《Luck Lockyer》


 Prologue

    It was collection day and this was the last stop of the night but not nearly the end. In fact, the work hours of many involved in the underground stretch all the way to the first winks of daylight. For Luck however there was an important event tommorow morning, one he could not afford to miss, even if he had to chop off his own legs. It was the main reason that instead of arriving at the last stop at 3:00am Luck was two hours ahead of schedule. Luck walked into the restaurant, noticing the two gentlemen eating at the far corner table. Curious since it was hours past closing.


    "Mr. Ark." Luck bowed respectfully.


    "Ah, Mr. Lockyer. The monthly collection I presume? Unless you''re here for our afterhours special?" Luck had forgotten about Tuesday Afterhours.


    "Just the collection, Mr. Ark." Luck paused as he felt the sudden pang of hunger. "Actually, what are you serving? I''m famished." Luck had to admit the promise of food was attractive.


    "Well! It is not everyday we get to serve the great Luck Lockyer. Find yourself a table. I''ll be out with the menu and let the chef know you''re here."


    "Just Luck, Mr. Ark, no need for titles however useful they may be." Luck chuckled, there were worse things Mr. Ark could''ve called him.


    "Apologies, Mr. Lockyer. I''ll be right back with the menu and collection as well." The elderly man dashed off with a purposeful gait.


    Few minutes passed and Luck found himself taking a corner table in full view of the other two gentlemen occupying the restaurant. Their conversation was definitely concerning less than savory business, not that they were shy about it simply being in Mr. Ark''s restaurant at this hour spoke of your status. One man was dressed in a classic brown suit, old-style, worn and well cared for but stylish all the same. That earned him Luck''s respect. Luck actually knew him in passing, that was John Does or Peter Dimitri if you want his real name, a capable man all the same, useful in the business according to reliable sources, he was a great asset. If men in the business could have the same measure of style as that man Luck''s smile might stay plastered on his face forever.


    The other man was dressed in a simple black suit, stylish but boring. He caught Luck staring and gave him an angry look. Luck sat back in his seat noticing Mr. Ark approach.


    "Mr. Lockyer, the monthly collection. $250,000 counted and packaged." He handed over a solid black briefcase.


    "I''ll take you at your word Mr. Ark. But more importantly, the menu?" Luck grinned, sliding the briefcase under the table. "I''ve had a long day, you know how it is. Tommorow, or rather later today i''ve got a rather important meeting."


    "Of course, here you are, sir. The afterhour menu. And, ah, it''s that time of year again isn''t it? " He said sliding in and out of the role of a server. "I''ll be back to take your order." He said in response to Luck''s nod.


    It was easy to notice the bickering at the only other occupied table in the restuarant. It was easier to ignore it with the prospect of delicious food but left with the menu Luck had nothing to distract himself. In the absence of Mr. Ark the man in the black suit approached Luck, Peter close behind shaking his head. A quick glance at their table confirmed they were done with their meal. If Luck had to guess the other man had a bone to pick and Luck''s guesses were almost always right.


    "Don''t do this Cole."


    "Evening gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Luck said with a flourish and a goofy smile not quite giving them a view of his eyes.


    The man in black twitched. "John, the kid''s asking for trouble, he heard our business." He said turning to Peter.


    "Cole, there''s a reason the ki- the man is here." Peter said reasonably. "Not anyone can get into Mr. Ark''s at this hour." He was right but Luck wasn''t one to pass up a chance at fun.


    "Hey, what did you gentlemen order? I''m hopelessly stumped. I haven''t been here afterhours since my 18th birthday. Damn, a whole year huh?." Luck said trailing off, absently focusing on the menu at complete disregard to the two men. He mumbled in consideration softly to himself as he browsed the dishes.


    "Wh- he''s fucking with us John. The kid is gonna leak all of our shit. What''s a 19 year old kid doing here?" Cole said concerned.


    "Cole, I know you''re new. Sometimes you have to learn things the hard way, this is not one of those times. The ''hard way'' might actually make your life a pain. So i''m telling you right now, back the fuck off, he won''t say anything." Peter''s face was grave, but despite his warning about the ''hard way'' he didn''t make any outward moves to stop the man.


    "No." Cole said simply, turning to Luck. "I''ve staked too much on this job for a child like this to ruin my chances."


    If Luck would''ve looked up he would''ve seen Peter smile apologetically and take a small step back. He would''ve seen the vein on Cole''s face close to popping but Luck was too engrossed with the variety of choices Ark''s Dishes serves afterhours. Or so it seemed.


    "Mr. Ark, the Masa Toro with Caviar please!" Luck said raising his hand to the elderly man waiting off to the side, ignoring the two suited men.


    "Of course." He dashed in and grabbed the menu and left a cup of Luck''s favorite soda before retreating once more.


    "And Mr. Ark? Tell Ernie, as always, i''m looking forward to it." Mr. Ark paused and smiled nodding.


    "Sorry kid." The sound of the gun cocking silenced Luck.


    A gunshot and metal ding rang out. When everyone came to their senses, Luck sat there languidly holding a sleek pistol in his hand. He took a sip of his soda, there weren''t many things that truly annoyed Luck but having a gun pointed at him was one of them. Of course, killing needlessly was also one of them and so the man kept his vitals. Luck sat there, enjoying the rather loud volume of the silence. Leaving bloodstains anywhere was never appropriate, especially to Mr. Ark, it was rude and unforgivable.


    Outside, even the night was silent and if the bright stars above could gaze through the pollution and upon the restaurant they would find themselves jealous of the twinkle in the sparkling eyes staring up at the man named Cole. There was a lazy expression on the seated man, a lurking danger in the offhand way he held his weapon, a contradiction to the threat of his life in the way he sipped his drink unconcerned. Perhaps what would be most disconcerting to the stars above would be the small smirk on his visage. But to anyone involved in the underground the truly terrifying feature of the man was the color of his eyes. Amber.


    "Now look, friend." Luck said low and slow, locking on to Cole''s eyes with his own. "The one thing youdidn''twant to do was point a gun atme.The second that happens you bet your life as well as mine. And when it comes to gamblingno oneis my equal."


    "Luck Lockyer." Cole whispered, trembling. "The Amber Demon." He held his hand in pain, likely from the impact of the bullet.


    Luck glanced at Peter. "Now Cole, I know you''re new, that much is obvious. But believe me when I say, if we were anywhere but Ark''s Dishes, if this happened at any other part of the city, you''d be a corpse. And already cold. Lucky for you weareat Mr. Ark''s and you''re with John Does of all people, respectful in the business and very capable, that alone gives you some measure of leeway."


    "He won''t do it again Luck. Trust me on that one." Peter said putting a hand on his companion.


    Luck shrugged. "Consider yourself lucky Cole. I''m just here to enjoy a nice peaceful meal. Nice to meet you, mind you, the man I call my best friend tried to kill me before I really got to know him." His weapon dissapeared into his coat as he reached out his hand dispersing the tense atmosphere immediately. Time seemed to resume as held breaths were released.


    Cole finally seemed to get a hold of himself. "S-Sorry, Mr. Lockyer. If I knew it was you, I would never, I meannever." He said shaking the proffered hand.


    "Like I said, no hard feelings. Worse has happened and at worse times." Luck answered rubbing his scar. "Now if you''ll excuse me, i''ve got a meal to devour." He said gesturing off to the side to Mr. Ark.


    "No, i''m sorry, truly. Mr. Lockyer i''ll make it up to you. There''s no excuse to go pulling a weapon on anyone. I''ve had a bad month is all." Cole said to which Luck nodded. The man''s genuine sentiment was nice but Luck couldn''t really fathom how he would end up being useful.


    Luck could appreciate a man who understood the nature of debt, favors, bargains and deals. And Cole seemed to understand his current standing, though Luck really didn''t mind, he wasn''t lying when he mentioned worse had happened.


    "Come on Cole. The night''s not over, not for us." Peter said handing a dented gun to him. "Luck." He nodded as a way of goodbye.


    "Mr. Dimitri" Luck nodded back smiling at Peter''s surprise. "Take care of him and maybe get him a nicer suit, you seem like a man of fashion." The flustered man only nodded.


    Luck checked his watch noticing the time as he watched them leave. It was 1:30am and the nature of the event tommorow or rather today required him to get up early in order to accomodate the client''s schedule. It was an event that occured every year and Luck was always simultaneously excited and terrified, it demanded his entire family''s presence. His watch was a stylish silver that went well with the black hemmed pants and comfortable grey shirt he wore, of course it was hidden when he slipped on his bomber jacket. His timepiece ticked to 1:31am as Mr. Ark came to the table.


    "Masa Toro with Caviar, sir. Please take your time we''re in no rush to close. Ernie said, and these are his words not mine ''The fucker, always keeping me up at night. He''s getting fatter and fatter, that Luck.'' pardon the language." Mr. Ark said, butchering Ernie''s accent. "Of course, he said that with this usual smile." Luck could easily picture it, too.


    "Thank you, Mr. Ark. And no hard feelings towards Ernie, I know his tone well enough."


    "Don''t worry about paying Mr. Lockyer, it''s the least I can do for the disturbance tonight." Mr. Ark bowed.


    "Nonsense. It wouldn''t sit right with me. You''d be doing me a favor by letting me pay."


    The waiter and owner sighed a familiar sigh. "I seem to have forgotten how stubborn you are. If you insist." Mr. Ark smirked. "I know you have an occasion tommorow so i''ll leave you to it. Mr. Lockyer." He nodded, walking away.


    Leaving the restaurant with a full stomach, a briefcase full of money, and a package from Mr. Ark, Luck whistled happily winding through dark alleyways, taking shortcuts through shady businesses, jumping between sketchy rooftops, all while smiling and nodding to the many friends he encountered on the way. Luck knew his natural demeanor made many people think he was aloof and airheaded but he was anything but. In fact, Luck had always been aware of his surroundings to a degree not many were, so much so that he had shaken off four seperate tails. Five if you included Joe who always made it a sport to follow Luck once he passed the Cow''s Head. The man was good but Luck was better. Maybe he''d stop by and give him some tips next run,


    Despite already making his last stop, he always considered his home as thefinalstop. Because no matter Luck''s business he always ended up home at the end of the night.


    Luck walked in the middle of the street now, in an exurb. Wealthy houses surrounded him and he stopped in front of his. With a nostalgic smile he entered the front gate and gazed up at the magnificent decoy. He took an immediate right turn into the family greenhouse where he hit a switch that raised a hatch hidden in the greenery. Without hesitation Luck threw the briefcase ahead, jumped in holding the package, and enjoyed the slide into the family homebase.


    Placing the briefcase and package on the kitchen island with the others he removed his clothes and undressed, glancing up at a clock, it was already 2:00am. He took a quick shower before heading to his room.


    It was a while for Luck to fall asleep, he was never one to have trouble relaxing but tommorow was a big day. For even Luck Lockyer to acknowledge that meant that something truly huge was about to occur.


    A blaring alarm woke Luck up as he stared blearily at the ceiling. Realizing the day, his eyes sharpened as he jumped out of his bed, fixed his hair and walked into the living room.


    "Hey Dad. How is everything so far?" The legendary Rick Lockyer was usually stonefaced and emotionally sound but today he was clearly anxious.


    He had a chiseled jaw, somehow still noticeable under his brown beard. His eyes were a simple brown, yet they emenated depth and intelligence. He was a man in his 40s but retained his youth and looked more along the lines of 35. He was a healthy man who took care of his body. But the hazards of the job had him shot in the leg, so he walked with a slight limp and cane. His presence was powerful but it had a different effect depending on if you were friend, foe or family. He was dressed similarly to Luck, that is, in pajamas. Thus, his presence was nullified to a great degree. At the moment he looked like your ordinary dad.


    "Only time will tell, son. Is your sister awake?" Rick asked. "We''ll need the whole family for this."


    "Let me check." Luck said passing by some of the preparations on his way to Tate''s room.


    The food was already laid out, ready to recieve the guest. There were guns laid out across the table as well, the guest always loved a demonstration of them. Decorations in accordance with the guest''s taste were scattered all over. Luck as well as the rest of the Lockyer family couldn''t afford to have anything go wrong. If the guest was unhappy she had too much power over the Lockyer family, things could go south, fast. However, if the meeting went well the Lockyer family would be looking well for the immediate future. There was still risk involved, and the event was mandatory as it came every year but this particular individual held power over even the most powerful criminal family in the underground. That in itself spoke volumes about the guest.


    "Tate! Wake up!" Luck said knocking on her door.


    Some random incoherent muffled muttering greeted him.


    "You know what day is it right?" Luck talked through the door.


    There was a small amount of groaning and mumbling, an alarmed yelp, and a loud thud.


    Luck walked back out to the living room, his job done. In addition to the greenhouse entrance there was another passage into the homebase through the tunnels under the city which would be where the client would be coming from.


    "Time?" Rick asked.


    "Quarter past six." Luck answered.


    "How was the collection? No problems I presume." Rick asked offhandedly. Luck noticed the briefcase had dissapeared.


    "All within expectations, someone does owe me a favor now though. Oh, and Uncle Ark says hi, he brought the usual for the guest." Luck gestured to the package on the kitchen island. They were not related but Mr. Ark was always like an uncle to Luck, likely due to the relation he had with his parents.


    "We can''t afford to have Etsuji outdo us this year. Estu, cunning as always I wonder what he has in store for her this year. Even as his body ages his mind gets sharper. As per tradition, we can''t even open the package. That man, always trying to best me." Rick sighed shaking his head.


    Luck only smiled knowing the stress Uncle Ark gave his father, this was a competition and despite Mr. Ark''s demeanor he never did like to lose. Not even to his best friend.


    "I''m here! I''m here!" Tate came out in pink pajamas.


    Tate was the only child of Rick and Laura Lockyer but Luck was adopted a year previously. She had the wavy brunette hair of her mother, a round pretty face and a fit body. She was popular with the boys and Luck cringed at the man who found himself with her. Luck knew she was extremely attractive, that they were not related, and that he saw her everyday, usually in the dead hours of the night. She was intelligent and competent and almost as talented as Luck in the family business and, augmented by her good looks, she was very dangerous. But Luck had only ever seen her as one thing. Family. An innapropriate thought had never crossed Luck''s mind.


    "Morning Tate." Luck greeted her. "Really? Sleeping in, today?"


    "Morning, is she here yet? Did I miss anything?" She answered mostly ignoring Luck.


    "Nothing yet, honey." Rick answered, pouring himself some coffee. "Wait, I hear someone." Rick said suddenly, putting the mug down.


    There was a ding and the lights went out. Immediately, instincts kicked in, Luck crouched low, Rick and Tate only moments behind. The door opened, poor light from the tunnel entrance to their hideaway illuminating the silohuette of the intruder. The figure reached to the side Luck, Tate and their father were breathing hard. Luck glanced around and grabbed the nearest gun from the island. He noticed Rick reach up and grab a gun and something else from the table as well.


    Then the lights turned on and Tate was behind the figure holding something in her hand. Rick and Luck took the flanks. It was done, the intruder had been caught off guard. Again.


    Just like every other year.


    Luck smiled.


    "Happy birthday Mom!" Tate yelled.


    "Happy birthday!" Luck and Rick screamed from the sides blasting the confetti guns.


    The woman almost fainted in shock as she took in the cake in Tate''s hands. Luck realized what his Dad picked up from the table as Rick approached with the lighter.


    "You do this every year!" Laura Lockyer said angry but smiling.


    His mother was someone of elegance, composed and calm in most things she did. It was why his family enjoyed surprising her and seeing her flustered. Luck had her eyes, their entrancing quality if not the color even though they weren''t really related. Her rounded face and beauty contrasted with her husbands sharper features. She was the same age as his father but looked extremely young for her age. She had aged well. The only wrinkles she had were ones of laughter. Luck took after his mother the most, adopting her optimism even in the most grim settings.


    The Lockyers laughed into late morning, not really expecting to do anything so early. The highlight, Luck felt, was always the opening of all the presents. People were greedy, it was why something so novel as giving away things for free was special. Wine from a friend in another city. Glass ornaments from an old glassblower deep in the city who helped Laura embed herself in a rival drug cartel. Earrings from other women who had carved their way to the top of their underhanded trade. But always, Luck knew the present his mom looked forward to the most. It was such an ordinary thing, but you really don''t appreciate the difficulty it is to stop by any candy shop, they were all situated in the nicer, more safer, neighborhoods where all the families with kids were. It was why Mr. Ark''s present was always the best, why Luck''s dad always lost, and why his mom''s eyes always lit up when she opened it.


    The celebration ended rather ubruptly, a strange turn of events had each Lockyer with business to attend to. It was a nice reprieve but important matters called for the attention of one such as Luck. Still, Luck found his mouth watering at the assorted sweets Mr. Ark had gifted his Mom. Surrounded by blackmail, extortion, murder, and violence, it''s hard to find anyone worth being called a friend in the underground.


    But Luck had many friends, and it was all the more reason for things to get violent when prompted.


    The gentlemen Luck was paying a visit to dealt not in favors, blackmail, bargains, deals, extortion, or anything so subtle. This man was useful when you found yourself lacking some muscle.


    It was a chore but the walk over to the man''s place got cut quite short if you knew the right alleyways, or in this case the right rooftops to cross. And Luck knew many. So after greeting the guards with a silent gesture he entered the premises and found himself face to face with his business for the day.


    "Tell me Jack. What do you think I do? What''s my purpose in the business?" Luck stood lax, hands in his pockets, a sleepy smirk on his face. In reality he was hyper-focused, his baggy pants concealing the grip he had on his silenced weapons, his small smile a perfect distraction from his burning eyes.


    They were in Jack''s office. His place was situated deep in a mess of close rundown houses but connected well enough to the tunnel system for it not to matter. From the outside the place looked like an old abondoned house simliar to those surrounding it. Inside however the house was as normal as any other suburban dwelling albeit with a lot of polished wood furniture, a byproduct of the owner''s own sense of style. Luck grimaced as he noticed the same look in his office as the rest of the house. A terrible style had always been something capable of reversing Luck''s smirk.


    "You make sure we''re airtight, that no one crosses us." The man had a thin sheen of sweat seated in his chair. Too little for this amount of pressure, betraying the business was no small thing. To be calm in the face of retribution was highly suspicious. Although, hewasa muscular man, so it wouldn''t be a large jump in logic to assume he was just confident.


    A routine background check on Jack revealed his contacts with a small crime syndicate. One that had been an annoying but easily ignored thorn in the side of the business. A few called in favors and money in the right hands had all the loose ends tied up. Some deeper investigation on Luck''s part into Jack himself had revealed a rather interesting route to take during the interrogation as well. Now all that remained was for Luck to do what he did best.


    "Roger Daniels, Ray Vence, Joyce Han." The man shifted in his seat. "74 Tuhm Street, 981 Camino Avenue, any bells ringing Mr. Quick?" By now he was twitching in his chair as Luck mentioned his most recent contacts and rendezvous locations. But something wasn''t adding up. His movements were too choreographed for Luck''s taste.


    "N-No. No bells ringing, s-sir." Now why would he be acting scared? Something was wrong, Luck knew the signs of someone in real fear well enough. Admittedly, the man was a great actor for someone so large.


    "Maybe this will help you." Pictures scattered across Jack''s desk. Not of any evidence, that would be an unecessary use of resources. No, the pictures on the desk were of a simpler nature, a girl. In a car, in a coffee shop, working at a smoothie joint, everywhere. Just a simple girl. On closer inspection one could see she seemed to bear some resemblance to Jack.


    His eyes went from fake emotion to satisfyingly genuine terror as he realized the focus of the pictures."J-Joan...my daughter? Don''t you dare bring her into this! You fucking scum!" Jack screamed into Luck''s face, spittle flying. The first real emotion of the interrogation.


    Luck smiled with narrowed eyes as he loomed over the older man.


    "Don''t fuck with the business Jack. It''s never healthy." Luck moved to the quaint collection of whiskey on the nearby table, took the liberty of pouring himself a glass, and offered the same to Jack. "Care for a glass?"


    "Bastard." He spat, standing up to walk over to Luck. "I''ve heard about you. The piece of shitchildwho hides behind his father.Devil of the Cards? What a laugh, you think you''re actually good at gambling? I''ve got news for you kid, they''re just afraid of letting you lose. You''re just a piece of shit wanna be gangster. The Amber Demon? Give me a break. If there''s any reason to call you a devil or a demon it''s for the fact you bring innocent daughters into this, scum."


    There was a pause the length of a heartbeat and the man swung. With drink in hand, Luck ducked the blow and before Jack could even move the sound of a gun cocking came from below his chin. Luck took a sip of his whiskey as he straightened out and backed away, careful to keep his gun trained on target. The room was much too small to risk any close quarter engagements, especially versus a larger opponent. Even the whiskey was subpar, rough on the throat like the room on the eyes.


    "Now, with that done. Sit." Luck gestured to his chair with his pistol. The man didn''t move immediately so Luck shot over his shoulder, the sound of a silenced bullet, drawing a red line across his neck. "Now."


    That sent the man scrambling.


    "Why are you stalling?" Luck asked pouring himself another drink. This was gonna be a long night and Luck had no time for games. There was another problem in town that had been breathing down his neck.


    The man froze.


    "Ten seconds, Jack. Ten seconds before you and your daughter die."


    Jack Quick, ironically, quickly gave in. "Lockyer heads are going for $10,000,000 on the market. Someone really hates you guys. As of right now your family is likely dead."


    "Unlikel-"


    "I hear the Asaguy are hunting." He said, slowly as if afraid of Luck''s reaction.


    "That''s...not the best news to tell your potential killer. " Luck knew how capable they were at their job. And their job consisted of only one thing, to kill, efficiently. Luck was uncertain for his family, the necessary precautions were always taken but anything could happen.


    "Please, my daughter leave her alone, kill me if you have to. But her, to die for no reason, because of me? Please."


    "Hmm, I think I''ll let the gun decide." Luck pulled the trigger, the quiet was pierced with a single click. Of course, Luck knew exactly how many bullets he had, he even had another fully loaded gun in his other pocket. A little showmanship here and there really padded on the legend of the Amber Demon though. It was the only title that Luck didn''t immediately hate and it had been growing on him ever since. And maybe, Luck just couldn''t resist a little flair.


    Jack let out a ragged relieved sigh and slumped in his chair.


    "I coulda swore I had more bullets. Huh." Luck shrugged, opened the office door, stepped over the dead bodies, and cautiously made his way to his nearest family member. Jack was left alone, heart still pumping.


    Ace was in town too, a dangerous man in his own right. He was a load of trouble and Luck didn''t want to get caught off guard. It might have been a blessing that the hit on the Lockyers and Ace''s visit coincided. If the Asaguy were really after the most dangerous criminals in the city then they''d be sure to bring their A-game. Ace Vent was one the few people who made Luck bring his, and because of that he''d been on alert all week, still, not a whiff of any suspicious activity. Luck moved against the flow of pedestrian traffic, even if he hadn''t noticed anything that didn''t mean that the shadows weren''t moving. He neared his destination, a crowded building in the middle of the city. A figure darted out of the main entrance and immediately merged into the crowd of people. Moving through crowds of people was an essential skill and Luck drifted through the crowd like a ghost. He gained on her and as he got nearer her movements became panicked and unprofessional, but he knew who this was and for her to act this way did not bode well.


    "Tate. Tate!" Amid the din of the crowd he could just barely make out faint sobs.


    "Luck?" She said turning around, face smeared with tears and blood. Luck noticed the knife she held under her jacket, the weak grip, the tired arms. Her tone shifted to business. "Luck, they''ve got Mom and Dad. It''s not just the Asag-"


    Then there was a hole in her head.


    And a small piece of Luck broke as her limp figure slumped on the gray concrete. He knew what death looked like. He knew what a sniper sounded like the second it was shot. Nothing. Nothing but a puppet getting its strings cut. The sound would come later.


    Luck had seen so many but each was the same, each death was of someone different but in the end they were all exactly the same, the lights leave their eyes and life goes on, but this wasworlds apart. He knew to yell at a dead body, to deny it, would get him nowhere. And yet now he understoodwhy, why so many before him had done so, the searing pain, the pureemotionall of it drove him to do just that. He struggled with himself to let free the tide of emotions or push it down, but for a mind surrounded by morals tinged in gray one finds ways to cope, sometimes in an instant. Luck wanted to scream at the world, to curse the planet, to cry, his emotions were scattered and broken and he wanted nothing more to cradle the body of his sister, and just be. That perhaps she would find comfort in the embrace of her brother, one not even of the same blood.


    But he didn''t, because there was another emotion that ripped up from his very core.


    Suddenly he found one of his old nicknames, one of the ones that didn''t stick, fitting better than it ever had before. And as he grasped onto that feeling his eyes regained a measure of focus. In an instant Luck had lost everything and in an instant he had found it again, a shaky grip on some semblance of normalcy, a foothold that would crumble the moment it was used. To Luck it didn''t matter, there was but one emotion searing through his being, revenge.


    The late sound of a sniper''s gunshot pierced the air and Luck glanced quickly at the surrounding highrises as time seemed to resume. He crouched low and searched Tate''s body, disgusted at how his training already had him treating her as a corpse to be looted. He pocketed her phone, stole a quick glance to the highrise that was most likely and darted away, getting lost in the panicking crowd.


    Unbeknownst to Luck, his suspiscion was incorrect, but his initial wild glance at the surrounding buildings had him staring down the barrel of a sniper for but a moment. Long enough for a trigger to be squeezed, certainly long enough for a professional to take the shot. For a trained assassin? There was no doubt, Luck Lockyer should be dead, but the assassin saw something in the scope of his rifle that gave him pause long enough for his window to close. It was only a moment but it might as well have been an eternity. Perhaps it was the rage on the young man''s face, orthe way the same emotion dissappeared, finding itself replaced with a small smirk in the span of an instant. It could''ve been the way the young man''s gaze seemed to lock directly upon the scope. It might''ve been the tears that contradicted both the emotions that flashed across his face. It could''ve been the eyes from which they fell. Perhaps their color?


    The fact of the matter is this, Luck survived. And Luck Lockyer wasn''t one to waste time.


    But the rest of that night was one Luck would relive in his nightmares in the days to come, he stopped at a hidden stash and felt no compulsion to dress nice, expecting worse things to come. Sinners talked openly of topics they shouldn''t, loose lips spreading rumors fast. There could only be a singular reason for people so low on the ladder to be so carefree and with a heavy gait Luck followed the rumors like a bloodhound trained for a single scent. He found himself returning home. Tufts of grass were stained red, the greenhouse looked abandoned, as if hiding the remains of a long dead people. The moon was covered in gray clouds, invisible against the night sky, had he seen it he might''ve felt like howling. Luck couldn''t tell if the night was devoid of stars or the pollution just obscured them. He didn''t take a deep breath, he didn''t pause or hesitate, he simply opened the door and walked in. A trail of blood lead deeper into the house. When Luck''s eyes found the end of the trail he refused to raise them. He chided himself softly, raising his eyes. He had lost his smirk long ago, but Luck''s eyes never stopped sparkling, and yet, they did. Even as lifeless as they had become the color always remained and with it came a twinkle of amber. But that had gone the moment he laid eyes on the corpses. Even in death they had kept the secret of the family homebase, going so far as to die in the decoy, in the event any other Lockyer found refuge below.


    "Never fear death, only that you might die too early." His father used to say.


    The memory of a funeral came unbidden. It was in an old church forgotten by many, somehow managing to be completely preserved despite being surrounded by the city.


    "I like that." Luck said. His mother smiled softly to the side.


    "So you''re not afraid then? You don''t fear it, do you?" Tate would say with a sly smile.


    "You calling me old?" He would glare back before conceding a smile.


    The memories were stark contrast to the image that filled Luck''s view. Rick and Laura Lockyer, aside from the trail of blood leading under their bodies, had their corpses were intact. The scarlet puddle left almost a perfect circle on the kitchen tile. The burning rage he had at Tate''s death, flickered as a cold blanket of despair descended upon him. What reason would he have to kill their assassins? What would it give him? What purpose would it serve? It would give him absolutely nothing, he had seen it before. That wouldn''t bring his family back, it would be a reprieve but then the feeling of emptiness would return. They would still be dead. All sense of purpose left Luck at that moment. He was good at many things, but those many things made him great for one thing. And there was no reason for it anymore. Not when his family was dead. Not when there was no father to take his tales to, no sister to annoy, no mother to surprise every year. Not one when there was no one left.


    "Why." The word echoed against the hanging pots and pans above the kitchen island. Face blank with grief, the only notable feature on the boy was the scar that ran down his face as he left. Even his clothes were plain, not a single accessory or bauble, nothing that drew the eye. Simple denim pants and a black t-shirt.


    Luck entered the tunnel system underlying the city, wandering. Where the shadows, solitude, and empty sewers reflected his own lonely self. He walked for miles in random directions, his eyes had adapted to the dark long ago. He was lost and could not even find himself. But then he came across a branching tunnel that seemed older, more worn. It tickled a memory which Luck supressed for fear it might be of his family. The exit was not into a larger sewage canal, rather it ended in a set of concrete stairs that rose to the surface.


    Luck found himself in a lush forest, the smell of the sewer fading behind him, the ambience of the city dissipating as nature took hold. No, there was a concrete path but it was cracked and overgrown from vines and roots from the nearby trees. He looked to the canopy expecting to see colorful birds, thinking perhaps he was on the very outskirts of the city. Instead he saw only still branches and motionless leaves. The sun had risen but it was much too dark to see anything else, he had been walking aimlessly for a long time. He continued on the uneven path for only a minute noting the strange absence of the wind before a structure made itself known.


    It was covered in sprawling green and resided in a clearing with overgrown vegetation. It was strange given the state of the structures integrity and state of abandonment but Luck found it quaint. He was momentarily lost in the sight, it seemed so surreal, somagical.He took it all in and forgot the weights on his soul, if only for a moment.But Luck sighed knowing better than to lean on the belief of any cosmic forces or other such strange powers. He made his own luck after all.


    It only took walking into the structure and opening the large wooden doors to determine what it was. If the broken stained glass windows, vaulted ceiling, wooden pews, podium and dais didn''t give it away, then the memory certainly did.


    "Everyone dies Luck, remember that. Not everyone wants to but it happens to everyone inevitably. Of course, I still want to have as many birthdays as possible." Luck''s mom smiled like an angel, her face framed by the stained glass at the back of the church.


    "And you will honey." Rick Lockyer smiled gently. "If I ever find a way to bring back the dead, we''re faking our deaths and starting over." Luck was a small boy then but the memory seemed to fix on the way his Dad set his jaw despite the jokeful delivery of the statement.


    "If I find a way Dad then we can live wherever we want!" Luck was holding onto his sister not even six years old himself yet.


    "Like magic!" Tate squeaked right after, loud, but written off as the nonsense of a five year old.


    "Oh, Laura, I never wanted them to have this life." And Rick Lockyer seemed as broken as Luck was now, but his eyes flitted to his children and they lit up with joy, the pieces of him coming back together. Luck realized with a pang that he had seem the same expression many times as a child, before Tate and him had taken to the job. Even then his looks of pride held a small amount of sorrow as he realized the nature of the business they succeeded at. Only with this small memory, in the times when their parent''s expressions were less guarded, when his mind was too young to comprehend, did Luck truly understand. Only after they died.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "I know, honey." She said softly.


    Luck had taken a seat as he lived through the memory and when he came to he realized he sat in the same pew his family had all that time ago. It was the middle pew on the right side of the church. It was as if his parents were too fearful of God''s gaze but too proud of their children, the two desires warring in their minds before they finally decided to sit in the middle. Luck wondered why they sat where they did. He would never know he realized. Stabbing pains came from within the emptiness that was his heart.


    It was an hour of silence before the first sobs began. Lightly at first, softly, as if he was crying in the face of those he mourned for. Then they were soul rending, wracking his whole body and full of torment. It was an hour of sound. In the silence and the crying both were done for a single family, the most dangerous in the city. The most qualified, talented and capable family for the job. Their experience was also the reason they were the very same people who wanted out the most. He walked to the altar and looked up to the shattered stained glass, remembering a face it used to frame.In a way, they did escape the job.


    And the Amber Demon broke into sobs once more.


    He knew he was rusty, he had stopped going since he was a child. And he knew it had been years but Luck Lockyer, The Amber Demon - the Broken - prayed earnestly between his heart-wrenching anguish. Kneeling on the rubble strewn floor with shards of colorful glass digging into his knees, he prayed for his friends, hands clasped, that they have the strength to move forward, even if he did not. He prayed for his own death, that he could join his family and start over somewhere nice. He prayed for the killers of his family, for karma to kill them, that they would understand the hearts of those they killed. But foremost in his mind, the prayer dwarfing his other requests, was the chance to start over for his family, for them all to live,like magic.


    There was no flash of bright color. There was no portal to the heavens. Divine light didn''t shine down from on high. No overwhelming feeling of reverance, no powerful, surging emotion of devotion. No sudden insight into the workings of the world.


    But there was a hand on his shoulder where there was none before, and it was not his.


    "Luck Lockyer." A soft voice said, no hint of hostile intent.


    "Kill me then, I was wondering whenmyassassin would show up. I''ve suffered enough." Luck spat, not even bothering to look up or turn around.


    "No, child. I am a goddess. I heard your prayers and have come to answer them. I''ve not heard any so loud in a long, long time." The voice had a pleasant sound, of windchimes and birds.


    "I don''t need a goddess of death!" He yelled, is voice echoing violently off the vaulted structure. "I need my family." Luck managed to stifle the cries as tears ran down his face, not one was shed for his bleeding knees."Nothing can be done anymore, they''re already dead."


    "I can bring your family back, Luck. " The voice said gently. "I am no goddess of death."


    "Magic isn''t real, and you aren''t either. I''m hallucinating, that''s all." Luck whispered softly, hoping to be left alone.


    "Luck Lockyer." The voice gaining a soft edge. "The Devil of the Cards, the Bloodless Hand. The Amber Demon. Now, nothing more than a broken man. A shadow, a husk, adreg of the business."


    Slowly Luck rose, ignoring the pain in his knees and turning around. "You bitc-" He paused as his eyes alighted onto the woman, his anger reviving a remnant of a man less broken.


    She almost seemed to be glowing.


    The sun had come out and her slim figure was framed in the large open doors of the church. Sunlight poured in like honey, and the dull green hues that Luck witnessed were in full vibrancy behind the woman. Outside the lawn was overgrown but he found himself recognizing clovers. The woman wore a simple white loose fitting dress, that somehow hugged her figure like a lover. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were as unnatural as Luck''s, they were bright green and looking up at him. Her eyebrows were drawn as she regarded Luck. Suddenly Luck found himself very conscious of his drab state of dress and in admiration of hers.


    "The Angel of Revenge, the Quick-" She continued and Luck waited for her to finish, mocking his glorified titles all the way. He took no offense, most of them were stupid. "To be reduced to this." The time allowed Luck to appreciate the difference in height they shared, she came only to his chin.


    "You aren''t a goddess." Luck said flatly, reigning in his emotions, not daring to hope.


    "Not the one you think I am." A ladybug crawled on her hair and it drew the eye, mainly because it seemed so natural. "I can bring your parent''s back as well as your sister."


    "I''ll humor yougoddess.I have nothing to live for anyways." He said mockingly, not even allowing himself the tiniest smidgen of hope. "And why are you bothering yourself with a lowly mortal like me, oh great goddess?"


    Luck noticed the way his mood lifted, even the smallest amount, in the face of someone so attractive and he hated himself for it.


    Her eyes caught the light as she glanced to the side. "Even the gods need to atone." She said softly hinting at a deeper pain.


    There was a slight pause. "When none judge the soul, it judges itself." Behind Luck light came in through the partially shattered windows sending ribbons of color across the floor.


    "Wisely put." He could not know the accuracy in which he described the lives of gods and goddesses.


    "Why bother messing with the hopes of a broken man? What twisted man sent you to the greatAmber Demon?Why?" Luck mocked himself, his voice bouncing off the empty interior of the church to rebound and whip him with echoes of a voice full of scathing.


    "I am here on my own volition. Your prayer was answered even as others go ignored. You are a bit of wonder even to beings of immense age. That more than anything drew my gaze."


    "Then, a name." He owed his family this much he realized. He would stop his wallowing to investigate a chance at life for his family, and even as he steeled his mind the seed of hope had already planted itself. To the family that adopted him, for those three people that shared not even his blood, he would do much.


    "Pardon?"


    "I need your name." He clarified. "What am I supposed to call the woman - thegoddess- who appeared out of thin air?" He stressed.


    "You may have it once you accept my bargain." She said quaintly.


    "Please then, be my guest. It wouldn''t do for me to call the lovely lady ''goddess'' or ''miss'' the whole time." He gestured for her to begin, his flair for words returning to him. Luck was no stranger toa bargain.


    "You and your family will be transported to another world." She paused gauging Luck''s reaction. He simply motioned for her to continue. "It is unlike the world you live in, the air is fresh, the trees sing, the mountains dance, the rivers are clear." Her eyes glittered as she spoke. In those eyes he glimpsed wonders of another world. He saw massive mountains somehow older than the ones he knew. He witnessed a society so strangely dressed and was deeply intrigued by their trends. He saw war, pain and suffering. But before he could see any more they dissapeared and Luck was back in the church.


    "Seems quite normal for another world." Luck''s heart was racing despite his calm demeanor. His years of practice controlling his mental tics and emotional cues kicking in. Had he just glimpsed something real?


    "And yet a single glance at this city will tell you all of those things are far from the norm here." She said in distaste. Her eyebrows drawing together, supple lips drawing a thin line. She had a strong point, the air was barely liveable, there were almost no trees and the water had the taste of copper.


    "Please continue my lady. I haven''t got all day." She smiled at some hidden joke. Luck did indeed have all day, there was nothing for him here anymore. Listening to the ramblings of a mad woman might ease the pain, if only for a moment. But listen he would because his family deserved this much.


    "I will bestow upon you and your family gifts, you and your family will choose from an assortment. They will be given this same offer but to accept is up to them." She said.


    Luck waited but she didn''t continue. "That''s it?" He said when she didn''t continue.


    "What more could you want? This is a second chance, to start over. Is that not what you wanted?" She asked curiously, eyes flitting up to meet his.


    "What level of technology do they possess? Do I keep my body? Has anyone else been transported before? Is gravity the same there? Is this another world or another universe entirely? Do I have to fear the gods of this place? There are so many questions I could ask!" Luck didn''t know what possessed him to act in such a way. The weight on his soul lightened the more he took in her surreal appearance. What would possess someone so beautiful to find their way through the sewers and into such a secluded place?


    "And here I thought you saw me as nothing but a mad woman." She glanced knowingly at Luck. "I cannot answer your questions without asking one myself. What type of life do you seek to live?" Her small shoulders rose as if to accentuate the importance of the question.


    That stopped Luck in his tracks. All he ever knew was living in the underground. The daily routine had been getting up, finding problems, and fixing them. By any means. But if he were to choose the life he lived? He had always lived basically independent from his family for years now. Everything he did was his own responsibility. Every illegal move he made had harmed someone in some way and he didn''t care. But now, standing in a forgotten church in front a supposed deity Luck felt an amount of guilt that was not insignifcant. The chance to live another life, far and far away from here... who would Luck Lockyer be? What titles would the man that lived not in the underground but up on the surface, in the sun, have to his name? He did not look that deep within himself, Luck knew who he was when his job was stripped of him. He was a man who appreciated comfort. He had a sense of style and an appreciation of a good show. He was a man who would pay his debts. A man who was dangerous when prodded and had an unhealthy tendency to show off. He was a friend, family man and a killer. But despite the life he lead Luck was always one for the little guy.


    "I''d spend it helping." A simple sentence strong in delivery.


    "The place I would send you would have many people in need, of that there is no doubt. Rest assured, you would not find yourself bored." A sad look crossed her face but she caught the determination in Luck''s gaze. He had gazed past her, not even aware of her stare and memories and regrets flickered in his eyes.


    The lady smiled wide, the flash of white drawing Luck''s eyes and for a moment it seemed that sunlight flowedoutof the windows, that was simply how beautiful it was.


    "Now, I will answer a single question with truth. On my word as a goddess." She said grinning softly, content.


    The response was near immediate. "Do you think i''m handsome?" His intention was clear and Luck smiled from the bottom of his heart for the first time in a day, enjoying the flustered look and blush that crept up her face.


    Some time during the interaction he had allowed himself to be convinced. Having this amount of effort applied to a con which would accomplish nothing but break an already broken man seemed unreasonable. Something in his gut just told him the woman was authentic, a feeling he had few times before but that never failed him. And the visions, the visions were too vivid to ignore. That left a single conclusion and burning hope in Luck. And a single glance at the woman sent his heart racing with the knowledge he was talking to a goddess and had the audacity to act so brash towards her.


    "You don''t even know my name yet!" She complained.


    "Ah, but you said I would have it." Luck grinned.


    "Leah." She said. "But before we move on-"


    "The question." Luck interrupted with a small smirk on his face, feeling he had the upperhand despite his plain attire. "With truth on your word as a goddess, Leah." He reminded, unaware of the opportunity he had thrown away. He said her name slowly as if tasting the name on his lips and smiled.


    "Yes." The word was so very small, the answer barely heard, almost shy.


    "Then, as you were saying?" Luck saved her the embarassment and plowed on in the conversation, not allowing an awkward atmosphere to befall them. He felt guilty putting her on the spot as well, and slightly fearful of what she could do to him if offended.


    "There is one last stepbefore you can be transported. It involves something integral to the world I hail from." She said. "An indoctrination of sorts."


    "This seems less like a bargain and more like a gift. What do you get out of this Leah, there must be something?" Luck asked, his sharpness returning to him. "In my world there''s no such thing as free handouts."


    "A chance to right my wrongs." She answered softly. "Goodbye Luck." And he had the feeling she was about to dissappear as she stepped past Luck, despite the door being the other direction.


    "Wait! What are you the goddessof? I never asked." She paused and turned with a flourish.


    "Leah, Goddess of Fortune. Of those who know me, my closest friends call me Lady Luck." She smiled, winked and was gone, like magic.


    Not many things ever gave Luck Lockyer pause, but pause he did. She was a goddess after all.


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest!


    Karma.


    Your family''s killers are on the loose. Deliver unto them what they have done to so many before them. Let them know the hearts of those they have killed.


    Reward:


    A second chance at life along with the rest of your family in another world.


    "As I live and breathe. Luck Lucky Lockyer." A male voice said from the doorway.


    Luck rubbed his eyes and the strange image that stayed with his vision eventually faded and he looked around. No sign of Leah, not that he expected to find her.


    He shifted his attention to the voice. He found a young man holding a pistol in his hand silohuetted in the open doors of the church. He walked forward revealing his face. "If it ain''t Ace Vent." There was a long pause. "How many times do I have to tell you that ain''t my middle name." They both smiled, putting their weapons away.


    "In light of recent events, I thought I''d skip on our usual routine. I''m sorry, man." Ace Vent, dangerous mercenary, high in demand, wanted in several countries, countless kills of crooked men, cooks a mean fettucini alfredo, and most importantly Luck Lockyer''s best friend. He had an angry frown on his 19 year old face. "I simply didn''t think you''d be up to it, even though I had something planned. Not now."


    "No worries Ace. I just met someone rather interesting." Luck said, his face betrayed no emotion. His eyes were sparkling amber.


    "And might I inquire who that might be? You seem to be in an empty church all by your lonesome, Lucky." Ace glanced about the room and then questioningly to Luck. The man was well-spoken and his voice had a slow pace. His cocky grin had decieved many, but Luck knew his real personality was slow and thoughtful. "You haven''t gone insane have you?"


    Ace Vent was the closest thing to a best friend. He was deadly on the job the scant few times Luck had witnessed it. But he moved with a heavy reluctance as if his body was chained to the motions. To one who loved the business and the people in it Luck found the behavior strange. When he finally connected the dots behind the behavior it took him a month, only because the idea of hating the business never crossed his mind. Then an assignment by his father brought Ace Vent into their home and Luck realized what he might''ve been missing all those years. With recent events hinting at a life on the surface the prospect was not entirely unattractive. Luck stared at him, a decision warring with his training, emotions and general common sense.


    "Acen Vent." Ace paused at the sound. The use of his real name giving him as much pause as the sincerity in Luck''s voice. "I don''t find myself with many friends. The few I have are decades older, resigned to business, weary with old age and friends only of circumstance. Living in this world kids like us have to grow up fast, Ace. We don''t have the luxury of a normal childhood or time to make friends. I''ll be the first to say it. I always found myself having a strange type of fun planning on your arrivals. The challenge it made me face was invigorating, a thrill I only ever had against the most crooked and cunning criminals but, perhaps the best part of the whole deal was when I lost. Nothing at all, just bragging rights to the winner. A fun that cost nothing, a treasure not many can claim living the lives we do. And so, like it or not Ace you''re my best friend in this world. So i''ll cut the bullshit and tell it to you straight. Ace Vent, do you want out?" For a moment it seemed that Ace wouldn''t respond.


    "Acen." He said softly. "Not even my colleagues know that name, Lucky. That means you know a lot more than you should." His hand reached for his pistol... only to rest on the grip. He was smiling wide. "Which means you also know that I sure as hell want out."


    Luck remembered the strange image, he had to avenge the death of his family. Hopefully, Leah would appear so he could arrange passage for Ace. The image could only be magic and the only being of magic he knew was the Goddess of Fortune. This was the indoctrination she spoke of. It had to be. He needed only to avenge the deaths of his family to see them alive again.


    "It''s not a simple thing, leaving." Ace said quietly, his voice had a particular resonance that captured the attention of nearby ears.


    "No, it''s not. But first I need to ask you something, Ace."


    "No sense in being shy about it, Lucky. You''ve got a talented knack for knowing things." He said simply, even as his gaze wandered.


    "How much to hire you for the day? One last job before we leave this world behind?" Luck said with finality, his words having more meaning than he let on.


    Ace didn''t answer immediately, leaving Luck hanging on the sound of his voice once again. "For my new best friend?" He smiled. "Consider it done."


    With slight hesitancy Luck explained what happened, the death of his family, his prayer, the goddess, the magic, everything. The telling of the story was more difficult than he thought, even with the promise of their lives. And in his story he found the whole thing rather novel. It was something he hadn''t done before with anyone else other than his family, opening up to someone. When he finished there was a moment where Luck knew Ace would have to decide for himself whether he was crazy or not. Despite Luck''s training his heart slowed and he could feel himself giving away various tells, though only because his attention was deadly focused Ace''s expression as even time slowed.And it was a rather fitting thing that on the holy ground of an abandoned church that Ace Vent found something tohave faith in.


    "Lady Luck?" He chuckled. "That''s rather fateful isn''t it?"


    Luck gave him a genuine smile. The world had gotten a shade brighter.


    Yes, Ace was his best friend, but there wasn''t any real competition for him to begin with. In fact the title had as little meaning as Luck''s glorified titles. Ace was simply someone he got along with, had no motives for or against, happened to be the same age, and someone Luck found grounding. Luck didn''t give loyalty away nor did he believe anyone did. It would have to be earned by both sides. Normally, he would never risk opening himself up to a potential enemy and he wouldn''t dare to reveal vital information he had on anyone to that person. But Luck took a leap of faith and offered the information as an olive branch of sorts. It was on a whim and he wouldn''t admit it to himself but the real reason he brought Ace into this was simple and selfish. He was lonely.


    Luck couldn''t have known that the man known as Acen Vent would become his best friend in every sense of the word in the years to come.


    "How''d you manage to find me anyways?" He was, after all, in the middle of nowhere. It was surprising that he managed to track him down. The events that led him to the church were a foible on Luck''s part, stricken with despair and plunging into the sewers.


    "It... was a strange turn of events. Well, less stranger than yours, but strange nonetheless. I was going through my plan, the one for you, and I noticed a man that had appeared every other day, same place, same time. The next day I caught wind of... events that had transpired. I saw the man again and I followed him, finding myself rather bored. Given the readiness of my operation I was simply curious, more so when I found myself in the sewers and then this church. I was almost tempted to turn around as he entered the sewers, but I quite literally had nothing going on." He exited the church and pulled a body from the bushes. It was man dressed in an unassuming garb. It was a look that did well in being unassuming. That is to say it was horribly casual and it showed on his face as Luck searched the body. As expected he found nothing on his person but the tool of the trade.


    "My assassin." Luck flipped the body over and glanced at the back of the neck. Sure enough, the symbol of the Asaguy, a two headed snake eating its own tail. "Dressed as horribly as I thought he''d be." Bad fashion sense left a terrible taste in his mouth. Luck recalled his current attire and his mouth soured further.


    "Nothing more than string of coincidences. You would have dealt with him yourself had I not been here." The assassin''s face was as unassuming as his clothes, as was typical for their work.


    "I... was not in the stablest mindset at the time. I think you just saved my life Ace." Luck said surprised.


    "Don''t worry about it.Something this dreadfully simple for an out? I''d take those odds anyday. It was pure chance I stumbled across the man." Ace looked at the corpse.


    "Good fortune, more like." Luck answered recalling Leah''s title. His mind lingered on the memory of her face longer than it had to. His knees cracked as he rose to his feet. "Well i''m not paying you to stand around now am I?"


    The next few hours were spent tracking down the rest of the assassins. First, they tracked down the sniper that had killed Tate, the bullet Luck pocketed and some insight from Ace had them heading in the right direction. Tate had left some notes on her phone in the family cipher detailing her suspicions. It saddened Luck to read through the last entries but allowed Ace to narrow it down further until they came to single suspect. The man was drinking at a bar not two seats away from Ace who was conversing with the bartender. Luck had chosen a booth against the wall to ensure the killer wouldn''t see him whilst also covering the exits. The man got up and went to the bathroom, Ace following closely behind. The place was small, rundown, and gritty. It had a rustic authenticity to it that was uncommon in the city, it attracted enough people but it wasn''t quite packed so it surprised him when someone slipped into the booth with him. Especially since it was a man who had been here since they walked in. More so, Luck recognized him.


    "Cole?" Luck asked slightly surprised. Mildly suspicious, Luck fingered his weapon. The man had nothing but respect the last time he saw him. At least, that''s how they parted ways if not how they met. If he remembered correctly, he apologized and swore to make it up to him. Currently, Luck couldn''t see how he could help him since he was about to leave this world anyways. But one learns not to underestimate people in the underground, they''re often the most resourceful.


    "Mr. Lockyer." He nodded, his posture was straight despite the uncomfortable seats. Luck couldn''t help but smirk at the change in his attire. Mr. Dimitri had done him some good. His suit was more than acceptable. A tasteful dark trim without standing out too much, enough distinction for only those with a good sense to appreciate. Luck took a moment to appreciate it.


    "What do you have for me?" Though it wasn''t arranged Luck handled this like any other deal. There was only one reason Cole would show up, he had something for him.


    He removed a black folder from his new suit and slid it across the polished table, a silver watch peaked out from his cuff. "Again, sorry for the hassle yesterday." Then he got up and left. The folder barely reflected the light from the overhanging lamp.


    "Like I said, no hard feelings." Luck said to himself, eyeingthe folder.


    Luck opened the folder and smiled as he flipped through.


    "It''s done." Ace said as he slipped into Cole''s place. He glanced backward at the retreating figure. "Friend of yours?"


    "Of a sort." Luck said, Cole had really outdone himself. "Have a look." He passed the folder to his friend.


    Ace sifted through the contents. A single eyebrow rose as he finished. "That''s quite the workload off our shoulders." He said.


    "Last page."


    "Cain Citzen. The east side drug lord? The south and west side drug lords are here too. They''re not Asaguy." Ace remarked, tracing the schedules, security, names, aliases and locations on the file.


    "No they''re not." Luck leaned back in his chair. "But Tate did mention it wasn''t just the Asaguy. In fact, I''d go so far as to assume they hired the hit. The command my family has pertaining to the drug realmmight be enough to push them over the edge. We had always lorded over them for greater profits. Without us in the picture the rest of our trade partners would be more open to their dealings. Complete control would shift to them and they''dbe sitting pretty. Of course, that normally wouldn''t warrant wide scale assasination attempts since this dynamic existed since before I was even born." Luck explained, fully aware the extent to which the Lockyer family had extorted the drug realm. The scale was inconsequential for the underground, these types of things happened everyday, still, that wasn''t to say the blackmail was insignificant to the recipients. Luck had done his history homework and shivered with the thought that anyone would have that power over him.


    "Should be doable." Ace said shuffling the files.


    Five hours later, three targets down, and long infiltration had them at the entrance to an underground bunker in the Citzen residence. Luck popped out from behind the corner and elbowed the approaching guard in the neck, a quick chokehold had him unconsious within seconds. Ace had already moved his guard out of view from the hall, dragging the body a way off to the sides. Before the last guard could react Luck sent a bullet his way, he was too far to subdue. His body fell limp and Luck moved and crouched by the keypad. A second later Ace dragged the body aside and took watch by the corner of the hallway. Luck had no militaristic training, his skillset was tailored towards being deadly and not ever having to. Ace it seemed was trained in group tactics, the dynamic between the two had started off awkward but they had settled into it as the targets dwindled and bodies dropped.


    Luck''s hands moved with precision and efficiency, removing his toolset and setting into the electronic lock. A need to infilitrate this particular bunker was foreseen years previously, a film that mimicked Cain Citzen''s own handprint went onto Luck''s hand after he breached the preliminary alarms and codes. He pressed his hand onto the scanner and it beeped red, quickly he used his other hand to apply a sticker onto the camera that would mimick Cain''s own eyes and facial structure. Ace glanced his way uneasy at the beeping but Luck was too engrossed in his task to notice. The previous jobs gave him some measure of trust in Ace to watch his back. The light ticked orange and Luck punched in a smattering of random numbers into the keypad as the door''s clamps could be heard unlatching. A pneumatic hiss could be heard and the door opened wide enough for them to enter. Luck found the sound strange when paired with the lurid carpet and walls, it was a mechanical sound in a structure that screamed of antiquity. The bullets that followed seemed to sound almost natural however. Luck took cover behind the door.


    "Back off! No one should have those access codes! Who are you?" A grizzled voice yelled, he was keeping his panic under wraps.


    "The Amber Demon has come knocking Citzen. You shouldn''t have killed them Cain. In doing so you''ve only killed yourself." Luck shouted. That seemed to freeze him solid as the voice didn''t immediately answer.


    Previously, Luck had already confirmed with the south and north drug lords that Cain Citzen had led the operation. The south side drug lord was the most cowardly, immediately giving up the information, it made his life easier so Luck made his death faster. The west side drug lord was tricky, not in security but actual location, he always moved and his schedule was on rotation. Unfortunately for him Luck had planted sleeper agents in his organization years ago, the west side drug lord died by his most trusted guards and in return Luck promised their secrets went untold, families untouched, and money went into their hands. Surviving long enough to enjoy the rewards was up to them. The north side drug lord was uninvolved and Luck sent informants to him with threat of his life, he recieved a quick response that he was offered a cut of the rewards if he was to join, he refused. That left only Cain.


    "I''ve no idea what you''re talking about demon. Leave before you force my hand and I call the guards!" Luck heard a strange click, a thump, and the sound of carpet.


    "Fuck! Lucky, get down!" Ace kicked something and dived towards Luck. Luck''s eyes opened wide as he tackled him then the room went sideways. A dull bang reverberated throughout the room and Luck felt himself slammed against the wall before he could even hit the ground from Ace''s tackle, it was as if something tried to seperate the flesh from his bones. Then the feeling was gone and only the pain remained.


    "Shit-" That was all Luck heard as he saw Ace getting up, his words were warbled and ringing came from everywhere. He was mouthing something to Luck who was still dazed against the wall. "Grenade." Luck realized, his vison was blurred but he could still read lips. Ace was wobbling over past the door, his free hand was supporting him against the walls while his pistol was gripped in his other. The evidence was clear.


    Ace had kicked the thing halfway through the door, the door was blackened and bruised but it was still the entrance to an underground bunker so it held as well the rest of the wall. The walls in the hallway faired no better.


    Luck got up shakily and tried to pop his ears to no avail. Cain had to have taken just as much damage, Luck was wrong. The door had been only slightly opened on their end and Ace had kicked the grenade past it, meaning the explosion decimated the hallway walls on their right as the force was redirected by the door. On the other side however the blast was uninhibited and contained by the nature of the bunker. Cain Citzen''s legs were blown off. His arms were mangled the only things untouched were his face and left shoulder, he had gotten part of his body behind a solid chest at the foot of his bed.


    "Lockyers are a plague on the planet." The half man spat, coughing up blood. The addition to the carpet went unnoticed. The whole place was amess of blood.


    Luck only checked his pistol to the best of his ability. The grenade still had him reeling. He took his time making sure everything was in working order. He eyed the sight, ensuring it was aligned. He unscrewed the silencer since the grenade had already alerted the remaining guards. They would be here any minute.


    "75% of profits into your pocket, the videos you held are nothing to a dying man! You fucking son of a bitch! Do you have any idea how it is to live under someones thumb?"


    "Incessant isn''t he Ace?" Luck said as his senses slowly came back.


    "You motherfucker! Listen to me!" He shrieked. "I will not die before you pay for what you''ve done to me!"


    "Quite." Ace responded. "Lucky, the guards." Ace said in a more concerned voice.


    "There are two ways I see things happening Cain. I can kill you and like you said the videos don''t mean anything to a dead man. But they might mean a little something to his family, the guilt will be theirs to eat away at them. I''ll show it only to them. I won''t reveal what you did to the whole world, don''t you worry about that. No, it''ll just be your family, only they''ll know who you truly are. The world will praise a man who saved countless men and women with cheap and effective medicines. Your family will remember a pedophile and the twisted horrors he commits in private. They will bear the burden themselves and it will eat away at them. A single question will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Do they reveal who you truly are and taint the face of a savior of thousands or protect that image and bear the burden for the rest of their days allowing it to eat away at their conscience? Or you can do me a small favor and the videos never gets out. It''s your show, Cain."


    "W-what can I possibly do from here you sick fucking bastard?" The drug lord said defeated. Tears traced clear paths on his face. "What can I possibly do?" He repeated, staring at the ceiling, crying silently. Luck refused to feel pity, the man was a sick bastard and Luck blackmailed him even now, but he would never do that to the Citzen family. They were quite nice actually. Luck made a point to invade in Cain''s personal life some years back to prove a point. The short times he spent with Mrs. Citzen and her daughters had him wondering how Cain could create such a family. In those short weeks he found that Cain actually loved his family. They didn''t deserve any dealings with the life of the underground.


    Luck removed the locks and opened the bulletproof window, the bunker was at the edge of a cliff face on the east side of the city which allowed it a window despite being completely underground. He poked his head and looked up, the way was rugged and there were enough handholds that it would be a simple matter of endurance.


    "Think we can do it?" He turned to Ace.


    Rapid muffled footsteps approached the bunker, the door groaned as it was opened further and allowed a wave of bodies to enter. A few men vomited as they took in the grisly scene but the leading guard approached hesitantly. Vomit mixed with the blood on the floor and the new smell pushed a few other over the edge. They added their stomachs to the pool.


    "B-boss?" An older man paused, not sure if Cain was dead or not.


    Cain''s almost-dead eyes peeled from the ceiling to look at them. "Get him! He''scrawling up the cliff! What the fuck are you doing here? I''m already a dead man. Now go avenge me!" He screamed.


    "Who did this to you boss?" One of the younger guards kneeled down in the blood, trying to offer comfort. "They even got Carl and Miguel outside."


    "Leave me boy, find that bastard, piece of shit Conor Jae and make him pay." Then his head fell lifeless to the side, looking towards the bedroom''s walk in closet.


    "Boss?" The younger guard still knelt, waiting for an answer.


    "He''s gone boy, let''s find the man who did this, so they might rest in peace. Do it for Miguel, Carl and the boss." The older guard laid a hand on the younger''s shoulder. "The underground is gonna shake after tonight." It was going to be more of an earthquake after the people that Luck killed. Their places would need to be filled and a power vaccuum of huge proportions would have everyone scrabbling for another rung on the ladder. Needless to say, Luck was glad he was leaving.


    The guards moved with purposeout of the bedroom but one paused and walked back in. He actually had the wit to poke his head out the windowand peer along the cliff face. He realized something as his eyes widened and was about to turn around, catch up with the rest, and tell them of his discovery.


    Ace pushed him out, shut the window and locked it just in case.


    "You''re probably right, we never would have made it." Luck followed Ace out of the bedside closet.


    "Not a chance in hell." Ace shook his head. "Conor Jae?" Ace said curious.


    Luck glanced at Cain''s corpse, he was dead for sure. But the man definitely had the last laugh, and Luck suffered a strange respect for him.


    "Conor Jae was one of my aliases. Specifically, when I would visit his family. Bastard found a way to flip me off without working a finger." Luck said. "Not that he had any." He glanced at the mangled corpse.


    "Would you have done it? What you said you would. It seemed quite... harsh." Ace intoned.


    "Never." Luck only noticed Ace''s tension after he answered. Ace visibly relaxed, Luck thought that was him being alert but he seemed even more focused now than he did previously. That tension had come from somewhere else.


    Ace never had a family, at least no one to call one, that might''ve been why he was so uneasy with Luck''s threat.


    Pay Heed!


    Quest Completed!


    Karma.


    Your family''s killers are on the loose. Deliver unto them what they have done to so many before them. Let them know the hearts of those they have killed.


    Reward:


    A second chance at life along with the rest of your family in another world.


    Return to the church for completion.


    Luck was about to tell Ace before he interrupted him."Well, that''s a surprise. It popped into my vision just like you said it did." Ace turned around in place. "Stays with you too. Quite interesting, Lucky."


    Luck blinked. "You mean..."


    "Yes I do. We have a church to get to." Ace smiled. "And another world altogether." Ace said it slowly as if just realizing what this meant.


    "What''s the reward say?" Luck wanted to make sure there was no catch.


    "A second chance at life in another world." He read. "There''s not another set of words I''d have ratherseen." Ace grinned like a man unshackled.


    "For that matter, what''s the quest say? Mine would be different from yours since they killed my family not yours."


    "It says ''Avenge the family of Luck Lockyer. Deliver unto them what they have done to so many before them. Let them know the hearts of those they have killed.'' I believe the wording is almost exactly like you recited earlier. Am I wrong?" Ace questioned.


    "Good, then let''s get going. Time''s wasting." It seemed Leah did indeed have a hand in Ace finding him. "I think Leah brought you to me after all."


    They pulled the bodies of the guards outside into the room, being careful to avoid dragging them across bloodstained carpet or pools of vomit. They stripped the bodies and donned the guard uniform. It wasn''t even really a uniform as it was a general color scheme. They wore a dark purple collared shirt and a set of black pants. It was simply garish and even between the two outfits there were many differences. One shirt was a lighter shade altogether and one pair of pants had an extra set of pockets. There was no sense of uniformity. The bodies didn''t even have their shirts tucked. Luck grimaced.


    "How can I expect to find anyone with a sense of fashion here?" Luck grumbled under his breath as he pulled the clothes on. He tucked his shirt and pointedly turned to Ace.


    Ace only stared blankly until he understood. He tucked his shirt as well.


    They crossed rushing guards and were heading towards the rear west exit. Ace reported through the guard walkies that some strange activity was occuring out at the west side of the mansion. Luck was the first who responded and so their movements weren''t questioned any further. Instead, a few guards who were on their way to pursue the alleged Conor Jae turned around and jogged alongside Luck and Ace. They crossed the distance that took hours earlier in minutes, it was easier to move just blatantly jogging through the halls after all.


    "Where''s the guard who reported?" Luck asked when they arrived.


    "No idea, he must be around here somewhere though. Protocol states you stay put to direct the calvalry." One of the guards said. "Not that anyone would be stupid enough to attack this place."


    "Well someone got away with it." Luck snapped, getting intothe character he created.


    "Maybe he went off ahead? He did report suspicious activity outside the mansion." Another chimed in, this one was female.


    "Can''t hurt to check it out." Ace said as he walked out the door. "There! How''d he get here? It''s Jae!" He shouted almost immediately as he exited, running full sprint.


    "Where is he?" The male guard yelled, rushing out.


    Luck came up behind the woman before she could follow and put his gun to her head. She stilled instantly, allowing Luck to choke her out rather than kill her and risk the gunshot. She jerked in his hold but was otherwise silent.


    "He ran down there!" Ace placed his hand on the man''s shoulder.


    "I don''t-" The man was cut off as Ace laid him on the ground unconscious. Immediately, both bodies were dragged and dropped into the nearest bushes.


    The men darted off into the surrounding neighborhood eventually losing themselves in the dark alleyways and damp passages of the city.


    He only made one stop on the way to the church. There was a payphone hidden in the city, in plain sight really, at least to anyone looking for anything. Ace leaned against the outside as Luck entered the booth. It was an info dump, Luck would leave locations, directions, hints, clues etc that were too delicate to speak of over phone in the booth. A hidden recorder was taped under the phone box. Luck recited bank accounts, passwords, and hidden caches that all consisted of clean and legal money. He did this all in senseless phrases however. Phrases like "Cat, dog, bird." or "John''s left apple?". They wouldn''t mean anything except to the people that had proved themselves as decent human beings at some point or another in their dealings with Luck. Sometimes the inflection on a word could indicate either a train station locker or the instructor of a ballet class. Of those who knew of this particular hub of information none dared betray it, simply because most things that came of it were helpful to each individual that stopped by. The type that came to this payphone were both good hearted and trustworthy. Luck had monitored each new person he brought in and none even entertained the idea of staking out the place. It would be incredibly hard given the public area and regular use of the payphone to discern who else stopped by for the recording, but the fact none had tried to spoke of their worth. When a person was proved worthy Luck would leave them a note that would direct them here at a specific time. At first, they would be skeptical but it would then be integrated into their daily or weekly schedule.


    "Masa toro with caviar." Luck said as he retaped the recorder to the phone box.


    Many people would come across the recording, few would recognize his voice, most would write down the entire thing, some would understand. Of those who did, many would be confused when they arrived at the destination. Just money. Bags full and no catch at all. Only a scant few percent would understand the ramifiications of what this truly meant before the power vaccuum hit the underground. They would be the ones who recognized Luck''s voice, who were informed enough to know about the assasinations, family, drug lord, and Asaguy, and clever enough to glean true understanding of the free money once they found it.


    The Amber Demon was leaving.


    The recording was to be deleted at the end of every week. It was deleted by the same man every week since the day Luck anonymously tasked him with the job years ago. He was to arrive 4:15am, listen and delete. He left the message pertaining to this man last on purpose in order to ensure he would wait till the very end before he deleted the recording.


    "Done?" Ace was leaning against the door.


    "Yeah, that should leave some power in the hands of those who mean well." Luck took a deep breath. Bright lights lit up nearby shops and the intersection but few people were walking. The crowd was enough to dissappear in though. In short, the city was sleepy.


    "We''ve all the time in another world, might as well enjoy the last winks of this one. You''re certain you have no other business?" Ace said trying to pierce the haze of artificial lights.


    "None that were not just solved. What time is it now Ace?" Luck asked.


    "Nearly 4:10." He responded.


    "Let''s go then." Luck began to walk.


    "Leaving already, Mr. Lockyer?" Apparently the dwindling crowd was enough to appear from as well. Luck nearly jumped out of his skin, the whole night had him on edge.


    "Mr. Ark." Luck nodded his head, outwardly regaining his cool. "What brings you here in the dead hours of the night?" Luck''s heart was beating hard. He wanted to say goodbye, he wanted to say farewell to everyone he called a friend, but no one could know. That would put them in danger once everyone found out the Amber Demon was responsible for all this chaos. His mouth practiced words that went unsaid.


    "Just a stroll Mr. Lockyer. It is a lovely night is it not?" Mr. Ark said. "A little less polluted than it normally is." He chuckled.


    "I''m off to the Drear house, business as usual you might say." It was a believable gambit, the Drear''s were well versed in tracking and following paper trails, they were right down the block too. If Mr. Ark knew of the assassinations then he wouldn''t find it suspicous for Luck to find some capable trackers.


    "I do believe they''re off on Fridays?" Mr. Ark said.


    Luck paused, that would explain it.


    "You''re right. I must be out of it. I''ll need to find someone else available."


    Friday was the day the recordings were deleted by Mr. Ark.


    "And why not your young friend there? Even an old eye can recognize Ace Vent, if not for his voice earlier." Mr. Ark smiled like a grandfather pretending to be fooled bythe antics of his grandkids.


    Ace was sitting on the planter nearby. He seemed like any other pedestrian, just taking a break. He scratched his head embarassed and gave up the facade. Luck looked back to Mr. Ark, his voice had a sharp edge to it, a far cry from just seconds ago.


    "Do not take me for a fool, Mr. Lockyer. I deserve that much, especially after you plan to up and leave me with incompetency on all sides." Mr. Ark gave a sad, faraway look. "I''ve lived this life longer than most." He said.


    "H-how... how did you know?" Luck was caught off guard but realized he should''ve expected Mr. Ark to know. He learned of handful of skills from the man back in the day.


    "With the deaths of your family, then immediately their assassins? I could only assume the south, west and east drug lords had something to do with your families assasinations that you had to kill them too." Mr. Ark said.


    "That''s quite an assumption to make." Ace said as he approached. "A giant leap in logic even, to assume Lucky would go and kill for revenge and so quickly as well."


    "Well, not all of Mr. Lockyers agents are completely his own. Loyalties strengthen with time, and I''ve been around longer than you two combined."


    "My north side informants... they''re in your pocket?" Luck asked surprised.


    "Your west side sleeper agents too. They report to me, in the end I let them go, the Lockyers were as much my family as they were yours. You might have been adopted Luck but I had become Rick''s brother years before you were even born, something I never even realized how true it was until the day he told you to call me Uncle Ark." Mr. Ark''s eyes were wet and the years were showing on his face, but he remained stoic. Nothing but the moist eyes gave anything away, but the man had trained Luck in watching for those tells. He was much older than Rick Lockyer but they had become fast friends his death must pain Mr. Ark as well.


    "Mr. Ark... that sounds familiar." Ace''s voice was soft. "Ark..." He repeated thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.


    "I''ve kept you long enough, surely you have somewhere to be. I take it you don''t want me to delete the recording today?" Mr. Ark said.


    "Even that, huh?" Luck smiled sadly.


    "Please. The day you officially entered the business I get a note that instructs me to do this. An idealistic overachiever like you would be the only one to come up with something like this. An info dump to help those with the purest hearts, big or small? Luck,I''m not that stupid. Me, your most trusted family friend and instructor, and on the day of your indoctrination?" Mr. Ark rose an eyebrow.


    "Uh..." Luck was bright red. His younger self was indeed very inclined to change the nature of the business, maybe he was a little blinded by it as well, that he didn''t notice himself be discovered.


    "No...you''re... " Ace''s eyes widened to saucers. "Estuji the-"


    "Off with you. Goodbye, Luck."


    "Goodbye, Uncle." Luck responded, walking off.


    Ace took a moment staring at Mr. Ark''s back before following Luck under the awnings of the nearby shops.


    "That was... " Ace began, still lost for words.


    "Yes." Luck decided there would be no need for secrets anymore.


    "And you learned from him?"


    "Correct."


    "Damn, I find many of the mysteries surrounding the Amber Demon answered then." He said.


    Later that day, Mr. Ark would follow the lone clue that Luck had left him ''masa toro with caviar'' and would find himself lost. Nothing he would try would dig up any leads. A hidden message? A code? Lost, he would tell Ernie to whip up the dish and would find himself a seat, not really knowing what to do, hoping for some inspiration. Ernie would pop out of the kitchen with a single plate and lay it in front of him. And Etsuji Ark wouldsimply stare at the plate, dumbfounded, before breaking out in hearty laughter.To know that his closest and most trusted cook worked for the Amber Demon. For upon his plate lay a ribboned note that explained everything. And Etsuji Ark would believe, because what else could he do? Without a word Ernie would bring him the real meal and when Etsuji finished Ark''s Dishes would be completely empty, save for the goddess across from him.


    An hour later Luck entered the church with Ace beside him.


    "Wh-" Ace began before multicolored lights engulfed the entire place.

 Chapter 1 - Simple Cards

    The bright colors blinded him, and the shift he felt left him disoriented, so the first thing he noticed was the change in the quality of the air. It wasn''t fresh in the sense of green hills and fields of flowers, just clean, good air. It was something you probably wouldn''t notice unless your body breathed pollution everyday.


    Something was clearly going on because the room he was in seemed rather normal and the method that got him here was most definitely not. It was a gambling room, more specifically a card room. The only catch was that it was void of peopleand there was only a handful of tables where there should be many. The man sitting in the dealer''s seat had no uniform, if anything he seemed heavy with trinkets and baubles. Something about the man was off-putting as if he wasn''t quite what he seemed, strange clothing aside the stranger seemed excessively excited. Luck ran his hands over one of the nearest tables, neatly stacked decks were placed around each table. Luck, again, ran his hand over some of the decks.


    He took a seat at the man''s table and waited to be dealt in.


    The man reigned in his expression, his grin faded but his enthusiasm did not. "Shall we get started then?" He was shuffling a handful a bright decks.


    "Well, this is a cozy little place isn''t it?" Luck''s eyes roamed the strange set up. The man moved to deal Luck in. "Where are we?"


    "Hmm, that''s a tough question to begin with." The man''s expression was of one who loved their job. "Somewhere and nowhere. Never and now." He finally said.


    "That''s horribly uninformative." Luck peeked his cards. It was not a standard deck, but old habits kicked in and Luck kept his face neutral. "I''d have hoped for at least a door."


    "It is, it is. Alas, a door is somewhat irrelevant for this meeting." The mystery man said. "You know you''re quite calmer than most who pass through. Interesting fellow aren''t you? Might I have your name, friend?"


    The man seemed friendly enough and that gave Luck pause. "A name is a strange thing, you know. To give a name is to put power over yourself in another''s hands. Did you know you can have someone like you more simply by using their name?" Luck leaned in to gauge the man''s reaction.


    He only laughed, deep and carefree, the kind of authenticity you''d find coming from a child or a drunk. "So you''d rather keep it close to the vest?" He smiled, silently shuffling the decks. "I can''t blame you."


    "Nonsense. I''m simply deciding which one to give you." Luck was watching the man''s hands, wary of any foulplay of whatever he was doing here. Luckprided himself in his ability to catch most sleight of hand.


    "I''m rather fond of the Devil of the Cards myself." His hands blurred at that instant and the decks were stacked.


    Luck rose an eyebrow. "My reputation precedes me."


    "That it does, that it does." The man absently flipped a card between his fingers. "You''ve garnered the attention of a handful of powerful beings, you know." Luck was watching the stranger''s hands but he could feel powerful eyes on him.


    "I do hope they''re not dissapointed then." Luck decided he might as well relax a tad. The man would get to the point once he got bored of small talk. "Of course, i''m known to be quite entertaining when I want to be." Luck allowed a small, calculated amount of cockiness to show. It went unnoticed which meant the dealer was either inexperienced, oblivious, or much more dangerous than Luck would''ve gave him credit for.


    "Yes, yes. I happen to be one of those powerful beings, you see. I applied a great many resources to simply glean some information on the mortal that''s all the rage these days." His smile faltered almost imperceptibly. "I found... very little."


    "Perhaps your sources are not as reliable as you thought." There were figures on the back of the cards and they were moving Luck realized. The craftsmanship was astounding and Luck found them terribly intriguing. The ridges of the shapes were slightly raised up on the card back.


    The man caught Luck''s eye and there was a subtle pressure before he continued. "Yes, well our power can be used to greater extent in worlds such as yours but our methods are culled to the degree that it is pointless to ever exert it. Nonetheless, I persisted and achieved near nothing. It is almost as if you are a ghost in your world, a whisper of a person."


    "Only to those I don''t want to see me." How this otherworldly being knew of his titles was beyond him but Luck felt rather at home in the leather chair and general ambience. He would enjoy it as long as it lasted. The last night was a roller coaster of adrenaline so he needed it.


    There was an awkward pause as if the man expected Luck to continue. "Well, I believe I have stalled long enough." His hands were blurring again as he shuffled. "I am Jerxos, God of Rebirth." Luck blinked in surprise, where there was a blur was now a hand held out in greeting. Jerxos was smiling again.


    "Luck Lockyer." If a god wanted his name they would have it eventually he decided. He shook his hand and Luck noted the strong grip.


    "Well, Luck you are an interesting case. Due to the Goddess of Fortune''s intervention despite my title you will not be undergoing a complete rebirth. This goes for your family as well as your friend. Because this is a partial rebirth I am still the presiding deity however."


    "Partial rebirth? I was under the assumption we were to be transported, given a second chance, not reborn entirely." Luck fingers traced the ridges of the cards under his palm.


    "I do not send anyone anywhere without the tools to survive, normally you would indeed be reborn entirely. In this case however your assumption is nearly correct. Leah was clear your bodies are only to be modified. Powers and knowledge will be granted but they will remain your original bodies. For what purpose she intended, I have no clue. " Jerxos had a measure of seriousness to his face that likely came from passion he took to his job. Luck took note of the way he used Leah''s name. Friends, perhaps? His attention was quickly drawn somewhere else however.


    The cards in Luck''s hand began to glow softly, a pulse of power came from each. Luck startled, the ridges were shifting slightly as well.


    "Your cards, please flip them over. Face up." Jerxos directed. "These represent the tools you will enter your new world with." With that the cards pulsed again, vivid images sprang to life, and they were transluscent. Luck waved a hand through them, they seemed organic in a way he couldn''t fathom, not exactly holograms but something like a cousin to them.


    He glanced between the five he was originally dealt. "Amazing." Luck breathed. "What are these? Holograms? Magic?"


    "Just a simple cantrip from a god." He waved it away as it was nothing. "Nothing that impressive." But Luck caught the smile of what might have been pride.


    The first had a projection hovering over it. It was a man laying against a tree, which reached down with a branch and dropped an apple lightly in his hand. Luck watched with interest as a deer came close unconcerned as the man lounged and enjoyed the breeze. He was surrounded by nature and as the view panned out to encompass the lazy rolling hills, it was clear the man was far from civilization and undeniably alone. One could have argued the man was stranded. Yet he looked as relaxed and carefree as a butterfly. Words materialized over the man.


    Magical Trait: One with Nature


    Individuals who can truly commune with the world are rare. You treat the world not as a resource but as a brother, content to enjoy its company as it does yours. Beings such as yourself find themselves at home away from civilizations. Communication with animals and plant life becomes trivial for those such as you. Nature protects you in subtle ways when you find yourself in its embrace.


    Jerxos chimed in after Luck''s eyes started to move to the next card. "Traits can change you in some ways you might not expect. These things would come with a natural birth but branding them onto an existing body has had harmful effects before. A man who loved the city found himself hating it, for example. Or a woman who loved progress found herself disgusted at her life''s work''s affect on the enviroment. We''ve since perfected the practice on existing bodies however, but all the same you should be warned. These function to give the rebirthee some type of adaptation or advantage be it physical, mental, or magical."


    "Interesting." Luck seemed almost too calm at the mention of magic. In truth, his heart was racing and his mind was firing off with ideas. In the end, he realized magic might not always be the best answer. Sobering up he listened to Jerxos continue his spiel. He wondered why Jerxos bothered with such a convoluted method.


    "You may discard any amount of your cards a total of five times. You may choose to discard any number of cards for each discard. You will then replace your missing hand with cards from any of these five decks, with your discards going into a trash pile. I will be here to provide insight and answer any questions I am able." Jerxos informed him. There was a glint in Jerxos'' eyes that hinted at something deeper however.


    "Why cards? Seems rather geared towards chance."


    "The process differs between individuals and i''m given a number of methods to impart these powers to specific people. As the God of Rebirth I''ve lived many lives and found I always regret the ones I don''t have fun in. So, instead of going the other paths I decided to go for a simple card game."


    "So what other methods were offered to you for me? I''m a little curious."


    "There was the typical arena, a shooting range, a number of puzzles and mental challenges and a variety centered specifically around your specific skillset. " Jerxos was quite amiable but Luck clamped down on that feeling lest he get caught off guard. "Each one has its merits, the tools you are rewarded are limited or filtered depending on what method you used to attain them. For example, tools gained from the arena are usually the most useful since they are the hardest to achieve and limited only by your endurance. The puzzle pathmight allow you to get a multitude of small helpful tools but not everyone is up to the task, most end up with only nine or ten tools with little impact. The natures of the tools are randomized but their usefulness scales as the rebirthee advances in the process."


    "And what''s the catch with the card game then?" Luck had a sneaking suspiscion. The rules for his game were already laid out but he had a hunch.


    "There is no scaling rewards in this particular game, only a limit on the tools you may have. The tools you draw are completely random. Meaning, you can have some truly powerful tools, but only five. Or- "


    Luck interrupted. "Or you can have a very bad hand." Tools, Luck caught on, were the equivalent to the cards laid in front of him.


    "Precisely, but keep in mind no tools offered are completely useless." Jerxos smiled. "What better way to enter a new world for a man named Luck?" He was practically bubbling with excitement.


    "So then, this ''One with Nature'' is it considered powerful?" Luck suspected he wouldn''t get an answer but tried anyways.


    "That is up to you to decide." As expected, Jerxos wouldn''t be giving him any information, at least intentionally.


    "A moment then."


    Luck decided to just go from left to right.


    Above the next card was a sword that flashed with different colors. There was fire coating it one second, electricity the next, an icy haze right after, then dust of all things until finally the process repeated. It jumped from the hands of different people and it slew their enemies until the image flashed to the next scene. Beasts unimaginable, creatures and animals Luck couldn''t fathom flashed dead across the floating video. The focus was on the sword itself but as the scenes changed the hands blurred and the monsters changed just as rapidly until it seemed to be a single stroke of the sword layered over thousands of battles.


    Magical Item: Fourth Sword of the Elements


    The power imbued within this sword cycles through some of the basic elements. Enchanted to meld perfectly with the caster, if timed correctly the weapon becomes as deadly a wand as it is a sword. It is one of four swords crafted as such.


    Luck wasn''t much of a sword fighter, or good with blades in general. He knew since Mr. Ark had tried to drill knife fighting techniques into him at a young age but he never took to it. Instead Luck excelled in disarming and subduing in close quarters. Luck knew he could take a man twice his size and make him feel like it was his first prom with the way he moved around him. So no, a sword would have to go no matter how powerful. The thought of selling the sword seemed viable and Luck''s mind pondered it for a moment before realizing permanent benefits to himself were definitely worth more. The sword was up for discard.


    Jerxos chimed in before Luck could move on once again, noticing the card. "Items in general are not permanent to the rebirthee but tend to have greater effects considerably earlier than other tools. For example, depending one where you begin your new life a weapon or shield may have immediate value. Being ''One with Nature'' may not help if for example you began in a hostile area devoid of nature, protection would be valued more highly."


    "Is that random? Where we begin?"


    "Ah, a question I can answer for you. Yes, the area must be devoid of sentient interaction so that your initial arrival does not have unwanted ramifications. Fear not, you will begin with those you arrived with. Your companion Ace is taking quite well to his process, his choices are rather interesting."


    "Wait. With those I arrived with? How about my family? Where will they be?" Luck didn''t plan for this. He wasn''t going to be with his family from the start? That wasn''t good.


    "They will have gone through this same process. My information was depressingly little but I gathered many rumors and lore from your world. I was informed the Lockyer line are quite a capable bunch. You should not worry they seemed quite prudent when they came through. My prayers to the beings who call any of them enemies."


    Luck smiled. He was right. Luck knew his parents as well as Tate were capable of handling themselves. He still would''ve felt better with them. He''ll just have to find them once he arrives. "They already came through then?"


    "Yes, but we will be releasing them the same time as you. Worry not." Jerxos unerring smile was reassuring. Narrowing his eyes, Luck nipped that feeling in the bud.


    Luck took a deep breath and checked the next card. He''ll find them.


    It was a man bleeding to death, a femoral artery was cut on his leg and he was left to die on the battlefield. Luck watched closely as the man dragged himself with his only working arm into a nearby bush, he didn''t even leave a trail of blood. Within half a minute the man was up again and rushing the enemy from behind. His leg was working perfectly, no sign of any damage except the gap in his armor. His previously broken arm was holding up a shield as he charged. Despite all the dried blood he was perfectly fine. The men at the rear of the opposing force turned around in surprise as the man laid into them.


    Magical Trait: Troll''s Blood


    The blood of Trolls run through your veins. You regenerate damage at an incredible rate due to your blood. Loss of limbs are impossible unless cleanly detached from your body. Small cuts and bruises become inconsequential to someone with your vitality. Fire ceases your healing and you burn more easily.


    Jerxos'' purposeful gaze did not go unnoticed by Luck. He had previously moved the cards around to indicate a discard or keep but Jerxos hadn''t even twitched. He only looked on with an untiring smile, at least the man seemed to be having fun. He was protecting his tells well enough that Luck couldn''t glean any immediate insight on the usefulness of the card.


    "How would something like this affect my appearance? I''d really rather not look like a troll." Luck questioned. He was still fascinated by the artistry on the cards themselves.


    "On the surface, nothing. However, there might be unprecedented circumstances on the off chance you encounter a troll in your travels."


    The Troll''s Blood was something Luck was definitely going to keep. A weakness to fire in exchange for regenerating every other type of damage didn''t even seem like a choice. That did concern him though. Simply the fact that the name had the word troll in it. The Fourth Sword of the Elements also showed different monsters being slain and Luck knew he would want this trait, if he got maimed he didn''t want to spend his days disabled. Apparently wherever he was going had trolls and magic so it''d be only natural to want protection. He didn''t expect to get any prior knowledge aside from what he could infer from the images on the cards so Luck viewed them with quiet interest.


    The next card showed a woman diving underwater, a vast underwater temple appeared before her. She explored the whole ruin, swimming through sunken halls. Expansive rooms that seaweed grew in made it seem like an underwater forest. She took her time gliding through the ruins and scanning for treasure. Eventually she found the treasury and what could''ve only been a king''s quarters. There were traps and she took a long time disarming them, facilitated by her ability to float above them, no one else would''ve been able to last so long in the water. She rose to the surface heavy with her finds. She didn''t burst through the water in a gasp of air however, she simply continued to walk to her pack, pocketing her treasures without a single heaving breath.


    Trait: Aquatic Respiration


    The ability to breathe underwater indefinitely. Your lungs have become specialized to filter oxygen through water with no side effects. Underwater escapades become another stroll through the forest.


    There was no doubting the usefulness but potential for larger gains dulled Luck''s anticipation. Breathing underwater sounded attractive but the reality was the need would likely never come up, or it would come up with such small frequencythat other tools would be more beneficial. Needless to say Luck mentally filed it away for discard. It was probably for the best since there was nothing that indicated you''d be able to see very well anyways. Luck didn''t know how comfortable he''d feel in foreign waters and with no vision.


    The last card on the right was somewhat off-putting. It was a scrabbling man being chased by a large cat. It was clear who was prey and who was the predator. In the next few moments however the cat was whimpering and struggling to free itself. The man had transformed, the process seemed bloody and painful to Luck. The manbeast had locked its jaws on the cats hind legs and began to drag the rest of its prey closer, the cat left furrows in the dirt. The scene ended with the transformed man ripping out the large cat''s throat and howling at the sky as blood spilled down his jaw.


    Magical Trait: Lycanthropic Blood


    A beast lurks within you. Your blood boils with savagery, awakening to the smell of prey or threat of danger. Control is possible but exceedingly difficult, your urges are not your own. You become stronger and faster, your senses become sharpened, your bloodlust flows free, and you become a true predator. The only saving grace is that you know the beast means you no harm, for the beast is you.


    Luck''s blood chilled. Leaning over the cards he froze as he watched the words materialize over the scene. Jerxos was watching him intently, more focused on Luck''s expression than anything else.


    "This... doesn''t seem like a good thing. I thought these were all tools for us to use, it looks like this would rather use me." Luck watched the scene replay and shivered. He hoped his family got good tools.


    "No, the tools imparted are to facilitate survival. If a few loose demons are required to allow your survival then so be it. You of course, should be somewhat familiar with making certain concessions." Jerxos was still smiling despite the topic and Luck reminded himself he wasn''t talking to just anyone. This was a god whether he acted like one or not.


    "Of course, people have to die for secrets to stay secret in the business. I had just thought that all tools would be strictly beneficial, a misunderstanding I suppose." Luck was aware of the sacrafices that had to be made every now and then, but he couldn''t fathom why certain tools had to be detrimental. In fact, why does such a system even exist?


    "I knew you would. A benefit of the card method allows you to discard and exchange tools whereas normally you would not be allowed the choice to decline." Jerxos added. "However, you must have a total of five when the game ends."


    "I see... is there a purpose behind all this? Why bother with mortals like me? I''m sure the gods above have got better things to do." Luck made small talk.


    "Why, why indeed?" Jerxos paused in genuine thought. "Many, many, many reasons. Chiefly among them, I find myself bored, many of us do. The lives of gods and goddesses are very straightforward. The ones who aren''t fighting each other whittle away at time interacting with mortals or spending it on a hobby. Those of us who find even that boring are simply waiting while carrying out our respective jobs. Quite mundane for us supposedly higher beings."


    "For the next interesting thing?" Luckgathered the cards and adjusted his chair, his hands dissapearing under the table for a split second. "Seems tremendously boring."


    "Precisely! Through bestowing you the tools I allow an agent of change into our realm, that means more entertainment for us." It was certainly clear why he was so excited the whole time, Luck was a novelty to him.


    "And can I expect the people of your realm to have some of the powers i''m seeing right now?" He used the word realm tentatively.


    "For the most part, the people will not be your problem. No, the average person will not likely have abilites on par with yours, but there are many dangerous individuals out there. In addition, there are enough natural hazards for you to worry about instead. In some instances, you''ll be just as useless as another person should you come across certain foes no matter the power you possess. You are simply better equipped to survive, those favored by gods are given these opportunities rather frequently."


