dense forest around it. There seems to be a path that continues up here¡­¡± Ravena traced a slender finger along the page that was showing mostly wood. ¡°But it¡¯s completely covered now. We¡¯ll know it was there by the rock piles by the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of those? Something to mark the path?¡± asked Tommen.


    ¡°As far as we know it¡¯s a remnant of culture from the old world. We don¡¯t know why. And Databeasts tend to leave them alone, uninterested.¡± Ravena explained.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± said Brand. There was so much they didn¡¯t know about the old world. They mostly just knew when they arrived in this one. He thought it was really cool that they kept that continuity. Perhaps he should start putting rocks in piles?


    ¡°And then what are we doing?¡± asked Tommen.


    ¡°Right now we¡¯re just looking for ruins. Finding any sort of structure would be very useful for us to record, so we can decode it later. Any kind of inscription, even better. Some sort of technology would be absolutely amazing, so keep your eyes peeled.¡± Ravena explained. ¡°And of course any strong Databeasts to defeat would be great.¡±


    The other three nodded. They sat around talking for a while before retiring upstairs to their rooms. Brand thought a lot about where they were going as he lay in bed. The other adventures he¡¯d had were fun, but there was something special about going on one for research purposes.


    He wondered if he¡¯d meet Rizzo and Harlow out there. He was glad he hadn¡¯t seen them today in Quartz Creek. He¡¯d known that he wouldn¡¯t, but his instincts had still been yelling at him to look around every corner.


    He knew that thinking about such things would only stress him out, so he put them to one side and fell into the world of sleep.


    Brand dreamt of an endless black, populated solely by gigantic Databeast carvings. He wandered about them in wonder, touching them and feeling them connect with him. It was nice. He was trying to find one in particular though¡­ The problem was that there were too many; just endless totems for as far as the eye could see, as far as the heart could feel. He wandered onwards.

 EE26 - Minimap

    Ravena had gathered them all in her room at the crack of dawn. ¡°We¡¯re not taking the ordnance map. We¡¯re doing one better.¡±


    She produced a small eyeglass shaped thing, similar to a kaleidoscope Brand had played with as a child.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± asked Tommen, impressed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Rosie. Brand also wanted to know.


    ¡°A minimap,¡± said Ravena.


    ¡°Woah. How did you get that?¡± asked Brand. A minimap was a very useful thing. It was an interactive map of a place that updated the user''s HUD to show a small map in the bottom corner. Every time a user looked through the minimap it would update their location on the small map in the corner of their vision. They were rarely used; they cost a lot to make and didn¡¯t have a huge amount of versatility as they only covered a small amount of Excoria. Only the higher level adventurers made the most out of them, really.


    ¡°We have a few of them back at the College. They¡¯re quite useful. Rosie, why don¡¯t you have a look through and tell me why?¡± said Ravena.


    ¡°Me? Sure,¡± said Rosie, taking the kaleidoscope-like object and peering through. She took her eye off and blinked, looking around. ¡°Woah, this is weird. Takes some getting used to.¡± She blinked one eye and then the other, then rubbed her eyes. She stopped for a second with a look on her face as if she was concentrating. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ in the middle of a forest? Is this broken?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken. It¡¯s working exactly as it should. But it¡¯s showing a forest where we know there¡¯s buildings. Why is that?¡± Ravena smiled. Brand had some ideas but Tommen beat him to it.


    ¡°Because the minimap was recorded before Quartz Creek was built.¡± Guessed Tommen.


    ¡°Bang on,¡± said Ravena. ¡°We¡¯ll be using this as it has a good survey of the old Rowenscamp Ruins. So it¡¯s actually not useful at all for telling us where things actually are but as far as where things should be this is as good as it gets. It¡¯s a copy of an older one we have, we can¡¯t let the original out, but these old maps do make searching for ruins rather easier. It¡¯s mostly what I went back to get.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡± said Rosie. ¡°This is so cool! I¡¯m going to use this all over town.¡±


    ¡°We can take the scenic route,¡± laughed Ravena. ¡°That¡¯s the good thing about starting early. We¡¯ll basically be following the river for quite a while, so that should cover a lot of the town anyway. Why don¡¯t you all have a look, and we¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Rosie handed the kaleidoscope-like thing to Brand and he looked through. A kaleidoscope was actually a decent description for it. It was a large map of the area around him that was nominally 2D but split into countless fractals. As he moved his eye around different parts of the map gained depth. It wasn¡¯t quite 3D but¡­ 2.5D? It was a really odd experience and he couldn¡¯t quite tell what he was looking at, save that there was a river and some sparse forest¡­ possibly some ruins in there if he followed the river? It was hard to isolate a single fractal and if he moved slightly then the fractals seemed to race around his vision.


    He took the kaleidoscope down and blinked like Rosie had. Interesting! There was now a little version of the map, very zoomed in and around his current location, detailing the things around him. He looked around and it stayed in his HUD. It was strange to have something permanently there. Usually it just told him how many BITs and how much EXP he got. It was odd, but he felt like he could dismiss it and bring it back if he wanted. Just like flexing a mental muscle.


    Rosie was right, they were basically just surrounded by trees with the occasional clearing popping up around them. It was pretty interesting to see what the Quartz Creek of centuries past looked like. He wondered what made them choose this spot in particular for a new village colony. It didn¡¯t seem particularly special. The creek running through it was nice, but why this part of the creek? Something he¡¯d probably never know. It just made the whole experience of looking back into the past more visceral for him.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tommen looked through the kaleidoscope now and reacted in much the same way as the other two, a bit like a cat clumsily trying to get something off its face that it couldn¡¯t remove. It was a somewhat jarring thing having a spot in your vision permanently covered by something, especially a little minimap that you could actually read.


    The four got moving. Rosie kept a hold of the minimap kaleidoscope and occasionally squealed out loud about various things. ¡°The old amphitheater used to be a big clearing!¡±, ¡°the creek was so much bigger! And had a big bend here!¡± and similar things. Brand found it very wholesome to listen to, but it made him miss home. He wondered if there were any repositories containing old minimaps of Cabletown? It would have been fun. But he was happy just to listen to Rosie go on.


    They travelled through Quartz Creek by river, a way that Brand hadn¡¯t been before. It was a beautiful walk through the decaying town and he really got to see the emptiness of the place. Much like Cabletown, Quartz Creek just had neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods full of empty houses. They eventually reached a wall surrounding the town.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to have to climb this. Easiest way over, you¡¯re alright with that aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Ravena. Rosie looked at the two boys, who looked at each other and burst out laughing.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t stop us if you wanted to.¡± Remarked Tommen. Brand laughed.


    ¡°We¡¯re old hands at this,¡± said Brand. The wall wasn¡¯t anywhere near as big at the one back at Cabletown. It was about ten or eleven feet high.


    ¡°I¡¯ll boost, then you guys help me up?¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s very polite of you,¡± said Ravena. ¡°Go on then.¡±


    Tommen got in position with his back against the wall and his hands cupped, ready to launch the others up the wall behind him. Ravena took a short run up and bounded off his hands. He threw her up, but she showed off her athleticism. She soared up onto the wall and landed on it daintily with both feet.


    Rosie was next and she didn¡¯t show off quite the same skill. She put her strength on display though, as she was set to go straight over the wall until Ravena grabbed her. Brand was next.


    ¡°Just like old times, eh?¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°It was like, a few weeks ago,¡± laughed Brand. He ran up next and Tommen boosted him. He grabbed out for the lip of the wall as it approached him and he swung himself up with the easy momentum of the jump. He sat down on top of the wall with a leg on either side and one hand grabbing the lip, then leaned towards Tommen. Tommen did a run up and managed to run up the wall for a few steps before coming into contact with Brand¡¯s hand. They grasped each other and Brand helped him up the last bit. They jumped off the other side into the tall grass and continued following the small creek, still shining beautifully. In the shade of the trees it lost some of its blinding aspect, but none of its lustre.


    They encountered several Databeasts on the way to the Rowenscamp ruins, which parted from the river only briefly. The Databeasts were generally what they had encountered before; Thunderkiwi, Twizard, Authorn and a Speron. They were easily defeated in their multitudes, but they still felt more difficult than other ones they had fought. None of the Databeasts had reached the Emergent stage, but Brand suspected they were close. The amount of EXP and BITs he had received were high, even though they¡¯d been split four ways. Eventually they got to their destination.


    Rowenscamp itself was a bit of a disappointment to Brand, honestly. He¡¯d expected something with a bit more grandiosity. There wasn¡¯t really much there. Nine large stones were arranged in a circle with a central pillar reaching high up. Ravena called it a megalithic imitation and said similar things were made in the old world. The central stone pillar was fairly impressive, being around ten metres tall. The area was idyllic and lush surrounding the stones; Brand just wasn¡¯t sure what they were really supposed to be doing there.


    He took a look through the minimap kaleidoscope, which updated the map in his HUD. Sure enough, the megalithic imitation ruins were there. There was supposedly a road leading off from them on the map, but all that he could see was forest.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve been here before, but Renscamp should be so much bigger. With the map, we should be able to figure out the actual size of it, get the lay of the land and see what the surrounding structures are used for-¡±


    ¡°What kind of Databeast is that?¡± asked Rosie, looking upwards.


    Staring down at them atop the central stone pillar was indeed a Databeast. It was a big ball of yellow, black and silver. Two translucent wings stuck out from either side of it. It was an enormous bumblebee about the size of a dog. Its two back legs and its stinger were entirely mechanical, as were parts of its face. It looked down at them, but didn¡¯t appear to be aggressive. That alone was rare for a Databeast. Brand had never seen one looking like this. He looked at Ravena.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s rare. What type of Databeast are you, little one?¡± asked Ravena. She readied her bow.


    It turned around and waved its bum in a dance at them, and then spun back around and looked at them expectantly.


    Ravena lowered her bow and looked at them confused, then looked back up at the bumblebee Databeast and spoke one word aloud. ¡°What?¡±

 EE27 - BumBum

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be aggressive¡­¡± said Rosie as the bumblebee Databeast shook its bum at them in a dance once again.


    ¡°And yet it isn¡¯t running away. Very odd. A Juvenile Databeast like that should have rushed us. And yet it¡¯s¡­ trying to communicate?¡± said Ravena, puzzled. She put her bow away now, all thoughts of trying to take down the flying Databeast gone from her mind. She was much more interested in figuring out this curiosity.


    ¡°Hey Databeast! I don¡¯t know where you want us to go! But if you lead us, we¡¯ll follow,¡± yelled Tommen.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± asked Rosie.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a fairly bad idea,¡± said Brand. ¡°This Databeast is clearly intelligent and could be leading us right into a trap. With that being said, I really don¡¯t think we should miss out on an opportunity like this.¡± He addressed the Databeast after. ¡°Hey Databeast, do you have a name?¡±


    ¡°BZZ!¡± The Databeast buzzed excitedly. Brand guessed that meant it did. It took off and flew a few circles around them before landing back on the megalith. This was not the behaviour of a wild Databeast.