    "I''m sorry to dissapoint but I plan to find my family and enjoy a simple life. Maybe help people here and there, but nothing earth shattering. Certainly, nothing entertaining." Luck waved his hand around.


    "Plans change do they not? You, like many others might find their purpose somewhere along the line. The treasure is in the journey not the destination as they say."


    "Perhaps." Luck said. It did seem like an interesting place. "Ah, you''ve distracted me. I''d like to discard all of these." Luck handed him the five cards and he almost missed the surprise on Jerxos'' face.


    "You''re sure?" He eyed Luck who only sat with an ever present smirk, lounging his chair. "But of course you are." The small stack of cards was placed neatly aside without a second thought. "Forgive me. Please draw five cards in total from these five decks." The decks all varied in colors.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Luck drew three from the red deck and one each of green and yellow, talking as he did so. "Can the effects of these tools overlap? The two tools pertaining to blood for instance." Jerxos eyes were sharp, Luck attributed it to his full discard, it may have been too obvious that Luck had done something. There were no openings to palm any extra cards under his scrutiny this time around.


    "Yes, the effects do overlap. In that particular case the Lycanthropic Blood transformation would also have the regenerative properties of Troll''s Blood. In addition, life threatening wounds wouldn''t awaken the beast within as there would be no real threat to your life due to your immense regeneration. If you do decide to keep any overlapping tools I''ll be happy to explain their interactions." Jerxos smiled. His eyes were now on Luck''s hands, the man was alert.


    If Luck kept discarding full hands he would eventually have to keep the very last handful and that might contain something he''d rather not have. Initially he was stalling, waiting for an opportunity to sneak a card into his clothes but he was painfully aware of Jerxos'' scrutiny.


    The most notable tool was the card from the yellow deck with the rest not interesting Luck enough to warrant further consideration. Above it was an older man dressed in loose garb in a wide, expansive room. The room was literred with maps, globes and other such secular items. Men, women and other... creatures sat across and around the man effectively surrounding him. They talked to each other, paused and then looked to the man. He would then say something, sometimes even motioning with his hands and relay the message between the two parties. He did this for all present species of which there were many.


    Trait / Knowledge: Omnilingual


    A master of communication. You speak and understand all languages, written, signed and spoken. The intricacies and nuance of languages are no strangers to you. You speak all languages as if you were born to them. Native speakers and other linguists do not detect any accent or find any verbal flaws.


    "Ah, the slash indicates a tool that falls within two categories. Omnilingual is a trait that deals with languages and thus the vocabulary and grammar of each. The knowledge of the languages becomes inherent to the rebirthee, almost considered a part of him. However, in a way it is also a gift of knowledge and thus it is also classified as such." Jerxos informed Luck.


    "Interesting. I don''t know how useful learning three or fourlanguages might be, doesn''t seem very helpful. I''m assuming everyone has a standard language like English." Jerxos only smiled, but sometimes no response was more telling than an actual one.


    Luck discarded all of his hand except Omnilingual. That would be useful on many levels and he had the feeling it was rare too despite what he said. He wanted only to prod at Jerxos.


    "Please draw four cards total from the five decks. You have three more discards left." Jerxos was still on guard so Luck had no openings for mischief. He didn''t want to risk what would happen should he be caught. He drew two from yellow and one from the purple and orange decks.


    The orange card depicted another large cat although this one Luck noticed was different. It had a light in its eyes that the one he saw previously did not. It moved like a ghost through the canopy. The sunlight that filtered through the leaves broke his form. It was stalking a man dressed in black but it only waited despite the man being completely unaware. Something caught the man''s attention offscreen and the cat pounced from above. The person''s death was quick. A woman came into view and approached the large cat. Luck blinked as she walked forward without hesitation and started scratching the back of its ears while checking the kill.


    Companion: Shar


    The shar are only on the mid range scale in terms of size and mass compared to other large cats. Their physical attributes are lacking compared to other predatory felines. However, their reaction time is the top amongst even other predators and their intelligence and cunning are exceptional. A shar hunting in its own turf may very well take down a larger, faster and stronger predator.


    "You''ve drawn a companion tool. They are roughly the opposite of item tools, their usefulness comes later rather than earlier. I recommend you resolve yourself to a single companion however, often they may fight between each other, paired with their upkeep it becomes unreasonably tedious and impractical. Of course, should you manage to get through that phase they become a strong help as they mature alongside you." Jerxos interjected.


    "Mature alongside... what age do they start at then?" Luck asked.


    "Generally, they would appear alongside you as you enter the world. Their age and maturity would be equal to your own. A personality would be chosen for the most optimal bonding but many have still blundered the process. Sometimes once-extinct species would be sighted wandering around because of this."


    "How would they know they were extinct? That wouldn''t really work unless they''ve catalogued every existing species." Luck prodded.


    "Well- " Jerxos stopped himself and glared at Luck. His smiled returned a moment after. "Forgive me, I forget who I am dealing with." Jerxos didn''t seem to notice Luck''s moving hands.


    "Yes, you do." Luck smirked. Unfortunately, Jerxos squinted suspiciously and returned to watching Luck''s hands. "I never liked cats. The rest are garbage. All are discards." The rest of the handreally wastrash, they gave slightly better eyesight or something comparably useless like claws. With the potential of greater tools they might as well have been actual trash.


    Luck felt the subtle pulse coming from the three cards he managed to squirrel away.


    One came from his sleeve, another was under his thigh and the most recent was currently under his elbow. Luck had taken the first as he adjusted his chair and the second as he drew a new hand. It was a risk to get the one under his elbow but a quick movement the span of a god''s blink had it concealed and hidden. Back in the days when he hadn''t earned the name Devil of the Cards it was straining to keep his attention at his peripheral, now it was almost second nature when there was nothing going on, and simply habit when he was at the table. It wasn''t quite complete awareness but he could notice small movements off to the side, to a greater extent he could even read things if it was close enough to his center of vision. This allowed him a method to sneak away some cards, by feigning interest in another. Jerxos never saw him steal a card as he shuffled them together and handed them over. The cards Luck took from one of the tables nearby weren''t activated but they did a great job as placeholders. Luck was glad he palmed some earlier.


    This left Luck with four tools, four legitimate slots to fill, and potential for much more illegitimate tools.


    "Please draw four cards between these five decks. You have two discards left." Jerxos was smiling again. "As you''ve kept Omnilingual you will only draw four additional cards."


    Luck leaned over to draw using one hand to slip the card from his elbow into his lap. He took one card each from a different color deck this time around. This allowed the most movement and chances for extra draws that Jerxos might not notice. In all, Luck had one yellow, green, purple and orange.


    This hand wasn''t as useless as the previous one. He decided that each needed his full attention or Jerxos would get suspicious again.


    The yellow card had the translucent image of a man entering a building, lights flashed and the door opened for him. Another shadier looking man tried breaking in, instead he was incinerated by a brilliant gout of flame. Luck guessed it was some type of trap. He wondered exactly how he could have something like this in a place without "sentient interaction" as Jerxos put it. If he starts in the middle of nowhere would that just appear with him?


    Base: Mage Residence


    The home of any great mage is trapped and protected by a number of spells. The greatest mages could wait out an army in the comfort of their own homes. This could allow warmth, fresh water, electricity, communications and more.


    Luck''s eyebrows rose at the mention of electricity.


    "Ah, you''ve drawn a base tool. These tools start the individual with a shelter that they may operate from. This is especially useful when one finds themselves in unfamiliar territory, however it is notable that this might draw unwanted attention. Of course, whether or not you think yourself capable of handling that attention depends entirely upon yourself. Take note of the type of base as well it may have some influence on what might take notice of it. For example, a large structure might draw curious locals when smaller or camoflauged buildings would go unnoticed."


    "Don''t you think you''re giving me too much information? You''ve basically told me about camoflauged bases and the chance for larger structures."


    "As you''ve said, this particular method of impartation is all about chance. I''ve not told you previously but the other methods don''t demonstrate what each tool does. The images displayed over each card are unique to this method of impartation. This is specific to the cards and done so in order to- "


    "To tempt me into rolling for a better hand." Luck interrupted. "Cruel." Even now, the possibility of electrical structures intrigued Luck, he had assumed that magic meant technology was obsolete. Apparently, it was not so. He had to revise his view of this new world.


    "Exactly, but know that this is a game of chance and risk taking, even more so considering that your future depends upon these cards. Quite the gameis it not?"


    Luck said nothing and continued down the row of cards.


    The green card had a dark blue flower repeating the process of budding and blooming over and over again, surrounding it was a field of snow. It was pretty simple compared to the rest of the moving pictures.


    Ingredient: Fire''s Bane


    A flower that blooms in the coldest winters. Small fields of fire''s bane are always beautful to glimpse as they are normally shrouded in snow. Used as an ingredient in magical, alchemical or mundane practices or processes gives a great measure of fire retardancy to the final result.


    "Ingredients are exactly as they seem, they are tools that allow specific effects the rebirtheee would otherwise not be able to control. This way, rather than starting with a chainmail resistant to fire a bundle of fire''s bane would allow the rebirthee to choose where that resistance goes. Most ingredients will come in bundles that I will inform you of. This particular tool will come in a bundle of thirty stalks and fifty petals." Jerxos seemed to lower his perceptiveness as he talked, he couldn''t be sure but Luck didn''t want to take the risk and try something funny if Jerxos was simply baiting him.


    "Isn''t this infinitely better than that chainmail then... no it wouldn''t be. Not at all." Luck stopped himself, realizing the catch. In addition, he couldn''t even tell the size of the flower and how he would need to fireproof a simple glove.


    "I see you have caught on. Yes, the way that the effects of the ingredients are applied are for the rebirthee to discover. However, paired with a tool of knowledge concerning herablism for example these ingredients become much more valuable."


    "Jerxos, how many more different types of tools are there? Am I allowed that question?"


    "That is for you to discover." Jerxos gave a small knowing smile.


    Luck asked another question. "If I were to get two base tools would they have an interaction similar to any traits I get? It would seem rather pointless to have two random structures if I end up with them." Luck asked.


    "Not all traits combine like the blood types you saw earlier. It is simply more common among traits as they all concern a change to your being, thus the probablity that they intermingle and affect each other increases drastically. If you were to end up with a stone cottage and a wooden log cabin you wouldn''t have some combination of both. Although it is entirely possible for two different base tools to interact you will likely not have to concern yourself with that."


    "I see." Luck rubbed his chin and continued to check his hand. This wasn''t a traditional game of cards so instead of having his cards face down and hidden they were face up like the river and in plain view of his "opponent". Luck chuckled at how strange the game seemed to him simply for that alone.


    The orange card was interesting.


    Simply put, it was a man dying against a larger humanoid, repeatedly. Then the scene restarted and something would change, instead of being smashed by its large weapon, he would dodge it. He would instead be brought to the ground by his enemy''s fist. The scene would rewind and he would dodge the weapon and duck the fist. He would get the larger enemy in a chokehold but be thrown to the floor and have his back broken. The next time around he shifted his weight and kept his grip on the enemy''s neck. Eventually it was the man who came out victorious following many of these rewinds. Luck was deeply intrigued.


    Magic: Time


    The ability to manipulate time. Scholars, wizards, and greater intellects have pondered the varying effects that wielders of time have produced. Some claimed to rewind whole days or even months, to speed up time, to slow or pause. Some could affect only themselves while others had mastery over the timelines of others. Others have claimed only to be able to rewind or pause at the largest possible scale, everything. They say a true master of time magic can sense when something is altered. In the past, there have been recorded a number of mages who could jump into the past or future but the methods are long forgotten. Time is near the top of the most advanced magics and immensely difficult to comprehend.


    "... It seems you''ve drawn a magic tool." If that pause wasn''t Luck''s queue to keep this card then he didn''t know what was. "Magic must be learned but it is known from the birth of an individual. Magic marks the soul, so not every aspiring mage can pursue what they percieve to be their most interested magic. Even if you were granted the knowledge of how to cast time magic for example it would not work for your soul would not resonate. I''ll warn you right now however, that time is a difficult magic and without a tool of knowledge concerning it. You might find it completely useless." Jerxos'' wide smile contradicted his warnings.


    "It almost sounds like you''re trying to dissuade me." Luck chuckled, noticing the smile.


    "Quite the opposite, if there is anything that causes drastic change, it is a direct change to the timeline. It would be entertaining all around." Jerxos had a faraway gaze and a sleepy smile, as if he was picturing the chaos ensuing.


    "I don''t see myself doing anything that drastic." Luck said. "Unless maybe I screwed up terribly." He conceded.


    "You never know. But again, your decision is your own. My words were not empty when I said that this magic will likely be completely useless for you. Even though you will have the capability it is likely you will never know how." Jerxos said. It was strange that he was letting Luck know the level of potential usefulness but it made sense. He had said that every tool was useful in some capactity so it was reasonable that he would warn Luck of a potential tool that was completely useless.


    However, Luck already showed too much interest in this card, if he decided to discard it in an attempt to sneak it into his pile of illegitimate tools Jerxos'' would never let it by him. The god had his eyes on Luck''s hands often enough, and while it may have been rude in a normal setting, since it was akin to being accused of being a cheat, Luck found it rather flattering that someone didn''t underestimate him despite his easygoing nature.


    He decided it would be best to lock in the card and moved on.


    The purple card was as simple as the earlier ingredient tool. It had a man rummaging through a heavy laden backpack. In the next cut he was traveling through a swamp, then rowing across it, until finally finding shelter under a large rock outcropping. He pulled a few things out of his backpack and settled in for the night. The food that he ate looked rather small, not even close to the amount of food the large, rugged man would need. Surprisingly, the man went the whole next day without eating a single thing if Luck was understanding the images. The man only ate once at night and continued trekking to wherever he was going the rest of the following day.


    Supply: Two Weeks of Unperishables


    Four full meals. Various snacks. Water casings and fresh water enchantments. Twelve adapting day nutrition bars. Two pairs of traveling clothes.


    "Supply tools are meant to keep you fed, warm and hydrated. This one for example is two weeks worth of foodstuffs and water enchantments that allow you fresh water as long as they last." Jerxos chimed. "Clothes are also included in this category if they are not enchanted, otherwise that would fall under magical items."


    "Got it, got it." Luck had to actually ponder this one. He didn''t know where he''d be dropped off. "Do I get any say on how those clothes look?" Jerxos tilted his head.


    "Why might you want that?" He seemed genuinely confused.


    "To look presentable. I''d rather not look inadequate if I can help it. I''m just wondering if I can change how the clothes look, not their quality."


    "Perhaps... I can arrange something. I''ve never been one to partake in the mortal culture. Why do you do this?" Jerxos was quite curious.


    "It''s called fashion, Jerxos." Luck smiled, he looked at home in the chair he sat in. "Us mortals judge with the eyes, so I plan ahead and dress accordingly." Luck was already ahead of the game on said planning. Depending on how much alteration Jerxos allowed Luck would be able to strengthen even the stitching, add some pockets, make the clothes airy, and a multiude of other things.


    "Fascinating... perhaps I have finally found a hobby worth researching." Jerxos tiled his head again, rubbing his chin. "Well. Something for another day. Have you decided then?"


    "I''ll keep time, the mage residence and the supplies. All the rest are discard."


    "As you''ve kept four cards please discard the fire''s bane and draw another. You will have a single discard after this one." Jerxos said smiling wide. "I will allow you to alter the clothes under my supervision. Perhaps I can glean some insight on this so called fashion."


    Luck frowned. The more choices he locked in the less variety of new cards he was presented with. This "method of impartation" as Jerxos called it was more calculated than Luck thought. There were a slew of things he had to consider to move on, everytime he snuck a card he frees up another spot for a potentially useful tool to appear. If he ended the game on his last discard with no cards locked in and only the ones he snuck into his clothes then he would be forced to accept whatever he got stuck with and they might not all be benefits. So Luck had to find a balance between locking in his cards and sneaking them in, if he ever got the chance to. He could always let go of a card he locked in to get more variety in the next discard, but the upcoming discards were basically final.


    He had three cards on his person that he managed to get past Jerxos. The ones on the table that he kept were labled Omnilingual, Time, Mage Residence and Two Weeks of Unperishables.


    Luck shrugged. He''ll find a way to survive. Ace would be with him and hopefully he''d have something as well. Luck paused. When did he start relying on Ace so readily? It had only been a day but it felt so much longer that he spent in silence, ghosting across the city, and trusting his back to the mercenary. Former mercenary, Luck corrected himself. He mentally shook his head, it was a strange feeling but he knew he could trust Ace.


    The decision was more hard than Luck thought. He was really looking forward to designing something to wear. The thought that a god would be lending a hand made the offer even more attractive.


    "Actually, i''ll discard the supplies too." Luck said with difficulty.


    "Then, draw twice between the five decks." Jerxos smiled. "It is a challenge is it not?" He had a knowing grin.


    "Quite." Luck said.


    Luck leaned over again and pulled from the orange and purple decks.


    The orange card had a strange man with fair skin and horns in a duel with another similiar opponent. They were in an arena and from his shackles it seemed they were their for twisted entertainment. He was tired out by his opponent until finally he was stabbed through the heart and fell to the sand. The other man turned around and basked in his glory but the fallen man simply got up and stabbed him in the back, his chest, perfectly healed. The now-victor then slumped over on top of his slain opponent.


    Trait: Exceptional Regeneration


    Your body reacts and combats injuries and damage to your body that are life threatening. This process leaves your body exhausted and near useless. Small cuts and bruises are healed depending on the current energy of the individual. The body knows instinctually when it is in danger and thus conserves power to heal lethal wounds when necessary. In addition, mirroring your body''s reaction to harmful effects, it reacts to beneficial effects by facilitating healing and other positive effects.


    "That might have been quite powerful paired with the Troll''s Blood trait earlier. A magical and normal trait normally work quite well together." Jerxos stated, eyeing Luck''s reaction. He seemed suspicious about that for whatever reason. It was not unfounded.


    Luck just barely supressed a smirk.


    The purple card pulsed with a different kind of power and Luck found himself drawn to it. Jerxos also took notice and Luck noted the way he visibly mastered his face.


    Above the purple card was a small woman with scales, she wore robes and glanced about as if to make sure she wasn''t being watched. Then she stepped through a portal just as it appeared, dissapearing in the next instant. The scene cut to a large room that seemed filled with objects, artifacts and structures he couldn''t even name. The woman picked a bag from a strange looking table nearby, and stepped into another portal again, just as it appeared. She appeared back in the alley she started in, this time with a backpack.


    Evolving Base: Dimensional Room


    A base that evolves while used. These are structures owned by simple individuals that command great commerce, power or standing. The dimensional room is a pocket of space dedicated to an individual. It can only be accessed by a single individual but he, she or it may permit others to enter. Time inside the dimensional room is dilated by a factor of two. Two hours inside equate to an hour outside.


    "An evolving tool is one that grows with the owner. This could be applied to any tool I offer you. For example, an evolving companion will grow greatly in its capabilities that it might not otherwise have. This new growth is apart from the benefits they recieve from their owner''s bond. An evolving base would change to meet the needs of the owner if certain requirements are met. Likewise for weapons and items." Jerxos went straight to business, not single pause or hiccup. It could just be the lighting but the God of Rebirth''s smile seemed a little less genuine.


    "I''m guessing that a dimensional room is rare to begin with." Luck tested.


    "That is for you to decide." Jerxos smile was unsure. He looked like a man who had his confidence stolen from him. As if he knew he was cheated but not entirely how. It was to be expected, first time magic then this. To be fair, Luck had drawn complete crap in his earlier hands. He recalled a particular trait that gave him a stronger grip strength. Jerxos'' expression was a clear sign to someone like Luck.


    For that reason alone Luck decided to swap the room for the mage residence and keep the regeneration. It would go nicely with the Troll''s Blood he pilfered.


    "I''ll discard the mage base and keep everything else."


    "Please draw once." Jerxos grimaced.


    He drew a single green card.


    Above the card resided a simple young man dressed in clothes that seemed comparably normal to what Luck had seen so far. He was sitting in a desk facing an audience of young adults he assumed were students, some looked entirely alien. He explained some things to which most wrote down and then turned to the blackboard behind him. Sprawled across was a large equation which he solved under a few minutes, explaining and taking questions as he went. He was very efficient, his explanations and execution were precise and accurate.


    Tech / Companion: Supportive Intelligence Mk3


    Supportive Intelligence Mk3 is an artificial implant that melds with the brain, should one survive the initial bond they will find themselves with many of their mental faculties freed. The supportive intelligence works towards making the host''s life easier. However, it is powered by the body of the host and requires sufficient energy to function. The Mk3 is the most recent and updated version.


    This would be rather helpful for Luck, he knew any perspective would be appreciated if he wanted to survive. Still, the word "meld" left a wierd ache in Luck''s head that he couldn''t quite shake off. He shrugged, he was stuck with it either way. Artificial intelligences weren''t completely foreign to Luck''s world. Luck caught himself. He guessed it wasn''t really his world anymore, after all. There were A.I. back home but they weren''t wildly used, everyone was still getting used to them.


    "Ah, another dual category. That was a lucky draw, you well could have well gotten stuck with another type of unwanted transformation. As a tech tool as well as a companion tool you will still have to bond the intelligence as you would a normal companion. You will understand exactly how once you have arrived. " Jerxos said. "So then concludes our game. I will refrain from giving you an explanation of the tech tool category as this is stuck with you either way."


    "So what now? Am I off?" Luck asked, conscious of his pocketed cards.


    His final tally was Omnilingual, Dimensional Room, Time, Exceptional Regeneration and Supportive Intelligence Mk3. When he added the three cards he pocketed he was at eight or so tools that he felt were quite sufficient. When he added the one extra card he drew just then he was at nine depending on what it was. He didn''t have the chance to look at it since it was face down when he palmed it. He could only hope that his family and Ace did just as well.


    "Now, I come clean. As you might have guessed this game was not as straightforward as I made it out to be." He smiled apologetically. "Thus, any cards you might have sneaked past me are fair game, though I doubt you have more than one. Please reveal them now." Jerxos smirked.


    Luck only stared, not quite trusting the man. It might have a been an elaborate bait, for all he knew the cards would activate as soon as he was transported.


    "I swear it. On my word as a God, that these are the true rules." Jerxos said deadly serious.


    "What would''ve been the penalty if I had been caught?" Luck asked, conceding that he was indeed guilty. Jerxos sat back in his chair apparently smug he guessed right.


    "You would''ve lost a discard and one from the total number of tools you could keep. In truth, this was one of the methods I was offered that dealt strictly with sleight of hand, chance, risk and strategy. It was, I admit, the most intriguing method I had done in a long while." Jerxos said. "Now out with it. I suspected that you snuck Troll''s Blood but I couldn''t be sure until now, there are consequences if I guess incorrectly as well so I refrained."


    "How''d you know?" Luck chuckled. He adjusted his chair again, his hands neared his thigh briefly and Jerxos took a moment before he realized the Troll''s Blood card had appeared on the table, right alongside the rest.


    "A hunch not big enough to act upon." He said. "Now, lets begin the transfer. Your tools will be with you when you arrive as well as your friend-"


    Luck took the time to check his most recent card before interrupting the god.


    "Hold on. I''m not done."


    "What?" He blinked.


    "I''ve got more. Cards. Tools, whatever." Luck laid back in the leather chair with a nonchalant smirk.


    "Huh? More?" Jerxos looked genuinely confused. "Please, go ahead and reveal them." He gestured, taken off guard.


    The second card had Jerxos very confused, he thought that he had watched that one enter the discard pile. The third one Jerxos remembered being absolutely sure that it was discarded, or so he told Luck. By the fourth, the God of Rebirth could only gaze in dumfounded awe.


    Magical Trait: Troll''s Blood


    The blood of Trolls run through your veins. You regenerate damage at an incredible rate due to your blood. Loss of limbs are impossible unless cleanly detached from your body. Small cuts and bruises become inconsequential to someone with your vitality. Fire ceases your healing and you burn more easily.


    Magical Trait: One with Nature


    Individuals who can truly commune with the world are rare. You treat the world not as a resource but as a brother, content to enjoy its company as it does yours. Beings such as yourself find themselves at home away from civilizations. Communication with animals and plant life becomes trivial for those such as you. Nature protects you in subtle ways when you find yourself in its embrace.


    Companion: Shar


    The shar are only on the mid range scale in terms of size and mass compared to other large cats. Their physical attributes are lacking compared to other predatory felines. However, their reaction time is the top amongst even other predators and their intelligence and cunning are exceptional. A shar hunting in its own turf may very well take down a larger, faster and stronger predator.


    Ingredient / Magical Item: Enchanted Seeds


    A handful of seeds blessed with the magic of a plant mage. These seeds all grow edible plants be it root, fruit, vegetable or otherwise. They are enchanted to grow slightly faster that normal, and being able to grow without constant care.


    "I take it you don''t require an explanation for that last card." Jerxos said weakly.


    "Not at all." Luck smirked, still lazily draped about his chair.


    "Woe to the beings, mortal or god, that find themselves seated at your table." Jerxos said, his smile returning to him slightly. "The Devil of the Cards indeed. I haven''t seen such sleight of hand in my life."


    Luck laughed, a genuine sound that reset the atmosphere. "And you likely never will if it''s on par with mine." He looked down at his collection of tools he would enter the new world with. They truly were pieces of art Luck thought as he fingered the ridges on the cards once more.


    Jerxos surrendered a smile. "Well, as I was saying, you will be transported in a remote location with all of your tools at your disposal. Your friend Ace will be nearby as well."


    "Sorry to interrupt. But who made these cards anyways? They''re beautiful. I wouldn''t mind a way to pass the time while i''m down there." Luck asked, remarking on their craft.


    Jerxos gave a laugh that rivaled a drunk''s. "My wife, Goddess of Fun." He smiled.


    Luck''s eyebrows rose as his mouth curved. "When you said you regret the lives you had with no fun..."


    Jerxos only bellowed harder.


    "Farewell rebirthee." Jerxos'' familiar smile was once again wide and genuine.


    "And to you. It was a pleasure Jerxos, God of the Rebirth. Farewell. " Luck tried the slow and commanding tone that Ace used unconsciously. He was gone the next moment.


    Jerxos was left smiling. He noted the way Luck changed his title and found it emphasized the action, the moments he spent imparting powers to those who deserve them. He rather liked it.


    "Now... fashion, fashion, what was that again?" The God of the Rebirth muttered. "Ah! Clothes, that''s right."

 Chapter 2 - Aerae, The New World

    The one thing a man must keep, even after giving it away, is his word. To give your word is to pledge your confidence, it is a thing given as collateral, only to be reclaimed when the promise is fulfilled. We Gentlemen live by our word, it is the highest standard we can hold ourselves to. The moment it is broken is the moment you betray not only the Gentlemen beside you but yourself as well. Know that the phrase "you have my word." spoken by a Gentleman is an unbreakable promise. Never break its faith, it has been known to steady the doubts of even Kings and Queens at times of corruption, when a Gentleman promises a task fulfilled, it will be. Of that my friend, you have my word.


    -Gentlemen''s Rulebook, #1.


    "Farewell." Luck said. He wanted to rest his eyes on the table one more time, it was unlikely they would have similar games in the world he was going to, but he was jerked from his place in space before he got the chance.


    Pay Heed!


    Notice!


    Welcome traveler! You have been reborn on the world of Aerae! Explore the far reaches of the world and embark on adventure! Know that the world of Aerae is both fascinating and dangerous. Life awaits you traveler do not waste it!


    Luck almost threw up. His eyes alighted onto a strange image similiar to Leah''s quest earlier before he focused completely on containing his stomach.


    The feeling of dissapearing and being ripped from wherever Jerxos was holed up was wholly nauseating. It was worse when the feeling dissapeared completely. It didn''t fade or disperse rather it was like his body just reset and it left him with a weird phantom sensation of the feeling that was somehow more worse. Luck tried to recenter himself as he stared at the sunlight filtering in through the leaves, the transition was almost unnoticeable. It appeared he was on his back and rather comfortably too, the ground was soft.


    "Luck?" A voice called to him.


    Luck sat up his head swiveled and caught sight of Ace approaching. The motion caused some sand to spray everywhere and he heard a huff behind him. At the same time he noticed three items nearby. A rectangular container and a bag of what he assumed were enchanted seeds. Ace arrived the second his thoughts drifted to the other item nearby.


    "Lucky... " His voice was low as if Luck stepped on a pressure trigger mine. "I suggest staying completely still."


    Instantly, Luck''s mind processed that he was in great danger. Something else... a feeling that came within as well as without let him know that it was simply not true. Luck turned around. He moved his head at a regular speed but with the tension in the air it seemed like he broke the sound barrier.


    "Lucky." Ace hissed.


    Luck was face to face with a cat the size of himself. It was lying down too, not five feet away from where Luck was. But when its eyes met Luck''s it got up and circled away from Ace. Luck noted the intelligence and positioning the beast took. Luck was between the cat and Ace which effectively cut Ace off from helping him.


    "Lucky... back off slowly. I believe the cat could kill you in an instant. I''m not sure what powers you''ve gotten but right now it''s safer to retreat." Luck could feel Ace moving behind him. By the way the cat moved left he assumed Ace was now behind and to his right.


    Luck only stared the cat down and in response the cat stared back. Its fur was a matte green so dark it bordered on black. It was lithe and now that Luck could take in its full form he realized it was three feet at the shoulders. The shar seemed to be observing him in kind. It was his companion, the one he snuck past Jerxos, so it could only be a shar. Despite the nature of the creature Luck saw no outward movements of aggression. On Luck''s part he telegraphed none either.


    "Lucky..." Ace said more urgently. "This is dangerous."


    "Calm down Ace. He''s mine." Luck smirked, he was glad to slip out of his semi-formal speak he used with Jerxos. "I won him in a card game." Luck''s smirked only widened as he imagined Ace''s face.


    Luck Lockyer was bold, sometimes even cocky but he was not an arrogant man. He knew his own skills and what was within his capabilities. He knew how much he could get away with, what risks he could take, he knew his own limits, it was how he played even Jerxos, a god, like a fiddle. And he knew with certainty this cat was his.


    In response, Ace relaxed but it was minute. Luck didn''t know what Ace had won himself and they hadn''t any time to discuss it, he only hoped that he would stay his hand. And not kill his companion.


    Luck bent down in a crouch, felt the sand in his hands, looked at the canopy, and realized something strange. Yes, he was in a forest, but there was no undergrowth, only sand. The only vegetation were the trees themselves and even they looked unusual. But no, the most bizzare thing, the most odd, was that Luck felt at peace in this peculiar forest when he had never been in one before. Safe, he felt safe he realized. He took in the sight and let his guard down, for he felt no real danger from the cat anyways. It took its time circling him but Luck only marveled at the forest and this new feeling, it was pleasant. And sometime during, Luck found himself sitting, gazing at the leaves above.


    Apparently sensing that Luck was not a threat the cat silently approached. Its eyes flicked to Ace, wary. In the end, Luck was genuinely startled when the cat came to him, he was so caught up in the contrast between the two conflicting environments that he didn''t notice. It padded to him, not even leaving any prints in the sand until its face was mere inches from Luck''s. Luck stopped himself from gazing at the swaying leaves. The breath of the shar was heavy and warm on Luck''s face and neck. After a minute there was no increase in tension or any visible changes. To an outsider it would seem odd but something passed between shar and human sometime during that uneventful minute. The next second the cat opened its mouth was to lick Luck across the face. Ace jerked forward at the very same moment. The cat was a half a second behind him, jumping in front of Luck with his hackles raised.


    "It''s ok Ace, he''s a friend." Luck gave the cat a meaningful look. It backed off and laid down near Luck, the far side from Ace. It''s eyes tracked Ace however.


    "You''re positive?" Ace was still wary of the predator.


    Pay Heed!


    Familiar bonded!


    You''ve bonded a familiar! A familiar grows alongside its master. The bond between master and familiar is as mysterious as it is powerful. As your bond strengthens expect benefits related to your familiar. The bond works both ways however so be aware of your own familiar''s strength. The bond can manifest physically, magically or otherwise on both ends, be prepared for each.


    "Positive." Luck answered, gathering the items around him. He found the messages rather odd but was thankful for the note anyways. If magic worked here on Aerae than anything was possible.


    Eventually, Ace took a seat on the sand beside Luck and let out a long breath. Luck left him to himself and there was only silence as Luck checked what he arrived with. Ace sat silently, and Luck assumed he was waiting out the adrenaline rush he probably went through. He opened the bag of seeds to check, it was filled as much as it could''ve been. The black box had a small metallic orb with a neat little manual inside. The last item was one that made Luck smile however. They were playing cards, the very same he had admired only minutes earlier. Rather than the five different deck colors he saw earlier these were different, they were the color of fossil amber. Luck smiled, Jerxos had come through. On a whim he sent a prayer of thanks to Jerxos and whoever the Goddess of Fun was, he gathered that if his prayer went through to Leah then prayers actually work. He couldn''t know it but his actions stopped an already smiling goddess in her tracks, her mouth widening with appreciation. Her own husband who was nearby only shook his head grinning. Luck had spent a good five minutes just shuffling through the deck and seeing each card before he stacked them and put them back in their case. He removed the metallic ball from the black box and rolled it in his palm and was about to read the accompanying text.


    Ace''s long breath stole Luck''s attention. He was sitting beside Luck just as he had been doing for the past ten minutes. Luck didn''t feel the need to interrupt him, thinking that if any important matters came up he would let him know. Ace sat there much the same as Luck did. His gaze was fixed on the swaying forest canopyand his hand pulled at the fine sand, letting it fall between his fingers absently. His face was bored, or sad, or happy, Luck was surprised when he couldn''t really tell. He prided himself in reading people and at the moment he found himself lost. He thought it was more likely that Ace was sad but that didn''t feel right, and he could''ve been happy but the expression didn''t convey that completely. The former mercenary''s breath was steady, it was clear the adrenaline had worn off long ago, but he had been doing the same thing he had been doing since he had sat down. Ace Vent was simply looking at the trees. His focus on the motion of the leaves rather than the leaves themselves.


    "Has it hit you yet?" Ace said after a while. He hadn''t made eye contact with Luck, only looking as far as the canopy allowed.


    "What do you mean?" Luck''s attention was on him, the items forgotten.


    "This is it." He repeated softly. "A whole new world. A second chance, Luck."


    Luck had his elbows on his knees, sitting with his legs crossed. He took his attention off the scenery to pay attention to Ace. There was always a strange command that Ace had when he spoke, more so when he used Luck''s actual name, he couldn''t remember the last time he did. It was more than enough to give Luck pause.


    "Yeah." Luck said. His pleasant feeling of being in the forest supressed it but there was no doubting his own emotions. There were friends he would miss, faces he would never see again. "It hit me the second we left the church." The ambience of the gambling room had kept it at bay but he knew he was leaving and what it meant. Mr. Ark''s face in particular came to mind.


    "Did you meet Jerxos?" Ace watched the sand drift through his fingers. Luck was glad Ace didn''t see the sadness that passed across his face.


    Pleasant sounds came from the trees, instinctually Luck felt they were harmless. Ace''s eyes sharpened and his head tracked the noise.


    "Relax, they''re harmless." Luck said. "It''s a trait I got from Jerxos. One with Nature, it was called." Luck chuckled. "Well, I guess it was more akin to stealing it." He remembered the man who had taught him the technique. His smirk widened and then fell at the bittersweet memory.


    "In the card game?"


    "Yeah. We played cards for ''tools'' as he called them." Luck said. "Snuck a few past him."


    "The cat as well then?" Ace said glancing at the feline. It was still gently resting to Luck''s side.


    Luck chuckled. "The cat too, yeah."


    "To challenge the Devil of the Cards at his own game." Ace chuckled softly, his features brightening, shaking his head. "Foolish even for a god."


    "You know Mr. Ark was the one who taught me everything I know about sleight of hand?"Luck''s voice was low and shaky, but he persisted. "He was a great teacher. "He could''ve broken into tears, but he wouldn''t in front of Ace, his pride wouldn''t allow it. A gust of wind blew sand at their backs, sending the leaves in another flurry.


    "I can only imagine." Ace said, finally. "Etsuji Ark. I''ve heard the stories, you know. He was a great man. What he did... well, even a man with a heart of gold wouldn''t have tried." Ace rubbed his arm.


    "Almost no one would''ve." Luck said softly. "But Mr. Ark was something else."


    The two men talked about small things they would never see again, people they would miss, or regrets that they had. Luck was used to a hidden agenda but sensed nothing from Ace. No queries at Luck''s tools or any sign he was even curious of his new capabilities. Instead Ace seemed content to sit in the sand and enjoy the scenery, tallking with Luck. Luck himself was curious to what the former mercenary recieved, but staring at Ace, he didn''t have it in him to break his reverie. He seemed at peace. And suddenly the expression Ace had on earlier was obvious to Luck. It was peace. Not something Luck came across very often at all in the business. He couldn''t shake the thoughts away, that world was a part of him, the underground would always be. It was a huge part of his life and it would remain so. But this was a world of new possibilities, of magic. And with that, thoughts of the business faded away as he talked with Ace and his mind moved to the future.


    As his thoughts drifted to his other tools Luck remembered the other things he was supposed to be capable of.


    "You wouldn''t happen to have a knife or know another language would you?" Luck said, rather abruptly.


    "How about French?" Ace said. "Or would you prefer Japanese?"


    "Either is fine." Luck shrugged.


    Ace blinked. "You can speak French? You have almost no accent." His eyebrows were raised.


    It was Luck''s turn to pause. He had spoken perfect French without even realizing.


    "I can speak Japanese too." Luck said with surprised smile. He didn''t think it would be this... simple. He doubted time magic would be.


    "Is this from Jerxos as well?" Ace said in perfect German.


    "Yeah." Luck responded in kind. "A trait that allows me mastery of all languages written, signed or spoken."


    Ace drew something in the sand. It was a character in kanji. "Can you read it?" He said moving aside.


    "Luck." He responded, recognizing the character for what it was.


    Then Ace started signing. "And this?"


    "American Sign Language." He signed back. "ASL."


    "That''ll probably be very useful in case we ever need to talk in code." Ace said, reverting to English.


    "And in the event we meet the locals." Luck reminded him.


    "Ah, that''s right. I almost fooled myself into thinking this world was like our own... actually, I guess we call this world ours now don''t we?" Ace sighed, staring at the trees. "Aerae, right?"


    Luck followed his gaze. "Yeah. I guess we do." There was a small pause in which both men thought of different things. "So you got the initial message then?"


    "Right when I arrived." Ace confirmed, nodding. "I''d try Morse Code but there''s nothing to tap, unless you want to move to the trees."


    "No need. I already knew Morse Code from before. And i''m pretty sure its proven itself." Luck responded.


    "Shall we get moving then?" Ace stood up, dusting himself off.


    "Lead the way, I admit I''m not really one for wilderness survival." Luck smiled apologetically. He picked up the bag of seeds, the black box, and the card container in one hand.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ve spent enough time in the forest for both of us." Ace said moving to the nearest tree. "Although, I don''t think we can consider this an actual forest. It doesn''t make sense, at least, by our standards, these trees shouldn''t be here." Ace noted the sand and how it surrounded the whole area. Not a patch of dirt or grass anywhere.


    The thing looked bloated. In fact, when he looked closely he realized all the trees looked wet, as if they were sopping with water, he pulled his hand back and found that they actually were. Luck took a look at the surrounding sand. It was completely dry. How odd. The trees shouldn''t be able to survive in this environment unless it was raining all day and even then they looked all too hydrated and the sand looked much too dry. What he would do, to be able to talk to these trees. Luck mentally slapped himself. He remembered his magical trait and as he was trying to recall the exact wording a helpful little not-holographic image displayed. The same kind of not-so-holographic display that popped up from the cards.


    Magical Trait: One with Nature


    Individuals who can truly commune with the world are rare. You treat the world not as a resource but as a brother, content to enjoy its company as it does yours. Beings such as yourself find themselves at home away from civilizations. Communication with animals and plant life becomes trivial for those such as you. Nature protects you in subtle ways when you find yourself in its embrace.


    He should be able to communicate with the trees. And It should be trivial for one such as him apparently. He placed a hand on the tree, it was cool to the touch, the bark was soft but not weak. If he were to stand back the the tree would look like any other normal tree but when he moved closer it was almost dripping wet. The surrounding sand gave the place an almost alien feel, the gentle breeze changed that alien ambience to one of solitude, and then the swaying canopy leaves made the place seem almost tranquil. To Luck''s surprise he felt something brush against his awareness, not weak, only very light. The connection was small yet strong, definite, and with it came a certainty, he knew it was the tree. He opened his eyes, everything was normal, Ace was there, his hand was on the tree, said tree was not moving, and yet... it was talking to him. In a strange way. It involved images and emotion and was fluid and illogical, there was no structure to it. But, Luck laughed, he found it trivial, as easy as it was talking to Ace.


    Luck asked why the environment was so dry. He recieved only confusion. He asked why the tree was wet. The tree responded that there was no food. He asked where civilization was but the tree didn''t understand the question. He asked if he saw any humans. He was met with confusion again. Luck asked what the trees ate. It sent pictures of animals. That gave Luck pause, he almost pulled his hand back. Luck sent the tree a picture of himself and asked if he was food. The tree responded with a set of messages that roughly conveyed Luck was a friend or protector. When he asked the same question regarding Ace he recieved "friend" twice as if to indicate he was Luck''s friend and therefore a friend of the tree''s. The same went for the shar which was now sleeping soundly.


    "Anything?" Ace said.


    Luck jumped slightly. "Yeah, they''re carnivorous." He flicked his hand of water.


    "What?" Ace backed off a bit from the tree. "How?"


    "I''m not sure. I just know they are." Luck shrugged. "Anything specific gets lost in translation."


    "That''s all then?"


    "Yeah, it doesn''t know what civilization even is."


    "I thought you were supposed to be omnilingual." Ace said. "Does that not go for trees as well?" Ace had a wry smile on his face.


    Luck gave him a flat look. "I don''t think it counts as a language. A language is a structured form of communication." Luck stumbled, trying to find the right words before giving up. "This... well, this wasn''t that at all." Luck said, staring at his hand.


    Luck reminded himself that these experiences were new to him. It was the nature of the traits that made them seem so natural, because they were, in a way, a permanent part of him now. But his dad had always taught him to cherish both the old and the new things in life. So depite the fact that talking to a tree and being in a forest felt as natural as nature itself, Luck was fascinated. The fact he just talked in four different languages he never even studied, amazing. It felt natural to his body, but his mind was in awe. The child in Luck came out, in awe of all the wonders he was experiencing.


    He took a moment to just inwardly feel his body. Anything at all that stood out, that was his target. And he found... nothing. He expected some feeling of vitality given his Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration traits, yet he felt nothing. He wanted to test it out, but Ace didn''t have a knife and although he could''ve gone self destructive on his own body his instincts of self preservation detered him. He expected an additional feeling since there should have been another tangible tool around but he only saw the three.


    He wondered exactly how he was supposed to access his dimensional room since it was probably the most useful right now. Technically, Luck felt that nature would find a way to provide for him, a part of Luck''s personality that existed before he became in tune with nature won out, his practical side. The surroundings didn''t seem to contain any vegetation so there was no hope for berries or fruits, and there were no harmless animals that might help either. Luck only assumed they would from his second hand experience watching the man in the images. The animals that the tree flashed into Luck''s mind were large and aggressive enough that he didn''t expect to be able to do anything against them. It might''ve been possible if he knew the first thing about time magic paired with his shar. But of course, he didn''t. The man in the time magic holograms demonstrated skills Luck felt were the result years of practice. His shar might be able to face off one of them, but they seemed vicious so Luck didn''t feel comfortable with relying on the cat and Ace completely. Despite how dangerous Luck was, nothing ever prepared him to fight monsters and beasts the size of himself.


    Speaking of his shar familiar, he really needed to name him. He decided to name him right then and there, it wouldn''t do to go on nameless for much longer.


    Luck clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers, crouching at the same time. The cat''s ears flicked at the sound then it yawned and padded over. Luck could sense the cat was drowsy, lazy even. Omnilingual had no say in the matter, and while One with Nature had some affect on their communication the cat understood Luck''s intention entirely from the bond they shared as familiar and master. Luck wondered what they would accomplish, he wanted to help people, he knew, and he wanted to find his family as well. There was no telling how long that would take but they would help everyone they could along the way. Luck would be what Mr. Ark was in his eyes, a hero. He would be a savior for the small folk, he would ask nothing for it, and he would thrive in the anonymity. There would be no titles that announced his person. He would write his own story. And only his familiar and Ace would know it.


    "Saga." Luck smiled. "I''ll name you Saga." The cat purred and settled down nearby.


    "A story of heroic achievement." Ace smiled. "You did say you wanted to help people." Luck might have compromised himself a little too much... no, Ace was his friend. He had to learn to trust him or he wouldn''t trust anyone. It was funny, he could trust the man with his life but not his desires or dreams. He didn''t even deign to tell Ace about the dimensional room, or any of his other tools. It was an old habit but Luck liked to keep cards up his sleeve so to speak, the fact that Ace hadn''t revealed his hand also somewhat stayed Luck''s.


    "I do." Luck said, absently scratching the cat''s ears. The cat wasn''t doing anything endearing like nuzzling him, it was content to lie down beside Luck.


    The dark green feline was a handsome thing. Its fur never caught the light and Luck knew Saga was dangerous as a hunter. He was glad they were bonded, it was another set of eyes to watch his back as he explored this new world. He would need all the help he could get to find his family. He cringed at the thought of Tate meeting Saga, at first she would be scared, but give it a few minutes and she''d be hugging the cat like a baby kitten. He smiled despite the challenges ahead. It would be hard, but to see his family again... that alone would be worth it.


    "We should get going, find somewhere to set up." Ace''s voice took on the tone he used when they were planning their kills earler. To put it simply, it was mission oriented and to the point. "The sun''s over there. I know it''s probably unlikely but lets continue on the assumption our cardinal directions are the same here."


    "Sure." For all the experience Luck had he couldn''t tell you where the sun set. It was probably best for Ace to take the lead.


    "That''s west then. It''s already beginning to set." Luck could barely see the sun through the thick leaves overhead. "Since the temperature right now is pleasant let''s assume the climate is perfect to settle down. Meaning, moving north from the equator wouldn''t make sense unless people like the cold here. If we move towards the equator it''ll get warmer, we''ll have better chances at finding people there. So our choices are any direction but north."


    "Wow, how much time have you spent in the forest?" Luck eyebrows rose. "It seems like you''ve been stranded a couple times."


    "Occasionally, I''d have to get dropped off remotely and make my way to the target, annoying if they holed up in a tropical paradise or rainforest." Ace told him.


    "Ah... thought you just spent some time in a wilderness class or something."


    "There was never enough time for that, Lucky."


    "No, I guess there wasn''t." Luck reminisced. "Where do you think we should go then? I''m at a loss."


    "Southeast, probably. The sun will be at our backs tommorow that way and not blinding us the whole time." Ace said. "It''s as good as any other direction."


    "Lead on then." Luck said. Saga rose as if understanding they were about to depart.


    Fortunately, Luck had changed before he got to the church and was transported thus. He was wearing breathable clothes that would''ve done well in the heat. He looked good in them too. Snug, sturdy black pants you couldn''t tell were covered in pockets and a custom shirt with pockets on the side which were concealed when he wore a thin jacket over them. He placed the playing cards in a pocket on the inside of his jacket, of which there were many. The enchanted seeds he slipped into his pants pocket.


    Sounds came from the forest and Luck couldn''t tell whether they were normal or completely alien, he had no reference. He found it odd that they encountered nothing dangerous though, on one occasion there was a brightly colored bug that fluttered onto Luck''s shoulder. Luck took a moment to admire the strange creature and kept walking, he didn''t mind the company. Ace turned around and gently let Luck know there was a gigantic bug on his shoulder, calmly informing him that bright colors likely meant poison. He only shrugged and sent the bug flapping its wings to steady itself. Ace gave a resigned look and kept walking, moving just a little farther from Luck. He truly found it satisfying, being in the forest, he simply walked on, amused how his first stroll in the forest was in one from a magical land.


    When the bug left him he felt more comfortable to sift through his pockets again.


    He really did find those playing cards magnificent, he was insanely happy to have them. He laughed at his materialism but dismissed it, a good deck of cards always felt right in his hands. With the intitial awe of the amber cards fading his attention went to the black box and manual he saw.


    Please Read! English Version.


    Instruction and Warning Manual for Supportive Intelligence Mk3.


    The Supportive Intelligence Mk3 is an advanced piece of magical technology designed towards enchancing the individual. The Mk3 has a wide range of capabilites that the Mk2 does not. It is the first among the Supportive Intelligence line to incorporate magic in the design. Thorough testing and hundreds of trials have additionally removed the corruption and deficiency of the Mk2 model. The Mk3 takes a more subtle approach to binding with the hosts brain, it will bring up its capabilities as the need arises. In addition, you may query the Mk3 for the full scope of its facilities. However, be warned that the Mk3 or any other SI model are designed to augment the user, refrain from abusing the abilities of the Mk3 unit to an extent that your body cannot handle. Please heed the warnings of the unit itself and keep in mind it is designed completely to fulfill the user''s benefit and well-being. A general information package is included.


    The text then went on to indicate a slew of side effects that Luck would rather he not have read. It did note that any problems during the process are almost nonexistant, the Mk3 had been improved upon to a large extent and had almost eliminated all side effects and chances thereof. Luck noted the fact that magic was incorporated and that it wasn''t listed as a tool category when the Mk3 was just a card. He assumed that either Jerxos had overlooked that particular aspect of the tool or that only two categories would''ve been shown either way. He wondered what he supposed to do with the ball and scanned through the manual again.Apparently, all he had to do was eat it.


    Luck popped it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.


    After a moment of nothing happening, Luck pocketed the black box and manual in case he needed it again. His stomach rumbled, there were more pressing matters, and he doubted that the ball he just ate had any nutritional value. But Ace had insisted they continue moving. The trees were just as thick as they were before and the sand was just as sandy. The monotony was broken by thefaint sound of yelling.


    "Hear that?" Ace tilted his head. "Company." He moved ahead, there was a cluster of trees that hid them well enough.


    Luck clicked his tongue and Saga went up into the canopy. There were more than enough thick branches between the trees to support the shar. Luck placed his hand on the one of the trees and asked what was happening. The pain and sorrow that assaulted him shook him to his core, it was like the tree was wailing. There was a brother, family, in suffering. It was not dying, it was being changed. He pulled back. It lasted for less than a second but Luck felt something twist inside of him. Something waswrong.Something was hurting the forest.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Lucky!" Ace was snapping his fingers in front of Luck''s face. "You zoned out, you okay?" Ace was facing him now. He blinked. "You''re crying?"


    A single tear rolled down Luck''s face. "We''re going hunting Ace." His smirk was gone. His scar, more noticeable than ever before.


    "Lucky we can''t." But Luck was already running forward, following the cries of the forest.


    He passed through a handful of trees, his feet kicking sand. As he did he ran his hands over them, more pain, more suffering. Luck''s jaw clenched. What twisted bastard was doing this to his forest? Luck ran faster than he ever did before, above him a shadow followed, running along the canopy. He could feel Saga''s excitement for the hunt and Luck only let it wash through him. The trees wailed louder and Luck roared in unision. Someone was going to pay, someone was going to pay with their lives. He could hear the yelling now. He was nearly on top of it.


    When he burst into the clearing he immediately went for the first person he saw. His movements were quiet but swift as he got behind her.


    "What the- " The woman choked on her words, dropping her weapon. "Who-" Luck struck her in the throat.


    "What the fuck are you doing to my forest?" Luck''s voice was a whisper that carried. He had switched into their language without a second thought, it was like a constant gurgling.


    "Seft- " A man snapped his head back alarmed, distracted from the tree they were assaulting. He was blasted away by a jet of black water and was sent crashing to the sand.


    Luck eyed the rest of her people. "Answer me!" Luck screamed.


    "Can''t... breathe." The woman wheezed. Luck eased up on his grip. "Tree." She managed to cough out.


    Luck eyes were frantic with anger and landed on the woman for the first time. She had scales. And fins too. Aside from those two caveats she looked as human as Luck. Then his eyes tracked the tree she mentioned and suddenly he realized how exactly they werecarnviores. The tree was moving, its branches looked more flexible than they should be and it was shooting water, spouting it. The strange fish-looking people were being blasted into the ground with the force the water was expelled. And because the ground was what it was, they started to drown in quicksand, the tree hosed their faces with water all the while. It was using water to hunt.He got distracted, does its prey sink into the embrace of its roots? But Luck''s anger flared as one fish person slashed at the tree.


    The interruption to his concentration cost him. And Luck''s breath waspainfully knocked out of him. The woman had thrown her elbow into his gut. She twisted Luck''s arm and slammed him into the sand over her shoulder. His breath was knocked out of him again and he grunted as he landed. His ribs were broken. He knew the feeling. The worst part was he felt something poking something else in his chest with a faint pressure. The woman quickly dropped down and picked her weapon up. In the next moments, Luck had trouble keepig focus. Ace was yelling his name. A roaring shadow leaped from the trees. And the woman plunged her strange looking sword deep into Luck''s chest.


    Luck let out a blood-curdling scream. The pain was raw, excruciating. It was his world. He could only scream as he lay there impaled to the sand. Blots of white flashed into his vision, the pain taking even his sight.


    His mouth caught with blood as the weird sword wrenched in his heart. There was a roar but Luck''s vision was blurring. The fish woman gurgled loudly as she was tackled by something large. A shadow loomed over Luck. But the shadow was blasted by what Luck thought was water. Moments later something bit into Luck''s jacket and he was dragged across the sand. The sword caught and jerked inside of him. His vision flashed white again and he couldn''t even hear himself yell anymore.


    There was a commotion that took a backseat far away from the pain Luck was experiencing. He didn''t have time to process it. His mind was firing off with the pain and damage to his chest. His hairs stood on end and he felt something growl beside him. Saga. It had to be. He had dragged him away. There was a loud boom, followed by more yelling. A large something moved in front of Luck, protecting him. Saga. There were whispers of caution. Something pulled on the sword in his chest and it was finally enough. His last vision was of a figure above him. Ace.


    Luck blacked out.


    He had no idea how long it had been but he awoke feeling weak and painfully hungry, he was leaning against a nearby tree and didn''t eve know how he got there. A strange-looking weapon lie off to the side, it seemed familiar. A drip of fresh water came from the tree above directly into his mouth, he would''ve been dehydrated without it. He thankedthe tree, but he only got feelings of worry. It was less in anguish now but more concerned. It''s feelings were stemming from the singular tree in the middle of the clearing, the ones those fish people were attacking.


    Luck''s eyes widened and his breath quickened as he patted his chest. He had been stabbed hadn''t he? He mastered himself and slowly looked to the weapon nearby. It was dry with blood that stayed scarlet, his blood. Troll''s bloodLuck realized. His thoughts shifted to his current feeling of weakness. His other healing ability had kicked in too then, but why? The wounds the man took in the demonstration were much worse. This should''ve been nothing.


    "You bastards killed him." It was Ace''s voice, the same calm it normally was, but the control was almost gone.


    His voice along with something else set Luck''s hairs on end. He remembered the feeling, the air smelled of ozone.


    "Saga, down." The cat complied. He had been shielding Luck with his body.


    Luck sat up and gripped the weapon that almost killed him. It sparked with flame and Luck almost dropped it. That would explain it, Luck thought. No wonder his regeneration kicked in, fire would''ve done the trick. Unfortunately, he couldn''t figure out how to activate it again, even if he did, he didn''t have any skill with a sword. For now, it was best to stay low.


    Ace was facing down eight or nine of the fish people. A larger number was drowning in quicksand behind them. Luck almost snarled as he saw one of the survivors chop at the tree in the middle of the clearing. There were only about a dozen left attacking the tree. But then Luck''s attention was drawn to Ace''s hands and he was almost blinded. They crackled with electricity, with lightning. And he looked as angry as the lightning in his hands. The arcs of energy threw sharp, dancing shadows across Ace''s visage. Ace was generally cool and collected, controlled. But, in this moment the man was a thunderstorm.


    Then Luck watched as Ace took a breath. The moment was almost eternal, the fish people tensed at the movement, like the calm before the storm. Ace was dripping wet Luck noticed, had he been jetted by the tree? Suddenly, he hurled a bolt of lightning towards a man in the front, instead of hitting his supposed target the lightning forked and took out three separate warriors. They charged him yelling obscenities, swearing vengance. A man and woman in the back were calling for them to stop however. Ace was a storm, his aim was pathetic, but the power was there, and the attacks so wild it didn''t even matter. If he had a gun all the men and women would already be dead, if they were unarmed Ace probably would''ve charged them himself. But Luck knew he didn''t have the luxury of either. Ace Vent, former mercenary had to make do. He had to settle for magic. Ace sent a man flying backward, the voltage wasn''t there however and the man was left unconscious but alive. A woman got close enough to slash at Ace but he redirected the blade with his hand. The jolt of electricity that traveled up the sword and into the woman surprised Ace just as much as it did the woman. She was left smoking on the floor.


    Luck translated the frantic gurgling. "Stop!" The man in the back yelled. "He''s a druid fools!"


    A warrior in the frontyelled back. "He will kill us all if we do not kill him first!"


    "Seht do you not see his familiar!"The woman in the back, who was calling for peace, was limping. She had claw marks on her face and a mangled arm. Luck was pretty sure he was holding her weapon. That was the bitch who had stabbed him.


    "The forest of the drowned has not had a druid in centu-" A charred body flew through the air and knocked thecurrent speaker into a pool of quicksand.


    "Stop! He may help us purge the corruption! It is our only chance!" The man in the back gurgled with authority. "The lives lost here are but pebbles to the pools! We must try!"


    Ace didn''t stop and Luck didn''t blame him, he had no idea what these people were saying. Luck sat up though, peering at the tree in the middle of the clearing. Yes, it was sopping wet similar to the trees previously, he knew why they were now, but this one was nearly black. Not the healthy brown that Luck knew from the rest. Saga growled at an approaching man with a spear, circling him. Luck observed the man. He had fins across his legs and forearms. And his clothes, Luck''s attention was always drawn to the clothes, they were all wearing loose white. But his inspection was cut short as Saga teared into the man''s neck, the man managed to free himself but Saga swiped at him and sent him stumbling to the sand.


    "You killed him!"


    Ace was surrounded now, but it was like he was infused with lightning. He had stopped trying to aim, instead he opted for hand-to-hand combat, dodging and tapping at weapons as he went. Luck could see him bleeding though, but the wound looked gross, there was a dark gash in his thigh. Luck took a closer look, he was dripping with black water. Even now, Luck watched as it seeped into his wound. Ace ducked forward, slapping the flat side of a womans sword, she was sent to the sand twitching. The charge was lost in the sand and she got back up, slightly smoking. Unnatural dark blood flowed from Ace''s thigh and he stumbled to the sand, his electricity dispersed as his hands went out to steady himself.


    Luck whistled for his familiar''s attention. He met Saga''s eyes and he knew the shar wouldn''t fail him. Luck moved into the forest, and positioned himself behind the closest tree to where Ace was, he laid his hand on the tree as he peeked around it, imploring the whole clearing for aid. Luck grimaced, he could''ve got Ace''s attention earlier but it was better that he went unnoticed for now. He didn''t think he could hold out as long as Ace if they decided to gang up on him.A fish person brought his sword down intending to kill the former mercenary and Luck inhaled sharply.


    Fortunately, Saga rammed into the three fish people snarling and interrupting the sword stroke. The shar''s paw swiped powerfully, knocking one of the warriors down. The strike was glancing however, as the warrior got up. Luck''s familiar lunged forward, chomping at the second fish man but the third''s presence forced Saga to back off. Saga growled, raising the pitch as if to indicate his attack, when the warriors moved to block Saga''s attack didn''t come. Instead Saga took advantage of their confusion and swiped at one''s shield a beat later, his claws dug into the outer leather and the man was forced to relinquish it. They couldn''t advance on Ace, everytime they didSaga inched forward menacingly, daring them. It was enough of a threat for them to play safer. Saga couldn''t attack either though, the men were covering for each other, shoring up each other''s defenses.


    Then Luck''s bottom left peripheral exploded with light blue script, running down his vision.


    Intializing Systems Check...


    Initializing Subroutine Diagnostics...


    Creating Biological Profile...


    Assessing Host Health...


    ...


    ...


    System function and host within operable parameters...


    ...


    Confirm further integration...


    Luck confirmed it, hoping it would help him sometime during the whole commotion. Right now he needed to focus though. Of the original nine enemies, three were posing an immediate threat. He needed to act now. This was a world of magic and the warriors in front of him had lived in it their whole lives, whereas Luck had only just arrived. He didn''t know the first thing about this world. They wielded their weapons with a skill that could only have come from a life of practice. Luck had lived training for a life of danger different from theirs. They moved with a grace that even Ace succumbed to. Luck didn''t know the first thing about the sword. Their skills in pack hunting and group tactics were obvious in the way they moved against Saga. Luck had no magic, he didn''t even have an inkling of an idea of how to use the weapon in his hand. But as he stepped from the trees, Saga backing away, one thing was certain.


    He knew a thing or two about deception.


    He spoke in German, his voice initially loud for all to hear. "I call upon whatever the fuck can help me right now. Gods above I hope you''re watching, because this is going to be quite the show." Then he brought his voice low and raised his hands to the skies as if imploring the world itself to lend him its power. His eyes closed in concentration, brows furrowed and voice rising again,. If anyone listening spoke German, they''d just be confused. At some point, actual words devolved into his own guttural whimsy. Luck was always one to get into character. And he was even better at improv.


    "A friend of the druid''s?" The man in the back gurgled, noticing Luck. "Stop this now! The druid can help us! Leave him be, perhaps we can help each other!"


    "Silence Mern, he is no druid." One of the warriors yelled. "He has killed one of our own, his hands are bloodied, we must finish him!"Saga was protecting Ace''s unconscious body however.


    "That is the man I killed!" The woman paused for a moment, and blinked as she realized what Luck was doing. "He is chanting! Retreat!" She screamed, limping away. The warriors were too focused with Saga to hear her.


    In German, Luck intoned deeply. "Saga, now." The shar dropped his guard, perked up his ears, snapped his head towards Luck and whimpered. Saga''s ears flattened and he hissed before sprinting for the trees, tail between his legs. Luck had assumed the cat would be against the idea, his pride in the way, instead the shar met him with the equivalent of a grin. His familiar would be doing his own part now.


    Two of the men jerked in surprise as Saga left them, but their eyes tracked what spooked the shar. "Magic!" Luck locked eyes with them as he chanted, taking care to cultivate a wild, uncaged smile. One glance as Luck and they scattered like rabbits.


    The last warrior ran straight for Luck, hefting his spear as if to throw it. Luck could see the decision play in his eyes, killing Ace would guarantee vengance but Luck had to die lest he finish his spell. Luck kept his hands in the air and kept blathering random nonsense in deep German. On cue, the trees started to shake and Luck''s voice rose to a fever pitch. The man moved with a renewed fear and urgency, his head swinging around in fear of the trees surrounding the clearing. The nearest treeswung out and slapped the man to the ground, jetting him with water and trapping him in quicksand before he could get close enough to throw his spear. The man groaned and sunk into the sand before realizing the futility, he stopped struggling when only his head was above ground.


    Luck finished with a sudden, deep voice. His face was a mask of a rage, he lowered his hands, feeling for every movement, and thrust towards those still watching him. His eyes were wild, his face was one of a man drunk on power, he let his hair fall to his face and yelled. They scambled for the trees, some running in fear, others retreating. Luck could easily make out the veterans in the group. They were the ones that ran while keeping their heads, the rest were running around like headless chickens. But their training didn''t prepare them for this.


    Just as Luck planned, absolutely nothing happened. The trees ceased shaking and the only commotion was the black tree at the other end of the clearing. The retreating fish people were at the edge of said clearing, right below some of the nearby trees. Right below a certain shadow camoflauged in the canopy leaves. The shar had proved himself, he was more than capable of carrying out his task.


    The man in the ground''s eyes were darting around wildly. He was hyperventilating, probably due to the fact he was at ground zero of what should''ve been some magical nightmare.


    "What? Where?" Even his words were breathy with panic, he jerked his head around, looking for the coming magic.


    "Why, hello there." Luck said, glancing down. He was still using German. "Bit stuck are you?"


    "Who are you?" The man snarled, strange considering the gurgle-speak he was talking in. "What did you do?" Luck didn''t bother to answer him. instead walking away.


    He had a friend to help. He jogged over to Ace, ignoring the screaming man. The man''s yelling was incessant but Luck quickly found an easy fix. His hand brushed against a nearby tree and a constant jet of water applied itself to the man''s face. Luck''s smug look faded as he caught sight of his friend.


    Ace looked terrible. His eyes were staring at the sky, and Luck''s heart skipped a beat thinking he was dead. Ace let out a breath, he was breathing, Ace was breathing. His chest rose and fell, but the sand was soaked in blood. And unlike Luck''s own blood it was caked brown. Luck checked the wound, and found it was festering and the surrounding skin was black. Ace twitched as Luck examined the wound, he knew a thing or two about first aid. But this was like nothing he had ever seen before. He didn''t have time for this, the fish people would soon find out no magic was coming. He was surprised the trees even went with his plan, all it did was buy him time to check on Ace and regroup. That was another thing, if only he knew how to manipulate time this would''ve been a number of degrees easier. But no, Luck shook his head of things that weren''t going to happen and focused on Ace.


    Something tickled his mind. This wasn''t a natural affliction and if the tree at the other end of the clearing was evidence enough Ace would be up and about rampaging. It was a corruption. Luck realized the fish people were here to purge the corrupted tree a while back. Luck had interrupted them, got himself fatally injured, and dragged Ace into it too. All the while, they were after the same thing. To cure the forest. Luck''s only problem was that he wanted to save the tree. The fish people were trying to kill it.


    First though, Luck had to cure Ace. He stared at the blood-soaked sand and a stray idea brushed against his mind. Taking his stolen sword he sliced open his palm. If the affliction is magical, then he hoped his magical blood might do the trick. It was gross but blood trickled from his clenched hand and dripped into Ace''s thigh. The whole idea was a long shot, Luck didn''t even know if his blood worked like that.


    Almost as if on cue, Luck was presented with an option that might just save his friend.


    Full System Integration Complete...


    ...


    ...


    Warning! Large laceration, right hand...


    Warning! Blood loss, right hand...


    ...


    Rate of blood loss, inconsistent...


    ...


    Commencing Targeted Analysis, blood...


    Warning! Detection of foreign agent, blood...


    Cursory Analysis. Benefits to the host...


    ...


    Blood Assessment. Regenerative properties, healing agent...


    Reestablishing Threat Level, bodily harm...


    ...


    Awaiting Designation...


    Luck wasted no time. "Designate Spirit." He said.


    His troll blood seemed to heal the physical woundbut Ace was still unconscious. In addition, the black corruption only faded before coming back completely. At this rate Ace was a goner, the black skin had crawled up to Ace''s hip now, visible through the tear in his pants. Luck didn''t know exactly what the corruption did, but it made a tree go crazy, so he didn''t really want to find out. He did note that the fish people weren''t corrupted but quickly came to the conclusion that it might have to do with Ace''s open wound.


    ....


    Designation Accepted: Spirit...


    Awaiting Directive...


    ...


    ...


    Luck had entered this world with Ace. He was damned if he let Ace die here. They had a whole world to explore, and Luck was damn curious how lightning magic worked.


    "Spirit, options." Luck''s whole focus was on the wound of Ace''s thigh. Spirit didn''t have to ask for clarification.


    Instantly, a transluscent line sprang from the Ace''s wound and connected to a floating box nearby. Numbers and lines shifted but the box was largely question marks. It was an active thing, adjusting and refining itself as Luck took it in. He assumed it was adapting to his own preferences. Luck was left with a light green box that was giving him real time info on Ace. Most of it was question marks, but he had rate of breathing, assumed blood level, spread of corruption.


    Analysis Complete...


    Incomplete Analysis...


    Insufficient Perceptive Input...


    ...


    Commencing Targeted Visual Analysis...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Detected! Visual Similarities to Black Char, Dark Vein, Lord Affliction...


    Detected! Parallel Symptons to Black Char, Lord Affliction...


    ...


    Scanning Data Banks...


    Insufficient Data, virus unknown...


    ...


    Calculating Possibility of Cure...


    Cross-referencing, Black Char remedies...


    ...


    ...


    Cross-referencing, Dark Vein remedies...


    ...


    Cross-referencing, Lord Affliction antidotes...


    ...


    Probability for creation of cure 57%...


    ...


    "How?" Luck said, face grave.


    It looked like the data that was displayed over Luck''s vision had become more thorough. The information listed in the box stemming from Ace''s thigh was extensive. Even as he watched it was calculating Ace''s estimated survival chance based upon the other diseases that Spirit had drawn similarities to. They ranged from an extremely low 23% for Dark Vein to an optimistic 89% for Lord Affliction, but even then they fluctuated. Other less likely afflictions were listed as well but it seemed Spirit operated under the assumption whatever was affecting Ace shared more commonality with those three diseases. The symptoms Ace was experiencing were also displayed, unconsciousness, lowered breathing rate, apparent paralysis, and a myriad of others.


    Warning!Threat Level: Orange...


    Risk of Death: 42%...


    ...


    Accounting for Regenerative Properties of Host...


    Insufficient Data, Effects Uncertain...


    ...


    Risk of Death: 42%...


    Warning! Threat Level: Orange...


    ...


    Awaiting Introduction of Virus to Host...


    ...


    Introduction to the host... that made Luck hesitate. The fact he even paused had Luck disgusted at himself, Ace earned his trust, his friendship. He saw the rage in Ace when he thought Luck was dead, if that wasn''t friendship, he didn''t know what was. He would have to infect himself. That was that. And with that simple resolve came clarity, Ace would live, or they would both die.


    Luck didn''t come to this world to live for himself. There were only three things that drove him. One, he wanted to say goodbye to his old life, he was good at it no doubt but now he was free, only now realizing what he missed out on. Two, he wanted to enjoy life, to find his family and see what it meant to be normal. And three, he wanted to help the little guy, the stepped on, the ignored, the ones just scrabbling by, the people to which a helping hand meant the world to. That one was something he could never do living the life that he had in the city. The nature of the business wouldn''t allow it. He found it odd, Luck felt like an old man in his old world, someone beyond his years. Now that he was in Aerae, it was like he was a child, sneaking out with his best friend and exploring the backyard he never had.


    But now that friend was dying. And Luck was the only one who could save him.


    Luck cut open his own hand again and there were no warnings as he grabbed Ace''s bloodied clothes, effectively introducing the virus to his bloodstream. Luck''s own hand twitched, he could feel the corruption flow up his arm, the wound closed. It was the first time Luck saw himself regenerate, his injury simply closed, his blood seeped into the surrounding the skin and the cut shut itself. His hand twitched again, it started to go black. He felt its progress up his arm, it felt like it was clogging his veins, and it burned. But it stopped halfway up his forearm.


    Commencing Containment...12%


    ...


    ...


    Containment Progress... 100%


    Isolating Virus...23%


    ...


    ...


    Isolation Progress...100%


    ...


    Deconstructing Genetic Makeup...25%


    ...


    Deconstruction Progress...72%


    ...


    Luck''s reprieve was short lived. It felt like the inside of his arm was ripped apart. His whole right arm spasmed. Luck clenched his jaw, held his elbow down, and breathed through it. His hand was spasming, every muscle clenching and straightening to their limit. He could feel the strain the spasms put on his muscles. What was happening? Luck was taking shaky breaths when his whole body siezed. He jerked in place, involuntarily, and trying to compartmentalize the searing pain running through his arm.


    Warning! Unprecedented Reaction to foreign agent, blood...


    Warning! Spread of Virus increased...


    Warning! Mutation of Virus, increased spread, strength...


    Enacting Emergency Containment...


    ...


    Detected! Unanticipated Bodily Reaction...


    Detected! Flood of white blood cells, right arm...


    Detected! Blood flow increased, right arm...


    ...


    Effect Determined Beneficial to Host...


    ...


    Containment...100%


    Deconstruction...100%


    His body was reacting to the virus? No, Luck reread that last log, his body was helping the process of containing it. Of course! Exceptional Regeneration was supposed to react to beneficial effects accordingly. It reacted violently to harmful effects and facilitated healing. Luck must have instinctually known the process was ridding him of the virus and his trait kicked in. Even now he could feel the corruption flowing back down into his hand. It wasn''t even an ache anymore, only the knowledge it was there.


    As he regarded his hand another light green box stemmed from the original wound. It listed the containment of the virus, limited biological data of his hand, and some unusual effects his body was producing to facilitate containment. His blood flow in his hand was slowed, to an extent this meant his whole arm was slightly numb. The last part however lit a fire in Luck''s heart.


    Creation of Cure possible...


    Creating Cure...7%


    Unfortunately, it gave him five minutes to completion. He checked Ace''s life expectancy, it was harsh but the data was there. Luck''s eyes ignored the other shifting numbers and information and found what he was looking for. Just under four minutes. Luck breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Stranger! Who are you!" The trapped fish warrior yelled.


    Luck gave him a tired look, ignoring the man.


    "Is he really a druid?" The trapped warrior''s gaze was on his now approaching comrades, not even expecting an answer from Luck. "The forest of the drowned has not had a druid in centuries." He was mostly speaking to himself, unaware that Luck could understand him.


    Luck''s ears perked up. They were mistaking Ace for a druid weren''t they? Luck couldn''t place the word, he could only assume it was a type of job tied to nature. Then Luck recalled one of the fish people remarking on Saga. Did druids have familiars then? Luck filed the information away, at some point he might need to play the role.


    "If he is, we may have doomed the pools by killing him. Even now I can see the corruption spreading."


    Luck didn''t have time to dwell on that last phrase. He could see Saga being pushed back into the forest at the other end of the clearing. The shar was backed into a tree, trying to keep eyes on everyone around him. Saga met Luck''s eyes and with a nod the familiar bounded into the forest, retreating.


    The ones that weren''t after Saga or assaulting the corrupted tree were cautiously moving towards the trapped warrior. These were the veterans Luck noted, he didn''t know a thing about technique or group tactics, but Luck knew the look in the eyes of a capable man, the confidence that marked someone dangerous. The group of approaching men all possessed that confidence. In truth, Luck was outnumbered and in unfamiliar waters, while these people probably swam in them. But Luck was a showman at heart, and not one to give up.


    "You tricked us, stranger. Whatever that gathering of magic was, it did nothing." The lead warrior was the first to speak. At his voice many brought their weapons down, respecting his decision to talk. "Your friend, he is corrupted. You must kill him, if allowed to live the corruption will spread further." Luck only gave them his most confused look.


    "Uhet, I do not think he speaks Subaq, try Common." Another one suggested.


    The leader eyed Luck suspicous, more keen than Luck thought. "So it seems." He switched to Common. "Stranger, your friend is corrupted." Luck looked to the leader in recognition this time. Tongues were more loose when their owners think those around them are ignorant.


    "Corrupted?" Luck asked, looking down at Ace. As if sensing his intent another line of data appeared on Ace''s vitals screen.


    Creation of Cure...78%


    "He is touched by a virus birthed by corruptive magic." The leader, Uhet spoke, then paused. "If allowed to live... he will not be himself, ever."


    "My friend won''t succumb to something as simple as a virus." Luck spoke in perfect Common, crossing his arms. "He''s made of stronger stuff."


    "That he is. He is quite the mage. It is not often one trains in hand-to-hand combat to supplement their magic." Uhet nodded to Ace. "Is he a druid, your friend?" The man titled his head.


    "Uhet, druids do not kill, their temperments are never that of murder." A warrior said in gurgle-speak. "It is unheard of. Impossible."


    "I am aware Subh." Uhet snapped. "There are firsts for everything, Subh. Anything is possible." Uhet looked to the man and sighed.


    Luck expressed no visible outward reaction. He could definitely play the druid, if he wanted. Even now he could sense Saga somewhere behind him. But Luck didn''t really want to lie, it was unnecessary. In adddition, Uhet had spoken in Common when responding. Luck knew he didn''t have to but did so for the benefit of Luck.


    "No, he''s not a druid. Neither am I for that matter." Luck said in Common. "We''re just wanderers, fascinated by nature."


    "Then all is lost. A druid of power may be able to purify the corruption, but as it is your friend will surely die." Uhet said.


    "I don''t think he will."


    Creation of Cure Complete...


    Luck already knew what to do, his pilfered sword opened his palm for the third time. It flicked across Ace''s thigh and Luck allowed their blood to mingle. The motion was swift and sudden, horror finding its way onto many of the faces watching him.


    "Uhet..." One warrior warned in gurgle speak.


    "That was not wise stranger. Whatever magic you attempted will fail, twist upon itself, and attack you." Uhet said sadly, relaxing his weapon. "It is a matter of time." He was shaking his head.


    He was an older fish man, probably the oldest of the whole group. His hair was graying and the fins on his legs and forearms were a sunset orange, like some type of tropical fish. He held his sword and shield like someone who knew them as close friends. But his face was the most interesting. It was a pure sadness, as if he took sorrow to watch the corrupted go. Or perhaps what he must do to them. As if he had done it many times before. There was a story written in those features, something of grief. He stood with a quiet resolve, he had the demeanor of a man who got things done when others balked.


    "Uhet, we must kill them now. You know as well as I the danger posed-"


    "No, Subh. It will be as it always is." Uhet again spoke in Common. "Stranger, it is your choice. Do you wish to fight the virus or have us end you now?" His face took on a grim expression.


    "I''ll fight it thanks." Luck said smiling at the information he was recieving from Ace''s diagnostic window. "And my friend here, he''ll probably appreciate not dying too."


    Uhet nodded his head slowly. "As you decide-" But Luck interrupted him.


    "Right Ace?" Luck shifted back into German.


    Ace''s eyes blinked open. "What... Lucky? You''re alive?" Ace said groggily. He propped himself up on his elbow. "Lucky... I remember you getting... stabbed. Then... I used magic."


    Luck allowed his smirk back onto his face. It was the habit that was the hardest to break when he went into training to control his facial expressions, he was always smirking. It was still a pain to hide the tendency but he did it diligently. Other times he just couldn''t help it. Like now for instance.


    "Why are we using German...oh." Ace said, taking in the surroundings.


    "We''ve got an audience Ace." Luck gestured. "They think we''re druids, and right now we''re supposed to be zombies or something."


    The whole contingent of warriors were simply staring.


    Someone laughed, mirthful and loud. "Do not be surprised Uhet, Subh, he is favored by nature. The trees move to protect him." The trapped man, the one that was swatted down by a tree, the one currently shoulders deep in quicksand chimed in.


    "One with Nature?" Ace ventured, getting to his feet. Somehow guessing what the man was on about. Probably due to the fact he was somehow trapped in quicksand while Luck was unharmed.


    "One with Nature." Luck confirmed. "Looks like you were infected by something. Don''t worry I had you cured, you''re good." He explained seeing Ace check himself.


    "And now?" Ace questioned, noticing the rips on his clothes and his uninjured state. "By the way you''re gonna catch me up on everything when we have the time."


    "Now we help these people, then see if they know the way to the nearest major city." Luck offered his hand.


    "Help them? I''m pretty sure I killed some of them. You think they''d accept our help?" Ace took his hand and stood up.


    "Look at them." Luck said simply, as if they spoke for him.


    The whole crowd of warriors were still staring like school children. Ace had just stood up. He was corrupted not a minute ago and he was moving about fine, no trace of black corruption anywhere on his body. It must''ve been truly confusing to these people, the other stranger had gotten away with trading blood with the infected, no ill effects at all. There was a gleam in their eyes that Luck couldn''t place, he mentally filtered through likely emotions, but caught himself. He instead thought of possible postive emotions and quickly realized what he was seeing.


    Hope. But there was a distinct lack of it on Uhet''s face.


    "Stranger... the tree. Can you save it?" Uhet was straight to business, his words had some deeper meaning. The fact that Uhet had gone still, unnaturally so didn''t escape Luck''s astute scrutiny. The question was as if Luck''s answer would have more implications.


    And Luck could feel it, the command of the moment, the spotlight, the intangible power that came with the amount of eyes that you drew. The potential for a show.


    Ace arched an eyebrow at Luck.


    "Easily."


    And Luck walked straight through the contingent of warriors, moving through them like a general in his army. They parted in a hesitant awe, allowing Luck to pass without a word. Warriors tensed, unsure. Their eyes darted to their peers only to find the same uncertainty. Eventually their eyes were drawn to their commander Uhet, but their leader''s eyes were only for the stranger that approached him. Ace walked beside Luck unconcerned, he was not slow, and neither was he a stranger to Luck while he was in the moment. But they all stared at Ace like a miracle, a gift, a promise of hope. Luck didn''t bother to look at the warriors around him, he didn''t even bother to glance at Ace. He only walked on as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and that perhaps was what held many back, that casual nonchalance that exuded power. Luck moved with an easy confidence, he walked projecting the same danger that many of the warriors around him did, and yet none could guess why. He had no weapons on him, he wasn''t threatening, his magic didn''t even do anything, but it was undeniable to all those around him. What screamed obvious vulnerability whispered certain danger.


    If he was back in the city no doubt his audience would already be whispering it. They would speak itin a number of conversations that had a single phrase in common. The hushed words would draw the ear, the change in volume attracting curious listeners. But they would only pale when they heard it. That title.


    The Amber Demon.


    Luck thought Uhet would eventually move, parting to the side like the rest of them, instead he blocked his path. Ace was unimpeded, but he waited, amused and watching Uhet off to the side. Uhet''s eyes were still only for Luck, peering at the young man as if he was something more. Slowly, Luck raised his head to meet Uhet''s gaze. They locked eyes, an unnatural sunset orange and unique fossil amber. Aged, that was the impression that Luck got from Uhet, his features were weathered but remained strong, his mouth was set in an indomitable line, as if refusing to accept the gleam in everyone else''s eyes. And scared, Luck realized, scared that it was all a fluke, that it wasn''t possible. That miracles don''t exist. It was eternity in a moment, the type of interaction that said much without a word even spoken. Warriors gripped their weapons tighter, shields were hefted, the sound of tightening leather and sheathing of swords clearly audible. They awaited Uhet''s judgement, ready to attack at any moment. Sure that the stranger was a blasphemer, a hoax, a liar.


    But then Uhet bowed, stepping to the side, and the way was cleared to the tree in the middle of the clearing. He had seen something below the smirk, behind the amber, something of man with a good heart. Luck looked to Uhet and met his eyes one more time, then walked on. The warriors around him relaxed again, confused but curious.


    "Uhet, approves?" One was holding his weapon, still relunctant to relax.


    "He is the best judge of people. We will see what the stranger does." Another gurgled, he had fully relaxed, leaning on his sword and planting his shield in the ground, watching Luck go.


    "He is not a druid. So what can he do?" And then they fell silent again for the other two did not know.


    And as Luck passed into the patches of black quicksand nearby warriors looked at him, then to the band of warriors following him. Silently, they threw their lot in and followed behind. They were surprised to find shelter behind the stranger for the corrupted tree ignored him.


    Luck watched a man get blasted away with a jet of black water and looked at the tree in front of him.


    "It''s never quite simple with you is it Lucky?" Aceshook his head, glancing back at the impromptu parade.


    "No, no it is not." Luck gave Ace a sideways smirk."But where''s the fun in that?"


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest!


    The Blight of the Pools.


    The Forest of the Drowned has been infected with a virus that contaminates the water. The water that infected absta trees take in is filtered through corruption and released back into the sand. The Forest of the Drowned has been under this influence for centuries, its people the Subaqa have been suppressed by the virus for generations. The virus is magical in nature and adapts to better assault its victims. Clear the forest of the virus and purify the Pools.


    Reward:


    Variable.


    Luck approached the tree and started chanting random German. But he didn''t have the energy as he got closer, Luck felt the tree and realized with a start it was crying. He called for something and then there was a dagger in his hand. The crying was both angry and sorrowful, and altogether painful. The corrupted tree was suffering, he knew. There was no wailing from the trees nearby, they were silent as if content that Luck was doing something, or simply trusting Luck to cure their brother. And he was, Luck had been communicating with the tree, it was clouded with negative emotions but under it all was an understanding. That Luck was there to help, it only needed to stop assaulting everything nearby. And moments after, the tree stilled. Then immediately jerked in rage as Luck pierced the bark with the dagger, but was subdued in its rage when it felt through the connection that Luck had stabbed himself too. He pressed his hand to the bark, bleeding into the tree, trasmitting the cure. He didn''t need to bleed for so long, a single drop would eventually cure the tree, the tree would then begin to produce the neccessary antibodies for the virus itself, but bleed he did. His wound didn''t close and he didn''t question why. He only knew the tree was something he wanted to help, and Luck resolved to act upon the instinct whenever he could. Random German shifted into an actual conversation, soothing and kind, soft and caring, simple. To everyone else it was magic chanting, a magic so strange and powerful it could stave off a magical corruption. But to Ace it was a conversation that was both everyday and wonderous, even if he only heard one side of it.


    One between a man who had spent his whole life in the city and a tree who had never heard of one.


    In minutes, Luck fainted.


    And upon his face was a soft smirk.

 Chapter 3 - God of The Pools

    "What are you doing?"


    "What is he saying?" Someone gurgled.


    "Ignore him. They are both likely to need healing." Another gurgled.


    "I''ll warn you once." It was Ace''s voice. "We are both fine."


    There was a loud clatter, and a dull thump.


    Luck felt he was in something comfortable and had the strange intuition he was cradled in vines. When he opened his eyes he saw Ace holding a red-finned fish man down by the arm, pressed against the floor with his knee on his back. No doubt the source of the commotion.


    "Ace." Luck swung his legs over the vines and stretched.


    "Morning Lucky." Ace looked up from his hold, somewhat abashed. "I''ve no idea what they''re trying to do to us." He was using English.


    "Your mage friend does not speak Common." It was a statement by another fish man standing in the doorway. He was wearing the same loose white clothing that the warriors wore. Luck found it rather alluring, he had to get some of those clothes.


    He had previously assessed his surroundings the second his eyes opened. He was indeed in a mess of vines that extended from the walls and formed a type of hammock. Nearby was another one, probably for Ace. The floor of the room was smooth rock, stone flooring like that of a cave. But more curiously was the thin layer of blue water covering the floor. The walls were wet stone to match, enough so that vines crawled up the surface in search of moisture.


    "We aren''t from around here. I''m one of the few of my people that studied languages." Luck finally replied, his feet slapping down onto the wet floor. His shoes were missing.


    "Ah, I see." The man stood there awkwardly, glancing at Ace. He had blue fins light enough to match the water on the floor. Luck also noticed his lack of shoes.


    Luck checked his person, cards, seeds, manual, everything seemed to be in order. Except for the mystery of his missing shoes.


    "Would your mage friend mind... releasing my brother?"


    Maybe it was from the tone of the gurgling or the awkward glance but Ace relented and released his hostage. He let the man pick himself up from the floor. It was probably unnecessary but there was a subtle play of power in the way that Ace watched him get up. It was an unspoken flex of Ace''s ability. At the same time Luck noticed the loose white robes drying almost immediately.


    "Might I ask what they''re trying to do?" Ace said.


    "They say we need healing." Luck replied, turning to Ace. "Although, I know for a fact I don''t."


    Luck didn''t mention the abundance of information he was receiving from Spirit. Right in his vision was a diagram of his body and subsequent medical diagnosis for each section. All sections were coming out green and functional. Luck did take note of a certain system check in the logs. It was redone on the condition that his body was "too perfect". But Luck attributed that to his rebirth and shrugged the info away. He guessed that his body was altered as he was rebirthed onto this world and thus had no current imperfections.


    There was an alert at the bottom of his vision, seperate from Spirit''s diagnostics.


    "These nice gentlemen took us here after they were positive the tree was cured." Ace gestured. "I''m certain that doing what you did had some sort of cultural significance."


    "Why''s that?" Luck said.


    "Because there''s a number of people outside waiting for their savior. Also might be a little bit from the stunned silence they carried you here in. You did get the quest did you not?"


    "Yeah, I did. Curing the forest, right?"


    "Yes, well we finished the quest the second we arrived here." Ace rose an eyebrow at Luck. "Anything to do with that, Lucky?"


    A corner of Luck''s mouth twitched familiarly. "I might have let the tree know to spread the cure to all its friends. It shouldn''t have taken long considering how easy it is to spray water to a neighbor." Luck lifted his hands as if he couldn''t help it. "Seemed like the logical next step. You can be sure everyone in the tree community was quick to help. Or, at least, that''s the impression I got before I fainted. It was correct, evidently."


    "You never cease to amaze, do you?"


    "Can''t stop who I am." Luck grinned, allowing the ever-present urge to take over.


    Ace shook his head smiling.


    But then Luck''s grin fell. "Where''s Saga?"


    "They''ve got him nearby. The people they have watching him are too scared to approach him. He''ll be fine, after all, these people owe you big time Lucky."


    Luck breathed a sigh of relief. He was too unfamiliar with his bond to note the well-being and assurance coming from the other side. And even feeling it faintly, Luck''s mind won out and he had asked Ace in a panic anyways. But his attention was drawn away before he could really contemplate further.


    The alert was blinking now, and somehow Luck knew it wasn''t from Spirit, but from something else entirely. He wrote it off as more unexplainable magic and opened the alert. The mystery concerning these messages were something for another time, preferably when he had time to himself and access to his dimensional room.


    Pay Heed!


    Quest Completed!


    The Blight of The Pools


    The Forest of the Drowned has been infected with a virus that contaminates the water. The water that infected absta trees take in is filtered through corruption and released back into the sand. The Forest of the Drowned has been under this influence for centuries, its people the Subaqa have been suppressed by the virus for generations. The virus is magical in nature and adapts to better assault its victims. Clear the forest of the virus and purify the Pools.