    ¡°Can you tell us your name?¡± Brand asked, taking the lead in communications.


    ¡°Bzz.¡± It buzzed noncommittally, as if unsure. It tapped its abdomen twice with its mechanical leg, then buzzed at them.


    ¡°Abdomen?¡± asked Ravena.


    ¡°Bzz.¡± It buzzed negatively, a short and sharp thing that sounded like a no to Brand¡¯s mind. Clearly the Databeast knew how to communicate with humans.


    ¡°It tapped the black patch? Is your name Black? Fuzz? Bee?¡± asked Tommen. It buzzed no to all three. It landed on the ground several metres from them and tapped its abdomen with its mechanical leg again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it.¡± said Rosie. ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t telling us its name.¡± The Databeast buzzed in a noncommittal way again.


    The bumblebee tapped twice on the ground and then scraped a few times, motioning with its whole body. It gave Brand the impression of a come here signal.


    ¡°You want us to go over there?¡± he asked. The Databeast buzzed excitedly and then negatively. Brand gave the others a puzzled look. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what that means.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should go over there?¡± said Tommen. The four started moving towards the Databeast and it took off into the air, moving backwards by about a metre. ¡°BZZ. Bzz.¡± It buzzed excitedly then negatively again.


    ¡°You want¡­ just one of us to go over there?¡± Brand asked.


    ¡°BZZ.¡± This time the bumblebee buzzed excitedly but didn¡¯t follow it up with a negative, so Brand took that as a yes.


    ¡°Okay this definitely feels like a trap,¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°You guys have got my back, right?¡± asked Brand as he started hesitatingly walking towards the Databeast.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Tommen, holding his staff. Brand saw Ravena draw her bow again, but not knock an arrow in there.


    When Brand was around a metre from the Databeast it buzzed negatively again and he stopped. The Databeast seemed skittish.


    It approached him, but took a long circular route to him so that it approached him from the side. Brand kept a hold of his shield, just in case. The Databeast was walking slowly, but he was ready for it to burst into action. Still, he wanted to give it a chance. He didn¡¯t think it could do a lot of damage before the others got to him. He trusted them.


    The bumblebee Databeast walked up to him slowly and extended a furry leg up to about his waist, and then patted him on the side of his arse twice. It then quickly retreated and then buzzed at him.


    ¡°...what on Excoria was that?¡± Brand looked down at his legs, then back at the Databeast. ¡°Your name is Bum?¡± It dawned on him. The bumblebee Databeast buzzed yes no again, then patted the ground twice. ¡°Your name is BumBum!?¡± exclaimed Brand, as if solving a difficult riddle. It was a real eureka moment.


    ¡°BZZ!¡± The bumblebee Databeast, BumBum, buzzed excitedly once more and took off again, circling the group in the air a few more times before landing back down on the megalith stone. It did its little dance again, then took off and landed near the forest, where the minimap showed an old path once was.


    ¡°Well. That was certainly something,¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°Did that really just happen?¡± laughed Rosie, as Brand walked back to the group. BumBum looked at them in confusion.


    Brand shook his head, still somewhat amazed at the short interaction. It was not what he expected he¡¯d be doing today. ¡°Ravena,¡± he said, ¡°what do you say we should be doing?¡±


    ¡°Right now I just want to go back to the College and make sure that interaction was written down for posterity,¡± she laughed. ¡°Honestly, I think Dalton would be fascinated with it. I''ve never seen a wild Databeast smack someone in the arse before.¡±


    ¡°Very funny,¡± said Brand, but he also started laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Databeasts were terrifying creatures that all adventurers feared, even more so when they acted abnormally. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    But the bumblebee was cute! Though perhaps even that was a trick. Brand was still uncomfortable with the way the Anugent had tricked his mind, so he hesitated to trust this Databeast. But he trusted he could keep himself protected - the Anugent had messed with his mind, but the Anugent had paid the price.


    Ravena spoke. ¡°Well the bumblebee is going the same way we are. I guess we''ll head down the path and see where it goes.¡±


    BumBum seemed to understand them because it buzzed excitedly again. ¡°BZZ.¡± It moved its metal legs and then took off. They headed after it, but soon enough it flew back to them, landing a few metres behind them and wiggling its antenna. It buzzed aggressively.


    ¡°What¡¯s it doing that for?¡± asked Rosie, right before a Bushgle burst out of the forest line and headed straight at them. These plant Databeasts blended into the background of a certain area and then jumped out at unsuspecting travellers. As its name suggested, it looked much like a bush, with two big yellow eyes glaring out from the darkness of its body and two lithe wooden clawed legs that lifted the entirety of its body off the ground. It ran at the adventurers, flailing thorny vines at them.


    Ravena aimed her bow and shot in a flash, hitting dead centre. Tommen took the lead after that. It was moments like this where the staff really shined. For Rosie or Brand to get in close to the Bushgle would probably require them to take a few grazes from the flailing vines, for Tommen he could keep them at well beyond arm''s length and use the staff to trap and wrap them. It tried to pull the staff out of his hands and engage in a tug of war contest, but before it could begin properly testing the strength of the blond lad, Brand and Rosie had already burst out from around him and flanked the Bushgle from either side. A few hits from both of them and it went down.


    BumBum buzzed happily and took off again, leading them down the old road. Brand checked the minimap and they were still heading the right way.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± said Ravena. ¡°This little one might be more useful than I was expecting.¡±


    They continued down the path the minimap had marked out for quite some time. They knew they were on the right track as they continuously passed little stacks of stones - cairns. The bumblebee Databeast continuously flew back to them whenever a Databeast approached, allowing Ravena to get some hits in before it reached the party, speeding up their training considerably. Ravena had brought Clerk out so it could get some EXP, and it seemed to enjoy following the bumblebee Databeast, barking excitedly whenever it flew back towards them.


    At some point, BumBum stopped and circled in midair, buzzing negatively at something. It was making tight circles, making it easy to pinpoint what it was referring to.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± said Ravena, ¡°you see that, right there? Coming out of the ground, like a pink star?¡±


    Brand squinted. Indeed there was something coming out of the ground. It looked like it could be a weird plant, or possibly an odd type of fungus. It twitched slightly as he looked at it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Snaptooth. I¡¯ve seen them before, but not around here. It¡¯s hiding underground, sensing for when we get close enough, and then it¡¯ll burst out the ground and rip us to shreds. It only has that short burst though, if it doesn¡¯t get you then, then it¡¯s slow moving and we should be able to handle it no problem. Watch what happens when I shoot it,¡± said Ravena.


    Brand readied his sword and shield whilst Ravena aimed up her shortbow.


    There was an eerie silence broken only by the buzzing of the bumblebee Databeast. Then a twang and a whistling as the arrow sailed through the air, hitting its mark perfectly. This triggered an explosion of soil as two long clawed paws followed a long furred snout out of the ground and up in the air. It was a sort of gigantic crocodilian mole. Its snout took up at least a third of the length of its hunched up body and the gnashing the Databeast performed in the air whilst it scrambled for prey revealed several rows of serrated teeth. Its body was quite hunched and it had a long tail. This was the only place with scales.


    Ravena had been readying another arrow during the chaos. The Databeast realised there was nothing around him to snack on, so it made an immediate beeline for the party. Clerk barked at it as he transformed into something more intimidating. It did nothing to slow the Snaptooth down, but Ravena managed to get another arrow in before the Databeast closed in.


    Immediately the party broke into formation once more. Tommen took on the front, shoving his staff straight into the face of the Databeast as Brand and the girls surrounded it. It clearly couldn¡¯t turn quickly, but its strength was immense. A clawswipe sent Tommen reeling backwards and it turned on Brand next. His sword was buried haft-deep into its side, and he couldn¡¯t pull it out in time as it turned. That was fine, it would do damage over time.


    Brand put both hands behind his buckler as the thing snapped at him with its gigantic mouth. Serrated teeth smashed into the top and the bottom of his buckler, centimetres away from his forearms. He kept himself in place and held as the gigantic Databeast tried to bite down on him.


    Brand flowed his energy into the shield, hoping to reinforce it better. He could feel the fire energy flowing through his hands directly into the buckler. It began heating up hotter and hotter and in a few seconds he could feel it affecting the more sensitive parts of his face, namely his lips and his eyes. He squinted a little as the roasting heat came his way, but he knew his fire resistance was high and would protect him. The Snaptooth had seemingly no such defense. It thrashed its head around in response, trying to throw Brand around. Its instincts wouldn¡¯t let it let go of what it had bitten, so it could only react spasmodically.


    With the others attacking it from the flanks, it was just a matter of seconds until the Databeast disappeared into aether. Brand¡¯s sword clattered to the floor.


    BumBum buzzed happily.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯m rethinking this Databeast,¡± said Rosie, ¡°it might be the best thing that ever happened to us. I don¡¯t want to know how it would have ended if we¡¯d not realised the Snaptooth was there. It could have torn us apart.¡±


    ¡°Too right, it was strong as anything. Sent me flying,¡± said Tommen. ¡°You alright there Brand?¡± He asked upon seeing Brand looking down at his shield still. ¡°It didn¡¯t get you, did it?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Well, almost. But I got it.¡± Brand touched the outside of his shield. It was still hot, but not searing like it was before. ¡°It¡¯s cooled down. Touch it though,¡± he handed the shield to Tommen.


    ¡°Damn! Careful!¡± exclaimed Tommen as he passed the shield from hand to hand like he was playing hot potato. Brand snatched it back. Tommen continued. ¡°That¡¯s it cooled down? Sounds like you¡¯ve found a way to manifest your Element! Great stuff man!¡± He clapped Brand on the shoulder.


    ¡°Oh well done!¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°Congrats. This is turning into quite the fruitful excursion, and we¡¯ve barely started,¡± laughed Ravena.


    ¡°Cheers,¡± said Brand, picking up his sword. ¡°It feels good. Just happened naturally. Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If this little one keeps finding Databeasts before they can get the jump on us, we might have to turn this into a proper hunt,¡± said Ravena. BumBum buzzed.


    ¡°Say, BumBum,¡± began Tommen, ¡°if you can find Databeasts, how about Databeast eggs?¡±


    ¡°BZZ. Bzz.¡± The Databeast buzzed excitedly and then negatively.


    Brand¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ maybe?¡±

 EE28 - The Flux And Stasis Research Facility

    BumBum buzzed in the affirmative. Brand was astounded. The large cyborg bee might really be able to lead them to Databeast eggs. This whole excursion was getting weirder and weirder.


    ¡°Will you lead us to them?¡± asked Tommen excitedly. He was practically frothing at the mouth at the prospect of getting a Databeast of his own.


    BumBum buzzed a maybe again.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Tommen to Brand. At some point Brand had become the official BumBum whisperer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Brand said. ¡°Will you lead us there now?¡± he asked the bee.


    BumBum buzzed in the negative.