    Reward:


    For completing The Blight of The Pools in less than half a day the reward will be adjusted accordingly.


    Seek out Uhet for your reward.


    "Now we just need to find Uhet." Ace smiled noticing Luck''s expression. He crossed his arms, eyes glinting, as if it was an accomplishment to know what Luck was thinking.


    He didn''t know exactly when he stopped being guarded around Ace. It had only been two days but since then he hasn''t had his family to unwind. Ace, Luck noticed, had filled that spot. He was glad that there was someone he could put his trust in. On another level he found it entirely strange and simultaneously refreshing.


    "Don''t be too surprised Lucky. It wasn''t that hard to figure out his name through all that gurgling. It is peculiar how they sneak in their ''h'' sounds through all that gurgle though." Ace shrugged.


    Luck''s brows drew together. "I think thats only with names actually. Huh." Luck had a thoughtful face. "Subh, Uhet, I think I heard Seht as well."


    "Uhet?" The blue-finned brother in the doorway interjected latching onto the name. "If you are fine now Uhet is ready for you. It is a miracle you know. The whole forest has been cured. Our sentries posted at sites of corruption, our healers even, they all report a spray of water and the virus is gone!" He said rejoicing.


    His brother, the red-finned man was more straightforward. "Follow me." Maybe he was simply annoyed at being manhandled.


    "Oh, come brother. These are our saviors show some respect."


    "Hmph. Respect is earned Suht and they have lost mine. It is taboo to attack a healer." With that he was out the door.


    "Forgive my brother. He expects all to know the ways of the Subaqa, but it is a big world."


    "Does the way of the Subaqa have something to do with shoes?" Luck splashed some water with his toes to emphasize his point.


    "Ah, it is only right to experience the Pools with bare feet." The Subaqa said. "I am Rubh, you will soon know what it is I am talking about."


    "I''ll take your word for it." Luck said, to which Rubh only smiled.


    Luck only had a moment to admire the way the white clothing opened at the forearms and legs to allow the fins through. Then Rubh was out the door as well, feet slapping water all the way. Webbed feet, actually.


    Luck turned to Ace who was half sitting on his vine hammock. "Sorry." Luck said. "No idea what we''d do without being able to talk to people."


    Ace gave a content sigh. "It''s actually refreshing." He said. "I feel like a tourist. Not able to understand the language, the people, my surroundings, but luckily I''ve got a translator." He grinned, gesturing to Luck and getting up.


    "It does seem stress free."


    "You have no idea. It has been constant catharsis since the church. First, I get to kill a few Asaguy. Then we take down a drug lord. From there it''s relaxing in a beautiful forest, and unleashing lightning onto hostile fish people." Ace stretched his arm. "If anything it''s quite the vacation." Luck took a strange pride in the way he described the forest.


    "Then you''ll be dreading the day we call the place home."


    "Perhaps."


    "By the way, you''re gonna tell me all about your magic when we get the chance."


    "With this uproar you''ve stirred? You''ll be lucky if we have the chance." Ace smirked walking out. "Come on then, you''ve got to see this for yourself, Lucky." Luck followed him out.


    Blue.


    Not the dark blue of an ocean. But the light blue of a coastal beach. The type of blue that comes from the sun shining down on the water. The one that comes with reflections of light playing across the sandy floor. Just a hint of green too. It reminded Luck of the small ecosystems he''d see at the beach. The one of sea critters and small fish stuck in divots of rock waiting for the next wave to wash them away. That''s what these were. They were pools in every sense of the word that didn''t have to do with recreational swimming. The Pools. The home of the Subaqa.


    They were clear, with kids and families swimming around in each, playing with each other. It was appealing to the eye, the way the loose white clothing trailed them as they swam, hugging their bodies and displaying their fins. To Luck''s surprise there were kids under the water as well, a whole group of them playing what was probably tag. And why wouldn''t they? Fish people should be able to breathe underwater. It shouldn''t have been a surprise but Luck found it contrary to common sense, those kids didn''t even look three years old. And they were diving like they were born to the water.Which they probably were Luck thought.


    Up ahead he saw Ace, feet splashing lightly on the pathways between the pools following Rubh who was following his brother. He was taking in the sights as much as Luck was. He was even waving to a family that had surfaced. In return they splashed him, soaking him completely. Ace looked affronted but the family was smiling in good nature.


    "It is a sign of thanks. To gift clean water. It is not something we have had excess of in centuries." Rubh explained when Luck got closer. The blue-finned man was in just as much wonder. "The moment the trees were cured the sands worked to purify the corrupted water."


    Luck relayed the information.


    "If I could only let them know you were the one who saved the whole forest." He replied. "Then they''d quite literally drown you in thanks." Ace, true to his word was glancing about like an actual tourist.


    "The water from the absta trees sift through the sand, purifying and coming down to the pools." Rubh pointed. "What you see before you is something of a miracle. Few of the Subaqa are old enough to remember the pools being this clear." He waved, indicating the entirety of the cavern.


    There were a few large streams of water falling from the ceiling, which Luck noted was almost completely sand.


    "The blight would resist even the purifying elements in the pools'' sand. Eventually the corruption would die in the pools but always it would affect us. Now however, not a drop of the black water has fallen into the pool since earlier today." Rubh was beaming. In their shoes Luck would''ve been suspicious of such good fortune, a consequence of his uprbringing. In this case however, Luck was confident in the cure so their happiness was assured.


    There was a nearby, yellow-finned family that surfaced to splashwater onto Luck. He waved and took a single look into their pool and wished he had taken Aquatic Respiration. There were underwater tunnels leading away but the ground was light brown sand, the walls had all manners of plant life growing off them. Both colorful and vivid. Some plants had roots in the ground but flowers that sprouted on the surface of the water. It was completely see through, and Luck wasn''t hallucinating, the water was actually blue. Not some trick of the light, it was actually blue.


    They were walking along the edge of the majority of the pools. The room he awoke in was nestled off to the side where there was a stretch of stone big enough to warrant an actual structure. The rest of the huge underground cavern was dotted with blue pools inhabited by Subaqa. With thin pathways acting as walls between the pools as well as a means to walk across them. He could barely make it out but there was a twisting pillar of sand that spiraled upwards into the ceiling on the far side. On a hunch he turned right. There was one there too, and there was stuff being sent upwards stuck in the swirling sand. Dead leaves, fruit stems, peels. Compost? For the trees above? Luck amended his thoughts on the absta trees as he now knew they were called. They were omnivores not carnviores.


    "Uhet''s pool." Rubh stepped to the side and gestured with one arm.


    Ace had already walked into the thing. They were in front of a structure that was built on top of one of the pools. It was a dome. It had open windows, wooden shutters, but no door to bar entry. Like the building Luck woke up in it seemed water invaded the floor to Uhet''s house as well.


    The sound of running water drew Luck''s focus for half a second. A glance right confirmed his thoughts. They were near one of the waterfalls that Rubh had talked about, the one that brought pure water into the pools. He noted that the water wasn''t initially a light blue when it came from above.


    "Stupid stranger. To keep the Guiding Finn waiting." The red-finned brother gurgled.


    "Suht." Rubh crossed his arms. The red brother harrumphed.


    Luck walked in completely ignoring the brothers. He never knew when knowing the language might come in handy. It was harsh given that these people sheltered him but habits are hard to break. It was another advantage he decided to keep hidden.


    Luck glanced about as he entered the threshold. It was a room of generous size, made small by the open pool taking up most of the floor. Luck walked around it to the seat that Uhet gestured to. He had just emerged from his pool. He had indicated a wooden chair that could somehow survive through all the water damage it must''ve been through. Uhet simply stared at them. The orange-finned elder took his own seat across from them, airy white robes draping across the wet floor. And Luck again watched in fascination as Uhet''s clothes dried immediately. That would explain the wooden furniture.


    It was an accusation spoken in Common that broke the silence. "You lied to me." Uhet''s mouth was in a hard line.


    "The tree is cured. As promised." Luck lounged in his chair, nonplussed by the hostility.


    But Uhet''s eyes were sharp. "It does not change the fact that I have been lied to."


    "And how might that be exactly?" Luck was unconcerned.


    "You are a druid." He said flatly.


    "I am not." Luck replied cooly.


    Uhet''s eyes softened. A soft smile on his face. "A druid is one who protects the forest. Nothing more, nothing less." He said.


    "I don''t think that qualifies me as a druid."


    "No, but in heart, you are a druid." He said. "If not one officially."


    "Forest or not, I only wanted to help." Luck replied.


    "And you have. The blight is gone, every tree having suddenly purged themselves of the virus." Uhet said. "What can we do to thank you?"


    "Oh? And what makes you think it was me?" Luck rose an eyebrow. "I only cured one, I believe."


    "I am old but not yet senile. If not you then who?"


    Luck looked at Uhet for a moment before conceding with a wave. "It''s no problem. My friend and I are only trying to find my family." Luck explained. "If you could point us to a nearby major city then we will be on our way. We''ve been somewhat turned about in our travels."


    "Truly? That is all you want? For ridding the Subaqa of centuries of blight? For righting centuries of wrong? For bringing happiness to The Pools?" Uhet waved and gestured profusely. His normally stoic visage widening in disbelief. "I owe you a great deal, it is my station''s job to protect The Pools. The corruption was the obstacle that has been insurmountable to the Finns of the past. And now you come here, bleed, and all is well."


    Luck noticed the barren pool of Uhet, no plant life at all, just sand. Did it have to do with the stream of water outside, the stream which would''ve been corrupted previously? Luck thought it likely but his attention was drawn away from his thoughts. Inside Uhet''s pool Luck could just make out a pair of faces peeking from around one of the tunnels underwater. Kids. Two of them. They were probably around ten years old but Luck pretended not to notice them. Ace however was just as sharp, albeit easier to read since he didn''t have Luck''s training or the need for it. Uhet followed his gaze and sighed.


    "Juhn, Sehn. Surface and greet my guests..." Uhet paused in askance. "I do not believe I ever got your names."


    "Luck and Ace." Luck gestured. "Luck Lockyer and Ace Vent."


    One of the kids came out gurgling. "Father? Are these the ones who saved The Pools?" The girl had just slipped out of the pool, already drying. Her fins were a bright blue to match the water.


    "The heroes!" The boy practically dived out of the pool, landing, impressively, on his two feet. His fins were a bright green. And he was also talking in gurgle-speak.


    "Sehn and Juhn." Uhet gestured to each in turn, respectively. "This is why my debt is more than I have to offer. You have saved my kids when I could not." Uhet''s stoic visage had returned to him.


    "It was nothing. Would a man who could wave a finger and save billions ever not? It is everything to you and your people but for me it is another day." Luck was insouciant. "Your people swim in these pools and breathe underwater, your kids already are diving at the age of three. To another people this would be a miracle, but to you? It is nothing."


    Uhet frowned. "This is not-" He started, gesturing to his pool. No doubt about to explain why it was barren and why he owed him so much.


    "My meaning is that I do not need compensation to do what is right. I wouldn''t demand anything for helping a child who had tripped over his own feet nor would I for saving your people." Luck said unruffled. "They are one in the same to me."


    There was another motive behind this. The quest he completed spoke of a reward, and truly, Luck didn''t care either way for it. But he did want to see what would happen if he denied any reward completely. Did he have any sway in what they got? His reward was adjusted so if he asked for directions and denied everything else would he simply get very detailed directions? Or would he simply not get anything? Even then, he didn''t even know if these messages tied into this world at all, the only credence he had toward the certainty of the messages was his first quest. The one that allowed him to be rebirthed here in the first place. He was fine with either coming true, because ultimately he would get more information regarding the strange messages that seemed to come from nowhere. In addition, he felt like asking straight up might seem too strange if it were indeed a normal occurence. In fact, the only other person he knew who also saw them was Ace. It might simply have to do with the world they were in but Luck still wanted more info before even thinking about asking the locals.


    Uhet opened and closed his mouth a few times before settling for simple acknowledgment. "I see."


    "Why not just send him to Diversi''s temple? She could decide." Uhet''s daughter interjected in surprisingly fluent Common. Luck didn''t even realize Uhet had an accent until right then. Luck had been perfectly understanding Uhet but only now did he realize how bad his Common was. Unlike her father Sehn''s Common was more casual, less formal.


    "Diversi?" Luck said.


    "Subaqa worship." The boy said grinning, up close it was clear he much younger than his sister. "Pray Diversi Subaqa to." His Common was terrible but endearing. The accent was better than Uhet''s but the grammar was all over.


    "Your god?" Luck asked to make sure.


    "Or goddess. It has been centuries since a Subaqa has entered the temple and survived." Uhet said. "Her temple is in the center of The Pools. Unfortunately, the-"


    "There''s no more corruption father. Diversi''s Waterfall is pure." Sehn said smiling.


    "Ace, you up for a visit with another god?" Luck shifted into English. "Or her temple at least."


    "Let them know I don''t mind." Ace replied, he was content to watch the back and forth talk, trying to decipher the language himself. "More sightseeing for this tourist."


    "Why not?" Luck said, resuming the conversation.


    "Then we will accompany you." Uhet was the same as he was before but Luck''s instincts caught an undercurrent of excitement and maybe dread. "You can both swim, yes?"


    It was another reminder of how little he knew of Ace. A quick question in Ace''s direction and Luck gave him a nod for the two of them.


    They walked across the pools, this time through and towards the center rather than around. They were heading towards the largest stream of water crashing down from the ceiling, it was more akin to a river than a stream. All around them people watched, surfacing from their pools, diving underwater before appearing in another pool closer by. They were following them. A parade of bright colored fins and happy faces. Luck did note a child or two that had a distasteful look on their face.They seemed curious at first but their expressions fell, not that they were sad or unhappy, but that something of importance was happening.


    "He walks with the Guiding Finn." It was eerie, when the splashing stopped and all there was onlya constant drip of water from above.


    "Daddy! It''s the druids!" A cheerier voice gurgled.


    "No, there''s only one druid the other is the mage! They say he took down Seht and Johut!" A more enthusiastic gurgle came from the same direction.


    "They seek Diversi." An older, deeper voice intoned. With it, it was almost as if a ripple of silence rang across the pools.


    There was an intake of breath, the joy, the rejoicing stopped. Even the children paused, surfacing from their games as if they could hear from underwater. For minutes there was simply the sound of bobbing heads coming in and out of the water as the walls of the pools demanded. After a while Luck came to acknowledge the unobstrusive slapping of feet on water behind him. He took a curious glance backwards to find it came from the small group that followed behind them on foot, they were the older Subaqa. Much too old for any large amount of swimming. But they followed just as the rest did.


    Uhet walked ahead with his children. Sehn on his left and Juhn on his right. The pool which should really be called a lake was close enough that Luck could see the building that Diversi''s Waterfall emptied onto. The temple was shining in colors as bright as the fins on the Subaqa. Not dulled in the slightest through the light blue sheen of water it was visible through. The rising mist concealed every detail but the colors.


    "Temple Diversi." Juhn slowed down, trying to be helpful for Luck.


    Again Luck''s eyes were drawn to the clothes. And consequently, Luck noticed that Juhn didn''t have fins on his forearms, only scars. Juhn''s face fell as he tracked Luck''s gaze. His hands went to rub at his arms. Then Luck remembered the faces some of the kids were making. They were nothing to Luck so he ignored them as anyone should. But the second he realized who they really were for, his anger flared. And in response, Luck''s face cooled as was his reaction to these things. It was the bickering and bullying of children, there was nothing that Luck could do but hope their parents disciplined accordingly.


    It was only Juhn and Ace nearby. The people in the pools were keeping their distance even though they could have swam right up to Luck, seeing him more as an important figure than one of them. So Luck took the opportunity to talk to Juhn.


    "Don''t worry about those other kids Juhn. None of them could have handled the pressure you do just by walking up here with me." Luck gurgled.


    "I know... Father even-" Juhn''s eyes went wide and looked around. "You speak Subaqa?" He whispered.


    "Why wouldn''t I be able to?" Luck gave him a conspiratory wink, still gurgling his words.


    Juhn had nothing to say to that, he only looked in awe. But he sighed as he caught sight of a snickering kid.


    "Take it from me. Kids like that, they don''t have what it takes to be a hero." Luck said. "But you?"


    Juhn was still downcast but looked up.


    "I don''t know what your story is or where your fins went." Luck said bluntly. "But if kids of the Subaqa are as bad as the kids are from where I come from? Then you''ve got courage. It''s impressive you can even walk in front of those bullies." He had said the whole thing in Subaqa for Juhn''s benefit.


    Juhn stopped in his steps and Luck had the sense that he was staring at his back. But Luck kept walking, he had said what he needed to. The steps forward were for the owner of the feet to take, not him. There was a snickering voice that rang out in the silence and another joined him. There was a long pause but Luck wouldn''t turn around. It would be Juhn''s choice. Luck didn''t know how close he was to his breaking point, where a single insult would throw him over the edge. He only knew that he was glad he could say something before then. Finally, he grinned as he heard the light splashing of water than indicated movement behind him.


    Nearby, Ace raised an eyebrow as Juhn ran ahead of them.


    "Encouraging the child?" He asked.


    "Just something I wished someone would''ve told me when I was his age." Luck''s fingers brushedacross the scar on his face. "It would''ve spared me a lot of trouble."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Luck met Ace''s eyes for a moment. With Luck accustomed to distingushing people through colors as much as he was recently, he noticed Ace''s hazel eyes. Ace eyed Luck with them, apparently sensing a deeper story, and when he didn''t elaborate Ace turned forward, walking evenly alongside his friend. It was not a story that Luck was comfortable telling.


    Reaching the pool that the temple was in Uhet, Sehn and Juhn stopped at the edge.


    "Cross swim." Juhn said, grinning at Luck. He was speaking in Common.


    Luck nodded.


    Uhet and Sehn dived into the pool, swimming like dolphins, slicing through the water. Their speed and progress clearly visible through the water. Juhn lagged behind and Luck heard that incessant snickering again. Ace gave an annoyed glance backwards and dived in as well.


    That was enough, the sound alone brought unwanted memories to light.


    He turned his head visciously towards the group of people the kids were in. The whole group jerked in their place, displacing water while Luck''s eyes roamed the crowd. Eyes as bright as any other color in the pools found the children and locked them in their gaze. They stared at them until the crowd around them parted, some ducking underwater and resurfacing at a further pool. The snickering choked out as the bodies thinned and bright eyes scowled at the two children one last time before diving to catch up with Juhn. Luck''s last glimpse of them gave the impression of deer caught in headlights. He wouldn''t have been surprised if the water around them changed from blue to green. The days following would be curiouslydevoid of snickering. Some of the kids would stop the bullying having witnessed the event from the other pools. Some would even confess to their parents, thinking themselves two steps ahead of the stranger, seeking to mitigate their inevitable punishment. It was all set it motion with a single glance. Allon the account of a single pair of amber eyes.


    Luck had left his shirt and jacket on the shore much the same as Ace did. He didn''t want to ruin his playing cards, or have magical plants suddenly sprout from the water. Eventually, Luck caught up with Juhn and he found him struggling to swim the way his family was.


    "You''re swimming wrong." Luck found it fitting how easy it was to talk with his mouth half submerged. Gurgling, gargling, it was all the same in Subaqa, easier even.


    "This is how everyone swims." Juhn wasn''t struggling to swim, just struggling to catch up, he wasn''t moving nearly as fast as Uhet or Sehn.


    "Everyone with fins."


    "And how would you-" Juhn paused, watching Luck glide forward.


    "It''s called freestyle stroke. Or the front crawl." Luck grinned. "Everyone without fins does it."


    Juhn tried to copy Luck and failed, he was actually moving slower. "It''s not working. The other kids are probably having a blast watching me learn to swim from a land dweller." Juhn sighed.


    "Can you flatten the fins on your legs?"


    "Yes, but why would I?" He asked, floating nearby.


    "Just do it, for a people born in the water you know little about hydrodynamics." Luck remarked, switching to a languid backstroke.


    "Okay... " And suddenly Juhn was moving much faster than Luck could keep up with.


    Looking around Luck realized he was in last place. So he sped up until his feet met the stairs to the temple. Marble steps that started underwater and rose up onto the surface.


    Thick mist came from above, spraying the surroundings of the temple with moisture. The mist was multicolored, reflecting rainbows and diffusing bright lights from the crystals the structure was made of. Normally, it would''ve been lurid and glaring, but under the mist the colors were muted and captivating.


    "Beautiful." Luck exhaled, out of breath.


    "Agreed." Ace was running his hand against one of the crystals. "This is amethyst." He said, noting the purple crystal.


    "So this is the Temple of Diversi. To think, that I would be one of the first to walk in the temple. To be the first to manage the swim across and survive." Uhet said silently. "The first Finn since then..."


    Luck glanced backwards. It was hard to imagine the pure blue lake as anything but. He could see that there was no plant life though. If it was as they said then Luck doubted anything could live through that corruption.


    "Quartz, aquamarine, citrine, emeralds." Ace paused. "Diamonds."


    That drew Luck''s attention. Built right into the wall, diamond formed a part of one of the four pillars that supported the whole temple.


    "Damn. I don''t suppose they''d be as valuable as they are back home." Ace ventured.


    "Doubt it." Luck amber eyes gleamed as he took in the room. "Though the whole thing has precious gems built right into it. I''m sure it''s worth something."


    There was a moment that each let wash through them. An urge of greed, a forced habit of hoarding. The kind that comes with needing funds being necessary to find safety. After a moment it passed and both men shared a look.


    "You study gemstones on one of your jobs then?" Luck asked absently, taking in the beauty of the place.


    "Something similiar." Ace replied. "One of my clients was a collector, more for show and tell rather than any personal inclination. You can imagine my inital arrival."


    "Often I forget how traveled you are." Luck said noticing Ace moving further into the temple.


    "Well, that makes us even. Often I forget how dangerous you are." Ace said offhandedly.


    "An effect of my charming personality no doubt." Luck grinned, following. "Or perhaps my charismatic demeanor?"


    Ace rolled his eyes. "More likely from your sense of humor."


    Luck smirked but let Ace have the last laugh. He left his friend to his own perusal of the temple. Luck was curious as to how the blight could have affected the Subaqa for so long.


    "How did the corruption start Uhet?" Luck asked. "Forgive me for being insensitive but it seems unlikely that I''d be the first in centuries to come across the Forest of the Drowned with the means to cure it."


    Uhet was in quiet wonder at the temple when Luck''s question knocked him out of his reverie. "Ah." He said.


    The word was shaky and unsteady. Odd, Luck didn''t think Uhet would have any emotional connection with the events of the past. Aside, from the general effect on his people as a consequence.


    "It was three hundred years ago. I was only a boy then. " Luck blinked. Uhet was three hundred years old? "My father had angered a traveling mage. He had wanted to visit the temple, but we were more than aware of the value it holds to those not from The Pools."


    Luck found a depression on one of the walls. One where a gem should''ve been. "Thieves." He realized.


    "Thieves." Uhet nodded. "The temple was a treasure, already having been raided multiple times, my father denied the mage access. The raids would not stop until the temple was gone for the treasure was the temple itself."


    "I take it the mage didn''t appreciate that."


    "No. But I do not think he fathomed the effects his spell would have on the entire ecosystem. It was a small spell, one of corruption, but still weak. It was intended as an inconvenience, done in spite."


    Luck recalled the nearly black absta tree he first encountered. The black water, a nearly dead Ace, black blood, the searing pain up his forearm, the muscle spasms. A small inconvenience?


    "But the spell grew, feeding off the innate magic of the forest and the pools, cycling through the whole system. Eventually, it had evolved specifically against Subaqa immune systems, absta trees and the wildlife above. The only thing that kept the spell from taking over completely was the purifying quality of the sands down here. The very sands the spell would eventually pass through. The sands properties would wear the spell down until eventually it was only the virus that lived on. Without the sands initial presence to block the spell from growing, the virus birthed from the spell would have grown out of control." Uhet said.


    "The effects of the virus used to be less harsh." Sehn chimed in. "It used to be nausea, headaches, and stomach aches. It took almost two hundred years to get the point where someone could die from it."


    "And decades before you were born before it started turning people insane." Uhet said. "And only years previously it had begun to spread through those it corrupted. Who knows how much more it could''ve been?"


    "And now?"


    "Now gone spell. Hero thanks." Junh said smiling.


    "Now, not a single tree, animal, person or drop of water has had signs of corruption for the past six hours. Now, signs of plant life are visible in pools where there hasn''t been in centuries. Now, the water runs the same shade of blue that it did all those years ago." Uhet smiled. "Now it is possible we might see our god... or goddess. It has been so long." Uhet seemed at peace, as if his sunset orange fins belonged in the kaleidoscopic temple. Did Diversi have something to do with colors perhaps?


    Luck didn''t have anything to say. So the everyone was content to lapse into silence and explore the temple.


    It was the most apparent on Juhn, the childlike wonder. It was the gentle encounter with something magnificent. A quiet respect for something beautiful. Luck couldn''t quite pin a perfect comparison to the ambience in the room. To the feelings of the people. But Ace had the face of hiker who had just reached the view, his only reaction being to stand tall and gaze around. The daughter, Sehn, was more reserved but there was a twinkle in her eyes that confirmed she was just as, if not more, in awe than her brother. The way she glided patiently to view the temple from all angles had an almost ecstatic energy. Their father however, walked slowly, hands behind his back, just taking in the sights. Luck guessed he was living through memories that were centuries old. Uhet would lay a hand on a particular pillar, or stop by a certain gemstone, all of it had a private meaning. Luck left him to himself.


    It was sad that the temple was cordoned from all the pools simply because of the corruption. It was somethingboth stunning and elegant. Colors flowed into one another, no contrasting colors were ever close to each other. Luck allowed his eyes to take in the temple as a whole. If one wasn''t paying attention they would think the whole temple was built from one piece of multicolored crystal. Whoever had made the structure was a brilliant architect. There were emerald and sapphire, ruby and diamonds. The rest he couldn''t identify, he knew there must''ve been innumberable variations of different crystals though. Some of the walls were formed of crystal that gleamed in light blues and greens with red deep in the core. Other parts were perfectly clear until you glanced at it from an angle. Even parts of the floor looked like you could fall right through.


    "Enjoying my temple mortal?" The words came from directly behind him.


    "I''ve never seen anything like it before." Luck didn''t miss a beat. Opting for the quickest answer. Honesty.


    "Hmph." Was the only response Luck got, apparently dissapointing the god.


    Luck didn''t feel particularly inclined to turn around to look at Diversi - for that was likely who this was. Luck had always been captivated by things that were aesthetic, things that captured the eye. So he kept admiring the temple. Alas, the eyes of his companions were drawn to the presence behind him so Luck inevitably turned around.


    Diversi, a name fit for a woman, was a man. The god stood self assured, set in a powerful stance that complimented his strong features. Muscular, but not overly so. He had the crystalline eyes that had obvious similarities to his temple. The wrinkles on his face suggested hours of work that involved fine details. He had a tail, but it was like a lizard''s. There were random strands of colors in his hair. His face was decidedly human, save for a random patch of skin that was blue. On his neck was a set of gills, but only on his left side. And a closer look at his crossed arms revealed that he had six fingers on one of his hands, but only the one. On his left arm was a tattoo of a leg and on his right leg was a tattoo of an arm. The arms and legs were different colors, with the tattoos on each being another mismatched set. Luck didn''t even start on his clothes. In short, Diversi was strange.


    Luck openly examined the god. Without even a twitch of reaction.


    "A strange one you are, mortal." Diversi said, frowning.


    "So i''ve been told." Luck replied. "Though I find myself rather normal."


    "Diversi." Uhet said strongly. Immediately he was on the floor bowing.


    Nearby Sehn and Juhn were following their father. Ace was looking around at a loss at what to do before shrugging at Luck.


    "I''m an aetheist." He said simply, opting to lean against the wall.


    Diversi rolled his eyes before giving the Subaqa a kind smile. He sheperded them out of the temple, assuring them their time to speak with him will come. He told them that they had done as well as they could''ve with The Pools as infected as they were. With a serious nod Uhet and his children left the temple, giving Luck a meaningful look before departing. The god watched them go like a parent sending off his kids. Then Diversi walked around the temple, his tail trailing across the floor, touching parts of the structure, shining gems and placing new ones. Where he swept a hand or his tail touched, the place became brighter. He came to a crack in one the giant crystals embedded in the side of the place. He rubbed at it with his arm and when he pulled away the crystal was fixed.


    Luck and Ace watched him the whole time. Ace deciding tostand next to Luck, coming from his place on the wall.


    "Now, I believe you are the mortals who have saved The Pools?" Diversi said turning around to face them. "Who have cured the blight?"


    "It was basically all of Lucky''s doing... wait. " Ace paused, surprised at being able to participate in conversation. "English?"


    The god gave a proud smile. "I strive to be different."


    "We were told to come here to recieve our reward." Luck said. "Though i''m not sure what warrants one."


    "Oh? Straight to the point are you?" The god rose a yellow eyebrow - his other one was blue. "You have saved one of my pet projects. Does that not warrant a reward, mortal?"


    Luck pursed his lips, unsure. "We were given a quest." Luck was loathe to reveal his ignorance of the workings of this world.


    The god Diversi paused. "Ah, yes. Such a task might warrant a quest. Now, what might I reward you?" Luck hid his thoughtful look. Diversi didn''t seem very surprised at the mention of a quest.


    "Just like that?" Luck asked, skeptical.


    "Hmm?"


    "What compels you to reward us? Why even bother?"


    "Are you..." Diversi rose his blue eyebrow this time. "Oh? Oh, ho ho. Rebirthees?"


    Ace glanced at Luck, when it came to traversing the wilderness, assasinating a target or fighting large groups of fish people Luck looked to Ace Vent. But the moment the game changed to one of deception, blackmail, mischief, cunning or a simple trade of information, Ace Vent looked to Luck Lockyer.


    "Of only a day." Luck confessed, it seemed like his only way to gather further information.


    "Fitting that you stumble across a god such as I to explain the rules of Aerae." Diversi chuckled at a private joke.


    "Rules?" Ace asked.


    "I will put it simply for a mortal such as yourself." Diversi straightened his features.


    "By all means." Luck gestured.


    "The inhabitants of Aerae can be considered the most dangerous of all worlds. Near none can match the sheer potential an inhabitant from Aerae inherently has. There is an ancient... magic, as I hesitate to call it, for it is unfathomable to even the God of Understanding. It is a power that enshrouds all of Aerae, and which serves multiple purposes." Diversi paused to gauge their reaction, nodding in approval he continued. "The first is the answer to your question. The power we know as... I believe you would be most comfortable calling it the System. The System or Ethodthem, as the gods know it is a neutral force in Aerae that grants power to those who are deserving. If even I were not to gift you, reward you for saving The Pools, Ethodthem will be sure that compensation finds its way to your hands. It is the reason that those from Aerae have near limitless potential."


    "Ethodthem... " Luck repeated, opting to use the god-given name. "This is what compels you to reward me?"


    Diversi chuckled. "No, I am not compelled. You are directed here by Ethodthem as the most likely and suitable method for you to rise in power. And what better way for the god who created The Pools to reward you for saving it?" Diversi explained. "Few times I have been chosen to grant a gift of power to someone. Simply know that whenever Ethodthem had thought it best that I grant one power, it had already been my prerogative."


    Ace rubbed his chin. "Would I be wrong to assume it is what led us here then? To your temple?"


    "You would not, mortal." Diversi smiled. "Those new to Aerae and thus new to Ethodthem, rebirthees such as yourselves among them, often find themselves in the presence of one who can explain it to them rather quickly."


    "What purpose does it serve then? Why grant power aimlessly?" Luck recalled his conversation with Jerxos. "Surely, not simply for enteraintment among the gods." Luck didn''t like being out of the loop, things that were commonly known in this world should be known to him as well.


    "Ah, I see you''ve met Jerxos." Diversi smiled. "And while he is right, that the gods like their entertainment. It is not why Aerae is the way it is. Remember that Ethodthem was here even before the gods. It is impossible that its function would be to entertain a group of beings not even existing at the time."


    "You have a theory I presume?" Luck probed.


    "I believe Aerae was an arena." The god said. "That it was indeed entertainment, but for a race older, more powerful, more advanced than even the gods above. What happened to them is a mystery but there are signs scattered across Aerae that hint towards my theory. Even in the realm of the gods there are subtle things that suggest the same. But never in the thousands of years of my existance have I ever found concrete proof. Never have I had anything to hold in my hands and declare my theory true." His tail slammed into the floor in anger.


    Luck blinked in surprise, the power in his tail was immense.


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest!


    The Mystery of Aerae.


    Delve into the mystery of what Aerae once was. Gods have theorized that a race more powerful than them had used Aerae for entertainment. That Aerae was an arena. Scour the land for information regarding this theory. What is the purpose behind Ethodthem? Why is it ingrained into the world of Aerae itself?


    Reward:


    Unknown.


    Luck''s attention shifted onto the message for a split second. He glanced at Ace who confirmed his thoughts with a nod.


    "Ah, I see you have received the quest." Diversi sighed dejectedly, unexpectedly sharp. "Strange no? For Ethodthem to create a quest with itself as the subject? It is the same quest I have had for an eternity."


    "You receive quests as well then?" Ace asked curiously.


    "And why would I not?" Diversi looked surprised. "I am under the effects of Ethodthem the same as you are. The power I possess is the reason I seek its meaning."


    "So the gods are subject to the System as well?" Ace queried.


    "As are all beings on Aerae." Diversi confirmed. "However, Ethodthem also works to contain those in Aerae. It is another function of the mysterious... magic. It is almost impossible to escape Aerae, and even when done all the strength one has gained through their time in Aerae is stripped of them, if they do not die in the process. Some gods have a measure of influence across other planes but it is fleeting and limited. More than likely, it is how you were brought here. That tendency to contain those within is the reason I believe it likely that the whole world of Aerae was a battlefield. A world-wide battle royale."


    Diversi walked out to the open section of the temple, where the entirety of The Pools was visible from the marble steps rising from the pool-lake that Temple Diversi was in. He stood proud at his apparent creation.


    "Now the gods don''t bother with history. They are content to enjoy the dealings of mortals, occupying themselves with matters far below beings of their strength. It is meaningless."


    Luck took up the gods right side, Ace the left. Curiously, the mist opened up enough that the whole cavern was perfectly framed. The three marveled at The Pools, it was just such a view. Sparkling blue water, tranquil in appearance. The whole cavern gave the impression of rejuvenation and peace. Even the white robed Subaqa and their colors brought peace of mind. Their flowing robes and languid motions through the water brought the whole scene together.


    "You created The Pools?" Luck asked, aware of the mood. It was a question offered more as kindle for a conversation, than for any actual curiosity. Diversi had already claimed to have done so beforehand.


    "Among other things, yes." Diversi stood tall, arms crossed, not peeved in the slightest as many Subaqa gawked at him.


    "It is utterly breathtaking." The cadence of Ace''s voice was enough to turn Diversi''s attention to him.


    With a raised colored eyebrow Diversi said. "You two are among the calmer spectrum of those I have told this to. Many simply bombard me with questions, eager to know more. Others panic, afraid of the power of a thing such as the System. A few refuse Ethodthem altogether, ignoring it. Those are the few that stagnate and die young."


    "We''re not as nearly as old as you. But I like to think we''ve lived our lives many times over. Call me vain but I believe that brings a wisdom to our eyes that not many our age ever possess." Luck looked up to the one of the swirling pillars of sand.


    Ace didn''t say anything, an agreement in itself.


    "So the System doesn''t affect us at all? Other than the powers of course."


    "Free will is abundant on Aerae, if you possess the power to obtain it. No, Ethodthem does not control sentients. It does not even control non-sentients. It only acts upon transpiring events as a method for individuals to gain power. And when that power passes into your hands, it is yours." Diversi answered.


    "Oh?"


    Diversi seemed amused. "Whatever the original function the System had ages ago, know that it serves first and foremost as a neutral force. Much happens on Aerae, and Ethodthem acts upon those events, quests are formed, titles are granted, powers are gifted. Know however, that the tools given to you by Jerxos are of a quality you might never recieve as a reward. Such permanent effects or instantaneous benefits to your person are rewards fit for a monumentous task."


    Luck''s mind flashed briefly to his dimensional room and supposed time magic. He was eager to test them both out once he figured out how each worked. He recalled his dimensional room having some type of evolving trait and pondered that as well. Maybe there could be some way to plant the enchanted seeds in his dimensional room? Come to think of it, why wasn''t he hungry? He hadn''t eaten since he got transported from the church.


    Satiety... 47%


    Hunger partially maintained through regenerative effects...


    Thirst partially maintained through regenerative effects...


    Ramifications of sustained condition unknown...


    With that thought Spirit came alive. Pop-ups came from himself, Diversi, and Ace. The data was much the same, even presented in the same light green boxes. Curiously, the visual input had some inconsistencies when it came to Diversi as some of the data was marked as uncertain and subject to change. For example, his only set of gills on the left side of his neck were visibly moving, yet visual input suggested they were completely fake. His blue patch of skin on his face was coming up as pure blue dye of some strange plant, not dyed skin, just the dye.Again, one of the limitations on the data he was receiving was due to insufficent perceptive input. How could he increase the input, connect to his other senses that type of advantage might help immensely. He would ponder it later, something Diversi mentioned seemed mildly interesting in its inconsistency.


    "What do titles have to do with anything?" Luck wondered. It seemed out there in comparison to quests and powers.


    "I have told you the basics. Titles are simply something else Ethodthem manifests through." Diversi said, cutting of the line of questioning. "The rest will come to you in time, should it ever become relevant." He waved.


    "You think we might ever find ourselves doing something monumentous?" Ace said, glancing over to Luck.


    Luck smirked. "Who knows? I believe a god once told me that plans were never set in stone."


    "Jerxos was smarter than he looked." Ace replied. Luck surmised that Jerxos probably quizzed Ace on his intentions, or that it came up in some capacity during his impartation.


    "I believe I owe you two an award." Diversi interrupted. "Come." He turned around with a flourish and walked back into his temple.


    Except the interior had changed. Where a crystal once was lay a plush looking checkered mushroom. Where the floor had been clear was now a rug fashioned from a hulking beast. In one corner was a mess of purple abstract shapes, which upon first glance served absolutely no purpose. In another was a twisting embodiment of fire that shifted into the shape of randomized household furnishings.


    "Allow me to introduce myself formally." He bowed deeply, to Luck it was an actor slipping into character, or an actor slipping out, Luck couldn''t know. "I am Diversi, God of Variance. To be divergent and inconsistent. I strive to be different." He stood proud and tall, arms crossed as he had always had them. But this time his stance seemed more... powerful.


    He waved a hand and more of the room became more... different. Luck noticed a giant seven-fingered hand before reverting his attention back to the god.


    "I am creator of the Subaqa, the Subfira, the Subaer, and the Subdir. The people of the elements." His voice was powerful, his tail raised as his arms did in a show of power.


    "Then what is our reward Diversi?" Luck decided to just be direct and outright. His voice projected as much as Diversi''s.


    "Something... different." Diversi said smiling. "What would you like?" He asked simply, letting the facade of power fall. His voice returning to normal levels.


    "Huh?"


    "I tire of the games my kin love so dearly. So I ask you, what would you have of me?" Diversi plopped onto the checkered mushroom, somehow finding himself comfortable despite his tail. "If it is acceptable and within my power I will grant it to you."


    Luck''s answer was instant. "Can you point me to my family?"


    Diversi''s face was one of mild surprise. "Only that?"


    "Only that." Luck was certain.


    "And you?" Diversi said turning to Ace.


    "Perhaps a map. The most detailed possible." Ace rubbed the back of his head. He was more pragmatic.


    "Truly?" Diversi laughed. "The power of a god at your service and you ask for a map and directions?"


    Luck smirked. "You know, the leader here''s reaction was in the same vein. I guess they take after you"


    "Perhaps they do." Diversi smiled. "I admit, not often can a mortal surprise me."


    "We are not most." Luck shrugged.


    "Then it will be so." Diversi snapped.


    Suddenly the temple was back to what it was. Diversi was watching them stare around until gesturing to them. "There."


    "Lucky, come here." Ace was holding a thick parchment, browning at the edges. "One second nothing, the next i''m holding a map." Ace shook his head. "Still feeling like a tourist." He smiled.


    Luck grinned, the world was indeed a trip so far. The second hecame close he was both dissapointed and satisifed. The map wasn''t magical as he had hoped. However, the detail was penned into the parchment so finely that there could be no doubt to its accuracy. It was colored sporadically, so Luck assumed the colors were significant to some extent.


    "It''s colored." He remarked.


    "And showing elevation too." Ace ran his hand gently across small bumps on the map. "Mountains. And there, that dot, your family I presume?"


    "Your neck, mortal." Diversi suggested. He had intially been annoyed at Diversi''s flippant use of ''mortal'' but it didn''t seem the god was intentionally trying to peeve them. Maybe it was simply the way gods addressed mortals?


    Luck cut off that line of thought and felt at his neck, there was indeed a pendantthere, hanging low. He brought it up in his hand and the neckace hummed in his palm. Eventually, lights flowed from within the depths of the necklace gathering on one side of the gem. When he moved the necklace around the lights would gather in the same direction.


    "That is a necklace that seeks family. It will lead you to them, of that there is no doubt. The bonds that tie a family are detected by the necklace and are sought by the lights." Diversi explained. "I very well could have given you such a necklace that sought those of your blood. But Jerxos has been known to bestow the blood of many things among rebirthees. It seemed unwise."


    "Prudent." Luck said, conscious of his own blood.


    "What is the scale of this map?" Ace interejected, unfurling it slightly and finding their location labled as one of Diversi''s temples and The Pools.


    "An inch for every league." Diversi said. "That map was gifted to me by a talented explored and master cartographer. He had come across many of my temples and found beauty in them. His last trip, he left his map behind."


    "A league is give or take three miles." Ace said, measuring with his fingers. He could barely unfurl the whole thing. "Is the dot his family?"


    "No, that is the purpose of te neckace. I believe that mark is something the creator of the map left for later use." Diversi said. "Do not mistake it for anything other than part of the map."


    "Hmm. Well the dot is about a month away. If we can get our bearings we can see which way the necklace points. That dot is the only marker on the whole map. I wonder what it is. If the direction of your family is near to the place marked by the dot I think we might as well stop by." Ace suggested.


    Luck grasped the necklace in his hand. Now he had it. The means to find his family. Unbidden, images of his father came to him. Cold and hard as the business demanded and warm and loving as his family required. Memories of his mother smiling with him and his sister, and a sadder smile as Luck beat his record time in the shooting range. His sister, falling in front him, dead before she even hit the floor. His father and mother, corpses in their own home, bleeding blood not needed.


    Rage filled Luck, nearly blinding him. But then he remembered he had already exacted revenge. The feelings faded, dispersing into nothing, defused. He grasped at the neckace with purpose. He could not let that happen again.


    "I''ve got to find them Ace." Luck said in reply. His face was a mask.


    Ace pursed his lips. "Alright Lucky, your call."


    He couldn''t have understood. Family wasn''t something the mercenary ever had. Luck looked to Ace sadly. The story of Acen Vent was one of sadness and sorrow. Even at his best, at the height of his optimism, Luck didn''t think he could''ve went through what his friend did.


    "Ah, I forgot to mention. The System recognizes items of sufficient power or use. If focused upon and with adequate intent basic information will be provided if the item in question is significant enough to warrant Ethodthem''s attention. The map and necklace are two such items."


    Diversi''s Map


    An accurate, finely penned map created by the legendary explorer Jenji. The map contains the locations of cities, points of interest, dungeons, havens and much more. A map of this caliber rivals even the master maps of the Cartographer''s Guild. While the map does not cover the breadth in which many commercial maps do the accuracy and recency of the map is unmatched. Jenji penned the map with an enchanted pen, the more colorful an area on the parchment is, the more recently it has been visited. And thus the more accurate it is. On the map lies a single mark that Jenji left, its purpose is unknown.


    Suddenly a pop-up took a portion of Luck''s view. And evidently Ace''s as well, by the look on his face.


    Crystal Pendant


    A necklace with an affixed jewel enchanted to seek out the wearer''s family.


    "The description on the necklace is rather anticlimactic." Ace was leaning slightly toward Luck, the neckace under his light scrutiny.


    "A simple description for a simple item." Diversi said, walking to the terrace of the temple, his tail trailing him.


    Ace shrugged rolling up the map.


    "Now leave me. The Pools have suffered long enough." And then Diversi sat down in all his variance and ignored them.


    Luck looked to the beautiful sights, gazing out from the temple. It didn''t look like it was suffering. Not at all. But then Ace coughed lightly.


    "How are we supposed to get to shore without damaging the map?" The water was up to his knees before he realized the problem. The depth surround the temple was nearly ten meters down.


    "There." Luck pointed, nearby there was sandbank, leading to the edge of the lake. From there they could walk along the rock pathways that encircled each pool.


    Ace started wading towards the shallow area. His feet switching from marble to soft sand, kicking up clouds as he touched down. The clouds of light brown sand sparkled gently before settling.


    They were almost halfway when Ace turned around and glanced at the temple, map held over his shoulder. Luck waded past him, the water up to his stomach.


    "Something wrong?" Luck dug at the sand with his toes patiently.


    "Do you feel that?" Along the nearby pools and handful of fish people were standing up on the pathways.


    "What?" More people were coming to stare. "I don''t feel anything. Well, aside from the sand and the water."


    They were the older ones that came to see. At first, Luck thought he was doing something strange but quickly realized they were looking to the temple past him.


    "It''s magic." Ace fully turned, intent to watch, the map still preciously held above water. "I think it''s Diversi."


    A noiseless boom that Luck neither felt nor heard but was aware of all the same passed through the lake. A wave of distortion shot out through the lake, too fast to follow. Another came and Luck felt something tickling his feet. Green tufts were rising from the sandy bottom of the pools. Growing right underneath his toes. Next were the fish, a pair of silver fish came near to Luck, nipping at his legs. The seaweed had reached his knees, much of the pool growing similiar plant life. Another wave and more fish came to Luck. Awhole school had surrounded Luck in less that ten seconds. They appeared from nowhere, impossiblly materializing nearby. The mass of scales looked like a writhing ball of shimmering flesh. Luck smiled, they were harmless but were nudging and pushing him into each other before aligning him upright again. Their sheer number gave them the strength to move Luck from his place. He kept his hands above water so they wouldn''t nip at his fingers.


    Ace held back a laugh. "Having fun there, Lucky?" He said surpressing a chuckle. He was only a few meters away but the water around him was completely free of fish.


    "Can I see the map Ace?" Luck put on a face of sudden clarity. "I''m thinking it might be possible to... " He trailed off, lost in thought.


    Ace reset himself, ending the teasing. "Think of something?" He sloshed to the end of the school of fish, which was surrounding Luck in a three meter radius, and reached the map to Luck.


    "Just a question." Right as Luck grasped the map he grinned. "Care for a swim Ace?"Ace had the face of a man betrayed, his eyes going wide before settling into a stink eye in a single instant.


    And just as he said it the fished moved and tripped Ace into the water, causing a large splash and some laughter from the Subaqa lining the pool closest to him. The silent resignation on Ace''s face as he was dunked had Luck cracking up. Ace glared at Luck as he came up for air, still being pushed around by the fish and still being laughed at. Luck could feel the happiness coming from everything in the pool, his trait letting him communicate. The fish were just happy to be alive. It was almost comical how the many voices of the fish sounded through the connection.


    "Come on. It''s not that bad Ace." Luck said.


    "You- "


    The fish, more than happy to comply, tripped Ace again but caught him like a chair. Ace looked to Luck skeptically, who responded with an apologetic smile. The fish surrounding Luck caught him the same way and suddenly the two were gliding across the pool watching the magic of a god reinvigorate the pools. Luck was having too much fun to just leave, he stopped by his belongings on the shore and dropped off the map before exploring once again. Ace cooled off after a while, his glare of mistrust receding at the sight of the whales. They were the same shade of blue that the water was. They swam right beside Luck, Ace even reaching out to one and riding that instead of the fish. Luck mentally asked the whale, and it was more than happy to bring Ace along. With a warning Luck himself switched to a whale and him and Ace were brought underwater, the sights not at all blurred with the stark clarity that everything was. Everything was tinted blue and their mounts were almost invisible, save for when they dived into the forests of underwater greenery. Ace was only a few meters to his right, his right hand grasping on something not there, but slicing through the water as if it was nothing. He looked like a superhero, or alternatively, a boy pretending to be one. The small smile on his face, even underwater was what really sold the image. The seaweed was the same everywhere, but there were different fish and species of fish so bizzare they didn''t seem real. The whole affair was amazing.


    Luck dried himself off, some towels were given to him by the people nearby. He didn''t even think they used the things. Soon enough, Uhet came to find him.


    "Diversi revives." Uhet was standing in the wake, his hands behind his back.


    Luck was still smiling, amber eyes sparkling more than the water. "I thought it was beautiful before."


    "Then you have not seen anything." Uhet had a satisfied smile on his face. "It is a fraction of what it was."


    "It''s truly a wonder, this place." Luck said, still dripping wet. "And truly a shame that we must leave so soon." He sighed.


    "Why so-" Uhet interrupted himself. "Ah, it was a matter of family was it not?"


    "And of grave importance, as i''''m sure you understand." He said, glancing at Juhn and Sehn who were trying and failing to communicate with Ace.


    "Please, allow us to house you for a single night. It will be nightfall in only a few hours. It would be wise to set out in the morning."


    "What is he saying? I can''t even understand the kids at all." Ace threw up his hands. "It''s as if their language is gargling mouthwash."


    "He wants us to stay the night." Luck said amused. "And I think it''s meant to sound like that, it''s easier to talk when your mouth is half submerged. Fish people and water and all that." Luck explained.


    "Huh. Well the decision''s on you Lucky." Ace slicked his hair back, just as soaked as Luck. "I''m fine with whatever." But even as he said it, his eyes lit up as a whale approached him, the same one, Luck noticed, that gave him the ride earlier.


    Luck sat back, towel on his head. He thought of his family as he had done many timessince they were seperated. He wondered what they would do if the positions were reversed. And he put himself in their shoes if that hypothetical situation were true. When he did he shook his head smiling at his own idiocy, they would all undoubtedly come to the same conclusion.


    They would trust him.


    A Lockyer was a dangerous thing after all.

 Chapter 4 - Bartender

    They are not unlike us, mind you. The only caveat was that they were created, while we were born. They were one of my most curious subjects for reasearch. Ah, but they are a topic for later. Aerae, as you most assuredly know, is immensely large. It invites one to think of the many possibilites that allude even the greatest of intellects. Where one might devote their entire existence to the magical arts, or the exploration of Aerae I have chosen differently. It is an amusing spectacle when I attend the annual Scholar''s Meet and I inevitably come across the young men who ask my field. My purpose, I decided long ago. I study people. Culture.


    - Callon Fewt, People Arounds


    "Their home, their way of life... it''s nothing like back home." Ace, not for the first time, was in quiet appreciation of the world around him. "Eh, Lucky?"


    Luck watched Ace dip his fingers in the water, the current bringing him along, his index trailing across the water.


    Ace was sitting up in his float, despite the lazy river and the vitalizing nature of their stay it was probably impossible to shrug off old habits. Ace was lax but Luck could see his eyes searching as much as they were absorbing the sights. He couldn''t determine whether Ace refused to completely unwind or simply couldn''t.


    Of all things, Luck didn''t think he''d be enjoying a river trip with Ace Vent. Strange. So many things were just that to him. Luck was more than aware that was the first adjective he applied to most of his experiences so far. He didn''t know if it was more from being in another world or if it was because of something simpler. Speaking to trees and communicating with a whole other race of people. Was it strange because he had never been in the forest before? Or because he was talking to it? Luck twisted in his float, the slow bends in the river had already concealed the way to The Pools.


    Talking to fish people was indeed something different and it was glaringly obvious why it would be. But underlying that was something Luck noticed only after speaking to Diversi. It was something that caught Luck off guard and was pleasant in the fact that he wasn''t punished for it. The people there were simply happy, there was no motive, no greed, no hate, no negativity that Luck was so accustomed to. For Luck, though he was inherently optimistic, his practical side always searched for hidden agendas, the negatives, and he usually found them. But when he realized why it never found anything he was both put off guard and gladdened. There just weren''t any to find.


    "It''s a bunch of firsts for me." Luck said in reply.


    "Well i''ll tell you it''s the first time i''ve been on a river with giant cat." Ace smiled and splashed at Saga interrupting his watch on the surroundings. Yesterday, when Saga was permitted to come out to Luck and Ace they all enjoyed the sights in companiable silence. Since then Ace had gotten comfortable with him. To an extent.


    The shar was lying down and floating nearby. At the spray of water Saga squinted, annoyed and pushed down on the rope connecting his float to Ace''s.


    "Jesus!" Ace flailed his arms as his wholefloat jerked backward and almost sent him sprawling into the water.


    The floats they were given were extremely buoyant. Apparently, it was the flower of one of their underwater plants and typically used for transporting goods. They haven''t had one of them grow in decades but after Diversi regrew most of the plant life they were given three and sent on their way. Again, it was strange considering the thing didn''t look like a flower and instead looked like a simple pink circle.


    "Good one Saga." Luck winked. Surprisingly, the cat wasn''t as averse to the water as Luck thought he might be, though he should probably have gathered that much from watching Saga playing with the whales last night.


    Saga didn''t do anything outwardly but Luck definitely sensed some smugness. Whether it was from his bond or the intuition of a man experienced in reading others Luck couldn''t say.


    "You''re encouraging him?"


    "I''m not gonna be there to save you all the time Ace." Luck smirked, immediately noticing his friend''s subtle change in mood.


    After a slight pause Ace snorted. "I don''t believe I ever thanked you for that." He said, turning his head to continue his watch. He had sat up in his float again. The movement was from either plain uncomfortableness or for something more practical, a better look at the surroundings. "For saving my life."


    "You helped me avenge my family, I saved your life." Luck smirked. "Seems like a fair trade."


    "A life saved is worth more than one taken." Like Luck, Acehad a way with words. "We both know better." He said.


    Luck was envious. Paired with his voice, people listened when Ace talked.


    "True." Luck was laying down, trusting Ace to warn him of danger. "How about you tell me about your magic? Then we''ll call it even."


    "Did it ever come up when you got your tools?" Ace asked, referring to his time with Jerxos. "Magic." He clarified.


    Luck whistled at Saga and the shar''s sudden interest on the surroundings did not go unnoticed by Ace. Seeing that, the former mercenary shifted in his float and faced Luck completely.


    "Well?" He said.


    "Once."


    "You have one then?" Ace said, then caught himself. "Sorry, that''s your business- "


    "Time." Luck answered, ignoring Ace''s hesitancy to pry. "Time magic."


    Ace looked at Luck in mild surprise. If for the fact that Luck even answered or for the answer itself one couldn''t tell. "Time?"


    "I''ve only ever tried to using it once." Luck replied. "I couldn''t feel anything. There just hasn''t been much opportunity since then."


    "I can''t be completely sure how to it feels to access another magic." Ace said, staring at his palm and clenching it. "But lightning magic feels like raw power mixed with an almost patient, calm deadliness."


    He snapped his index and thumb and jolts of electricity jumped from his fingers.


    "Like a sniper?" It was the first thing that came to mind.


    "In the sense that you have to wait for that perfect moment to release, for everything to line up, for all conditions to be perfect." Ace''s hands grew in brightness, in power, while he talked.


    He could smell it again, that ozone. From when he got stabbed, when pain took his vision. When the world was black and the scent reigned supreme. Luck sat in amazement. The sound of the crackling energy, the wild nature of the power, and despite that Ace sat completely still. More himself than the day in the forest. The wild look that matched the electricity was gone, the rage that mimicked a storm was nowhere to be seen. It was nothing like that day, nothing at all. Did Luck''s apparent death affect him that much? Luck thought it absurd, but then recalled the same powerful emotions that washed through him when he saw Ace dying. Maybe they had become something important to each other. Again, Luck''s gaze was drawn to the power accumulating in Ace''s hands, still it grew. The Ace of today was something of a storm cloud, slow, collected, and deadly. Luck was so focused on his gaze that he startled when Ace''s eyes flashed blue. A physical thunderclap jerked all the floats away from each other, pulling on the ropes. Luck''s hearing dissapeared, replaced with a ringing. Ace''s eyes didn''t flash blue he realized. Luck just missed the thunderbolt that reflected off of them.


    "Then yes." Ace said. Apparently, Luck could read lips too. Because he couldn''t hear a thing.


    He could see though. He could see the aftermath slowly getting further upstream and behind them. There was a thick tree splintered and blackened to a crisp. It was undoubtedly the victim of the vicious crack Luch heard before his hearing went. Blackened pieces of wood scattered the surrounding area. But it was only that single tree that was struck.


    The tree being destroyed didn''t bother Luck, surprisingly enough. There was nothing reminiscent of that rage he felt, that strong need to protect. Instead, he saw the ash as new growth. Again, strange. He would learn more about his new self as he spent more time on Aerae he decided. For now, he would focus on his magical side. Though at some point he''d have to collect himself and see what he could discover. Their next destination, incidentally, might be that opportunity.


    "That''s a far cry from yesterday." Luck remarked in unconcealed wonder. There was a control there that wasn''t there before.


    "It is."


    For the second time Luck reached inside of himself, searching, alert for anything that wasn''t there before. Jerxos hadn''t been kidding, it was entirely possible that this magic would forever be inaccessible to him. Because, again, Luck felt absolutely nothing. He couldn''t even feel any changes to his physical body either, he thought he would''ve considering Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration but he had nothing, just as before. Even as his hearing was coming back back to him.


    Luck sighed, frustrated. "Absolutely nothing."


    "Time sounds a tad trickier than lightning magic." Ace was sitting forward, unaffected by his own magic. "See, lightning magic is simple, unadulterated power. Straightforward."


    "I don''t think magic is as simple as you seem to think it is." Luck frowned, crossing his arms. "I''d also argue that lightning isn''t the epitome of power either."


    Ace sighed. "Just lend me an ear Lucky." Luck squinted at him. "I''m of the opinion that time is something much more complicated, that there are more things to keep track of and whatnot."


    "The problem isn''t that." Luck sighed, defeated. "The problem is I can''t feel anything in the first place. I have nowhere to start."


    "You think maybe you''re thinking too much on it?"


    Luck gave Ace a flat look. "You just said there were more things to keep track of and whatnot. How can I not think about it?"


    "Perhaps I should''ve said there are more things to feel?" Ace smiled apologetically.


    "This isn''t helping Ace."


    "Well. " Ace shrugged. "I tried."


    Soon Luck asked about Ace''s impartation. Apparently, he had an increasingly difficult trial. The way he described it was that he initally was tasked with killing a single opponent. That first battle was in a simple arena. When he won he went up against two in the same arena. Then three. Then four. Eventually, the scene of battle changed and they were in a storied building. When he eventually cleared five of those instances the scene changed again but this time Jerxos offered him a change of pace. He could continue unarmed for larger rewards or be given weapons from thereon. Naturally, he refused. But Luck found it especially amusing when Ace told him he requested more hostiles at once, or at least for the rate they came at to increase. Ace related that when Jerxos asked him why he said that it seemed like a waste of time and he should''ve began the trials with more enemies from the start. Luck could imagine the surprised look on Jerxos'' face since he had affected the very same emotion unto him. He could also imagine the cocksure grin on Ace''s face that he used to throw off opponents.


    "Yeah." Ace said. "Around that."


    "You''re kidding." Luck eyes widened. "Months?"


    "Months." Ace nodded. "The groups got so large that the only way to deal with them was to infiltrate their ranks and slowly pick them off. It took almost half a day for the first few large groups until eventually the groups got larger and my kills got slower."


    "And you''re fine with that?" Luck asked, astonished. "Mine only took an hour, at most."


    "It was just another job." Ace smiled. "Besides, like I mentioned earlier. It was catharsis ever since the day I found you in the church." He shrugged, allowing his feet to dip off the edge of the float. "I needed to work off some steam, perhaps Jerxos had sensed that."


    "I wouldn''t have had the patience for that."


    "Yes, you would have."


    "But I wouldn''t have liked it." Luck smirked. "But months... how many did you kill? That''s a long time for non-stop elimination."


    "I think I got to a hundred before the game changed. A hundred rounds."


    It was a perfect time to test it out so Luck queried Spirit and asked her to do the math. Five thousand and fifty. That was the number that popped up in Luck''s peripheral. Spirit, evidently, had some type of memory bank because there was a data box stemming from Ace that listed lightning magic. He felt like he had barely tapped into the potential of the Mk3. Even Saga was sporting a data set that included apparent age, intelligence level and certain deadly characteristics. The last line that listed Saga as his familiar again hinted at something recording and storing data from previous encounters.


    "There was a twist in mine as well, that fortunately, I foresaw." Luck replied.


    "Ah, but I don''t believe Jerxos planned for me to last so long." Ace grinned. "That was when I fought my first monster."


    Then Ace went on to describe the various fights. He lasted for the first three encounters, finally dying on the fourth. The first was a small humanoid, fast but weak. Easily dispatched. The second was Ace''s match and only through a skillful disarming was he able to grapple the gray skinned monster to the ground. The third monster Ace described as huge and barely humanoid. At this point in the story, Ace reminded Luck that they were still in the same urban environment. He went to on to recount how he led the beast to a construction zone and basically bled it to death with a nail gun, staying out of range all the while. The fourth encounter was Ace''s very first experience with magic aside from the actual transportation. It was a human looking figure in robes, that was undoubtedly not human. Ace''s first instinct was to retreat and observe, hoping to kill him while out of sight. But the mage had Ace darting for more cover the second the battle began. Not willing to risk any experimentation, he sprinted for the nail gun at the construction zone. When he reached it a zap of lighting arced to nearby lamp post. He turned around, switched it on and rapid-fired nails right into the mage''s forehead.


    "The bolt of lightning struck me down, arcing between all the projectiles before they could nail him to his grave." Ace said. "Next thing I knew I was in a room with Jerxos. He counted it as my win as well as my loss. I didn''t complain."


    "I''m assuming that''s what earned you lightning magic." Luck surmised.


    "Most likely." Ace considered something. "Perhaps that''s why I could use it so easily. Because I had been subject to it. It was a feeling I don''t believei''ll forget."


    "Yeah, well i''m subject to time all the time." Luck sighed. "Doesn''t help."


    Ace frowned but continued his story.


    He had been presented with the tools he would begin his new life with in the blank room with Jerxos. He recounted being offered to either have six total tools or to choose four. Jerxos helpfully informed him that they would be loosely based off his trials. After some questioning and the discovery that some effects are not entirely beneficial, while all are permanent. He could choose from a set of three, four times. But he could not decline a set. Or he could settle for a total of six tools assigned to him based on his performace. Ace decided to choose four rather than risk his life being ruined on the account of a single unlucky slip up. He stopped there, opting to leave out the rest of the details.


    "I think, like you, that these are things we have to learn about ourselves." Ace said in way of explanation.


    Luck only shrugged. "Well, I know you have lightning magic, no surprise there. But i''ll respect that."


    "And I know you have a pet cat." He paused as Saga growled. "And have some way of avoiding death, curing corruption, and manipulating time. And of course, you can also talk to trees."


    Luck''s expression was a rueful smile. After a moment he looked to the trees bordering the river, which drew his friend''s trained gaze and jerked his thumb to Ace. "You hear this guy?"


    Ace relaxed, laughing. Luck had actually got a few replies but ignored them in favor of Ace.


    Luck watched him, amused. "You don''t mind?" He asked. "Not knowing."


    "Lucky, the second we left the business there were thousands of pounds worth of burdens lifted from my shoulders." Ace replied after he stopped chuckling. "Among them were innumberable secrets. What''s one or two more?"


    Luck was thinking along those lines as well. So many things were shrouded in shadow another monster or two lurking in that darkness wouldn''t make a difference. Or at least that was how it used to be back home. Luck had gotten accustomed to that, his friend keeping a few secrets meant literally nothing to him. They would come to light in their own time.


    Luck smiled. "Besides, secrets kept keep things interesting." He said in agreement. "Though I think I''m at a disadvantage."


    "That you are." Ace chuckled.


    The Subaqa were definitely sentient. That''s what threw Luck off more than anything the first time he really looked at the map. They were supposed to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere and with no ''sentient interaction'' as Jerxos had informed him. Yet, the Subaqa were not far off from their starting point. Luck admitted that he did pass out, so he didn''t know exactly where their starting point was in relation to The Pools but still, he felt he had been lied to in some capacity. He didn''t complain though, they were better off for it anyways.


    When they pored over the map earlier The Pools and Diversi''s Temple were marked perfectly clear. Aside from that there was nothing of interest for miles around. So Luck conceded that Jerxos hadn''t lied to them there. They were indeed in the middle of nowhere. Thank whatever gods were up there because the crystal pendant pointed down river. They didn''t need to walk if they could just float.


    They were heading towards a mark in the map that would come up later in the day. They would stop there, hopefully learn more than what the Subaqa could tell them. The Subaqa, unusually, had been living in the same spot for centuries. Uhet himself seemed unsure of the world around him, he was only concerned with protecting his people. That man had lived for three centuries and not once had he left.


    The surrounding area on the map was almost completely devoid of color. There was no telling what was in or around the place. If they could find any cities that were in the right direction that would be their best bet. If they could find a mode of transportation then even better. But as it was that single mark was the only thing for months around. They were quite literally stranded.


    The symbol on the map denoting their first stop was a vertical slash with seven diagonal lines through it. Only managing to bedrawn so small because of the fine pen that inscribed it. Much of the placeson the map weren''t named and Luck guessed those with symbols or images indicated a place of interest that didn''t have anofficial one. Still, he didn''t rule out the possibility that the symbols might have a seperate meaning for people in this world. It was important to note how the map was created, some of the markings might have had personal meaning.


    And so the day went. Hours of lounging and talking. That was how they spent their time until their next stop. At times, Ace would have a look of concentration on his face. Nothing would ever happen though. Luck couldn''t guess what he was trying to do but he could guess what he was feeling by the look on his face. Frustration. Luck should''ve expected this much. It was the same feeling he was experiencing anytime he turned his focus to time.


    Magic: Time


    The ability to manipulate time. Scholars, wizards, and greater intellects have pondered the varying effects that wielders of time have produced. Some claimed to rewind whole days or even months, to speed up time, to slow or pause. Some could affect only themselves while others had mastery over the timelines of others. Others have claimed only to be able to rewind or pause at the largest possible scale, everything. They say a true master of time magic can sense when something is altered. In the past, there have been recorded a number of mages who could jump into the past or future but the methods are long forgotten. Time is near the top of the most advanced magics and immensely difficult to comprehend.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Luck had easily brought up the trait info for One with Nature before so this was nothing. It was the same type of organic hologram as before. And this was done without Spirit. It was a display that was from the System itself.


    ''Time is near the top of the most advanced magics and immensely difficult to comprehend.'' Luck was being naive. Without any special guidance how could he expect to even begin to understand a magic so complicated? And even then he had no experience with even the most basic magic. Aside from Ace and the gods he had no reference from which to draw from.


    Luck added another sigh to his uncountable tally today.


    He looked to his necklace and brought it up to eye level. It was pointing slightly off center. That was expected though, rivers weren''t straight.


    A mental nudge from Saga had him looking forward.


    "Ace." Luck got his attention. "This is the place."


    His friend sat up.


    They had just rounded a bend in the river, the only reason they didn''t see previously. There were wooden buildings hanging over the river, built high and above the water. Things hung from above, hovering right above the water. There were small docks under the scaffolds of the buildings, some were occupied, some were not. There was even some debris caught in the posts holding the structure up.


    As they passed under the shadow of the buildings they could hear shouting and drunken laughter. At the same time the temperature spiked and it suddenly felt like the kitchen of Mr. Ark''s restaurant. Angry yelling followed by a hard thump on the wooden floor above them. Bustling footsteps, roudy laughter. Irregular beams of sunlight came from above, piercing down to the river below. The floor above had seen better days.


    The poles holding up the whole place were marked with the symbol from the map. A vertical slash with seven diagonal lines.


    There were things underwater too, alive and writhing. They were likely responsible for the boat debris. But they were friendly, although naturally carniverous. Hunters. Predators, Luck realized. Serpents swam beneath the water weaving between the pillars that held up the structure, calling the shaded waters their home. Luck briefly spoke with one, in dumb awe at the scaly beasts. It was communicated that they wouldn''t bother them, the huge thirty foot long serpent was the most friendly animal he had talked to so far. Normally, Luck would feel wary around them but something inside of him felt no threat from them, in fact he wouldn''t even had minded swimming with them. If it weren''t for what Ace had pointed out.


    "Lucky." Ace said. "Bodies." He said gesturing.


    Some were hovering just above the water, those would be the heads. Others were being pulled by the current, the rope tied around their neck being the only thing keeping them from floating away. Some of those ropes didn''t have anything dead tied to them at all. Those were the ones that led up to the buildings above.


    Luck''s reply was gesturing to a nearby dock. He decided he didn''t need to let Ace or Saga know about the friendly, but admittedly large serpents that swam below.


    Ace grabbed onto one of the small docks and looped the rope around the moorings. Nearby was a hanging rope that rose up through a hole above.


    When they all dismounted the problem became one of where they were going to keep Saga. Luck communicated as much.


    "Oh you''re right. How-" Ace began. "Oh."


    Saga had leaped impressively from the dock and landed perfectly along one of the wooden beams supporting the whole structure. He stalked lithely across and jumped over one and to another level. Eventually he rose enough that he was almost invisible in the shadows. His matte fur doing well to conceal his form, the dark green figure was nowhere to be seen.


    "You can''t even see him." Luck remarked. Though he instictually knew where the shar was his eyes couldn''t find anything hinting to his presence. He could sense Saga''s satisifed reaction to the makeshift jungle gym. Amplified even more so by the fact he was completely hidden. It was a positive feeling to say the least.


    "That solves us one problem." Ace had just finished dragging all the floats onto the dock.


    "Let''s see if we can find out where we are." Luck smirked.


    "After you."


    With that Luck started climbing.


    When Luck pulled himself out of the opening he blinked at the sunlight. They had left early morning so the sun was at its peak. Squat buildings surrounded him, a few were tall enough that the sun was blocked. A handful of the shorter buildings were completely within those taller shadows. The floorboards were cracked, sometimes completely missing in places. There were holes as well, as if people had been thrown into the floor and dumped in the river below. Wooden floorboards pointed upwards, splintered by whatever broke them. The surrounding structures were low and huddled together and Luck noticed the way the arrangement was conducive to create shadow. Close alleys might allow one to sneak through the whole area undetected. A murder or three would be child''s play, kill the victim and dump the body in a hole.


    "Well?" Ace asked, glancing around.


    Loud laughter, hooting and yelling came from a nearby building. Luck was about to answer when a man burst through the shabby wooden wall of the building.


    The man blasted through the wall and rolled to his feet. "Oi! Get your dirty mitts off me!" His words were slurred and he swayed on his feet, narrowly missing a few unstable looking floorboards. It was Common though, with an interesting accent, but understandable.


    "You''re not getting away that easy Borg." A large green man stepped through the broken wall. He was a holding a metal club, it could''ve passed for a baseball bat if it wasn''t so thick. The floor creaked as he emerged.


    "I didn''t cheat!" Borg raised his hands, still swaying on his feet. "It ain''t cheating if you''re too stupid to catch me." His smile was slow and lazy. He took a swill from his bottle, spilling all over.


    "You''re dead!"


    There was mass of cheering and yelling, they were calling for death. One of the men in the watching crowd threw a bottle at Borg only for the larger, greener man to smash it out of the air like a baseball. Borg frowned and looked down into his bottle, apparently almost out.


    The large green man swung his club but Borg tripped and fell on his face, dodging the club by inches. He got up, drank, and dodged another hit. His opponent was large and keeping care to stay on sturdy looking floorboards. Borg was smaller and kept swaying, like a leaf in the wind. There was an art to it, it didn''t seem like he knew where he was going until he was there. Borg kept swaying, or rather, weaving through his opponents swings. The tantrum the large green man was in served as a perfect distraction.


    "Ace." Luck gestured to the audience watching.


    "Got it." He nodded.


    They took a roundabout way, sneaking through the alley and joining the crowd through a backdoor in what recognizable as a bar. No one noticed them, their focus entirely on the battle outside. There was enough strange clothing and weird attire that their decidedly urban clothes didn''t stand out too much. There were lights, electrical ones, hung up on the bar. They were turned on despite it being the middle of the day. Tables, some perfectly unbothered, others broken and splintered with a handul cleanly flipped over, one particular one was completely frozen in a block of ice. Magic? No one was sitting down, they were all watching the fight. The wall which had broken down had a comical amount of wooden paneling on the interior of the bar leading Luck to assume this wasn''t the first time it was broken down.


    The two people in front of Luck were strange. For starters, one had a tail and the other had his whole face tattooed blue. Aside from that tattooed man in front of him no one was human. The only common trait most of the people in the bar shared was the fact that they walked on two feet.


    "Lojeth is as stupid as ever." Tattoos said. He was wearing some snug analogue of a flannel. The blue design matching his tattoos.


    "Green brute''s still fast to anger." Tailsagreed. There was a hole punched cleanly through the pristine white pants. Luck wondered exactly what other types of clothes might be necessitated by society.


    "He should''ve seen it coming from Borg though." Another person said. "With his reputation and all."


    There was a loud crash and playing his character Luck pushed through the crowd to peer through the hole in the wall, eager to see. He pushed roughly on the bodies around him, only shoving as much as he was himself. His eyes had to adjust to the sunlight again.


    "That''ll teach ya!" Borg was standing off to the side.


    Remnants of his bottle sparkled on the floor near Lojeth. His green head was scarlet with blood. His foot was through the floor and his metal club was curiously behind Borg.


    "I''ll kill you! You cheating rat!"


    "Ye just don''t learn. Ya green idiot!" Borg reached for his belt but looked down and sighed.


    Lojeth was still stuck in the floor, if he moved too much he would fall through. Luck could hear the creaking from where he stood in the crowd. Saga was right below the bar, sitting on the scaffoldings. He could vaguely sense his amusement of a leg sticking through the floor.


    Borg backtracked, dodging the holes in the flooring and picking up Lojeth''s weapon.


    "You better hand me my weapon or i''ll rip your eyes out!" Lojeth snarled, eyes widening in anger. His perilous position was the only thing stopping him from moving. "I''ll have your head you damn cheat!"


    "Relax." Borg said coming closer. "Yer weapons yours." He tossed the metal bat into the air.


    Luck smirked.


    Lojeth plucked the thick metal club right out of the air. The second he brought it close there was an audible crack.


    "Goodbye." Borg waved. "Someone throw me another bottle!"


    With that Lojeth burst through the floor, howling in anger. His body ripped another hole in the floor and Luck could feel vibrations through the structure as he hit the thick wooden beams below. Saga would be eyeing the green-skinned man as he fell through and eventually landed on the docks below. With a shrug Luck gave the shar permission, he could have his fun, just no killing. He''d have a hard time climbing a rope back up while being stalked by something as cunning and intelligent as Saga.


    Luck took initiative. He grabbed an unopened bottle from a scratched table nearby and tossed it to Borg. The man caught it, searched the crowd, nodded, uncorked the bottle and downed nearly half of it. Luck was mildly impressed.


    "Din''t see that coming." Someone said saracastically, referring to the bout.


    "A round on me!" Borg yelled raising his drink. "And to the sparkly-eyed fellow who tossed me the flask!" He said gesturing.


    Then all eyes turned to Luck.


    Luck found the blue eyes of the cute bartender. "A swig of yer best then." He glided across the bar like he was born to it, adopting the accent perfectly.


    Some lost interest, or rather faked losing interest after that but a few faces had a look of suspicion that Luck didn''t think he would shake. He guessed it would be so. From the way the people talked about Lojeth and Borg the place was probably tightly knit. From the bodies hanging above the river below, the place was probably ruthless. From the way the building and surrounding area was beaten and broken, the place was probably extremely prone to violence. From the look of the people, seedy and sordid, one would have a hard time keeping their money on them. Add alcohol or drink to that mix and you''ve got a cocktail that Luck was intimately familiar with.


    It might as well have been home.


    Luck took a seat at one of the stools. The bartender flashed a cute smile and slid Luck a glass across the only polished and unblemished surface in all of the bar.


    "Our best swill." She winked.


    Ace slipped into the chair nearby chair. "You from around here?" He asked in shaky Common, he had been given a simple dictionary by Uhet. Ace already knew seven or so languages, it didn''t take long for him to adjust to new vocabulary and grammar. But the way he was progressing was insanely impressive. Luck suspected a tool at play, but Ace had surprised him before.


    Luck was still in character. "Aye." He said, taking a swig as promised.


    "Look for information. Me." Ace continued, looking all like a lost tourist.


    There were glasses displayed up behind the bar. Crystal glasses that didn''t look like they''d survive a day in this place. Luck had an eye for things. Those were expensive, he could feel it. But their most relevant quality drew Luck''s gaze. They were reflective. And a particularly practiced amber set of eyes noticed a few things. Two individuals reacting, words spoken in sign, he eyes of the crowd even a limp one of the patrons had. It was the first two that he focused on though.


    "Careful Ace. Danger." Luck mumbled English into his drink, sounding for all those around him annoyed. "Yer in the wrong place for info, friend." Luck hiccuped.


    "That ye are." An approaching man said. "If ye truly were searching for information ya''d be on other side of town."


    It was Borg, the man of the hour, not looking the least bit worse for wear. The bartender smiled at him too.


    Luck opted for silence letting Borg deal with the apparent stranger. Instead drinking his drink again. He didn''t let the stares bother him too much.


    "Common not good." Ace replied, gesturing wildly. His acting was passable Luck decided.


    "Ye see friend." Borg said, sitting down beside Luck. "Friends." He corrected, tilting his head into Luck''s bubble. "I know the face of everyone in Dersoc. And all of ''em faces know where to go if ye be wanting to know something." He said in a whisper.


    Warning! Wild Lily poisoning detected...


    Commencing Countermeasures... 1%


    Unprecedented Bodily Reaction to Wild Lily poisoning...


    ...


    ...


    Wild Lily poisoning purged...


    Calmly, Luck asked Spirit what symptoms wild lily poisoning affected. He had saw it coming. A screen of data popped up as Luck took another drink, albeit slower in an attempt to stall and hopefully show some effect on his person. Fast acting drowsiness, paralysis, sleep, and death. In that order. Those were what was displayed on the light green box stemming from the liquid in his glass. Simple symptoms. Easily faked.


    "W-what did ye do..." Luck said turning to Ace in feigned accusation, still keeping his character''s accent even in its death. His eyes were blinking slowly. His head nodding down before catching himself, obviously drowsy. "Ye poisoned... " Luck''s last blink was extremely slow, eyes opening and closing almost indepedent of each other, it could''ve easily been mistaken for a wink. If Ace was paying attention he would''ve caught the whisper of smirk on Luck''s mouth as he face planted into the counter. Knocked out.


    He felt Saga almost directly below him, his prey was scared, afraid. Luck put Saga on standby, he might need him for something.


    "So ye tell me." Borg said, Luck could hear him swiveling his drink in his bottle. "How in hell''s temple did ya find yer way into Dersoc?" He said softly, a gulp followed which Luck assumed was him drinking again.


    "Came from river. Down." Ace said.


    "Nice try bastard." Borg scowled. "Ye''d have to fight off swarms of them blasted serpents."


    "No one gets in Dersoc that way and lives." A sultry voice chimed in. "You''d have to be very strong." Luck could feel her presence against the bar.


    Ace paused, trying to decipher the words. "No snake. Is easy climb."


    "Ye bastard liar!" A glass shattered.


    Luck got the impression they were were having a stare down. Be it from the small pause in the rowdy bar, or the constant bottle breath. It was the same kind of pause that came from the height of a confrontation. That stop in movement, marked the searching eyes of two men. Whether it was worth it to take it further.


    Luck could smell the man''s rank breath again, they were eyeing each other down right over his faux corpse.


    "Borg!" He could almost hear the scowl in her voice. "Not the glassware!" It broke the moment.


    Borg replied with an angry grunt. "No one gets into Dersoc without earning yer way."


    Next was a series of sounds that Luck had to imagine scenes for. The gentle setting of a bottle on hardwood. The screech of two stools being displaced. Clattering footsteps. An array of dull thumps that could only be a trading of blows. A groan and heavy breathing. And a loud slam of which Luck couldn''t determine its origins.


    The rest was narrated by the crowd to Luck''s benefit.


    "How did he even get in here?" One said. "I don''t even recognize the face."


    "The bastard can fight though." Luck recognized Tail''s voice. "He caught Borg in the jaw."


    "Idiots, thinking they could just walk into Dersoc." Luck supressed the urge to twitch. A dead body twitching wouldn''t be very believable.


    After a minute Luck was able to peek, using the reflective glasses to his advantage, the blue-eyed bartender wasn''t paying attention and neither was anyone else. The comments from the crowd and the sound of the fight were the only things that granted Luck his timing. And so he walked among the living, stalked rather.


    "Eh? Ye got a pair of fists on ya then." Borg said, rubbing his jaw. Blood outlined his chin.


    "Borg! Take it outside!" The girl yelled. "I don''t need my bar ruined!"


    Ace was against a wall, not trusting the crowd at his back no doubt. The only difference in the room was an additional shattered table. He was grinning wide, seeming like a cocky bastard to all those watching.


    None paid attention to the woman. Borg''s mouth was all teeth. "This''ll be great practice for the games."


    There was a choked gag.


    In a show of faith that Luck appreciated Ace pointed behind Borg. "Turn." He said in near perfect Common. A smile split his face.


    At first, the man didn''t fall for that simple trick. But the sound of shattered glass and the gasps of the crowd drew his gaze.


    "Hello." Luck smiled genially, shedding his accent. "Now, if you please allow my friend to walk over here we can talk like proper gentlemen." The corners of Luck''s mouth curled up, unhurried. It attracted eyes to the scar on his face, a warning for the doubtful.


    Luck was standing behind the bar. His arm barred against the bartenders neck, a broken glass bottle held up to her stomach. He stood there smiling, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to return from the dead. His polite demeanor clashed with the violence that he held the girl to.


    "Hey-" But Luck tightened his grip on the blue-eyed woman''s neck before she could say anything more.


    "Ya died." Borg was suddenly dead serious, squinting menacingly. "I saw ye die with my own eyes."


    Ace put on his cocky grin and swaggered across the room, His path was uninhibited. Borg didn''t so much as twitch as he passed. But one hand did reach out from the crowd to stop him.


    "Bastard! Stay yer hand!" Borg bellowed, the room went silent. The hand retracted, pulled back by others.


    Ace came to his side of the room and smiled before leaning on the bar counter which Luck was behind.


    Suddenly, Borg became smug. "And what did ye think you''d be doing with our bartender, stranger?" Luck mentally shook his head, the man had already revealed the importance of the person to him.


    "Well, I rather thought I''d kill her if you didn''t listen to me." Luck smiled cordially, amber eyes flashing.


    "And?" Borg waved, nostrils flaring slightly. "Why would I care about the bartender?"


    Some heads in the audience nodded in agreement. But more paused as Luck replied.


    "I think that''d be the same reason you let my friend walk on by. Wouldn''t it?" Luck kept up his incessant smile. "Now, I wonder. Why would a man such as yourself take orders from a lowly bartender such as she?" Luck pondered out loud.


    "In Shadowspeak no less." He added to the bartender''s ear.


    Luck only smirked outwardly, done for the benefit of those watching, but inside he enjoyed the slight jerk in the blue-eyed girl''sposture. He saw the same sharp awareness appear on Borg''s face as well. As if he had heard him.


    Luck had noticed them while he talked to Ace. His amber eyes on everything but the drink in his hands. The crystal glasses behind the bar gave him a full view of the room. And in them he saw an approaching man, the same one that had sent Lojeth under Dersoc. His eyes glanced to the bartender, a flurry of almost unnoticably ordinary actions were done by the girl. But Luck noticed Borg''s acute gaze on those recurrent movements. Signals. Orders. Intruders. Foreigners. Strangers. Poisoned the first. Kill the second. Easily deciphered. Luck understood the movements completely, even if they were at his peripheral. His mastery of language applied even here. It was Shadowspeak, something Luck knew inherently.


    Borg''s eyes widened imperceptibly. "Yer just a child. Ye''ve not got the killer''s instinct." He squinted. "Yer bluffing." Luck only smiled eerily in response.


    Some of the men and women in the bar were wondering why Borg cared about the bartender. Why not just kill the two and sacrafice the woman. She was only a bartender after all. But Borg didn''t care, he walked confidently but paused at the look in Luck''s face.


    "I am a dangerous man, Borg." He said. "Consider this payment for testing me."


    Lucksmirked in amusement. He felt through the link and let Saga have his way. The shar was more than happy to oblige, relishing the thrill.


    There were harrowing screams below as someone died. They echoed off the large space below, chilling the mass of people in the room. The first one was simple fear, a man being hunted. The second one was of help, a desperate hope for survival. The third and final scream, was a dying one. And it was that final one that paled a few faces in the crowd. Luck scoffed inwardly, he thought these people were a more hardy bunch. There a few that seemed unaffected though, only content to watch the show. Borg was one of them, the only thing holding him back was Luck''s readiness to kill and the woman in is arms.


    Luck continued to smile. Words had a power to them, they could make someone larger, or make a room smaller. But sometimes it was better not to use them. A man who speaks three words is less listened than the man who speaks one. And the man who speaks one is nothing to he who speaks none. So Luck played his character. A twinkle of amber brought to center stage.


    Silence reigned. The crowd looked down to their feet, trying to peer through the floorboards. They shuffled, unsure.


    "Just then, was that Lojeth? Did a serpt finally kill the bastard?"


    "He killed Lojeth?" One said. "No, it had to be something else."


    "But that couldn''t be a coincidence..." Another replied. "That timing... it was too perfect."


    "Could they really have gone through the river?" A particularly timid looking man said. "T-that''s impossible. N-no one survives b-but Lojeth..."


    The mix of people in crowd were shocked glancing around. Though there were a few with hardened grimaces on their faces. As he thought, they didn''t like it when one of their own died. Murmurs and quiet whispers, without a name they were just that. They were things that Luck both loved and hated. They indicated an awe that he achieved but also formed a reputation that he didn''t need. They were the mark of a good show and a better showman.


    Borg squinted. "Who are ye people?" He said, casually reaching for his bottle on the counter. His stance was so rigid that the relaxed way he reached for the bottle set Luck on guard.


    With a snap and flash of blue the bottle was shattered in a blinding light. Borg''s hand was frozen, just about to grasp the air thebottle had just occupied. He paused and then slowly placed his hands on his side, straightening up.


    Luck trusted his friend''s judgement. "Ah ah ah." Luck waved a finger. "That''s enough drink for you."


    "A mage... the man''s a mage!" Tattoos yelled. "And he squared off with Borg? In hand-to-hand!" He said in astonishment.


    Another round of murmurs washed over the crowd. This time more subdued, as if realizing the implications. Some of the people in the front squeezed their way to the back. Others in the crowd darted out through the only unobstructed exit, the huge hole in the wall created by Lojeth.


    Ace was lounging against the wall, his cocky smile leading the crowd''s suspicion further and further away from his actual personality. They guy looked like a mystery. The crowds aparent fixation on him was because of that. Luck was playing the frail villain and he, his powerful bodyguard.


    "Ye had a mage this whole time?" Borg clenched his fists. "Why not kill us all then and be done with it?"


    "I''m in need of information." Luck said cooly. "You can''t ask dead bodies. They''re rather unhelpful."


    "Hmph."


    "It''s quite the trifle. It would have been of no consequence either if not for me being poisoned." Luck spat distastefully. Jamming the broken bottle a tad closer to the woman''s stomach.


    It did not go unnoticed by Borg as a grimace passed his face, jerking forward slightly. "All of ya! Clear the bar!" He yelled to the crowd after a moment of decision. "Less ye want to die!"


    People shuffled out, still glancing at the floorboards from time to time. Some left through the wall in the bar, others through the main entrance behind Borg. A man tried to exit through the back door, the one Luck was near. But aggressive posturing from Ace turned the man around.


    Borg cautiously took a seat at one of the tables that were still intact, taking care to show no outward agressions.


    Instead of immediately following, Luck carefully handed the woman to Ace. The woman barely struggled, only doing so to stand upright. Ace didn''t really need to hold her but he did anyways. To Borg''s apparent surprise Luck moved behind the counter.


    Luck turned to Borg. "Please." He said gesturing to the counter


    Borg sat up from the table and took a seat at one of the stools, glancing at Luck suspiciously. But his eyes were trained on the girl as Luck held a crystal glass up for inspection, putting his back to Borg.


    Efrhm Thrun poison detected...


    ...


    Canot poison detected...


    ...


    White Aryling poison detected...


    ...


    Every single one of the expensive-looking crystal glasses were poisoned, invisible almost. If not for Spirit he wouldn''t have picked up on any of the visual markers. Eventually he came to the only glass that wasn''t laced with poison and plucked that one from the shelf. He held it up to the electric lights, nodding. In its reflection he could see the girls eyes silghtly widen with surprise.


    "You know, I used to work in a bar myself." He said, perusing the alcohols. "I was quite good too. Except, I didn''t regularly try to kill people nor did I poison the glassware." He moved behind the bar with a practiced grace.


    It was a different set-up, not having any of the equipment Luck was used to. No shakers, no ice, no assortment of additional flavors for him to add to his drinks. He had bartended before, he loved it actually, it was the rush of a show that always got him. He could practice talking, telling stories and making drinks in exciting and entertaining ways. It might have been the way his life went if not for the business. He was introduced to bartending at an early age, serving alcohol in one of the family bars before he could even drink it himself.