    ¡°When will you lead us to them?¡± said Brand. BumBum just did his little bum-shaking dance again, the same one he¡¯d been doing when they had met the Databeast earlier. ¡°Are you taking us somewhere else first? And then you¡¯ll take us to the Databeast eggs?¡±


    BumBum buzzed in the affirmative.


    ¡°Woah¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°Do you mind, Ravena?¡± asked Brand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to derail your entire excursion.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. If it really can find Databeast eggs for you guys then we should follow it. Besides, this interaction is extremely interesting,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Well lead the way, BumBum!¡± said Tommen, full of vigour.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too caught up. If it can speak, it can lie. It might just be trying to convince us to do something for it¡±, Ravena warned.


    BumBum buzzed in the negative.


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow you little Databeast,¡± said Ravena, ¡°but we¡¯ll move slowly, and you keep telling us where the Databeasts are.¡± BumBum flew in an excited circle around them.


    And that was how they progressed, occasionally spotting ruins. BumBum was leading them up and down through densely wooded forest, though even the bee Databeast seemed to be hindered by it. It had changed from giving them plenty of time to prepare, to warning them of attacks just briefly before a Databeast came sprinting out of the woods, or ambushed them from the undergrowth. They were getting a lot of EXP though, and Rosie and Brand had levelled up in no time. They took a break then to celebrate, before setting off again. The cairns they were passing got smaller and smaller as they travelled on. The road was nonexistent.


    ¡°Where do you think we¡¯re going?¡± asked Rosie.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading sort of in-line with QBEA,¡± said Ravena, checking the mini-map. ¡°Soon we¡¯re going to go out of the range of this thing. It doesn¡¯t map this far. There is a little road leading this way though. It was either old even by that time, or it was simply rarely used. I¡¯m starting to think we¡¯re being led somewhere very interesting.¡±


    They continued following the Databeast until it reached a clearing with a large mound of grass covered mud sticking up out of the ground, around the height and circumference of a large house, with a large metal pole sticking out of the top. It had a large round pure white cylinder at its peak. BumBum landed onto the mound and crawled into a small opening present on the mound, just about the perfect size for the Databeast. Then it flew back out and landed near the front of the mound, where it shook its bum again.


    ¡°Oh wow,¡± said Ravena. ¡°That¡¯s an energy gathering array. It takes ambient electromagnetic energy and channels it into the ground. It¡¯s basically free energy. There¡¯s only a couple in QBEA. It must be leading into a building of some kind¡­ One that was intentionally covered in dirt?¡±


    ¡°BZZ.¡± BumBum buzzed affirmatively.


    ¡°Okay. So you¡¯re hiding something in there.


    ¡°BZZ-bzz¡± BumBum buzzed a maybe.


    ¡°Do you want us to go in?¡± Brand asked the Databeast.


    BumBum buzzed affirmatively.


    The party looked around a little bit before Brand asked another question. ¡°How..?¡±


    The bee Databeast walked up to the large muddy mound and sunk its robotic back legs into the mud. A whirring started up and suddenly the bee was sending mud flying, backing up as it did so. It moved in seconds what it would have taken Brand a minute with a shovel to do. The party stepped back as dirt and grass clumps flew all around them.


    Within no time at all, BumBum had built a human sized entrance into the mound that revealed a hard steel door, with the numbers 031 printed in blue.


    ¡°Guess that¡¯s how,¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°BumBum¡­ did you build this mound around the building?¡± asked Brand.


    ¡°BZZ!¡± BumBum buzzed proudly.


    ¡°Is this a hive? Are there going to be more of you in there?¡± asked Rosie curiously, peering about.


    ¡°Bzz,¡± BumBum replied.


    ¡°Guess not then. Shame, we could have used a whole bunch of you,¡± laughed Tommen.


    ¡°Is it dangerous in there?¡± Ravena asked.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°BZZ.¡± Came the reply from BumBum. Yes.


    ¡°Can we handle it?¡± Brand pondered.


    BumBum turned its head to the side as he looked them up and down with its big eyes. ¡°BZZ-bzz. BZZ.¡± Maybe. Yes.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t, is there an easy way out?¡± He followed up.


    ¡°Bzz.¡±


    ¡°But you still want us to go in.¡±


    ¡°BZZ.¡±


    ¡°We might die in there,¡± said Brand.


    ¡°BZZ,¡± BumBum replied.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m ready if you guys are,¡± said Tommen, hefting his staff.


    ¡°Professor Dalton would kill me if I didn¡¯t go in there, so I¡¯m risking death either way,¡± laughed Ravena.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to die. But if we were, it¡¯s nice to do it close to home,¡± said Rosie, thinking of her mother.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way then,¡± said Brand. He knew excursions could flip from calm to highly dangerous in a heartbeat, and he was leery of that happening to them here. Especially after being brought to a strange building by an even stranger Databeast.


    Brand walked up to the door, twisted the handle and pushed. It took some heft as the door was solid and heavy but when it did open it opened smoothly. It was either very well made or someone was taking care of it.


    Lights flickered on as the door opened. A pale blue glow spread throughout the room they were in. It looked like a reception room. There was a large desk in the middle with some sort of terminal on it, though as Brand approached it he noticed the desk was in a state of serious decay. He touched a corner lightly and it crumbled through.


    Not so well maintained, then.


    The rest of the room was populated by a few sparse chairs and lamps. There were some windows, but all he could see from here was the dark brown of the mud packed tightly against it.


    The rest of the party followed him into the room.