    The sheer amount of bottles might have rivaled one of the Lockyer bars back home. What the place lacked in equipment it made up in sheer variety. So Luck took a few minutes tasting each, swirling a sip of each in his mouth, getting a feel for the flavor profiles. He kept Borg waiting. He wasn''t going anywhere. And if they really needed to go in a hurry Saga could probably break open the floor from below and they could drop down into the water. Of course, then he''d have to convince Ace to grab a giant serpent to ride to safety. Best to hurry.


    "I won''t ask you what you or the girl are up to." Luck said, as he began choosing from the various alcohols. "I can respect a secret."


    Luck dipped various bottles in the glass, all for never more than a second. He tossed them up, caught them by the neck, bounced them of his elbows, before catching them at a tilt, above the glass. Each bottle added to the mixture, a single swish of bright liquid each. He reveled in the small performance. Pouring, replacing, mixing and experimenting until he came to a cool, almost vivid and electric blue drink. Before he served it he swirled the concoction and it flashed yellow before turning back blue. He pretended like he expected that to happen and slid it to Borg.


    "There you are good sir." Luck smiled. "Have a gulp, it might loosen your lips."


    Borg was in silent awe before catching the drink.


    He took a hesitant sip. His eyes went wide but quickly got professional again. "Well? Information was it?" He asked, taking another, larger sip. The drink flashed yellow, but Borg didn''t notice, his eyes were on the girl.


    Luck smirked, aware of his masterpiece. "I just need to know... " He began, checking the gathering lights on his necklace, drawing Borg''s eye. "Joseph, is that way north?" Luck asked, pointing. It never hurts to hide your name.


    "South." Ace replied. Damn, he had his directions reversed.


    "I need to know any major cities south of Dersoc."


    "Who are ye really?" Borg squinted suspiciously. "Why Dersoc, home of the damned, for something so simple. Any bastard idiot off the street could tell ye that!"


    "How far?" Luck pressed.


    "Thirty ten-days." Borg spat, not happy with obliging Luck''s commands. Luck judged him for a moment, his posture. Luck grimaced. He was telling the truth.


    "Ten months..." Luck whispered, realizing what it meant.


    "Tell us." Ace interjected. "Girl goes free."


    Borg, again, scowled like a drunk in the morning.


    Ten months. Ten months to get to the city which was most likely to attract his family. If they were south that would be the only place to go. There''s not another place for years on the map. It doesn''t even make sense how a city could exist there all its own without anything sprouting up nearby. Dersoc was literally in the middle of nowhere, and that city was probably the closest place and it was a grand total of ten months from it.


    "All people go there looking for danger and excitement. It is a city born of risktakers and fools, thriving on blood and glory. It lives through the monsters that assault it, creating magnificent works from the bodies of those slain. It is wealth and power to any who survive long enough. It is death and despair for those making the trek unprepared."


    Luck kneaded his forehead, he had to go somewhere like that just to find his family.


    "It is Ardun." Borg said simply. "The City of Adventurers."


    Luck sighed. He knew that name. It was the single most largest splotch of black and white on the map, meaning it was either never visited.


    Or avoided completely.


    "Any fool could''ve told ye that!" Borg yelled. "Now let go of the girl!"

 Chapter 5 - Saving Lives

    Was I not clear? Get your damn scrolls out of my face. The city needs watching, the night needs hearing! So you shut your damn mouths, stop the scribbling, and start walking! The next time you try interviews at this time of night i''m throwing you over the wall so you can see them for yourselves! Watchman Lydi! Get these gobles off the walls!


    - Watch Captain Byron, 3rd Invasion


    The bartender slipped into the seat beside Borg, eyeing Ace as she was released.


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest!


    City of Adventurers


    The Travel to Ardun and succeed where many have failed. Discover the source behind the monsters that assault the city''s walls. The City Lost, The Bulwark, has stood countless generations, its people have become hardened to the point to which a single citizen means another soldier. Such is the price for living under constant threats to your life. The people seek a saviour, not for them, but their children, their legacies. Rid the surrounding lands of its beasts and release Ardun from the painful restraints that shackle it there.


    Reward:


    A Gift of Power


    Luck didn''t flinch. But Ace would be the death of him someday. Luck himself didn''t see Ace do anything. It was all too apparent in the way Borg''s expression rose.


    "For someone not to have that quest. Ye''d have to be living under an exceptionally large rock." Borg burped, surprisingly sharp given the levels of alcohol in his system. Sitting across from Luck, still nursing his electric blue drink, he had clearly seen Ace''s reaction.


    Despite Luck''s control over the situation so far he knew Borg was dangerous. There was no telling how Dersoc ranked among the dangers of the wider world but if it was just some random place Borg''s skills were impressive for a layman. The man was drinking himself into the bottle, somehow staying sharp, and had just defeated a large green man only moments earlier. Luck was on a quiet alert but he had no outward tells of it.


    "And your clothes are strange too." Inquisitive blue eyes remarked. "The quality is high, but the style is a mystery." A kindred soul? But Luck let that thought fade, he was being questioned.


    Luck reassessed his clothing, not allowing his awareness to shift completely. The black pants he wore definitely looked high quality compared to what he had seen so far. He hadn''t seen much though. And fish people could hardly count, their clothes were something else entirely. His shirt was loose on him, but comfy and filled with pockets. He guessed that from what he gathered from the patrons of the bar that it was his jacket that stood out the most. Everyone else, even in the heat, were wearing coats and the like. Thicker garments. But not necessarily warmer.


    "Aye," Borg said, obviously suspicious. "Privy to Shadowspeak too."


    "You might think he was acting." Luck said, setting various bottles along the counter. "But my friend is truly from a land very far from here. I had just visited his home, it''s why our clothes are the way they are. He''s rather rich."


    With a graceful movement Luck snatched two bottles by the neck in one hand and began to pour. Their colors mingling in the air before reaching the cup. A flat blue and a sparkling green.


    "Oh?" The girl remarked. She was seemingly unaffected from being held hostage as death as a threat. In fact, she looked to be more concerned with the way Luck was concocting drinks one after the other. And that concern only rose when she tasted them. "And what does that make you, stranger?"


    "Dersoc is far from any major or minor cities. Ye''d have to live in one of the farming communities, and even then to be this far out... if ye were from one of them farms the only reason ye''d be out here was if ye were trying to kill yourself." Borg said it in such a way that implied something deeper.


    "I am a master linguist." Luck said. "But i''ve postponed my work to finish my father''s map. Because of that I''ve been traveling across all of Aerae."


    It was a healthy habit, keeping his motives secret, at least it was back then. Now he wasn''t sure whether it was the right way to go about his days. If he was being pessimistic it would probably be for the best in case anyone ever has it out for him. That way his desire to find his family won''t ever be held against him. It saddened him that some of his old habits would be necessary even here. He could be wrong though, he had been before.


    "Sure." Borg replied heavy with sarcasm.


    "Would you like to see my map then?" Luck said cooly.


    The suspicion in Borg''s eyes was enough for Luck to take that as a yes.


    He removed the map from one of the pockets lining his shirt, the ones concealed by his jacket. He gave them a brief look at the map and tucked it away again, snug against his body. Tangible evidence that it was truly quite possible he was the son of a cartographer.


    "As you saw, the only areacompletely unexplored is Ardun." He patted the map. "It is my duty to complete my father''s dream." He said it softly and as a lie. But there was truth in it.


    He would find his dad and live in leisure. All of them, his whole family. A second chance with no shadows as he recalled his father saying once. The soft voice in which he delivered his declaration only sold that conviction further. The memory of his father, the sad looks he only recently began to remember, it was so obvious that his parents didn''t want that life for them. Excelling as he did, he couldn''t fathom the emotions his parents would''ve went through watching their son embrace a life they didn''t want for him.


    "Liar." Borg said sneering. "That doesn''t explain how ye broke into the city. Or how you know Shadowspeak."


    "To answer both: I am a master linguist as I have previously mentioned." Luck said. "I simply asked the slitherkind for passage. They were happy to oblige."


    "Slitherkind." Borg repeated flatly.


    "The serpts." Luck clarified helpfully.


    "So that''s how you killed Lojeth." The bartender remarked, still more fixated on Luck''s bartending than anything else. And apparently easily trusting.


    "Ye actually believe the crazy bastard?" Borg said, half turning. His eyes were wide as if it was obvious Luck was fabricating the whole thing. He definitely was, but it definitely wasn''t obvious.


    "No, that''s not how I killed Lojeth." Luck smirked, enjoying the looks of confusion. "But that''s no one''s interest."


    Luck had finished placing the bottles back in their places, having already downed the drink he poured himself. Spirit had helped him make sure they all went back to their respective spots. He noticed the sad look on the girl''s face as he started to wash the glasses. Old habits. It wasn''t polite to leave empty glasses on the counter in a private setting.


    There was nothing here now that they knew where they were going. It was time to leave.


    "Come on Ace." Luck said in English, giving credence to his background even in leaving. "We''re off."


    Both pushed off the bar and began to depart. They decided to exit through the front door. It didn''t feel quite right to use the hole in the wall when there were so many attempts to fix it. They walked past Borg and the girl, passing behind them as they made their way to the door. Despite Luck''s alertness Borg only stared forward and nursed his drink, more concerned with the beverage than their passing.


    "Wait!" The girl yelled, the initial shock of their sudden movement wearing off. "Where are you going?"


    "Nayah." Still looking forward Borg grumbled into his drink. "Let them go."


    "Ardun." Luck called back, fully intending to decend to the river and continue its course until it switched directions enough to become unviable. From there he''d be putting himself in his friend''s hands as they trekked due south. With any luck the river could shave of a good amount of time. He didn''t know how to read a map. That was Ace''s job too.


    It was only a few moments before Ace spoke up.


    "Did we really just kill someone for directions?"


    "They poisoned me Ace." Luck replied flatly.


    Ace raised a dispassionate eyebrow, apparently dissaproving.


    Both of them didn''t like to kill needlessly. It was one of the primary reasons that Lojeth was unconscious on one of the docks down below. He had passed out in fright. A predator as cunning as Saga, housed in shadows as deep as those under Dersoc could work wonders when prompted.


    "Don''t worry. The green man lives." Luck grinned, dodging the holes in the floorboards. "He didn''t deserve death. I just scared him enough to make a point."


    "I''ll take your word for it." Ace paused to look at him before walking forward. It was uncanny. Sometimes Ace would blunder easily, showing his tells as plain as a rainbow. They were out there as obvious as a bluffing man at the card table. Painfully apparent sometimes, at least to those watching. Other times, there would be the definite sense something significant happened. But before Luck could ponder it Ace would have already moved on. And there would be nothing to ever indicate anything happened.


    He followed his friend forward, watching his back as he went.


    They reached the rope from which they ascended from. Thinking on it, it was probably installed there precisely for Lojeth. The man had probably been behind all the holes in the floor and the hole in the wall at the bar. That still left Luck curious about the docks down below though, they served no purpose if no one used them. Then one''s mind was drawn to why Lojeth was left alone by the serpts, the slitherkind seemed pretty inclined to eat everything when Luck was down there. That was the resounding consnesus when he talked to them.


    Another yell derailed his thought train.


    "Nayah!" A loud, exasperated sigh was somehow audible despite the distance.


    A figure darted out the door, dodging the holes located immediately outside the door like she had done it a million times. The bartender twirled on her feet, nimbly dancing around the creaky floorboards before setting her stance on possibly the most stable floorboards near the door. There wasn''t a single creak.


    "I can get you there faster!" The bartender, Nayah, yelled. "I''ll put you two months closer!" Her eyes sparkled, and her jaw was set in a determined way.


    "Damn it Nayah!" Borg yelled. But a single look from the girl and Borg quieted with a grumble. Luck filed away that interaction. It might have significance since he was planning on hearing her out anyway. If the proposal was beneficial enough.


    "Teach me to bartend like you. Teach me and I can bring you and your friend to the Arena Fields. It wasn''t marked on your father''s map but it''s two months closer to Ardun." She declared.


    "Nayah." Borg rubbed his face. "He killed Lojeth. Savs won''t like that."


    Nayah grimaced, her eyebrows drawing taught.


    "Thanks for the offer but I''d rather walk." Luck answered. "And your friend isn''t dead. Just sleeping."


    He knew that he''d get there faster if he listened to her. He just didn''t know how crooked Dersoc was. He had no way to know if he had broken any rules or had insulted someone. It was better to spend the extra two months of travel than risk being detained or killed on the count of a few days off of a ten month trip.


    "You would decline two months off your journey?"


    Two months?


    "How so fast?" Ace mirrored his thinking, quick on the uptake despite Luck''s suspicion he wasn''t understanding half of it. He was still talking in slightly butchered Common.


    "Are we planning to fly there?" Luck mocked. Behind Nayah and through the door he could see Borg grumbling and rummaging through one of the beer cabinets.


    It was puzzling. That someone as perceptive as him didn''t notice the bright orange hair. It was such a contrast in her looks that her blue eyes should''ve drawn attention to her hair as well. It was only a flash of color but Luck saw her hair catch the light, the shadow of the higher building having moved across and past the bar, light poured down in beams made solid by motes of dust.


    The girl standing at the door smiled like it was the best one-liner in history. "We teleport."


    Borg groaned in the distance.


    He didn''t catch the significance. He had already been teleported, albeit between worlds or planes or something so his perspective was skewed. Ultimately deciding it was a rare occurence Luck shrugged. The groan from Borg was actually what swayed Luck, it seemed like knowledge to keep secret.


    "I''ll make you the best bartender I can."


    They were walking on thin ice for a while after. But eventually Borg vouched for them both and they were allowed to roam Dersoc. They were given, in Luck''s opinion, a rather garish pass phrase. It was used city wide, or town Luck didn''t really know, but the fact that it was used across Dersoc made peeved him.


    The phrase had already got them past a few people, hostile at first but instantly mellowing at the code words. They stood in front of a dainty shop, without the pretty. The place was rickety, somehow older than the surrounding buildings but attractive in its age. The front of the shop displayed some of its product and Luck couldn''t help but admire them. And question the integrity of the people here for such items to be displayed so openly.


    Looking at themselves with their own eyes was something they hadn''t done in two days. The Pools had no reflections whatsoever since the water was almost perfectly clear. In Diversi''s temple the images were distorted and colored according to the crystal they were reflected in.


    It was why they both found themselves entering a shop full of mirrors, tall ones, wide ones, every kind.


    "How may I help you?" An old lady leaned against her counter. Her hand flicked in a very specific way.


    "The shadows shine brightest in the dark." Ace recited. Perfectly too. It sounded just as stupid as when Borg said it. Luck was a pretty tolerant guy too.


    The woman nodded. "Call if you need me." She waved and went back to what she was doing, cleaning a small ornate mirror and unconcerned with the decidedly lame phrase.


    Luck caught himself in one of the mirrors, a normal one. His scar was still there, a slash right down the cheek. He had no idea why it stayed despite the inital scan Spirit performed on his body, it should''ve been wiped. Dark brown hair so dark it was almost black. Curious since it looked as if it had been cut or trimmed recently, probably also during the time between arrival. It was shorter than it was before he arrived, but without the haircut look. He tilted his jaw to the left and right. His father had said he had a strong jaw, his mom had said it probably came from smirking so much. His sister had told him it gave him an almost permanent look of mischief even when he wasn''t actively doing anything with his face. Luck was of the opinion his jaw was unremarkable and they were all wrong.


    He missed them. He missed them a lot.


    His eyes blurred for a bit, the mirror a blob, but in only a few blinks he was staring back at a pair of bright amber eyes. Not a trace of wetness.


    He glanced around, using the mirrors to spy Ace. He never noticed. He was also checking himself for any changes. He was still the same man he was before. Luck could''ve told him that but seeing was believing. Black hair, stylish without even trying. He was wearing a black hoodie of what he assumed was now considered high quality material in this world, which was probably cotton. His bottom half had simple dark blue jeans and running shoes. In short, he looked nothing like an assassin save for the black color scheme. The surrounding mirrors distorted his frame but he was as muscular as he had always been. His job required that frame. But it also required a level oflooseness and flexibility that has to be trained into the body. Needless to say Ace was honed for the job. Luck grinned inwardly. Not many people got to retire at the age of nineteen.


    Eventually, his attention wandered back to the mirror in front of him. He himself was wearing a grey jacket with a zipper. Were zippers invented here? It was probably a strange thing to see if it wasn''t. Unlike Ace he was wearing black pants, basically cargo pants that had enough concealed pockets to hide the whole store in with those concealed pockets being concealed themselves. His shirt was a loose white, with pockets only lining the sides. It was fashioned that way so his jacket when worn over the shirt would conceal anything he placed there. He wondered how long it would be before he needed to get a change of clothes. And how he would do it.


    Luck glanced at the nearby mirrors amused. One in particular just made him fat. It was a far cry from his actual body. He wasn''t thin, exactly. Just lean. It probably had to do with the cardio from running around the city. And to a lesser extent his early training. His reflection''s eyes moved down his own body. He knew it intimately, it was his after all, and he had spent many days controlling it precisely.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Had he gotten more muscular? No, that wasn''t right. He felt a tangible difference now that it was brought to his attention. There was more power in his motions. More surety. It was like... he didn''t know.


    He asked Spirit.


    Scanning... 2%


    Referencing Biological Profile...


    ...


    ...


    Scan Complete...


    Qualitative changes in musculoskeletal structure...


    Slightly increased muscle density...


    More efficient muscles...


    Bone mass decreased...


    Bone strength increased...


    All changes are miniscule, changes still in effect...


    ...


    Active, continuous influence on body...


    ...


    Tracing Source...47%


    Changes enacted through Familiar Bond...


    Following Link...


    Error! Deep Magical Integration incomplete...


    ...


    ...


    Host not within operable parameters...


    Meet requirements before enacting Deep Magical Integration...


    ...


    The bond with Saga was affecting him? What was the exacting wording? He couldn''t recall them in time before the world answered for him. Again, near transparent words appeared in front of him. He could still easily see through to his reflection in the mirror.


    Familiar Bond.


    A familiar grows alongside its master. The bond between master and familiar is as mysterious as it is powerful. As your bond strengthens expect benefits related to your familiar. The bond works both ways however so be aware of your own familiar''s strength. The bond can manifest physically, magically or otherwise on both ends, be prepared for each.


    So there were tangible physical effects on his body. Meaning this was a physical change. Luck looked in the mirror, he didn''t even seem different. He just felt different. How did Spirit know what a familiar bond was? He patted his pockets before finally finding it. He opened the crumpled piece of paper, taking care not to rip it since he needed to read it.


    Please Read! English Version.


    Instruction and Warning Manual for Supportive Intelligence Mk3.


    The Supportive Intelligence Mk3 is an advanced piece of magical technology designed towards enchancing the individual. The Mk3 has a wide range of capabilites that the Mk2 does not. It is the first among the Supportive Intelligence line to incorporate magic in the design. Thorough testing and hundreds of trials have additionally removed the corruption and deficiency of the Mk2 model. The Mk3 takes a more subtle approach to binding with the hosts brain, it will bring up its capabilities as the need arises. In addition, you may query the Mk3 for the full scope of its facilities. However, be warned that the Mk3 or any other SI model are designed to augment the user, refrain from abusing the abilities of the Mk3 unit to an extent that your body cannot handle. Please heed the warnings of the unit itself and keep in mind it is designed completely to fulfill the user''s benefit and well-being. A general information package is included.


    That was probably the answer. It was the first of its kind to have magic implemented. That likely had something to do with its knowledge of the field. The general information package also might''ve contained information on familiars as well. Come to think of it the Mk3 actually had some capabilites with manipulating magic, it was the only way it could sense the familiar bond. But that was also concerning, could everyone affect his bond?


    Spirit can you talk?Luck queried mentally. The thought had just occured to him.


    Yes. The Mk3 has many capabilites. Among the myriad the ability to communicate mentally with the host is requested by roughly 92% of individuals.The voice was smooth, and calming.Of those 92 hosts 85 request this function in the first day.


    Stopping himself from jumping and turning his head around, Luck calmed down. The second the voice echoed in his head he had wanted to check his surroundings. But it was clear from the mirrors that nothing was behind him.


    This... is surprising.Luck commended himself, he was taking this better than he thought he probably should be. Somehow he could partition his thoughts in a way that they weren''t expressed to Spirit, or so he hoped. The voice was androgynous, neither male or female and Luck found that oddly comforting.


    I will respond only when addressed as to respect your privacy should you enable this feature. As per the terms of use, the Mk3 model does not invade the thoughts of the user unless permittedfor higher efficiency.Luck was sure he didn''t get to agree to any terms of use but continued to listen.You may allow me to speak on my own volition as well. Access to thoughts are enabled by 23% of users in the first years, with a gradual rise with age. The Mk3 is allowed to speak on its own volition by 95% of users.


    Ok, ok slow down. Let me know of anything pertinent to my situation as of currently. Furthermore, what other options are there for interaction between host and SI.


    To any passerby Luck would continue to appear as a potential customer, roaming the shop looking at the wares. One might note the superior quality of fabric he donned but that could be the reason why he was standing in front of the more pricey mirrors. One might assume he was of a higher class given his clothes. Other, more ignorant observers would suspect a thief, and while they may have been right to some extent in that moment he was not. Skeptical folks would suspect the stranger to be dangerous and steer clear. The conversation he would have would go unnoticed by everyone.


    As of current the Deep Physical Integration would be most beneficial. The Deep Magical Integration is a lesser priority. Both are required to unlock the Mk3''s full capabilities. No further reports. The Mk3''s mental voice can be changed to fit the host''s preference. This is enabled by 68% of users who activate voice function. Advance action can be enabled, allowing the Mk3 to act upon the environment and notify the user with real-time information. This is enabled by 52% of users. Pilot mode allows the SI to control the body for a short period of time. This feature has only been activated a total of seventeen times, insignificant as a decimal. Changes to the body are often requested by users, the Mk3 allows these changes by facilitating the necessary biological functions. This has been used to some degree by 89% of users, large changes are implemented by 16% of users, and extensive restructuring has been attempted by 2% of users.


    The sheer amount of possible ways he could use Spirit baffled him. That pilot mode was something he would never do. Surrendering his body even for a short time, did that not give the SI control over itself? And when Spirit mentioned extensive restructuring he duly noted the word used was ''attempted''. The statistics, though he could''ve stopped them, actually gave him some insight into how previous users interacted with their Mk3. It was comforting to know how others utilized the device, and also disconcerting once he thought about if that was why the statistics were told to him.


    Ok... let''s see. What do both Deep Integrations entail?


    Luck roamed the mirror shop, idling about. It felt much larger than it actually was, a trick of mirrors. The two other people in the shop seemed unaware of the mental conversation he was having. It actually worked in his favor, his years of practicing controlling his face would allow him to converse with Spirit without showing any reactions to whatever information she supplied him with.


    Both integrations require a safe area to activate. Deep Physical Integration involves connecting the Mk3 to all senses, this requires expansion around the brain, 98% of users opt to be put to sleep for the procedure. This integration unlocks different perceptive inputs for the Mk3 to process and analyze. These include taste, touch, smell and the lesser known physical senses. Deep Magical Integration has just completed the experimental phases, tested positive and bright green for safety regulations put in place by the company. This integration involves connecting to the host''s mana, unlocks perceptive inputs pertaining to magical senses, and reveals host affinities. This procedure requires a safe area to activate and involves expansion into the host''s mana pool. For this integration to work the host must have access to his mana. The process has tested extremely uncomfortable with those users who have manipulated magic for years with a gradual decline as the time spent training with magic decreases. 15% of users opt to sleep for the procedure.


    Luck decided on what he would enable. The integrations were definitely something he would get around to but at the moment he was safest staying awake.


    Enable voice function, advance action, speaking of own volition, and change voice to a more refined androgynous.


    All features enabled.The voice that responded was different in quality, less mechanical and more knowledgable. It was like the voice of an aristocrat of undetermined gender without the haughtiness.


    He might change that later actually, the prospect of choosing a voice was rather interesting. He wondered if he could make it more human, at least a fake personality or something along those lines. But he was more scared than curious to find out if that was possible. Instead he asked another question.


    Do you know what Ethodthem is? The System.


    The information is included in the general information package. Ethodthem added to list of designations. It is a neutral force that acts upon Aerae, granting powers to those deserving.


    Can you see the messages it supplies to me?


    The Mk3 is unable to detect messages from the System, this function is one of the main objectives of the company when the Mk4 is released. Allowance of the Mk3 into host memories for only System messages easily fixes this problem among most users. The Mk3 delves into the memories extracting all previous System messages. All other memories are sealed and deleted from the Mk3 system memory. This allows the Mk3 to view System messages pertaining to the user without violation of the terms of use.


    Enable it.


    Confirmed. Enabled.


    Luck went back to inspecting himself in the mirror, wondering if and when Spirit would decide to speak up. He had given it the capability. Instead Spirit used another function that Luck had allowed. His reflection sprouted green lines that traced light green rectangles that bordered the mirror. Information and data regarding Luck''s own body. Some of the data was clearly not only visual but internal as well. Some parts of his arms and legs were highlighted, his body was highlighted roughly through his clothes. From them some of the changes to his muscles and bones were noted. Holding up his hand, he hovered his palm in front of the mirror, data sprouted once again, he looked like a tree he realized with a chuckle.


    Demonstrations of enabled capabilities reduce confusion and panic in 62% of users when real events warrant Mk3 intervention.


    The nod he had the urge to employ was stopped by an effort of will. Spirit didn''t need any physical cues. As if in confirmation of Luck''s own observations the boxes of data that stemmed from the mirrordissapeared leaving only his naked reflection once again.


    "Ready Lucky?" Ace called to him.


    "Yeah let''s go. Is it that time already?" Luck said turning around. How could Ace even tell?


    "It''s fortunate I''ve no need to translate the sun." Ace frowned, peering up through the skylight, a feature Luck decided was peculiar given the rackety building. "Converting normal days, weeks and months was more than enough for me. I''m just glad they keep the same time we do."


    The skylight shot right through the roof, Luck admired it as he recalled the conversions."Roughly." He said.


    "Roughly." Ace conceded. "But it works in a twenty hour day the same way a twenty-four hour day works. It''s not dissimilar if you space the numbers evenly on the clock. Assuming they have those."


    Minutes later they were out of the store and on their way to a building closer to the bar from before. They walked across Dersoc and despite the shabby buildings and the constant, loud rush of water below, the people seemed rather happy. In fact, there were no signs of poverty that Luck would normally find. None at all.


    There was however a significant amount of fighting and gambling. Roughly dressed men and women littered the street. The men and women evidently spent most of their time out and about rather than inside which made sense given the lack of apparent technology. Aside from the occasional piece of leather attire their dress was unfamiliar. They wore thick layered cloaks but didn''t seem to suffer for it at all, the men wore shorts that clashed with the thick upper garments. There weren''t any dresses as far as Luck could tell. Most of the women wore similar clothing to the men. It certainly was hot but there was a pleasant breeze that made the weather more than bearable and enough shade for even the sun to have trouble eliminating.


    Chuckling, Luck watched as one man started gambling on who would win a street match and inadvertently began to fight the other gamblers once he lost. The people were dressed in clothes that were of much lower quality of the Subaqa''s but weren''t completely rags. Amber eyes wandered, curious as to how the town sustained itself. Empty as it was, a mirror shop wouldn''t set up in town if there was no profit to be made. The values of whatever chips they were gambling was anyone''s guess but Luck could attest to the sheer number of them being thrown around. The chips were the most consistent item he saw around the place.


    A man leaning against an alley wall, the woman playing cards at one of the tables found in the open stores, a pair of men just rolling dice, they all had some number of the chips. The small snippets of conversation were enough for him to recognize the random bets being placed.


    It wasn''t only gambling he discovered, that much was clear from the reaction many had to the painful, anguished yelling that echoed strangely from below. Eager, arguably hungry looks crossed the faces of many people as they nearly sprinted in the same general direction. They were bored. And killing time apparently.


    Without a word Luck took the lead and angled their path towards the commotion. Ace followed, just as curious. They had to pass a huge wall to follow the crowd. And only after walking alongside it for a while did Luck notice the scrawl written across it.


    "Home of The Damned." Luck breathed. Over and over and over again. All over the wall, in black paint barely noticable. Smears and marks, words that trailed off, a handprint... blood. It was blood.


    The words caught his friend''s attention and noticing the writing on the wall, Ace peered ahead of the crowd. They were entering some sort of colliseum.


    "Jesus." Ace whispered.


    Much of the crowd clambered down and closer to whatever it was they were here for but Luck followed Ace up to the highest seats."We''re right over the river. Directly above it actually."


    It was still new to him but he could roughly confirm the sentiment with Saga. He was still jumping about the scaffolding down below, finding random beams of light to sun in. As of currently, they were both remarking on the improved structure from below and above. In a way it made sense, the first buildings of a town would be of lesser quality and if one was to build a city or town over a river the last building to be built would be the ones in the middle. He imagined it''d be hard to build a city starting from the middle of a body of water. Said river, which was surprisingly unnamed on the map, was a lethargic thing. Wide and slow. Whatever construction techiques they had here, Luck guessed it wouldn''t be that hard if one set their mind to it.


    The height of the place relative to the surrounding buildings was insignificant. It was why the building seemed like a huge wall from outside. The people on the other side of the stadium looked like ants though. And though it wasn''t the highest building it was definitely the largest. And judging from the hole in the middle, the deepest as well.


    Shouts and hollers rang loud. The men beside him were especially enthusiastic, odd given their distance from where Luck guessed the action would be taking place.


    "Bring out the poor bastards!" A dusty looking man yelled.


    "Rip em'' throats out!" His companion screamed. "I''ll bet you forty they''ve got at least three alvets this time around."


    "Eh? You''re on mate. You know they kill their own before capture." The other man said, slighly surprised. "Another thirty if a serpt dies then. Was never one to judge a man with his money."


    "It''ll soon be doubled anyways." The other one replied, cocky.


    Shaking hands, the men quieted down.


    Gazedrawn back to the view down below, Luck wondered exactly what was happening. The middle of the colliseum was a hole. Slitherkind writhed in the current down below. Shiny blue black scales reflected the light before dissapearing under the surface. The surrounding shadows darkening the waters enough that a normal light blue was nowhere to be seen. There were bridges across the pit, pathways that led to a circle in the middle where someone could easily fall in. What was left was a roiling, churning, near black liquid that was broken only by white water disturbed by the serpents within.


    Men and women began to pour in from the entrances one of which Luck had just used. Shackled and bleeding, many had the face of defeat, ready to die. Their appearance explained the handful of groups who sat high and away from the pit below, they were likely waiting to see the prisoners that shambled by.


    His friend''s eyes followed the poor souls. "Home of the Damned." He remembered. "Lucky, this is an execution."


    "They''ve already given up Ace. It''s the same look on the corpses strung up below." Face an impassive mask, Luck observed the procession silently. To any who knew him the lack of any emotion said more than simple anger.


    Ace regarded the moving prisoners quietly. One look at Ace''s hands would''ve told the whole story, but as it was, amber eyes were trained on the happenings below.


    The last of the prisoned passed the gates while the first of the group had reached the pit down below. A man stood below directing them with a whip and placing them along the spider web pathways over the churning water.


    There were a few dozen shackled beings below, starved and diseased by the looks of it. Without any immediate action they''d be food for the slitherkind. Luck grimaced behind his mask, their eyes were so simliar, so very familiar to the once-dull pair he spied in the sparkling pool of his own parent''s blood.


    Hopelessness.


    He remembered the guards, the ones positioned above and behind him. He recalled the handful of betting men that were near every entrance, the men beside himself and Ace, the enormous amount of bodies watching, and the people running the show. Sharp eyes caught even the more rigid figures amidst the crowd, inconsipicuosly positioned at regular intervals.


    Minute details, such as which way the guards were facing and their level of alertness were registered almost unconciously. As a habit, Luck observed all this without any outward signs he was doing anything but watch. Spirit provided a slew of random information that might prove helpful at any given time.


    He leaned forward, taking in everything and placing it in his mind in such a way that everything made sense. Trying another avenue of approach he connected with the slitherkind as well.


    The guards behind him were armed with bows and crossbows that didn''t seem that different from what he''d normally expect. The men to his left, the ones who were betting on alvets, were armed as well, a hitch in the one nearest''s clothing that suggested a dagger or blade of some sort. The prisoners who were nearly ants at this distance were being whipped into their place, their cries and screams arousing the bloodlusting crowd. Everything, as best as he could, was scrutinized. Beside him, Acewas... doing the same thing. Observing. Watching.


    The muscular figure of his friend was still, rigid even, but his hazel eyes were searching, for something. Something that only Luck could see.


    He clenched his fists, unknowingly mirroring Ace''s own reaction and looked down below.


    It wouldn''t be hard. It wouldn''t be hard at all, freeing them.


    It would be damn impossible.


    The words were hard to push out, painful and jagged they ripped into his throat even as he said them."It can''t be done."He said softly.


    "I thought you wanted to help people." Ace''s voice was calm, his gaze fully trained on the proceedings above the water.


    The sentence rang a bell inside Luck''s head that he didnt even flinch at, he was prepared for it.


    "Aha! Three alvets! You owe me forty!"


    "Drat. Alright, alright, hold your money let''s see if a serpt dies before I start throwing around death tokens."


    "Eh? Let''s make it more interesting then. Twenty says the murderers die out first."


    "Ehh... I don''t think i''ve got that much left."


    "Oh blast it! You''re broke?"


    The whole ordeal put things in perspective, death was more common here than it was back home, extremely more common. In fact, while the business had death, it was always in secret and always at night. Here men talked about murder and killing in broad daylight, going so far as to bet on it too. And these people, the ones put on for show, weren''t innocent.


    Luck didn''t consider himself a stranger to death, but these people were lovers to it. Even as he sat people in the very front of the crowd were throwing various items at the prisoners, hoping to knock them into the water.


    Maybe it was the fact that he knew crooked people weren''t always bad. That sometimes life just forced you onto a path that was darker than most. Because although he knew they were all guilty in some regard, it was for that reason that Luck felt a connection to them. In a court of law, Luck would be guilty too, many times over.


    "Want and can are two different things." Luck trained his eyes forward and talked in English. "The men beside us are armed so we could easily say everyone in that huge crowd is armed as well, to some extent. There are men placed inside the crowd, probably watching for anything that might interrupt the show. We''d get nowhere near the pit. If the guards behind us are as lazy as the ones opposite from them we''d still get shot down before we get anything done. Aside from that there''s the problem with trying to help people who''ve already given up. And that''s just if we tried to muscle through everything. Any other tactic is completely useless, they''re standing on exposed pathways, just getting them off of it would be impossible." He finished. "Trust me Ace. There isn''t anything we can do here."


    "Have you tried the serpents?" He said after a while, Luck apparently having covered most of it.


    "Blinded by hunger." Luck frowned. "The blood''s got them in a frenzy. You can see it easily enough." He motioned to the churning, black-white water. Through the connection all he got was an uncomfortably invasive bloodthirsty feeling. That was the best bet, having the serpents simply not kill the prisoners and bring them to safety. Without it, there was nothing else, no other viable options.


    "Twelve years. Twelve years since my hands were first bloodied. And the second - the moment - I want to save a life, to make a difference, I can''t." He said frustrated, anger filling his features. "Powerful enough to take lives yet powerless to save them." He spat.


    It was the first time he had seen Ace angry. And there was an undercurrent of some deeper significance.


    "They''re murderers Ace. Far as I can tell. They aren''t just down there for show, they''ve all done a deed that landed them here." Luck supplied, hoping Ace disagreed with him. To another that fact would justify their deaths but in Luck''s opinion the men and women down there were victims of life. And while there truly might be someone deserving to die down there, they didn''t deserve a slow one, or a public one.


    "So are we." Ace''s response was quick and blunt.


    After a pause Luck sighed softly. "I know."


    And the show began in earnest, the screams along with it.


    The hardest thing that Luck had ever done was take his first life. He remembered the first time he used his training, the first time it became relevant in a real situation, before he knew it the gun was to the woman''s head. His finger was already squeezing the trigger until he realized what he was doing, what it would mean. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, but it lasted only a moment.


    But getting up, turning around, and walking out of that colliseum, screams behind his back, might have taken the number one spot.

 Chapter 6 - The Smallest Candle

    "Death tokens?" Borg raised his brows, still focusing on his work. "It''s just money. Worth more in certain circles but that''s about it. It''s like any other currency ye''d find anywhere." The man had a steady hand, surprising from the amount of alchohol he had ingested earlier.


    "And the betting?" Luck was only partially invested in the conversation. He was looking around the room.


    There was a lot more equipment than he expected to see, even now Borg was holding up some strange pencil and drawing some symbols in the ground. They were magical, he still couldn''t feel anything but they were glowing so it was fairly obvious. He just didn''t know what they were supposed to do. Weren''t they supposed to be teleporting?


    "That be the only one way to make money ''till the crowds come along."


    Nayah chimed in before Luck could ask a follow up question. "Every now and then prisoners of war or hated enemies will be captured and brought here. Some really disgusting people. Dersoc is uniquely situated and tolerant enough to meet the demands of their captors. There was one today in fact. Public humiliation- "


    "Yeah, we saw them. Executions." Luck responded grimly, putting his hands in his thin jacket pockets. "Can''t they do that themselves though?"


    "They could. But would it truly be revenge?" Borg was throwing some yellow dust on the symbols. "They used to throw their captives down the river, let the serpts sick ''em. When the city was made crowds demanded a hole and a stage. Place became a buildin'' n'' now we charge. Easy business."


    "What a weird place. You get that Ace?" His friend was standing nearby, a little more interested in the process of whatever they were doing than Luck was. Acewasexposed to things extremely more often than Luck ever was, perhaps it was simply due to finding something new that he was so interested?


    "Quaint." He answered. "A city that thrives on executions."


    "Not the best service to sell."


    "Won''t matter much to ye. Ye caught us on the day we were leaving. Won''t be here long. Ye should''ve stopped to finish the show though." Borg said.


    The show he referred to was brutal murders for public entertainment. Luck sighed, right now he couldn''t do anything, but that was how the world worked. He had seen people die in front of him before, but there in the pit was different. He had no chains, if he wanted to he could''ve tried. The chains restraining him had come off but he was still in a cage. And there wasn''t much he could do from inside.


    For now, he watched Nayah place her hand palm down in the middle of the room.


    "And that should... " Then the symbols flashed bright blue, circles of light surrounded them and connected others until Luck was looking at a large glowing circle.


    "What is this?" Luck took a step back warily, knocking some items around on a shelf behind him. Focusing on a handful of items scattered around the room left only question marks and blank boxes. This room was filled with rarities or obscurities unique enough that the general information package of the Mk3 didn''t include them. Some of the few things identifiable was the pencil, which was in fact something called a mana stencil and some wands in the back corner.


    Wands of all things. Luck guessed they probably helped magic somehow but further than that he was clueless.


    Ingredients and symbols aren''t listed in any general magical rituals.Spirit interjected.No data on current happenings.


    I thought we were going to meet a mage, perhaps someone powerful enough or specialized to teleport us?Luck replied mentally.


    Alternative methods of teleportation are within the realm of possibility.


    Borg stood up, dusting himself off and looking at Luck like he was stupid. "It''s a teleportation circle. Are ya daft?" It was almost like he could hear Spirit.


    Luck pursed his lips.He really wasn''t expecting that. This was extremely more complicated than a flash of multicolored lights. He had only been teleported by gods before so... this was out of the blue, literally. The place was shining blue.


    Still aware of the presence below him Luck finally decided to just ask. "Can I bring my cat?"


    He was met with blank looks and a chuckling Ace.


    It was Nayah who finally broke out of the stupor. "Sure?" She said hesitantly.


    It took a good chunk of time. But after heated debate, mainly between the the blue eyed bartender and the gruff drunkard, they decided to just rip open the floor in the corner of the room. Nayah screamed when Saga shot out of the opening, breaking through the small hole, a lithe figure of dark green. Eyes the color of intelligence, the shar regarded the two with a calm indifference an emotion Luck often used. Borg had jerked in place, positioning himself slightly closer to the alcohol of all things.


    "What in the hell?" Borg''s voice was almost comically soft.


    "Meet Saga. He''ll be coming with us."


    "Are ye out of yer mind? That ain''t a fucking cat!" Borg''s breath smelled like death, the flying spittle didn''t help. He waved his hands around in protest.


    "No, it''s a cat." Ace, who had never really talked much at all during the conversations in Common, spoke his line perfectly. It was enough to shut Borg up since Ace still had that quality to his voice even in other languages.


    Borg looked at him incredulously. "That thing is huge. It destroyed the fucking floor!"


    Luck laughed.


    "O-okay, everybody... in the circle." Nayah said meekly, coming in from the opposite side, furthest from Saga.


    The shar, who was still being watched intently, strided over the blue symbols taking his spot lining the inner edge of the circle with his body. Ace walked unassumedly between Saga and Nayah and didn''t seem to notice the huff from Saga and the release of breath from Nayah.


    Meanwhile, Luck was chuckling internally. He had a familiar smirk on his face. He realized Saga was basking in the same amusement. And not even the stink eye from Borg could detract from the upwards curve of his mouth.


    One second they were surrounded by equipment both magical and mundane. The room they had been in was large enough for the circle and a few extra feet past the circumference. Surrounding the edges of the room were shelves stocked full of purposeful looking items. Nayah and Borg both had plopped out of the circle to retrieve an item from a random shelf enough for Luck to know most things in there served a purpose. The place was lit by the dim glow of blinking magical equipment, or so Luck assumed.


    Now he almost blacked out. Last time it was nausea. Teleporting by circle felt like your brain was disconnected and reconnected in a single second. It was as if his body lost all power and regained it the next moment.


    Sensory deprived, temporary nerve shutdown, temporary muscle unresponsiveness. Autonomic and Somatic Nervous Systems experienced a hiccup in sensory info.Spirit informed.No apparent lasting effects. Temporary effects catalogued, teleportation circle method recorded. Visual data on ingredients recorded.


    Thanks Spirit.


    The others didn''t recover as fast. Ace was on the ground. As was both Nayah and Borg. Saga apparently had managed to stay on his feet, the shar glanced at Luck and gave something the equivalent of a scoff. Luck could sense the unease from the familiar link though. The shar had recovered just as fast as Luck but was undoubtedly affected. That had been his first time teleporting, and while he understood what was happening through the link, that didn''t mean he was ready once it actually happened. Luck rubbed Saga''s back, offering comfort. They were strangers given an intimate bond, but Saga accepted the patting.


    Data displayed over the the group. It was labeled ''teleportation sickness'' and it was a giant box that each of them connected to, listing all the effects they would be going through.


    Spirit anything on our location?Luck wondered exactly how well Spirit could determine their position. Basically, he wanted to know if Spirit or Ace was a better wilderness guide.


    Luck gave the SI more data to work with and turned his head around, blinking at the bright sun. That brought the temperature to his attention. It was burning hot. It looked like they were in the middle of... Luck paused.


    "Woah." And he realized he still couldn''t hear... sensory deprivation he recalled. It was no wonder he didn''t notice this immediately.


    From earlier records of Diversi''s Map and the surrounding mountain ranges, my best calculations suggest we are somewhere called Hydr Valley, approximately two months closer to the unexplored region on the map in which lies our destination. There should be no known settlements here.


    Well, the map needs an update. Clearly.


    He arrived facing forward, seeing nothing but shrubbery, desert, and pockets of slim trees. And then Luck turned around. People would not be the right word. Peoples would be more accurate, but still terribly wrong.


    The large, bustling mass that was behind him was a mix of people, sure, but he wasn''t quite sure that they were all ''people''. For starters, not everything walking by had two legs, and that would be fine, Saga was one such character after all, but these things were clothed and talking to each other in languages Luck could fully understand. A man with stone skin walked by, equipped with a sword and tight clothing. He was talking to a very small person. Not short. Small. Luck supressed the urge to gape as his hearing was returning to him.


    "Welcome to Peace!" Borg yelled over the din of the crowd, his voice a little louder than it had to be. The man stood unsteadily, but drank from his bottle and seemed better for it.


    Exceptional Regeneration and Troll''s Blood''s effects have not been fully catalogued but I have reviewed their descriptions and have prepared to account for their properties in any unforeseen healings. Your dulled senses are coming back clearly faster than the others. In addition, I believe you were able to stay standing due to the improved balanced from the familiar bond. Saga seems to have recovered in the same vein, the bond is both ways, it is likely he adopted some of your healing traits.


    Spirit''s voice was still as he had set it. Informative, secular, to the point and helpful. Although, those last two aspects were because of its nature as a Supportive Intelligence rather than any personality Luck had instilled. If he even could.


    Noted. He responded.


    "Peace?" Ace asked.


    "Peace! The most bloody, vicious, barbarous, ferocious, and savage battle arena in the world! And it''s run by my mom!" Nayah puffed out her chest and ran into the crowd. A man covered in blood turned around in annoyance, but instantly backed away, going so far as to push a man to the ground in his rush to move. The felled man didn''t even bat an eyelid, he scrambled away as well the second his eyes caught the source of the commotion.


    What should''ve been a sweaty wall of meat parted like butter to a hot knife. Nayah was the knife. Everyone made way for the blue eyed bartender, even the children seemed to stray away, not even their child like innocence was spared, it seemed like they learned at an early age not to bother the daughter of whoever ran the show here. Here, Peace, which was a bloody killing arena.


    "Follow me!" She called, waving like a maniac among a sea of armed people.


    "Uh, Borg?" But instead of responding the man followed in her wake, taking another, smaller sip from his bottle, as if content to watch the show. "Borg, who the fuck did I just agree to teach bartending to? Borg?"


    Saga shook his head in an extremely human gesture and followed Borg. It seemed the locals didn''t even care for the shar, he was treated just as commonplace as Borg and Nayah had assured him. Why was Nayah so scared of the cat if she could walk through this crowd so obliviously? These people oozed danger. Not only that, the mystery that came from just how they looked would be enough to unsettle someone, there was an assortment of species apparently. Spirit tried to display some but the crowd was moving too fast and Luck could feel an ache in his head before the feeling and the displays stopped at the same time.


    "Now you''ve done it Lucky." Ace rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie.


    "Yeah, I''ve done it. I''ve done and got us two months closer to Ardun." Luck replied defensively, unzipping his jacket and airing out.


    "Like any Lockyer needs saving." He said simply, alluding to his family. The former mercenary took out a small book, it was the dictionary he got from Uhet, and began the challenging task of reading while walking.


    Luck couldn''t really say anything to that. But memories of his family less alive flashed into his mind, how did they get caught so off guard that day? That day he was being pranked by Quick, being lead on, but he had seen through it. It was a mystery, but they wouldn''t make a mistake like that twice, and given a second chance it would never happen again. He would trust them though, he could do that. But the mystery of that day was something he''d just have to ask them.


    He began to follow Ace. His friend looked the picture of unconcerned. And while Luck had the same demeanor currently, it didn''t change the fact that his hairs were on end. At least Ace had a weapon to use, despite his apparent focus on his book, he could probably blast anyone with a weapon away before they got to him. As of right now Luck only had his hands and his wit.


    He felt like prey.


    But he was born a hunter.


    What he''d do for a gun right about now.


    Through ramshackle, dusty stands, through resting men and tired women, they followed the girl. The city was large, situated between two mountain ranges that Luck could make out from any point in the walk. The mountains were looming, but the sun''s course, almost mockingly, fell through the gap between them.


    Borg grunted, playing tour guide. "See how the buildings lengthen? They shade the ones behind them, well and good since the twin mounts'' don''t do shit." The man squinted and then took a swig of some alcohol he produced fom his clothes.


    The construction of the city, the theory behind it, is sound. The tallest building in the middle produces shade for buildings in front and behind depending on where the sun is.Spirit was taking advantage of the settings that Luck enabled, specifically the one called ''advance action''.Particular buildings are slanted so that all find shade.


    Luck eye''s were just tracking the buildings, tall, precise, but seemingly cheap, which is why he found Spirit''s interjection very helpful. If the sun was on the far side of the city he''d still be shaded, but even with the sun roughly above him angled buildings provided shade all around. Even now some people, likely participants in this ''battle arena'' were resting in those spots. They spared Saga a glance but didn''t really pay any attention to Luck or Ace, and were looking pointedly away from Borg and Nayah.


    Hard and wooden described the city. Hard in both the materials used in the buildings and the look on the patrons'' faces. Wooden in the sense of tiredness that each man possessed and for the dominant building materials he witnessed. Hard and wooden. He would argue for cheap if not for the towerup ahead.


    "Borg." Luck addressed, his eye catching something else.


    The man peeked at Luck between swigs and let out a refreshing sound before responding. "What ye want?" He burped.


    Luck noticed the way the man seemed more relaxed and less annoyed. While they started off on the wrong foot he didn''t seem to hold any grudges. Which was surprising since he had fought Ace, and Luck had threatened to kill Nayah earlier. Luck wasn''t naive enough to think a few served drinks had them on equal ground.


    "What are those?" He pointed to some curved structures that were a cut above the rest, trying to see through the man.


    He looked. "Can''t blame ye for not recognizing thetemples, they''re extra fancy here. I don''t believe in those gods myself but yer welcome to visit, many of the fighters here do." The structures weren''t in the shade of other buildings but they created shade all their own, he couldn''t quite see but there was a stream of people heading into a few. It seemed the crowd wasn''t as evenly spread as Luck thought it would be, there were apparently a few gods that were most worshipped. And as Luck had guessed, there werea lot of gods. Even now, there were people, people that seemed like they were starving, praying at the temples. A veritable crowd of them. A few bodies lie on the floor, shriveled up in the sun.


    Luck watched Borg, catching a moment where the man stared at Ace''s back before taking a drink, not even sparing those people a single glance. Anyone would''ve thought Luck had an abundance of friends, and they were right, in the general sense. On the surface that was exactly how it seemed but it was hard to make any real friends formany reasons. The primary one being having thorough training in sniffing out motives. They were nice to him for the benefits. Almost always.


    But Borg didn''t know that, or who he was. Not that it would''ve mattered.


    Luck shrugged. "Ace, stay on your toes. I''m still not sure why they''re being so nice to us." He called in English. It was funny how he could declare his distrust of his group out in the open without their knowing. As it was Ace was in front of Borg, whom Luck was behind.


    In answer, Ace gave a thumbs up and flipped to the next page.


    He needed to visit one of those temples. Was there one to the Goddess of Fortune? Perhaps the God of Variance? He''d even take one to the God of Rebirth. Luck was still slightly anxious for messing up Jerxos'' title in farewell, but he doubted he cared, really.


    There was more though.He needed to see Leah.He only remembered asking why. Why was he given the chance he prayed for? The tilt of her head, the lowering of her eyes as she looked away. Pain. So much pain, and heavier than what he felt earlier that day. Heavier than the death of his whole family. ''A chance to right my wrongs'' she had said.


    If there was anything that Luck hated, even on par with his distaste for poor fashion, it was being in debt. And the Goddess of Fortune had put him so far in debt he felt he would drown and die. He would pay her back. He would. And he wouldn''t stop until he felt he had. That was the thing with these deals, there was nothing concrete, but the goddess wasn''t expecting him to pay her back so the sole judge of the debt would be Luck himself. And Luck never went easy on himself, not when it came to these things.


    His smirk got a little bigger. And if that meant he had to suffer the presence of the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes upon, so be it.


    He would return to these temples and find out what he could do for her.


    It didn''t take long after passing the temples for the surroundings to shift from general shops and random stands to specialized armor, weapons and equipment. Here, the bustling crowd returned, but everyone was more energetic, like they were on an adrenaline high. Closer now, was the large tower that provided shade for most other buildings. Homeless men and women rested against the shade, very still, as if conserving every bit of their energy.


    "Any hides here! I''ll make something worth your coin!"


    "Arrows of all sorts. All below a piece!"


    A gigantic hammer caught his eye, mainly because it took up most of his view. It didn''t look like it was meant to be wielded but people walked up and tried to pry it from its stand. He could read the inscription on the rock below it as well. ''Free to the man or woman who can lift it a single inch'' it read. As he read a man tried to lift it and flew backwards as his grip slipped.


    "Told you. It''s impossible." His companion shook his head before they walked off.


    Another shop was selling a bunch of random sacks laid out upon a table. From the leakage, Luck could only guess they were all filled with glitter. From the customers, he assumed that they perhaps were more useful for smaller fighters. Whatever they were.


    "Distractions galore! A dustbomb for every situation!" Distractions, evidently.


    No guns from the looks of it. Unfortunate, but he wouldn''t give up the search. From his time with Jerxos he encountered one of those ''base'' type tools and it mentioned electrical structures. If that type of tech existed, along with the Mk3, then guns had to be somewhere in between.


    A purple shockwave burst forth into the air. There was yelling and general chaos but the commotion died down just as fast as it started.


    "And that my dear customers was naught but a cantrip! Browse my wares, please, just know I am watching or you''ll end up like this man." He gestured to a corpse, purple. The dead man, who was curiously purple, had an item clenched in his fist which the shopkeeper pried away. He turned to the customers having caught their attention. Some were stolen from other vendors, even some passerby came from the middle of the road.


    Luck, however, was good at keeping on task. It was important during the dead hours of his job to stay on task. Otherwise he wouldn''t get any sleep. So he continued to follow Borg. Ace had glanced up from his book, looking around again in that way he did. Business, the actual term not the job, was different here. Luck hadn''t been anywhere where prices were haggled for regular items.


    His musing was cut short however. Nayah had cut a sharp angle for the tallest building around, the one providing shade for most of the city, the tower. The particular entrance was one of many, lined along a ways to his left and right.


    "In here!" Nayah shouted as a man stepped away from some hanging curtains.


    They were already here, already two months closer, so Luck could''ve easily left and lost the girl and Borg in the crowd, but Luck owed them now. So there really was no choice but to follow her in despite his misgivings about the whole situation.


    The girl waved the thin curtains to the side and walked in the doorway.


    Opulent. Without the ostentatiousness. The inside of the other structures were a mystery to him, but if this was any example then the inside was lined with wood and built with some type of hardened sand. And yet the apparent dirt structure was laid with rich fabrics and high paintings along the walls. Classy crystals hung from the ceiling, guards were posted regularly and there was a dull sound vibrating through the walls.


    The abrupt change in scenery and volume startled Luck. The bustling of the street almost completely died the second he passed the curtains. More so, it was cooler here. Warm now, but not hot at all. Luck shared a look with Ace who had pushed his sleeves back down.


    "Magic?" Luck asked his friend.


    Ace shrugged. "I can''t tell."


    The second the blue eyed girl walked in every guard was at attention. Although, that could''ve been from the shar that followed her in.


    She looked to and fro, sure that she had their attention and declared "Bring me to my mom!" for all to hear.


    The effects were immediate. They were rushed in some sort or escort, passing easily through what looked to be security checkpoints, and other such measures. Amidst all the chaos Borg matched Nayah impatient pace with a strong stride. Ace was reading his book again and Luck manuevered between the contingent of guards with ease. Saga had a handful walking purposefully beside them. They passed under countless precious crystals, paintings and fancy objects. Small golden figurines of warriors locked in battle were popular among what he saw. Taken as a whole, Luck was still deciding whether he liked the style of the place or not.


    Eventually they came to a large ornate double door with two dangerous looking men on either side. They eyed the procession, lingering on Saga before meeting Nayah''s eyes and nodding to each other. "Madam Savs." One said, before allowing all four of them to enter. Their escort surrounded them and the rougher looking men, scarred and muscled, took up the back flanks as they entered.


    Luck could feel their eyes on him and, likewise, kept his peripheral on them as he passed. He walked by aware of the danger they posed but not really expecting any action from them. He kept the smirk off his face though, to avoid any negative pretense, this was a first impression. And those were important. So intimidating gazes were met with unconcerned composure as he passed. The particularly dangerous looking me followed behind them and shut the doors, positioning themselves behind the group, nearest to Luck who was the furthest behind. Borg took a spot beside the woman inside, putting himself between Saga and her.


    "Nayah, child, you''ve returned." The lady, who could''ve only been Madam Savs, greeted them. "And you''ve brought guests." She said, clearly annoyed.


    It was then Luck decided hedid not like the style. It was as if the rug that led to the ornate doors threw up into this room. Whoever designed the room had realized its gaudiness, tried to fix it, and failed miserably. And it was a mess, as if throwing valuables across the floor was a show of power, rather than the disgusting practice that it was. Untidy, shiny, and dull, that was what this room was. It was a vulgar way ofshowing power that would''ve been scoffed at anyone who had any experience in such things.


    The woman standing across, for there were no chairs, had a composed, almost pained look on her face. Like she had just noticed how terribly ugly her room was. The daughter had her blue eyes, but while they inherited a warmth, Madam Savs'' were cool. She had sharp features and her eyes were hard, giving her a harsh look. The woman wore a dress that neither complimented her body nor concealed anything. At the very least, she knew how to dress but Luck did find it odd that he didn''t find her clothing alien. Borg and Nayah themselves were wearing clothing that would''ve stood out, if not would''ve taken a passerby''s eye for a few moments. But the woman made up for it with her stark hair. It was white. Like snow, a soft contrast to her harsh eyes.


    "Again, my dear? More?" Madam Savs said, exasperated. "How many times do I have to tell you child? You will inherit my position. You must stop bringing these people here." She looked down to her daughter.


    "B-but mom he''s a bartender! The greatest I''ve seen! He''s pulled off a swirled mix that changed colors!" She waved her hands around wildly.


    "Nayah." Her voice cut.


    Immediately the girl went on the defensive, pleaing her case. "Mom please. I can''t live here, it''s too hot here and everyones scared of me! You- "


    "Nayah! This is it! The last!" She bursted in outrage, cowing Nayah nearly to a ball. "If you do not come to your senses I will throw you to Peace''s Arena Fields myself!"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Nayah was crying. "M-mom, I don''t want to do what you do." She whimpered. "I want to do something else! I can bartend, i''m good at it mom! The best i''ve ever been at something!"


    "Enough! I will not have my daughter serve swill to rambunctious commoners! First a blacksmith, tailor and scribe. Now bartending? What is wrong with you child? I''d have allowed you to be a warrior or mage, an adventurer to travel to Ardun, but you refuse? Content to try your hand at jobs only commoners fill! A disgrace, what will the Peace''s people think of that?"


    Nayah, whom Luck had assumed was well-spoken, intelligent, independent and maybe a little oblivious, was a mess of snot and sniffling.


    The whole time they were being ignored, as if they weren''t even present as the argument escalated. The only thing that marked their attendance and witness to the argument was the rapid flipping of a dictionary''s pages. Ace was trying to translate the conversation real-time. Luck chuckled. An unfortunate mistake.


    "And who are you?" She snapped. "Please, share with me what exactly is so funny. And think, for your answer might land you in the arena." But she was already using Shadowspeak. The absence of chairs were explained in those brief moments, you could say more standing up and walking around than if you were sitting. For example, ''Seize them, they''re to be thrown into the arena.'' was easier to sign while standing.


    So Luck cupped his hands behind his back and signed to the rough men behind him. "A moment gentlemen." And seeing as he wasn''t being seized he answered the woman.


    "Well, I hope so. I''ve come to participate. Regrettably, I could not contain my laughter at the nature of your punishment for your daughter, what would be a reprimand for her would be a reward for me." Luck answered, stepping forward.


    "Cease." She signed in Shadowspeak to those behind him. "I thought you were a bartender? Surely, you are not a warrior." Madam Savs leaned against her bed frame, intrigued. Beside her Borg was squinting, untrusting since he knew Luck had planned to go to Ardun, not participate.


    "I commend your intuition, for my companion here could easily have been the bartender as well." He gestured to Ace.


    "His body is that of a warrior''s and if that were not enough his companion says much." She scoffed, like it was obvious. Luck felt slightly insulted. Ace was reading a book after all, what warrior does that? Saga just happened to be closer to him.


    "To jab the Amber Demon and get away with it. If I only had a pen, I could take some rather useful notes." Ace chuckled in English.


    Luckignored him. "Ah, the shar. Saga is my familiar, if you''d believe it. But I digress." He said, untroubled. "Are you a betting woman Madam Savs?"


    Amber eyes roamed across the valuables strewn across the room, unimpressed.


    Madam Savs noticed that look on his face to Luck''s pleasure. Her brow rose and eyes narrowed at nearly the same time. Could a poor man look at those things without a hint of desire? Could a man of no value have the eyes of one so rich? Those were the questions that Luck instilled. In truth, he really had no idea the worth of such items other than their apparent luxury. There was a moment where it clicked, where everything fell into place, and he knew his answer. It was in the way she looked at Luck. The way cool eyes regarded his own amber irises, the way they moved and tracked his gaze. He smirked.


    "Perhaps."


    "Then I propose a wager. One that will allow me to teach your daughter the art of serving rambunctious commoners." Luck said, to which Madam Savs scowled. Luck didn''t miss a beat though and continued effortlessly. "But also haughty nobles, elegant monarchs, working farmers, bloody warriors, intelligent scholars, mischevious thieves, and powerful mages. All are weak to the lure of good drink. And all are equal under its effects." He smiled.


    She humphed. "Guards." She declared with a wave, pulling up her crying daughter by the arm.


    Luck frowned and blasted into movement. not sparing a moment, he ducked the fist aimed for his head, but didn''t expect subsequent kick as it caught him in the kidney. He lurched forward as Saga''s body slipped under him and held him up. He gave the shar a mental thanks and prepared himself for a more defensive battle, quickly turning around, head swiveling to assess the fight.


    Surrounded, but not helpless.


    He widened his stance, spread his hands and faced his opponents, all armed with steel weaponry and leather armor. The two, more dangerous looking men who had already been there, were standing off to the side, content to watch but seemingly bored.


    "Watch the one in black!" Borg yelled, referring to Ace who was already holding a sword somehow. His book was gone and in its place was a fist as he swung into a man.


    In the same moment, Luck caught the blade of a charging man, twisting it in his grip, breaking the man''s arm and shoving him into the approaching guards behind him before setting his stance once again. Wide and low with splayed hands.


    "This one''s dangerous too!" One man yelled. "Careful with him!"


    Saga lashed out, swiping at a man and ripping into his leather chest armor, the man was thrown downward as Saga tackled another guard. Snarling, the shar had no space to maneuver and was clawing, swiping and shoving at anyone who got too close. Madam Savs was watching the fight from her bed, where Nayah was now sitting sulkily, Borg beside them. The room was large enough that the everyone could fit in half the space with room to spare.


    Luck twirled into a guard''s range, taking a slice across his back, ripping into his jacket and shirt. The guard swung his sword vertically, but Luck dodged it, hoping Saga would have his back for the moment. He stepped on the sword, and the guard who refused to let go was pulled low enough that Luck could knee him in the face, knocking him out. Another man rushed forward, sword first, and Luck couldn''t do anything in his position so he tried to slap the blade away, his finger broke and his palm was sliced open. He gritted his teeth using his opening to smear blood on his attacker''s face. The man growled as he was blinded with blood, but shoulder checked Luck in the jaw, sending him stumbling back. Luck twisted in place, taking advantage of his momentum and kicking the man''s sword out of his grip, at the same time he kicked the unconscious man''s head, breaking his neck and killing him.


    Luck got stabbed before he could do anything else. And that was his world for those short moments. Like his world was gray and the only color was pain.


    The sword came out of his stomach. He could feel it move inside him, sliding through him. His vision went blank for a second until he followed what regular knife fighting would reccommend in the situation. With pain, he twisted his torso and kicked the man behind him in the knee, breaking his leg. He screamed in pain, but his scream was cut short with a gurgling.


    "Holy shit." Luck gasped, still standing. "Fuck. Saga, pull it out." The guards had backed away. Something gripped the hilt with a little too much dexterity for something without opposable thumbs.


    Blunt trauma to kidney, healed...


    ...


    Right index finger broken, healing...


    Sliced right palm, healing...


    ...


    Warning! Impaled stomach, loss of blood, healing...


    ...


    ...


    Foreign object removed...


    Whole body, bruising, healing...


    ...


    Tracking effects, isolating magical and physical effects...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Exceptional Regeneration effects catalogued...


    Deep Physical Integration suggested for in depth analysis of effects...


    ...


    Troll''s Blood effects catalogued...


    Deep Magical Integration suggested for in depth analysis of effects...


    He didn''t bother to read the rest of the log, there were enough boxes coming off of his body for him to know how damaged he was. Looking down at his stomach, he watched the sword shrink rapidly until it left him entirely with a disgusting squelch. His whole stomach tensed painfully, muscles that were severed tried to flex and succeeded only in squirting blood out of the wound. He''d seen wounds like this before, the blood spoke for the severity itself, this was fatal. If it was any other person, but he should be fine right?. Luck grunted, gasping and falling to his knees as the sword left him. Getting stabbed straight through was like a ragged gunshot that was both slower, larger, and psychologically, extremely more terrible. Feeling a bullet enter and exit your body in an instant was a pleasure compared to this slow piercing invasion. The pain was the only problem, he should be able to move, but he had just been stabbed hadn''t he? His mind wasn''t accepting it. His hand went to his stomach and came back dripping with dark scarlet blood, a puddle in his own hand. Troll''s Blood.


    "Holy fuck." There were no better words to gasp at that moment that accurately described his pain. His regenerative abilities didn''t do shit to suppress pain.


    Saga growled low, his body pressed up against Luck. The shar was staring down the guards, is that why they stopped? It eased the pain surprisingly, having him there, through no magic but that of emotional support. Luck noticed the deep cuts in Saga''s side and his anger flared, but even as he watched they were healing, extremely slowly, but he could see it. And he could feel it too, somehow, through the link, his familiar was healing. The shar was panting heavily and looking back and forth from Luck''s stomach wound and the guards, growling low, angry.


    "Get up man. It''s only our second day here and we have to fight our way out of a city? I was hoping to play tourist a little longer." It was Ace, sword in hand, coated in Luck''s sparkling red blood, he had apparently lost the other one. Actually, Luck thought, it was probably the one sticking up from the gurgling man behind him. No doubt, this was the man who had unsheathed the sword from Luck''s stomach.


    Despite wanting to banter with himLuck was still on his knees. Gasping.


    "Can''t. Just got stabbed Ace." He tried to grimace and scowl but only got the grimace working. "That sword? It was just in my stomach Ace." He said, pointing weakly to Ace''s weapon.


    "I''m not blind. Thanks for the sword Lucky." He replied. "It was quite the find."


    His friend''s face was hard though. His posture, aggressive. His light tone, a contrast to his features.


    The guards. Why weren''t they fighting? They had killed about a third, six or so remained plus the two men that seemed to be guarding Madam Savs personally now. But then it hit Luck all at once. Ozone. It smelled heavily of electricity. Had he missed the sound of lightning? Did the pain distract him at that moment? There were two dead men, the one who''s neck Luck broke on the floor and the one who had stabbed him. The last one was the answer, the man who was still smoking, a charred body, lying dead, cooked in his own armor and skin.


    That was the reason the guards were standing back, warily. Lightning magic.


    Ace.


    There was a moment when the rumbling sound from the walls stopped, when there was a silence. Dust, like wisps, came down between the two groups, alighting on the floor to the same effect a tumbleweed might have. The leather clad guards were tense, eyeing their fallen comrade. The rougher men behind them had no such posture, yet they were alert nonetheless. Madam Savs was sitting straight. Nayah looked horrified and Borg was sitting forward, leaning on the bed frame much as Nayah''s mother was.


    But Ace, it almost seemed like time had stopped just for him, his breathing was slow and focused, even the way his eyes scanned the crowd was slow, deliberate. But perhaps the most unsettling feature was his mouth, curved in a way that suggested he very well believed he could kill them all. The wild smile of a man unpredictable, the cool gaze of intelligence. Shuffling of feet would draw his gaze, the twitching of tentative guard would do the same, but the silence would reign. Luck knew not how magic worked in this world, only that he would''ve been scared too. Ace gave off the impression of someone as unpredictable as crackling electricity, but his eyes hinted at someone in control. Luck sensed, to the guards, that that was much more frightening.


    In that moment, Luck could see an almost primal fear in the eyes of their opponents. And something else, an opportunity.


    So Luck rose slowly, sluggishly, managing to stand with Saga''s support, like a man defeated, standing for something greater. His flair for showmanship ever present.


    He met her eyes among the stilled crowd, utilizing the temporary stalemate. He began inquisitive, playful and slow. "Tell me, are you feeling lucky Madam Savs?" Luck asked, grinning the tired smile of man in control. "Because i''m rather curious to find outwhether my friend can kill you before your guards kill us. Shall we bet on it do you think?" And as if on cue Ace''s hands flashed with lightning, striking the bed frame, splintering half the wooden bed and sending items flying. The men beside her tensed, late.


    She flinched, either at his friend''s expression, the violence, or the sheer power.


    "Or would that be unfair?" Luck''s mouth curved playfully, butit might''ve easily been mistaken for sinister if one didn''t catch the twinkle in his amber eyes.


    She only frowned, narrowing her eyes. Cornered. Luck could sense her trying to find an answer as she inspected her wrecked bed, whether it came in verbal retort, physical action, or giving up, was up to her.


    "More than that, how are you standing boy? You were stabbed straight through the gut." Her expression was controlled but there was a modicum of disbelief in her eyes, and fear. Luck smirked.


    "Ah, a trick of the trade I''m afraid." Luck replied, ignoring the pain that threatened to take over his face, warring with the control he presented. "Perhaps I can teach your daughter the ways of bartending?"


    "Doubtful." She replied, a few noticable tells of deep consternation on her face and in her posture. Still thinking.


    Madam Savs didn''t seem as fearful as Luck thought someone should be in the face of their imminent death. Ace could kill her in an instant, although maybe it was the fact that after her death there wouldn''t be a way for them to escape as her guards would detain them, that she was keeping calm. Luck had already decided, she would live or they''d both end up dead. Maybe he''d walk away initally, but it wasn''t a large effort to send someone after him.


    A box stemmed from Ace. It didn''t look like his friend took any grevious injuries. But mana fatigue was notably new on the conditions listed.


    Spirit? He inquired.


    Using mana without properly replenishing it will slow the mind and tire the body at alarming rates. Extreme focus is needed to function past that level. Ace is showing visual symptoms, tired eyes, slight swaying on his feet, even his grip on his sword is lax. Deep Integrations are reccommended for further analysis. Curious, Ace''s focus seems to be maintained however.


    As his job required it to be.


    The woman''s response cut Luck''s mental conversation short, apparent she had decided she lost. "You''ve won then. Leave. Do not come back." Madam Savs'' breathing was irregular despite her collected demeanor and Luck didn''t even need Spirit to notice that. "We''ll not bother you on your way out."


    Nayah, whom Luck had barely even talked to, was sitting beside her, wide-eyed. And there it was again, bright orange. There was no doubt about it, but her hair flickered again and he couldn''t determine the color of it anymore. So strange. Blue eyes caught his and he was tempted to just leave, but he was in her debt, and this was how he was raised. It would save him a lot of trouble, he knew. He could visit the temples, find somewhere to hunker down and initate the integrations Spirit has been so pressing about. If he just left he could spend time figuring out his Dimensional Room and how to access it, maybe even doing the integrations there since they required him to sleep. He sighed. For all the trouble it would save him, it wouldn''t match the trouble of two months travel. Not nearly. He owed this girl and he knew it.Which meant the only way they were leaving in peace was by striking a deal.


    "No."


    "No?" She asked shakily, hands resting petitely on her lap. She sat on the unruined side of her bed. Not as composed as she let on.


    "You''ve not answered me." Luck said quietly. "Are you a betting woman Madam Savs?" He interrupted himself. "And this time Madam I want an actual answer. Yes or no." Luck clutched his stomach, feeling better but still like he was just stabbed, which he was. Saga purred gently, only loud enough for Luck to hear. He appreciated it.


    She breathed out, unsteady. "I''d say so." Her hands folded over themselves again, finding another comfortable position. "Yes." She finished.


    "Then let''s make a bet." Luck began. "For your daughter''s freedom in choosing her profession."


    That made her eyebrows shoot up and gape like a fish for a half second. "M-My daughter?" She asked incredulously, still looking at Luck''s stomach, as if expecting him to die any moment. "You can''t possibly expect me to believe you''d go so far for my daughter. Are you a suitor? Seeking her hand in marriage?"


    Nayah rose in her seat, focusing intently on the conversation now more than ever. She was a small girl, the only thing that made her stand out was her happiness and energy. Here, crying and sniffling, she was almost a ghost. She wiped her nose, but Luck stopped looking at her lest he see either hope or disgust. He wasn''t interested.


    Ace chuckled, covering the sound with his fist, to which Luck could do nothing. He did shoot him a glare though, he had to keep in character. He didn''t have time to do the same for Saga, who had let a feeling of slight amusement fall through the bond. The familiar seemed to enjoy these moments, laughing at his bondmate.


    "No Madam." He tried to supress the sigh that came with his voice, but came it did and pain shot through his stomach as he used muscles he didn''t have. "Nayah has done me a large favor, I had planned for Ardun before coming here." Luck continued, tiredly, his stomach was closing up, and he was acutely aware of the feeling of his guts reassembling. He tried his best to ignore it, which was not much. He grimaced. "And she had saved me two months off a much larger trip."


    "An adventurer then?" She perked up. "Perhaps you might- "


    "Our bet Madam." Luck interrupted. "I''m not foolish enough to believe you would let us walk so easy. Neither do I doubt the actions of your guard should we indeed kill you. We agree on a bet or I will have to kill you." He ended in the same polite albeit tired tone he started, but the words froze blood. The guards stiffened, Borg crossed his arms, and the two men on either side narrowed their eyes. "And that''s final." He said.


    After a second Madam Savs replied, somewhat stiffly. "And what might you have of value to wager for something so precious to me?" She was skeptical, pointedly looking around at the items strewn about her room, her valuables. Her pathetic attempt at a power play.


    Luck thought for a moment, but he already knew what he was going to offer. "How do you get food to Peace? Hunting, farming?" The question caught her unprepared.


    She answered quickly enough, the words coming before she could stop and think about the question. "Hunting. The surrounding terrain isn''t fit for farming. The city''s diet consists only of meat."


    "And the supply of food?" Luck probed.


    She answered, but seemed annoyed and relieved at at the same time. Annoyed because of the random questions, relieved that her life was safe. "Low, but travelers bring their own. As is custom for anyone traveling through Hydr Valley. " She replied, still not understanding Luck''s line of thinking and breathing more steadily despite trying to hide it. "I don''t see- "


    "Then I doubt many stay for very long, if at all. It''s decided then." Luck declared. "Seeds, I''ll wager seeds." He said.


    She stared blankly. "I will not risk my daughter''s profession on the chance to obtainseeds." She waved her hand, disregarding the wager. "I''ve told you already. The surroundings of Peace are a desert. Nothing grows here except the native plants; none of which yield any fruits. Seeds are useless to me and Peace."


    "Seeds," Luck continued, "enchanted by a plant mage to require less care and grow faster. Some of which are plants that already hail from desert regions. All of which yield edible foods. And forgive me if i''m wrong, but I do believe having a staple here in Peace would bring more profit to the city, yes? What with adventurers having something to live on rather than having to leave as they starve."


    The white-haired woman deigned to comment on the possibility. She was still hesitant however. "I''ve no way to identify that." She said in lieu of a response.


    "Ye can always ask Putt, Madam." Borg interjected, having been silent the whole time. "But watch this one Madam, the lad knows Shadowspeak."


    At that Luck felt that his bargain got a little weaker. He had no idea why but the attitude shifted slightly into the negative. It was apparent in the Madam''s posture change, a subtle alertness, a piqued interest, a wary eye.


    "Ah, I forgot about Putt. Still, Shadowspeak is quite suspicious... "


    "I''m a linguist Madam." Luck said in way of explanation.


    She scoffed. "A linguist doesn''t learn Shadowspeak, boy."


    "Not unless they strive to be the best. Or are already." He replied smoothly. Luck could afford to be cocky, Omnilingual allowed him that luxury.


    "I doubt it." She stated, in some rumbling tongue that sounded like the dull noise from the walls. Roke, Luck realized, a language more guttural and low than anything else. Like... rocks perhaps? On a hunch he listened to the walls, no such luck, it was some other commotion.


    "Your doubts are unfounded. I am a master at what I do." Luck responded in kind, perfectly shifting mid conversation, not a pause or hiccup to notice. His face was that of easygoing, unruffledness. Though his eyes might have sparkled just a little bit. "Shadowspeak is among one of the subjects I studied." Although he knew nothing of its origins, only the language.


    "I thought you were a bartender." She added. "Now a linguist who knows Shadowspeak? I don''t believe I can trust such a man to deliver on a bet."


    "You need not trust. Only see."


    Luck was standing, slightly hunched over his stomach. Which a man, just recently stabbed, should not have been doing. Conceding his apparent reaction at his own stab wound, the rest of his body exuded an almost still calm. That was what he did. It was what he excelled at and had taken to. His best asset, his most relied upon, was the thinnest of veils. Deception. For although he was, admittedly, not in the best position to make demands, Madam Savs had already given in. Power was not something material. It wasn''t a gold coin on the floor, tossed about like a common household thing. It wasn''t exuberant paintings, stashed against the walls seemingly meant to be hidden but visible all the same. Neither was it an expensive ornament hanging from the ceiling, or a collection of golden figurines. Or the guards surrounding you, the men you employ, the hands that work for you. The decorative swords, the ornamental armor, not even those were what defined power. No.


    Power was demonstrated in the way you carried yourself. The way your actions spoke to those around you. The man that was something larger on the outside. A twisted thing that people twisted for. It played kings and queens, drug lords and business men, thugs and civilians. Everyone was swayed one way or another.Power was an illusion. A weapon.


    And Luck wielded it like a master.


    "It''s not like you really have a choice." The words rang true. Eyes flicked to Ace, who didn''t look the least hesitant.


    Madam Savs hesitated and he needed no further prompt.


    At that Luck pulled out the bag of enchanted seeds. He peered into the sack and pulled a handful of seeds out. They were all regular, at least they seemed so, but they all glowed with a very faint pulse of green, nearly invisible. It wouldn''t even be recognizable if Luck didn''t check them during his stay at The Pools. They were indeed all glowing, and almost all of them were identifiable by Spirit. He even went so far as to gift Uhet and the Subaqa some underwater plant seeds that seemed like they would be great additions to their home.


    So Luck pulled them out and started to present them as Spirit listed their qualities, happy to have his product speak for itself.


    The first was a fuzzy, dull brown seed. "Ruy Root, found in the Ahari Sand. Not only is it edible, but the plant''s strong roots break up rougher terrain, allowing easier planting of any other crop."


    Madam Savs began to sit forward slightly. Her interest was particularly peaked during Luck''s presentation of a more magical plant that produced varying quantities of water. So he continued, naming the plant, its qualities, origin, and usefullness, and he went without interruption. From the Ahari Sand to the Wet Sands, the places named were nothing that he knew, but the way he talked seemed like he had been there himself. Within the first minute it was clear that Luck knew what he talking about, that these seeds could be planted here easily, and that Madam Savs was deeply interested. She even went so far as to have Luck elaborate on a few aspects of some of the plants, which was easy given Spirit''s help, and extremely fortunate given that most of the seeds were common plants that just happened to be rare in Hydr Valley.


    Ace looked at Luck strangely but shrugged, he was the one who suggested they keep their secrets after all. If that meant finding out your friend had an intimate knowledge of plants, then so be it. Luck did notice Ace''s fatigue though, the man was a little slower than he should''ve been, even with the amount of focus he could see in his eyes.


    "But this is irrelevant without being verified." Luck remarked when he was done, hoping to set the deal before they realize Ace was on his last bit of energy. He began to place the seeds back in their bag.


    "Well?" Madam Savs turned to one of the men on her sides. "Putt?"


    The man, who seemed to be the older of the two dangerous looking men, Putt evidently, simply nodded. If that confidence came from reading Luck''s body language then Luck could''ve just blasted off nonsense and sold the whole act. If it was a more magical confidence then he was simply lucky he had actual enchanted seeds in his pocket. And if it was from intimate knowledge of plant life, and Luck severely doubted the man was a botanist, then he wasextremelylucky to have Spirit. Nonetheless, the man verified Luck, though it was a mystery through which method.


    "Then we have a bet." Luck replied, standing straight now, fully healed. The movement did not go unnoticed by the white-haired woman. "Now what''s the challenge?"


    She eyed Luck''s bloody stomach. "I''ll save you any underhanded methods. We of Peace like to settle things with bloodshed, ironically. I''ve seen you fight, so i''ll give you a fair bet. This comes more from the fact I feel that our wagers are skewed in my favor, those seeds are more useful to the city than my daughter''s path." Nayah didn''t even seem to care at that comment, only happy she might have her choice of being a bartender. "This is a calculated business deal. If you can last two rounds in the Arena Fields then you win. If you die, are incapacitated, or give up, then I win and the seeds are mine. If not, my daughter... becomes a bartender." She frowned.


    "Just me?" Luck asked.


    She pursed her lips. "Bringing your friends puts you in another tournament, one involving monsters and teamfighting. A single entrant fights other entrants." She said. "Even with your lightning mage one round would be the fair bet. "


    After some discussion in English, a very short discussion, Luck answered. Ace was more than ready to jump into danger and Luck eyed him oddly for agreeing so fast. Saga threw in his lot with Luck as well, since Luck had asked him too. In the end, they both agreed. Luck felt they didn''t put enough thought into the question and also slightly guilty that he might''ve been taking advantage of Ace''s tired state. Their decisions were there own though and Luck wouldn''t mind some company.


    "We''ll do the group tournament then."


    Moving through the halls, closer to the center of the tower, it was clear what that dull sound reverberatin through the walls had been. Cheering. Like a stadium. And Nayah was bringing them deeper. The girl was silent as Luck tried to determine if her hair was the orange he had seen or if it simply wasn''t. She was young, and her motivations were a mystery, but that could''ve easily been a girl just trying to find what she wanted to do with her life. Luck''s eyes were on her hair for the majority of the walk, only coming off when he saw a particulary interesting piece of furniture, or tasteful decoration.


    "Still feel like a tourist?" He finally asked Ace, knowing that he did himself.


    "After learning some of the language, less so." He responded, sluggishly.


    He was no expert on mana fatigue but Ace looked tired, more than he should''ve been after that short fight. Luck didn''t really know how much mana one person had but Ace had demonstrated his magic earlier that day. Then right after he practiced it constantly on the trip to Dersoc, whatever mana was he was probably running low. Which means that during the fight he probably didn''t have much in him for another blast.


    His clothes, unlike Luck''s were not in tatters. Additionally, they were only slightly bloodied, whereas Luck''s were crusted in blood. Against Ace''s black hoodie and dark blue jeans the blood was barely noticeable if you weren''t looking for it. Luck frowned in disgust, only the second day and he needed new clothes, his loose white shirt was completely soaked in blood, his grey jacket, covered in the stuff. The only saving grace was that his pants were black, and that his other items went undamaged. He was lucky his playing cards didn''t get ruined, being placed in a pocket on his side. The seeds, if they were damaged, would have been terrible. Diversi''s Map was less of a risk to lose however, since Spirit had memorized it.


    Luck pulled his neckace to eye level, glancing at the lights that told him where his family was. It was pointing down the valley, if his spatial awareness was correct. It was pointing the same direction it had pointed two months away. But it meant something else. He was closer. A single step closer to finding his family. How would-


    "What is that?" Nayah asked him, fully turned around. They had apparently arrived.


    They were in a dirt hallway, dirt doorways, no furnishings, just dirt. She was standing in front of one of the rooms, the rest of which were sealed. Luck paused in his observations to answer her.


    "Nothing." Luck threw the necklace behind his bloody shirt. "Is this it, one of the arena rooms?" He asked, looking into the only plain dirt doorway open, above him something thumped and dust flittered down from the low ceiling. There were no decorations in this section of the tower, and the muffled sound of cheering was significantly louder here.


    "O-oh. Yes, this is your room. Labled 283.It''s better to just stay in here until your fight. The other door inside will open when it''s your turn. You''ll stay here for the duration of one match, but your turn won''t come until tommorow. So until then you can relax in here. Rest assured, my mother and I will be watching closely. And don''t worry! I''ve already talked to her, she''s good on her word she won''t be trying anything tricky! All you have to do is win one round! And then..." She quieted.


    Saga padded inside, taking his spot at the foot of the bed. Ace followed close behind, slumping onto the bed, not fully relaxing in the presence of Nayah should anything happen.


    "What?" Luck said after a while of her silent scrutiny.


    "Will you really teach me bartending?" She asked, hopeful.


    Luck smirked. "It shouldn''t be a problem. As long as you''ve got the alcohol." In truth, Luck didn''t really think himself that great a bartender, above average? Yes. Incredible? Not nearly. Anything was possible though. Maybe a mediocre bartender from his city was a god among men here. Nonethless, he would do his best, even if his best was mediocre.


    "Really?" Nayah didn''t seem like the type of person that had things go their way very often. Luck frowned slightly at that, but kept his expression neutral.


    "It''s thanks for bringing me two months closer to Ardun."


    "To complete your dad''s map right?"


    "To complete my father''s map." He confirmed, remembering the story he gave them. He still didn''t truly have a reason for that, hiding his motivations. Old habits.


    It likely wouldn''t matter since he wouldn''t see these people after he set out. If he could get through this arena then he was good to go, and with Saga and Ace he felt he could do it too. He would have his debt removed, helped a girl and would be free to travel to Ardun, past Hydr Valley and to his family. Hopefully he could talk to Leah in some capacity before the journey. If that was at all possible.


    "Is there anything else?" He asked, The girl jerked, she was watching Luck explore the room and note the metal door on the other side.


    "N-no. That''s all." Then she left. She was more fidgety than how she was back in her bar in Dersoc. An effect of Peace? Or maybe having her dreams lie on Luck''s shoulders?


    The door closed. Luck walked over, opening and closing the door, just to make sure they weren''t tricked. The door opened. He closed it.


    "Well," Ace said, "looks like it''s just us again Lucky."


    "You know, I wasn''t expecting to be doing this four days ago." Luck said, already expecting a comment in the same vein.


    Ace chuckled. "Me neither, things happen though. You meet a goddess, get reborn into another world, what can you do?" Ace raised his hands, temprorarily shutting the dictionary. "We were quite helpless."


    Luck laughed. "Quite helpless indeed. There was nothing us poor mortals could have done." He smiled.


    "Do you mind if I ask why we''re helping the girl?" Ace looked at him slightly curious. Dust fell from the ceiling again. "Although I''m with you all the way. Since I''ve no other arrangements."


    "Remember why I named him Saga, Ace?" Luck said, walking over and patting his familiar''s head.


    There was a lot of effort in the way that Ace''s brows scrunched up. They had been through a lot today, and if mana fatigue was any indication, Ace had been through his fair share. From the bar fight with Borg to the executions, it felt so extensive, but didn''t last long at all. Seeing themselves in the mirrors earlier today, it was like seeing the ghost of man from another world, the man looked healthier, stronger.


    More suited to the craziness that happened today.


    He had bartended in another world, he realized. He had been freed of his past burdens, he knew. He had failed to save a group of criminals, he accepted. His body had been changed, for the better. He had a Supportive Intelligence in his head. He had been put in the debt of a goddess and an orange haired girl. He had gotten closer to his family.


    He had made a friend. A friend. Another strange event, he thought. Watching Ace muddle through the events of the day he could see some of the same emotions play on his face. A smile here, a look of wonder, awe, and more. The man''s face was lax, sleepiness was one of the easiest ''emotions'' to recognize, and Ace screamed it. He must''ve been really pushing it Luck realized, but the man had a spark of wakefulness when he found his answer.


    "You wanted to help people." Ace smiled tiredly, eyes fluttering. "A story of heroic achievement... " He slurred, but the man had already nodded off, asleep on the bed before he could say anything else.


    Luck smiled softly. "Exactly."


    Spirit. Activate Deep Physical Integration. Put me to sleep.He looked to Ace, then to Saga and let his familiar know what he was doing.


    Saga nodded and rested his head, watching over him like a parent.


    Affirmative.


    Today, he had set himself a few short term goals. Initially, helping the girl was a necessity that he had to take care of. What he didn''t expect was for it to allow him to do much more. For there was another reason to why he struck the bargain with Madam Savs and it had to do with what he told himself he''d be doing when he came here. He saw the homeless, the starving men that lined the temples, that were inbetween every building, every corner that was shaded. And while other''s eyes moved past these people, much as his would''ve done once upon a time, now, amber eyes lingered. He knew that these things happened everywhere. His idealism had died during the his time working, his realism winning out, and that killed a small wonder inside of Luck, that thing that believed. Somehow, he kept the optimism if not the idealism, and he attributed that to his mother. Remembering the people earlier today he could almost mistake them for his home city, the same rags, the same sunken features, the same sadness. Suffering looked the same everywhere. And while he hadn''t allowed himself to think of any huge, radical changes in the past, he was different now. The world here, Aerae, despite being completely disimilar, had the same problems. The world was different, he was different, but he was in the same exact position he had been in regards to these things as he had always been. In a position to do some good.


    5, 4...


    The only difference now was that he had the desire to do something, the ability to try, and a way to succeed. A small way to carve something good out of a world he knew nothing about. He thought he might as well start now.


    Here.


    In Peace.


    3, 2...


    Because whether she knew it or not Madam Savs would get those seeds irrespective of whether Luck won or lost. Winning the match was just another way to help another person. And with a small smile, he realized, that was enough for him.


    1..


    Then Luck was out like a candle.


    A flickering flame, trying to set the world alight, unlit for now.


    And so ended his second day in another world.

 Sidestory 1 - Etsuji the Light

    I thought I was dead. In my mind I thought this had to be it. There it was, shining, at the end of the tunnel, just like everyone said it did. But it was him.


    - Anonymous


    Luck Lockyer. As a boy, talented, determined and one of the best pupils he had ever had. The child was one of the most stubbornly mirthful people he had ever taught. His eyes glowed with ideas and notions that Etsuji''s had alighted upon all those years ago.


    Breaking that idealism was just another weight on his soul.


    He had thought he had crushed that, so the boy wouldn''t have to go through what Etsuji did. It was so long ago that the same happened to him. He didn''t have the luxury to see how the world really was. He stopped himself. Those thoughts only led to darker ones. The whispers, the ''what ifs'' and ''maybes'', so he stopped. That pain that he so wanted Luck, the man he had come to know as Mr. Lockyer, to never experience.


    And yet the day he officially came into the underground world, the boy had set up an information dump. Of course Etsuji noticed this, he was his handler of sorts, the one teaching him. It took two days for Mr. Ark to realize the connections between those he allowed access to the spot. The good hearted, the pure. He was planning to cut the whole operation short. It would only lead to failure and regret. And he would''ve too, if it weren''t for one small problem. A small detail that meant much. A detail, just a small one, that was everything.


    It was working. The damn thing was working.


    A cook, a man who was a drug dealer, began to hand out food in his alley. A woman, a prostitute, helped other young women out of that life. A businessman, given money, started fundraisers for the homeless. Other people, somehow connected to the underground all had similar changes in their lifestyle. Until one day, a poltician, one even Mr. Ark thought crooked, was led to the info dump. And at that point Etsuji thought, this was it, Luck''s mistake. But against all reason, the man walked out and in the following months put into action various good will projects. Large projects that helped improve the city, in whatever way they could. In the end it had little impact, but something was better than nothing.


    All the while, Etsuji Ark, Luck''s handle and uncle, gaped in awe.


    That was the day he realized, that Luck might''ve passed even Etsuji''s skills. He tried, he tried extensively. Checking Luck''s schedule, watching him between deliveries, his interactions. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing that revealed how Luck was communicating with these people. More than that, the people Luck chose were seemingly random, whether they were perceived as crooked or pure hearted, it didn''t matter. No one betrayed the system, and Mr. Ark had no idea why.


    No idea at all how the Amber Demon had pulled it off. How he had found kindred souls.


    All under his nose.


    He had even tasked Ernie, his most trusted and beloved cook, to delivering the note in his hands. And Ernie was always close at hand, the man had never visited Luck''s drop off. To his knowledge, at least, which was, truthfully, quite vast. Mr. Ark knew many things, yet Luck had operated completely outside of his sphere.


    "Transported to another world." He read gently, fingering the ribboned note.


    Caligraphy was not one of Luck''s many skills and Etsuji allowed himself a small smile at that. It was why, fanciful as it may seem, he dared to believe. Rick, his best friend, was alive. Laura, Tate, all of them. Alive. Somewhere. Somewhere in another world.


    Masa Toro with Caviar. It was Luck''s favorite dish and parting message. An expensive dish, but Luck rarely dined during the night. Looking back, the message was likely the reason Ernie had insisted to cleaning the kitchen so late into the night. Etsuji stayed most nights, looking through the window of his restaurant. It was no secret that he did, though none were normally around to witness it. Ernie himself had already left a time ago, the man had a family to get to, and thus never saw Etsuji during these moments.


    "Oh, wherever you are Luck, I wish the best for you. Stay safe Mr. Lockyer."


    They were the lonely words of an old man in his restaurant. Words spoken more to fulfill a respect for people not present than to be heard by them. They were words to fill the silence. A nod to the future. A conversation with himself. Etsuji Ark was not one to cry. He never had been. But a sadness enveloped him that he had never known before, the knowledge that another set of loved ones had left his life. That he was truly alone once more. His solace, that at leasttheywere together.


    His words rang out, knowing that a response wasn''t coming. There was a dish at a nearby table, missed by the staff.Groaning as he stood up to pick up the dish, a sound he wouldn''t utter in the presence of others, he made his way over. Taking the plate, held gently in his two hands, he noted it was the daily special. His favorite, unfinished, barely even touched. He took his time washing it, the grime and food of past service in the sink. And in the end, the dish came away sparkling clean. He had been in the restaurant so long that he even recognized it among many, it was the one that was chipped. There were only a few others like it.


    With that done, he sat back down.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Now it was only Mr. Ark and his food.


    Masa Toro with Caviar. Luck''s favorite.


    He took his time eating. Pausing to stare out the window occasionally, reminiscing. Thinking of times long gone, the happy moments, the untarnished ones. But even they had a flavor of sad sweetness, coated in a tint of blue. He used the napkin gently, whenever needed. The dish was one meant to be enjoyed, to be tasted, to last. And so he did. He took his time. Thirty minutes passed in quiet. Thirty minutes. A measured amount of time that seemed to stretch even as Etsuji neared the end of it. As if even the clock refused to face the present.


    Gently, Etsuji wiped his mouth clean, having finished.


    And when his eyes rose, prepared for the chaos that would follow the assassinations of the night, he instead saw a figure clad in white, sitting across from him.


    A normal man''s attention would be drawn to her eyes, a soft emerald. A man of lust, her slim figure. A bachelor might note her face and hair, her beauty. Luck, no doubt, woud be drawn to her dress, her clothing. A loose white that hugged her frame and accentuated all of them at once.


    But Etsuji was an old man. Those things meant little to him. The first thing that drew his gaze, even now, was the way she held herself. The way she was sitting. Elegant and compassionate. Patient. Her face, however, was tired. Dispirited.


    "It is wholly unhealthy for someone to exert so much power for so long." She said, voice like a bed of clovers. Heaven for a man with as many aches as Etsuji Ark.


    "I regret to inform you but my restaurant is closed.", was his mechanical answer. Less from not knowing how to respond and more for opening up a dialogue.


    The lady took a deep breath, exhaling as she looked around, as if a slow moment was a luxury she was not accustomed to. "So it is." She said finally, unbothered by Mr. Ark''s scanning eyes. "Etsuji Ark.The Light." She said as her eyes found him again, a piercing green.


    "Mr. Ark will do, miss." He replied, not a trace of sorrow on his features.


    "Mr. Ark then." She corrected. "I''ve need of someone like you."


    Normally, he would deny anything that suggested he was anything more than a simple restaurant owner. But... Etsuji the Light was not a man any normal person knew. If she knew that, then she knew who he was.


    "I''m afraid I must prepare for the ramifications put into motion by one Luck Lockyer. I will not have time for anything else. My time is not my own for these next weeks." He replied, reasonably.


    She smiled lightly, as if she had found what she was looking for. "Luck Lockyer, " She continued, her eyes lightening almost imperceptibly, "is a very resourceful individual. You want to stay here, to limit the lives lost, soothe accusations made, save those that are innocent. But I am somewhat in tune with fortune, you see. And surrounded by cynicism, by all this negative, I would certaintly not blame you for not believing me. But Luck Lockyer, The Amber Demon... that young man, has set this city on a path brighter than it has ever walked." And her eyes shone green, greener than should''ve been possible.


    It hit Etsuji in that moment. Who this woman was. He had assumed she was someone of extreme skill. Somehow gaining entry to Ark''s Dishes in his lapse of attention. But he had chosen to believe hadn''t he?


    He looked down to the note laying gently on the table.


    ''Eyes a green deeper than the ocean is blue.'' it read.


    She was Leah. Leah, The Goddess of Fortune. It was written right here, in his hands. The words as true as they were sloppy. The woman Luck had talked of, the one who would transport him to another world. The one thathadtransported him. There were few people Mr. Ark could ever afford to trust. Very few. And there were only a handful of individuals he would act for without pressing any further. Whom he would trust implicitly and without doubt. Of those, half were dead, while the other half, had been given a second chance somewhere new.


    The Lockyers.


    Then, realizing his pause, he hastily replied, "Forgive a man of age. I''ve not been in the presence of gods before." He bowed respectfully.


    "Mr. Ark," she began, "the truth of the matter is this; your presence is not needed here anymore. Money is in the hands of those who are competent and mean well, as the Amber Demon had intended. No more do you need to pass 63rd Street, to head to the bank every Saturday, to discount your meals on Mondays. To press the men of Blaine Street, or cow the thugs of 23rd. Others have taken responsibilty of positions no one ever knew were manned. Of jobs no one thought were ever done."


    Mr. Ark''s face was passive. The mask of a pondering man, a slow nod that could mean either slow consideration, or the humoring of a lunatic.


    "My world is on the verge of... something, Mr. Ark. An event that will change the landscape, a wave of misfortune so pure and chaotic my influence does naught but buy us a second. I know not what it is, only that a more direct approach is necessary to combat it. I''ve been looking for people Mr. Ark. I seek not the strong. Nor the fast, or the smart. My eyes skip the tough, uninterested. The wise go unnoticed, unchosen. No, they may have those qualities, but it is never why I choose them. Aerae is on the verge of something, Mr. Ark. A darkness. It will need those willing to do good. And more than that, they need to be extremely capable of pulling it off." The goddess'' hands rested gently on her lap, her spiel done. A small silence in a large restaurant.


    Mr. Ark smoothed his clothes. And he answered, though it pained him to say it. It was a concession, a surrender. He could not save the people here, but now, in this moment, was another opportunity at saving many more lives.


    The eyes of a goddess were upon him. "Then they will need a light, Leah. However small it may be."


    Etsuji Ark looked around, at the lights that popped into existence like magic. His control, an easy hurdle for the childlike awe plastered onto his face. First there was one, then two, then ten, until there were too many to keep track of. But among them he spotted the goddess'' face.


    She was smiling. Her face a little more hopeful than it had been. "Good fortune to you, Mr. Ark." But she added something else, not happy with her parting. "Etsuji. Etsuji the Light." And in a twist of roles, The Goddess of Fortune bowed.


    It was the last thing he saw.


    Multicolored motes assaulted the dim lighting of Ark''s Dishes. It''s owner dissapeared with them, on a journey to another world.


    The restaurant would continue to serve food. Not a trace of the man who was its namesake. No history of his deeds, no record of his doings. Not a single reward for what he did, not that anyone knew what exactly it was.


    What remained, however, were thanks. They came in waves from an orphanage on 63rd. From acharity house by the bank. The hungry on Mondays. The whole neighborhood down Blaine Street, and the women on 23rd. Many more from different spots across the city. But, curiously, most of them, the majority, really, came from around a small restaurant.


    And yet, those thanks never found the man they were meant for.

 Chapter 7 - Reward

    Dark and damp, fire and lamp, these together leave man a lamb. Bridge, ditch, cave, den, they come from the ridges, those liches, so crave and out of ken. Too, men have pleaded, yet their calls do naught, only catch and enthrall attention unneeded. Strong and lost, their place was wrong, their strength exhaust. But they fought not knowing that they were the reason, their power a beacon. For hungry powers long forgot.


    - Script carved in the Rever Ice, 1st of the highest peaks.


    There was a sureness to his movements, even in the simple act of rising. Less instinctive than the effects he gained through the familiar bond, less primal. It was cleaner, sterile, but in a good way. Precise. Precise in a way that was extremely organic. He couldn''t describe it better any other way.


    His hearing was... different. It wasn''t that he could hear better. But more along the lines of him being able to focus better, to pick and listen to certain sounds. At the moment he could hear his breathing companions and the cheering beyond the walls.


    His touch wasn''t very different. He felt more aware of his own body that he had though. He knew his position, on his back, on the floor. He had given Ace the bed after all.


    Smell was hard to determine. Being covered in blood the only thing he smelled was iron.


    His vision was clearer, like the others there was a qualative difference, a small improvement and little more efficient, but nothing more. A dirt room, the one he had fallen asleep in. Saga was resting quietly, eyes still open, waiting. Ace gave Luck a glance, extremely more rested than he was before.


    "Refreshing wasn''t it?"


    "Yeah, best sleep I''ve had since." Luck replied. Yawning, he didn''t bother looking at Ace and instead stared at the ceiling. "How long have you been up?"


    "Close to an hour." He answered. "I''ve never slept quite so deeply before. I figure it has something to do with using too much magic yesterday."


    "Are you feeling better now? I don''t really know if you can feel how much you got in you. Mana, that is." Luck said, still lying on his back.


    "I believe i''ll be fine." He watched Luck sit up. "You look terrible." was his response.


    Luck tilted his head towards the bed. He followed his friend''s glance and sighed. His clothes were a bloody mess. But, having nowhere to keep his things, they were needed for their pockets.


    "Only two days and I already need new clothes," he said, "and they''re my only pair too."


    Luck reached into his pocket and pulled something out, then looked to Ace questioningly. "We might as well, we''ve got time to kill."


    "Why not?" He shrugged after a moment, staring at the amber cards.


    So two men played poker, just waiting for their turn in the arena. An arena that could very well mean their deaths, where monsters fought, men struggled, and beasts hunted. In a cell they could''ve left at anytime, all for the sake of helping a young woman who dared to dream. But these men had had full lives, lives they knew caused them to miss many things. And they had regrets. Helping a woman dream her dream would not be one of them. It was never brought up, leaving. Not a single word uttered to suggest such a thing. The men sat on the floor, playing with amber cards.


    The first and second hand went to Luck with Ace winning the third. They had no chips, nothing to bet with. So anyone from their world would''ve been slightly confused at the sight of all the seeds lying around.


    The game was one Luck played all the time, the movements, calls, bets, raises and holds were all ingrained into muscle memory. It was easy to let himself autopilot. So he did just that while he talked to Spirit, winning the majority of the hands even so.


    Spirit remind me what changed?


    The Deep Physical Integration allows me new perceptive inputs other than visual cues and audio. This also enables Pilot Mode, which surrenders control to the SI in dire circumstances. Aside from that, all unlocked inputs are slightly improved and fine tuned.


    It''s hard to tell, Spirit. Can I pick up certain scents now? Or hear more? With all the blood on me it''s hard to smell anything else. And with all the cheering outside even more so.


    Your physical perceptions are improved in another direction. Your senses are what they were before albeit with small improvements. The largest change will be in your ability to focus on what is within your perceptive range. A faint smell becomes easier to focus on, a quiet sound, a small blur, a strange taste, all those are degrees easier to center your attention on.


    Then scan the room Spirit. Show me how you can use it.


    Affirmative.


    And immediately, green text wrote itself on the wall, listing its composite materials and properties. A mixture of packed dirt, plant matter, and a type of mud. The metal door at the other end of the room was iron, estimated at fifty years old when constructed. Additional boxes stemmed from the wall, they concerned the cheering outside, and as Luck watched words written in another language filled the box. Common, he realized. He had never seen it written before.


    They were phrases he might find in a gladiator movie, ones wishing for death and gore made all the more unsettling given his position.


    Pausing, he realized that on his own he could just make out the words. That was more detail than he could ever glean from such a plain room. There were even some things that stemmed from Ace and Saga, some new but not at all surprising. More accurate breathing rates for example, without the question marks that were there previously.


    Impressive.Luck replied mentally, looking at Ace.


    Losing a hand in the game, he asked him, "When did they start again?"


    His concentration left the game for a moment as he focused on what Luck was saying. "I''m not sure they ever stopped. It was still going when I woke up."


    Luck frowned. "You think we can do it?" He said, eyes on the cards, focus back.


    "We can Lucky." He said, voice soft. "You know, I wanted to get out of my own life before. Live my own dreams. It never quite worked out, but we can be this girl''s ticket to her dreams. It''s not a big thing, but it''s something Lucky."


    "Can I ask you something Ace?" Luck said, peeking his cards, a king and two.


    "Go ahead." He said, revealing the flop. Two Jacks and a King.


    "Why''d you come with me? Back in the church." His eyes were on his friend, and it was uncertain whether they searched his face for curiousity, or for trying to read his cards. "Why''d you believe me?"


    Ace didn''t reply immediately, matching Luck''s bet, raising it even as he revealed the turn, a Jack. A full house for Luck.


    "I was done with it." He said, it was an unfinished thought, but Luck inferred much in the long moment before Ace continued. "I was done Luck. Done with it all. I was going to visit the city one last time, visit the only guy I knew my age, then find somewhere quiet. I was done Luck. Then I find you in a church. And you spout fantasy? Luck Lockyer? The Amber Demon? Sure, it was possible you were lying to me. A deception. But it didn''t make sense and I had nothing to lose. Why were you there all alone? And you were crying Luck, I don''t know if you knew that. But your eyes had the look of man with a family that was alive."


    He paused, flipping the river.


    The former mercenary showed his cards, meeting Luck''s eyes. On the floor in front of him, a pair of Aces. The last card, the river, the final card revealed, was an Ace. A full house stronger than Luck''s own. He had won.


    "And I thought, why not?" He said, concluding. Luck met his friend''s gaze and shared in his smile. "Why not take that chance?"


    Luck quietly took the deck from Ace, it being his turn as dealer. "And now?" He asked, dealing out the cards.


    Ace looked on, replying only when Luck finished. "And now," he said, "now I think it was the best decision I ever made."


    They passed the time in silence. Eventually, their metal door slid open. Saga had developed a keen interest in the game, likely due from the intrinsic trickery and deception that was core to the game. Luck didn''t think the shar actually recognized human expressions and the same was true vice versa, so a game involving Saga wouldn''t work out, even if he had thumbs. All three inhabitants looked at the opening. Luck''s was a look of determination, Ace''s was of focus, and Saga''s was much the same as a housecat, calm indifference. Wordlessly, Luck tucked the cards in their case, Ace stood up and Saga padded outside, leading the way.


    When they arrived Luck barely kept his jaw from falling off. "What the...?"


    Ace had the same look. "I know she said tower... but this is something else altogether."


    The field they were in was not standard. Once they exited a tunnel they found themselves in a something akin to a paintball field, playground and castle. He kept in mind that it wasn''t paint he was seeing splatted across most of the cobblestone walls.


    But what made their jaws drop were the sheer number of spectators. They went all the way up the walls, looking down. And if Luck had to guess, then just beyond the walls of his field were more just like it.


    "Welcome challengers!" A voice blasted. "Prepare yourselves!"


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest


    The Arena Fields


    The Arena Fields is a tower that houses captured monsters and beasts, more dangerous as you ascend in level. With changing battlefields, betting spectators, powerful challengers, and strange beasts, it is a popular attraction. Often, adventurers bound for Ardun try their hand at the tower before departing, they almost always provide an entertaining show. Rewards are given based on success and performance.


    Reward:


    Variable


    "I''m having deja vu." Ace said, mouth somewhere between a grin and a frown. "You don''t think it''s the same set up as my impartation do you?"


    "Probably not." Luck replied. "I have no idea what to expect."


    Ace grimaced, but his face went hard. "I find myself similarly clueless."


    Luck briefly glanced to Saga, who had looked at him at the same time. The dark green shar had a confident poise about him. It wasn''t that he didn''t seem worried, only sure that they could overcome whatever was thrown their way. Luck grinned, feeling the changes made to his body through the familiar bond, all the more aware of them after the integration. It likely wouldn''t matter but his body was improved in multiple areas by small amounts. Luck could only hope that together they would make a difference.


    After a quick discussion it was decided that with his regenerative abilities Luck would make a splendid distraction. He really couldn''t argue but the fact he still felt pain was disheartening. Saga expressed a desire to attack from up high so he positioned himself along the mock castle''s ramparts. As the main damage dealer Ace would be the most useful up front, but since he had no surefire way of surviving he was put up on the ramparts with Saga.


    That left Luck down below, alone with his thoughts.


    Pain receptors can be suppressed.Spirit said suddenly.


    Luck blinked. What?


    Pain receptors can be suppressed, made available through Deep Physical Integration. Pain is a sense linked to touch and as such can be regulated. This feature is warned against for 98% of users. However, Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration negate any risk associated with unfeeling injuries. Such a feature can prove itself very useful if activated. As of currently, it is highly reccommended to be activated. Especially so given imminent proceedings.


    I didn''t even think of that. Activate it.


    Confirmed.


    Luck frowned but added,Warn me if anything is about to fall off though, I can''t regenerate lost limbs.


    It was already the prerogative.


    Have you analyzed the effects of Exceptional Regeneration? It was mentioned previously we''d have that capability given the Deep Physical Integration.Luck added as an afterthought.


    Effects concerning the regenerative capabilities of Exceptional Regeneration need to be observed in real time.


    Fantastic.


    Luck sighed. He wasn''t about to start cutting himself to find out exactly what it did. But there were a lot of injuries out there. And if he was being blunt, the best approach would be to expose himself to as much types of damage as possible. His body might be changed but he was still undoubtedly human, and that came with an instinctive protection against self-destruction. That meant the only way he was finding anything out was getting hurt in a battle, which he didn''t want to do. So far he''d recovered from a stab through the heart and one through the stomach and in less than a few minutes, so he knew that any major organs could likely be recovered. He wouldn''t have to fear shifting about if he got stabbed in such a way, but being the heart or lungs might impact his movement. Even as he told himself this, somewhere deep down, he knew that even through the numbed pain receptors some primal part of his mind would scream at him to sit back and recover.


    Unfortunately, without time magic there really wasn''t anything else he could do. He didn''t have a weapon. If he was being generous, maybe, just maybe, he could call his cunning and wit a weapon but even then that didn''t really help in an up front battle. He was skilled in hand-to-hand but the chances to fight a humanoid his size was extremely low. His train of thought was cut short.


    "The battle has started challengers! Brace yourselves! You face a fire jorth!" The voice boomed again, coming from nowhere and everywhere. It was an announcer''s voice that had to be magic, seemingly booming from above, and right beside him at the same time.


    Luck did not like that. A fire jorth?


    Spirit? He queried.Anything on jorths?


    Jorths are physical beasts given elemental qualities. Strong and large, they are capable of high speed charges. Outside of their associated element their mental health tends to decay. Beware their charge and element. They are feared for their physicality and unapproachable nature, a field of magic surrounds them directly component to their element. As a fire jorth this poses an extreme risk. Troll''s Blood''s regenerative effects will be nullified should you find yourself burned or suffer any lethal cauterized injuries. Proceed with extreme caution.


    Perfect, all I have to do is not catch on fire.Luck responded sarcastically, briefly wondering if the effort was wasted.Let me know if anything comes up, I don''t see any other way to deal with this except stall for Ace and Saga.


    Affirmative. At the expense of other processes complete focus on a single entity is possible, this practice devotes all processing power towards tracking a single target. There are dangers involved however, focus as concentrated as it will be, threats will escape notice easier, and will be unable to be warned against. This risks potential harm for any hazards that escape your own perception.


    Activate it Spirit.Luck smirked.It should be the only thing trying to kill me anyways.


    The word fire was forboding. He had no experience against it in combat, but fire was his supposed weakness. The regenerative effects from Troll''s Blood would be completely negated in the case of burns, additionally, he would burn more easily too. Without a weapon, magic, or healing he was in danger. But Exceptional Regeneration didn''t have a weakness to fire, so he would see what he could do.


    His clothes were ripped. Zipping up the jacket contained everything on him easily enough but with fire in the picture he took his shirt and jacket off, wrapping his possessions in them and stowing them between some rocks in the side of the arena. They were just broken cobblestone and he doubted anything would really target some unassuming rocks. If he kept away from that side he should be fine. It was done in less than ten seconds but the battle was already upon him.


    "Lucky! Behind you!" Ace called, unaware of Luck''s very real danger. Immediately he felt the rumbling under his feet.


    "And the fire jorth makes its appearance!" The announcer boomed.


    Luck spun around, now shirtless, and spotted something coming out from behind a wooden structure. Large. Whatever a jorth was, it was clear to anyone it was a big beast. The type that inspired fear even at rest. But this was a creature of nature, wheter it was on fire or not. The first thing he did was try to communicate with it, but all he got back was rage. With hooves the size of Luck''s head, it charged, bursting through the wooden structure, setting it alight. It hadn''t even touched the wood before it burst into the flame, such was its heat. Around it the air blurred. And In the next moment wooden shrapnel, set alight, rained.


    Immediately data sets sprang from the monster. Its temperature was upwards of four thousand fahrenheit, there was no way he was getting close to that thing. Every stomp rescrambled the numbers concerning its weight, until it settled on six tons, or there abouts. Height, age and other inconsequentials popped up, Spirit was pulling all the stops and Luck couldn''t fathom how most of those were determined. One of them, Luck noticed, was that the heat spread around it, but not above it. There was no more time to think, it was coming.


    "Keep it moving Lucky! I''ll see what I can do!" Ace yelled.


    It charged straight for him. Luck steeled himself, he couldn''t dodge, the heat around the beast might prove fatal, but he was surrounded by cobblestone structures. He was a sitting duck.


    The fire jorth screamed, and Luck felt something through his connection to him. He ignored it, even though he wanted to listen. If Spirit was to believed, then this jorth was probably already insane, kept in captivity for who knows how long. It pained some part of him, but he gritted his teeth, he would die if he let himself get distracted too long. A burst of lightning struck the beast on the side, pushing it aside and off course.


    Still it came, and Luck did the only thing he could. He looked around for a way out. There. A hole in the wall. Any normal opponent would have left Luck with more options, but the nearest clear opening was towards the charging beast and Luck didn''t feel inclined to figure out how much heat he could take before dying, even if he didn''t feel it. He dived through the hole in the wall, passing between nearly two feet of solid stone. He rolled to a sprint behind the cobblestone wall and kept going, his intuition screaming at him to keep moving. His instincts were right, the beast blasted through the wall, destroying it completely.


    "A mage! It seems this set of challengers has a lightning mage in their midst. But the man on the ground, what is his plan? It seems the challenger is simply running!" The voice commentated. "But that tactic just won''t do! Not against a jorth!" The crowd screamed profanity and death wishes.


    "What kind of fire jorth has no fire!" Luck yelled, not for a second wondering if it understood. By the time he finished taunting he was already moving. If the calculations were to be believed it was reaching nearly sixty miles per hour, the number fluctuating even as he read it, accelerating. Luck was only managing to stay ahead everytime a wall broke its momentum, he took as much corners as he could too.


    He ran, looking up at the ramparts of the short castle walls, almost twice the height of the fire jorth. Saga was up there. He could feel it. He knew exactly where the shar was. But his familiar was observing, unable to do anything but watch. Ace was further down the wall, and Luck could see a glow coming from that part of the wall. A concentrated blast? Luck didn''t spare a moment more to think further, turning a corner, he could feel the heat on his back. But somehow Spirit could tell just how close the jorth was. A number popped up on his bottom left peripheral, easily focused on. That far? And he could feel the heat even now? He probably would have died if not for the natural heat shields the walls provided.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    His legs were being pushed as far as they could, but he wasn''t tired. They were straining as much as was possible, and yet he still kept his breath. Were his regeneration traits assisting his stamina? If he didn''t have that where would he be?


    The wall beside him exploded, flames raking his back. He was knocked to the side, but he kept his feet under him. He felt nothing. Was he blacking out? No. Spirit had disabled his pain receptors. His back was burnt, almost completely. The jorth had shot something like a fireball. Except it was heated air. That didn''t stop Luck, but his movement was impaired.


    "And there you have it! The explosive surge of heat only a jorth of fire can pull off! But, oh? What''s this? The challenger stays on his feet completely! Ignoring his burned back! We''re in for a show today folks! Hold on to your seats everyone! How long can this man stall for?" The announcer, whom Luck found extremely annoying, spared not a moment to chime in. "Does he plan to stall for his mage? Or perhaps the familiar seen stalking from above? Nonetheless! To stand from that blow is amazing! Keep watching folks!" At that the crowd cheered, some even hoping Luck would live now. It seemed he had earned their favor.


    Luck glanced over his shoulder at the beast, not letting the announcer bother him. It had just as much stamina as Luck and was terrible at turns. Luck gathered that much. Instead of rounding a corner the jorth just angled his path and decimated the whole wall. Luck was running out of walls. The debris were enough that the jorth couldn''t roast him all at once. Luck was sweating, and from the heat was likely dehydrating extremely fast as wel. He was still running, even now. The jorth followed, keeping itself on a collision course with Luck, whether there be a wall in the way or not. But the number at Luck''s peripheral stopped shrinking, and began to grow. Luck glanced backward, the jorth had stopped.


    It shook its head, angry, puffing out heat that blurred the air near its head. It was massive, but all that mass was muscle. It rippled as it charged, a movement that looked heavy and slow. Anyone who thought such would probably have died in the next ten seconds. Luck had seen enough nature shows to know that when a rhino charges,it charges.


    "The jorth prepares to charge... and there you have it folks! The infamous fire jorth charge!" The jorth''s destructive launch was punctuated by the commentator.


    Another wall was destroyed sending glowing rocks flying, some smaller ones melting into Luck''s arm, superheated as they were. Luck pried them out, stomach slightly turning at his melted skin on both his fingers and arm. The beast was covered in rocks that were sliding off of it, melting right off of its skin. It had just narrowly missed, bashing into the first wall it veered off course and collided with a second wall near enough that Luck felt his hairs singe. Luck was already moving, leading the beast around and to Ace.


    It was preparing another charge, foot scraping the ground, ramping up for the movement. Luck felt Saga clearly tense through the bond. The shar was above him, on the ramparts, he had been jumping between ruined walls, keeping track of Luck, waiting for an opening. But there was no opening, not with the heat that came off the beast in waves. And, looking around him, it didn''t seem there was a physical one either. Luck was cornered, the only way out was running back to the jorth and turning left at the last second where there was a spot in the wall he could squeeze through. He would have to get very close to the jorth''s field for that, and from the distance he felt the heat at earlier, it would likely be suicide. He wouldn''t make that window. Not even close. The walls around him were probably the only ones in the whole arena that were still in tact. He had made a mistake. A fatal one.


    "This is it folks, it seems our challenger is next on the menu! With nowhere to go what will he do? What canhe do?"


    His breathing sped up, more from adrenaline than actual exhaustion. Fear also. Everything was sharp, clear, not from any help from any powers, but from evolution. Millions of years of biological tweaking. Fight or flight. His body was deciding how to survive. How to live. To escape.


    Then Luck saw it. A moment of crystal clarity. It was all around him. The walls. Of course, why didn''t he think of it? In the same instant, the beast exploded forwards, leaving a trail of glass in the sand. Luck lived in the city all his life didn''t he? He did. So why was he running on the ground? Parkour was a skill he used almost daily, why would it not work on cobblestone? It was the only way. There was no time. He had to act now or it would be too late. He bursted into movement.


    Luck sprinted forward, kicking up sand as if to meet the jorth head on, to which the beast charged forward even more eager. His expression was a grimace, he gritted his teeth, aware of the ramping heat.


    "What! He charges forward! Does he fancy taking the beast head to head? What surprise does this challenger carry?" The announcer bursted into commentary, almost like he stood right out of his seat. If Luck was paying attention he would''ve saw the crowd do the same.


    Instantly, the amber-eyed man turned on his heel and ran straight forward, as if baiting the beast.


    "He turns! The man is absolutely crazy! What purpose could that possibly serve than taunt the jorth recklessly?" He yelled, utter shock in his voice. "Is he out of his mind folks? Or could he actually be a genius?" He yelled. The whole crowd was in uproar.


    The jorth came closer than it ever did, bloodthirsty, enough so that Luck felt the heat acutely across his whole back, even if he didn''t feel the pain, more so than he ever did before. Its weight on the ground threatened to throw his balance, but that sense was enhanced from his bond with Saga and helped him just enough to stay on his feet. He could hear the charge, the heavy breathing from the beast, too close for comfort. The number at his peripheral was shrinking drastically. His nose was filled with burning flesh, the only scent; the sweet smell of burning meat. He could see his destination, and he pumped his legs. The focus would never have been possible if he was experiencing the pain he should be.


    And then he was there. His foot met the wall, and he shot his weight up, leaving the heat almost immediately. If Spirit didn''t keep track of it, Luck wouldn''t have known where its field ended. He had just cleared it.


    A cool washed over his back, more from the difference in temperature than actual cold. He ran up the wall four steps, taller than the jorth, and kicked off, pulling off a move he knew he was capable of but was never stupid enough to risk given the inherent injury. He backflipped off the wall, shooting horizontally, his added muscle strength from his bond and physical awareness aiding in the movement, making it smoother than he could''ve normally pulled off. His body arched, following an arc to the floor behind him.


    "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! You''ve seen it here folks! The man just backflipped up off the wall!" The crowd roared. "Dodging the jorth and narrowly escaping with his life! Whoisthis challenger?" He boomed.


    And the jorth barrled past, a blast of wind across Luck''s back. Plowing into the wall. Sending melting rocks flying. Luck was still in the air, escaping both the spray and collision. He rose a little higher than the ramparts. He met Saga''s eyes for half a second, who seemed to just stare at him in disbelief. But the shar''s focus was back almost immediately, his eyes tracking the beast below like the predator he was, something had changed.


    "And the jorth passes under him! The challenger pulls it off! Narrowly escaping with his life! Whoisthis challenger?" He boomed.


    In the next half moment, the world was white-blue and burning flesh was replaced with the familiar smell of ozone.


    "There! The mage unleashes a blast of lightning blinding all in the crowd!" The announcer screamed. "I had almost forgotten about the mage! Pay attention folks there''s still another challenger in this set of three!"


    Luck was almost fourteen feet up in the air. He caught himself against the ground, rolling backwards almost four times.He recovered in time to see Saga leaping for the fire jorth''s back. Its back was charred black, and the thing was wobbling on its feet. If either from the bolt of lightning that struck it or the near solid wall it crashed into was hard to say.


    "The third member leaps from the ramparts!" The announcer shouted.


    What was important to note was its current temperature. It wasn''t hot. The air around it was normal, hot yes, but not unbearable. The number above the jorth that indicated temperature was at a hundred fifty fahrenheit, a paltry number compared to before. Somehow the beast had drastically dropped the temperature around it in a few short moments.


    Luck was the distraction, Ace was the punch, and Saga was its death.


    "And sticks the landing!" He finished, yelling enthusiastically.


    Spirit what just happened?Luck asked.That didn''t seem right.


    It is likely the jorth ran out of mana or sustained enough damage that keeping up its magic field was too much of a drain. In that short instant the temperature dropped dramatically.Spirit replied.Cancelling single target focus. Reverting to normal processes.


    Huh. I''ll just chalk that up to some property of magic I don''t know then.Luck responded, watching Saga.


    His familiar clawed into the creature, a burst of heat came from the fire jorth, which was pushed onto its back, but Saga only hissed and scraped deep into its neck. Luck could clearly hear claw against bone, a sickly screeching. Even then the jorth struggled, keening. Weaker waves of heat came, Saga hissing all the way, but the shar bit into the jorth and wringed its neck. Then there was an audible snap and the beast lay still. The shar paused a moment, watching the corpse, almost expecting it to get up, but ultimately gave a huff and turned around. The breathing rate of the jorth, as observed by Spirit, stilled.


    Luck felt a profound sadness. That creature didn''t deserve to die here, not out here, not out of its habitat. It was a beast of nature, a complete natural occurence. So Luck felt a connection the beast. And if he was being honest, he felt there were some points in the battle that past the madness he could make out a faint restraint. As if the beast hesitated for a very small moment in attacking Luck. Something spoke to Luck then, a feeling immensely primal and vast. It was vague, extremely so, but something in his head clicked and before he knew it he was speaking another language.


    The words came flowing and whimsical, yet deep and profound. It was a feeling embodied, something he didn''t think he could manage if he wasn''t Omnilingual.


    "To the hearts of fires, ember to the pyre. Return friend, to the fire send." His voice was strong, powerful, and Luck didn''t even have to do anything. It was the language itself that did the work. An effect that came from its age and sound.


    Almost immediately there was a clear sense of thanks and rest from the body of the jorth. And it was better. The whole situation was just a little bit better. He didn''t know what he did, but it felt right. Like giving a man his final rites. Druidic it was called, or Drood, the language was known as both and Luck knew it all.


    He took a moment to appreciate that. It was another way he could cope anytime he came across something like this. He couldn''t expect himself to save every beast from this place but he could at least do this. A way to respect nature in places where it was trampled upon. Small concessions like that were inconsequential in the larger scheme of things, but it was peace for a guilty mind and tormented soul. Especially one so in tune with nature.


    Saga padded over to Luck, looking over his shoulder and baring his teeth, before sitting down like a dog, alert. But immediately Saga found Luck''s injuries and stood up in alarm, the wave of concern that washed through him was heartwarming, a heat the Luck welcomed. Luck was still staring at the body of the jorth, but a content smile passed his face and he turned to his familiar, smirking to show he was fine.


    "There it is folks! The fire jorth defeated by the team of three! A spectacular show! Simply marvelous!" The place erupted in a loud cheer, people shouting and screaming in languages Luck couldn''t keep track of.


    Ace lowered himself from the ramparts, taking his time getting down rather than jumping off as Luck would have done. "Jesus." He said hesitantly. "Are you okay Lucky? Your back is melted, your arm... it doesn''t look good man. How are you standing?" Luck''s things were still stashed off to the side so his whole torso was exposed.


    If he could''ve glanced at himself he would''ve been unsettled. His hair was burned, splitting at some places, splitting at most places really. His eyebrows were nearly gone, and the rest of his facial hair, what little he had, was burned off completely. His right arm had divots in it, dents that marked where rocks had sunken in, burned black. His left hand looked the same, the tips of his fingers melted during the time he took to pry those very rocks out. And his back. His back looked like a pink mass of flesh that had no structure to it. It was raw, and you could clearly see where flesh melted together. Blackened sections of skin shadowed unnatural lumps on his back, formed from melted flesh.


    Exceptional Regeneration effects catalogued. As we speak, burned skin is being purged by the body, eventually this will allow the magical properties of Troll''s Blood to take over and complete the healing. This type of process is unnatural for a normal human body, but yours is acting in the same way it might to cancer, killing off cauterized cells, and at an accelerated rate. You will recover, albeit slowly given the level of your burns.Spirit interjected. Your movements involving your back and arm will be restricted in the meantime.


    Acknowledging that, Luck responded. "I''ll live Ace." He smirked, amber eyes unaffected by the damage. "As to how i''m standing. Well, we both have our secrets don''t we? You''re the one who said we could keep them." His eyes, dancing with mirth. Luck didn''t see it, but Ace had the face of man who had seen too many miracles. A half-hearted attempt at disbelief, lasting only a second, before a reluctant acceptance settled in its place. It didn''t come from recent occurences, but rather a culmination of the many things Luck had pulled off in the past.


    Spirit we can keep the pain receptors suppressed indefinitely right? Luck asked almost immediately after speaking.


    Yes. Though that is generally not reccommended. There should be no harmful effects, but pain is a natural process and is unhealthy for any being to go without for long periods of time. For this injury an exception can be made however.


    Good, I was worried I might actually have to feel these burns.


    Ace shook his head, groaning at Luck''s evident lack of worry. "I think I''m regretting saying that." He eyed Luck''s back as he moved to get his things from behind the rock he hid them behind. "You''re sure?"


    "I''m sure. I just can''t move as well as normal. But it will heal, of that there''s no doubt." He smiled, looking at his companions. "Now, both of you stop looking at me like i''m gonna die."


    At that, both Saga and Ace shared a look. Luck laughed. It was such a pure sound that it dispelled even the most deeply set doubt that both his companions felt. It didn''t escape Luck''s notice as to how Ace and Saga both released some amount of tension, unwinding just a little more.


    "Challengers! Please make your way to the marked exit!" The voice boomed once again. The crowds uproar had died down but it was replaced with a louder applause.


    Holding his bundle of stuff, Luck did just that. Ace and Saga were not far behind. They passed through many stone walls, heading in the general direction of the exit, which was marked quite obviously. They entered into a short hallway and followed it until it emptied out into a small room.


    A man stood there. His clothing stood out the most of his features, though that may have just been a consequence of Luck''s own taste. He was wearing a light brown leather upon his shoulders, trim and sharp. The rest of his clothes were a sturdy material that didn''t look at all flexible, but hugged him all the same. The result was a stiff, but professional looking outfit. Luck withheld judgment, he didn''t know the trends here. Was fashion a perception of the individual or the populace?


    Despite his mystery attire it didn''t take long to figure out who this man was. "Challengers! That was a most spectacular show out there! Absolutely amazing! I have no idea how your runner managed to survive those burns but it made for some good show. The people wil talk of the that battle for weeks!" His voice boomed even unamplified.


    Ace was the one to answer, apparently having made some progress in Common. "We have our secrets." It came off as stand-offish but Luck didn''t complain. It was true.


    "And I can''t argue that. A mage, familiar and a runner. What an odd team. Intriguing!" His hands moved around with every word, as expressive as his face. "But! That''s only the first round friends. If you want better rewards you''ll have to keep fighting!" It didn''t seem like the really cared how he was talked to.


    "I think we''re good stopping here." Luck cut in. He was eager to start the journey to Ardun. That meant handing these seeds to Madam Savs and teaching her daughter bartending.


    Pay Heed!


    Quest Completed!


    The Arena Fields


    The Arena Fields is a tower that houses captured monsters and beasts, more dangerous as you ascend in level. With changing battlefields, betting spectators, powerful challengers, and strange beasts, it is a popular attraction. Often, adventurers bound for Ardun try their hand at the tower before departing, they almost always provide an entertaining show. Rewards are given based on success and performance.


    Reward:


    An Item from the First Reward Room


    The man frowned, but conceded that it was their choice. "Then please." He waved. "Choose your reward." His hands indicated the room around him. Suddenly, items shimmered into place, weapons, armor and more. Bright casks, plain looking artifacts, bottles, even sheets of paper.


    "Just one?" Luck asked, already moving towards some items that caught his eye, taking their sudden appearance at face value.


    "Yes." He said. "Generally, after your first match available rewards are somewhat basic. However, you managed to defeat a fire jorth, which is on the higher end of our available opponents for first matches. Not only that, you managed to do it in an entertaining way, which is extremely more important during these fights." He grinned greedily. "After all, that''s what brings in the silver. Because of that, everything in here should be worth about a single gold piece. There is some variance though."


    "Tell me if you see anything you like Ace." Luck said, hands roaming over the interesting assortment.


    "Alright." Following that Ace began to investigate the room as well.


    There were a lot of swords piled up into one spot, so much so that Luck wondered if they were factory made. Apparently, the announcer, whose name Luck still didn''t know, saw him.


    "The swords of failed challengers. If you die your possessions go into the reward rooms, as incentive for more prospective contenders. Of course, not all of our stock are from the dead, many of them are donated by sponsors." He remarked.


    Information sprang up from the bottles dotting the place. Some were glowing, but the majority had the tell tale sparkle of wine or drink. Beer, wine and liquor apparently. Quality alcohol from the looks of it. Sometimes a look at the bottle might nab all the information regarding it, other times a whiff of the liquid was needed to determine its strength. Spirit wasn''t all knowing. There was an included general information package but this was a great example of how broad the term ''general'' really was. Maybe five percent of all the items in the room had sufficient data for Luck to decide right off the bat whether or not they were useful. Everything else required more in depth investigation or simple guesswork.


    There were stone masks that Luck felt were maybe historical, rubies and gems, staffs and wands, the list went on. Looking around it was hard to say what exactly would be the best thing to grab. He didn''t know the worth of anything, and he only roughly guessed from what the announcer said earlier that some derivative of gold was used as currency. And even then, was that a universal currency? He recalled death tokens as the prime method of transaction in Dersoc. He''d have to delve in to any mentions of an empire or something equivalent to determine that.


    Staffs or wands were beyond Luck, he couldn''t even access his time magic let alone mana. That was indeed a problem he''d need to address, without access to his mana he couldn''t enact Deep Magical Integration. Staffs or wands were thus crossed off the list, Luck assumed they acted as a focus for magic just from general knowledge. Rubies and gems, again, useless, hard to sell those things when you didn''t know how much they were worth. Luck didn''t really fancy getting swindled, nor was he inclined to get scammed. Off the list. Glowing potions seemed likely to be useful, but again, Spirit couldn''t determine what they were, so they might as well have caused instant death.


    Honestly, Luck was leaning heavily towards grabbing a bottle of the finest wine he could find. He could expect some rest after winning this match. After all, he wasn''t expecting a reward. He didn''t really need one. So a glass of wine and some relaxation might be the way to go.


    Nayah would annoy him, but ultimately he didn''t mind teaching her bartending, it was fun to do for him.


    Mr. Ark had given Luck a large respect for that, teaching. He remembered his father telling him the amount of people Mr. Ark had trained in the past, and the stories of how they were trained. An older man he once knew claimed his time with Mr. Ark was the most terrible, but rewarding of his life. Another might''ve called him the most patient man he knew. They all shared a common theme, they had taken something from the lessons. Luck passed in a quiet moment, he wondered what his old mentor was doing now?


    Teaching someone something they wanted to learn wasn''t something Luck dreaded at all. He was a patient guy. And he liked seeing other people being passionate for what they loved. Truthfully, it was what caught Luck''s attention regarding Ace. The man didn''t seem at all to enjoy what he did. Because of that Luck learned his history and his real name.


    "It''s quite difficult to find anything useful." The man in question said. "How about on your end Lucky? Anything?" His gaze traced Luck''s back again but Luck ignored it and answered instead.


    "No such luck, nothing that-" But even as he began, something caught his fancy. An item, that, for a moment, reflected in amber irises. "Actually..." He said, already gliding towards the object.


    Only one line of text sprang from the item, compliments of Spirit. It was the most interesting thing he had found. He had no idea if it was rare or not. He was drawn to it all the same. It was round, a burnished brown. A hanging chain dangled off the side, looping back to connect. It could probably easily fit into his pocket. It was different though, there were more spaces between the numbers than normal, and they were numbers, even if they written differently. It went by twenty, rather than twenty-four.


    "You want it?" Ace asked, coming up to him.


    Luck didn''t want to get his hopes up, so instead responded with a question. "Nothing catch your eye Ace?" Luck attention was on the hands of the object, watching them move. It was classy. Stylish and timeless. "Nothing at all?" Luck said, making sure.


    Ace chuckled. "I believe we''ve made our choice then." Then his friend turned to Saga. "The man can flip over a charging jorth but can''t admit when he wants something." Ace laughed and Saga turned to Luck with an expression he recongnized as mocking, clear from the feeling that flooded the bond.


    Luck frowned. "I don''t have any problems admitting when I want something. I was just making sure you weren''t getting the shorter end of the deal."


    Ace only smiled. His expression was quickly replaced by one of mild interest. "Huh. Focus on it Luck."


    So he did.


    Master''s Timepiece


    Created by a master horologist, this pocketwatch is accurate to the millionth of a second.


    The announcer spoke up. "Then it is yours. Through this hall is the lobby. I believe you have some business with Madam Savs, no? She seemed quite keen that you lose. But not even I could argue that you earned that match." He gestured to a passageway behind him.


    "Thank you." Luck said, before placing his new find in his pocket and entering the passage with the rest of his things.


    Ace and Saga followed close behind and soon they were back where they initally entered the tower from. A room with guards posted at all entrances and exits, a counter manned by a nicely dressed woman, and those thin curtains that seemed to mute the ruckus from outside. Luck''s view on the decorations were slightly damaged by the knowledge of the room that the rug dumped into. The little golden figurines were the only thing he knew he liked, everything else was just barely making the cut. The paintings were nice, but not perfect for the style, the rug did little but cover the floor, the hanging ornaments were pretty but random and with no theme. In short, whoever decorated the room was an amatuer who may have perhaps made some good choices here and there.


    In the middle of it all, Madam Savs. Surrounded by fresh guards, she was more heavily protected than before.


    "You''ve won then." There was a brief amount of time that Luck was acutely aware of. Obviously, Ace was aware of the possibility. But only Luck could see it happening, unfolding in front of him in less than an instant. It was a choice, to betray the bargain, or honor the deal. It was over before anyone else could notice.


    Nayah stepped from behind her, coming out of the guards like a nymph from a forest. Her eyes were as blue as the drink that Luck once swirled. It was nice seeing that. Hope. Happiness so blatant on her features. Luck was rather fond of those emotions. He chuckled, knowing that this came only from the knowledge that he would teach her such a simple trade.


    Instead of responding Luck walked up to Madam Savs, her guards tensed despite Luck posing no real threat. Holding a bundle of his items in his left, he offered his right hand out. Brow raised, Madam Savs held her palm out, and much to her surprise, seeds fell from Luck''s. "To feed the people of Peace." He said. "No city deserves to starve."


    She was speechless for a moment, staring at the man. If one were really paying attention they would''ve heard an amount of audible ticks from Luck''s pocket. It was after the length of five of those ticks that she finally settled on a response. "I don''t believe I ever got your name." She said, looking at the seeds in her palm.


    "Luck." The smirking man replied. "Luck Lockyer is what they call me."


    She took in his name, regarding the man. Perhaps even trying to figure out what purpose this all served. Because objectively, he gained nothing, only the work involved to teach a young woman bartending. Luck only met her gaze, leaving her to guess on his intentions, because unbenkownst to her, Luck wasn''t seeking any reward. And perhaps that was simply mind-boggling to a woman who lived in a world where one of the major all-encompassing forces sought to do just that.


    Before Madam Savs could respond her daughter instead took the opportunity to talk.


    "I''m Nayah." She said, Luck completely forgetting that, really, they had never been introduced. Faintly, he even recalled giving Ace a fake name in passing, for whatever reason it served.


    His eyes left Madam Savs and caught a flicker of bright orange. "Luck." He said, offering his hand. "I''ll give you my last name when you''ve served me a drink I can be proud of." He smiled. Names meant a lot in the business, they could be taken or overheard, but one given meant respect if you had it. And though Nayah had heard his name, he did not give it to her.

 Chapter 8 - The Opposite of Fortune

    More introductions took place, Ace giving his name, in passable Common no less, much to the surprise of Nayah who had remembered Ace under a different one. Luck was impressed she even recalled that, he had only used it once. He wasn''t one to waste time however so it wasn''t long before he expressed a desire to visit the temples. Nayah eagerly volunteered, but, given Luck''s nature, he couldn''t help but wonder if she was trying to get on his good side as his new student. His face reflected that distrust before it faded the next instant.


    In the end, as it always happened, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was normally what he did in these situations. In this particular case, it was clearly apparent of how much more expressive she became once her mom wasn''t around which gave a glaring hint as to why she volunteered in the first place. Luck pondered that, holding his stuff in his hands. Diversi''s map, his precious amber playing cards, and the enchanted seeds were all bundled up in his grey jacket, which was the least bloodied article of clothing.


    They were walking past all the side shops in the marketplace, away from the loud din of predatory merchants and prospective customers. The warriors, the rougher men, all kept a respectable distance from Nayah, but the shop owners and businessmen had no such qualms. Again, Luck saw things for sale he had no previous experiences to compare them with. Small wonders that he would never think about, but made shocking sense in the world around him. The merchants he had seen yesterday were unrecognizable among the mass of faces. Twice, Luck was approached, being offered clothing due to his current state. That is, shirtless. The merchants were not at all bothered by Luck''s disfigured appearance, instead seeing him as a potential customer than a cripple. Even as they were leaving, many different merchants made a few half-hearted attempts at a sell. When the noise finally lowered enough Nayah was the first to speak.


    "Why the temples?" She asked, looking over her shoulder and back to them. She had been leading them like a spear through the crowds.


    "What, we can''t be religous? My friend over there is very devout, you know." Luck replied, watching the varied temples come closer and closer. They were leaving the linear set up of Peace, moving towards the temples brought them to the side and closer to the mountains.


    "Ace is?" She said, somewhat surprised. "That''s surprising. I didn''t take him for it."


    "Ace? Of course not. I was talking about Saga." He smiled. "Ace is an aetheist as far as I know. But Saga is always offering prayers and repenting for everything he kills. He truly is pious. The most dedicated I know. Sometimes I wonder how he can reconcile his beliefs with the world as we know it." Luck said, as if deeply saddened by the thought. Saga, convincingly, was staring around in a way that would''ve passed as completely normal if not for what was just said.


    Ace looked at the shar before picking up on the story. "It''s true. Saga is quite god-fearing." He said, in on the joke. "But in regards to myself, i''ll have to rethink my beliefs, I think. After spending so much time with him, I believe Saga has converted me." He was smiling, not giving a thing away.


    Nayah looked back and forth for a few seconds, her laugh was delayed, but it came. And it was full of joy; the way she laughed, having sensed the joke. It was important to note that when paired with two men who had a way with words, even if one of them wasn''t completely fluent or even armed with a sufficient vocabulary, simple conversation became something very enjoyable. And it was in that way that they passed their time on the walk.


    It seemed the temples were given a whole section of the city to themselves. As if the other buildings were too scared to enroach upon sacred ground. If observed closer however one would notice that unlike the main buildings of Peace, the various temples to the gods had no shade. Nothing to cover their attendants from the sun as they walked between the structures.


    Luck was staring up at the first temple they happened upon until Nayah noticed him. "That''s Clai, God of Truth." She said, her eyes turning to the patrons. "Often he is praised as the God of Enlightenment as well. Many seek him when they are lost."


    It was a quiet place. In comparison to Diversi''s temple it was maybe a fourth of the size, likely to accomodate the other deities. The materials used seemed inexpensive, yet the place had a presence about it that was calming, reflective.


    "Truth." Ace said. "So the lost come to find it themselves. Explains the mirrors." His dialogue was in English.


    "Sometimes it just takes another perspective to understand something. The truth is more apparent from another view. It is intriguing though. I''m curious how the other temples capture their deity''s domain." Luck responded in kind.


    Saga padded up to a longer mirror. A few people were lying down, others were sitting, but they were all quietly looking at themselves. Saga did the same, examining his figure. A particular woman''s gaze was ripped from the mirror as she jerked her head away to look at Saga and not his reflection. The rest however were not surprised, and given their general attire Luck wasn''t either. They were warriors, fighters. It was written on their face, the pain of taking a life, the burden they held. Luck knew that weight, he had held it heavy once upon a time.


    Nayah popped in, ignoring their shift into English and continuing her explanation. "The other temples are just as small or smaller. Quiet places where people go for peace. Was there a particular one you wanted to visit?"


    "Are there temples to the Goddess of Fortune or the God of Variance?" Luck replied, his eyes not catching the look that flickered across her features.


    He did however notice the delay in her response, and Luck pondered on that. "The Goddess of Fortune is... not a popular deity. Her failure as a goddess makes sure of it." Nayah said. "Her followers have a bloody history. Men and women who bring calamity wherever they go, death and destruction, to all they visit. Followers of hers are looked down upon, her temple... I''m not even sure if it''s still maintained."


    "Even the gods need to atone." Luck muttered, recalling words from a conversation that seemed ages ago, but was in truth only three days prior. His visage darkened slightly, eyebrows creasing as he thought of people in the city, the ones who couldn''t handle the guilt.


    "What was that?" Nayah said, not quite hearing him.


    Lucklooked at her and smiled."Do you know what my name means in English?" He said. "The language Ace and I speak."


    "Luck..." She trailed off. "I have no idea."


    "It means good fortune, happy coincidences. Chance, destiny, providence, happenstance." He answered. "It''s the reason I got the name. I''m adopted you know. But my parents always described the day that they found me as the luckiest of their lives. And so I was named Luck." He remembered the many times his parents would talk about that day, how extremely annoying it was. But those times seemed so mundane back then, and so precious now. It always came up in very particular moments, specifically when someone made a terrible pun of his name, which, surprisingly, hadn''t come up with Ace at all. Luck took a moment to appreciate it probably wouldn''t ever come up unless he was speaking English with someone, maybe that alone was worth the trip here.


    "I always thought that was a nickname personally." Ace said, in Common for Nayah''s benefit.


    "A nickname?" Luck replied, head tilted slightly, imploring him to continue.


    "Well, who names their kid Luck? A lot of people think the same thing. That you might''ve earned it through the stuff you pull off." He explained. "Seemed as good as any other explanation out there. It was a quite convincing story too. You''re saying your actual name is Luck, really?"


    "Since the day I was born." Luck replied, slighly bewildered. "So you thought my name was another title, another moniker I earned? And then, on top of that, people threw on more titles to hide it? People actually thought that?" Luck smirked, fairly amused.


    "...Well, now it sounds stupid." He grinned slowly. "But so does Luck for that matter."


    "Maybe." Luck conceded, smiling. "But the Amber Demon sounded stupid too. I grew into it. And as for Luck, well i''ve been growing into it since birth. And-"


    "The Amber Demon? What is that?" Nayah asked, Luck forgetting they were speaking Common with the way Ace was responding so quickly. Nayah had heard a little more about him than he would''ve liked. "Where are you from? Are titles of significance there?"


    Luck smiled ruefully, giving Ace a tired look. "A little, but the people give you them. Generally, they''re more of a nuisance than anything else."


    "Oh, so it''s like the Arena Fields! Many of the spectators name the contenders, usually after some great feat or victory. I wouldn''t be surprised if you earned one just now." She said. For some reason, Luck was acutely aware of how she avoided staring at his melted flesh. Understandable, but still, maybe she felt guilt, or concern perhaps?


    His thoughts snapped back to the conversation and he groaned. Another title? He didn''t want to be known as much as he had been before. On top of that, what if it was stupid? "Let''s hope not." He said in response. "So, back on topic, that''s why I''m interested in the Goddess of Fortune, in a way she''s my namesake. As for the God of Rebirth, well, I feel like a pheonix right now. Might as well visit him too." He said, lifting up his partially melted arm, bringing the issue to the forefront.


    Ace chuckled, his muscular form shaking with mirth, having already dispelled most of his worries. Nayah, however, looked worried. "Will you be okay? Can you even teach me bartending with those injuries?" She asked, her concerns pouring out now. "Oh, this is all my fault."


    "It''s not a problem. I''m perfectly capable of teaching you. " He said quickly, waving her down. "Now, her temple?"


    Nayah looked relieved and Luck guessed that it also stemmed from the fact that Luck was her way out of inheriting the family business, if you could call running a city that. She regarded Luck with a searching look before nodding her head. "If i''m not mistaken it should be this way, and the God of Rebirth would be this way as well." She said, more than happy to help now.


    Nayah had Luck, Ace, and Saga weaving between temples, each one having some type of subtle theme. Luck didn''t even think all the gods were represented here. Apparently though, the God of Truth''s temple was one of the larger ones here. The temples ranged from almost alien architecture, to shockingly modern, or completetly sidways; incorporating some type of fluid magic into the structure. There were temples that seemed extremely style-forward, while some were mere huts; others were completely improbable. And the blue-eyed girl led them through those temples, moving deeper into them, through the small clearings in front of them and quiet places beside them. And she did so without a single blink, as if these architectural wonders were something mundane to her. If Luck wasn''t so fascinated, and had time to dwell on that, he might''ve truly lost himself pondering what kind of things existed that made these temples not worth even a passing glance from the girl.


    Luck was all eyes, observing something he never had the chance of finding, but was so commonplace here. It was a religion. Men, women, even children were visiting, dressed much the same as the other citizens, but with different reason. These people were on their knees, standing around, sitting in places. It was clear what they were doing from their simple humble being. These people were praying. It was something that Luck knew was valid now. It had saved his family, so it might help these people find what they were looking for too, salvation in whatever form it took.


    It was such a convuluted path that if Luck wasn''t used to taking these types of routes himself he would''ve lost his direction. As it was however, this was their fourth right turn, and though it might feel like they were on the right side of most of temples, they were actually more towards the left. For what reason it was nestled so far away was beyond him.


    "Here''s the Goddess of Fortune''s temple." Their guide spoke. Her voice shook, almost imperceptible, but something in the way his hearing changed allowed him to pick up on it. It sounded like fear, if for the temple, the goddess, or gods in general, it was too early to tell. But nonethless, Luck had heard it, but he preferred to quietly observe for now.


    "Familiar, isn''t it Lucky?" Ace commented, walking up beside Luck to the small fence that marked the temple''s grounds.


    Luck opened the fence, walking on the small field of clovers. "Just a tad." He replied, once Ace started following. "It''s almost like i''ve been here before. Or something extremely similar." He grinned.


    Saga gave both of them a confused look but followed as well, his footsteps silent on the clovers. His feline gaze scoured the place much the same as an amber pair did, mirroring his bondmate.


    It wasovergrown. Vibrant greens, standing out amongst even the temples beside it, even if you could barely see them through the foliage. Stained glass windows were on either side of the structure. A tall structure when compared to others nearby. And white, as white as was possible without constant care. Small trees heavy with leaves covered the place, as if shielding it from the other temples. And yet, the building was compact despite all that.


    "You wouldn''t think it belonged to a deity that caused calamity would you?" Luck asked, walking a short distance to the open passageway that served as an entrance. He turned slightly, watching her reaction.


    "No." Nayah said, glancing around quietly, following Luck. "It seems rather muted compared to the others." Her body language told him much, she was nervous.


    He continued as if he didn''t notice. "Muted?" Luck thought not.


    True, there was a subtle style to the temple that he appreciated. A humbleness even in the face of all these other areas of worship. But, in a way, that made it stand out much more to Luck''s eye. The place was hidden by small trees, so it felt... inclusive to be walking in these grounds. There were ladybugs flying around, something Luck could vividly remember seeing in Leah''s hair. Luck was standing in the passageway when Ace saw him looking at one of them flying past.


    "That collector I told you about?" He opened. "The one that collected precious gems and rock formations?" His eyes roamed the field of clovers, spotting the ladybugs flitting about.


    "The one you mentioned at Diversi''s? Yeah, what about him?" Luck asked absently, ducking into the structure. It was small, with a vaulted roof of a familiar style. Quaint was the word Luck would use to describe it. The field of clovers extended even inside, serving as a carpet under the carved seats. It was a nice touch.


    "I had to escort him into a meeting. A collector''s meet up of sorts." Ace recalled, curiously taking off his shoes. Luck looked at him funny, but Ace didn''t even bat an eye, so Luck followed his example and placed his own in the nearby cubbies that Ace had placed his. "There was an entomologist there, someone who studies insects. I learned a few things then, wasn''t really anything better to do. Did you know ladybugs are considered the perfect representation of Lady Luck?"


    As if taking turns, Ace followed Luck this time, taking a seat facing a grand statue of the goddess. Much like their seats, the statue was carved of stone, a stark likeness that was a pristine white. Saga walked in front of the statue, looking at it intently, then ultimately opted to rest at its feet. Nayah took a hesitant seat to Luck''s right while Ace took his left side.


    "Huh. That explains why they''re crawling all over the floor." Luck responded, watching one of them crawl on his foot. "Did you catch the themes of the other temples on the way here?" He asked.


    Ace plucked a clover from the floor. "Yeah, the architecture was quite intricate across all of the buildings. The theme''s quite transparent here though." He said, examining the clover in his hand. "Four leaves." He said, shrugging and pocketing the charm.


    "Really?" Luck said, giving him a flat look.


    "What? It''s good luck." He defended, but his expression turned into a grin. "I''d expect you to understand with a name like that."


    "How long were you holding onto that one?" Luck sighed, giving him a tired look.


    "Not long." He smirked.


    Meanwhile, Nayah was sitting still, either from tension or relaxation, it was strangely hard to tell but easy to infer. It didn''t seem likely that she would fear the temple, more so that she would be uncomfortable. "Are you okay?" Luck asked, curious.


    "I''m not big on the gods. Their temples are extremely unsettling for me." Nayah replied, breathing deeply. "But I''ll endure. This way I can observe up close what a master bartender does on a daily basis."


    Luck raised an eyebrow. "Master bartender? I don''t think I ever called myself that." Luck didn''t miss the way she steered the conversation away from herself.


    "What else could you be?" She said, some of her tension forgotten. "The drinks you served were acceptable even for Borg! And that man is extremely picky! You have to be a master!"


    "While i''m sure Borg treats his drink like a goddess my skill is nowhere near that of a master. I''ll admit that i''m somewhat talented but I haven''t concocted any real drinks for years before that day at your bar." Luck replied.


    "It''s a shame too." Ace cut in. "He serves some mean alcohol."


    Blue eyes squinted at Luck. "Well, a conversation for another time." The girl said. "Are you gonna pray? We are at a temple after all, and it doesn''t seem like you are. For that matter, it doesn''t seem like you''re one to keep sane through all the pain you should be feeling either." Her eyes, somewhat hesitantly, observed Luck''s disfigurement. "Neither would I take you for one capable of surviving wild lily poisoning. Though perhaps the latter explains the former."


    "Not all things are as they seem." Luck grinned before gesturing around with a flippant hand. "This temple for example. You''d think it was based solely on luck, with all the symbolism going around. Heck, the windows paint rainbows across the floor, which, might I remind you, is comprised of four leaf clovers. And, if you were really paying attention you would''ve noticed the family of white rabbits at the corner over there." Which he had only noticed because they were quite friendly, Luck had been talking to them for a while. He had placed his stuff down and had asked them to watch it for him. "But then there''s also the general feel of the place."


    "Saga, no. Those bunnies are holy." Ace said. Saga growled at him, having not even twitched at the sight of said bunnies. Ace only chuckled as the small white balls of fluff shot up in alert. Saga growled at him again. "Alright, alright." He laughed, putting his hands up. "I forgot you were extremely devout."


    Luck watched their interaction, amused. He also calmed down the bunnies, since they were nice to him.


    "And what''s that general feel?" Nayah asked, watching Ace and Saga''s exchange, probably wondering if Saga spoke English as well.


    "It''s secluded." Luck leaned forward in his chair, looking around calmly, hearing nothing but the faint hopping of bunnies and chirping of some birds nesting in the beams above. "This is the type of place you stumble upon. A place hard to find if you didn''t know where you were going. You can tell by just looking around. No one has been here for a while. It has that inclusive feel to it, like you''ve found something hidden. I guess, what i''m trying to say is that, more than anything, this is the type of place you find by mere chance. Something, I think, was done intentionally." He finished, tilting his head to the right to gauge her reaction. The girl had froze. "So how''d you find it?"


    Ace''s one-sided banter with Saga was dropped as he glanced to Nayah.


    Blue eyes droped, and Nayah''s whole deameanor seemed to slow down. Slower breaths, slower movements, defeat in the way she rested herself. It was sadness, an acceptance that came from years of grieving. Luck knew that look on everyone''s faces but his own. He didn''t have any past experience with coping, but he had seen it on the strained smiles of those he worked with. He knew only the raw, immediate wrenching pain that came right after tradgedy, he had seen it on his own face reflecting off a pool of his parent''s blood. Within seconds of looking at her face it was clear something terrible happened. And it had something to do with Leah.


    Luck sighed, he had probably pushed too far. "Of course you-"


    A voice spoke suddenly, a sound that startled as much as it calmed. "Because her family once came here every other day." The noise was wind chimes and song. The chirping of birds, the ringing of a bell. "And they payed dearly for it." It was her. Leah. It took Luck half a second to catch up to what she was saying. Her appearance was the same as that day. Robed in white with eyes as charming as the four leaf clovers on the floor.


    "Nayah?" Luck was about to question her, but the girl had already fled. Her departure, a silence on the clovers.


    Ace, meanwhile, had just turned his head to Leah, likely having watched Nayah leave. He was the one who spoke next. "Thank you for giving me another chance." He said immediately and formally, bowing in the same way Mr. Ark probably would.


    The goddess smiled softly. "It was done for my own sake." Her voice gave her smile a sadness to it that Luck was acutely aware of, but that could''ve easily been because of the way he was observing her in the first place. Her eyes were that same light shamrock green they were before. A color that drew his own painted eyes.


    "Nontheless." Ace said. "Thank you."


    There was a dancing light in the goddess'' eyes that showed her true appreciation of the gesture before she turned to Luck. "What brings you here? To my temple of all things, no one has walked this building in a decade. "


    Luck stood up, standing beside Ace. "I don''t know whether or not you know anything about me. But I always pay a debt, and you saved me. Basically, I''m so indebted to you I might drown. I owe you my life, and my family''s. Knowing my dad, sister and mother they''ll be the same way. And I don''t know why you chose us but know you''ve made some powerful allies, and while we may be mortal we are capable of much given time. Just tell me what to do, it''ll be done. Eventually." He said, a seriousness to his voice. Luck was aware of Ace''s gaze, the way his eyebrow rose, the question it implied. But this was something Luck had to do, he couldn''t live with it looming over his head. Decision made, he met the eyes of a goddess, one that seemed more amused than ready to take him seriously. She knew his reputation, so her expression said a lot about the dangers of the world called Aerae, but, inwardly, Luck smirked, there was nothing quite as satisfying as surprising those who underestimated him. "So it''s yours. My life." He said, voice dropping to normal. It sounded nothing like that of a man who had just pledged a life debt. But, that was what Luck did, he had a tendency to keep people on their feet.


    Leah looked at Luck, maybe seeing something more than the crying man she had met that day at the church. "No longer the Broken, I see." She smiled, folding her hands lightly. "To soothe your suspicions, yes, I know who I chose. And you were chosen for a reason. If you came only for a task to do though then i''m afraid your visit is in vain, you need only wait to find out what it is."


    "You said you needed to atone." Luck replied,the smirk on his mouth distracting from the sharpness to his eyes, his gaze, observant. "I''ll help you make it right. What needs to be done?"


    In response the goddess frowned, and took a deep breath looking around her own temple, like it was an old home that held many memories. "What needs to be done?" She repeated, voice echoing of the walls as if she was asking herself. "Much." She said. "Much needs to be done." Her gaze eventually wandered back to Luck but she was looking at something else, something from another time. It was the face of a person haunted by a memory, a ghost at the back of their mind. "But nothing can be done. The damage has already been inflicted. My deeds have already taken their toll on the lives of so many and there is nothing more that can be done for them. The Lades, Dworks, Threne, Subaqa, Subfira, so, so many have suffered. I am powerless."


    "The Subaqa? The fish people?" Ace cut in abruptly, just realizing what he heard. "Lucky here just cured their whole home."


    "Ace." Luck said slightly annoyed, this was the type of talk that led to more titles like the Amber Demon. Dangerous talk. That was the last thing he wanted. "Leah, I don''t-" but he was interrupted.


    She was staring at him. The light back in her eyes, a playful mirth in her very own smirk. "The Pools?" She said amused. "...You did say you wanted to help people." Her expression fell, but not nearly as low as it was before. "But the Subaqa suffer the lightest effects of what I have done. And still... there is more coming."


    "What exactly did you do?" Luck instantly noticed that she was about to avoid the question so he cut himself off. "And don''t tell me I need to wait. Knowing what I''m up against is the easiest way to win, to prepare accordingly and plan ahead. If it''s the reason my family and I were given a second chance then I owe you whatever it is that needs to be done. So do they."


    She regarded Luck for a moment but ultimately turned to Ace. "Is your friend one to break under pressure?" Luck stared at her, but his focus was on his peripheral. On Ace.


    Ace met her eyes, pursing his lips and giving it genuine thought. "Never once save for the death of his family." Ace replied after a moment, thinking. "If there was one way to ever have the legendary Luck Lockyer do your bidding it''d be saving his family." Ace''s voice was that of an orator, slow and catching. "Save for that, Luck Lockyer is not a man taken lightly, nor is he one to crack in the face of the unthinkable. He is a dangerous enemy and a powerful ally. His heart is white in a world filled with black. Against all odds, odds even I failed at, he had found ways to help those who needed it, no matter how little they needed. " Luck gave Ace a long look, his head swiveling to face him straight on despite his intention to gauge Leah''s reaction, but the former mercenary didn''t deign to meet his eyes. He continued. "If there was anyone more capable you''d be hardpressed to find him." Luck was in slight awe, again, impressed by Ace''s captivating voice. Luck gave his friend another look. He had no idea there was a version of the legendary Luck Lockyer as Ace had described. He turned to Leah wanting to see her reaction and she seemed to make up her mind as he watched her.


    Her eyes hardened, filling with green power, a strength in them that something primal in Luck trembled at. "I am the Goddess of Fortune." Her voice boomed, a powerful echo resounded that shouldn''t have been possible, her presence enveloped the whole room. The birds went silent for a moment, the white bunnies thumped their feet, a breeze that didn''t seem possible waved over the clovers below. And then, that power dissapeared, and Leah seemed smaller than she was before. Weaker. Vulnerable. Mortal. "But I was once a girl, one who wanted to help but didn''t know the reality of the greater world. It is my biggest mistake. I was not like you two. I thought everything was... " She pondered her next word, looking to the floor, the colors reflecting from the stained glass. And found inspiration there. "I thought everything would be rainbows, happiness. It was the dream of someone naive. But I knew not the consequences of godhood." She paused, a sad look cast over her face like a rainy day, remembering. "I created miracles. I saved people. A chance encounter with a traveling alchemist with a town fallen ill. Lost children finding sanctuary, men surviving deadly injuries, women living through child birth. Wars avoided. Rain for the harvest. Clouds on the hottest days. It truly was a time of good fortune. A golden age that couldn''t be denied by anyone who lived at the time. Aerae had never been happier. This continued for centuries. The more I influenced events in a good way the larger the consequences... but I shut those down too and all was well. Then, my power ran dry."


    "There is a price to pay for everything." Luck said, he stood arms resting at his sides, replaying her story in his mind. His face was one of empathy, true understanding. "Even in the good things." As the words left his mouth, memories entered his mind. His earlier days. A naive child with eyes that glowed amber. He didn''t dwell long, Ace snapped him out of it before he could get lost in his thoughts.


    "And now?" Ace asked, his hands were in the pockets of his black hoodie, taking the goddess at her word. Luck knew there was no reason for her to lie to them. If it was anyone besides a goddess, one that had done Luck a huge kindness, then he would have disregarded the doomsayer. But this was Leah, and, in many ways, she had saved him. Luck didn''t blame Ace at all for trusting her so implicitly.


    "Now?" She replied in answer, her face was worried, scared. But she visibly calmed herself, mastering that fear even as it manifested. "Nothing. But I am the Goddess of Fortune and I can feel it, a small part of something massive, the tip of the iceberg. Something is going to hit Aerae, a wave of misfortune and chaos caused by an improbable series of centuries I facilitated." Her face was downcast, the face of a woman atoning for something unforgivable. "What happened to the Subaqa and other groups around Aerae are mere leakage compared to what I sense. So, knowing that, what do you think you can do? In the face of something so great I cannot even flex a muscle against it. That a god can do naught but wait?"


    Ace opted to look at Luck, a gesture that indicated his support for whatever his friend decided. And, after a moment, he answered.


    "Struggle." Luck intoned, his eyes meeting Leah''s. A rare amber against a unnatural shamrock green. "Struggle against the inevitable." For years it was what he had always done. In the information dump he created. In the young men and women he would often shadow home. The thugs he kept watch of. The politicians he influenced. The starving he fed. Struggling against a system so firmly in place, a power so strong he could not do anything against it by himself. "Even on a scale as large as the world, the sentiment is the same. If you lose an arm, you swing with your other. If you lose both, you kick. When your legs are taken, you crawl with your teeth. When your teeth are knocked out, you spit with your lips. Whatever it is coming, whatever misfortune is about to unfold, there''ll be someone out there willing to deny it. You''ve already found one of them." Luck finished, a relaxed confidence in his stance. Ace cleared his throat pointedly. "Two of-" Saga growled. "Three of them."He corrected, chuckling lightly to himself.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Her smile was one of a parent learning of her child''s outrageous dreams. "Perhaps." Her mouth was a line, as determined as it was sad. The expression on her face was the same. "I can only mitigate whatever comes. And I fear I will only be capable of little." She looked to Ace and Luck, and he sensed perhaps a modicum, a speck, of hope that was not there before. "You see, there was a time when the consequences for my influence came in immediate response, those were the times I would shut them down, stomping on those occurences before they could even happen. One day they just stopped. I took it for granted, but I know better now. There''s a build up, a burst of misfortune that will come upon Aerae all at once. Whatever payment for all the fortune I brought will be payed in full, and immediately."


    "When?"


    "Soon. Very soon. Some of that misfortune is already spilling over like a cracking dam. It is the reason the Subaqa were plagued with corruption. With myself having affected the tide of fortune so much, the chances for good to occur has been greatly diminished, it is why such a simple spell had taken over the entirety of The Pools and sent it into corruption. Likewise, many others have been afflicted with similar cases, simple things that shouldn''t have happened, unfortunate happenstance. This is the result of my meddling. Together with Jerxos we''ve been pulling those deemed capable into Aerae, inhibitors to stem the tide of chaos, for that is what it surely will be."


    "That explains why it took so long for someone capable of curing the place to come by." Luck frowned, eyes going hard at the realization of impending danger. He didn''t have long then. Time magic, dimensional room and his healing properties, all of those would come in handy if there was some sort of apocalypse. Ace still had a few ''aces'' up his sleeve as well, Luck just didn''t know what they were. Together, they needed to master what they had if they wanted to survive this ''burst'' of misfortune. They needed to learn what they were capable of, fast. They needed time.


    But his family. He still needed to find them.


    "Ardun." He said suddenly. "Is Ardun under the effects of the chaos?"


    Leah sighed sadly, as if the name had special meaning to her. "It will likely be the first major city to fall. Surrounded by monsters, there is no doubt. Ardun is the most precarious place to be during these times." A bunny came to her feet, nuzzling her toes. He found it rather endearing, both for the bunny and the goddess as his eyes were drawn to them. "I am the first diety of fortune. It was why I didn''t know the nature of my powers. In the past, most causes of calamity are directly tied to new ascendants. For my power, I knew not its nuances. The more good fortune I attribute, the less effective it becomes, and the more powerful chaos reigns."


    He needed to be there, but he''d be useless without any mastery over his skills. Could he learn on the way? If he could access his dimensional room his time would basically be doubled. They''d have somewhere to rest in their travels. But eight months? Would this apocalypse wait that long?


    Screams pierced the air. Panic. A womans voice rang out, calling for help from afar. A man was yelling in the distance. They came all at once, like an orchestra of mayhem. "Go!" Leah yelled. "It has begun! This will likely be the last time you see me, a god can only visit the mortal plane at great cost. Now go! Stem the chaos! It is your debt to me!"


    Luck met her eyes, the calculative side of him taking over. Years of practice, of controlling his facial muscles, allowed him to convey the message he wanted to. It lasted only a moment, then the goddess was gone.


    Quickly, he bent down and pocketed a clover.


    "Let''s go Lucky!" But something burst through the stained glass, shattering it into pieces.


    It was a snake, hissing and twisting in midair. But something was wrong with it. It''s eyes were glowing red, and there were lumps on its body. Large lumps. Luck raised his arms. And caught the beast by the neck. No, the lumps were natural. But they eyes. Those weren''t.


    He wasted precious moments peering into its eyes. Something he would''ve felt uncomfortable with before he had attained One with Nature. It was insane. Affected by something. It wasn''t like the jorth, a natural decay, this was something else. Some kind of magic or other power. Unnatural.


    His voice inflected, words coming to his mind as he felt them in his heart. "Return to the land, back to the sand." He whispered. It was Drood, or Druidic, the language of the druids, an ancient noise that shook the chest. A strength and power to the words alone. "Rest well. I am sorry friend." And there was a light in the viper''s eyes that made Luck truly feel what he spoke. But this was a danger to everyone in Peace so long as it lived in this state. Luck didn''t know how to help it.


    He took one look at it before throwing it to Saga. Catching the beast in his maw the shar ripped into it, blood dripping from his mouth. Luck looked on, stoic.


    Ace was at the doorway, peering out of the temple. "Right behind you Ace." Luck said, his voice a whisper, perhaps sadder than normal. He had taken the time to put his shoes back on. There were more screams, but they couldn''t see anything past the temple grounds. "We need to find Nayah."


    "Shelter first." Ace shot back, moving forward, the clovers working to hide their noise.


    "Ace." Luck warned. "We can''t just leave her."


    "Lucky, I can''t regenerate like you. We need to find shelter. You see that?" He said, pointing around the corner. And Luck watched a man get ripped apart, the snakes were using the lumps along their length to rip into flesh. "That''s me if we can''t find somewhere safe. And don''t worry. Nayah''s a mage."


    "What?"


    "Trust me Lucky." Ace replied. "I say we avoid the arena tower. The temples aren''t safe, we should head for one of the taller buildings. Are you listening? ...What are you doing?" He whispered.


    "Getting a better view of the show." Luck had climbed one of the trees. His position giving him both camoflauge and a vantage point to view the city. Linear as it was, he was able to see exactly what was happening, and from the position of the temples, which were off to the side, he had a good view of its length. The whole city was under attack.


    There were the snakes. They were the least surprising, even if their appearance was slightly unsettling. But there were also larger monstrosities that roamed the streets. Slow moving, and powerful, there were a five legged beasts that were ramming into buildings, destryoing homes and shops. And everyone was in a panic. There was magic in the air, glowing dusts sprinkled into the sky, and screams, screams and yelling. But they were not all of fear, and Luck chided himself, he wasn''t the all mighty savior, the hero. That wasn''t his job. He wasn''t a shining knight. The people who lived here, they came for the Arena Fields, for glory and battle, they didn''t need saving. Not all of them.


    Even as he watched, a man, dressed in ragged garb took out his sword and began laying waste to the snakes that approached a cowering mother and child. A man with a hammer was laying into one of the larger beasts with the help of his comrades.


    But, although most of the inhabitants were warriors and fighter, so much so that they outnumbered the citizens, the local folk, it was a losing battle.


    He watched the snakes.


    Spriit, what is that?He queried mentally.Give me everything you can.


    Weighted Sand Vipers, predatory snakes that hunt larger prey, effective against even those immune to their strong poisons. They are generally docile when well-fed. They hunt alone, which lends this phenomenom to be increasingly peculiar.


    And those? Luck''s eye tracked one of the larger beasts, it was ramming a house down, simply walking forward to destroy the structure. It was not at all like the jorth. This thing was walking. And houses fell to it.


    Unknown. That beast is not recorded in my database.


    "Lucky." Ace called. It distracted him from the data, the things that Sprit was tracking off the bodies of both the snakes and the hulking behemoths.


    Luck gave him a glance. "Yeah?" He answered before turning back to the chaos, observing what he had to work with.


    "Turn around, what do you see?"


    Behind him? There was nothing there, just the desert. Why would Ace want him to check...


    "No."


    "Lucky, these people don''t need our help right now. It''d be better for us to leave for now, any one of those mercenaries walking around could probably do much more than we can. If we had guns, weapons, maybe. But I can''t run around raining down lightning on every snake." Ace said. "I''m not that good."


    "Ace." Luck said, a sharpness to his voice. "You wanted to help people right? Now''s your chance."


    "There''s helping, then there''s suicide. We can ride out the chaos, retreat, and there''ll be plently of lives to save after. Lives we''d otherwise not be able to save since we''d be dead."


    Objectively, it was a sound plan, reasonable even. Completely pragmatic. Luck wasn''t the hero here, he didn''t have the power or the means to save everybody. It wasn''t him wanting to atone for his sins, like the goddess did. It wasn''t out of guilt or some flimsy attempt at salvation. It wasn''t a longing for redemption, for he had come to terms with who he was quite early in his life. It was a simple desire to help. He didn''t have to save these people so long as he could help them. That was all he wanted. A burning desire that he had never been more free to act upon in his life than now. With that Luck''s expression cooled, settling into hard determination.


    And perhaps Ace noticed that set in Luck''s face, because he sighed and came to the conclusion Luck knew he would. "We''ll probably be best offering our support, evacuating citizens, and providing distraction where best needed." After all, his friend wanted to help people too.


    Perhaps Ace truly believed retreating for a time would be the best course of action, and it truly might be. But between saving lives right now versus saving them later Luck would always choose the present. "That''s the spirit." He smirked, quickly getting to business. "There''s a trend in their movements, they''re sweeping through the city east to west. I''ve been paying attention to the layout, most of the citizenry, the ones that aren''t shopkeepers, will be towards where we teleported from. We can skim the outskirts, pop in when needed, and make our way there. By then the majority of the horde will have thinned out and we can help those who are left."


    "Shouldn''t we focus on those about to be hit?" He called up to him. "If we''re doing this we might as well go all out."


    Luck grimaced. "You weren''t wrong Ace. You aren''t invincible, neither am I. We''ll just be another target if we try to help in the thick of things. This is the best we can do." He explained. "Besides, Saga is best hunting the stragglers." He gestured to his familiar, who had an animal grin.


    "Then we''re wasting time, the road here is clear for the most part. None of the big ones, but quite a few snakes and people holed up in the temples. We could help them, but you''re gonna have to do the talking." He was near enough to hear, but situated as they were, Luck and Ace had two completely different vantage points.


    "These-" but he was interrupted via mental nudge.


    Luck raised an eyebrow at Saga. The shar had just expressed a desire to go out on his own. He would definitely be effective along the rooftops. The snake tasted good. He was hungry.


    "What, what''s wrong?" Ace said sharply, glancing around the corner.


    "Nothing. Saga wants to venture out and hunt for himself." Luck replied, scratching his head. "Although i''m not too certain this is the best time."


    "Let him go. We''ll move faster without him. He''s called a shar right?" Luck nodded. "A shar doesn''t really facilitate easy movements through buildings. And we''ll be in them for the most part if we ever need to help anyone out."


    Luck pondered it a moment. Even if he refused he didn''t think Saga would listen to him. Saga seemed extremely intent for whatever reason. He gave the shar a searching glance, then gestured with his head, and the shar was gone, like a phantom. His form quickly dissapeared among the temples. Not a single parting word, or the familiar equivalent. It was not a master-servant relationship though, Saga had his own life to live. They were connected so they could both get stronger, not so one could control the other. Luck shook his head, getting back to business. He''d hear from this familiar soon eough.


    He called down to Ace. "Keep in mind, Leah''s temple is out of the way. The attackers i''m seeing are more plentiful than what you''re describing down there. And from what I can see, a good chunk of the wave is left behind as the rest sweep through." Up in the tree, Luck could make out the writhing forms of snakes littering the pathway at the end of the city, right where they had teleported in from. It was distant, but it demonstrated just how large the wave was even as it left chunks of itself behind. "Ace is there anyone down there who needs help? Actual help?"


    "Immediate help? No, they''ve holed themselves up in some of the sturdier temples, quite well from what I see. They''ll be fine in the long term. Looks like they''ve got a few capable hands swatting away the leftover snakes." Ace remarked, and as if to accentuate that Luck could hear frantic hissing and frenzied yelling.


    "Alright, we can send survivors down this way. Get up here. There''s a branch that''s right up by the roof of the temple next door. It''ll be easier to see where we''re going from up there anyways. That match with the jorth was a slap to the face. This may be a new world Ace but that doesn''t mean we left ours with nothing to show for it."


    Luck easily kept his balance even as the branch thinned. He leaped precisely, catching the edge of the nearby temple''s roof with the lowest possible impact. That done, he kicked off the wall and hauled himself over. Ace followed suit.


    Without a word, their method of communication changed. No words. Only actions and nods. It was the same as the night they killed Cain Citzen, and the assassinations previous to that. They fell back into that, leaping between the rooftops in a way that would''ve surprised the people of Peace. It was an art mastered in the city, like rangers of an urban jungle. They were shadows, whisked from their world, they came with a purpose that belied their natures. Because although neither Ace or Luck had ever been tasked with saving people, this was without a doubt, a mission. A job.


    And with that came a professionalism that brought out a sharper version of bothmen.


    It was easier than it should''ve been, but then again, the two were extremely efficient. A frantic man being chased by sand vipers saved by a timely bolt of lighting. Children scooped up by the arms as their hiding places were sniffed out. Women and children, directed out of harms way from two shadows on the rooftops. Men, warriors, people who were trying to help the same way Luck and Ace were, were pointed towards others who needed escort. A gruff man, flesh ripped from his arm was dragged to safety as his friends kicked some snakes away. A wandering child brought back to her mother. This was how they helped, jumping down, offering support, a helping hand, a simple direction, before running up the nearest building and searching around for another task.


    Ace couldn''t talk to them, not as well as Luck, but his face had a simple one-minded determination on it that was deeply assuring. Although he wanted to wait out the chaos, Ace''s gaze hardened when he saw exactly how these people were hit. His jaw set, and now, watching him, the former mercenary didn''t even look at Luck, his eyes too busy searching the streets.


    Luck knew better though, that look came as a result of his past. But he didn''t dwell long. Luck wanted to save these people too.


    There. A child. She was hiding in a store. But if Luck could find her, no doubt the snakes would eventually. There was another family, a little further down the street, but Ace was already moving. Luck would get the girl. Ace would handle the family. It was unspoken. Luck was faster, had more stamina, it was clear from the arena. Ace on the other hand was more equipped to protect a larger group. Luck could easily pick up the girl and run away. The only gripe was that Ace would have trouble communicating with a large group. All this was communicated in a split second, both sharing a look to each of their targets and then to each other before they bothed leap from the building they were on, catching their momentum in a roll.


    He sprinted, keeping aware of his surroundings even as he kicked up dust. He slid into the store and found the girl in seconds. "Keep calm. There''s a group of people nearby. You''ll be safe there."


    Luck grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the stall. But she was too slow of Luck''s taste. He picked her up. "Mister! My mommy''s still in there!" The small girl in his arms cried. Luck had found her in one of the shopkeeper stalls, hiding in the sacks behind the counter.


    "Ace!" The former mercenary fired off his magic to a swarm of approaching snakes, covering another fleeing family. He turned around just long enough for Luck to indicate the girl. "Take her! There''s another one in there!" He yelled.


    Ace yelled back. "Don''t stay too long! These people need direction! The only place I can take them are the temples! This group''s too large to hide away by themselves!"


    "Does anyone know the way to the temple of the Goddess of Fortune?" Luck called in Common, to which someone raised a hand. "There! She''ll take you close enough for you to recognize where you are! I''ll be right behind you Ace!"


    Luck turned around and sprinted for the building. Ace sprinted for the girl, firing off his magic in an attempt to stem the larger group of remaining sand vipers.


    There were snakes around but nowhere near what Luck had seen previously. But they still covered the front door, and the path leading up to it. He glanced upward. He was towards the middle of the city, meaning the buildings were a little taller to shade the ones behind them. That meant windows. Multiple stories.


    Luck got a running start, propelling himself upward and barely catching the lip of the window sill, melted flesh interfering with the movement. He hauled himself in with ease, landing in a crouch, listening for any hissing. His disfigured back limited his movement in his upper body but he wasn''t feeling any of the pain so he was able to manuever easily enough. He found himself in a shady room, brightly lit in some places, but otherwise dark in others. The sun outside was on a crash course with the horizon. He creeped around the corner, and to his surprise outlines in blue appeared, highlighting the edges and corners of the room.