    ¡°Well this looks civilised,¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°Very well preserved,¡± Ravena added. ¡°Stasis & Flux Research Unit? I¡¯ve never heard of this. Just where are you taking us, little bee?¡±


    She directed the question towards the Databeast that had followed them into the room. It walked its way over to the only doorway, glass double doors leading both up and down. It planted itself before them and gave a ¡°BZZ¡± before heading through the double doors and up the stairway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose this terminal still works,¡± said Ravena, pushing a few buttons on it. She poked around a bit, trying to turn it on to no avail. BumBum made its way back downstairs and buzzed at them, before turning back around and heading up the way it came.


    ¡°Guess not,¡± laughed Tommen.


    ¡°Did the Databeast just sass you?¡± Rosie joined in.


    ¡°Would you believe, this isn¡¯t the first time¡­¡± grumbled Ravena as the party made it through the double doors. There were two different directions, one stairwell leading up and one leading down. The stairs were a hard, shiny metal. Red light hummed over both directions ominously. The clacking of BumBum¡¯s cyborg legs against the metal stairs as it climbed convinced Brand which direction he ought to be heading in.


    He hesitated a little, moving slowly on the first few stairs after seeing the state the table with the terminal had been in, but the stairs themselves were pristine. They held his weight perfectly fine, so his confidence in the building had grown a lot by the time he¡¯d reached the top. Here there was another set of double doors, but these had no windows. They were solid metal, with a thick bar laid across them. It¡¯d be easy to lift the bar off, but Brand had a feeling it was sealed for a reason. BumBum stood by expectantly. Brand walked up to the metal double doors and placed his hand on them.


    He could almost feel an ominous presence. There was something dangerous on the other side. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was imagining things due to BumBum, but he felt he could feel it through the energy of the door. One thing was certain though, he wasn¡¯t going in there unready.


    ¡°Flux,¡± said Ravena, reading the sign.


    ¡°I think the danger BumBum warned about is on the other side of this door,¡± said Brand to the others.


    ¡°BZZ¡± BumBum agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the front. Tommen will take the side and intercept and control. Rosie, stay behind me until it''s your time to shine. Ravena, take whatever shots you can get. I¡¯ve got a feeling this thing won¡¯t be as friendly as BumBum,¡± said Brand, taking one side of the metal bar as Tommen took the other. Together they lifted it and set it aside. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked. The others nodded.


    Brand pushed the doors open with his buckler, sending the energy from his element stone flowing into it and reinforcing it as best he could.


    The doors opened out into a very large room full of scientific looking equipment all around the walls. There was a large central structure of terminals with a pole running through it, the very same one they¡¯d seen from outside. And in front of the pole there was a huddled mass that was now rising on its hooved legs to display its full form. Its face was as that of a horse grimacing, lips pulled back permanently to present a terrifying visage with glowing red eyes and bone stretching at its skin. Its two, bipedal legs were that of a horse also but they led into a well muscled human looking torso, which continued down into its arms. The similarities stopped at the elbow however, as wicked, thick blades sprouted down from the upper arm. Blades that could easily decapitate a person, judging by their size and sharpness.


    Brand froze as the horrifying Databeast rose to its full height of nine feet. Its glowing red eyes fixed on him and it started sprinting. Fast.


    ¡°Get back!¡± he yelled, backpedalling out of the door. It had barely been a few seconds but somehow the Databeast had accelerated unbelievably fast and was barrelling towards him at a breakneck speed.


    ¡°Tommen, I¡¯ll need you!¡± he called as he raised his shield and sword. He felt his energy flowing into the shield, reinforcing and reinforcing it.


    Tommen had readied himself but he was still unprepared when the living blade burst through the double doors a moment later, smashing them swinging into the walls with a clang in pursuit of Brand.


    One dreadful arm stabbed towards Brand¡¯s middle, which he deflected with his buckle. The second arm was alright scything across towards his head. His sword was raised to stop it, but it wasn¡¯t needed. Tommen had acted true to Brand¡¯s orders and had managed to intercept it with his staff, striking the Databeast in the upper arm. Brand used the opportunity and his already raised sword to stab it in its gaunt, humanlike chest.


    It roared but its assault was undeterred as it pushed Brand backwards with stabs and slashes like a mad, wild beast. He did everything he could to keep it at bay, and Tommen was instrumental in that, but he was being pushed back against the railing beside the stairs. They were all exchanging wild blows.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help!¡± called Rosie. BumBum was buzzing loudly. It was pure chaos, but Brand¡¯s mind realised the issue. With the creature in the doorway and Brand pushed back as far as he could go, only he and Tommen could get involved, and it was beating them. He needed to get it into the room so that Ravena and Rosie could get involved with the Databeast and they could hit it from all angles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll push it back! Get in the room when I do!¡± Brand called.


    ¡°He hunkered down behind his buckler and rushed the Databeast, wildly fending off attacks and getting far too close for comfort. Tommen was assisting any way he could, likely saving Brand¡¯s life several times as Brand recklessly charged forward. His brazen charge managed to send the creature back into the room, and he managed to hold off the wicked blades that arced devilishly towards him, but as he was so focussed on the bladed arms that Brand put up no defence as the horrifying face bit down into his shoulder, horse teeth like tombstones breaking through his flesh. He screamed in pain.

 EE28 - The Stasis Room

    Brand screamed out in pain as the gigantic horse Databeast bit into the flesh between his shoulder and his neck, right in his trapezius muscle. He had been so busy fending off the attacks from the forearm blades that he was completely unprepared for the Databeast¡¯s other weapons. It was the most pain he¡¯d felt in a long time, and as much as he wanted to recoil from the shock, he couldn¡¯t. He had to push the monstrous bipedal horse Databeast back. His mind blanked white as the fire energy of his element surged through him up his back to his open wound with the creature still biting deep.