    With enough visual data an accurate representation of the surroundings can be displayed. By default, outlining the terrain in blue is the preset.Spirit supplied.


    It helps.Luck thought back, too engrossed in his movements for a full response. A sudden voice rang out, freezing Luck mid step.


    "Back snakes! How did you even get in here?" A woman yelled. "If I had my sword I''d cut you all down!" Luck peeked around the corner and saw her predicament.


    These snakes were lumpy, but Spirit informed him that those were extra weights. Dense fat that allowed the vipers to jerk and rip away flesh. An evolutionary adaptation to combat the immunites that the surrounding ecosystem had developed. Now, they were using that same trait to slam themselves against the door, threatening to break it down. And not without damage to themselves. It pained Luck to watch them. That new part of him, that love for nature, he had adopted the same way his parents had done to him.


    There was a sudden increase in sound, like an almost constant noise. The hairs on his back rose, and he didn''t need any supernatural ability to determine why. He was on the 2nd floor of the building. One look down the staircase let him know exactly what had happened. They had broken down the front door. The snakes he had seen outside were now pouring in, dangerously fast.


    "Hey!" Luck yelled, giving his position away. "They''ve broken the front door! Is there another way out?" A few snakes swiveled their heads toward him, but Luck dodged their lunges easily enough.


    Maybe it was the chaos, or perhaps it was just the nature of the person he was talking to, but she wasted no time. "There''s a window at the end of the hall! It''s got an easy jump to the roof of the next building! But these damn sand vipers are in the way! I can''t risk getting bit!"


    "Forget it! I''m coming to you!" Luck sprinted towards her. He punted one of the vipers, it flying suprisingly well given its weight. The lady was trying to stab the snakes with some kind of blunt stick. Luck grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door.


    A viper lunged forward, lightning quick. But Luck''s reaction was good, the viper caught his shoe and he flicked it off even as its fangs sunk into it.


    "Let''s go! Which window? The stairwell''s flooded with snakes." He asked, urgently.


    The woman was dressed in leather, and without a doubt this was the mother, she looked just like the girl he saved. "My daughter! I can''t leave her! She might still be in the building!" She jerked her hand away, but Luck held fast.


    "I saved her earlier! She''s in good hands!" But the woman was struggling to get free. Luck grabbed her by the face and looked her in the eyes. "Trust me. Dark hair, brown eyes, freckles, wearing a leather coat. Sound familiar?"


    "That''s her!" She said eyes going wide. In the next moment however, they were focused and searching the hall. "There! That''s the window, we can jump from there!"


    He could hear the mass of snakes. And Luck looked where she pointed. The end of the hall. Past the stairwell. There was no time. He pulled the woman, gunning for the window.


    But as they passed the stairs, Luck saw a sea of brown, black and white. They would be exposed for a short length, but these were beasts that acted on instinct. Writhing lengths of muscle. It was only a moment that they had a view of the two but they immediately surged forward. They were only a few feet away too. They moved as one mass. The majority went for Luck, but something primal triggered the instant he saw them go for the woman''s neck. A piece of Luck that was new, but was him just as any other part. Another piece that granted him the knowledge to act upon the feeling. He didn''t know this woman, he didn''t know even her name, but he had seen her daughter. That was enough. This woman had someone waiting for her, relying on her return. A family. That was the thought that permeated his being as he watched the viper lunge for her exposed neck.


    "Stop!" He screamed. The whole swarm froze. Like a physical wave stayed their advance. But it wasn''t that. Some were stuck in mid air, like statues. Not just stopped he realized, frozen. Stuck. Luck was acutely aware of the timepiece in his pocket, its ticking a constant vibration on his leg, small but everpresent. Gone now.


    Time had stopped.


    "Holy fuck." He breathed, completely for his own sake.


    Luck spared a second, if you could call it that in his current situation, before grabbing the woman and running. The second he touched her time resumed. It was enough though, just enough to yank her away into safety.


    The woman blinked. "How did you...?" But she was already running, not taking the save for granted.


    "Take the jump." He called from behind her. She hesitated."Take it! You''ve got a daughter waiting for you!" He had just used magic hadn''t he? Time magic. Had he unlocked his mana then? Luck watched the woman go ahead, he wanted to try something, a gut feeling he rarely ever got, but that always served him well.


    The woman leapt, impressively, and landed on a nearby shopkeepers stall. They were just in that part of the city that slowly turned from housing into shops. If they weren''t in this area Luck didn''t think there would be an easy way out aside from jumping and absorbing your momentum through a roll, which was something he doubted anyone could pull off on the first try.


    He turned around, facing the approaching horde, a veritable mass of writhing muscle, dotted with glowing red eyes. Unnatural red. Whatever misfortune had befallen these animals, it was clear what form it took, there was something affecting them. Something twisted that Luck inherently despised for exploiting the snakes. Luck''s jaw set, a steel in his eyes, cold determination.


    There wassomething he wanted to try here, but even as he spoke the words shifted in different places, giving his meaning more power, more strength. It came from the chest, and didn''t flow as much as it pulsed from him. Druidic. The language of the druids better known as Drood. Luck set his stance, speaking loudly and with a voice that carried over the hissing with ease. It was deep bass that enveloped their noise. Powerful."Remember!" And the mass recoiled, confused. "Remember the sands, the lands from which you hunt! Remember the sun, away from which your prey run! Remember the sky, from under it, all things die! Remember your mind, purge the corruption inside!" The hissing lessened, some of the snakes going still. "You are the viper!" What followed was an explosion of movement. Voice resounding off the walls, Luck stood there alone, staring at the vipers. "Know it!" It took a second for them to get their bearings. Luck could sense their confusion, but was barely able to hear them, or even focus on their words. Luck felt a weakness wash over him.


    Their eyesturned black, losing their glow. Normal.


    He spoke again in Drood. Many of the snakes were still blinking away the fog, confused as to where they were. But they easily understood, and they watched him with intent. "Something has coerced your kind into attacking the city of Peace. Go. Stop your brethren in whatever way you can. Save as many as you can. For if this continues, more lives shall perish. Tell them of the druid, the One who Saves." They paused, as if judging Luck, but they sensed only kindness from him. The druidic language gave him credibility, but it was his One with Nature trait that won their trust in the end. He could feel that faint connection to them, that he could peacefully fall asleep surrounded by these vipers. Such was their relationship, their kinship. They meant no harm now, and neither did he. They knew it.


    The snakes turned around with urgency. They parted, dissolving into different directions. They knew the importance of balance, of nature. This attack was catastrophic in their eyes. Alarming even. They understood the need for suppression.


    Luck grimaced. A druid was sacred. In nature, they were protectors, guards. They were improtant figures that communed with the spirits and animals of the forest, supplying their needs and answering their favors. They were welcome in all circles of nature. A being that was both integral to an ecosystem yet completely apart from it. And this wasn''t from Luck''s knowledge. The bunnies in Leah''s temple were content to chatter about the news from the Forest of the Damned, apparently delivered through ladybug. The ladybugs, which had recieved the news from a curiously familiar description of a large, brightly colored bug, relayed the story in great detail. They spoke of a druid. A savior. One who Saves they called him. A druid that cured the whole forest of corruption at the cost of his own lifeforce. One who had cured The Pools of centuries of corruption with but a slice of his palm.


    The druid was a sacred title. In nature, to speak of one in falsehood was to cast yourself to die. To have one nearby, it might just be enough to snap these snakes out of whatever they were experiencing. He only hoped it was good enough.From what he gathered, mention of a druid might pierce even the foggiest of minds with how much the bunnies talked them up. His thoughts wandered for a moment, thinking of whether or not his stuff was being properly safeguarded by those bunnies. He shook his head, staying focused.


    Luck watched the last snake leave the building. Hands in his pockets, he followed it outside.His palm pressed against the pocketwatch, feeling its precise movements. It was the work of a master horologist. It was ticking again. But it had stopped hadn''t it? Everything had. He had done it. Three seconds. That was how long it lasted. He knew because it took him only a second to react and two to yank the woman away. Could he have gone longer?


    The mother. Luck glanced about quickly. He rounded the building to find the woman climbing carefully down the side of the building she leapt onto. Only for theshop to explode the next moment. She was sent flying in an explosion of rubble, her body landed in a heap between the taller building and the shop.


    Luck''s eyes focused, going hard. Adrenaline gave him focus. From the dust emerged one of the larger beasts. Slow moving, but capable of powerful, short thrusts. It didn''t look like it could die. Or could even be stopped.


    Track it Spirit. Luck commanded.


    Affirmative.


    Immediately, green boxes stemmed from the creature. Five legs, the rear most used for sudden propulsions. A shield like head used for ramming. Powerful shoulder muscles, strong calfs. The thing was an organic battering ram. Eight tons, fluctuating with every step it took. More data sprang from its features. Fangs. Large teeth used for biting into prey. An extendible neck that allowed greater utility in both its biting and ramming. And glowing red eyes. Given was a number of biological and magical afflictions that might cause it. But Luck knew it was something more twisted. Corrupt. It was the same with the snakes. He could feel it through the connection he had with nature. He could feel that it was unnatural.


    Covering a surprising amount of ground, it lumbered towards the unconscious woman. It took slow steps, but its strides were long and it had an extra leg.


    Luck ran in front of it. "Stop!" He yelled. It kept moving, unaffected and in complete disregard to Luck. Luck frowned, moving backwards and taking careful steps to appear nonthreatening. Its eyes were fixed on Luck now, and there was a red zone that Spirit had marked, an area where he would be in danger of being hit in. Three seconds would''ve been enough. Barely. Things didn''t always go according to plan, but he had no time to prepare. Why did he jump in so readily? He should''ve distracted the beast from afar, presenting himself as bait, so the mother would be safe while he distracted it. There was only one other thing to try.


    He didn''t notice it before, he was noticing a lot of things too late. Mana fatigue? Already? There was blood dripping down its mouth. It had already eaten previously. Luck backed up slowly, coming nearer to the woman on the floor. One glance back let him see her state. She had broken a leg and it looked like she landed on her arm. Gruesome.


    The words came to him. A feeling perfectly expressed by words as ancient as the world. The words filled him, having no need for his thoughts, only his feeling. "Clear your mind, peace you will find. A corruption sits inside of you, the druid is here to remind you. You are under twisted control, you must resist, revolt!" Luck fell to his knees, another wave of weakness washing over him. What was this? What was he doing? He groaned, straining against that limit. His focus was frayed and it took much just to watch the beast.


    The beasts eyes glowed red, and, blinking at him, they lost that color. Another one roared in the distance. Like he had shaken off a fugue the red in the beast''s eye solidified, coming back to color instantly.


    Its head shot out, fangs wide, ready to rip into Luck''s flesh. He grit his teeth, facing the beast on his knees.If only he could stop time again. How much mana did five seconds cost him? Five seconds? No, it was three wasn''t it? His thoughts wandered again.


    There was a loud growl, an animal scream.


    Luck blinked lethargically and something was there, ripping into the thing''s neck. What? How?Where was he? The perfect ambush predator. It was Saga. Was he waiting? Was it this exact moment? For the beast to extend its neck? An instinct? A hunch? Luck didn''t even notice his familiar nearby, why? His mind was working too slow. His focus had dulled right after stopping time, and speaking Drood had weakened him in some sense. That was dangerous. Without him, without Saga that might''ve gone terribly wrong. A roar had undone what Luck felt would''ve turned the beast to normal, a foe turned friend. He would''ve been pulp if not for his familiar. The beast roared, blood spurting from its neck like a geyser. The shar leapt away as the beast retracted its head, effectively stopping the bleeding to an extent. Saga paced around the beast, content to let it bleed out. The shar''s lithe, dark green form padded around the beast with intelligence. Saga was baiting it, coming close enough that the beast would lash out, extend its neck, and spew more blood. But Saga would always dodge. And the beast would only become slower after every failed attempt.


    Images of a little girl flashed into Luck''s mind. The daughter. The mother! Luck turned frantically, lives at stake giving him focus. In addition to her broken limbs the woman was bleeding out, open wounds to the hips. Luck didn''t notice it before. He had already wasted too much time. There was no time to think. Luck found the sharpest nearby rock and plunged it into his palm. Troll''s Blood. Sparkling scarlet. It was entrancing. Alluring. Distracting. Luck slapped himself. He pressed his hand against the woman''s wounds. His focus was dropping. He was getting tired. Sleep, sleep sounded so nice right now.


    Slowly, his head dipped forward. A short nap would be nice. Just a second to close his eyes. Only a second.


    He jerked his head up, wide eyed. But his eyelids were already heavy.


    Spirit.He grimaced, drowsy, barely keeping focus.Keep me awake.He said, knowing exactly what it entailed.


    Affirmative.


    Amber eyes shot open. Pain. How to describe a burning sensation so great it numbed your body and you were left with a vauge impression of your own body? When melted skin drips over healthy patches? That pain lingered. It was piercing. Tender. Hot. Burning. Stinging. Intense and radiating. Every movement inflamed it. Every. Single. Movement. Searing pain shot straight into his brain like an arrow. And his palm, it was pressed against the woman but the wound was nowhere near clean. Luck used a jagged rock. His palm might as well have been ripped open.


    Luck clenched his left fist. He breathed slowly, filtering the pain the best he could. His jaw was clenched tight. Right now, it was a tool. His left hand opened and closed, his knuckles cracking. Luck took shaky, deep breaths, even as he heard Saga growl and the sound of ripping flesh. Pain was a tool. It was doing its job. Luck just had to use it.


    It took him a long moment. Pain was a constant distraction. It was also a constant reminder to stay awake, an alarm that shot you in the brain everytime you were about to sleep. Once he mastered that pain, all that was left was a sharp focus. Sharper even than before. But it was temporary too, temporary but longer.


    "Alright Luck." He said to himself, trying his best to ignore the pain. "Stay awake, get the woman to safety, see the girl smile. That''s all. Easy. No problem. Not a problem. Not a problem. At all." He breathed.


    He lifted his hand from the woman''s hip. Her bleeding stopped. Her wound had scabbed over already. Her arm and leg would definitely get better, his Troll''s Blood had had positive effects on Ace before when he was infected and wounded. But as it was, her arm and leg would be useless in the short term.


    "Saga! Finish up!" Luck yelled, hoisting the woman over his shoulder, sending extreme stabbing pains across his back. Luck''s eyes widened like saucers and he breathed deeply and rapidly. "Let''s go! Saga!" He screamed more from pain than urgency, although there was a lot of both.


    Spirit! Give me the path to the temple!Luck yelled internally.


    Affirmative. Path is indicated in blue.


    The pain was more distracting than he thought. He''d need Spirit to do the thinking for him.Spirit filter through my senses and warn me of any incoming dangers. I can''t sift through everything with the focus I normally do.


    Affirmative. Markers will be placed in your view. Green, yellow and red for danger levels based on previous and present inputs. Alternative pathsare dotted blue, reccommended path is solid blue.


    Thanks.


    Time was strange. It seemed like only seconds. But he could feel the pocketwatch on his leg, and he knew it must''ve been much longer. So why did it seem so short? His world was his feet, carrying this woman. This shouldn''t have been possible. Why...? Oh, right, his Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration allowed him ridiculous stamina. But, then why was he tired? His eyes were drooping. But this woman, on his back, she kept shifting on his back. Every time that pain would wake him up. It was annoying. But he had to keep going... why? An image of a girl flickered briefly in his foggy mind. His mind became sharp for a moment. It allowed him a clear view of his circumstance, before his world faded a bit and it was back to walking.


    That''s right. He was saving this woman. That presence behind him? It was Saga wasn''t it? And this blue line he was following, that was Spirit''s doing. Follow the blue line. Keep following the blue line. Avoid the yellow and red markers, go to the green ones if you have to at all. Take the dotted path if a red marker lies on the solid line. He tripped but something caught him. That was bad, Saga shouldn''t help him. What if there were enemies around?


    The blue line... it was gone. The floor was green not blue. That wasn''t good. He was supposed to be following a blue line, not a green floor. And it was soft. Why was it soft? It looked familiar. Grass? It was too hard to tell, his eyes were almost nearly closed. It wasn''t grass, what was it? Carpet? Moss?


    "Lucky!" Someone yelled.


    Ah. That was it. It was luck. He had one of them in his pocket. Of course. How could he forget? He had just been here earlier today after all. They were good luck charms. Four leaf clovers. He had made it. Shadows covered his vision, and his mind flared to awareness as he fell to the floor, his burns touching the soft clovers.


    Spirit, activate Deep Magical Integration.He thought, struggling to even formulate the idea.


    Affirmative.


    When he heard that confirmation Luck collapsed, unconscious.

 Chapter 9 - Ethodthem

    It is not power that makes one thrive. Never has it ever been. It is those already thriving that attain power. There is a difference. The System as we know it always awards one in the event of great feats. But to slay a dragon, or down a kraken, no random man can achieve such success.


    -Uhet, the Guiding Finn, The Pools.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    New System Update: Ethodthem


    Large quantities of power spikes have been detected in recent centuries. Natural inhabitants of Aerae are insufficient for power growth. Ethodthem is insufficient with keeping up with power bestowals. Ethodthem will undergo complete overhaul, modernizing, enhancing and allowing easier interface with the System. Worldwide attacks have been implemented, probing the capabilities of all inhabitants of Aerae. Ethodthem will finish reboot soon, acting upon those encounters to further augment and supplement the update.


    Time Remaining: 3:37:52


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck''s face twisted. He was still feeling his wounds, his burns.


    Spirit. Turn the pain off.He thought through the stinging hell. And the next moment the pain was gone.


    Affirmative.


    Opening his eyes, he could see where he was. If his memory served him right then he was in a temple a few plots down from Leah''s. His state, evidently, called for special accomodations. He was lying in a small pool, in what he assumed was holy water, simply for it being in a place of worship. He rarely went to church and so was unaware of how such things worked.


    "Is this going to a thing now?" A slow voice came from behind him. "Fainting?"


    "Let''s hope not." Luck answered ruefully, feeling oddly better in the calm water. The voice was a familiar one, one he had come to know in the recent days. It was Ace Vent. "What''s happened since I''ve been out?" Ignoring the blue screen for now, he was more concerned with the current state of affairs.


    The air was absent of anything indicative of anymore bedlam, so he could relax. But his amber eyes were drawn to the people. The majority were a hardy folk, hard people that looked like the type to grit their teeth and get their hands dirty. From the weapons slung across their bodies and the dirt on their face, it seemed like they did exactly that. Then Luck noticed the others. Faces and names were always easy for him. He could recognize every face here. They were people he met briefly, directing them to this very place. And they were looking at him, him and Ace. Luck turned to Ace, and after a while the people gave them their privacy albeit with hushed whispers.


    "The snakes are leaving. Their eyes stopped glowing a while ago. Since then they''ve lost their frenzy. The larger beasts are still rampaging though, locals call them callamoths. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on where you are, the callamoths are going down the center of Peace. The temples are out of the way, so no one''s expecting any to come this way." Ace explained. Inwardly, Luck was relieved at that bit of news, the snakes had left, meaning what he had done had some effect.


    "Did you get this update?" Luck asked, referring to the strange blue screen still floating in front him. Bizzare. The floating message still felt organic, natural, even when its existence screamed that it wasn''t to his logical mind. Nonetheless, there it floated, and once Luck finished reading, it dissapeared. With a thought it was back, and with another it was gone. Much more fluent, less clunky than the older messages he was given.


    "Yeah, about an hour and a half ago. There''s been quite a lot of talk since then." Ace said. Luck floated on his back, spinning around to look at Ace, who was sitting with his feet in the water. "The people are scared."


    "I''d be too. Worldwide attacks?" Luck read, brow creasing. "This is happening all over?"


    "There''s no way to tell, currently." Ace replied. "But for a power so integral to Aerae... to update. Who knows how this can affect everything? And that line, ''natural inhabitants of Aerae are insufficient for power growth'' is forboding."


    Luck nodded. "With Leah''s premonition it''s all the more unsettling." He agreed, thinking of the implications. His interactions with the different gods gave him information to draw from, he felt he was on to something. Luck''s mind worked fast, drawing from everywhere almost at once, a skill that was essential in piecing together the agendas of the underground. Leah''s piece was the final part of the puzzle, that made everything fit just a bit better. "Diversi mentioned Ethodthem''s purpose before didn''t he? A power so encompassing and ancient even the gods know not its origins. I recall asking him why such a thing existed, a thing that granted power aimlessly, since it seemed rather... odd, I guess. He said he believed all of Aerae was an arena, used for entertainment. That was his theory, and he''d been stumped for eternity." Luck explained, speculating out loud for Ace''s benefit.


    In his experience, sharing your thoughts with someone else helped you tie things together easier, though he rarely ever did so with anyone but his family. He continued. "Jerxos had said the gods were bored, twiddling their thumbs and trying their best to stave off their boredom. I''m guessing he helped Leah more for his own benefit than wanting to actually help save lives, he seemed like that type of guy."


    "This system update can''t possibly be conincidence then." Ace added, his own expression speculative. "The timing is too perfect. Is it perhaps in response to Leah''s involvement?"


    "I''m not an expert on the powers of divine beings, but I don''t think Leah''s power has a flip side to it. She just ran out of power. Plain and simple. There are no other side effects to her power. " He got out of the water, sitting beside Ace.


    "What are you talking about? Doesn''t that explain why she felt such a build up of misfortune? I''d think using more power, then noticing a constant consequence explains the phenomena quite well." Ace reasoned, and although his friend brought up solid counter points Ace was always open to discussion. Luck respected that, being able to state your point in a relevant and concise way, but allowing yourself to be proven wrong. Luck was the same way, so everytime they talked it always bore fruit regardless of who was correct. "Although you''re free to prove me wrong." He finished, proving Luck''s musings.


    Luck smirked, getting to his point. "Read the first two lines. No. The first three." He gave Ace a moment before continuing. "I had just enough information to form this hypothesis, just from my interaction with the gods. The System is pretty wonky from what I can tell. I''ve tried pulling up all of my powers at once and it doesn''t work. That''s decent proof that Ethodthem can''t keep up with all the powers being bestowed. People achieving amazing things, overcoming feats and challenges. Getting stronger."


    "Recent centuries..." Ace muttered, repeating the end of the first sentence. "...Didn''t Leah say she was affecting fortune for about that long?"


    "Yeah," Luck replied, "And I think that has a lot to do with the update. Her intentions were good, but she was giving these people extremely good luck, letting them accomplish things they probably shouldn''t have been able to."


    "Which made them stronger, recieving the rewards from Ethodthem." Ace picked up. "Which, in turn, prompted Ethodthem to enact this overhaul of the System." He finished, looking tired. "It''s far-fetched." He said after a moment.


    "The second line." Luck said. "The people here have become too strong for whatever normal dangers lurk in Aerae. Now, Diversi said that Ethodthem''s purpose was to grant powers to those deserving. But what if it was to strengthen the population instead? To put power in the hands of those capable rather than deserving? If such a force existed why were only sentients reaping the benefits? Almost as if the monsters were placed among Aerae for the sole purpose of toughening them up. Jerxos himself told me the gods have nothing to do, nothing threatens them except boredom. And they were once mortal too, rising up to their place. In short, they''re too strong, and, if Ethodthem works towards strengthening Aerae''s population, then something has to happen to push that limit."


    "The peak inhabitants of Aerae have nothing to threaten them..." Ace interrupted. "There''s a problem though, there''s no telling how long they were at their pinnacle. The time they spent at the top could''ve been thousands of years, and Leah didn''t mention any other time Ethodthem took any extra measures."


    Luck nodded, it was a valid point. "True, but Leah interfered with mortal affairs not godly ones. I think that was the tipping point for the System to reboot. When determining whether Aerae was strong enough it''s probably more likely that the System took the average power of all inhabitants rather than just the top dogs." He explained. "This tide of misfortune Leah was sensing however... "


    "You think the System is going to do something?" Ace concluded, to which Luck nodded. "You just don''t know what form it''ll take."


    "That''s the jist of it."


    Ace sighed in a way Luck thought was either defeated or overworked. "So we know the source of whatever misfortune is about to befall Aerae is coming from something deeply intertwined with the world itself." Ace said flatly. "And, we have concluded that Leah''s ''golden age'' as she called it, facilitated the growth of Aerae''s inhabitants, thus tasking Ethodthem with too much of a workload. Now that very force, which you believe works to strengthen the people living here, is updating itself and preparing to do just that, but better." He finished, neatly summarizing everything succinctly. Put together so shortly it seemed rather improbably, but Luck had just the right interactions and information that supported the conclusion he drew.


    "Basically." Luck said, splashing his feet. "Leah thought her using her power was increasing the misfortune, but it was really Aerae''s people getting closer and closer to that update."


    "Well," Ace said, "we''ve got about three hours before calamity hits." He stretched out his muscles and reached into his pocket. Out came a small bag and smaller pocketwatch. "Took these out of your pants before I dumped you in the water. You seem to have mastered the pain again, so doesn''t look like we''ll need it."


    "Thanks." Luck said, pocketing both. "I''ve got a few bunnies I need to relieve of duty." He smirked, Ace getting thrown off slightly. Luck enjoyed the look on his face.


    "What?" Ace said confused.


    "I don''t just talk to trees." Luck reminded him. "I had the bunnies watch my stuff before we left Leah''s temple. They''re actually quite friendly, happy to do it even. I''ve got the cards there, Diversi''s map, and the rest of my clothes, all bundled up under the pew. If we''ve got the time, I reallylike those playing cards." Luck said meaningfully.


    "I see. Time magic, talking to nature, and healing.Oh, and a deep knowledge of... magical cures and botanical profiles?"Luck caught that he was referring to thecuring of The Pools, The Forest of the Damned, and his sales pitch to Madam Savs earlier. His friend looked like he was confusing himself. "Yeah, the streets are clear. It shouldn''t be a problem." He said, somewhat sour.


    "You wanted to keep them secret, not me." Luck smirked, his eyes were laughing. On another level however, he had no leads on the rest of Ace''s ''tools'', which was frustrating. He did have a suspicion that one was accelerated learning however, but his fast pick up of Common might''ve just been due to his knack with languages in general.


    Ace frowned in good nature. "I did." He conceded. "To Leah''s temple then."


    The temple that they were currently occupying was inviting and safe. The people filling it did not detract from that feel at all. The inner room gave a feeling of sanctuary while the outside was one of gentle beckoning. To accomplish that inviting aura while simultaneously having such a small entrance was something that Luck applauded. Ace, as if to befuddle Luck further, took only a passing glance at his dictionary, which he still used on occasion, before talking to the men standing watch at the entrance. One ofwhich Luck remembered.


    "The streets are clear. We need to depart. " Ace said, somewhat choppy in terms of grammar choice, but clear.


    "Sorry-" but the gruffer man on the left nudged the one speaking.


    He was the one fending off a tide of snakes by himself, protecting his own family. Luck had jumped beside him, and together they were enough to pick up his kids and outrun the snakes. "It''s them. Let them through, they might be able to do some more good." Apparently, he had recognized Luck as well, hard to forget a pair of amber eyes. "Go on. We''ve been trying to contain the ansty ones, but for now it''s safer in here. Best for the majority to stay put. You two though proved yourselves a while ago." He replied, nodding his head in respect.


    Ace thanked him, doing the speaking for once.


    It was a short walk, but it would''ve been shorter if they didn''t take the precautions they did. They slipped into the secluded temple grounds, and Luck felt a presence to the side. A familiar one. Saga was resting on the clovers, off to the side and by one of the trees.


    "I told him to stay here. Didn''t want to risk panicking anyone. Earlier, those men at the door were a lot more jumpy." Ace explained, looking at Saga. The shar stared back before huffing and resting his head, aparently sensing Luck''s intention.


    Luck could feel that Saga was actually very alert, his eyes were closed but that was so he could focus on his nose and his ears. The shar was listening, smelling for the smallest change that might indicate danger.


    He didn''t bother to take his shoes off this time, striding across the clovers like a man whose name belonged among them. He quickly found where he sat previously. Luck grabbed his things from under the pew, thanking the white rabbits for watching them. He was about to bid them farewell, but paused.


    "Why are you holding two bunnies?" Ace asked. It was a fairly sensible question as Luck walked out the front entrance.


    The two were little fluffballs. One male and one female, but despite the stereotype of the sex lives of bunnies, they were the only two in there.Talking to them was trivial. They agreed to come with him readily enough. His One with Nature trait allowed him to communicate with them easily. They knew he was there to help. The male had speculated that Luck was One who Saves, but the female was too curious as to where they were going to pursue that line of questioning. Luck told them to calm down, they were going somewhere safe.


    "I''m not gonna leave them there." Luck said simply. He probably seemed childish. Wanting to save these animals might''ve been completely ludicrous if he weren''t completely capable. They were a drain on his person if he couldn''t find somewhere to keep them.


    After a searching look his friend replied. "Your call." Ace shrugged. "Just don''t expect me to carry them for you."


    Maybe Ace was just an understanding friend. Or perhaps he truly didn''t care. But Luck appreciated his acceptance, he himself would''ve brought up some problems immediately if a similar situation happened and the roles were reversed, but Ace did no such thing. Ace was a good guy to have around, if he hadn''t been always traveling Luck might''ve befriended him earlier. And now they were here. In another world.


    Luck remembered the events leading up to waking in the water. "I stopped time." Luck said abruptly. "The woman that was on my back. I saw them. I saw the serpents going for her Ace and something in me just saidno. And the world was frozen. The pocketwatch stopped ticking, snakes were frozen mid-lunge, and I could move about them. For all of three seconds, time had stopped."


    Ace raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember the feeling?" He asked, not doubting Luck.


    "I think so." He said, already focusing on what he felt.


    This was different though. Yes, he knew what he felt when time stopped, but getting it to stop? The first time was in the heat of battle, of the moment, a high of emotion. Now? Now, he was trying to will that magic into existence. He needed to think about it. It was who he was. But in that moment, watching the mother, there was no thought, only intent, only feeling.


    Small steps. First and most obvious was the timepiece ticking against his thigh. One. Two. He tracked the ticks, feeling each second. The bunnies in his arms shuffled, their fur brushing against Luck''s burns with no consequent pain. Ace was staring at him, and he tried to picture Ace harnessing the lightning in his hands, the magic. The very first time he saw Ace hurl lightning, facing down eight or so Subaqa. Instead, he remembered that eternal moment. That glimpse into infinity. That second that lasted longer than the others before blue lightning tore through the air.


    With a start he realized Ace had froze. But the bunnies in his hand were still moving. Luck moved to the left, seeing if Ace''s eyes would follow. They didn''t. He was paused. Time had stopped again. Too soon, Ace blinked and jerked his head towards Luck. "How...? You did it, didn''t you?"


    Luck smirked. "That takes a lot from me. Pausedfor three seconds." Luck could feel a slight exhaustion, slight but all over, both in mind, body and... somewhere else. Fortunately, Luck''s other traits made up for his body and his mind was sharp enough to cut through the fog. The other exhuastion was new to him though. "You must''ve been truly been pushing yourself the day we met Savs. You kept alert, for what? Fifteen or so minutes? That would''ve taken incredible focus."


    "I''ve pulled a lot of all nighters. There are few tricks to keep you distracted from falling asleep and a few to maintain focus as well." Ace said modestly. "From my perspective you just teleported. I was staring at you and then you completely dissapeared from my vision. What did it?"


    Luck grinned lightly, hidden meaning to his eyes. "There is this particular moment in my mind, one that seemed to last forever in an instant. I thought of that, focused on that feeling. Then the world paused, like I just... slipped into it." Luck moved over to Saga, resting against the laying cat. "We''ve got about two and a half hours left. Take a seat Ace. I''m gonna experiment."


    He seemed curious about the moment Luck mentioned, but Ace didn''t inquire further. Ace walked over, lying down among the clovers, closer to Saga than he would''ve chosen a day or two earlier. "Two hours thirty minutes and three seconds for you if you can pull it off one more time." He smiled. "Wake me up if you need me. I didn''t have the luxury to faint earlier today." Before Luck could retort the man had closed his eyes, and impossibly, seemed to have already fallen asleep.


    "I guess it''s just you and me Saga. And the bunnies." Luck smirked, letting the two white balls down. Saga snorted, the bunnies didn''t seem as scared of him as before. Luck said as much, to which Saga nodded to the front of the temple. There were a few dead snakes there. Luck hadn''t noticed them when he passed earlier.


    "Huh." Luck twisted slightly, observing the shar, who was resting quietly even as the bunnies crawled over him. "Get some sleep bud. I''ll keep watch for us." The shar opened an eye to look at him. Then his eyes truly closed and he was asleep too.


    Luck ran his hands absently through Saga''s fur.Spirit? The Deep Magical Integration is complete, yes?


    Affirmative. In accordance with your previous request your time unconscious was devoted to this process. Previously unavailable, your recent unlocking of your mana allowed the process to take place. Perceptive inputs pertaining to magic have been unlocked and connected to. Host''s mana has been connected to. Host''s basic magical affinities have been revealed.


    Go over those.Luck requested.And keep a constant scan on our surroundings for any hazards.Though Luck knew it would basically be his own senses watching his back, he kept a vigilant eye as well. These were his friends after all.


    Affirmative. In the same vein as your physical senses the Mk3 can now access your magical inputs. This accounts for sensing ambient mana, fluctuations in the mana stream, spell effects, enchantments, and other such inputs. However, while the Mk3''s general information package includes basic spells, implementing the magic and understanding how it works is up to the Host. The Mk3 will follow along, learning and memorizing. The Deep Magical Integration has only just been green lighted for actual use, thus the Mk3 has no previously installed knowledge and will learn magic along with the Host.Spirit''s voice was informative as always, an androgynously noble and secular voice. Luck was still debating whether he wanted to change it or not, since it was possible.


    Makes sense.Luck thought.I can''t expect you to be programmed for magic. I''ll keep that in mind. Next.


    Host''s mana has been connected to. To some degree, the Mk3 can draw from this and power itself, although at extremely insufficient levels. Through this link the Mk3 is able to glean magical inputs from the Host. Although the Mk3''s capabilities are known, they are far down the line, must be learned and depend on how fast the Host advances in their own magical training.


    So, the more he learned the faster Spirit would pick it up and the more he''d be able to have Spirit automate. It''s not that he didn''t trust the S.I. but he was always his own person. He didn''t like relying on people when it was completely within his own capabilites. He had been an independent person early on, and in a dangerous environment too. Luck had a thoughtful face. Then again, Ace had been watching his back the entire time they had arrived and so had Saga. Without them Luck didn''t think he could''ve accomplished most of what he had.


    Next.He thought.


    Basic magical affinities revealed. High affinities for Earth and Nature magics. No other affinities. Basic spells in both Earth and Nature magics are known.


    Is magic rare in Aerae? And what are these affinities?


    Magic is commonplace in Aerae, sometimes even interwoven into mundane tasks. Affinities are one''s soul''s compatibility with a certain type of magic. The Mk3 can only detect basic affinites and has been approved and tested repeatedly on this capability to become certified. In general, the layman has a natural affinity to at least one element, it is extremely more rare to have no affinities than to have multiple. However, those with high affinities are scarce. High affinities correlate to faster mastery and control over a given element. Where a moderate affinity may take half a century to fully master a magic those with high affinities take only a quarter of one.


    So my affinities are rare?Luck asked.


    Your circumstance is rare, but unsurprising. Yoursoul, affected by One with Nature and the rebirth process as it was, has been connected to Nature and Time, as apparent in your gifted magic and familiar bond. To some extent, this connection ties into the affinity with Earth magic.Of more surprise is the high affinity towards both. It is likely your soul harbored an affinity to the earth and nature before you were even rebirthed.


    Luck thought on that. Strange given my upbringing, stranger given the lack of magic in my world.Andthis is out of how many different types of possible magics?Luck asked. He was of the opinion this was a vast world, of many magics. His suspicion was not unwarrented.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    A soul can resonate with magic no matter its absence, it is not unheard of for individuals from other magicless planes to have affinities to magic. The basic magics account for a small percentage of all existing magics. There are seven basic magics. From there, other magics become either a combination of these basic magics or more specialized versions. Others exist completely independent from them. More so, these combined, specialized, and independent magics may also combine further on occassion. The seven basic magic affinites that you have been tested for are: Light, Dark, Nature, Fire, Earth, Air and Water.


    So Ace''s Lightning Magic? Where would that lie?


    Lightning is a combination of both Fire and Air, and to some extent Light magic. Ace must have an affinity for all three for his Lightning Magic to function for him. Your Time magic had no place in the Mk3''s database. Likely, it is an independent magic up in the advanced ranks as mentioned in the description of the tool given the System''s window.


    Thought as much. Now, on to another matter.Luck thought, trying to feel his mana.I want to see what I can do with both Nature and Earth Magic, but for now see if you can sense anything relating to my dimensional room. I need a place to let these guys sleep.Ace needs a bed and Saga''s been on guard duty for a few hours.He thought, glancing backward. The bunnies had fallen asleep on Saga''s face, the shar didn''t even seem to notice. And Luck allowed himself a small smile at the sight.


    Affirmative. A moment. Reassessing magical profile.


    Luck raised his eyebrow at that, but would ask about it later. It was probably along the same lines as his biological profile. Zoning out, he was trying to empty his mind, staring at the temple grounds. If anyone staying here was unaware of the swarms outside, Luck wouldn''t have blamed them. The place was peacefully secluded. His gaze roamed to the front of the temple, the snakes lying there. Or perhaps not. He spared Saga another meaningful glance. It truly seemed like they were old friends, but his familiar really wasn''t all that familiar to him at all. The shar had a depth all his own. Mind wandering, he refocused on his own task. Sensing any connection to another space was as new to him as it would''ve been to Spirit. He decided to focus on that exhaustion that stemmed from neither his mind or body but somewhere else entirely. Inwardly, and as a complete amatuer, Luck did not have high hopes.


    Despite it all, he felt something almost immediately. A thread. Or was it a tether? An anchor? Describing a sensation that existed on part of you that wasn''t physical, Luck had never had to do that. And yet, this was just that. It was his mana, he realized. What else it could it be? It was a layer of...power? Potential? A layer of something with a subtle... capacity. Encompassing. It was mana. And it overlayed his physical body near perfectly. It was a thing of wonders and spectacles, possibilities. And mystery as well. But it was the tether he felt first and it was linked somewhere, dormant.


    Magical links detected. Known familiar bond and unidentfied connection. Spirit broke his focus.


    Of course. He had been immersed in a type of magic ever since he arrived. His bond with Saga. He tried to feel for that and found the familiar bond was both easier and harder to feel for. It was more natural, a part of him that he had unwittingly already accepted, and thus feeling around, he barely even noticed it. He was looking for something different, where that bond already felt like a part of him. There was a subtle exchange of power in that link, not so much a give or take, but more of a constant connection.


    Was this his mana moving? That natural flow? The connection might as well have been connate. It was instinctive, like his body had accepted the bond as a new limb, supplying it with mana as if it were blood. So he tugged on the tether, a link to a place heknewwas his. With that thought his mana moved on its own, flowing through that connection too. Still, nothing happened.


    He stared at his hand. He couldn''t sense the sensation in his physical body. There was flow, and hewas feeling it. But lying down against Saga, it seemed that nothing changed. Saga. There was an intent he used to communicate with the shar. He had been doing it a lot, but if he really observed it... Saga opened his eyes. Yes, his mana flowed differently. What if he...?


    And for the very first time Luck opened his dimensional room.


    There. Hanging in mid air, suspended only a few feet from him, was a portal. A rip in space was the wrong term to use. A neat oval cut out, would be much more accurate. Saga stared curiously, sensing on some level that Luck was the one who did this. The bunnies, having fallen off Saga''s face, thumped wildly, startled. In turn, Ace woke up as well.


    "Lucky?" He asked groggily, despite his short nap. His eyes sharpened on the portal. "It''s possible i''m dreaming but I quite doubt that. Your doing?" He asked, cautiously getting up.


    "A homebase of sorts." Luck smirked, standing up. "Shall I give you all the grand tour?" He flourished, slipping into the portal with all his things in hand. Eager.


    Luck glanced around, trusting the rest to follow him. It really was quite large, generously spacious. And there were things lying about he didn''t place there, or could even say he owned, as he truly hadn''t been here before. Bizzarely, the place agreed completely with his fashion sense, and all the furniture lying around was exactly how he would''ve placed them and arranged them. There were other things as well, that, for some reason, he could instantly glean their purposes.


    "Base tool?" Ace ventured, peeking inside. Apparently he had come across something similiar with Jerxos. He was rubbing his eyes, in disbelief or sleep, Luck again found it hard to tell, as was strangely typical with Ace. Annoying, but that was quickly erased as Luck chuckled at the duo of bunnies riding Saga into the room,. Ace, still groggy, had to give way for them, being pushed from the portal. His face was a mixture of confusion, bafflement, and amusement at the sight, to which Luck enjoyed. It seemed the bunnies were having the time of their lives as well.


    "Yeah. An evolving pocket dimension of my own." Luck smirked. "Although I have no idea where all this came from."


    Ace stepped in and the portal closed on Leah''s temple grounds. He turned around, noting that detail. "System messages still work." He commented. Ace glanced around, eyes taking in the decor. "You''ve been here before?"


    "Not once." Luck replied, amused and pleased at the space. "Though it feels like home, or how I would model mine if I had one to myself." He said, roaming the place.


    Ace stretched, being the first to try the large, comfy leather chairs. "I don''t recognize it." He said, genuinely surprised, looking intently at the chair he sat in. Luck forgot, Ace was well traveled, cultured, and always hired by the wealthy. It wouldn''t be surprising ifhe knewa few things concerning high end furnitures. "Is this custom?" He said, in shocked revelation. Conscientiously, he removed his black hoodie, which, although concealed, harbored in its dark color a few stains of blood.


    Luck placed his bundle of stuff on a dark table near the leather chairs. "It''s an evolving base. It''s supposed to grow and change to suit my needs." Luck replied. "That in mind, its probably where all this stuff came from." He gestured around him throwing a lazy hand around. He moved to the other side of the room. To where a small door led to a greenhouse of sorts. He knew it before he even walked in. A large patch of fertile soil, a body of water took another portion, and other, different types of soil were sectioned off. There was a small shelf inset into the wall by the door. Luck put the enchanted seeds there, he''d plant them later. He walked back out, only taking a small cursory glance at the place.


    "Evolving?" Ace said back. "I never came across those." It wasn''t stated as a question, so Luck didn''t answer. Ace was up now, running his hand across the furniture, the leather seats, black polished tables, a stand up mirror. He stopped purposefully at a particular piece of furniture. Luck was extremely happy to see it and Ace gave Luck a long look before moving on, shaking his head.


    It was a card table, burnished amber it stood out among the darker tones of the place. And there were some engravings on it, similar to the deck he had just taken out of his pocket, a masterful craft. The cards and the table were a match made in fashion heaven. Unwilling to seperate them, Luck placed the amber cards on the soft surface. "Now this. This is something I can appreciate after two days of desert." Luck sighed happily.


    "You''ll appreciate this even more." Ace replied, having opened a white, polished door. "A-"


    "Toilet." Luck grinned in satisfaction. He knew it somehow. He knew it was there and four days in another world really had him missing the small things. Evidently so had Ace, as the man had just entered, closed the door, and a click resounded that Luck knew was the lock. Luck smirked, shaking his head.


    Another polished white door led to a bedroom. His bedroom. Not as dark as the rest of the space, less fashionable, and more comfortable. Softer on the eyes than the rest of the pocket dimension. Just how he liked it. He only took a short moment, nodding in approval before closing the door.


    Saga had already found his own space. There was the living room which had the leather chairs, polished table, carpet and card table. Further to the side was the door to the greenhouse area, a place Luck suspected existed solely because of the seeds he had. There was the occupied bathroom past the card table and the door to his own bedroom to its right. Situated behind the leather chairs, a blank space on the wall marked the area a portal to the outside might appear. Although, Luck felt he could open that portal from anywhere if he wanted to. To the right of that, and beside the door to the bathroom was a patch of grass that Saga was laying on, a place Luck knew was just for him. Behind the cat was a small shar-door that was Saga''s own room.


    Upon the walls were colorful, but muted paintings of landscapes, done in different styles and textures. The types of which Luck loved. Perhaps that was why he so loved these paintings - his affinity for Earth and Nature Magic. The paintings were well lit, showing off their extravagance in full. Luck was a man who liked to dress dark, but only to draw the eyes to the bright things he wore. Often, the best show was one that came from somewhere unsuspected. His furniture reflected that notion, even if he hadn''t had a hand it. The dark tones accentuated the light spots in the room, the card table, the paintings, the stylistic doors, and, to some extent, the people within.


    Luck blinked. He looked up. Lights. Electrical lights. There was a switch on the wall too, almost perfectly blended into the theme of the whole pocket dimension, but not purposefully hidden. Beside that, a touchscreen resembling that of higher tech. Luck laid his palm on it instinctually, the screen was positioned below the paintings, to the left of the card table, and in front of the leather chairs. The center of the living space.


    Compatible system detected. Interface with Evolving Dimensional Room - Unnamed?


    Luck whistled low, this was unexpected. It seemed the evolving room took some properties of his S.I. as well. It explained the electrical lights, the only evident mechanical feature of the place aside from the toilet. At the same time that Luck confirmed the request Ace had exited the bathroom. No flush sounded, so Luck hoped the walls were soundproof rather than Ace having forgotten to flush.


    As if a surround sound system was installed a strong voice projected from the walls. "Welcome, Master Luck."


    Luck and Ace looked up to the ceiling and walls, no trace of any speakers. "Hello." He replied cordially. "Are you the base A.I.?"


    "Correct, as of current I have no designation." The voice, unlike Spirit''s, seemed expressive. Strangely, it was accented in a language Luck recognized as used by middle-class nobles. "Would you like to name me, Master Luck?"


    "Sure." Luck waved. "Let''s go with... Evodim." For evolving dimensional room.


    "Acceptable. The Mk3 has already interfaced with my system. As an evolving base I have taken on properties of you, Master Luck. Think of me as a space enchanted by extremely powerful, rare, and intricate magic. My growth correlates to yours. I have one peculiar traitt however, as I have taken properties of the Mk3 Supportive Intelligence I have the unusual pleasure of being self aware. I am glad you have finally accessed me." Evodim spoke, and, internally, Luck dubbed the A.I. male.


    "Mk3 Supportive Intelligence?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.


    Imediately Evodim rectified his mistake. "Apologies Master Luck. I was unaware your companions were unaware themselves of your capabilities."


    Luck sighed. "It''s alright Evodim. We were playing a game is all, trying to guess what each other is capable of. Though, with your blatant reflection of my traits i''m afraid Ace here will have a leg up on me." Luck said regretfully. He turned to Ace. "I''ve got an S.I. in my head."


    "S.I.?"


    "Basically an A.I. with little difference." Luck explained. "Although my other capabilities are up in the air for you to guess." To be completely honest, with that, Ace had unearthed all his tools. What was left was what he was capable of using those said tools.


    Ace took in that information before adressing Evodim. "Does that mean this whole place regenerates?"


    "That is correct Master Ace." Evodim replied. Ace took a seat, apparently loving the leather chairs.


    "Ace is quite fine Evodim." He waved.


    "As you wish Ace." Evodim said. "Shall I go over my current capabilities Master Luck? Of course, with Spirit this information is available to you, but nontheless." He trailed off.


    "Please." Luck gestured, stepping back and taking a seat as well.


    "First and foremost, as a dimensional room, I am available from anywhere. As such a portal to this residence can be opened in almost all circumstances. Second, time dilation. Normally, time moves twice as fast in here, but as..." Evodim paused a moment.


    "Go on Evodim, he knows that much." Luck smirked, appreciative.


    "Ah, I see. Through your time magic this dilation is slightly amplified. An hour outside equates to three in here." He said. "Third, I am an evolving base. The magic attributed to an evolving object is designed to link with a single person, and grow with that individual. As you realize and unlock your own capabilities I too can use your improvements and affect myself with them. Your connection with nature and earth, for example. I created a greenhouse area to be used at your discretion. Your fashion savvy mind allowed me to create furniture that agreed with such sense. I''ve designated your familiar his own area, as his bond allowed me that much. The combination of both your Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration affect me significantly however. Everything created has some type of regenerative or replenishing property, and, along with the greenhouse, this means eternally fertile soul, with sufficient mana. By far the most impactful, however, is the Mk3''s affect. I am self aware, more efficient at directing these resources and suiting your needs." It was a chunk of information, that Luck digested quickly.


    "Can you move things? Rearrange and put things where I want them?" Luck asked, curious.


    Ace was thoughtful. "Evodim." He said quietly,. "Quite something, Lucky. Quite something." He said appreciatively, but there was a hidden gleam in his eye. Jealousy? No, smugness? Give Luck any other person, he could easily guess what was on their mind. But Ace Vent was a different beast. One with a face, though not unexpressive, incredibly hard to decipher in certain circumstances. Luck gave him a sideways glance.


    "Yes, but your presence interferes with my control. Should you be in a seperate room it would not pose a problem." Evodim replied.


    "Plant the seeds in the greenhouse. I''ve placed them on the shelf there." Luck asked.


    Spirit can you share the general information package with Evodim?Luck thought, addressing Spirit.


    Affirmative. Commence data transfer?


    Yeah, go for it.


    "Evodim, you should be getting an information package from Spirit." Luck said. "The seeds have already been classified before, so you should be able to figure out where to plant them and how to care for them. I want you to prioritize highest nutrient values and shelf life. We''ll be going on an eight month trip, we''ll need the supplies. As they''re already enchanted to grow faster and with less attention let me know how their growth rates look. And if they need care you can''t provide, don''t hesitate to let me know." Luck commanded.


    "It will be done, Master Luck." Evodim complied.


    "Also, is there anywhere I can practice basic Earth and Nature Magic?"


    "Yes, of course. The most ideal area for practice would be the greenhouse room." Evodim replied.


    "Damn. How long until you''re finished planting the seeds?" Luck was eager to get started. He didn''t know what he could be capable of, but some part of him was extremely excited. The same part of him that he never truly got to live. It was the child inside of him, the one that believed in fantasy before cold hard reality took over his life.


    Evodim''s accented voice replied bluntly, and perhaps slightly befuddled. "The seeds have already been planted Master Luck. Sorted by data on their nutrients, vitamins, andresistance to rot. And to your benefit, i''ve added taste as one of the criteria when choosing what to plant. From the Mk3''s general information package I believe the room will have exactly what you need for practice. Though I encourage you to invite Saga, or alternatively, one of the bunnies with him." The accent, which Evodim took after, had a particular way to express slight befuddlement, or unsureness. It was strongly apparent, and Luck wondered if Evodim had assumed Luck knew his methods were instant. Because he did not.


    Luck did not expect Evodim to finish so quickly.Fast was good in this case, however. "Saga." He called. The shar was resting quietly, but he opened an eye and padded over. Saga gave a passive look to the bunnies that followed in his wake, but didn''t do anything outwardly that indicated annoyance. "Thank you Evodim." Luck said, standing up.


    "It is my pleasure, Master Luck."


    Luck had forgotten Ace, who was sitting across from him. His friend rose an eyebrow, getting up as well. "Nature and Earth Magic, huh? I''ve the feeling that''s the majority, if not all of the tools you recieved. " He grinned, ruefully. "Unfortunately, you''ve surpised me before. To my regret."


    "You can take a nap if you want." Luck suggested. "I''m just gonna try out some magic. I''ll wake you once the apocalypse starts." The line, forboding as it was, was delivered with a goofy grin, and despite their situation, Ace laughed. The sound stemmed more from the craziness they had been through so far, the wonders they had seen, than anything else.


    Still laughing, he looked to Luck. "Say that sentence again, Lucky." He smiled with a questioning expression, as if pointing out something obvious. "You said magic.Magic,man.Yeah, I''ve done it myself. But, come on. It''s magic Lucky, there''s no way i''m missing a second of it." Ace gestured, a motion that told him to get to it.


    "Of course, of course. I forgot how easily entertained you were." Luck smirked, though he himself was just as excited.


    Ace shrugged, his face exageratingly thoughtful. "Well, I have one friend in particular." He drawled. "The Amber Demon they call him, much to his chagrin. Now,thatman is quite the entertainer. Not a dull moment with that fellow. Not one at all." He smirked. "In fact, he''s such an entertainer, I wouldn''t even mind being trapped in a greenhouse with the man and a large predatory cat."


    "The famed mercenary Ace Vent." Luck countered. "A comedian as well?" He gasped, holding his hand up to his mouth. "The world has truly arrived at apocalypse. I beseech the gods, smite this man before his humor kills us all." A curve crept up the corners of Luck''s mouth.


    Ace chuckled, shaking his head and apparently done. Saga seemed dully amused with their antics, while the bunnies thought this was some sort of mating ritual. Luck quickly shut that down, asking the bunnies why they didn''t have kids, to which they shut up. It was an extremely effective measure.


    Smug, Luck walked into the greenhouse room.


    The second time around, the first thing he noticed, unsurpisingly, was the distrubed soils. It was obvious that the seeds were planted. Some deep, some right below the surface, while others shone, completely visible. The next thing he noticed, having seen the shine from the shells of the exposed seeds, were the different lights above. They were brighter and more natural, electrical, but used as mimics for sunlight. They lit the room nicely, spreading light evenly along the harder soils, to the softest sands. Across the body of water that housed a few seeds, while avoiding a dark, shaded corner that sheltered plants that thrived in the shadows.


    The seed bag, left on a shelf nearby, was about a third full. A quick peek showed glowing green seeds, nothing new.


    Luck glanced about, intuitively, he took off his shoes and placed them on the shelf, near the seed bag. Ace followed suit. In the middle of the room there was a clearing of grass, while Luck was unsure of its purpose he did find it a perfect place to sit. The bunnies hopped around, happy with a large space. Saga swiped at them, pushing them away from unearthing any seeds. Ace plopped down beside Luck, arms extended behind him, taking in the place much the same way as the very first day they arrived.


    Spirit?Luck asked.


    1st tier Nature Spells include entangling roots and minor aspect of nature. 1st tier earth spells include earth dart and earth spike.


    Alright, let''s start with Nature Spells then. You can tell me what tiers are later.


    "Spirit your S.I. then?" Ace asked absently.


    "Yeah." Luck replied. "Helpful thing too. Surprisingly effective in a jorth chase, if you could believe it." He joked.


    Ace chuckled. "That the reason you can ignore your burns? Or is that some other power or aspect of your regeneration?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.


    Luck only smiled, focusing on what Spirit was telling him. "That''s for you to discover." He said in a very particular voice.


    "Oh, don''t give me that Jerxos crap." Ace retorted. "Alright, I won''t bother you anymore. Take your time, when I see it, it better be good." He said. They lapsed into comfortable silence. Luck looked like a man observing the grass, but Ace was familiar with the workings of the mind behind those amber irises. Luck was doing anything but nothing.


    Spirit had been giving him very mechanical instructions for the magic, informative, but ultimately unhelpful in enacting the magic. Time magic was supposed to be advanced and hard to comprehend, but Luck had found out how to pause time already, had already unlocked one aspect of it. He knew how to make a moment last longer than it did, how to draw the passing eyes of a pedestrian, how to hold it there and build suspense. A moment as long as an intake of breath, and yet, somehow longer. Luck Lockyer lived for those moments. Maybe that was why, why one aspect of the magic came relatively easy to him. Because he had been mastering it even before he had known magic was possible.


    So Luck focused on what he knew. The thing he was trying to focus on was demanding that he relax, or rather, made him relax as a consequence. It was just him, being. In this hideaway in his own home, where bunnies ran and plants grew. There was a life to it, hiding beneath the soil. So odd, that a man from the city could feel so right on a patch of grass.


    Relaxed, he looked to that layer of magic on him. Forminor aspect of nature the directions went like so. First, a subject, or target. He already took on some aspects of Saga as the shar was his familiar, so he looked to the bunnies instead. Second, manipulate your mana and send it out towards the target. The motion should be instantaneous, like a credit card swipe. The problem, for Luck at least, was the control. There was no physical manifestation of the magic, not until he was done. Nothing to hold in his hands, or moment to focus on. Ace had crackling power, to pause time all Luck had to was think on those moments, but for Nature magic, he didn''t know.


    Nature magic was basic, so unlike Time magic it should be within his immediate comprehension. Maybe, like One with Nature, it was the connection he was supposed to focus on? Perhaps it was that way with magic as well. That bond, the interconnection that made it seem like he was friends with every animal and plant he came across. No, that made them family.


    Describing a limb that didn''t exist, a motion hefeltbut didn''t at the same time, and then attributing the motion to that nonexistent limb, nowthat was something Luck never thought he''d ever have to do. And yet, it was exactly that. It was his mana, he had moved it, somehow. It moved with direction, something he controlled, and it went straight to the bunny and back. A glob of mana that somehowwasn''t mana anymore. With a grin, Luck realized, it was magic now.


    Third, absorb the power. Effects should be random, but are always beneficial, so what Ace said next was confusing.


    "You''re furry." His friend said, his voice as hard to decipher as those times where his face was unreadable. "And white."


    "Fuck." was the word that came out of Luck''s mouth. Ace laughed deeply, true to his word, patches of skin, along his arms, neck and face, were all white with the fur of a bunny. He sighed, a lobsided grin on his disturbingly soft face. "Nature magic. I took an aspect of the bunny." He gestured.


    Ace was catching his breath, and losing it the next second, in such a fashion that almost never happened in their lives, it never could. Yet, Luck watched Ace suffer it, a smile creeping up his very own face. An outpouring of sheer laughter, a noise so foreign in their past lives, it was like a rarity, a gem. And here, it came in shuddering waves.


    Ace finally caught his breath, and held onto it. "I know I said it better be good." Ace breathed deeply. "I didn''t expect it to be quite so great, though." He laughed, not mockingly, just joyfully. "Thanks man, didn''t know I needed that."


    "Anything for a friend." Luck waved, his smile less embarassed than it was lighthearted. Even as he replied, the fur faded, lasting maybe at most two minutes. "A few minutes at best." He commented.


    "Try Saga next?" Ace suggested, the man was sitting back up, he had fallen over previously. Pragmatic as he was, Ace''s suggestion was practical, the former mercenary was already looking at the combative implications of such a magic, in the same way he had likely done for his own lightning. His eyes were mirthful, and although they weren''t dishonest, behind them hid a colder, slower, thoughtful version of Ace.


    Luck noticed in seconds, it was next on his list anyways since entangling roots might mess up the seeds. He let Saga know before his mana touched him. Curious, the shar went alert, but reported nothing as Luck declared it was finished. Luck noted that he could hold on to the magic with little effort, storing it perhaps for later use? Meanwhile, Saga had padded over, eyeing the chastised bunnies, the large cat was curious as to how Luck would look after.


    Absorbing the magic, Luck''s vision went sharper immediately, not the way Spirit affected him, almost five times sharper. Looking over to the shaded area of the greenhouse room, he could easily see the plants in the alcove. Night vision. His other senses seemed unnaffected as far as he could tell. He was cycling through them, using his new awareness of his body after the Deep Physical Integration, until he got to touch. Claws. He had claws. And, instinctually, he knew exactly how to use them.


    "Your eye''s are slits. Amber still, but... feline." Ace replied, when Luck gazed around the room. "A little unsettling, but I''ve gotten used to the amber gaze a long time ago." He shrugged. Saga walked around Luck sniffing him, and peering into his eyes.


    "The amber gaze?" Luck asked, mildly curious, meeting Saga''s questioning gaze with one of his own. "I''ve got claws too." He said, flashing the weapons, for that was what they were. Saga seemed surprised, or rather, impressed, before displaying his own.


    "You know, the Amber Demon''s amber gaze." Ace''s tone implied it was obvious, but Luck''s said the opposite. His expression froze a moment realizing that, before he shrugged. "It went with the name." He said in dismissal. "The claws though, those might come in handy." He gestured to the things.


    Saga seemed to agree, licking Luck''s fingers roughly before leaving in approval. Luck held up his hand, staring at them. "I''m best hand-to-hand. Never was good with a knife, but maybe claw-to-hand might change that a bit." He knew he had them on his feet too, with a thought they were out as well. "Without guns, I was kinda dreading picking up a sword, these''ll do though." He smirked, brandishing his claws.


    He got up and stretched, his body wasn''t any different than from before, it retained some augments from the familiar bond, but the enhanced vision and claws were completely new. Trying something different, he let go of the magic, shedding it like a coat of fur. He was back to normal in seconds, with no discomfort, although that could''ve been Spirit numbing his pain sensors. His back still kept its burns.


    "Congratulations Master Luck. You have made good progress, I sense my enchantments already reacting to your growth." Evodim informed, his accented voice seemed to drift into the room, somehow fitting given the natural scenery.


    "Many thanks Evodim." Luck allowed himself a small smile at the praise. "Let me know of any new developments."


    "As you wish, Master Luck."


    Ace looked around lazily. "Helpful fellow isn''t he?" His friend yawned. "I think I''ll take that nap now. Unless you have other magic to show me?"


    "I do actually. Earth magic." Luck replied.


    Seemingly torn, Ace got up. He looked to Luck, that torn, indecisive look on his face before finally answering. "I really do admire those leather chairs." Choice apparent, his friend walked off, yawning once more.


    Luck chuckled to himself. Effectively, he had six hours. Sitting there, he thought of his family. They only had two. Only two to prep in whatever way they could, if they even knew, or suspected, what was going to happen. He''d have to trust them to survive, eight months away, there wasn''t really anything else he could do. He grabbed the pendant on his neck, as of now, the lights were dead, having been that way since he entered his dimensional room. But they were pointing Ardun''s way. And that was literally the only city in that direction. So, only one question resounded in his mind, staring again at his hands.


    How much could one man do when all went to hell?

 Just a Poll

    "He decided to open his status screen, and it opened before he could even think about how to do it.


    A stark blue against his eyes. There listed, were all of the powers that affected him. Of his magical traits, there was Troll''s Blood and One with Nature. Of his physical ones, only Expectional Regeneration. Then there was Omnilingual which was a combination of knowledge and trait. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Next, were his actual powers. Of that there were only the three magics he had learned, Earth, Nature and Time. Their descriptions were listed as well with Luck only having to focus for them to appear. They came in a crisper, blue psuedo-hologram, that Luck instinctively knew only he could see. He blinked at the blue, before examining everything quantified once more.


    Following that, all the effects on his person. This listed the familiar bond, the connection to Evodim as well as the supportive intelligence in his head.


    Then... "

 Chapter 10 - Awakened

    The room was... rockier, by the time Luck looked up. From him or Evodim, he didn''t know. He had made progress in the six hours since. Letting go of his aspect of nature, he stood up.


    There was a depth to Earth magic he found, a chasm of possibilities. Of creation. Forming the earth, creating something in moments to adapt to whatever happened around you, was understandably second nature to Luck. As long as his feet were planted, he had some measure of control over the ground. It wasn''t that it was hard to do without touching the dirt, rather, it was that much easier when he was. There were a lot of motions he had tried over the hours, until he finally settled on something of a sharp, forceful intent with his mana, sent straight through his feet. Oddly, there was some strain on his body as well, as if his physical self was doing some measure of the lifting too.


    He walked lazily, roaming to the entrance of the room, passing the different methods he had tried.


    Luck was an optimist, always had been. But a part of his life demanded a realist. So Luck became an optimist in the parts of his life he could control. He could believe that he could do things, that the outcome would be in his favor. Paired with a burning determination and practice, things rarely didn''t. It was in that way he could face the negative and know one day he could do something positive. His father had told him he could be idealistic, just not an idealstic idiot. And he took that to heart.


    So he would always take a step back, looking at the world with colder eyes, a shade of amber less warm. He did that now, and he knew, he wasn''t enough. He was capable of things, though small in comparison to this world, were wonderful and spectacular in his own. He didn''t have to help everyone. It wasn''t possible. As long as he could help someone, that would be enough. Luck worried for his family, a moment that he saw the through colder eyes, but quickly, he regained his warmth with a surety. They were Lockyers, he knew. Right now, they weren''t the ones that needed help.


    "Master Luck, five minutes." Evodim chimed, as Luck turned for the door.


    "I was aware. Thank you, Evodim." Luck replied. "Wake up Ace. We''re leaving."


    "As you wish." He replied.


    Luck clicked his tongue, getting Saga''s attention through that and their bond. The lithe cat got up slowly, as to not disturb the bunnies nestled against him. Luck smirked, to which Saga made to growl, but didn''t in favor of not rousing the balls of white. Luck smirked more.


    Walking past the leather chairs, he gave a stretching Ace a glance. The former mercenary returned the look, and without noise, they were out in Leah''s temple once more, Saga trailing behind them. As soon as they stepped from the portal Ace was already on the move, purposeful, and Luck was right behind him, not wasting a moment. They were moving to the temple where everyone was holed up.


    He had spoken to Evodim, Luck couldn''t stash people in his room, it wouldn''t work. It was among his first thoughts, and shot down immediately. Ace however, felt the people were safe where they were. A question later, Luck found out the name of the god the temple belonged to. He was Protc, God of Sanctuary. It explained the initial gathering of people and the defensible architecture of the building quite well. Luck found it fitting that men and women flocked there during attack.


    They came upon his temple, inviting, beckoning even, yet completely solid when closely observed, in complete contrast to its gentle aura. The men at the front recognized them.


    "Five minutes to this update and you show up?" The gruffer man, the one that recognized Luck, said. "To think the System was capable of it."


    The other man stepped aside, letting them in through the front.


    With only a minute on the timer Luck, Ace, and Saga positioned themselves in the middle of the temple, in perfect view of all that they had saved. And they waited, they waited for whatever might happen, and for wherever they might be needed. They stood with a lazy grace, a nonchalance that was somehow both alert and observant. Save for their clothes, they really shouldn''t have stood out. And yet, they were the men that lead many of the crowd to this very sanctuary, so they did. Of course, it could easily have been Luck''s present deformity that singled him out amongst the many.


    But the gazes did not look down on him, rather, they looked up. A few women were crying, their kids hiding behind them. The men seemed to prepare as well, guarding their wives, their families around them. Ethodthem couldn''t keep up with the strength of the inhabitants of Aerae. Luck suspected its job was to strengthen those living here. The System was obsolete, too outdated to keep up with the rise in power in recent centuries. The update was instigated to combat that problem, and Luck was watching the timer tick down, mere seconds before the changes hit.


    He tensed, absently reaching for his hip, not finding anything there. He grimaced, he was accustomed to always being armed in the physical sense. When now, his weapon was magical. But he had no doubts he''d be more dangerous with a gun than any of the magic he had on him.


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    New System Update Complete: Ethodthem


    Pay Heed. Ethodthem, the source of power behind Aerae has changed, for the better. Quests, powers, bestowals. titles, everything has changed. Each inhabitant, every sentient, has been given a status screen. There you can view your powers and effects on your person. The new System has a more interactive and adaptive interface, allowing better displays and with more information. Additional features are yours to discover. Suspended quests have been renewed. An influx of powerful creatures have been released, beasts capable of truly testing those with power. No longer are the lives of those on Aerae ones of leisure.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As if to punctuate the message, a harrowing scream pierced the safe walls of Protc''s sanctuary.


    Calmly, Luck glanced around, an indicator showed in his vision, it had come from outside. Spirit had actively tracked the noise. It came from far away, perhaps deeper in the actual city, nowhere near the temples.


    Spirit, track the noises and let me know if anything gets close.


    "What is this?" A man called out. "Can the System really change like this? I''ve never seen anything like these screens before."


    "Forget the screens!" Another yelled. "Have you read the last two lines? And that scream? Something was just released into Peace! I''ve got a son missing!"


    A young stocky man, who seemed comfortable in his body tried to calm him down. "Sir, please. You aren''t the only one missing a family member. It''s important we stay calm."


    The man made to retort, but his wife laid a restraining hand lightly on his shoulder. The man deflated, his fight gone from him. A shuddering breath left him before he clapsed his wife''s hand in his own, meeting her eyes.


    A larger... statue of a man cut in, he was quite literally made of stone. Or seemed to be. "It is better we wait here. A position easily defensible no matter the enemy." It took Luck a moment to realize he was hearing another language. It was Roke, the language Madam Savs had tested him with. The rock man had a great hammer strung on his back. His companion was a short silver person, whom Luck couldn''t guess the gender of. Luck wasn''t the only one who noticed the silver person. It was that silver figure that had translated the gray stone man''s words into Common.


    "What isthatdoing here." Someone hissed, a fat man who looked respectable enough. His whole family matched his expression, as did many other people. They were directed towards the silver person, who dipped his head slightly, in either defeat. deference or acceptance. "How dare you show your face on this side of Aerae!" He spat.


    Another scream, now more closer to a roar, pierced the air once more.


    Luck had seen enough, he was starting to get annoyed. Though he wouldn''t hesitate to call his city a terrible place, there were some catches, some bits of humanity sprinkled in. Of those, tolerance was among them. Yes, people were terrible, but surprisingly none cared that much for race. Coming from such an evironment, as dangerous as it was, had a profound affect on his views on race. It bugged him to no end when one was singled out because of it.


    "Leave them." Luck''s voice rose, sudden. The very voice many had heard in their time of crisis, the one that led them to safety. That saved them. That saved their families. "He seeks shelter just as we. A sanctuary is a place of refuge and safety. For all." He looked to the likeness of Protc carved into the walls. "As i''m sure Protc intended it to be." Many fell silent at that, owing Luck that much, or perhaps in deference to Protc. And though Luck didn''t speak much, he didn''t need to.


    The men and women muttered softly of the update. The silver person and the rock man approached them.


    "I don''t see Nayah." Ace said glancing around.


    Luck frowned. "I don''t either."


    Ace watched the silver person approach once his scan of the room was done. His eyes held a slight sadness to them. "I guess there is racism here too." He remarked.


    "Yeah." Luck answered, his eyes on the two people coming to them as well.


    The rock man was wearing sturdy pants, but, like Luck, was shirtless. Luck had left his own shirt, along with most of things he didn''t need with Evodim. The silver person was covered in a cloak. It was the larger of the two that spoke first, in shaky Common no less.


    "Thank you." He said, his voice slow and rugged, but oddly human.


    "It''s no problem" Luck responded in Roke, that odd language that resembled a slow rockslide. It seemed he had trouble speaking Common, so Luck spoke in Roke as a courtesy. Acting as if for all the world it was completely normal. The rock man''s rock eyebrows shot up, surprised.


    But it was the silver figure who spoke next, in Common. "Thank you sir." Just like the body, the voice was somehow metallic, inhuman. But the face showed sincere expression.


    "Again, it was no problem. I''ve brought the people here to be safe, you included." Luck gave the metallic man a once-over. "Despite your weaponry."


    It was the silver figure''s turn to act surprised, however muted. There was nothing that indicated his weaponry, but it was the way his arms hovered free at his sides that gave it away. If not that then his slightly-too-big clothing hinted further. Then the fact he was wearing a cloak over it all, one of thin material used more for concealment than any warmth, and it was clear the man was armed. Though he hid them well, Luck guessedhe kept them for a reason, the negative reaction of the crowd being an obvious clue as to why.


    Internally, Luck decided to refer to the silver figure as a man.


    He was expecting some terrible apocalypse, and though it was terrible, it wasn''t nearly what he expected. Whatever was happening was slower than what Luck anticipated. Luck glanced around the room, checking the exits, of which there was only one, decided the temple was probably the best place to hole up, before nodding his head as two screams pierced the air. Only one of them was inhuman. Luck was aware of both stare''s from the rock man and metallic man as he queried Spirit.


    Can you identify that scream at all, Spirit?


    No, they share some qualities with Great Razor Lions, yet, pitch and wavelength indicate a type of vorpal bird of prey. Of present, this data does not preside in my existing database. I''ve recorded the screams, and will add new data as new input is presented.


    Alright, keep tracking the birds, give me a larger indicator, the best you can, to determine how far they are from us. Place it somewhere convenient.


    Affirmative.


    The one in his peripheral dissapeared. A bright red number and three dimensional arrow appeared floating in the middle of the temple. Instinctively, Luck knew he was the only one who could see it. The arrow was small, the number was large, but as another scream pierced the air, the number got smaller and the arrow got larger.


    Acoustics in this structure are not conducive to accurate representation. With only your hearing to work with, the arrow is a rough direction and distance estimate.Spirit informed.Please keep this in mind.


    Got it.


    Outside, given the screams and their similarities, Luck could only imagine a giant flying lion. To his dismay, it kept him unfocused. Something unhealthy in any time of crisis. He needed something to do. Luck wasn''t one to twiddle his thumbs and wait, he was patient yes, but he loathed inactivity. And yet, in this situation it was the best thing to do to keep these people safe.


    Old habits die hard. Luck had passively watched the silver man observe his attire, probably affirming that Luck himself had no weapons. A fact Luck made no motion to conceal. Perhaps the silver man was even wondering why his voice had so much power over these people. In contrast, though the rock man was quite surprised at Luck''s mastery of what he guessed was his language, he seemed content to stay still, like an actual rock.


    "Anything else I can do for you?" Luck asked them both, clicking his tongue to get his familiar''s attention.


    Both eyed Saga approach, they had no ounce of fear. Rather, the rock man spoke again in Roke. "No, we are fine. But this, this is the moonlight shar that had helped me!" His voice cracked into a smile. "We meet again." He directed to Saga. The shar gave a gruff nod.


    "So you''ve met my familiar then."


    "What is his name? I must know, and yours for that matter." The rock man replied. "I am Erok, greatest warrior from my mountain. I come here for the arena. To become strong."


    "I am Maxworth." The silver man replied, thereby proving his gender was indeed male. His intentions weren''t mentioned and Luck could respect that, likely, he came for the arena too.


    Ace, who was content to let Luck talk, introduced himself as well. He kept it short though, not really needing to talk. "Ace."


    "Luck, and my friend here is Saga." He said, rubbing the shar''s head.


    "Ah, Saga, a strong name. And Luck, fitting. " Erok replied. "I believe we will need both in the days to come."


    "Not this group Erok." A man interjected, walking up to their circle. It was the gruff man from the entrance, the one that Luck had recognized. "They''ve got the wits to survive out in that chaos. Helped a damn lot of people trying to find safety. My family included." He grunted with a meaningful glance. Luck smirked, nodding to him.


    "They had fought the snakes?" Erok said surprised.


    "Not from what I saw, but this one wasn''t scared of them." He said, gesturing to Luck. "From what I hear, he had the gall to distract a callamoth himself, and the cat, " He pointed, "killed it right after."


    Before anything else could be said Luck interjected. "Do you mind if I take a round at watch?" He said, noticing the two men nearly falling asleep at the entrance.


    The man''s expression dropped a little, but brightened when he realized he had a volunteer. "Not at all. Those two have been up there for hours, the only thing keeping them awake is the screams from outside." The gruff guard informed.


    After some discussion, the two guards departed to find some sleep. Luck leaned against the outside of the entrance, his three dimensional arrow having been moved outside in front of the temple. He kept his eyes on it, listening to the cries of whatever was out there. Ace was on his left, leaning the same way, arms crossed.


    It truly was a defensible position. And it was one of the larger temples. A marble staircase led up to the entrance, allowing defenders to fight with a height advantage. Luck and Ace, though right outside the entrance, were still roofed by a sizeable awning, pillars on their left and right covered every direction but forward. It created a type of hallway, though no longer than ten feet before a set of stairs led down to the temple grounds. At the top of those stairs, Erok and Maxworth stood, stoic defenders that looked like part of scenery.


    They were just another reminder Luck was in another world.


    What are they Spirit?Luck asked, his curiousity getting the better of him.


    The answer was immediate. Erok is a Roken, a species of rock men and women that inherit the qualities of their native mountain. Often, Roken children are kidnapped, placed into rooms full of valuable gems, then slaughtered and harvested. Their people can be made of any rock, so long as they are surrounded by it, this quality is both their strength and burden. His is a species with much history.Spirit replied.


    And Maxworth?


    Maxworth is hard to determine, though that in itself might be the answer. It is likely he is a Gentleman. A magical race as much as they are robotic, created by a magicist who had solved the eternal puzzle of perpetual motion. In this, he had created a self sustaining race. They are clockwork, famed across Aerae for their unbreakable word as Gentlemen. Often they are powerful, precise and deadly, they are terrifying enemies and the greatest of allies. Their reputation has been tarnished due to the actions of one of their fanatic factions.


    Huh.


    A race that took on properties of their environment, and one that was clockwork. One that was built completely around perpetual motion? Even Luck knew that shouldn''t have been possible, but he chided himself, this was a world of new possibilities after all. Luck wondered what humans had that might match those advantages they have. If they had any at all.


    "They come!" Erok rumbled straightening out and staring out at something Luck couldn''t see. But he could see his indicator, and it was pointing directly above them, getting larger and larger.


    Erok''s silver companion only produced his weapons from the folds of his cloak, a pair of small short swords, before readying his stance.


    Then they were upon them. A large mass collided with Erok, sending him into the hallway just barely keeping his legs under him. A scream signalled another attack and Maxworth was taken from view. Luck could just make out him raising his daggers before he was slammed off the staircase with a decidedly metal clang.


    "Ace!" Luck yelled, running to help Erok. He pulled from Saga, gaining sharper eyesight and claws. The shar was right beside him, overtaking him and jumping into the fray.


    Ace reacted quickly. "Got it!" He said running forwards as well.


    They were covered in blood, its wings, and razor sharp. It was some type of odd cat, but it shared near nothing to Saga''s qualities. A thin film of purple outlined the steel-like feathers. It growled, snapping at Erok''s neck, trying to get past his greathammer. Erok yelled deeply, throwing the beast off of him, slamming it into the pillars. Saga contained the beast long enough for Erok to stand himself up. Immediately, Erok was upon it, his greathammer clashed with the wings of the beast, sending sparks to the floor. Luck hesitated.


    It righted itself, sent off balance by its wings. It stood on fours, and for a moment Luck could see an animal majestic in its own right. Erok''s hammer kept the beast backed up into the pillars, unable to open its wings it was stuck in the hall.


    Inwardly, Luck felt a more profound, shocking connection with this animal. This was something of nature he realized, albeit extremely ancient. He knew it within his gut. It was not a monster, just out of place.


    Ace blasted the winged animal, lightning arcing across its wings. It shrieked wildly, spasming on the floor. A battle that seemed degrees easier than it should''ve been. If Ace had no lighting the fight might''ve lasted longer.


    "Die winged demon!" Erok hefted his greathammer like an executioner.


    "Stop!" Luck threw up his hands. "He is not a monster." Luck rumbled in Roke, getting the man''s attention. "I sense his tie to nature, the same as mine."


    Erok retracted his sword, knowing the creature was incapacitated. "He is yours druid. I give you this for I know you are not a fool." Then he was running out of the short hall, to the cries outside. Maxworth.


    "What is it Lucky?" Ace replied.


    "Whatever Ethodthem did, it unleashed some powerful beings. But this, I can sense this one''s not a monster. He''s part of nature, I can feel it. He''s out of his time though, so far out of it. I can sense how ancient, how... primordial even, he is." Luck replied his voice low, observing the creature.


    "Why are they attacking?" Ace replied. "Ethodthem doesn''t control anything... unless that''s changed. Though, it''s true the wave of attacks world-wide were implemented directly. You think Ethodthem just released them or they''re forced somehow?"


    "He might''ve. They''d just be confused if anything." Luck replied. "The attacks world-wide might have been a necessity for the update though. It is good to know that Ethodthem has that power however, that it has some measure of control, we''ve got to watch out for that. As for these though, unless the System is trying to forcibly purge Aerae, i''m guessing a lot of stuff just got woken up, the System using the chaos to strengthen people." Luck''s amber eyes roamed the creature, thinking on how it might''ve lived in another time.


    Saga sniffed at the creature, curious for a change.


    "It''ll be tough living for them, getting used to the change." Ace said knowingly. "Their whole home has changed, it''s different for us. We''re in another world. But for them? It''s like everything they knew is different."


    "At least we didn''t kill it." Luck sighed, shaking his head. At the heart of it all, it was just a huge misunderstanding. These creatures were just confused, plopped into a more modern world. Their home, which was likely Hydr Valley, was infested with the people of Peace. Of course they''d react violently.


    It didn''t look like there were any winners here, just another ''event'' to test the strength of those in Aerae. One that Ethodthem could interact with and grant power based upon. It wasn''t Ethodthem''s fault, exactly. But the ensuing chaos that came from the increase in difficulty, which was basically what it was, made for some larger problems. Among them was the confusion of ancient beasts awakened such as this one.


    "Go, help Maxworth and Erok." Luck waved, gesturing to Ace. Even unconscious the sharply winged creature seemed deadly, each breath expanding its wings slightly, brandishing their purple edges.


    His friend looked to the sleeping creature, perhaps playing its battle in his mind. "Don''t do anything stupid." The former mercenary said. He gave Luck a passing glance, and hesitated for a half a second before nodding farewell and running off.


    Spirit, give me its vitals, known capabilities, level of intelligence, anything you can glean from that short fight. Distinguishing features, anything.Luck commanded.


    Affiirmative. Vorpal bladed wings, large retractable talons, enhanced eyesight, and reaction time. Lighter bone density, stronger muscles. Apparent features hint at both a predator of the sky and the ground.


    Vorpal?


    Magically enhanced sharpness. Every feather on the creature is coated in the magic, seemingly it is a feature of the species, rather than a magic it has learned. Its surprise and ambush tactics, along with its battle cry suggest some type of fear tactics and thus a significant level of intelligence.


    Luck was peering at the creature. Its heart rate, visible breathing rate, and a slew of other information.


    And its eye opened.


    Instantly, its wing came up to slice Luck''s head off. But before Luck could even widen his eyes, time was frozen already. Luck had readied his time magic like a finger on a trigger, of which Luck was no stranger pulling. He took a measured step back, coming to the other side of the wall.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Jesus." He whispered.


    Time resumed, the beast blinking in confusion as it righted itself. One of its wings seemed impaired, and it was favoring its right side, in moments its movement was better though.


    In the druidic language Luck spoke, "Cease friend." He gave the beast a moment, watching the creature calm itself, seemingly to have understood his words. When it tilted its head Luck continued. "You''ve awoken from a slumber, the world is not the same one you have come from."


    A voice rang out in his head, one that was not Spirit, surprising Luck.You are a nature knight? A knight of nature? A druid?It''s voice was proud, deep and ringing. One that reminded him of the type of man his father was, one that held experience and power


    "Though young." Luck bowed. "Have you seen one like me before? That walks on two legs?" Drood neccessitated a somewhat formal and grand speak.


    Never.It growled.But even now, I sense your tie to nature. The feeling is unmistakable. And yet, of your kind, you are the first I have seen that can talk. How can a druid belong to race that destroys the land?The voice was a roar in his mind.


    "It is the way of us." Luck replied, strong. "I am new. Young as a... nature knight you called it? I''ve not a clue how to change the way of the people of Aerae, yet I am stuck with the desire to protect nature."


    Curious. An individual that goes against its own nature.The creature stalked closer, unhostile. Still, it affected a type of fear, and awe, in Luck. Its wings just barely grazed him, drawing sparkling blood.You look no different than the ones I have slain. Yet your seed heart is green and growing while their''s have rotted or remained small.


    "You must call off this attack." Luck said, unsure what the beast was talking about. "It will lead only to more bloodshed between those of mine and of yours. Powerful people reside here, seeking glory in the arenas. Ethodthem has updated, great beast. A time of change is among us, if your people desire to survive, to prosper, you must not make an enemy of the two legged." He didn''t want to say humans, since there were more races than just that. And in Drood the term ''two legged'' fit better than anything else.


    Ethodthem? Updating?The beast seemed to pause, considering the change.I had missed the message in my rage. But this place, it is an insult to the great desert sand! The sand is meant to flow free! It is not meant to be sit upon, stifled.


    Luck smirked, his voice still powerful as an effect of speaking Drood. "They may insult the land, I cannot deny it. But they are a resourceful folk. And I have the strange premonition something stronger might threaten these lands, something more destructive than a simple city. They are a strong ally to have, great beast, and to them so might you be."


    It regarded Luck, its eyes staring at his figure, his muscles. The power in them. Luck tensed, unhappy with the proceedings. Prove to me those on two legs are strong.It roared, angry at even the pillars around it.Defeat me and I shall name you a true druid as only the King of the Winged Razors can! I will knight you young one, if you can earn it!


    "Wha-"


    Instantly, the creature leaped forward swinging its wings. Luck had no time to do anything but survive. Used to quick reactions, split second decisions, and on-the-fly plans. He narrowly avoided a quick death.


    Chips of the pillars sprinkled like hail onto his back, which was mercifully still numb, as the creature ripped into them. The danger was real, any lost limb would not grow back. Razor bladed wings came like a hurricane, his opponent somehow keeping balance despite his forward attack. Luck ducked forward himself, rolling between the wings, too close to the beast''s chest for the wings to come in.


    Luck knew how size could affect a fight. In this one, Luck had the advantage of being smaller, more versatile. His opponent''s movements were limited, large as he was, in this small hallway.


    With a shrieking that approached a roar, the creature revealed a sharp set of glistening teeth as it tried to rip out Luck''s face. But, as it chomped down, there was suddenly a rock in his mouth. Shattering in his mouth, he was blinded by the rubble and Luck was gone. More thudded across its face and chest, taken right out of the temple grounds, weak but annoying. The creature looked towards their trajectory, growling. He found nothing, Luck was already weaving between the creature''s legs, evading the talons and keeping his balance. Something about the familiar bond let him use minor aspect of nature at a larger distance than normal. In moments, he had a set of claws to use. A weapon in his hands, or rather, hands that were his weapons.


    Drawing from some martial practice that Luck could not entirely recall the name of, he flowed between the legs of the creature. His hands, in the way he was taught, flowed into each other as he struck the belly of the beast, normally they''d be blunt attacks but a sharp set of nails changed that aspect of the technique. A minor adjustment on his part and he was ripping into the creature''s underbelly.


    A beat of wings pressed Luck into the floor. The creature had risen a few feet into the air and exposed Luck, pinning him to the ground. Its belly was a mess, looking worse than it really was, for Luck''s claws were not that long. Spirit was tracking the beast, according to his S.I. some type of wind magic added to the force that trapped him. Its belly was bloody, but the wounds were not deep, nor fatal.


    Luck breathed slowly.


    If this is the fight that only one can give, then your race is strong, but not worthy.It roared as it descended.


    Luck''s voice was deep, nearly as deep as the smirk adorning his mouth. "As I said, great beast, those that walk on two legs can both be powerful allies, or terrible enemies."


    The beast didn''t lose focus, but such a narrow focus allowed Luck his blindspots.


    Time froze. And Luck got up, measuring the distance to the creature''s neck, and flexing a part of his body that was not physical. The beast was frozen, talons splayed, wings pointed down like a spear. Awe-inspiring and magnificent. Among the surrounding architecture, the beast looked like a statue. With Spirit, the calculations needed were nothing. He had only five seconds, but Luck was confident in two.


    Time resumed and two sharp swaths of stone rose up from the ground, crossing against the neck of the beast almost instantly, doing more to restrain than draw blood. Coming from just below the wings, they crossed in perfect time, just as the beasts neck collided with it. The feat was impressive, and done completely out of the beast''s vision. The creature choked as its momentum caught on its neck, the whole ordeal lasting less than half a second. It fell to the floor, coughing, but already recovering.


    "It would''ve been nothing to make those spikes sharper." Luck said, nonchalant, his hands finding his way into his pockets. Such a show was necessary, he was representing the two legged and thus a certain competence had to be displayed. "A demonstration of my abilities, and perhaps a taste of what others might be able to do." He bowed, his hands finding his pockets.


    The creature did the equivalent of an amused chuckle, which Luck was oddly aware of in the same manner he might know Saga was laughing. The restraints retracted and the bladed creature stood up, once again demonstrating amazing vitality.


    I am Melthin, young one. You are fortunate that Wazar are weak after hibernation, much of our magic becomes lost to us upon immediate waking.Melthin sighed. His reasoning sounded nothing like an excuse to Luck. He did not doubt him.And if what you say rings true, then my father is lost to me and I am named the new king. He did not hibernate with the rest, and those I awoke with are the only wazar I see. If indeed we are in another time, then my father is long gone and his place is now mine.


    "My condolences." Luck bowed, his hands still resting in his pockets. "May the sands take the king. And to the land, his wings." He intoned, the wording coming to him even as he spoke, less from his Omnilingual trait and more from One with Nature. Those two traits had an interesting interaction when it came to druid-speak. His eyes closed in respect, even with the threat of an enemy in front of him, but Luck felt the gesture was warranted.


    When Luck opened his eyes the King was watching. Melthin seemed to approve of that.An odd one you are, young one. You speak an old language, even to the wazar. And yet I can see no Elder Species have approved of you. I must have your name if I am to offically knight you as a knight of nature. A true druid.


    "I''ve many names, but I''m most fond of the ones my parents gave me." His amber eyes sparkled. "Luck Lockyer." It was a point of pride when he could give his real name, and not with some stupid title attached to it. "Must all druids be knighted? I am simply a wanderer doing justice for nature whenever I can." He said, in truth. His breathing had already returned to normal, though the fight was deadly, scary even, Luck had been in many life or death situations. He could master that emotion and focus on the battle easily.


    An Elder Species must officialize and recognize a knight of nature, though I know not which ones have survived. Only then can a druid truly be capable of great things.Melthin paused, as if gathering some strength, and surprisingly, he stood even straighter despite his wounds, adopting a subtle regality. One recognizable even in the posture of a four legged beast. But his pause held also a sadness and uncertainty in the face of the wider world, unsure of what has changed. Luck caught it all in those short moments, his eyes as sharp as they were amber, before Melthin spoke once more.


    Hear! A new druid walks the forests, traverses the mountains, and swims the rivers! Of amber eyes and magic, he has bested a weakened wazar king! I dub thee Knight of Nature, a Druid! Know that the Druid Lockyer is recognized by the Elder Species, the Wazar!


    A distant gong reverberated, a small sound in his head, or a large noise in the distance, he could not know. But then, green lights swirled from the ground and Melthin, absorbing into Luck as immediately as they appeared. Something changed, something even beyond his magically overlayed self. And the change was instant, like a dam breaking or a sudden epiphany.


    And he was a Druid, truly.


    Before Luck could even contemplate what profound ritual had just occured Melthin interrupted him.


    I will stop my people. You do what you must Druid Lockyer. We must prevent further bloodshed, for my people may need strong allies in light of Ethodthem''s update. We wazar may be ancient to you young druid, but there are creatures that, even to us, were a blur in history. Beware Druid Lockyer, and know we shall meet again.


    And the King of the Winged Razors was gone, somehow still easily moving despite his injuries. He blasted out the short hallway in a spray of rubble and gust of wind as his wings sliced the pillars to either side. In moments, his telltale scream rang loudly, a rallying cry that many answered.


    Luck ran to the top of the stairs. Maxworth, Erok and Ace stood at the bottom. It seemed Maxworth was missing an arm, but he was also holding one, which could''ve been the very one he was missing. Erok didn''t seem any worse for wear and neither did Ace. But all of them were looking up at the sky and it didn''t take long to figure out why.


    Above them was a flock of wazar, in some strange formation. They hid their figures in the setting sun, but the minor aspect of nature allowed his eyes to look directly at them, something Luck suspected was adjusted by Spirit in some manner. At the head of the flock, was one Luck recognized, Melthin.


    Taking advantage in the lull of the attacks, citizens darted out of their hiding places, injured warriors limped from the open areas, and children ran. Many cried, calling for help and assistance. Erok lent a hand as they surged to Protc''s temple, seeking sanctaury. Maxworth did the same, though some people recoiled once they saw his silver body. Ace followed suit, speaking calmly to the people and leading them to sanctuary as he had done before.


    All three kept their eyes on the sky however.


    And then Melthin shot downward, like a comet. What accompanied was a cacophony of noise, a loud screeching of birds, mixed with the roar of lions that, by all reason, shouldn''t have sounded like it did.


    Like a choir of angelic noise. One that rose as quickly as their king descended, reaching a crescendo.


    He landed in a cloud of dust, and looked calmly among the panicking people. He only stood there, waiting as the dust settled. His wounds were on display, his injuries, fully in view. And yet he stood like they didn''t matter, proud and regal, as if his battlescars were marks of pride, or a king''s robe. He was awaiting the leader, perhaps hoping they would be produced from among the nearby buildings.


    He wanted to parley Luck realized. A decidedly kingly move, given the current situation.


    Luck only wondered who would meet him.


    Lucktook the stairs downto beside Ace, who was sitting down on the steps staring. "That''s the king." Luck offered. "King of the Winged Razors. The Wazar." Luck took a seat beside Ace. He spoke in English, to keep the subject from the other two.


    "He wants an audience." Erok chimed in, or rather, rumbled in Roke.


    "A parley." Luck confirmed, in the same deep language. "But who would meet him?" He finished in Common, reigning in the conversation, allowing everyone to participate.


    "That would be Madam Savs if i''m not mistaken?" Ace asked. "That''s the closest thing to a leader of Peace."


    Maxworth stood quietly, but Luck followed his eyes, which led his own to three approaching figures. A familiar flicker of orange drew his eye. It was Nayah, but as he focused on her, her hair had returned to normal. And she was with Borg and her mother. All three of them looked like they''d been through hell, roughed up as they were. Borg was dressed for battle, wearing plated leather and holding two swords. Luck noticed the drink he had attached to his belt as well. Madam Savs and Nayah were different though, opting for heavy robes. All sported a number of rips and tears, blood sprinkled across their garments for good measure.


    Madam Sav''s robe trailed behind her as she approached Melthin. She didn''t seem afraid, and Luck couldn''t guess why. She had less guards than she had before, when Luck had caused a stalemate between them. Whatever defensive measures she had, they were not as fast as a bolt of lightning. That was all Luck could surmise.


    She regarded Melthin with cool blue eyes, her sharp features combined with her hard gaze gave her the look of a tyrant. Or rather, someone who has accepted the harsh reality of the world. "What are you?" She spoke, her voice as hard as her looks. "And why have you attacked Peace?"


    There was no visible reply, but Madam Savs stood a little straighter. Luck could guess why. She stared into the eyes of the wazar king for a good minute, a litany of emotion playing over her face. She nodded once, twice, then turned from Melthin, and spoke to Nayah and Borg.


    Adressing the crowd, or rather, the cowering townsfolk, and hardened warriors, she announced. "The Wazar are not our enemies, in light of the System''s update we must prepare for stronger foes." She sounded louder than she should have been. "Return to your homes, the invasion is over. What remains are whatever sleeping powers have been awakened. We must be ready for them, for they truly might destroy us." With a glance backward she nodded.


    Melthin met her eyes, seemingly amused before taking to the skies, his flock behind him. Luck watched him go and his head turned back, something that wouldn''t have been noticed by anyone given the setting sun, but his eyes were that of an eagle''s. And he stared right into Luck''s, surprised to find that an amber pair stared back. They flew into the setting sun, to either return to an ancient home, or to find a new one.


    Luck stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Shall we?" He motioned to Ace, curious as to what happened.


    Ace shrugged and followed. "After you, Lucky."


    Madam Savs was the first to notice his approach, already speaking with a familiar gruff guard. "It seems you have saved many lives Mr. Lockyer." She greeted. "Of that you have my thanks."


    "Not just me." He replied, gesturing to Saga and Ace. "You''ve reached an agreement with Melthin I assume?" Luck said, conversationally, like the topic was the weather or pointless gossip.


    "Yes, we''ve come to-" Her eyes narrowed, and narrowed further as they saw Luck smirk. "You know, he did speak of one who bested him in combat. A lone druid. You would not happen to know of one would you?"


    "I can''t say I''ve heard of him." Luck replied, for all the world seeming earnest. Ace coughed slightly, the sound barely audible. Ace was always deceptively sharp. "I spoke shortly with the king however, fearful for my life, but he was already taking to the skies, calling off the assault. He had just met with the druid then."


    Erok, whom Luck had already basically confessed to being a druid to, stood stoically. He didn''t seem particularly inclined to mention it. Though, he could''ve just as easily not have been able to follow the conversation in full.


    "Hmm." She spoke, voice thoughtful. "I''ve heard the druid had turned the vipers, sending them on their way. Or so goes the rumor. But to defeat that wazar as well may prove unlikely. No matter, his method of communication is truly odd but effective as well, we''ve reached a truce. Communing with him, I know we both fear something stronger than any two of us."


    "A solid plan, to combine forces." Luck agreed. "I fear what befell any other major cities. Ardun, for example. If not for the druid here, who knows what might''ve happened had the wazar continued their invasion. Both parties may have been weakened immensely, vulnerable to some third party attack."


    "They''ve got a strong lick of fight in them I''ll tell ye that. Not even ye friend over there was able to give me that much of a challenge." Borg slurred, gesturing sloppily to Ace.


    "If I''d have been challenged myself I believe I might''ve." Ace said, a cocky grin on his face. "Might not be the fairest of fights with that much alcohol in you."


    "Oi! I''ll have yer head boy!" Borg drunkenly swayed on his feet. Nayah was there to catch him before anything happened though.


    "Sorry for him, Ace." She said shyly, to which Ace waved her concern away, a soft smile on his face. "I''ll still accompany you to Ardun, Luck. If you''ll have me. So long as you can still teach me bartending." She said it with a certainty, but there was fear in her eyes. She seemed bent on learning to bartend though, however useless the skill might be in this world. Luck found it odd, but passion could drive people off a cliff.


    "It''s an eight month journey from here, with the added danger of whatever might be awakened on the way. Not only that, it''s Ardun. The place was already dangerous before this update."


    "My daughter can handle herself, she is the heir to the Arena Field''s of Peace after all. And yet she desires to learn the profession of serving swill to the common men." Her mother said disdainfully. But her eyes became more serious as she turned to Luck. "Do not let those in Ardun see you speak in shadow, Mr. Lockyer. It will not be conducive to your healthy living, nor will it be for my daughter. Come Nayah, I will equip you accordingly. I assume you will leave tommorow, Mr. Lockyer?"


    "That is the plan, yes. Not much daylight left to burn." He waved, looking at the sunset.


    "Then you will come to the center tower tommorow morning." She turned, her robes twirling in a circle, and Luck could make out a wand on her hip. "Come Nayah, preparing you for your trek is another task that eats the time I could spend preparing for greater foes." With a relunctant smile, Nayah followed her mother. Borg slurred something as well, his feet slapping towards Madam Savs too.


    "Why do you hide your nature druid?" Erok rumbled in Roke, he had been standing off to the side, apparently fluent enough in Common to follow the earlier conversation. "She spoke of the druid, was that not you? That was the very same beast I had left to you. And I am sure I am not druid."


    "It was Erok, but I don''t need to claim good deeds as my own. I much rather enjoy the anonymity." Luck replied.


    "Do you not seek the glory of your heroic deeds?" Erok questioned.


    Ace chuckled. "This one doesn''t like the talk that comes with it, Erok. Never did." He said, patting Luck''s shoulder. "I''ll tell the people inside they''re free to leave." The former mercenary walked off towards the stairs, Luck shaking his head.


    Maxworth stood by Erok, silent.


    "What will you two do now?" Luck asked.


    "Perhaps we can accompany you to Ardun, sir?" Maxworth, oddly formal, replied.


    Luck pondered that, an extra two pairs of hands was not unwelcomed. But he was loathe to reveal his capabilities to any more people as it was. He truly did like the anonymity. Staying close with these people over the course of more than half of year might prove difficult if he wanted to keep that facade.


    "What brings you there?" Luck asked instead.


    Erok and Maxworth replied nearly at the same time. "Power." The silver one looked to Erok before continuing. "We seek power. There is no better place than Ardun for those like us. With this update, sir, the enemies will be stronger."


    "Yes," Erok said, "this status screen, it lists all of my powers. I''ve not remembered many of these until now, their effects, a part of me as the rock that grows on my back. Strange. Strange, that our power seems to be quantified so well."


    Maxworth nodded. "The interface is reworked. I have not seen my powers or effects in such a concise way before now."


    It was at that point Luck became aware of his blinking notifications. In the same moment, Ace came from the stairs, a crowd of hesitant people behind him. Luck glanced at the two, one silver, the other brown. "If you still want to join me, you heard Madam Savs, tommorow at the central tower." Then Luck was off.


    Signalling Saga mentally, Luck dissapeared in the crowd, making quick eye contact with Ace before melding further. He tracked Luck, found the likeliest destination and headed there as well. Saga was moments behind, all three of them finding themselves in a short alley, barely covered but with a corner in between that hid the passage from both sides.


    Luck poured mana into his connection, willing a portal into existence.


    "We''ve got to spend the time as best we can." Luck explained, stepping through. "That means as much time in here as possible."


    "Seems reasonable." Ace replied.


    Then they were in his dimensional room once again. "Welcome Master Luck. In your leave I had sped up the internal clock, going three times faster, rather than slower. Some plants have already sprouted, demonstrating enormous growth."


    Saga was assaulted by the bunnies and Ace took a seat in the leather chairs, presumably to nap.


    "Thank you Evodim. I wasn''t aware that was possible." Luck replied, heading to the greenhouse room. What he saw amazed him. He had just planted these seeds not three hours ago. They''ve already broken the soil, sprouting upwards and already growing fruits.


    Many were colored, small orbs that glistened with juices, but obviously premature. In the small pond Luck could make out swaying plants, held aloft by floating fruits. A long, almost banana shaped fruit glowed from within the recess that housed the plants that preferred the dark.


    "In addition, I have repaired your dirtied clothes. And through your affinity with Earth and Nature elements, along with your mastery of those magics, combined with your regenerative properties, I was able to create a type of healing spring. I''ve connected the room to the bathroom."


    "A healing spring?" Luck eyebrows rose. "You can do that? That seems almost unfair."


    "It is a strange second nature I have. Paired with the general information package, I was able to discern some types of magical compliments. This among them, Master Luck. The adaptive magic that constructs me truly is wonderous, your growth is reflected in my own and the magic that makes me somehow layers itself and moves in tune with yours, growing as you do. It is beyond my comprehension." Oddly, the only comparison Luck could make to that kind of magic, was perpetual motion. Essentially, that was a magic that never ended, that built upon itself. Though, Luck wasn''t naive enough to believe that there truly were no limits.


    "Do let Ace know." He said. "For now I''ve got a few things to think about." Luck sat among the young plants, his arms and legs brushing against their stalks. The patch of green grass in the middle was unmarred, as if inviting him to sit.


    "As you wish." Evodim replied, the voice getting distant even as it spoke, like a passing breeze.


    He decided to open his status screen, and it opened before he could even think about how to do it.


    A stark blue against his eyes. There listed, were all of the powers that affected him. Of his magical traits, there was Troll''s Blood and One with Nature. Of his physical ones, only Expectional Regeneration. Then there was Omnilingual which was a combination of knowledge and trait.


    Next, were his actual powers. Of that there were only the three magics he had learned, Earth, Nature and Time. Their descriptions were listed as well with Luck only having to focus for them to appear. They came in a crisper, blue psuedo-hologram, that Luck instinctively knew only he could see. He blinked at the blue, before examining everything quantified once more.


    Following that, all the effects on his person. This listed the familiar bond, the connection to Evodim as well as the supportive intelligence in his head. These came with their descriptions too, although, like the rest, most only gave general information when described.


    For example Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration were the same as they were listed in the impartation, yet Luck already knew a handful of their specific information through testing with Spirit. Further, the magics listed, didn''t show the spells he knew, only that he was capapble of it. Additionally, the connections he had, the things tied to him, were exactly the same, hinting at positive benefits with growth but nothing more than that.


    One thing that stood out, among his magical traits was something called True Druid. Focusing on that, a screen came up suggesting a deeper, more pure, connection to nature. Along with One with Nature, he was more excited than fearful of that connection, no matter what it meant for him as a species that destroyed to create. He felt that nature was another home, or rather another family. That was the best way he could describe it, it was also the way the System described it. To have some sort of deeper connection to nature, he wouldn''t mind it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    New Title: True Druid


    A Knight of Nature, protector of the wild and all that reside in it. One who lives and communes with nature as a close friend. As recognized by an Elder Species their connection becomes that much deeper, allowing them to connect on a level unheard of by the masses. The nature of whatever power they draw upon is unknown, save for the fact that is comes from nature itself.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "A True Druid, huh?" He thought upon the sudden lights that swirled into him. "Is that what Melthin did to me?" He muttered softly.


    He didn''t feel any different. Again, no surprise given his previous magical awareness. It was when he started cycling through his senses that he realized something. The plants surrounding him, they were curling onto his arms and legs, like a gentle embrace. A little sibling. Like how Tate used to hold on to him.


    They were happy. Happy he was there. And oddly, Luck felt the same, his mouth curling into a small smirk, one of his few tells of true happiness. They basked in his presence like the sun, and Luck found himself humming softly, an old tune once sung to him. Slightly, ever so slightly they began to sway, almost unnoticable to anyone not paying attention. But Luck was observant, it didn''t escape his notice.


    Somehow he felt rejuvenated after it all, envigorated. To say after was wrong, since they were still clinging to him, not a bother at all.


    Through his familiar bond he called Saga. Seconds later the door opened, something Luck didn''t question since there was no plausible way for Saga to open it without thumbs, before the shar in question padded through. His eyes stared at Luck questioningly.


    You called, friend? was what Luck heard, much to his surprise.


    But already, Saga''s presence was calming, so even startled his heartrate didn''t even spike. The shar was his familiar after all, his bondmate.


    Hello Saga.


    It was Saga''s turn to act surprised, not that Luck showed his reaction or that Saga could decipher it.You hear me?


    Yeah. Want to sit? Or are you too busy babysitting a pair of bunnies? Luck added as the two in question scurried behind Saga.


    Saga snorted, no words to accompany it, before plopping down.They don''t leave me alone, not since I helped them at the temple.


    Opting to speak out loud instead Luck said, "That''s what heroes do. Especially one whose namesake is about heroic deeds." He chuckled, enjoying the lack of guesswork he needed to communicate with the shar.


    Already the mental speaking became normal, again, as if both were old friends accustomed to such changes between them. It was another method of speaking, but this was Saga.


    Next time I won''t save small animals. Instead, I''ll just eat our enemies. Tastier that way.Saga replied


    Luck laughed, but he took in the shar, admiring his dark green matte fur. "Sure. By the way, speaking of eating our enemies, thanks for saving me from that callamoth back then." He recalled failing at stopping time, that crucial moment that he whiffed. He was too tired, his focus splayed, if he had died there then the mother surely would have. His eyes lingered on Saga for a moment, the unnassuming shar observing the fruits around.


    No problem, Amber Eyes. I enjoyed the hunt.Saga shrugged, resting his head on his forelegs, the balls of white settling on either side of his face.You would do the same.


    Luck smirked at his nickname, but allowed it this time. A lot of anything to do with his eyes were always exaggerated, but Saga''s moniker just told it how it was. He had amber eyes. So he called him by it. "Nevertheless, thank you."


    Saga peeked open an eye. How is your back?


    "I''ll be fine, my body is already working to heal it. Not only that, apparently Evodim created a healing spring using my growth, traits, and magics as a catalyst. Don''t worry about me Saga. I''m tougher than I look, despite the injuries I''ve taken." He assuaged, tired with the concern going around. Luck was a man who knew his own limits better than anyone might know their own.


    You are too squishy Amber Eyes.Saga said.No fangs, only brain and the power to heal. You need something to defend yourself when trapped. Quiet One has lightning, that is his teeth, he can bite when cornered. But you cannot.


    "Hey. I''ve got teeth. Time, Earth and Nature magic, remember?" Luck defended, amused at the nickname for Ace.


    Teeth, but not sharp.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, annoyed at that doubt, the same doubt many of his peers had for him because of his age. His training flashed in his mind. Years and years of it, filling his mind, fresh as the day he learned it. Ingrained into his memory through both hard work and pain. Methods to disable someone in seconds. Years at the shooting range. The various tactics used to break an arm, leg, hand, foot, anything. The split second decisions that his life necessitated, the same ones that had saved him more than once. The ability to manuever around a room during a fight, finding cover, or creating makeshift weapons on the fly. To lockpick, manipulate, blackmail and more. What stood out however, just from its relevance, was his hand-to-hand combat training, or rather his unarmed combat training.


    He wasn''t helpless, despite what it seemed. The people he encountered so far, they had been born to this life of constant fighting, they were trained by the sword or whatever they chose. The Subaqa had superior training, to the point they gave Ace a run for his money. The very same person who had trained his whole life to kill people. And though he held off so many armed with only his magic, it never would have been that close back home.


    It wasn''t that Luck was helpess, just that the people here were conditioned to fight. It was why, instead of losing an arm, or a finger during the fight with Madam Savs'' guards, he opted to get stabbed in the stomach. Knowing that he would live through it, and gaining an advantage in the confusion that met the guard.


    Because what Luck excelled at wasn''t truly just hand-to-hand. Unarmed fighting would be a more accurate term to use, though still not completely correct. Of all his training, what he did best was combine them all in a way that might seem underhanded. An effective method of brawling that drew upon his quick wits and reactions, two things the Amber Demon had in spades. Mr. Ark liked to call it dirty fighting. Something, Luck felt, that despite the magical aspect of this world and way of living, was still valid, even when fighting something not quite human.


    As long as they had some measure of intelligence, they could be misleaded, tricked, and taken advantage of in a split second. And here Saga was, thinking he was some useless kitten.


    Luck grinned, feeling the spotlight move onto him. He was being underestimated, by his own familiar of all things. "How about a little spar, Saga? Find out just how sharp these teeth are? And no magic on my part." He added offhandedly, unconcerned.


    Saga bared his teeth in an imitation of a smile.They are your wounds to lick Amber Eyes.


    That cockiness was nothing like Ace''s, it was refreshingly honest, and for that Luck''s eyes twinkled, his smirk curling further.

 Chapter 11 - The Grove

    The Shar, the great cats that thrive wherever they''re found. They are odd creatures, possessing as many quirks between individuals as any human, such is the depth of their intelligence. By definition they are apex predators, too risky or tricky to be hunted by any other animal. The cats thrive even in places with low food, as they''ve been known to ration their resources and kills. Terrifying and intriguing to any scholar after my own heart. My favorite is the Moonlight Shar, perhaps the most devious and cunning. And if the stories are true, kindhearted and benevolent when it strikes their fancy.


    -Craddus Faul, Annual Scholar''s Meet.


    The main problem for the fight, Luck instantly noticed, was where to have it. The greenhouse room, aptly named, was filled with plants, young and sprouting. He didn''t want to damage them.


    The common room had a bunch of furniture. The amber card table Luck was especially loathe to damage, further, the room didn''t really lend itself to a realistic battlefield. Add to that there was a sleeping lightning mage in there, and that room was crossed off as well.


    Luck''s bedroom was his bedroom, he didn''t want to fight there if he could avoid it. The bathroom was obviously too small, and the healing spring...


    Well, they could check that room actually.


    "Come Saga, let''s see if the healing spring has a big enough space for you to lose." Luck smirked, not really ever having been able to tease the shar. He walked by the sprouting plants, some faintly reaching to him, and opened the door for Saga. "But, more importantly, if it has a big enough space for me to win." He smiled.


    You will bite your tongue Amber Eyes. Saga said, annoyed, but with a sureness to his voice as he padded through the common room.


    Passing by the leather chairs, Luck determined that Ace''s normally stoic and reserved nature dissolved completely as he slept. The man was snoring loudly, peaceful, but splayed nearly all over the chair. Odd, since Luck had seen Ace sleep in the rooms at the Arena Fields, and he was a quiet sleeper then. Of course, that might have been less Ace sleeping and more Ace being knocked out. That was right after their bout with Madam Sav''s guards and the man suffering heavy mana fatigue. Luck wondered perhaps if it was instead a matter of comfort. They really were a pair of tasteful leather seats, Luck couldn''t blame him. With an amused smile, he walked to the door of the bathroom.


    It opened up to a small hallway, different from before, but at the end was what he assumed was the healing spring, that, or Evodim had rearranged where the actual bathroom was as well. Since there was a door to his immediate left he judged that as the bathroom and with a quick peek he confirmed it.


    Mist tinted green came from the room, along with the sound of gentle flowing water. Luck was more surprised that he approved of the style of what he saw. Set into the ground was a clear pool, a waterfall flowed into it from the wall. But the waterfall was kept quiet, even as mist rose from its collision with the pool. Said pool was mysteriously calm, undisturbed from the rushing water. Despite that it didn''t seem stagnant, rather, it looked refreshing and rejuvenating.


    Plants grew in the pool, giving the set up a natural feel, despite the tile that covered the floor of the pool. There was a slant going into the pool, water lapping at Luck''s feet as he took in the room. Warm. That was what he instantly recognized from the feel of the water. From that warmth one wouldn''t expect the soothing nature of the waters, yet that was what happened. He realized, some of the mist was actually steam as well. He felt he was breathing easier, and unbenknownst to him, the pain in his back was numbing down.


    Luck looked at Saga. "Might help my back." He shrugged, still a bit stiffly, before wading into the pool and finding it came only to his thighs. He lowered himself fully, floating a short distance from the floor.


    What an odd place. Saga said, he stood at the edge, licking at the water. It will heal your wounds?


    "And yours too." Luck replied, not even needing to open his eyes to remember the various cuts and bruises that Saga sported. Luck watched out for his friends, so the detail didn''t escape him.


    There was an amusing pause before the shar responded. It reminds me of the whales in The Pools.


    "Oh, the blue ones?" Luck replied, his back pulsing not unpleasantly.


    Yes. He said, a small smile in his voice. Rest before we fight then. Then you will know how squishy you are. And the shar waded forward as well, floating on his back and closing his eyes in the same way Luck did.


    Luck peeked an eye and chuckled quietly. He remembered Saga''s playful side when at The Pools, the cunning side below Dersoc, and the heroic side that helped Erok and saved two bunnies. But the shar could be just as vicious as he was deep. Luck recalled, blearily, Saga taking down the callamoth, all claw and teeth, and no mercy.


    But the shar didn''t know Luck''s life before this world. He was a dangerous man, no matter what world he was in. That didn''t stem from his skills, or his powers. It was a given for any man that was determined in his own way, one that set his mind to something and saw it done. Yes, he had the skills and techniques, honed over the years, but preceding that was the determination to make his parents proud, for them not to worry. And what better way to achieve that than to prove himself the most capable man in the underground? And within the decade, so it was.


    "Master Luck." A voice flowed into the room not unlike the ocean tides. "It seems that the explosive growth I was experiencing is waning, occuring in such a way I feel that perhaps is an aspect of the magic that makes me."


    Luck kept his eyes closed, a luxury he normally couldn''t afford, as he rested his hands behind his head, letting out a sigh of content. "Remember, I couldn''t access you until a day ago. You''ll have to explain what you started as."


    "Ah, apologies Master Luck. What you see currently is nearly twelve times my original size. Previously, I was smaller than the common room." Evodim said, his voice a warm ocean breeze. "According to Spirit''s logs my growth stems four days. Roughly twelve days of growth."


    "The past four days I''ve been under constant pressure and action. It wouldn''t be surprising to see you grow significantly through that diversity." Luck speculated, eyebrows creasing. It was nice to loosen the reigns on his emotions every now and then.


    "That is true. As I understand it, my current size is somewhat large, unprecedented even, for a dimensional room. Though this may be a direct effect of the evolving trait. In some way the magic enchantments inherent to me that pertain to the evolving trait are affecting the spacial enchantments inherent to the dimensional room. For the better." Evodim explained. "I believe that all evolving tools have this burst of growth intially however. That knowledge is more instinctual, and peculiar since a tool without self awareness would not be able to act upon it."


    "Sounds like a catalyst. Forcing the evolving tool to create a base foundation from which to evolve from." Luck sported a thoughtful expression, suspended in the water. "Compounded with the amount of growth I achieved over four days... in comparison you probably had a lot to work with."


    "Agreed. This brings me to my point. I believe I have two or three days of this growth left, before the magic wanes completely. That is, two or three days in here. During that time I encourage you to focus your attention inward, improving yourself and therefore me." Evodim said. "Already I feel your closer ties to nature, which I plan to augment the greehouse area with. Past that, I''ve no other inclinations as of yet."


    "By all means." Luck said approvingly, enjoying the warmth of the spring. "A small part of nature in my own home would not be unwelcomed. More so, the place might serve as a good enough arena for me and Saga."


    Saga opened an eye and gave Luck a pointed look. It seemed even if he could talk, the shar was a feline of few words.


    Luck chuckled, excited more than anything.


    No inclinations Evodim had said. Luck''s first thought was some type of training room, but if the greenhouse room becomes enlarged than that would serve them far more better than anything else.


    A myriad of other room types came to mind. Storage he didn''t really need, he wasn''t a hoarder, and there was enough space that if they did need to store something he could just stash it in one of the rooms. An armory might make more sense, but again, Luck didn''t see himself using more than a few trusty items when he did get his hands on them.


    A room dedicated to the gods might be something worth exploring, for the ones he liked. The only problem was that there was likely something better to make.


    What else could he... a bar.


    He wanted a bar. And a kitchen.


    "Evodim." Luck said, knowing he''d have to make some significant progress growing. "I want a bar and kitchen."


    Luck didn''t think he was that great in the bar, though near everyone he knew said otherwise. It was a topic of contention with him and everyone else. Conversely, no one argued his mediocre skills in the kitchen, to his relief. He could cook pasta and scrambled eggs. That was about everything he could bring to the table. He conceded that if everyone thought you were good at something, you probably were. So, with Luck at the bar and Ace in the kitchen they could probably entertain a good number of guests, hopefully bringing new cuisines from other worlds if it ever caught their fancy. Unlike Luck, Ace was modest in both the things he exceled at and those he was okay at. Ace''s cooking was something Luck remembered Mr. Ark raising a pleasantly surprised eyebrow to way back when, a sight that made Luck nearly choke in disbelief.


    "A wise addition." Evodim said, genuine honesty in his accent. "I''m loathe to admit the idea had never crossed my mind. I''ll see what plants we have that can lend themselves to fermenting." He added. The emotion present in his voice brought Luck''s attention to Spirit; whether or not he should change the voice settings. Another time perhaps.


    "What time is it outside?" Luck asked, not really caring whether Spirit or Evodim was the one to answer.


    Actually, Spirit never really chimed in, even though Luck allowed advance action. Though, truthfully Luck couldn''t think of many moments where he wasn''t already thinking of most contingencies. Actually, there were some times where Spirit lended a hand, small indicators or suggestions in the heat of battle that Luck took on instinct. To some extent, the S.I. had some insight on Luck''s plans when fighting Melthin, though the help was small, it was appreciated.


    "Nearly four in the evening." Evodim replied. "That is, using the twenty-hour clock of Aerae."


    Luck emerged from the spring. His pants were soaked, having gone in with them, but he placed the only other thing from his pocket on the dry benches nearby beforehand.


    It was the timepiece he received as a reward. He took it in his palm, looking at the hands. The pocketwatch measured a twenty-four hour day. It was created by a master horologist. Could he have been from Luck''s own home?


    Another mystery, although it seemed the times were synced at least, where six in the evening was five in the evening on a twenty-hour day.


    Scratching his head, Luck just decided to use his own time, since that was the way his own pocket watch was keeping it. "Assuming we''re meeting at six in the morning, we''ve got thirty hours." Contrary to the busybody many people thought he was, Luck was someone who could appreciate some shut-eye. "That''s more than enough time for some really good sleep." He yawned, stretching.


    Luck blinked, that motion was way too easy.


    Too smooth.


    Spirit, stop numbing me.He directed.


    Affirmative.


    With the reply came no pain at all. Stretching as he did, he felt no stiffness. Slowly, he decided to finish his calisthenics, going through the process of limbering up as was necessary to avoid cramps. A routine one of Mr. Ark''s friends had drilled him on, the friend that specialized in ''borrowing'' as he put it.


    Wet padding and a slosh of water let Luck know that Saga had emerged as well.


    His eyes landed on his familiar from over his shoulder as he stretched, and Luck stared in wonder at the shar''s unmarred dark green coat. A matte green as dark and clear as the day he met him. Saga himself stared at Luck''s back intently.


    Your back is healed Amber Eyes.Saga remarked, impressed.


    "And you''re void of cuts, bruises and scrapes now. The cut along your forepaw is gone. the scrapes on your left side, vanished. You aren''t limping anymore either." Luck observed, noticing his smoother walk. "And from the looks of it, your shoulder is healed too." He smirked.


    Saga paused, his eyes focusing on Luck''s own for a change.You see much.He said simply.


    Luck looked at him meaningfully.You are my bondmate Saga. I would not push you farther than I would push myself.


    Instead of using any words, Saga nodded, nudging Luck''s hip with his head as he strided past. The door opened of its own accord, letting the shar through.


    Luck smiled as well, grabbing a towel from one of the cubbies set into the wall, and made his way to his own room. His room was less stylish, and more simple comfort. A soft bed with support was all he ever really needed, though he wasn''t a stranger to cold concrete either. Somehow Evodim had sensed his preference since there was little decoration in the room, just enough to be able to say it wasn''t empty or without character. The reason he had kept his previous bedroom the same way was because it was harder, but not impossible, for him to sleep with such decor to appreciate.


    He was glad he was able to turn on the feeling in his back.


    The bed was mindblowingly soft.


    The next morning, or rather, when he woke up, Luck opened the door into the main living area.


    A bar had been added sidled right up against Saga''s patch of greenery, where the shar now lay. The wood wasn''t one he recognized, but one that he immediately liked. A dark polish, you could tell the age of the wood from the barely visible rings on the bar counter. There were only a few bottles on the racks behind the bar, but walking behind the counter revealed all the equipment was there. The dark wood had a faint, sweet scent to it, as if chosen specifically to complement the inherent bitterness of alcohol. Pushed up against Saga''s own space, the leaves that came through Saga''s doorway added a type of jungle feel to the whole setup.


    "Solid work Evodim." Luck spoke out loud. "Walk me through the bottles." He said, his curiousity getting the better of him.


    There was a small amount considering, about six in total. "Of all the plants possible to be planted there were much more options, but filtered through nutritional value, taste and growth rate these were the best given those restrictions. They come straight from some of the sprouting plants." Evodim''s voice came clear and strong, as if he was a bartender himself. Did he change his voice depending on the setting? Luck smirked gently. An odd quirk.


    A pleasant smell wafted over to the bar, overpowering the sweet scent of the dark wood. Luck''s stomach rumbled. He would''ve noticed the scent earlier if he was on alert, as it was, he was in a safe place and there was no real need. His stomach was all the alarm he needed this time around. Luck knew some people who got caught off guard switching between those two states, never being able to truly relax or vice versa. He had learned to appreciate the slow moments early on, so he had no trouble transitioning.


    "The fermented fruits are-" Evodim began.


    "What''s that smell?" Luck asked instead, though he already knew the answer. It was breakfast. And unlessthe bunnies were cooking, then there should be a particular human in the kitchen. What that meant? Good food.


    "Ah, that is Master-" He corrected himself. "That is Ace is in the kitchen." Evodim said. "He went hunting for food this morning and was able to make a good catch."


    He nodded, noting Evodim''s verbage. Ambery eyes ravished the bar and set to work, tasting and testing the drinks. From what he could smell, both from the bottles and from the smell that wafted over, he could reasonably assume the type of dish the chef was making. Because he knew that, he knew exactly what type of drink he''d most enjoy to pair with it. A swish of a dark blue juice, and a swirl of bright orange liquid, oddly paired well enough together that he stopped there, not needing to add anything else. A quick shake and pour, and he had two cool glasses in his hands.


    There was only one new door so Luck went through it. This brought him to a fairly large kitchen, a small serving window between it and the tables. The tables were made of the same wood, except they looked ornate, like they belonged in some type of older establishment. Needless to say, it was a type of style Luck admired. Luck placed the drinks on the table with the view.


    Now, what really drew his eye, if not his magical connection, was the glass window behind the tables looking into the greenhouse room. Or rather, what was once a greenhouse room. That being where he put down the drinks. Now, it was a dense forest, the greens were lighter though, more inviting. As if it was more of a glade, or sanctuary, than something teeming with unknowns. But it was clear to Luck that the place wasn''t dangerous, abundantly clear. He watched an animal, both strange and familiar at the same time, prance through the woods and dissapear.


    It was home, he knew. Odd as it sounded from a man who lived his whole life in the city.


    "Good, you''re awake." A slow voice said, drawing amber eyes to the neat serving window. "And you''ve already chosen us seats, perfect. I''ll be right out."


    Luck smirked, he was pretty sure he caught a chef hat and apron before Ace dissapeared from view.


    There was another door set into the wall next to the large glass window that lead out into the woods. Almost as if he were in a restuarant nestled right in the heart of a forest. Luck let his eyes wander, finding they always drifted back to the window, admiring the trees, and the plants. Even the small animals darting between the foliage. Admiring... Saga? His familiar walked among the forest floor, appearing as if from nothing. It took Luck longer than he would''ve liked to finally notice him, then again he wasn''t looking for him in the first place.


    Saga''s cat-like eyes held a promise in them as they regarded Luck.


    When you are ready Amber Eyes. The match starts when you enter the woods.And then he was gone, another shadow among the trees.


    The shar''s voice hadresounded loud and clear, even through the glass.


    Idly, Luck took a deep, slow, and thoughtful swig of his drink. This... complicated things. He wasn''t expecting a bout in the woods, he had nearly no experience fighting in nature. Scratch that, he had absolutely no experience at all fighting in the woods. The way Saga was setting this up; it was obvious who the hunter and the hunted were.


    The gentle setting of ceramic on hardwood stole Luck''s attention.


    With a comfortable silence Luck admired the food, plated beautifully. Seasoned meat that looked like nothing Luck recognized, save for the fact it was without a doubt dripping with flavor. It was served simply, with a side of rice that absorbed the escaping flavors of the meat.


    Ace settled in across from him, his friend''s bedhead looked aggrivatingly stylish. Handsome without trying as Tate had once said. The man quietly ate his food, either too tired or too hungry to talk.


    "What?" Ace asked, apparently not needing to look up from his food to know Luck was staring. Luck''s father had always thought Ace strange, in the sense that the former mercenary had many surprises to him.


    "Nothing." Luck smirked softly. He took a sip from his drink, laying back in his chair. They had nearly a full day before he needed to meet with Madam Savs.


    His first bite coincided with Ace''s first sip. At the same time, "How is it?"


    They shared a glance and smiled with humor.


    Luck was the first to respond. "Delicious as always, regrettable, since I''ve never once had anything negative to say." He shook his head. "And you?"


    "Refreshing." Ace examined the glass, swirling the liquid in his hold. "As always." He smiled.


    "Where''d you get the meat?" Luck asked after a moment, it didn''t taste like anything he knew.


    "The grove." Ace nodded to the window. "Evodim''s placed some game in there. I went hunting." He said, shifting in his chair to give Luck a better view of the door to the forest. Luck followed his eye''s and only now noticed the bow and quiver resting against the door frame. The wood had camofluaged it enough for Luck to skim over it.


    It was weird, he was always expecting some type of backlash from animals being hunted. His logical mind was expecting his trait to scream at the injustice. But it was his emotional thinking that let him know that this was just how nature worked.


    "I guess that''s what Saga''s doing in there now." Luck said, remembering the peculiar animal he saw dart away in the direction Saga had headed.


    "Saga''s in there?" Ace asked, mildly curious. "I didn''t see him go. I thought he was sleeping."


    "Yeah, and I told him we could have a spar." Luck sighed. "I was definitely not expecting a fully fledged, dense forest to be the battlefield." His drink might be needing a refill soon. "Not only that, I promised not to use magic. The match starts when I enter the grove."


    "Sounds like you." Ace replied dryly and not the least concerned, drinking his own drink and looking through the window. It may have been Luck''s imagination, but it seemed Ace was sipping from the glass to hide a wry smile. Luck was only slightly annoyed. "Nevermind that, you''ll find a way. You always do."


    Luck scoffed. "You''ve been listening to too many of those stories. Luck Lockyer isn''t what people make him out to be. First you think my name is fake. Then there was that amber gaze thing I had no idea about. Who knows what other notions of me you''ve accumulated? The real Luck Lockyer is nothing like those stories." Luck finished slowly, an inkling of an idea coming to his mind.


    Ace gave him a questioning glance as his friend stood up, making for the door. There was a playful glint in those amber eyes, one that Ace had seen before. Eye''s that looked as playful as they were determined. Hard and soft in both equal amounts, in the way only Luck could pull off.


    Luck looked at Ace, sending a brief shiver down his hardened friend''s spine. "Then how is the real Luck Lockyer?" Ace couldn''t help but ask.


    "In the flesh, he is much much worse." And Ace knew it to be true. "Thanks for the meal Ace."


    Luck was gone before Ace could respond leaving the cook opposite a drained glass and cleaned plate.


    The woods, to Luck, felt the same as spending time with his family any of the times they had a new hideout. His family was where his home was even if the setting was unfamiliar. In the same vein, this forest... this grove was home, familar and yet... not.


    The bond to Saga was strong, but Luck found it easy to put it out of his mind. There would be no cheating today.


    But there was some deep connection here too, it was easy to recognize. A bird flew above, flitting between the treetops singing its song. A patterned deer called out from within the woods, just barely audible. Insects and creatures unseen seemed to talk and chatter, their conversations a layer below the sounds of the forest. And residing below that, the most encompassing by far, were the trees.


    Oh, Luck could talk to them for a long time he knew. Who knew the changing of the land could be described so accurately through only emotion and vague memories? Who knew it could be so beautiful? If he wanted, he could sit among them and get lost in their stories. He found it odd, as Evodim had created these trees, had he not? Why did they have such a history?


    Luck nocked an arrow. Something had gotten his attention, sharp amber tracking the shadow. He feigned losing sight of the shadow as it stilled, unsure. The birds sang ahead, their chirpings served as small amusements among the elder trees.


    He admired them. If he could fly he might be just as fickle. Unfortunately, his mind, tempered as it was, would probably never stop turning. It was why, even appreciating the colorful feathers, his eyes saw the shadow move.


    Even he truly didn''t know why it was ever required that he train with the bow, but he was trained nevertheless. To be fair, it was probably one of the oddest things about him given that he lived in the city. It wasn''t Mr. Ark that trained him though, nor was it any other teacher. In fact, it was Rick Lockyer himself. His father loved antique weaponry, a fact not many people knew, and to be honest Luck had long suspected the cane he limped around with was some type of blade before he even witnessed him kill a man with it.


    Among his father''s large collection, was the bow.


    The one in his hand was nothing like the ones his father kept, but all the same, it was a fine bow. Not decorative or ornate, but beautiful in the essence of a tool. It was made to do the job, and made well. The string was taut and strong. The wooden frame, sturdy and smooth. The fletchling on the arrow, superb. The shaft itself, straight and narrow.


    The archer? Exceptionally dangerous.


    Luck held the bow low, pretending to inspect it in his left hand, while looking at the arrow in his right. There was a moment when he just listened. The shar was a smart one though, Luck really had to put on a show for the past hour, slowly relaxing himself, before Saga even considered pouncing.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    But now he only listened for the moment. Felt for it really. He had felt it too many times to count and had no doubts he would recognize it the moment it came. It was the exact moment a man made to squeeze the trigger of a gun pointing his way. A mere second before disaster struck.


    Luck was always faster.


    He swiveled, pivoting on his foot perfectly and suddenly, drawing both ammo and weapon together and shattering the act of innocent wanderer. Saga was only meters away, and having realized he had been tricked sped up drastically, his teeth were bared and he snarled in his advance. Dropping one foot, Luck took a deep breath as he fell sideways, and let loose.


    Saga soared over him as an arrow pierced the meat of his shoulder, unable to stop his momentum he stood up and turned recovering incredibly fast.


    Luck already had another arrow nocked.


    "That one could''ve easily been your heart." Luck said, still wary of sudden movements.


    The shar twitched and Luck pulled the string taut.


    Saga''s eyes narrowed and he pawed the ground.You knew.


    "I have many friends." Luck said simply, as a bird alighted on his shoulder chirping in his ear.


    I am not satisfied. This was not the ideal hunt.Saga padded over and Luck dropped the bow, realizing the fight was over.


    "Ah, but this wasn''t a hunt." Luck said, his hand wrapping around the arrow in Saga''s shoulder. "This was a match, to see if I was as helpless as you thought I was." He eyed Saga and the arrow in askance.


    Saga sniffed.Go I am ready. And you could only beat me with the help of the forest. It would be different without it.


    Luck removed the arrow easily, as it was not barbed and not aimed for anything vital. There would be bleeding, but there was also a healing pool, so it didn''t really matter. It was only a flesh wound after all. Luck would easily be able to recognize something truly severe.


    Saga merely grunted as the arrow came out.


    "The forest is as much your hunting ground as it is my home. Who''s to say who really had the advantage?"


    The shar nudged Luck''s hip.I only fear your safety Amber Eyes, notlosing.


    Luck sighed, wondering if the stupid stories Ace knew about him might quell the shar. "I am not as powerless as you think Saga. And to be honest, it''s insulting."


    I merely-


    "You found me in only ten minutes. Yes, some animals were helping by then, but I was largely on my own for the first half hour. The forest is a different terrain than what I''m accustomed to, but my senses are the same as they were at home, better even." Luck explained sharply. "I observed you hesitate a total of three times. You retreated a total of four times to come at me from a different angle, and this because I assume you wanted the perfect kill. All within the first hour."


    Again you observe much, but this changes nothing.


    Luck glared at the shar, miffed. "Why did you retreat or hesitate? Tell me. Perhaps, it was the way I was facing? My position to the trees? An obstructed view of your target? Or maybe my eyes glanced over your position once or twice? Could it have been I was too far in the open, not near enough for you to get to me?"


    Saga shifted, trying to remember. His face, one of consternation, then slower, hesitant suspicion.To think back, it was too unlikely.Saga looked at Luck strangely.You were warding me off, just with those simple acts? Impossible.


    "Simple you say? That was an extremely delicate balance I played, unknowing and natural and yet aware and faux. And when I was vulnerable? Then? You were too far to do anything weren''t you? For every single time I was open." Luck glared, annoyed he had to spell it out for the shar.


    Luck glanced around, sighing in annoyance as his explanation continued. "Until finally I set you up here. This is a bottleneck if you haven''t noticed, really I was just looking for something like this the whole time. Not too disadvantageous for you, and not too advantageous for me, but just enough of each."


    He could see Saga finally take in the surroundings, his eyes coming off his prey and moving to the setting. The trees here were spaced thickly, but to reach where Luck had ended up placing himself, Saga couldn''t stalk among the branches. He had to come down and prowl among the trunks, and there was enough that Luck knew he would feel confident in their cover. There was a stretch of open ground that was the closest thing to a shooting gallery one could find for a bow. That was what Saga had had to cross. And did for that matter.


    You... thought this far ahead? Even so, the difference came only to a few seconds even with all the advantages you attained. My speed for yours.


    Luck''s eyes met Saga''s, a challenge in their amber. "Do you deny that it worked?" The shar was silent. "I take what I can, every advantage, no matter how small. They always add up. I didn''t even use my magic, not even the S.I. in my head. Well, I guess talking to the forest is magic, but there''s nothing I can really do to mute them. I was armed with only a bow and my wits, and I could''ve done without one of them too." Luck said, an easy confidence about him.


    The dark green familiar had taken a hint of amber from Luck''s own eyes, an effect of the familiar bond. Now those cat-like eyes stared back at him meaningfully, if not in awe then newfound respect. The shar bowed his head, slightly submissive, a gesture full of nuance.


    Saga chuckled in his mind.You have proven to me much today Amber Eyes. I will not pester you further, the result of the match is clear. Perhaps I should''ve taken Quiet One''s respect for you into account.


    "You said I needed a weapon if I ever get trapped." Luck smiled, the scar on his cheek meaning a little more to Saga now. "Well, I''m not really one you ever find cornered. At least when I''m thinking straight." Luck smirked knowingly, remembering a recent close call with a callamoth and his subsequent savior.


    With newfound respect, Saga curiously accepted tutoring from Luck, learning a myriad of tricks to fake out a pursuer or stalker. Such tactics were less for Saga''s natural prey and more for any particularly experienced humans he might end up tailing. More so, Saga himself would likely never have to use said tactics, instead Luck taught him so that he may recognize them should the need ever occur.


    Though the methods Luck used were learned in the city, to substitute the fire escapes with the canopy, the trees with people, and other such city scenery with that of forest greenery wasn''t too large of a leap in logic. Luck''s knowledge of pursuit and tailing was easily adaptable, he knew not if it came from his own proficency or his bond to the land.


    The largest obstacle Luck had had to get over was the issue moving silently. In the city, the ambient sound of everyone else would cover your movements. Even in the dead of night, there wouldn''t be lush greenery lying about to signal your movements to the world around you. In this, Luck instead learned from Saga. Needless to say, learning to walk again was daunting, even as Saga progressed in his own lessons.


    In the end, Luck was loathe to admit that Saga might have absorbed the information better than his younger self had. Though, the simple space a shar took in the food chain might have something to do with Saga''s quick tutelage, the shar was a born predator after all.


    Now, both put their skills to the test.


    Adjusting his jacket, Luck stood stock still, arrow resting lightly in the crook of his bow. He listened, having told the forest of their game the trees and animals were silent to him. An easy fix to the earlier problem, Luck had a tendency to overthink things when his mind was working full throttle. Often one could tell how dangerous a man was by his focus, the simple way he held a weapon or himself. Such was a posture the Amber Demon possessed.


    Ruffling leaves and Luck instantly drew up to his ear, his aim snapping to the target quicker than even his eyes could.


    "Woah there Lucky." Ace said, coming out palms open. "Just taking a stroll." There was a bag strapped to his shoulder and if Luck''s eyes didn''t decieve them, it was something Ace had made himself. It was made of leaves, delicately woven, and just another surprise among Ace Vent''s many skills. At this point, it wasn''t surprising he was surprised.


    "Sorry-" It was then, of course, that Saga decided to strike. A roar ripped through the canopy.


    Ace Vent was a hardened mercenary, and it would be a core part of his identity even if he was retired. So, ever observant, when Luck saw his friend''s amused surrender tense, and his eyes dart upward, Luck was already moving.


    Luck dived forward, feeling something thud onto the floor behind him, but not hearing the impact. Still, Luck twisted as he came up, moving away from Ace as a courtesy, as he was not involved in their game. The bow was a hard weapon to engage in a tactical roll with, especially one so sudden, but Luck was used to adapting on the fly. Slapping the weapon to the dirt, he lunged forward again, not feeling quite out of range. In the same motion, he scooped a handful of sand and threw it backward.


    He knew he was too slow though, caught off guard. So he turned on a dime and rolled backwards again, dodging Saga''s roaring advance. The shar swiped high, partially blinded and Luck ducked low, before coming onto the balls of his feet and twisting off of Saga''s body. A claw ripped into his high right shoulder, but by then Luck already had an arrow to the back of Saga''s neck. The shar had been aiming for the string of the bow, cunning beast. If he was anywhere else there wouldn''t have been loose dirt nearby to throw. The rest of the clearing was grass.


    "I have to say I''m glad we''re friends." Luck said, a crooked smile about him.


    Saga bared his teeth briefly, shaking his head and blinking his eyes.You have too little openings Amber Eyes, it is almost inhuman.


    Luck laughed. "Chalk it up to the way I was raised Saga." He waved offhandedly.


    "And this is...?" Ace opened, a little surprised at the sudden action.


    "A little training, and a lot of fun." Luck replied, pulling on his ripped jacket. At least it would regenerate. "No harm done."


    "You''re beating Saga, with a bow?" Ace raised his eyebrows. "I didn''t even know you could use the bow."


    "Well, i''ll call this one a tie. Thanks to you distracting me that is. " Luck gave Ace a good natured glare. "And yeah, if we''re not counting toy swords the bow''s probably the first actual weapon I ever picked up. Years before I ever touched a gun I might add. Dad''s kind of an antique weapon''s nerd."


    "Huh. Didn''t know that." Ace replied. "Anyways, I brought lunch. Was working up a sweat north of here, got hungry and made some extra. Picked a few fruits too." He openedthe picnic bag that he held close, and began setting a small mat.


    "Ah, your lightning practice?" Luck commented. Ace in turn gave him a curious glance to which Luck expanded. "I could hear the thunder from here. Also, the trees were talking about some lightning demon in the forest." Luck explained, taking a seat on the grass. "Not too hard to put two and two together."


    "Probably should''ve guessed that much. Not gonna sit on the mat?" He raised an eyebrow. "It''s made specifically for sitting, you know." He said,sarcastic.


    "Nah, I kinda like sitting on the grass." Running his fingers through the soft tufts, he realized he probably would''ve never known the feeling if he stayed in the city. The long grass bent easily as he sat, cushioning him as if it werethe softest ofbeds. Nearby, Saga had created his own dent in his own patch of the stuff.


    "Suit yourself." And they began to eat.


    A few minutes in Luck tried one of the odd fruits in the picnic basket. Was it possible for a grenade to go off in someone''s mouth? Because the dark golden fruit bursted with sweet flavor, reminiscent of mango and citrus. As overpowering as it was, the flavor faded quickly leaving him wanting more.


    "Holy... that''s good." Luck smacked his lips, his sticky fingers finding the grass.


    "That one''s from the one of the plants in the caves. I went exploring a bit, the fruit practically glowed in the gloom." Ace shrugged, swallowing before continuing. "It was only after staring at it for a bit that Evodim chimed in that I could pluck it. Flarefruit, he called it."


    "Flarefruit." Luck said, turning one of the flarefruits in his hand. "Fitting. And if it lines up with the criteria I set for Evodim, then it''s probably packed with nutrients too."


    "Makes sense. I had one on the way here and it settled my stomach for the walk."


    They lapsed back into silence, Luck trying samples of the fruits Ace had plucked. Occasionally, one would taste curious or look strange and Ace would recite Evodim''s description of the fruit. Other than that, the two remained amiably silent, even as Saga stood silently and stalked off. Luck couldn''t help but think of how Mr. Ark might love these.


    "Are you ready?" Luck said quietly, the lack of an actual topic leaving it clear as to what he was referring to.


    They had an eight month journey ahead of them.


    Ace hummed. "As i''ll ever be."


    Ace had laid the mat near to one of the trees, which he now lay against, the trunk conveniently fitting for his torso. It was a reminder of the very first day they arrived, though now, for the moment, they knew they were safe. Ace had transitioned to that state of his that Luck admired. The man was simply living in the moment, something Luck did too little of.


    A bird landed on Luck''s shoulder, one bright blue and orange, a color for each wing. Another landed beside it, same species, but with the colors reversed.


    A bright day it is, yes?The larger of the two chirped.


    Oh yes, a bright day indeed, don''t you agree friend?The smaller of the two addressed Luck.


    Intuitively, he knew the two were something of a couple.


    He had been called forest friend, green one, and guardian by the smaller animals. The older entities of this forest, the trees, called him Druid Lockyer or simply green friend, a name they shouldn''t have known less Melthin''s announcement truly had some power behind it. He didn''t mind really, a fact he found oddly unaligned with his usual attitude towards titles.


    "A bright day indeed." Luck smiled languidly, enjoying the small conversation in his ear.


    He gazed contently at the trees, a sense of security washing over him as he knew he could access this place anytime. After a while, he realized the tree they sat under actually bore some fruit, a light green camoflauged in the leaves.


    May I? Luck directed to the tree, opening his palm.


    For you, Druid Lockyer, at no expense friend.The tree, a voice one of lively oldness responded.


    The fruit plopped right into his palm, the small impact stalling the conversing birds for only a moment before their chirping began again. Truly, the fruit just seemed like an apple. He wondered if-


    A small laughter drew his attention.


    "What?" Luck asked, rubbing the apple clean on his jacket sleeve.


    "Nothing." Ace smiled, still resting against the tree. "You just seem like such a far cry from the Luck Lockyer from the city. I can''t quite decide if you seem more or less in place, here in the forest."


    Luck grinned, finding the humor in the scene. "I assure you I''m just as naturally charming, easily charismatic and devilishly handsome here in the forest as I am back home."


    Ace guffawed. "Yeah, yeah. Finally letting some of that cockiness out, are you?"


    "Never more than the legendary Ace Vent." Luck countered easily. "I could never contest that cocky wide mouthed grin of yours. With teeth as white as those it''s no wonder no one could see past the act."


    "Save for the amber gaze." Ace grinned.


    Luck groaned loudly. "Enough of that please."


    "Oh? The Luck Lockyer I knew never passed up a show, especially in front of an audience." Ace waved around.


    True to his word, they indeed had an audience. Small animals and the like. Among them were a few deer and other herbivores. Their hesitation, it seemed, stemmed mainly from Ace. Easily observable in their harmless and alert gazes, the flick of their ears and their light, uncertain stomping. The smaller animals seemed more confident in their speed and therefore escape as they were the first to approach Luck, making zigzags in the grass that was taller than they were.


    Luck looked around, slightly surprised before having an idea. "You are safe here." Luck announced gently in Drood. His voice was a gentle boom, sounding as if it should''ve bent the grass around him.


    The words were law as immediately the many animals came up to Luck as if domestic. They licked and sniffed at him, learning his scent. Nuzzling his clothes, they stopped curiously at the rip in his jacket and shirt. They seemed distressed at the wound, but gentle words set them all at ease. A small eared black and white creature climbed easily onto Luck''s neck, tugging playfully at his necklace.


    Luck laughed, he was not aware he was as ticklish as he was. "Stop, stop!" He said, out of breath. "Ace help." He struggled.


    Ace watched cold and merciless from the side. "My hands are tied Lucky." Really, the man was just eating a sandwhich, enjoying the show as if it was popcorn instead.


    A plump ball of dark brown fur settled against Luck''s back, and oddly, Luck felt a surge of warmth that was not unpleasant. An odd animal to be sure. He welcomed it happily, getting used to the pokey snouts and nuzzles.


    Ace looked satisfyingly bemused, some of his hair effortlessly flopping over crinkling eyes. "The oddities of a druid. Or rather, the man named Luck Lockyer in general." He remarked tiredly, more to himself than anything.


    Neither of the twoexpected Evodim to reply. "Ah, yes. The druidic aspect of Master Luck lends itself to some interesting interactions with my magic. An older... cleaner magic intertwined with my own to create this grove, somehow already inherent in Master Luck. It was not unwelcome, in fact I believe it has something to do with Master Luck''s new title as a Knight of Nature, a True Druid."


    Now, pressed into a bed of small to medium furred mammals Luck responded faintly. "How so?" The voice was barely audible, passing through the wall of fur.


    "From the general information package, it seems this will serve as your Grove. There are very scarce hints as to what exactly this means, only that the Druids of old all had one. Their purpose is not quite clear, but it was said that the Druids could return to their Grove at anytime, only to emerge when something substantial threatened the wildlife under their purview." Evodim informed, his voice actually calmer and softer as if considerate to the now sleeping animals.


    "His Grove and Dimensional Room combined?" Ace said ponderously, putting his knuckles to his chin. "Jerxos had in fact mentioned the unpredictability of power combinations. Perhaps this is one such occassion?"


    Luck met Ace''s eyes and made a serious face, his body almost invisible among all the fur. "It''s not exactly half bad." He shrugged gently, only serving to sink him deeper into his makeshift bed.


    Ace laughed at Luck''s extreme comfort, his eyes crinkling up in genuine amusement. "It doesn''t look half bad at all." He smiled.


    "No, it does not." Evodim agreed, his voice fading in unsaid farewell and light amusement. "If you need me Master Luck, i''ll be tending the plants." The disembodied voice said it as if he wasn''t omnipotent in this place.


    Luck was pretty sure he had a few allergies, as he''d always get some reaction during allergy season. Funnily, one of his only concerns with these wild animals is if he''d be itching after touching them. Now, in a veritable bed made of them, he had no such worries.


    Ace seemed content to relax, probably tired, the thunder was quite loud after all. So Luck decided he might as well train his own magic.


    Calling upon his magic was different depending. For Time it was a singular focus on a particular moment, an almost transcendant dwelling upon. For Earth it was all sharp intent and sudden constructs, or so he found. For Nature it was his connection to the forest, to the wild, that lent him the power. And yet, with every one of those magics he found in some form or another it involved that layer of potential that was both him and not.


    Mana, he knew.


    As close as he was, both to the earth and these animals, and frankly, with just the sheer level of enjoyment in his this moment he was feeling, he wondered if he could work multiple magics at once.


    His leg was caught under a resting deer''s neck. His knee down only had a multitude of small animals nestled between his calves. And there was something like a squirrel on his foot, but the most important detail to take away was that his barefoot had contact with the grass.


    Luck closed his eyes, careful not to fall asleep in his focus. He knew no magical background, he hadn''t even heard the theory behind magic in general. Spirit had only educated him on the combinations of magic and how they might affect each other.


    So he wondered what he could do.


    Nearby the grass wriggled, seemingly unnoticed by both men. Such an onlooker would be wrong. Both men present were much more than they seemed. Ace Vent merely noticed the flow of magic and concentration of Luck''s face through squinting eyes. The man laying down himself had his vision obstructed by warm and cuddly forest animals.


    Oh, but he could see.


    Not a hint of amber but his view was as perfect as Ace''s own. The picture was perfect in his mind. And while a sharp intent was faster, a slow push allowed Luck''s detail-oriented mind that much more freedom with much more effort. Some of the animals near him were odd, unseen from where he was from but not unnatural. In fact, the drowsy animals seemed rather familiar to him, an effect of his traits no doubt.


    Luck opted for a simpler muse.


    It was a straining to the mind, but he could manage it in the environment he was in. He pulled aspects from the animals around him and applied it to the blank two-legged construct he created. It was a small mannequin of sorts, no taller than two feet. A sharp eye might notice the attention to detail the creator had placed in the thing. The ruffled clothes, small accessories, and worn shoes among other things. If color was available the whole effigy might have had a whole other dimension, but, as it was, it was impossible to see the amber in its eyes nor the color in its garb.


    Holding the aspects he drew from the bodies around him, with a constant mental pressure, he moved that connection through his own Earth magic as he manipulated the dirt man. It was rough, Luck could feel, but the magic found purchase, if only because he allowed it to flow across the layer of magic that enshrouded him. The aspect of nature wasn''t something he could''ve applied outwardly, the connection between things was too central to its application, to send it across a void would be letting the spell die.


    Somehow Luck could make out the amusement from the trees around him.


    The effigy sported fur, still made of dirt. And though Luck had no practice, he knew he had had a high affinity for these magics, and he felt, or rather sensed, that the effigy was emitting a small warmth, like one of the animals against him. Aside from that, perhaps the senses would''ve been sharpened if it possessed any, but nothing more, these were all herbivores to the best of his knowledge after all. He guessed that applying the changes to a model of himself might have something to do with this inherent sense of the changes. Still, in all, nothing useful.


    Now that he thought about it he wondered if there were any predators in his Grove.


    Spirit? What other spells for Earth and Nature are there?Luck queried mentally, knowing his S.I. had no data on Time magic anyway.And you mentioned Tiers previously?


    Known 2nd Tier Earth spells: unknown. Known 2nd Tier Nature spells: deep roots. Tiers dictate the level of difficulty for any known spell, these difficulties are exponential across Tiers.


    Interesting, what exactly constitutes a spell? Or qualifies it to enter a Tier for that matter?Luck probed.


    Spells are not set magic formulae. Instead they are an effect produced through the magic tagged with a difficulty. For example, earth dart and earth spike are of the simplest and straightforward Earth spells, requiring only a sharp intent and as such are Tier I. However, as Earth spells tend to focus on that constant effect on the earth, spells are often unnamed as their effects are too many to count. A master of Earth could construct and attack with countless numbers of different spells with his intent. Earth tends to be a difficult magic to organize, as it has a focus on efficiency and creativity.


    So magic isn''t concrete.Luck smirked.Even to magic users it is apparently hard to make sense of.


    Internally, he wondered exactly how one would go about teaching magic. How would someone even begin to describe the odd tug on your being, or the power that flowed through you? The nuance that came with different types? It baffled Luck. From what he gathered from Spirit, one needed to know their magic well to implement any effects in any real situation. There was no such thing as a preset magical spell, instead there were a variety of known effects one could achieve with a given magical affinity, and perhaps an infinite number of unknown ones. Those known effects were organized into Tiers by difficulty of reproduction. What would a master of their magic be capable of?


    The animals around him stirred, agitated. They dispersed quietly, the sound of their parting the simple brush of fur upon grass. This didn''t surprise Luck as he considered his effigy, studying the apparent changes. Saga had returned, the shar''s presence scaring off the harmless animals.


    The 2nd TierNature spell deep roots was supposed to lend the caster strength through the nature. Luck followed along as best he could, but the directions seemed impossible to begin with. How was he supposed to form a connection with everything around him simultaneously? He wasn''t sure if he was incompetent or simply out of his depth.


    Luck wasn''t one to dwell though, there was time to relax, and while magic might be a powerful asset he was already dangerous as he was. If he could glean some small understanding ofmagic as a whole, then he''d just be a little more powerful. That was what knowledge was after all.


    Earth seemed the most practical for Luck, his quick thinking and wit allowed him to use it on the fly when fighting Melthin. Though he did feel extremely lucky about the encounter, even accounting for everything he didplan for during that fight. On the other hand, nature seemed supplemental and more useful for support, although, Luck could be thinkng of these magics completely wrong. In fact, now that he thought about it, why did magic have to be used for combat? Sure, it had those perks, but it wasn''t everything that it was.


    Luck''s perspective shifted, for a moment he had forgotten where he was, the wonders he had already seen. He recalled The Pools, the light mist and nearly glowing blue waters that surrounded the whole place, the flowing streams and colorful plants. He remembered simply playing the card game during his impartation, the holographic cards themselves were a glimpse into this world.


    There was much to see to this world. Oddly, he was sure that in terms of where he was, Peace was backwoods and not really that big of a city at all. Who knew what he would see in a larger, more established settlement?


    Luck shook his head, a blinking notice at the bottom right of his vision had been vying for his attention for a while now. He knew with a glance it wasn''t Spirit either.


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    Pay Heed! Quest Completed: Mystery Of Aerae


    Long has the purpose of Ethodthem been debated, drawing from personal interactions you are among the few who know the truth. Ethodthem is a force that permeates the very structure of Aerae. You know its purpose is to shift power to those capable but to what end?


    Rewards: Greater Boon, Quest: Mystery of Ethodthem


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    Hmm. He had almost forgotten about this quest. Actually, shouldn''t he have gotten this completion earlier? He was almost one-hundred percent sure of his Ethodthem-Leah theory earlier. It should''ve got him a notification then. Of course. The quests were suspended until the update. Luck mentally slapped himself.


    "Ace?" He said, sitting up. "You open your quest completion yet?"


    His friend peeped open his eye fast enough to see Luck''s effigy fall away to the dirt. "I''ll do that right now." He grinned somewhat guitily. A few seconds passed, "Greater Boon?"


    "Yeah, I''m not entirely- " He was interrupted.


    The earth shook ominously. The shaking grew intense, nearing a point, which, Luck was sure something would erupt from the ground.


    Two vastly different instincts kicked in, Luck glanced around somewhat unurgently, knowing deep within himself that he was safe in his Grove. A set of instincts ingrained deeply into his psyche however, those bred and cultivated in a life of crime, pushed his eyes to dart around the small clearing. Instead of finding a threat, sharp amber fell curiously upon his friend sitting not two meters from him.


    Ace was high alert, as if he noticed something Luck couldn''t even with his enhanced senses. The familiar bond did many things, but the physical changes sharpened Luck''s already honed dangersense.


    Luck''s brain went into overdrive, Ace had to be sensing something magical. Luck''s current aptitude of Time and Earth gave him no illusions. Ace had a control much more fine than Luck, evidenced by the demonstration of power he had shown Luck on the river down to Dersoc.


    Time froze, two seconds Luck flexed, just enough time for him to swivel his head around. The clearing was just that, clear. Nothing moved in the forest beyond, though somehow, Luck already knew there was nothing there. Saga was not far off. He was resting upon a thick low hanging branch, barely visible, but the bond communicated calmness and focus. The last half second Luck glanced at Ace''s face, employing a skill that rarely ever worked on the former mercenary.


    Ace''s expression... wasn''t scared, not that he ever was, as far as Luck knew. It wasn''t grim either. His hazel eyes were sparkling and his eyebrows were halfway raised. There was an uncertainty in his gaze, for uncomfortableness or nervousness. But... the majority of his expression was... pleasant surprise?


    Time resumed and the Grove moved once more. The shaking stopped.


    Evodim''s voice floated across the clearing, like a fisherman remarking on the biting fish of the day. "Ethodthem moves." He opened. "Have you done something deserving of a reward Master Luck?"


    "I think we both just got a Greater Boon." Luck replied, relaxing.


    The trees around him, normally content to watch and observe unless spoken to, broke out in whispers. It seemed their awareness was as vast as Luck''s own when it came to his Grove. Something changed, an unknown, though not hostile it seemed. The large green trees had deep voices, spoken as low as the lowest hanging leaves. Deeper than the roots in the ground.


    Druid Lockyer, truly he is something.


    Approved by the Wazar King.


    His title rings through the groves.


    To deliver this...


    Luck felt something. But asking the trees, asking even the small animals still hanging around netted him the same answer.


    The druid must see himself.A large, gnarled tree responded.


    Some fleet-footed squirrel gave him the same answer, albeit faster. Greenfriend look for yourself!


    Look with your own eyes, green friend! A large bug flying by said the same.


    Evodim''s voice was as if he was right beside Luck. "I believe there is something waiting for you at the center of the Grove, Master Luck." He said simply, his voice unhurried.


    Luck could feel them, the animals moving to the center of his Grove. Somehow he had the strange sense that all of the trees around him had their attention towards the center as well, even if they couldn''t be there phyiscally. Thick branches, looping and spiraling blanketed the clearing. Despite that, sunlight found the ground. There was a sky. Before he hurt his head Luck just took that at face value.


    It was the same with every tree, they were all looking towards the middle. That is, except for the few whose attention was shifted to one particular lightning mage. Soon enough Luck regarded Ace.


    "You won a dragon." Luck deadpanned.


    Ace turned, as if introducing a friend, all smiles. "Luck, this is Tric." He shrugged his shoulder, flourishing the dragon that perched there.


    "Pleasure." Luck said, unreadable. His eyes tracked the dragon, wary, but it only took a moment for him to relax.


    "Tric, my best friend Luck Lockyer, the Amber Demon, Devil of the Cards, the Bloodless Hand. I could go on, but that''s as good an introduction as any." Luck twitched. Ace had a swarmy grin slapped right on his face.


    "Is she your Greater Boon? Or a tool?" Luck realized his first assumption could''ve been wrong, the creature may very well have been a gift by Ethodthem.


    "Both." Ace said simply. "She had to find me but ended up taking express." He grinned, obviously happy.


    A dragon. Even the size of a hawk, it was clear the thing was a predator. Some type of companion like Saga then? Luck mentally recapped all the possible tools, at least, the ones he knew of.


    He regarded the magnificent creature, some part of him in simple wonder. The child in him perhaps, the same one who never had the luxury of fairy tales.


    Slim, not the fat hoarding dragons of myth, nor was it reminiscent of an eastern dragon, sinuous and long. Tric was yellow-blue, the shifting sunlight from the canopy leaves lit up her sharp overlapping scales, causing them to turn almost golden-skyblue.


    It was clear she wasn''t an Item, Trait, or Base. Nor was she an Ingredient, Knowledge or Magic type tool. She had to be a Companion of sorts then. Whether there was a Magical or Evolving prefix attached remains to be seen.


    "Tric?" Luck asked, instead of all the other questions he could''ve.


    "I didn''t name her." Ace responded in answer. The two seemed just as comfortable with each other as he and Saga were when they first met, minus the initial bonding. "She''s not like Saga, by the way."


    "Care to expand?" Luck probed, his inquisitive mind already wondering. He asked more for the sake of asking than for an actual answer. Ace grinned and that was all Luck needed. "Thought not."


    Tric yawned stretching her golden-skyblue scales and Luck caught a whiff of her breath. Suddenly, with lightning clarity a few pieces fell together.


    Ozone.


    "She''s quite the beauty isn''t she Lucky?" Ace said smiling. Tric was laid out across his arm, allowing Ace to regard her full figure. Ace didn''t seem to struggle with the weight, but the man''s strength was definitely at its peak as was necessitated by his previous profession, so the dragon''s weight could''ve been anything.


    She was indeed beautiful, and more, she was a thing of nature. A friend. And while the little dragon would''ve been a friend to him anyways through Ace, the reassurance was nice, especially to someone so accustomed to the negativity of the world. It took only looking into her eyes to know.


    Odd that he''d have an affinity with nature, something so diametric to his past life.


    Luck shrugged, when he revealed his tools to Ace his friend had taken it in stride despite the incredulity of them. He would do the same. "Well, would you and the lady like to accompany to the center of my Grove?" His left arm was across his stomach, his right gestured to the trees and a sunlit path invitingly. "I believe there is something quite interesting waiting. Not that bad for a first date eh, Ace?"


    For his part Ace seemed not the least insulted as he glanced to Tric. "We''d love to."


    "Well, we best get to it." Luck smirked, pulling out his stopwatch for effect. "We''re late."


    And from the voices of the Grove around him he was missing out on quite the commotion.

 Chapter 12 - Knowing

    "Evolving Artifacts are truly magnificent in their sheer potential. A sword, fine-tuned and augmented to slaughter the foes you find yourself most facing? Armor that learns how to better defends its wearer? They are items that, no matter how weak initially, will always rise above their mundane counterparts. The magic surrounding these Artifacts is clear for the world to see. It is simply indecipherable, incomprehensible. It is a paradox in magic, unable to exist yet persisting all the same."


    "What about Evolving Buildings?"


    "Ah. You are curious about the Buildings of Wonder. Have they piqued your interest, young scholar?"


    -Excerpt from an interview with Houy Krink, Renowned Artificer


    They walked beneath the boughs of old trees. The sunlight of a new day, shining through ancient canopies. A dark green figure walked along their branches, padded feet not making a single noise. Another figure, shimmering gold, and sky-blue flew energetically between the leaves, disturbing the trees that would otherwise be still.


    It was a feeling from the forest and Luck could practically see the trees shift their attention to both Saga and Tric, amused. They seemed to brighten up the mood of the trees. Leaves rustling a little louder, branches swaying a little more.


    Meanwhile, on the forest floor, Ace and Luck walked side by side. Luck smiled, noticing the effect of their antics up above.


    "Seems they''re getting along well." Ace remarked, watching Tric dart aimlessly between the trees in search of the shar. His gaze traced roots to leaves.


    They both eyed Saga make his escape on a lower branch, hidden from view right above them. "That it does." Luck replied.


    Unlike their companions, both men were content to take it slow. Luck simply enjoyed the forest in a wholesome and content way. He was in no rush, despite the interested and excited undercurrent that swept through his grove.


    Likewise, Ace Vent was simply enjoying good company. Most times he was in the wilderness was with a purpose, one that normally involved mercenary work. It was a welcome change of pace.


    After a few minutes, too soon in Luck''s opinion, he called the two down from the canopy up above as they neared the center of the Grove. He could feel it. Tric flew down to Ace''s shoulder, alighting upon him as gently as a feather. Saga landed beside Luck as soundless as one.


    He walked forward, moving a bit of foliage out of the way. Even with the tips from Saga, walking in the forest, especially the underbrush was difficult. Luck nearly tripped forward, even as Ace made to support him.


    Luck''s hand found a nearby tree for support, rough whorls of wood under his palm. Thanking the tree, he looked up from the tangle of twigs and leaves.


    He was never really one to shy under the stares of a crowd, and yet, for this, no one could really blame him.


    Hundreds of animals must have been present, arranged in a semi-circle as if waiting to receive him. The surrounding trees were close together, creating an auditorium of sorts. In the shade of the trees, Luck felt many eyes upon him but not all.


    The rest perked up as he came into view. He recognized two bunnies from Leah''s temple, some of the animals from his earlier makeshift bed, even the strangely familiar deer-like creature he saw prance into the forest earlier.


    And yet, that was only the beginning. There were larger animals, lumbering things that had the feeling of a bear, or tiger. Predators he realized. Many different types. But they too were just watching, from the front too, as to not disturb the herbivores behind them.


    He noticed birds, some no larger than his hands. Others larger than Tric. But then, perched far above, in the high parts of the canopy that still held thick branches, he could see some that rivaled even his own size.


    Bugs. They crawled on some of the branches uninhabited by the other animals. Insects flew about, some resting on the other animals without any apparent discomfort. Large centipedes, few in number wriggled about.


    Amber eyes regarded the sight in awe.


    Magnificent.


    "Woah." Ace said, his voice little more than a whisper.


    "Yeah." Luck agreed, his eyes not shy to wander. "Woah."


    Wordlessly, Tric and Saga left them as well. They left together and took up their own spots at the end of the semi-circle.


    Ace nudged him forward. "You might wanna get this show on the road, Lucky."


    Luck silently cursed Ace but he walked out all the same, legs brushing against the long grass everpresent. The center of his Grove, he could sense the exact spot. The semi-circle of animals was centered around it, in fact. He looked up, not quite understanding. This particular crowd didn''t seem the type to want a speech, and anything said would go over their heads unless it was in Drood.


    The air here was different if that made any sense. Sharper. Crisp. Luck found himself breathing deeply, loose leaves falling from above gave him the look of someone belonging right where he was. A few animals shifted, interested in his movements.


    Small animals peered at him, seemingly as one. Pack animals he realized, but so small. He wondered how they lived. There was intelligence in their eyes, a fur painted generic brown. He made eye contact with one of the smaller ones in the front. But the animal soon looked upwards, towards the leaves.


    Falling, Luck realized, didn''t quite describe the nature of the leaves'' descent. They didn''t twirl or spin as they fell. They fell like paper airplanes, slicing through the air, looping up and around. But there was a deeper beauty in one simple detail; they did it slowly. Oh so slowly, like they flew through smooth honey or sliced through the bluest water.


    He watched one in particular. The small leaf was shaped like a rounded triangle but the sides had flaps that seemed to move on their own, reacting to the air and other leaves around it. And, Luck noticed a bright orange line on its back, he just barely caught sight of it as the leaf looped back upwards before spiraling downwards.


    Distracted, Luck stopped walking. He couldn''t know it, but his friend was just as entranced, through no other magic than nature sublime.


    The bright orange line broke from the leaf much to Luck''s interest. Soon though, his eyes were darting about, tracking all the other colors that parted from their own respective leaves. Absently he realized none of the leaves ever touched the ground.


    His thoughts were interrupted as all the colors of the rainbow, like a marvelous and wonderful painting, spread their wings.


    Butterflies.


    That was the first word that popped into his mind, though the creatures he admired were nothing like them. They shimmered, like an illusion, or oil upon water. They twirled and danced, like the leaves previous. Silent, as if offering their beauty to only those with eyes to witness it. They flowed around the clearing, every animal stopped to stare. The flapping of their wings. a gentle wave through their bodies.


    Suddenly, he was surrounded. He greeted them mentally, but even then they didn''t speak. They danced. And like the leaves they rode, they did it slowly and gracefully. As if they controlled every aspect of their motion. Fluttering creatures no larger than a mouse, smaller even than the pack animals he spotted earlier. But together, their show seemed to engulf the grove. They had a presence and a showman such as Luck could deeply appreciate that.


    They were beautiful.


    The colors pulsed, but each individual kept their own shade, the illusion an effect of their changing positions. A beautifully choreographed, seemingly fluid motion that Luck couldn''t help but admire.


    The world he found himself in had a recurrent tendency to bring him pause. Luck took a page from Ace''s book and cemented himself in the moment. No phone or camera to catch the sights, no pictures or videos.


    Just two amber orbs and a very good memory.


    He slipped his hands into his jacket pockets, the movement from their show bringing a slight breeze. He craned his neck upwards. He was in the center of it all. He began to walk, not really caring where he went, following any color that caught his fancy. They seemed to react, leading him in gentle circles, a happiness about them that Luck returned heartily. If this was his Greater Boon, he would be hard-pressed to complain. He didn''t seek rewards, not for anything, but looking at the swirling colors of nature around him, he didn''t particularly care this time.


    He was there, suddenly.


    The center of his grove didn''t have anything on it, nor did it even seem special in any way. It was simply a patch of dirt, his feet crunching on fertile soil as he approached.


    But he could feel something there. The same something he had been feeling since the earthquake.


    Curious, he stepped on it, forgetting about the light show happening around him if for but a moment.


    And as his foot fell, gentle roots came up to meet him as swift and sudden as a spear. They grew upwards and around Luck before wrapping him in their embrace. But it was not restricting. Comforting, rather.


    Something primal in Luck''s being shivered. A knowledge deep within his person, come to the surface. He was One with Nature and a Knight of Nature, a True Druid. Was he many people? It was customary for all occupying a Grove to be present for times of great change. He knew that now, but how? He suddenly knew much more about his Grove than what Evodim had initially told him. The names of the creatures here, the words came to him in Drood, some natural force driving it into his mind. It kept going, knowledge and nothing more, nothing invasive, no attached emotion, nothing to subvert his own will or intention. Forests grew in his memories, branches reached out and kept branching, leaves fell and grew anew. He watched with the patience of a tree.


    The roots encasing him pulsed, a faint green tinge to them. The butterflies around him swirling upwards. He was in the eye of the storm. A noticeable wind picked up, whipping his hair back. The roots pulsed again.


    Luck breathed sharply, nearly falling to his knees. The roots held him up.


    The collective knowledge of all the Druids of Old, the very knowledge he was receiving telling him what it was.


    The Groves were safe havens, unlocked by Druids of great power and distinction. They were not given, only earned. They were similar in function to Evodim in that they were tied to another space and allowed access from anywhere. But unlike his Evolving Room, they chose who to tie themselves to. They were not sentient but were a remnant of a powerful Nature magic cast eons ago. Sanctuaries of nature that opened to a very specific people; those who meant well for nature and could render aid. A unique phenomenon, the magic so old and advanced it persisted to this day. Whatever combination of spacial magic in Evodim was present in his grove as well.


    This was his Greater Boon, he knew.


    Luck looked up, eyes shining a peculiar green for but a moment.


    The animals began to depart, in their own time. The flying colors around him nearly disappeared in an instant, barely visible lines of color flying into the canopy.


    He noticed monkeys, no different from the ones at the zoo, swinging away. Not that Luck had ever been to the zoo aside for the occasional dealings with local smugglers. Now though, he did realize he always enjoyed watching the animals back then too. Freeing them had always crossed his mind but ultimately the job and logistics got in the way.


    He had a lot of new information in his head. He assumed the Grove was something special, with some deep meaning attached to it. In some ways, it was. But it was just a magic that sought out individuals to assist nature, one very advanced. He guessed he really wasn''t dutybound outside of things he would normally do anyway.


    "Now that was something I''ve never seen." Ace smiled. "I take it something important happened?"


    "I just got my Greater Boon." Luck replied with a smirk.


    "I don''t suppose..." Ace trailed off, his hands gesturing for him to elaborate.


    Luck gave a pointed look to Tric. "Nope."


    "Thought not." Ace replied tracking his friend'' gaze. The former mercenary had the tact to at least seem rueful.


    Ace left with Tric a few moments later, no doubt to practice magic, which left Saga with Luck. Soon though, the shar expressed a desire to go hunting, having just been introduced to all his food previously. Luck waved him away and the shar leaped agilely upon a branch, disappearing into the forest. Not a sound in his departure.


    Too quickly Luck found himself alone, but it was not unwelcome. He had some time to think.


    Spirit. He queried mentally. List any and all notable, interesting, or seemingly useful adaptations that were out of the ordinary and apparent on any of the animals previously gathered.


    Affirmative. Came an immediate response. Visual input suggests enhanced physical capabilities among predator inhabitants. Previous inputs show the ability to regulate body temperature to a certain degree in some animals, specifically in herbivores. This suggests the capacity of a thermal sense in some predators. Additionally, surrounding insects demonstrate advanced hardened carapaces. The colorful flying creatures displayed mild Illusion magic, it would not be unlikely to find them tuned to that element of magic.


    Interesting.


    The memories of the past druids offered him a way to call all the animals to him but he didn''t really know which of the animals had what he wanted, and he was content to let them about their business.


    Instead, he walked, sensing for them through Earth magic rather than his sense of the grove. It didn''t take long for him to find one of the centipedes, a large one burrowed deep underground.


    Hello


    Green friend. How may I help you?


    I seek only conversation. Has your carapace served you well?


    It has. Not much can get through my shell.It said, quite proudly.


    That was enough for Luck. He felt for that connection between them, finding it without any real effort. Pulling hard on it, he drew out an aspect of the centipede and held it within himself.


    Spirit observe. He commanded.


    Affirmative.


    Luck allowed the magic to wash over him. Instantly, his skin prickled as the magic ran out, an experience more odd than discomforting. He looked down at his arms and legs. His clothes were bulging. His jacket puffed out dangerously, as did his fitting black pants. He stripped and tried again, watching as the prickling feeling washed over him.


    Chitin rose up from his skin, covering him like a wave across his body, and suddenly he wasn''t naked anymore. Black and shiny, he tapped the piece on his arm with his covered hand. Hard too.


    On their own accord, translucent lines of data sprang from the chitin. They connected to floating boxes that coalesced into his vision. Mass and density. Atomic structure. Resistance to heat and cold. Flexibility. Durability. Insulation and more. The boxes were quite edifying. Luck absorbed the data, filing away anything relevant.


    Thanks, Spirit. The S.I. must have sensed Luck''s curiosity for the material.


    He could already see the uses in a combat situation, he''d be able to take hits he wouldn''t normally be able to. If he ever did come across firearms in this world this would be invaluable. Armor that grew out of you? It would be perfect if he could employ it whenever he wanted and it might just be so given how he could hold the aspect within him. Maybe he could...?


    A flash of sudden knowledge came from the collective knowledge of past druids.


    Nature magic was tied so intrinsically with the groves that the interconnectedness so central to the magic worked on anything inside. He could pull on the aspects of any animal in his grove. A powerful detail to any who owned a Grove.


    Luck blinked.


    The possibilities turned in his mind. He had already planned to save as many animals and beings of nature that he could... but this? This presented a complete new incentive. Who knows how much this advantage might augment his Nature magic?


    He bid the centipede goodbye and walked a ways away. Instead of using his earth sense he merely sensed for the centipede throughout his whole grove and coming upon it, he pulled once again. It came as easily as it did the first time.


    He let go of the magic, only slightly aware of how odd he might seem standing half-naked in the forest. With any luck, Ace wouldn''t choose right now to appear. He cringed at the thought.


    As if in answer, a blast of thunder resounded across the grove. The man was on the far side, probably nearer to the area Luck would consider his dimensional room rather than his grove. He sighed.


    "Guess not." Luck said, looking up at the shaking leaves around him.


    He tried to recall the capabilities of the Mk3 but decided there was an easier way.


    Spirit how much control does the Mk3 have over my magic?He queried.


    The Mk3 is able to regulate and optimize mana flow and efficiency. Magical inputs and senses are available for the Mk3 to access by default as this can only prove beneficial for users should unknown magical signatures enter host periphery. Actual control of mana is a function that must be enabled by the host. This function is enabled by 17% of users with a gradual increase over time. Mana usage by the Mk3 is inefficient and must be learned through watching the user.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Luck thought that interesting, glancing at the chitin encasing him. A powerful boom of thunder resounded across the grove once again. Who wouldn''t want an automated magic? Instant armor? Automatic lightning strikes? Perhaps it was a trust thing? He could understand such sentiments, people liked to feel in control. Additionally, it looked like Spirit would only ever be as good as him when it came to using his mana.


    Activate it.Luck didn''t care much, Spirit was useful.


    Affirmative. Warning, the Mk3 is only capable of mapping magical processes intimately known by the user. Additionally, parameters and limitations may be set to account for how much mana the Mk3 has access to.Alternatively, magical processes can be learned by the Mk3 independently by allowing the development of personality and independent intelligence. Warning, this function allows the Mk3 to form its own opinions and motivation. This function is enabled by .043% of users, with a notable spike in those exceeding 537 years of age or more. Default mana allowed, 10% of yourcurrent pool set.


    "Sorry Spirit, you''re not getting a personality anytime soon." Luck shrugged, to which Spirit was silent.


    Luck was fine with the default mana allowed for Spirit to meddle with. With the advance action function enabled he assumed this meant Spirit could intervene in fights should the need arise.


    "Open up the changelog." Luck asked, focusing more on the intent than the actual words. He didn''t really know the name of the thing.


    Luckily, light blue script lit up his bottom left peripheral. Luck gazed at it with interest, he hadn''t seen this since Spirit started talking. Still, the raw data was nice to see.


    Scanning biological material... 100%


    Chitin properties mapped...


    Extreme hardness, flexibility, insulation, durability...


    ...


    Effects being displayed...


    ...


    ...


    Activating Magical Access...100%


    Default Mana Pool allowed set, 10%...


    ....


    More settings available...


    Luck checked the settings, a small drop-down menu on his left peripheral in light blue listed all possible parameters within his control. It was a large list, and this only pertained to Spirit''s access and usage of his mana, should he even allow it.


    Scanning through, he made some small changes. Allowing Spirit to exceed the limit if Luck asked for a magical action that required more than 10%. He changed the ''10% of current mana pool'' to ''10% of maximum mana pool'' as he felt it was better that way. Apparently, the advance action option didn''t bleed into this particular function, but the S.I. hadn''t failed him yet, so he allowed magical action, the magical equivalent.


    "Alright, let''s see how much control over Earth magic you have." Luck ventured. "Can you make a chair?"


    There was a pull on Luck''s mana. He focused on the feeling and found it felt natural. As if he himself was implementing the magic, although without the mental strain.


    He had a backseat view of his own magic. The overlay of potential across his body rippled as mana shot into the ground, following Spirit''s intent.


    The chair created left something to be desired though, but Luck didn''t blame Spirit, he was just testing the access to his mana pool.


    Releasing the chitin, Luck sat on the chair, molding it to his body as he sat.


    "Alright Spirit, let''s see if you can pull the aspect from that centipede through the grove." He said, crossing his arms lightly.


    He waited for a bit, sensing for the tug on his mana. He looked at the changelog, still open.


    Scanning Links...100%


    ...


    ...


    Found! Grove Link, deep scan...97%


    ...


    Found! Hard Chitin Centipede...


    ...


    Drawing mana...


    ...


    Casting aspect of nature...25%


    ...


    Interference! Host mana redirected...


    ...


    Casting aspect of nature...17%


    ...


    ...


    Holding magic, continued...


    Luck watched all this with interest, his amber eyes sparkling. Having his mana used by Spirit was odd. It was still his mana so he was semi-aware of it being manipulated, but the mental strain was nonexistent. It took the casting awhile since Luck interrupted purposely in order to determine if he could actually stop Spirit should the S.I. read a situation wrong. It was nice to know he was still in control.


    Now, Spirit was holding instant armor, ready to activate. The ball of nature of magic was held close, invisible within himself. Luck knew spirit would activate it immediately if something dangerous happened. Feeling for his mana, it didn''t seem there was a limit to what he could hold, aside from the mental acuity it would take.


    Luck decided to see Spirit''s take on the changes to him.


    Diagnose my body, physical and magical. List all changes through Familiar Bond, Grove and Mk3. Anything of note since arriving is to be addressed. Magical affinities, changes to my body, activated S.I. functions, anything.