    And then from the corner of his eye he saw crimson and white.


    Before he realised what was going on the Databeast was itself reeling back with badly burnt lips and braying loudly and deeply from its thick neck. Brand¡¯s body had responded like a firecracker, materialising fire in the real world as a natural defensive mechanism, though it had only worked because the horse had stayed latched on. The wound above his shoulder had been cauterized and the element was permeating through it, reinforcing the damaged parts.


    Brand had no time to stop in amazement at the process though, as he was still in grave danger. Luckily his actions had bought everyone else a bit of space, and they all managed to pile into the Flux room with him and surround the Databeast. Now if it focussed solely on him it would be smacked, shot, and sliced in the back. Also bitten, Brand noticed, as Clerk had made an appearance at some point and was hovering around the enemy Databeast¡¯s ankles and biting.


    Brand took a step back from the still swinging horse Databeast, still having to defend against the vicious blades attempting to decapitate him. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy for the Databeast to pressure him now.


    His attempt to create space had unwittingly made room for an unexpected ally to get involved. BumBum, the large bee Databeast had now positioned itself on the central structure and his eyes were glowing a shade of light green. A beam of the same colour shot out of its mouth and hit the bipedal horse, causing it to whinny-scream in pain, arms flailing. Rosie had to duck well under one of its bladed forearms and roll away.


    A green hue settled around the horse Databeast, and it was noticeably slower. Brand wasted no time in following up on the attack. The others must have felt the same, as Brand heard the thwunk of an arrow as it settled into the horse Databeast¡¯s neck. Two very differently sounding hits echoed out as Rosie and Tommen both went for the legs. Rosie¡¯s was more a soft and heavy slice through the Databeast¡¯s thigh, whereas Tommen¡¯s was a loud crack as his staff connected with the Databeast¡¯s calf.


    Brand wasn¡¯t one to waste time, nor to miss a chance to get revenge, so he leapt towards the horse Databeast and plunged his shortsword into its chest. It went in easy, and the Databeast whinnied once more. It swung at Brand but BumBum hit it with another green beam and it faded into the aether. Brand felt a level up, bringing a cooling surge to counter his burning shoulder.


    ¡°Whew! You all good Brand?¡± asked Tommen.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Brand replied. He put a hand to his shoulder and it came away bloody, but the wound wasn¡¯t leaking blood like a faucet.


    ¡°Drink a potion,¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s necessary,¡± said Brand as he continued to rub his shoulder. There were clear holes where the exposed wound met air, but it was mostly holding together.


    ¡°It will be now or later. The difference is that if you have one later we¡¯ll have to go back. It¡¯d be stupid continuing this excursion with you injured,¡± Rosie told him.


    He knew she was right and that if it was someone else he¡¯d be telling them to down a potion, so he uncorked one of the potions they¡¯d bought and downed the bottle. He put the bottle in his pack and looked around, appreciating the room now that there wasn¡¯t an eight foot monster-killer horse charging down at him.


    He saw Ravena was still tensed and in fight mode, watching the large bee Databeast looking down at them, sat up on the central structure of the place, a number of terminals surrounding the pole that gave them power.


    ¡°Ravena, what is it?¡± asked Brand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see?¡± asked Ravena. ¡°This Databeast hits like a cannon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Nice one BumBum, great assist,¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°It hits so hard that I¡¯m not sure it even needed us to defeat the horse Databeast,¡± said Ravena.


    ¡°So then, why did he bring us here?¡± asked Brand.


    ¡°Exactly what I want to know,¡± said Ravena. ¡°And I¡¯m not quite sure I trust it.¡±


    ¡°Well I levelled up. So I¡¯ll take that,¡± added in Rosie.


    ¡°Same,¡± said Brand.


    ¡°Congrats,¡± said Ravena, not looking at either of them.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m happy for you two,¡± said Tommen.


    BumBum buzzed and flew down, landing before the set of terminals and placed a fuzzy leg onto the central terminal.


    ¡°Looks like it needed us to turn this thing on,¡± said Tommen.


    ¡°Well? What do you think we should do?¡± Brand asked Ravena.


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s plausible. Keep an eye on this Databeast though. It¡¯s dangerous,¡± muttered Ravena.


    BumBum buzzed affirmatively again and patted the screen.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Well we¡¯ve come this far¡­¡± said Rosie.


    ¡°If we do this, you¡¯ll get Databeast eggs for us?¡± asked Tommen.


    ¡°BZZ,¡± BumBum buzzed affirmatively.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know where to start with this,¡± said Brand as he walked up to the terminal. BumBum moved helpfully aside.


    ¡°I know a little about how to handle these things. I¡¯d be amazed if it works though,¡± said Ravena as she walked up to the terminal, removing her gloves. She placed her hand on the screen and the terminal scanned it. ¡°Looks like I can login as a guest administrator. That¡¯s interesting¡­ No access to anything except filling this place full of power.¡±


    ¡°BZZ,¡± BumBum agreed.


    ¡°So you want us to turn this place on?¡± asked Brand


    ¡°BZZ,¡± came the affirmative.


    ¡°And then what?¡± he followed up.


    BumBum pointed to the door with one leg, then pointed that leg down.


    ¡°We do this and then go down?¡± asked Brand. ¡°There isn¡¯t going to be another fight, is there?¡±


    ¡°BZZ,¡± BumBum buzzed affirmatively.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Brand, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°Well I think I¡¯m in fit shape to handle it. Up to you Ravena.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m tempted to wait to tell Professor Dalton what we¡¯re doing to plan a proper expedition. But I can¡¯t go running to him every time I discover something minor. I¡¯m an adventurer and a researcher, this is where I shine. We¡¯ll do it,¡± said Ravena, pushing some buttons on the screen.


    Lights flickered on properly within the room and the central pillar flared to life with a deep humming sound as it began to slowly spin. The sound continued to rise as the building thrummed into life.


    BumBum walked down over to the door, opened it, and began to head down the stairs.


    The party looked around a little before following the bee Databeast. BumBum was waiting for them on the ground floor, the one they had come in, but when he saw that they were following he continued down the stairs to the lower floors, metal back legs clacking ominously on the stainless steel stairs.


    ¡°Nothing for it but to follow. Everyone ready?¡± Brand asked. Everybody nodded their assent, so they headed down. Step by step step they followed the bee, until they ended in a large opening. Like above, two heavy metal doors guarded their way. Across the doors in blue paint read ¡°Stasis¡±. BumBum tapped them, clearly signalling that he wanted to head in.


    Two obstacles barred his way, one thick dark iron bar across the doors and one handprint scanner besides it. Brand and Tommen dealt with the first one through great effort, exerting everything they had just to lift the bar and slide it to the floor where it crashed down with a massive clang. Brand had needed to pull element energy into his arms just to pull the feat off.


    The second job was much less tasking for Ravena, as she walked up the handprint scanner and simply put her hand on it. There was a cable travelling down from the floor above, connected to the energy source they had turned on. It was easy to guess that the privileges given to Ravena as guest administrator would carry over down here. BumBum had wanted them in that room first for a reason; initially to turn the power on and secondly to get administrator access.


    As they had hoped, the doors opened smoothly. The party readied their weapons as Tommen and Brand walked through the door, expecting a fight.


    What they didn¡¯t expect was an enormous, singular light-blue clean cut crystal Databeast floating before them passively. There was a face seemingly carved in the crystal, but it posed a neutral expression. It hovered there, either not noticing or not caring about their presence. Behind it there was a number of seemingly scientific equipment holding all sorts. Brand slowly walked around the crystal Databeast trying to check it out, but after crossing a certain line he immediately jumped back. It was good that he did, as a long tentacle made up of many connecting shards had smashed into the ground just before him. It glowed red, as did the Databeast.


    ¡°Woah!¡± yelled Brand. He looked up at the giant crystal. It¡¯s face had turned from neutral to angry as the red colour had arrived, but both were now fading. The Databeast was turning a calm light blue once more and its face became neutral. The tentacle retracted back into the crystal creature.


    Several metres across the room, Tommen approached the line that Brand had crossed. He stuck his staff over it, retracting it back immediately as a tentacle of red crystal shards aimed directly for him. This time Brand saw what had occurred. The Databeast had reacted instantaneously. There was no way they could defeat a Databeast like this.


    A different Databeast had other plans though. BumBum sauntered over the line without a care in the world, happily dodging a crystal tentacle with a little hop to the side.


    The crystal Databeast began to glow a deep, crimson red and its face turned into the picture of anger and terror. Four tentacles dropped from its body as it began to properly awake and it went from hovering in one place to moving spasmodically. Even though it clearly was not fully locked in, it still moved extremely quickly. It shot out a tentacle that struck some sort of tripwire and the doors slammed shut behind them.


    Intelligent planning too? Thought Brand as he assessed the situation. A red crystal tentacle shot out for him again, even though he was behind the line. He jumped back, but the tentacle swept out for him and knocked him off his feet. He scrambled up, dodging a second tentacle. He felt the harsh rush of wind as the gigantic rock chain swung past him. There was very little chance they could defeat this Databeast. But then he heard a mechanical whirring from behind the gigantic crystal and a silvery metallic mixed in with the signature green BumBum had produced earlier.


    Brand saw BumBum¡¯s eyes had turned green and two circles on his back were whirring. A beam was being continuously fired out, directed at the crystal Databeast. Suddenly it seemed as if the Databeast was moving through molasses as it swung for Brand once more, but at less than half the speed. Maybe even a quarter.


    Whatever it was, the terrifying Databeast had now become laughably slow.


    Ravena¡¯s arrow hit it from the side, chipping off a large chunk of crystal. It swung one of its tentacles to hit her, but there was no way it could even get close to one as agile as her when BumBum was concentrating its beam on it like that.


    ¡°Attack!¡± yelled Brand as he ran up to the gigantic crystal Databeast. Tommen and Rosie had not needed to be told and they were there with him, chipping away at the great glassy prism.


    It took some time even with BumBum¡¯s assistance, but the crystal Databeast faded into the aether just like that. They had simply hit it over and over again and it could not defend itself or strike them back. Brand couldn¡¯t believe how such a dangerous Databeast had been reduced to a punching bag. Brand had actually had the chance to practice his strikes and make sure his form was correct!


    In his eyes, it only made BumBum more terrifying. Although the bee Databeast looked tuckered out, exhausted from the continuous use of his Tech.


    BumBum managed to stand himself up and walk over to the back of the room, a dark corner where nothing much could be seen. The lights flickered on as BumBum walked over there. A huge round tube took up much of the space, filled with some form of liquid. The party made their way over to see what BumBum had brought them down there for.


    BumBum stood against the tube and placed one fuzzy forepaw on the glass. Brand walked up to it, but a layer of icy condensation covered it. He wiped his hand over the glass to clear it up - it was freezing! But what he saw when he pulled his hand back shocked him even more.


    There was a man in the tube.