    Affirmative.


    Scanning... 2%


    Referencing Biological Profile...


    ...


    ...


    Scan Complete...


    Qualitative changes in musculoskeletal structure...


    Increased muscle density...


    More efficient muscles...


    Bone mass decreased...


    Bone strength increased...


    Update! All changes are moderate, changes still in effect...


    ...


    New! Pliability of tendons and muscles altered...


    Increased flexibility...


    New! Optimal changes to ear and vestibular system...


    Enhanced balance...


    ...


    Active, continuous influence on body...


    Changes enacted through Familiar Bond...


    ...


    Exceptional Regeneration, trait...


    Extreme body awareness of injury...


    Extreme body awareness of healing...


    ...


    ...


    Of note, Omnilingual, trait...


    Knowledge of all languages...


    ...


    Biological Profile and Changes displayed...


    With a thought, the information sprang from the light blue script Luck was reading to a hologram only he could see. His hand went to his jaw as he regarded the miniature rendition of himself. It was easier to see everything at once this way, rather than having translucent lines stem from the parts of his actual body. He tapped on a line regarding muscle density. What opened was a diagram depicting parts of his muscles, with a before and after to see the changes. Currently, his muscle fibers per square inch was a far cry from what it once was. The fibers seemed to pack together, working perfectly. Similiar diagrams popped up for bone mass and bone strength. Tapping on the tendons of his miniature self-opened up a section regarding his flexibility. His muscles hadn''t only become dense, they had lengthened too. Allowing joints to move further without being pulled on by taught muscles. The changes to his ear displayed a set of diagrams depicting the tubing in his ear. The before and after pictures were drastically different, but Luck couldn''t follow the reasoning behind the factors that led to balance.


    Extremely interesting, however, was the effects produced by Exceptional Regeneration. Spirit had thoroughly finished scanning its effects previously and had them cataloged per Luck''s request. The melted flesh from his bout with the fire jorth was more than enough to fully understand the effects of both Exception Regeneration and Troll''s Blood. Tapping on the line sprouting from his miniature that dealt with Exceptional Regeneration brought up a diagram as well. There were specialized and advanced cells in his body, some type of smart cell. They worked as some kind of control system, using limited amounts of chemicals to influence the parts of the body they were in. To some extent, they were beholden to Luck''s subconscious, but for the most part, worked independently. There were a lot of them. It seemed they created a network between each other, reacting to and determining whether something was harmful or beneficial. Apparently, with the amount in Luck''s body, they had already deduced that his blood, Troll''s Blood, was beneficial and began to work around it. The sheer number of these advanced cells suggested that nearly any injury was recoverable so long as he wasn''t killed instantly, and had the power to back the recovery. They brought material, nutrients, blood, anything and everything, wherever it was needed. Similarly, they could reduce bleeding and do damage control as well. They weren''t sentient, but their processes were wildly adaptable.


    Luck looked at his hand, tracing the lines with amber eyes. There was profound curiosity in his gaze, the intensity of the emotion one he would never normally allow to show. He knew his body had undergone changes and had taken it for granted. He chalked it up to ''magic''. But here Spirit was explaining in perfect scientific fashion the effect of these cells and how they functioned in his body.


    Amazing to think there were biological and scientific wonders in Aerae as well.


    Scanning...56%


    Referencing Magical Profile...


    ...


    Basic affinities: Earth, Nature, high affinity...


    Advanced affinities: Time, unknown affinity...


    ...


    Troll''s Blood, magical trait...


    Extreme passive magical healing...


    Extreme vitality...


    Weakness to fire...


    ...


    ...


    Detected! Magical Links...


    Dimensional Room...


    Familiar Bond...


    Grove...


    ...


    Dimensional Room, scanning Link...49%


    Initial magic tied to person...


    Shared properties with personality of Host...


    ...


    Detected! Regenerative properties, scanning...41%


    Magical repairment capabilities, detected...


    Analyzing...99%


    ...


    ...


    ERROR... insufficient data, magic unknown...


    Resuming regular scan...73%


    ...


    Significant growth rates...


    Time dilation, 3 hours to one outside...


    ...


    Familiar Bond, scanning Link...57%


    Symbiotic Link, beneficial to both parties...


    Changes to Host already cataloged...


    ...


    Scanning, Saga, Moonlight Shar...89%


    Enhanced Intelligence....


    Detected! Regeneration properties, analyzing...29%


    ....


    Trace amounts of Troll''s Blood, detected....


    Enhanced physical subconscious awareness, detected...


    Qualitative changed to physical regenerative properties, detected...


    Changes displayed...


    ...


    Apparently, Saga was a moonlight shar. There was really no reference for Luck aside from Saga''s initial description. He knew the shar were a type of predatory cat, with their reaction times, intelligence and cunning far above their peers. But he wasn''t privy to the fact there were different subspecies as well. Now, looking at a small diagram of Saga he wondered why he had so much detail regarding him simply by scanning one of his links. It seemed too convenient. Spirit chimed in as if listening to his thoughts.


    The Mk3 has been in development for nearly half a century with vigorous testing into the magical field. The amount of knowledge and general information packed into the Mk3 is astounding in a world as wide and far-reaching as Aerae. Many volunteers with unique magical capabilities or simply a slew of basic magical effects are extremely eager to donate their time. Such volunteers are freely given their own Mk3 units generously by the company. Materials needed to create a Mk3 unit are expensive, rare, and extremely volatile when not constructed correctly. Previous versions have this same limitation but the Mk3 especially so. The wedding of magical and technological components allow extreme introspection of the magical capabilities of the host. While possible to achieve this understanding of your magic by yourself magic is often times an art rooted in emotion, the high majority of users are unable to discern their magical input. The Mk3 corrects this.Again, Spirit''s voice was a clear ringing. A secular, traveled voice of an androgynous noble.


    Is the Mk3 so famous? It seems like a product many would kill for.


    A Supportive Intelligence is only useful for those with the mental faculty for it to operate. The upper echelons of society, particularly those of magical and technological organizations are aware of the company''s reputation. Those with the unit are often regarded with a higher status than those around them. In these circles, much value is placed on the Mk3. The unit may go for thousands of gold. As the product is limited in its creation anytime a new Mk3 is up for sale the price increases exponentially. Races with high intelligence and higher mental states achieve the pinnacle usage of the product and consequently place the most value on it.


    What are humans ranked?Luck thought curiously. He knew the Mk3 was invaluable, he wondered if he was puttingSpirit to as much use as he should be.


    Among all recognized Races in the Book of Sentients,Pure Humansare ranked in the 50th percentile when it comes to compatibility with the product.


    50th percentile? Pure Humans? Are we actually that low? What kind of functions would be miss out on if we were missing the mental fortitude for the Mk3 is operate?


    Pure Humans have been on a steady rise in compatibility as a whole, in the extremely limited data we have of them. Individually, their compatibility increases with time demonstrating their adaptability to the product. As is, however, races without the mental power inherent to operate the Mk3 will largely miss out on many functions. As mental capacity is somewhat drawn upon the Mk3 will be unable to run many of its normal processes without it. These include scans of the environment, deep analysis, combat direction, magical analysis, real-time translations, and automated magic for most. Should the Mk3 exceed its allotted mental capacity to draw from the user will experience extreme migraines and nausea, as well as a loss in automated biological functions. Particularly of note is the beating of the heart.


    Wait, Pure Humans? What other type of human is there? And are you counting me as a Pure Human? Seems like an interesting term.


    Pure Humans are one of the truly neutral subraces of human. You are classified as a Pure Human, a subrace seen as completely neutral among human clans and often left alone. They are easy to recognize among other subraces for their simple lack of features that define the rest of their peers. Among the infighting of humanity, while the race as a whole is neutral in secular affairs that cannot be said for internal matters. The human race is wildly violent and unstable. Their constant struggle against each other is believed to be the fuel behind their growth and adaptability. Many attribute their warring nature to be the cause of their many subraces. There are the Pure Humans, Higher Humans, Lesser Humans, Deep Humans, Sense Humans, Scient Humans, and Attuned Humans.


    Can''t say I''m surprised.Memories of the violence of the underground flashed through his mind.Humanity can be extremely brutal. Hmm. But that many? Is that a result of cross-breeding between races? And where do these races land on the compatibility scale?


    Humanity is generally viewed in a positive light by many of the other sentients. Though their internal history is bloody they rally in times of greatest need. The many subraces are not a result of cross-breeding. They are different branches of a common ancestor, with Pure Humans being the closest genetic descendant. The Scient and Attuned rise above the 80th percentile. The Higher sit at the 94th percentile. Lesser and Deep Humans are below the 20th percentile. And the Sense are nearly at zero compatibility. Pure Humans sit at the 50th percentile. All percentages are based off all sentients.


    I''ll have to ask about the separate races another day. And me? Where do I land personally? Among all users.Luck asked, absently watching the trees nearby.


    Your initial mental faculty places you in the 62nd percentile among all users. A slight outlier among the data set of nearly 2,000 tested Pure Humans.


    "Seems that I''m far above average." Luck leaned back in the stone chair. "But, then again there a number of races simply better equipped to handle the Mk3. Spirit, you said migraines and nausea were common when overtaxing the Mk3.Have I not been using it to its full extent? I''ve used many of the functions listed, some at the same time. My battle with the fire jorth, for example, called upon many of them at once. Deep targeted analysis, numbing of pain, constant scan of the environment, to name a few."


    Initial mental faculty places you in the 62nd percentile. However, further analysis regarding unique regenerative properties not present in any race with the intellectual capacity to operate with a Supportive Intelligence place you at nearly 100% compatibility. Generally, no single race is at the 100th percentile. This has been achieved only by marked individuals, extreme outliers in their own right possessing some advantage over the rest, their users that allow their mind to open further. In your case, the Mk3 is allowed nearly unlimited magical power through your Troll''s Blood and works in tandem with Exceptional Regeneration and the properties of your blood to heal any damage to your mind preemptively. Your body and brain have already adapted to what would''ve been a large mental strain on you. Only .0000012 users have achieved this level of function. To date, your current usage of the S.I. is inconsistent in its directives. At most, I have been worked to 65% capacity during the Arena Fields. Outside of that, the most I have been utilized is in this current analysis of your biological and magical profiles.


    Luck rubbed his chin. "I''ll need to work on that then. You''re an asset I can put to work, that I haven''t been using to its full potential." He chided himself, shaking his head. "Continue the scan Spirit."


    He hesitated to call it a crunch, the sound that followed his footfalls was softer, more delicate. There was a sharp juxtaposition between his attire and the green forest around him. He wore city clothes, a loose white t-shirt only slightly visible through a slightly unzipped grey jacket. One loose on him as well. A pair of simple black pants made the look. He looked sharp, something hard to achieve while wearing such airy clothing. A strong mischevious jaw, a hidden strength in his slim form. Luck didn''t seem like anyone special, especially so when he was looking away. From behind, probably the most defining feature was his posture. There was a self-assurance about him that only the extremely observant could really recognize. Most would be surprised that even with that he somehow managed to look unassuming.


    Yet, the second he turned to face you, one''s focus was drawn elsewhere.


    A violent scar, marring a youthful face, ran quickly down his cheek as if barely contained. And, the smirk, only slight, but as if the man was amused just catching a stare.


    The squirrels scurried away innocently perhaps unsettled by his amber eyes. Luck had gotten a small audience when he had been seemingly talking to himself. They had been following him ever since he first got up to do lazy circles between the trees. His hands traced the sunlight that fell upon their trunks, greeting them as he went. He liked listening to the small animals that spied on him, thinking that he either couldn''t hear him or wouldn''t care. As a plus, Spirit had completed further analysis in his time relaxing.


    Grove, scanning Link... 12%


    ...


    Mapping grove...67%


    ...


    Detected! 43 species...


    Further scans of individual animals require targeted analysis...


    ...


    Detected! 3 magical species...


    Further scans of individual animals require targeted analysis...


    ...


    Map being displayed...


    Again, a miniature popped up. This one tinted with a blue overlay, but perfectly the same. From the direct center of his chest came his magical affinities and their descriptions. The ability to manipulate and shape the earth. The ability to commune and draw from the power of nature. The ability to influence time. The descriptions themselves were more detailed but Luck wasn''t extremely interested in reading them.


    From the line sprouting from his miniature''s heart came Troll''s Blood. A diagram enlarged demonstrating the flow of magic inherent in Luck''s blood. His heart was labeled as a magical organ. The blood that pumped through it was heavily soaked in some type of healing magic, a result of organic magic. Another line ran to one of his bones, the inside of it, rather. Even in the creation of red blood cells, there was an intricate process of soaking his blood in healing magic. It was extremely organic, barely had a mana signature according to Spirit''s scans. Yet, the blood was heavily mana concentrated. According to the data, this was due to the fact the blood''s magic was dedicated to only one function since its creation, that to heal. It seems that while Luck had used his blood to heal others before, his body was the best at receiving the healing. Whenever an injury occurred, his body instinctually pulled the magic from his blood charging the injury with healing, repairing the damage. Broken bones and the like were harder to heal, simply because the blood wasn''t in actual contact. Injuries where he actually bled were healed much faster, or internal damage through a part of the body that blood flowed through.


    Reading through this data, Luck smirked. His regenerative properties were clear to see in combat.


    Invisible to anyone else, however, was the map of the Grove.


    Now Luck could really see what a favor that Melthin had done for him. He felt what really drove the Grove to choose him was when Melthin announced his status and named a True Druid. The lights back then, the green motes that flowed from Melthin and the floor of Protc''s temple were just that. That was ancient Nature magic linking to him.


    His Grove.


    Now, he could see, truly see what that meant.


    His dimensional room was smack dab in the middle of his whole grove. What looked to be a small cabin, a quaint structure, that seemed much smaller than what Luck knew the interior to be. Luck had access to immense detail surrounding the house. Occasional tufts of grass, higher than the rest, poked out from the mass of waving plants directly outside the house. Gentle and old trees, the closest of which only came to fifteen feet from the cabin. From the outside, the cabin looked like a hockey stick from a top-down view. Knowing the rooms though, Luck would''ve guessed it would''ve been one odd polygon. It was made of homey wooden logs, as earthy as the dirt from which the grass sprouted from. They interlocked seamlessly, evidence of master craftsmanship. The roof extended in a lip, slightly too far than what the weather warranted, perhaps hinting at some preparation for the winter. One side of the cabin was mostly windowed with a door nestled in the corner of the hockey stick. That was the restaurant, but on the other side of the cabin, there was another door as well.


    He zoomed out of the hologram, the edges of the map becoming static as he did so.


    "Evodim? Spirit?" Luck tried, stroking his chin as he began his walk to the cabin. His steps were accented by brushing grass.


    "Ah. Master Luck. It seems you''ve come across what I''ve only just realized myself. " Evodim''s traveled voice spoke as if walking leisurely beside him. "It seems the farther from my original structure we get, the less influence I have. I understand that this Grove isnotme, yet I have some measure of power here as a part of you. An interesting case of power dynamics as Ace had guessed. Your individual growth, in turn, will not affect the Grove as a whole. At least, not by my meddling. However, upgrades to what I considermewill still process."


    "Thanks, Evodim. I wondered about that. These are both separate powers, and by all accounts should be separate spaces as well. While the Grove and you have combined spaces it''s good to know there is a line." Luck nodded.


    "Indeed. The spatial enchantments attached to me are old and beyond comprehension, older even than the Nature magic surrounding the Groves. Yet, I believe the Grove is ancient enough to react somewhat with me." Evodim replied. "Intriguing."


    "Something to ponder." Luck waved, hands brushing mindlessly through low hanging leaves. It was something like waving hello to old friends.


    "I will be back to my duties," Evodim replied after a while.


    "Of course." Luck replied.


    It was late now. His full body diagnosis taking more time than he thought it would''ve. It didn''t help that he was very much invested in learning about the changes. It was too interesting to him and Luck ended up taking much of the time to simply study the details and graphs provided.


    Tomorrow he would set out of Hydr Valley, leaving Peace behind. Monsters unknown, powers forgotten, enemies awakened. Who knew what lay ahead? Nayah was a strange case, bent on bartending for whatever reason. Luck figured it had something to do with her past. Erok, the Roken warrior, would no doubt prove to be a useful asset in times ahead. The roken had gone toe to toe with Melthin, a member of an Elder Species. Luck didn''t really know the significance but the fight he witnessed no matter how brief was quite impressive. Maxworth, Luck could only take Ace''s word on. But the metallic man was deemed extremely competent by Ace. The Gentlemen, a clockwork race, were amazing to Luck. Another example of magic pushing the boundaries of science. Another thing Luck had to suppress his awe of.


    Settling into a trance, Luck began practicing his magic.

 Chapter 13 - To Ardun

    The path to Ardun, from all directions, is terrible. You''ve got the Hydr Dunes, Snakes Way, Frozen Zones, and Krukon''s Forest. That''s, and let me list them in order: Scorching sun and dehydration, fucking snakes, freezing cold, snow golems, ice labyrinths, oh yeah, and fucking baboons. Your pick, how would you like to die? To be completely honest I''d die by baboon cause at least it''s fucking funny. Not that you''d be able to tell the tale at all. The only people who ever go to Ardun are the crazy power-seekers. And-


    Huh?Yeah, i''ve been there.Which way?Let''s just say I''ve killed my fair share of baboons.


    - Horace, Ranger''s Guild


    Basket weaving wasn''t that hard. Finding the right materials was the hard part. Having patience was a must of course, but Ace was used to waiting. That patience got him places, ironically. Waiting had a significant impact on his life if one could believe it. Waiting for the next job. Waiting for a shot to line up. Waiting to prank Luck but instead finding him in an abandoned church.


    Waiting for lightning to strike.


    He stood straight. Around him, shattered rocks and blackened ground. His hands were up to his chest but anyone around wouldn''t have been able to tell. All they could see would be eery flashes of loud light on blackened rock. His hands were too bright, too powerful to look at. He was as still as a scarecrow standing among its field.


    His target was a streak of gold and blue.


    He lashed out. Unmoving, to the motion of a viper, faster, more precise. Dangerous. A blast of movement as powerful as the magic that shot from him. Lightning, a blast of white-blue so bright the only thing people had in way of evidence were the after images and aftermath. The ringing in their ears, the only hint to the power bursting through the air the previous silver of a second.


    In this case, however, Tric remained unharmed. She caught the lightning for lack of a better term. Herself now crackling with lightning that Ace sensed more than saw. It was a raw power that Ace knew intimately.


    Even as thunder announced the lightning belatedly, striking him in the chest.


    But Ace caught it again, a cocky smile plastered on his face. Crackling light shadowing his face. "You''ll have to be faster Tric!" He yelled, stabbing out once more with his magic. His body sweating with the bursts of movement and heat.


    I am made of lightning Ace! A dragon of the storm! You can''t beat me! Her voice was fast and sharp like herself. But never painful, only pleasant.


    Another javelin of jagged light. Ace grinned again, his hands splayed out, glowing with power. "Faster." He growled, power shining in his eyes.


    But rather than being turned off to that hungry grin. Tric gave the reptilian equivalent, knowing Ace on a level not many could. She growled back, more than ready to match Ace.


    This continued, ramping up in speed. Soon the thunder was a constant thing. They decided to keep the damage to the forest at a minimum. Ace didn''t think Luck had the particular sense since he seemed to think of the place as home but Ace felt a serious age to the surrounding forest. A power stronger than the lightning exchanged during his bouts. Deeper, more encompassing.


    It was not a bad feeling, but it was suppressing in a way. Making him less hesitant to act out or otherwise disrespect the forest. But if there was one thing him and Tric had been practicing all day, it was precision. That was the problem with lightning magic it seemed. Getting it to hit where one wanted it to. Ace had come to hear frustration in his practice before Tric came. It was the reason he decided to go for a break and scavenge for food before Tric arrived.


    He recalled running into Luck then. The man simply standing in a clearing, looking dangerous. But Ace knew Luck, the Amber Demon was always aware, always controlled. He walked in, not really fearing getting shot with the bow. The next few moments Ace remembered Luck dodging an attack from the canopy, Saga leaping from a thick branch just low enough to avoid his senses. Ace remembered Lucky dodging away from him, somehow finding the time to grab a fistful of sand in the maneuver and blinding Saga. In the next second, the man had an arrow to the cat''s neck.


    From the movement he was pulling off, it didn''t seem like his back was burnt or melted at all. The fact he cheated a god and got an Evolving Base was judged extremely fortunate for Ace. No jealousy, Ace wasn''t the type. But Luck was his friend and the closest thing to family he had, so a plus for him was a plus for Ace. Evodim had informed Ace of the healing spring he hadn''t had the chance to try it but he assumed that''s how Luck recovered.


    Ace shook his head.


    That man. Only Luck could''ve gotten away with cheating a god. Only the Amber Demon could''ve reacted as quickly fighting Saga. And, of course, the man could suddenly use a bow. But, then again he did remember Rick killing a man with a hidden blade from his cane so maybe Lucky''s dad really was an antique weapons nerd.


    He''d known stranger hobbies.


    It really never occurred to Ace to ponder his actual aptitude with magic. In terms of his age, he was far, far behind. But in terms of actual time learning, he might''ve been considered a prodigy. A similarly aged man would never have achieved what Ace had in the time that he did. However, similarly, aged men would have already progressed to greater feats of magic.


    Still, weaving through an ancient forest trading lightning with a sky-blue streak between ancient trunks was not something any sane magic practitioner would be comfortable with. Mechanical weaponry was weirdly applicable to his magic. If anyone were to see him they''d be surprised first, at the precision of such powerful blasts of lightning. Then, more so when they realized the perfect absorption by something in the trees. There was something in his Lightning magic that spoke to his training with his other weaponry. There was an intent to it. The knowledge that what he held was a weapon. He knew it was because it was his tool but he recognized the natural intuition he had gained from it. He knew how energy gathered, how it moved, how it released. How it destroyed.


    Lightning magic was a weapon, and Acen Vent was intimately familiar with those.


    Now, he sat meditating. Something he often did to anchor himself in the moment. He was in front of what Evodim deemed ''himself''. Apparently, the Grove wasn''t Evodim and Evodim wasn''t the Grove. There was an undefined distinction, but it was there all the same. The very front of the log cabin was a grass clearing, healthy trees interspersed throughout.


    He could feel one of his legs falling asleep but a quick adjustment to his posture fixed it.


    Ace?A sing-song voice played in his mind.Play with me! I can''t find your friend''s cat!


    "No, Tric." Ace replied, chuckling. "Take a moment and slow down. When you''ve been living fast your entire life you''ll develop a taste for the slow things." He smiled, eyes closed. A slight breeze, softened by the trees around him ruffled his jet black hair.


    He sat loose, flexible. Back straight and focusing on the now.


    Tric''s figure slipped into view. She eyed Ace, electricity in her gaze. Her head tilted left but eventually followed her body and rested on the grass.Fine. But I didn''t travel as far as I did to just wait.


    Ace laughed, peeking an eye open. The grove was vibrant to his sensitive eyes, they had been closed for some time. Tric was only a few feet away, directly across from Ace.


    "Of course." He said, already noticing Tric falling asleep.


    An hour passed and Ace relaxed his posture, throwing his hands behind him to rest his weight against them. The sound of his clothes moving while he stretched his legs woke Tric.


    He had a variety of fruit in his woven basket so without a word to Tric he made his way into the cabin. Opening the rustic door, he hung his hoodie on a peg on the wall.


    His stomach rumbled gently.


    He walked past the wooden tables, a faint sweetness wafting past him. Looking outside he could see Tric clearly. The little dragon was gazing around. Her scales sparkled in the sun, a current of energy and power running through them. But Ace''s Soul Companion was content in the breeze.


    Ace smiled soft but deep. Moving behind the counter and through the kitchen door, he wondered if Tric had noticed Saga stalking her yet. The two companions had a familiar dynamic.


    Setting his basket on a steel surface set into a wooden prep area, Ace removed all the fruits of his labor. Flarefruit, Soaked Apples, Glowturns, Coldleaf, Heat Berries, Sweet Bark, his basket was empty by the time he was done recounting the names in his head.


    He sorted all the fruit and vegetables, sampling them, then sorting them further based on taste. Flarefruit was a burst of flavor, dark gold the fruit was reminiscent of mango and citrus. Sweet Bark was just that, a sweet crunch that melted in your mouth. Soaked Apples looked to be a waterlogged fruit dark blue in color. There was a gradient to the blue, getting darker in the center, as if all the cool sweet flavor was contained there. The Glowturns were a soft glowing yellow, of all the fruit they were the only ones with a syrupy consistency. The sap inside of the transparent orbs was rich in flavor, though Ace hesitated to call it sweet. It was an interesting palate. Coldleaf really intrigued Ace however. It was a frosty blue leaf, extremely vibrant, the leaves emitted a blue mist. Evodim had assured him they were edible. It was minty, but less in the way of mouthwash and more in the way of ice cream. A coolness ran throughout his body as he chewed on one. Heat Berries were the opposite. They were deep red berries hanging by the dozen off thin branches low to the floor. Ace had to run off a few small animals snuggling under the berries for warmth. The berries themselves tasted like a hot spice, tasty enough to have alone but probably better complementing something else.


    Ace separated each. He opened one of the many wooden drawers to find a fully stocked kitchen. It wasn''t hard to find the cutlery. He chopped a few of the fruits, seeing how they held in slices. He did the same with the berries. Some held well, others like the soaked apples simply popped and deflated. The glowturns just oozed. That was okay. A dish was already coming to Ace''s mind.


    He placed one of the pans on the stove and began heating it up. The glowturn sap was cooked into thicker more crustlike sugar shards. He broke it off the pan and placed them aside. The flarefruit actually charred quite nicely, adding a crisp, harder flavor to all the sweetness. Ace prepared more than a few this way. Biting into the hard exterior was like biting into an explosion of taste.


    There was still some leftover deer meat. Ace wasn''t exactly sure what the animal was called. There was an ice room in the back where had strung up the carcass. He went there now, leaving some fruit cooking.


    Grabbing a giant knife off to the side Ace chopped a slice of meat off the flank. He carried this over to the prep area and began slicing it up further. The heat berries, coldleaf, and sweet bark came together in a variety of taste tests with the meat to determine a perfect pairing. The spice paired well, the coldleaf and sweet bark did not.


    He threw another pan next to the pan seared flarefruits. He slapped a slab of meat and set it to a slow cook, grabbing one of the soaked apples. He popped the apple over the deer meat marinating it in the juice. He cut open a glowturn and let some of the sugary sap glaze over the steak. Heat berries, not too much, were thrown in as well.


    "Ahhh. That smells good." Ace said aloud. "Haven''t had a kitchen to myself in a long time." He smiled, looking around. His hands went to work even as he assessed the facilities.


    He purposely burned a flank of meat, going for a more crisper dish. He left the meat by itself save for some heat berries. He plated the steak on a swatch of sweet bark, sprinkling glowturn sugar shards on top.


    Thirty minutes passed and the slow cooked flank of meat was ready. He could smell the sweet gamey aroma rise from the pan. He slipped it onto a swatch of sweet bark as well. Slicing himself a sliver, he noted the dull sweet taste that absorbed into the meat. Opening one of the overhead cabinets showed him that Evodim was fully stocked in condiments and spices.


    Ace sighed to himself. "Right, should''ve checked everything first. It''s fine, just needed salt."


    He plucked a white-capped container from the cabinet. Throwing another pan on the stove, he added glowturn sap and heat berries. The spice both dulled and complimented the sweetness of the glowturn fruit. Salt was a welcome addition, making the mix more mouthwatering. He added pepper as well.


    This sauce he spread over the slow-cooked steak.


    There were only two dishes. They served as plates from which Ace and Luck could serve themselves. One was the heavily seared steak, topped with glowturn sugar shards and complimented by heat berries on a sweet bark plate. He salted that one as well, and the dish became more meaty than sweet, as intended. The second was thoroughly cooked, marinated in soaked apple juice, glazed with glowturn sap and sprinkled with heat berries. Additionally, a heavy sauce, both sweet and salty accompanied the dish.


    As a side, pan seared flarefruit for both as well as coldleaf-wrapped soaked apples.


    The dishes, a tad too sweet perhaps, given the ingredients though Ace had made do. If he knew there were condiments and spices fully stocked it would''ve been different. He did take a certain amount of pride looking at the dishes. He created them from unknown ingredients after all. Overall, the color scheme was dark and colorful. This was to be expected, however, the fruits by Luck''s request were filtered by Evodim to be the most nutritious.


    He spotted Tric through the server window as he cleaned up. The dragon was shooting small lightning bolts into the trees sporadically.


    "Crazy dragon." Ace shook his head. "You''re gonna get pounced on with that level of ignorance." He adjusted his view wondering if Saga was in the same place. The shar was just barely visible hidden behind foliage as dark as his matte coat.


    The food was still warm by the time Luck arrived. Ace was sitting outside, his hands out behind him as Tric darted around. Ace''s mouth quirked up watching the dragon. His attention was stolen, however, when he felt magic from the forest. He was seeing how long he could fool Saga into thinking he hadn''t noticed him.


    Luck was shirtless, some kind of black armor covering his upper body. The ground around him was pulsing in slow ripples, clearly by his efforts. Ace had to blink multiple times, Luck himself was blinking in and out of existence. The stagger was brief, Luck only moving maybe half a foot before blinking back in. He was practicing his Time magic and Earth magic apparently. The armor was anyone''s guess but he didn''t seem to be in distress over it.


    Briefly, Ace wondered if he could take a blast of lightning but he shook those thoughts away.


    "Hey, Ace." The Amber Demon greeted him.


    "Food''s ready inside." Ace stood, his hands wiping away the dirt on his pants. He smiled as he swiveled his neck to look directly at Saga. "Made something for the shar as well."


    Luck smirked, calling Saga to come out. The shar came to rub up on Luck''s legs, eyeing Ace. "He forgets you''re just as dangerous as I am. A product of the life we lived." He shrugged.


    "Best he learns by example." Ace shrugged, the both of them speaking as if Saga was nothing but a kitten. Said kitten growled indignantly.


    "True." Luck grinned. "How was practice? Heard a lot of thunder, nearly nonstop too." Even as he spoke, the dark armor covering him fell away leaving him shirtless. He untied his shirt and jacket from his waist and put them on, slipping his arms through the clothes.


    "Eventful. Learned a lot. Is it bad that picturing magic as a weapon tends to help me implement it?" Ace as they walked through the cabin door into the restaurant section of Evodim.


    Instead of moving to sit down Luck passed the table without looking at the food. "Damn, that smells good. And no, I don''t think so. From what I''ve gathered though picture it as a weapon all you like. Just know that it isn''t all that it is. There are some other utilities for each. Construction, healing, ease of life. Energy." He said pointedly, Ace rolled his eyes.


    "I''m well aware, Lucky. It''s still magic, of course, I''m thinking of everything else it can do." He yawned, feeling the ache of not only his physical body but his magical stamina as well.


    Luck was pouring, twirling and dabbling in the bar. Strong liquids swirled in his hands coalescing into something finer. His hands move with a sure deftness that many would''ve thought was born behind the bar. Ace knew better. "Of course, of course. You''re Ace Vent, a man of many secrets as my dad loved saying."


    Ace shook his head as his friend brought the drinks over. "You want to get into this, now?" He chuckled. "If we''re talking names and what people say about them I''ve got you beat Lucky."


    Luck frowned then sighed. "Fine, I surrender preemptively. Enjoy your victory." He said dirtily. "And your drink." As he slid a cool clear glass towards him.


    Ace caught the liquid, absorbing the momentum through his arm as to not spill the liquid. The glass sliding across the hardwood was a comforting and familiar sound. He had been to many bars in the past.


    "And you, your food." He smiled.


    They talked vaguely of their practices of the day. Some information and insights into magic they felt they needed to share rather than keep secret. The majority, however, was indeed vague. Luck talked about his interest in keeping the grove teeming with critters, hinting at how useful it would be. He did elaborate on what exactly a Grove was and Ace rose his eyebrows at this. The druids weren''t a product of an ancient magic, they were simply people that fit the requisites set by ancient mages.


    Ace himself had not much to talk about. Luck didn''t question Tric or what she was, probably having arrived at his own conclusion Ace guessed.


    Tric and Saga were eating their own meals nearby. He laid their food by the entrance to Saga''s living space. Tric he gave some of the sharper berries and darker ones. Saga got a fat slab of meat from his earlier kill in the cold room. He was amused at what he found when he looked over to check on them during a lull in his own conversation.


    Tric was poking at Saga, not annoyingly, but civil. Saga snorted exasperatingly but surrendered three neat strips cut off his flank of meat with his forepaw, his claws sharper than any knives in the kitchen and nuzzled them towards Tric. The companion trilled happily, a flash of color running down her scales.


    Two white bunnies hopped innocently out of Saga''s room. They looked at the meat and hopped away, perhaps panicked. Saga rolled his eyes.


    "Ha. Seemed like they actually get along." Luck said with his mouth full.


    "Well, Tric actually likes him. Saga''s always been hard to read for me though. I''m not sure if the cat even likes me." Ace still thought Saga only tolerated him because he was friends with Luck.


    "He''s dubbed you Quiet One. And calls me Amber Eyes. " Luck smirked. "He''s actually a big softie. As you can see." He gestured and Ace''s eyes followed.


    Saga was currently in the process of glaring at them, hearing the conversation. Unfortunately, two white balls of fluff were perched on his head thereby flattening his ears and pulling his eyes down. The effect was a smushed sad expression.


    Ace and Luck burst out laughing.


    They had to stop themselves to finish their food. Eventually, their smiles got lost in the chewing but their happiness didn''t fade.


    It reminded Ace of Luck being buried in small animals earlier. It was a good memory and it made him smile contently to which Luck noticed, unsurprisingly.


    "Something funny?" Luck smirked.


    He wasn''t about to tell Luck how glad he was to have come with him. He had told him before, but the day he found Luck in that abandoned church was the day he decided to end his own life. He was planning on meeting Luck one last time before ending it all.


    Then the damn Amber Demon invited him to another world.


    Ace lips quirked up a little further.


    "Just your face Lucky." He said eloquently.


    Their last day in the grove ended with Luck polishing off the alcohol glasses and Ace cleaning up the kitchen. Luck told him it was basically his and that he should feel free to move everything to his liking. He opted to do it by hand rather than ask Evodim and leave the room, that way he could get a better feel for the kitchen. It was still early in the night when they decided to soak in the healing spring with Saga and Tric joining them. It seemed Saga and Luck had more injuries than Ace and Tric did. Ace was content to soak in the silence and so was everyone else.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    It was a long time before Luck got up yawning. He grabbed a towel and Saga followed him out. Half an hour later Ace and Tric did the same. The physical exhaustion of the day was still there, but none of the pain.


    Custom leather never felt so soft.


    <hr>


    So much potential in his own hands. He felt magic gather around his whole body, but Luck liked to use his hands and his mind. He lay in bed now. His stomach full. There was no physical toll by using magic as far as he could tell unless you overtaxed yourself and went into mana fatigue as Ace had before. All the same though, his mind was tired, rotating through various magical exercises on his way back to the cabin from the center of the grove.


    Preparing different aspects of nature, shaping the rock around him, phasing in and out of time. Sending pulses of Earth magic through the ground, moving items around while time-locked, exploring the denizens of the grove through his mind. Exhausting.


    His mind wandered further into sleep as if sinking into his very bed sheets. Thoughts of rampant magic crossed his conscious. Combinations of magics unseen, unheard of. He wondered of his higher affinities and what they were. He wondered what other tools Ace had at his disposal. The food he prepared, could magic be similar to a recipe?


    Thoughts on the mouthwatering foods that they had eaten together earlier was what eventually knocked Luck out.


    The next morning Luck and Ace stepped out of the dimensional room emerging from the dark alley between slanted temples that they disappeared into previously. Saga and Tric emerged afterward, having been somewhere in the forest. This happening was unheard of. Dimensional Rooms only opened for their owners, alas Evodim was a sentient being thus Saga and Tric could leave at will. Any scholar specializing in magical artifacts would be baffled at seeing such a thing. It was widely known Evolving Artifacts obeyed a single master. Luck had discussed the topic with Evodim earlier.


    Protc''s temple watched silently, the very top visible from even a few shrines away. The battle with Melthin and the havoc that the Wazar wrought flashed fresh in his mind. The chaos following the system update was immediate.


    "Thank you, Protc." Luck offered quietly, his voice no more than a whisper as his eyes looked forward.


    People noticed them. It might have been Ace''s hair or Luck''s eyes. Maybe the two of them combined. Likely, it was Saga''s presence that reminded the citizens of their group.


    Ace glanced at Luck as if gauging his reaction.


    Luck''s hand found Saga''s shoulder, stroking the shar as they walked through wrecked trader''s stalls. Awnings were broken, some hanging off the hastily constructed booths. Wares were strewn about and houses were damaged. It had only been a day outside and although Luck and Ace had seen countless deaths they had never seen so many bodies in one place. Or out in the open for that matter.


    Snakes were the majority. Weighted sand vipers that Luck knew. He spoke small words for them in low Drood as they came across a carcass of a callamoth surrounded by the serpents. Soon they came across a familiar building with the front door destroyed, right on the edge of the residential and shopping districts. A dead callamoth, a degree larger than any nearby lay on its side. A pool of stale blood under its extended neck. A woman and her daughter stood there, the daughter a younger mirror of her mother.


    Luck held eye contact for a small moment, dipping his head slightly as the woman found his gaze.


    Their footsteps crunched upon the sand as twisted grains brought them closer to the central tower and the Arena Fields. There were exotic animals dead around the base of the tower when they arrived. Luck noticed a massive jorth lying dead near a broken hole in the wall. It seemed some of the animals escaped that were being kept for the arena.


    It was early morning. The system of shading in Peace allowed the tallest buildings to shade the squatter ones. The town was built in rough line, east to west. Early sun was at their backs as they arrived, silhouettes to the small group waiting for them.


    Madam Savs, Nayah, and Borg. They stood about arguing. Right there by the enchanted curtains of the entrance to the tower. The sand nearby was softer and finer here, but that only made more apparent the clots of blood staining the powder.


    "You will take it, foolish girl!" Madam Savs yelled, shoving a small pouch to Nayah.


    "Mother no! I will not. I swore those away the night Father died!" She screamed, and like a slap to the face Madam Savs shut up.


    Her face narrowed and Borg took a subtle step backward, stepping over bloody sand. He was extremely quiet for his normal character Luck noted.


    Nayah was dressed in all leather, practical traveling armor. She was crying, and Luck knew for some odd reason that girl had come to respect him, if only for his bartending skills. He still needed to figure that out, though it ranked pretty low on the stuff he wanted to do. If his hunch was right it had everything to do with her father or family.


    Luck glided right between them, Borg''s face going slightly pale as he saw the movement.


    "Madam Savs, Nayah." He greeted in smooth Common. "What''s the problem? We''re to depart soon so I take it there are no complications?" His was a voice that cooled the hottest coals. The voice of a mediator, oozing reasonableness and logic.


    Madam Savs breathed deep noticing the rest of Luck''s group for the first time, eyes alighting upon the dragon perched upon Ace''s shoulder before moving away uninterested. "She refuses her most valuable asset." She said simply.


    "You." Luck gestured to Nayah. "Take it. She''s your mother. I won''t travel with a stubborn child." He said calmly. Luck''s face was one that brooked no arguments.


    Nayah glared at Luck as if indignant for him taking sides with her mom but Luck could care less. He stared her down and she grabbed the pouch. Her hair flashed orange, again too short for Luck to think anything of it. Something pushed against Luck''s mind but he dismissed it again.


    In truth, if Madam Savs assumed it was that valuable to her then it probably was. And Luck really didn''t want a difficult travel companion.


    Not that she was the only one.


    Erok and Maxworth approached now, coming from around the base of the tower. They stepped around a handful of dead beasts but arrived in no short amount of time.


    "Erok, Maxworth." He greeted. "A pleasure once again."


    "Pleasure." They said simultaneously, a smooth pitch over uneven roughness.


    Erok looked about with interest, nudging the nearest animal carcass. Maxworth similarly examined the surrounding mayhem, his head on a swivel.


    Luck nodded. "I take it you are both with everything you need?" He asked.


    "Yes, the Roken need nothing but rock. Though I bring many weapons. " He rumbled in Roken. The rock man''s hammer was gripped by the very rock that grew from his back. It was an impressive weapon and Erok walked with the weight as if it was nothing. Shorter blades were attached to his legs and thighs.


    "And you Maxworth?" Luck queried, his face betraying none of his analysis. Nor did his eyes. Luck could be as robotic as clockwork if he wanted to.


    "The Gentlemen need no such sustenance, sir." He replied politely. The silver man''s arm was reattached, looking no worse of wear. In fact, it didn''t even seem like it was detached in the first place. His arms hovered by his daggers that Luck knew were there. The small man held eye contact.


    Unlike them, Ace and Luck walked around unarmed. And they seemed harmless, dressed in casual clothes that have been repairing themselves continuously since they entered Evodim. It irked Luck, having to wear the same clothes. His fashionable side was mildly disgusted at himself but rational reasoning won out and Luck knew it was unavoidable for now.


    Luck gathered from the stares of the civilians he and Ace looked the part of wealth. Their higher quality clothing was apparent enough and the people of Peace took that at face value and made their own assumptions.


    Inexperienced or naive.


    That was what he knew he looked like. He didn''t care though. It was just useful to know your impression on others. After the havoc of last night, however, they all knew better. He and Ace were perfectly capable.


    "Shall we head out?" Luck asked. "We''ll just need horses to mount Madam Savs. I take it that''s fair payment for the seeds that might continue to feed Peace for generations?"


    Harsh features narrowed then softened. "There exists no horse that might even have a chance of traveling across the desert beyond Hydr Valley. We travel by camel if at all we have to. Of course, there are different mounts available." She left it open, waiting for Luck to decide.


    "The sturdiest and most enduring mounts you can spare if you will. Ones suited for danger as we''ll likely come across many hazards in light of the new update." Luck looked around pointedly making eye contact with each in his traveling band.


    Erok smiled knowingly laying a hand on his hammer in assurance. Maxworth bowed shortly tapping his weapons as well. Nayah, face still puffy, was looking at the small pouch in her hands. Ace shrugged and winked.


    "I''ll have them ready." Madam Savs looked around as if for the first time noticing how little the entire group had between themselves. The only person with a pack was Nayah. "How do you plan on traveling the months towards Ardun without any supplies? You''ve not a single thing on your person!"


    "I''ve many secrets Madam Savs. You don''t need to concern yourself over Ace and I. We are perfectly capable of surviving for a very, very long time in the desert. The same goes for our companions." Luck placated her, gesturing to Saga and Tric. A look of disbelief crossed her face.


    "I cannot let my daughter''s protectors starve less they slack in their duty. I will outfit the two of you with a traveling pack with provisions to last a week. That is all I can offer given the current state of the city." Madam Savs grimaced, her eyes flicking to workers clearing out the dead animals.


    There were only two or three of them working the rest were off in the distance dealing with the bodies of sentiments. But Luck watched as they came nearer, moving to the bodies near to Madam Savs and Luck.


    Ace stepped up casually having apparently been studying his Common. "Madam Savs, trust. We are extremely capable." He said, voice earnest as he laid a hand on Luck''s shoulder, concealing something in the process. "Him more so than me." He gestured to Luck, grinning.


    "I simply can''t trust the life of my daughter with random strangers." Her face was harsh as if the sun darkened. Her voice was low, regretful and apologetic. "No matter how capable you claim to be. She is safer here than anywhere else." She had not noticed any of Luck or Ace''s maneuvering. A terrible oversight that she underestimated them once again.


    Luck cut in. "Your man will stay his hand or mine will cut it off." His voice was sharp, sudden and loud. Startling Madam Savs.


    The worker reaching for the dead body of a small furry animal at their feet was not even glanced at. He had a large dagger hidden under his forearm and if his posture was any tell he was poised to strike upwards at Luck. Luck had noticed a long while ago and Ace had moved accordingly, having noticed it himself. The worker had frozen, frigid.


    Now, Ace''s dagger was sharper and closer to the man''s neck than the man''s own dagger was to his hand. Glistening steel already having drawn a bead of blood. And Ace seemed to have it there in an instant. The threat of death kept the poor man completely still as Ace addressed Savs.


    Ace smiled softly, staring straight at Savs even while his dagger pressed against the crouching worker. "Sorry, Madam. We hold our lives in high importance and place pain very low."


    Madam Savs grit her teeth crookedly. "I thought you were unarmed." She spoke slowly, forcing out the words through a guise of composure. Her hard gaze swept up from her assassin to Luck and her face paled slightly.


    Slits of amber stared back, eyes sharper than any human''s had a right to be, cat-like. There was a cutting animal nuance to his face now, piercing and perturbing. His hands, concealed in his pockets boasted claws as sharp as Saga''s. Madam Savs mouth couldn''t find the words even as her eyes flicked about his face in widened surprise. They settled on his teeth, sharp incisors poking at his lips, hinting at a longer length.


    "Never." Luck hissed. He gave a harsh look to Savs as if such attempts on his life were an everyday occurrence and he was giving her fair warning. The look was almost daring, his eyes sparkling with playful arrogance. "Let him go Ace." He finally said, smirking. He had opted out of using the chitin armor. The armor was less intimidating and he''d rather have Spirit hold that aspect indefinitely. The aspect of the Black Shell Centipede or Hard Chitin Centipede. One that could save his life in a pinch he knew.


    "My pleasure." Ace replied.


    Ace kicked the man to the floor. He was as gentle as he had any right to be Luck noticed. The man grunted but otherwise stayed silent. He scrambled behind Madam Savs, breathing hard. His eyes weren''t dilated so Luck acknowledged the man had seen death in the eyes before, many times even. But they did widen slightly as he caught Luck''s features. The man nodded subtly to Ace, respect in the gesture for sparing his life, knowing how easily a slice of the knife could''ve opened his throat.


    "A test then?" Luck wondered aloud, as Saga''s aspect faded. His eyes lost their feline nature as they narrowed towards Savs. "Or an actual attempt on my life? I noticed Erok and Maxworth not reacting, odd given their prowess in battle. Nayah knew, of course, that much was clear given her wandering eyes. Borg did a decent enough job at giving little away. And you Savs had the audacity to smile in my face and stab me in the back. This, after all, we''ve done to help Peace in the last few days." Back was the man she had known previous, nothing left of the eerie predator before.


    "Not exactly the picture of hospitality." Ace chimed in, his kitchen knife disappearing into his jacket.


    "Not at all." Luck spit.


    "What now? Will you kill me then?" Savs glared at him, indignant. Nayah''s eyes widened in Luck''s peripheral. "You have benefited Peace greatly but I have no idea how long your enchanted seeds may take to even sprout! Let alone bear fruit! This city thrives on travelers and monsters but there is always a healthy balance. Do not misunderstand me, Lockyer. I deeply thank you for helping all those that you have. But I cannot have my daughter traveling with someone when I have not a single idea of their capability. Your performance in the Arena Fields is impressive true, but you had done nothing but run and burn your back entirely. So kill me then! Kill me for worrying about my only daughter!" She yelled, now out of breath, pointedly avoiding looking at Nayah.


    "No." Luck sighed. "You simply acted on maternal instinct. Stupidly, I might add. But nonetheless, I have a family as well." Luck replied. He knew Madam Savs could not know that his back had healed entirely and her concern was well warranted. He did in fact act as bait that entire fight. "To address your position on my capabilities, you simply have no idea, Madam."


    "You are no linguist Luck Lockyer." She squinted. "You are something much more dangerous. I have no idea how you have come to learn Shadowspeak either. But you have misled both Borg and Nayah with your story of completing your father''s map. You cannot possibly be a simple traveling linguist, it is improbable. "


    Astute, Luck conceded. "I am a linguist. " He stressed. "But I am also many other things, Savs. One of those is a winner to our bet. Nayah decides her own profession on account of me defeating the challenge of the Arena Fields. And if she decides she would like to be trained as a bartender then I can offer her that luxury. Additionally, I gave you the enchanted seeds anyway, a good majority of the desert favoring plants and vegetation at my disposal. Nayah comes with us if she so chooses. This group we have is a capable bunch Madam and if you believe she is safer with those in the city than this group of travelers that don''t have even have a single scratch on them then you must be delusional."


    "Your back is enough evidence for me, Lockyer. Your group is not entirely unscathed. And if I remember correctly even your companion cat..." She trailed off, noticing the lack of cuts and bruises on Saga.


    As if opening her eyes for the first time, she glanced around, amid the chaos of yesterday, the bodies lying around, the rubble of the surrounding buildings and the defeated citizens stood a single group of unscathed souls. Luck, Ace, Saga, Tric, Erok, and Maxworth stood without any signs of battle on them.


    Internally, Luck was more impressed by Erok and Maxworth than he was of anyone else. He knew the healing spring was credited largely with their own lack of damage but Erok and Maxworth was a mystery. Especially since he had seen Maxworth lose an entire arm in the fight with the wazar.


    In contrast, Madam Savs'' heavy robe was heavily scuffed. The material frayed at the ends in similarity to Nayah''s clothes. Luck conceded that could just as easily be wear and tear, however. Borg stood as well, his traveling clothes and rambunctious attitude suppressed by the damage apparent in the way he held his ribs.


    Luck smirked. "Not a single scratch on us, Madam."


    "This is what I want to do mother." Nayah''s small voice interjected. "I can''t be cooped up here in Peace forever. We both know it." Her voice was timid as if that simple sentence was the bravest thing she had ever said.


    "I will not apologize for the attempt on your life. " She said looking at Luck hard. "But Nayah, we still- " Savs began.


    "Our mounts Madam if you please. Nayah has made clear her position." Luck cut her off, already having moved on. "Just don''t do it again. You don''t know who you''re dealing with. You have no idea." He said without any particular inflection.


    Though his delivery was nonchalant it was as if something replaced Luck in that split second. There was an old presence about him, a life of crime and hard living manifest. The scar down his cheek became more prominent, his smirk more ominous. Amber, if ever such a color could be cold it would''ve been confirmed in the moments Luck''s eyes swept over the gathered individuals. Luck''s eyes weren''t that of a petty criminal dabbling in low profile illegal activities. No, Luck lived at the height of criminal corruption, the very top of the pyramid in the most corrupt and vulnerable cites when it came to criminal activity.


    And the Amber Demon thrived there.


    Many of those present were battled hardened but there was something crueler than mere bloodshed in Luck''s eyes. A fathomless knowing in rich amber. This was the gaze of a man who had seen humanity at its worse and then some. His was the visage of someone who had seen true monsters intent on ruining lives through sick and twisted means. Horrors born of man, worse than even the most terrifying abomination. He had witnessed the torment the truly motivated could bring to others, the depravity of the lowest of the low that resided at the highest rungs of criminal society.


    The dance of power back in the city was a dangerous thing. Dirty hands were always reaching. Men would suffer metal implements in the basements of wicked others. Torture was easy. Luck had used it many times. He was good at it too. Pain was a great motivator no matter what part of the body it came from. But there were more methods that people used to get what they wanted. Torture was simply the tip of the iceberg, there were worse methods that even he refused to use.


    Luck always summed it up to blackmail and extortion but the details were lost in that summary. His eyes faded for a while, reflecting those memories. He looked at everyone present. His visage, more disturbing now than altered by magic.


    Erok shifted his rocky figure, stony joints grating as he stood straighter. Maxworth dipped his head in eloquence, keeping yet again cordial and polite. Nayah visibly shivered as Luck''s gaze passed over her as if the look was a physical search. Saga cocked his head, his lithe figure pausing for the smallest moments as Luck met his feline eyes. Tric was either too naive to spot anything in Luck''s gaze or didn''t care. And Ace grimaced knowingly, his own eyes flashing with memories of the past.


    "No, she does not." Ace said quietly in English, snapping Luck back to the present.


    That life was over.


    Madam Savs stood a little straighter keeping her tells hidden well. But Luck knew she was uncomfortable. She glanced away as Luck held her gaze. The assassin beside her stood rigid as well perhaps remembering Ace''s deadly movement or Luck''s near-instant transformation to something less human.


    After a pregnant moment, she finally answered. "Borg, the keid." Madam Savs turned to Luck, defeated. Her face had softened with worry, harsh features all but disappearing. She regarded Luck in confidence and with finality trusting her daughter to him. "They are a sturdy animal with high vitality. Not fast, not slow. They are expensive creatures but they have no use other than traveling. As is, they are a drain on city resources now. The other mounts at least have other uses. I caution you however Lockyer. These beasts are notoriously uncooperative and quite capable of harming their riders." She warned, her face giving an apologetic smile. "They do fit exactly what you''re looking for though. And I only give the keid up now because Peace can''t afford to feed them. Our food stocks have been wiped out. The snakes found our icehouses before they left and sunk their venomed teeth into nearly everything. Of our icehouses that survived, the callamoths have broken into almost all of them thereby compromising their mage chill."


    "Shouldn''t be a problem." Luck smiled.


    Shortly thereafter Borg returned with three lumbering beasts in tow. Adjacent, Borg looked small. Keid, Luck observed, were fairly massive. Each probably equated to the size of a large van. Attached to each was a harness, it connected from the base of their body to a portable awning, shading their backs as well as anyone on them. He wasn''t high enough to see their back fully but he assumed there was some type of cushions there as well.


    Spirit.Luck started.


    The secular voice was fast to respond. Weathered skin, tough leather hide. Quadrupedal. Thick muscles. It''s muscle to fat ratio is highly skewed. Its mass is almost completely muscle, efficient enough to survive in this environment without any extra energy stores. Little to no fat is present. Peculiar, these inputs do not point towards an endurance animal.


    As the keid got closer Luck truly took in the beast. Making eye contact, he found a stubborn gaze staring back before it turned away in mischief. The beasts were light brown, a hide camouflaged in the dunes outside of Hydr Valley. Their feet were actually jointed flat hooves. Crinkled eyes were set deep under prominent ridged eyebrows planted on very, very wrinkly face.


    The nearest one grunted as Borg led them to the middle of the group. On cue, the furthest keid to the back yanked on the rope Borg held them to and sent him sprawling backward.


    "Gah, damn keids!" He yelled, clutching his ribs. Borg spat in the sand as he got up only to be jerked violently to the side and onto his back again. The keids chortled.


    The middlemost kicked sand over him, demonstrating an interesting flexibility in their joints. They chortled again.


    Borg got up grimacing, obviously in pain. Luck wondered how he could administer his Troll''s Blood for bone damage.


    "They''re a handful to deal with. Violent more than not. " A voice rumbled in Roke. Erok was patting the first keid on the forehead. After a moment, he knocked heads with it and grunted. "They respond to my people well." The keid twisted its head and grunted deep in response.


    "Seems they have a lot of quirks." Luck regarded the one by Erok, not shy to approach. It looked at him curiously.


    Luck smirked, dodging the keid''s shoulder as it shrugged it forward. Erok stopped patting the keid. "You''ve handled them before?" He rumbled.


    "No, but they''re not too hard to figure out." Luck smirked, eyeing the one nearest to him. It looked away unconcerned.


    "They are great pack animals, very good for moving trade goods if controlled correctly," Erok added. "They are a boon for traveling in harsh environments. As such, they are a harsh animal and well reputed when cooperating."


    "Really? Are they a commonly found in Aerae then?"


    Erok shrugged. "I wouldn''t know. Aerae itself is so large it''s hard to determine. For my people, they are not common but they are well known for being good traveling mounts."


    Ace approached one carefully, seeming to have more confidence than he should. His walk was lax but he kept his distance initially. Tric perched atop his head this time and the keid followed her gaze. Eventually both the keid and Ace calmed down.


    Meanwhile, Saga was behind staring at the furthest one. The keid snorted, kicking up sand and Saga walked past it. He repeated this to the others as well. They grunted heavily to each other and Saga dropped his head low and growled at them, they stopped.


    Nayah stood trembling, Borg trying to calm her down while Maxworth did the opposite, standing completely still. The keid seemed to leave them alone.


    Erok eventually went back to tending to the one he had apparently chosen.


    Luck stood, observing all with a smirk. Today would be the day he took his first step towards reuniting with his family. His mother, his father, Tate. He missed them all. His first steps to Ardun. He wondered what chaos might''ve been birthed there. It was impossible to estimate the age of Aerae, but Ethodthem might be waking up any number of things.


    Madam Savs walked over. "They can be violent, you know." She said, interrupting his thoughts. He had hoped she would simply watch as well. He never had the best luck ironically.


    "She''ll be fine." Luck replied, seeing past her sun-hardened exterior. He gave Savs an amused glance. "She''s determined. Someone could do a lot with that."


    Madam Savs smiled sadly. "How can you be sure?"


    His first kill. He remembered his father watching him. It was a woman and her face was etched into his memory, a back image to every life he took. Blonde, blue eyes, soft features with hard eyes. His father had watched him take her life. It''s not said anywhere, but once you first kill you become part of the underground. It was a transition from a boy to a man.


    "You can''t."


    She looked to him curiously. "No inspiring speech? No promise to protect my daughter? No show of bravado or sweet words?" She turned away, old eyes resting on her daughter.


    "I have my own path to follow. If she wants to come, the first thing keeping her alive will be herself." He said.


    She smiled, her eyes showing crow''s feet as she did, a true smile, soft and nostalgic. Luck turned slightly, finding a woman trusting her daughter to become one as well before she spoke. "You are oddly refreshing Lockyer."


    Luck shrugged to her as Ace neared.


    "Ready Lucky? Or you getting cold feet?" Ace quipped, bringing his keid around.


    "Not in this sand and that sun." He joked, looking up at his friend. He moved, towards his own, Nayah looking lost, followed his movement.


    "You are sure you have no need of any supplies? None at all? Is it suicide to go past Hydr without water unless you are knowledgeable of the wildlife there. Not even a Ranger can always make the trip safely." Savs called out, standing regally.


    The detail about the Ranger was interesting but Luck was fine. There was a whole grove to draw resources from. "We have everything we need. " He waved dismissively, mounting the nearest keid.


    Savs sighed. "So be it, Lockyer. I will come to trust you on this, more so if you visit and return my daughter safely."


    Luck nodded.


    "Uh... hmm." Nayah stared at the beast''s flank, unsure of how to get up. Luck had just run up the side, treating the keid like a wall. "I don''t see how..."


    "Trouble?" Luck asked absently, pretending to check his person.


    In the end, she had to be helped. Luck brought her up effortlessly, a strength to his body it shouldn''t have. For her part, she seemed greatly surprised at the ease with which she was helped up.


    Luck ignored her eyes.


    In all, it was Erok and Maxworth riding one. Nayah sat with Luck and Ace had his own. Saga rode as well, his weight was nothing to what the keid could lift. The shar slept between Luck and the girl, mentally prompted by Luck.


    "Are we all ready?" Luck called.


    "I am ready, sir," Maxworth said, faster than anyone.


    "Ready as I''ll ever be Lucky."


    "Ready," Erok replied in Common.


    "Yes." Said a timid voice behind him.


    Then they were off the sun at their backs.

 Small Hiatus Sorry

    Really sorry to do this to everyone. My writing will be put on hold for a while. I''ve got Summer Classes coming up and my family doesn''t have the money so I have a lot of things to worry about right now. We turned in for financial aid but that money won''t come for 6-8 weeks and we have to pay $3026 out of pocket and hope most of it gets reimbursed. I might have to pick up a part time job and my family might have to take out a loan so I don''t know the next time I''ll be able to write. Just felt like you guys should know.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I am extremely stressed right now.

 Small Hiatus Over

    Hey everyone! We''ve managed to figure out the money situation. Thank you for all your support, it really means a lot. I''m back to writing so that''s all that matters. I try to release a chapter roughly every two week, improving my writing through comments on RoyalRoad and Patreon. As is... It doesn''t look like I''ll be able to release a chapter by tomorrow since I''m behind due to all the rigamarole. Nonetheless, I''m still writing and trying to get it out, hopefully, I can pull out ahead. You guys are the best and I appreciate all the comments and well wishes. Additionally, sorry for anyone excited that a new chapter might be out... it''s just an update today. But maybe this weekend? We''ll see.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Comment anything you want below, comments on the story as a whole, improvements, criticisms, anything you want to see more of, anything you want to see less of, anything not included that you want to see. I appreciate every comment and everything you guys have to say so let it rip.

 Chapter 14 - Adventure

    It''s demonic! Bred on the planes of hell and capable of only sin and disaster. Birthed in the minds of the most morally black. Disgusting. I don''t know how people tolerate this absurdity, it should all be destroyed. To bring the worst out in every race, is that not the work of the devil, the undivine? It is, is it not? Every civilization to have ever dabbled with such things destroys itself! It is a demonic thing, unwanted, preying on the temptations of the layman! Technology doesn''t advance science! It devolves morality! Weaponry, implants, drugs, mindmasks, transportation? What can technology do that magic cannot? And without the twisted ideals that it brings?


    -Arthemuy Caster, High Mage, 7th Seat.


    He twisted, under the shade of the keid''s harness. The saddle was peppered with pillows. Large enough across he could easily lay horizontally and sleep comfortably, even with Nayah and Saga doing the same. The back of the beast was broad, maybe five by eight feet. He enjoyed listening to the keid talk with each other. Luck''s mount complained heartily about Saga riding on it, somewhat frightened of the shar. Ace''s was annoyed at Tric darting about its face. The one carrying Erok and Maxworth had it the best apparently. They were all very vocal about getting rid of their riders once they found a watering hole, something Luck''s keid doubted they would come across in the Hydr Dunes.


    Of course, they could not know Luck could understand them.


    Peering over the saddle of the creature he could see only barren rock and desert, a scene as lonely as the moon. Dust clouds rose in the distance, some unknown creatures kicking up the scuffle. The keids walked roughly in a triangle, they were a social creature Luck surmised. It was obvious in the constant dialogue they shared. Their hooves kicked sand backward where Peace slowly but surely became a speck, another particle in the brown trail. It had been hours since their departure.


    Outcroppings of darker brown rock dotted the landscape, adding a scarred look to the dunes of Hydr. No plants as far as Luck could see save for curious growths he spotted that called the rocks home. Light green, lost in beige, nearly covered those rock outcroppings. Some type of lichen that managed to live on extremely heated rocks, battered by the heat of the sun.


    Luck had learned the main danger in the dunes was dehydration. The chance to come across something living in the dunes was nigh impossible. Everything here died, so he was told. The only ones thriving were the birds in the sky, somehow immune to the heat of the desert they glided slow above the sun. Scavengers. Scavengers that had been circling them since it became clear they were leaving Peace. He could spot them every now and again as he leaned out from under the awning.


    Turning inward he looked at his fellow passengers. Luck''s mouth was dry as he watched Nayah take a rationed sip from her own leather waterskin. No doubt the liquid tasted like old leather from her face. She glanced his way, having turned back into the saddle from staring out into the dunes as well. Saga still slumbered between them, Nayah only slightly terrified of his sleeping form, apparent in the way she made no sudden moves.


    "Thirsty?" She asked, or rather whispered loudly. "You can have some if you want. I know you don''t have any supplies." Her gaze was curious since Luck hadn''t taken a single sip of water for nearly half a day in the heat. The dry scorch seemed to have no effect on him.


    "Nope." Luck grinned.


    The grove, though he didn''t come across them in person, harbored many bodies of water dotting the forest. Water fresh, blue, and sparkling clear. Drawing from his grove he called that water directly into his mouth. He took a veiled gulp and looked to Nayah, a carefully amused look on his visage. The perks of the Evodim allowed him that luxury, summoning items from your dimensional room was a common thing. It so happened that Evodim had reign over a large lake before his influence died out in the grove.


    "I don''t understand how you do that. You seem like a normal human. You''re not even sweating! " She said exasperatedly.


    "I guess I''m just used to traveling. Just assume it''s as if everywhere I go is home." He took another swig of water surreptitiously. "Really, like home is just a step away for me."


    Tric flew by once again, perching on the saddle. Luck, per routine, handed her a waterlogged soaked apple and coldleaf. Tric grabbed them with a chirp and flew off to Ace''s keid. She dropped the soaked apple at an angle and Ace caught the tossed fruit under the awning, raising it in thanks to Luck before taking a large bite of the watery fruit. Ace gave him a goofy thumbs up as he popped the coldleaf in his mouth.


    Luck shook his head. The properties of the fruit in his grove were truly astounding. The ones Ace had stocked up on just so happened to be extremely useful here.


    Unlike Luck, the black-haired mercenary retire was still sweating profusely. Luck stayed as dry as the sand.


    She squinted, watching once again as Luck procure the fruit from a container she couldn''t see. Yet not once had she witnessed him take a bite of the fruits he produced himself. "It''s like you''re perfectly cooled." She said crossing her arms.


    Luck closed his eyes again, seeming to all to be simply meditating on the ride. He felt the keid move under him, each step a rocking on the saddle. The dull crunch of coarse sand as they approached rock and the seiving sound of finer grain as they grew further.


    In truth, he was searching his grove, combing it with his senses. There he found a small animal, a bright green mammal the size of a squirrel. It had extremely short and coarse fur. But most importantly, it belonged to the short list of herbivores that foraged in the territory of thermal sensing predators. In short, the Heatblind, aptly named and one of the few creatures cataloged in Spirit''s general information package had perfect control of its own internal temperature.


    Luck had been drawing upon the little critters the entire trip which is to say most of the day.


    Nayah wasn''t far on her estimate, in fact she was completely on the dot. Luck was perfectly content to sit in the sun. Completely combatting the heat, however, takes some mana on his part according to Spirits analysis. There was a minuscule draw on his mana pool.


    "I''ve only seen a Lesser Human before, but he still had to drink water often in this sun." Nayah said.


    "I''m a little different from a Lesser Human. " Luck replied.


    Spirit, characteristics of Lesser Humans.He queried silently.


    As usual, Spirit was quick to respond.Lesser Humans, unlike most of the subhumans, found themselves in a harsh climate that changed frequently. As a result, after the Great Split and themillennium after Lesser Humans have evolved into powerful physical specimens. They are larger than average humans, nearly twice their size. Despite the label of their species, they are respected among other humans for their powerful stature and physical feats. For comparison, three or four Lesser Humans could overpower a callamoth. They are race accustomed to harsh climates, able to function at temperatures considered extreme to most.


    Thanks.Luck nodded mentally.Isn''t a few thousand years kind of low for drastic natural evolutions to take place?


    The System, a neutral force, is also widely debated at the annual Scholar''s Meet. Many of their dialogues are included and drawn upon from the general information package. It has been previously agreed upon that the System is also a force of change, allowing creatures affected by it to evolve at a rapid pace, especially those faced with hardships in the environment.


    Interesting, it makes sense. Though, I''m kind of curious how exactly Ethodthem could alter the phyiscal aspects of sentients. I''d assume any changes made to the body were actually earned by physical feats in this case, probably extremely beneficial ones as well.


    Continued feats done by an entire race lead to racial changes and adaptations. Such is the process that dictates the rift between all subhumans. There are no recorded instances of this happening but it is widely agreed upon based on oral histories.


    Ethodthem''s influence permeates Aerae.Spirit didn''t bother to reply.


    "I''m not as big as a Lesser Human." Luck chuckled.


    "No, but your muscles, though I''ll admit you''re thin are well defined. Are you half maybe? That kind of definition you only see on races naturally built for it or dedicated training. And there aren''t any training halls or guilds in Peace, or anywhere nearby for that matter." She questioned.


    Was she not human? She kept asking as if she wasn''t.


    "I''m assuming you aren''t human then?" Nayah, leaning forward, a position she found herself slowly easing into, blinked as if aware of Luck''s question and her own pestering. "You''re fascinated by me so much so I feel that you aren''t."


    Her hair flashed orange.


    Luck decided it wasn''t worth pursuing. "I''m perfectly human to answer your question. As average as you can be with a little tweak from the System, but that''s not for you to know."


    "Well, it''s not polite to ask for that information so I''ll refrain. Am I to learn any bartending on the trip? Have you brought any drinks or spirits?"


    Luck did bring some. They were all present in his dimensional room. There was more to bartending, however, than simply being able to mix drinks. One needed to know how to interact with patrons, how to put on a show, how to talk to people. There wasn''t an actual bar here unless Luck wanted to bring her into the dimensional room. And she needed to know her way around one if she-


    Targeted analysis complete.


    Luck paused a moment. What? When did I ask for a targeted analysis and of what?


    You did not. Advance action taken. Minor mind-altering magics were detected affecting your person. The mental lapse is extremely subtle, almost unnoticeable by the Mk3. However, it seems that a targeted question towards her nature set your mind towards an answer. Removal from this train of thought allowed detection. You have been affected previously but there have been no unprecedented behavioral changes, only now am I able to detect past altercations to your surface thoughts.


    What? Nayah''s been altering my mind?


    He didn''t allow a break in the flow of the conversation. "I have but you''ll need a bar to put them to use. Simply practicing combining liquids won''t make you a bartender. Don''t worry though, we''ll find you something to practice." Luck kept his face carefully neutral, examining hers in turn. She didn''t seem the least bit guilty, but if she was altering his mind then he would treat her as one capable of deception.


    Yes, however, the effects seem harmless. She is avoiding query to her nature. Magical Entity detected. Mind and Illusion magic detected. Nayah shares similar attributes to the Illuse, a magical creature considered exotic in most circles. The Illuseare powerful magic casters with multiple affinities of magic. They are a race widely sought after for their high natural mana output. Often, they are enslaved as priceless batteries or enchanted to teach aspiring mages their craft. Low magical input used to avoid detection. Her magical signature is heavily shrouded.


    Am I vulnerable to Mind magic with you in my head?


    Powerful mental magics are easily overridden by the Mk3. The Mk3, regulating mental processes and entwined in the brain, is able to weed out mental irregularities with unerring precision. Mk3 users need not worry about mind-altering effects, though straightforward mental attacks and subtlety in a Mind mage''s approach may deem troublesome.


    "Okay, I will do this even if I have to wait for most of the trip," Nayah replied.


    "Why bartending anyway?" Luck asked absently. "It''s not exactly a rewarding job in a world as large and wonderous as Aerae." He waved, the motion of his hand a wide circle.


    "No reason. I just want to learn something. To do something. There is little to do in Peace, but the lives of the Arena Field combatants are always interesting to hear. The bartender at the central tower always has second-hand stories for me." Her voice trailed gently. "They live as my father did." She added quietly. "Just a taste of that adventure is what I desire. A chance to see life as my father did." The girl turned towards the dunes, hair whipping gently from the wind.


    "You''d think a girl fluent in Shadowspeak and knowledgeable in poisons would know a thing or two about adventure." Luck took in her unguarded expression. Her reverie froze as she turned slowly to Luck. "Don''t think I don''t remember your attempt on my life. You poisoned the glassware. And Borg tried to kill my friend. And you had the nerve to talk about the deed right in front of me." He said, leaning back against the lip of the saddle. "Though I''ll admit you didn''t do it verbablly, but rather in Shadowspeak."


    Her hair, under the shade of the awning, was a deep brown. It framed cautious blue eyes. Her hands, Luck noticed, moved slowly to the pouch her mother had made her take. "It was a necessity. No one enters Dersoc as casually as you did. Trying through the river below only invites death and suicide by the serpents nesting in the shadows. I''m still unsure how you managed."


    "And you''ll stay unsure." Luck rested his elbows up and behind him on the saddle. There was a soft smirk on his face, knowing Spirit could activate his chitin armor and that he could pause time he felt perfectly safe. "Why Dersoc?"


    "Dersoc is a city full of deceit and death. It''s home to hardened criminals and slave trade. There''s an unspoken rule there. Strangers are to be killed less they leak the location to any major city with the means to shut down the whole operation." Her hand now rested directly on the pouch, as if the thing was some type of weapon. She was avoiding the question. Stalling for a better answer perhaps.


    Luck openly watched her, his eyes unshyly alighting on her hand. "What were you doing there?"


    "Purchasing slaves for the Arena Fields." Luck knew that wasn''t the whole truth. Still, Luck frowned at the mention of slaves.


    He tilted his head in enlightenment. "You were practicing, weren''t you? And not just your bartending either."


    "What are you talking about?" She replied defensively, her hand untying the strings to her pouch.


    "Your mind magic, Illuse." He said nonchalant, waving a hand in the air. The word was stressed, stretched out and non-accusing.


    "Excuse me?" She said affronted. "I''ve no idea what you''re talking about."


    Saga peeked open an eye.


    I am here Amber Eyes. If you need me.


    Thanks Saga, but go back to sleep. I won''t.


    Saga grunted mentally but he stayed awake.


    "You can''t hide from me, Nayah." Luck told her even as her hair flashed orange. He paused, "You can''t." He repeated, smirking.


    "How did you-"


    "If you''re going to travel with us we need to trust each other." Luck replied, now on the opposite side of the saddle. For all accounts appearing to have vanished. A quick transition with Time magic allowed him to swap positions. "And I don''t appreciate your mistrust." To her, it would seem as if he teleported. Her eyes widened, darting about as she finally tracked him down.


    Her arm twitched. A small glowing orb of swirling color appeared in her hand. Instantly, Luck paused time. He moved to sit right beside her, a few feet closer to her. Her other hand was clutching the contents of the pouch.


    Mage beads, a magical conduit similar to wands or staves. Her already ample magical power will be amplified.


    Time resumed and the bolt of magic flew past where Luck had previously been, shooting off past Ace''s keid. Luck watched the colored trail it left in the air impassively.


    Solidified Illusion magic. Aside from minor magical burns, it causes extreme hallucinations.Spirit chimed in.


    The missileflew with a whistling noise before exploding in a silent explosion of color. Ace''s eyes trailed it as well and he followed the source standing up in his shaded saddle.


    "Good aim." He said.


    "How are you doing that?" She hissed. Her hair flashed bright orange again and her face became confused as Luck only languidly stared at her, unconcerned.


    "I''m not going to do anything Nayah. Your secret''s safe with me. I''m not about to enslave you or anything." Luck explained. "Besides, you''re out of your league. You can''t touch me so you''ll just have to trust me." He paused time again and moved to his initial position, resting against the far side of the saddle opposite to her.


    "Just my luck. If anyone finds out I''ll be harvested, enslaved, or worse." She grimaced. "How did you know I was part Illuse? What gave it away? I''ve taken painstaking precautions against discovery."


    "I''m simply observant. Really observant." Luck answered. "And I''m fairly decent at knowing myself. So consider it strange when my thoughts derail."


    "If you tell anyone it will ruin my life. Especially, in a city as large as Ardun. I''ll be hunted down and forced to power whatever magical enchantments enshroud the city." She frowned. "An Illuse is a priceless battery. Even a half one."


    "Nayah, to be honest, I wasn''t planning to even drag you along if I hadn''t owed you for cutting two months off our journey. I couldn''t care less about your life, truthfully. But I won''t ruin it for laughs. You''ve got it good. There were people in Peace starving, you know. It was largely why I gave your mom the seeds anyways. There are people less fortunate than you''ve ever been. I''m going to teach you bartending, Nayah. It''s the least I could do. But i''m here to help people, to look out for the little guy. Ratting you out just causes suffering. There''s no point."


    "It''s not like you could even tell anyone out here." She took another measured sip from her waterskin. Her face carried a faint puzzlement as she looked at Luck, forgetting for a moment she had tried to attack him, instead losing herself in trying to figure him out.


    Luck caught all this. "Exactly, so I''d appreciate if you don''t attack me." Luck''s face went sharp, his eyes went to the nearby keid that Ace was on. "Because the next time you do we aren''t above killing you." Nayah, curious, followed his gaze.


    She shivered.


    Ace stood on his keidglowing faintly with electricity only visible because of the shadow of the awning. His stance was set and he was perfectly still despite the motion of the mount. Faint crackles of light broke the shade. His hands were splayed out beside him. His face was steeped with focus, a killer''s glint in his eye. He was staring directly at Nayah, no doubt in his eyes that he couldn''t hit her perfectly from where he stood.


    Luck regarded her quietly.


    With a nod, Ace turned away. Tric''s head peeked down from above the awning over Luck, she had perched there listening to the conversation as soon as Ace had noticed the missile of Illusion magic fly by. Saga relaxed.


    Nayah noticed all the interaction with wide eyes but she breathed a little faster when she noticed Saga looking at her, perfectly awake. He had been forgotten in all the commotion, especially with Luck distracting her. The shar had laid so still the entire time he could''ve been mistaken for another pile of pillows.


    There had been many ready to react if Luck couldn''t handle it. Though that was extremely unlikely.


    "Y-yeah," Nayah replied.


    Luck gave her a measured glance and turned away.


    Erok and Maxworth missed the entirety of the interaction, having been slightly ahead of either keid. Erok was lounging on his back from what Luck could see and Maxworth sat stock still, silent and patient.


    The keid knew where they were going. Only a few nudges on the reins corrected their course.


    Luck reached into his shirt, his hand emerging with a crystal pendant. The motes of light gathered within shined brightly forward, reassuring him of their path. It was the necklace that pointed towards his family.


    Spirit, display Diversi''s Map.


    A translucent map appeared in mid air, it glowed a digital light blue as was customary of Spirit''s augments. Nearly everything surrounding Ardun was mapped. The City of Adventurers, its location marked ominously by a lone ''Ardun'' floating in blank space on the map.


    Surrounding the blank space, however, were detailed notes on the terrain and topography.


    To the North lie the Frozen Zones, steep icy mountains, and cliff faces pockmarked by caves and other such hazards. The map''s elevations surrounding the Frozen Zones were sharp and irregular. It seemed that main dangers here were hypothermia, heights, and ice leopards. To the West lay Krukon''s Forest, scribbled notes drew arrows around the whole area, noting various landmarks to watch out for and, curiously, hostile and friendly baboon tribes. Luck could only guess why that particular detail was worth including. To the South lay Snakes Way, a path leading to Ardun infested with snakes. This way was littered with warnings across the whole map that left Luck amazed at how the original cartographer even survived the initial mapping of the area. Various sightingswere recorded as it seemed the territories of the larger snakes, much like the baboon tribes apparently, constantly shifted, save for a few with permanent homes. Sightings recorded snakes with girths up to twelve feet, and hundreds of feet in length. He thought he read it wrong but the measurements were written there clear as day.


    Then to the East were the Hydr Dunes. A small green arrow depicted Luck''s current position on the map. Hydr Valley, where Peace was located, happened to be recorded on the map and therefore the initial position, when they left, was known. Spirit was able to calculate this and represent their position on the map. Such a thing wouldn''t be normally possible but there were a variety of landmarks, namely oddly shaped rocks, that Spirit was able to reference with the map and allow for error to give a rough estimation of the whereabouts of the group. It helped that the map was more or less perfectly accurate. Whoever created the map knew his business.


    Luck took another hidden gulp of water.


    Unfortunately, this allowed the Luck the sad luxury of knowing exactly how long the journey would be. They had not even dented a fraction of the trip. And they had been at it for several hours now. The notes surrounding the portion of the map regarding the Hydr Dunes simply stressed the necessity of enchanted water containers or some other such source of water. It seemed there were little dangers in Hydr Valley aside from the length of the trek, lack of water and supreme heat. He did mention that the mirages surrounding the edges of the dunes might throw off weary, thirsty travelers. There was no magic to this other than the delusion created in the traveler''s own mind. He remarks that if he wasn''t so experienced in waymaking he might have easily become lost. There was little else in the Hydr Dunes than sand and rocks.


    However, the creator of the map did mark places of note, remarking on the oddities of the area. At some locales, the cartographer notes supremely weird twisting formations of metal, set into the sand as deep as any other boulder. These metals marked excellent campsites as their surface, to the hand, was extremely cool. A luxury in the battle with the sun. The mapmaker stresses the various nights spent by these metal structures, that any aspiring to traverse the dunes should find great comfort in resting by these pieces of metal.


    Luck found that odd. There had to be some history there. A short query to Spirit brought up nothing, however. The Hydr Dunes have no known recorded history, as did many remarkable environments in Aerae. The lack of a history should be no surprise according to Spirit. Aerae was too large a place to have reliable records on hand for any geological subject.


    The sun was setting but the keid didn''t seem at all tired. Truly a map wasn''t really needed since it was a straight shot from Hydr Valley to Ardun. Although, Luck couldn''t have known that with the map. He shrugged mentally, it was still nice to have.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They approached one of the metal formations a large round gray-blue ball that tapered out into the sand. Near the top, it sprouted haphazard spikes. It seemed like a whale breaching the surface albeit with multiple horns. While the portion Luck rested against was smooth the rest of the metal was twisted into ridges like wrinkled leather. After explaining the properties of the metal it wasn''t long before Ace, Saga, Tric, and Nayah pressed into the metal with content sighs. The heat of the day was apparent.


    "You all smell terrible." Luck remarked, scrunching up his face. "You especially Ace."


    "Sorry I sweat in the heat like a normal human being." Ace said pointedly. He had been using his black hoodie as protection under the sun. He was shirtless now, his hoodie worn loose on his body.


    Nayah chipped in. "Some of us are actually uncomfortable in the heat."


    Amber Eyes, again you surprise me. I should not have underestimated by bondmate.Saga projected, opening an eye. The shar was licking his coat to cool down.


    Luck smirked. "Sucks." Pure, genuine empathy lined his features before it was replaced with a sarcastic smile.


    Sorrythat you didn''t see me enduring the heat? Don''t worry about it, I wouldn''t have either.He continued with Saga.


    You misunderstand Amber Eyes. I am not sorry, simply mad at myself for judging you incorrectly. That you were in need of help with the girl.


    For judging me weakly.Luck surmised, raising a knowing eyebrow towards the shar. Saga only huffed and lay his head down.


    Ace looked at Luck from under his hood. "It''s quite unfair, truthfully." He pulled his hood down lower, but Luck caught the ghost of a smile on his face. Thinking about what brought that smile onreminded Luck that he still didn''t know what Ace had chosen from Jerxos. The God of Rebirth, quirky as he was, had opted to give Ace a ramping elimination impartation, a far cry from Luck''s card game. Aside from Lightning magic and Tric he chose two more tools that Luck still hadn''t identified. He gave a good natured sigh, Ace wouldn''t make it easy either. Not unless his hand was forced.


    He rested his head against the metal.


    The metal was indeed cool to the touch, a soothing chill spread across his neck. It was a contrast to the heat he felt all day even through the buffer of his magically supplemented temperature regulation.


    Erok roped the keids on the spikes above with help from Maxworth. The thick rope wrapped securely around the keid''s torso. The large beasts weren''t in the mood to argue with their stop, they were tired as well, though not as tired as one might assume. They were bored of walking for the day Luck gleaned. Impressive, given that they didn''t drink or eat the entire trip.


    The beasts were content to talk amongst themselves.


    Luck enjoyed hearing Erok''s stories, even if they weren''t for him. Maxworth only nodded but that didn''t curb the roken''s enthusiasm. He was relating the tales of his travels with the keid. Apparently, to Erok''s people at the very least, the beasts weren''t considered violent, only mischevious with a tendency to go overboard. Less physical races found this demeanor fatal in such large creatures.


    Soon enough Luck drifted off into a practiced light sleep.


    He awoke to the smell of cooking meat. He was sweating. He took a mouthful of much needed cool, crystal clear water, straight from his grove. Pulling on the aspect of the Heatblind, he cooled himself down. It was only after he had done all that that he stood up. His back was pleasantly cool from the metal he slept against.


    He had sensed Ace and Maxworth rise earlier, the rest followed them, but Luck was content to rest longer, having drifted back into light sleep. Now, it seemed they caught food.


    "Morning." Luck greeted, sounding well-rested. "I thought all the food here died a long time ago?" It wasn''t a small animal that they caught either. Maxworth was slicing pieces of meat off the pig-sized rodent. Nearby, there was a hole in the ground, as if something burrowed out of it.


    "Bait. Trap." Erok replied in Common. "My people do this many times." It was then Luck caught sight of some rotten meat lying near the tunnel the rodent created.


    "That''s a vurr." Nayah replied, munching on her skewer. "They''re nighttime scavengers. They''re smart, but the threat of starvation pushes them to take risks. A vurr on a full stomach wouldn''t have tried such an easy meal. They know to stay away from Peace but further out our hunters catch them often enough."


    Ace, Luck noticed, was helping Maxworth slice up the rodent. It had light brown fur, shoveled hands, and, currently, half a belly. The pieces of meat were both drying and cooking on a flat rock, the sizzle of the fat smelled mouthwatering. Erok was there skewering each set of cooked meat with large skewers.


    "Thanks." He said, taking one. Biting into it was heaven. It wasn''t conducive to avoiding suspicion for Ace or Luck to disappear into the grove to go hunting so he''d beensnacking on fruit the past day. Surprisingly soft with fat, the juicy meat of the vurr couldn''t have been healthy. "Damn, that''s good." He said with a mouthful, taking a seat on a nearby rock.


    Maxworth tossed flanks of raw meat upwards for Saga to catch. "Don''t feed him too much. He might get too fat to run from Tric." Ace warned, chuckling to himself. He winked at Saga when the shar glanced at him flatly. Saga was too busy ripping into the meat to give Ace his full attention.


    Ace himself threw pieces for Tric to nibble on.


    Luck rested his elbows on his knees. He bit into the skewer horizontally, pulling the flesh off the wood with viciousness. He caught Erok, still, basically barbequing, staring at him. Luck raised an eyebrow.


    In Roke, "How are you sustained without water, druid? I have noticed you don''t carry any magical flask." The roken was much more eloquent in his native language than Common. He stabbed another piece of meat, stony fingers deceptively nimble.


    "Oh? Who said I needed water? I could be just like a roken in that regard. Or a gentleman for that matter." Luck replied, savoring the food. He nodded towards Maxworth.


    "It is clear you are not." Erok chuckled. "And that you do not wish to share."


    Luck only stared at him. "No, I don''t." Assuming him to be done, he went back to his skewer. He was right, Luck didn''t want to share that information.


    The roken continued, "The keid are in a good mood. The journey is good for them. Staying idle isn''t healthy for beasts such as they."


    The creatures were still secured to the twisting formation of metal. They rested on all fours, their own harnesses providing shade for their massive bodies. They, evidently, weren''t immune to the heat. They pressed against the metal as well.


    Erok was observing him, he knew. He could feel his eyes, even if he hadn''t noted the interest the man had seemed to have in him back in Protc''s temple. He and Maxworth had been quietly watching him. Luck was all too aware of it. Their intentions were genuine though.


    He actually had to catch himself. He had assumed they were out to get him, or wish him harm. Truthfully, it wasn''t so. He smacked himself mentally when he realized the men were simply curious. This wasn''t the city. That life was over. He had no ties here. No enemies.


    All the same, he wasn''t one to share his business.


    After breakfast was done they continued on their journey. It was short business getting the keid moving and everyone on them. The vurr was a nice buffer for their supplies. The more food and water they acquired on their trek, if at all possible, lessened the strain on their own supplies. Not that Luck needed that.


    The vurr jerky went onto Erok and Maxworth''s keid. The two were leading for no other reason than the natural inclination of their mounts.


    Hours passed in what seemed like minutes. Luck thought everything died in the dunes but every hour he would spot something living. Still, it was a bleak landscape. The animals he did find were often just scraping by. None of the others saw them or even noticed them, of course. Luck was only capable of the feat through One with Nature. Simple Nature magic couldn''t commune to this degree.


    Luck chuckled slowly as he watching Nayah swatting at flies. The ones around him didn''t bother him. A glance over the saddle and it seemed Ace was reading his dictionary. It was surprising he even had it still. It was a good way to kill time though.


    Tricwalked on the edge of the saddle when she noticed Luck''s attention. The little dragon chirped and got Ace''s attention. Ace perked up but Luck waved him down. Nothing was happening. He returned to his dictionary somewhat regrettably.


    "There is something here!" Erok yelled, breaking the silence of travel. Maxworth was already standing, just short enough to do so comfortably under the awning, staring out into a pit that the keid had stopped in front of.


    "What''s going on?" Nayah asked as if Luck would have the answer.


    He ignored her. Luck''s mount stopped nearby, following the lead of Erok''s. Dismounting, he walked to the edge of the pit. A quick check showed this particular landmark wasn''t represented on the map.


    "What is it?" Ace asked, having climbed down himself. Nayah was right behind him. "Oh. This doesn''t look natural at all."


    Spirit began spouting out observational data. Fine details that Luck would''ve spent significantly longer to notice. He relayed, "The sand''s been disturbed here. Could be a burrowing animal like the vurr but the diameter of this pit is too large for that. The noticeable divot, however, indicates something was occupying this space for a long time, depending on how often these dunes get good wind. It''s weird, there''s nothing even around here."


    "Something came out, that''s for sure." Ace remarked. "See that?" He said pointing around the circumference of the pit. "No excess sand. Nothing was digging here if anyone was entertaining the idea. What came out of here was big." Realizing Ace was speaking passable Common Luck rose an eyebrow at him.


    Maxworth''s quiet voice had a good point as well. "There are no tracks around here. No breeze since yesterday either." Which meant the tracks couldn''t have been covered if something left here.


    "I''ve not seen anything like this before. It is disconcerting. Not natural." Erok replied in Common.


    "Not at all."


    Spirit, active scan. As far as you can reach.Luck began to rotate his head, scanning the environment to allow Spirit the most visual input.


    Active scan already in progress. 89% nothing unusual.


    Let me know as soon-


    Spirit''s voice cut in suddenly. Anomaly detected, northwest. Fifty meters.


    Luck''s eyes shot to the direction immediately. His body tensed. Ace was the only one who noticed.


    "Lucky, did you feel something?" Ace said slowly, his eyes pointedly on Luck''s face. "Talk to me."


    Black carapace covered his body. In an instant, at Spirit''s discretion, he was armored fully. Northwest, fifty meters. There was nothing there. Nothing visible.


    But Luck trusted his S.I. "There," He said pointing. "Something''s there."


    It was the other side of the pit.


    To Ace''s credit he didn''t question Luck. He moved further from the group, facing roughly where Luck pointed. Erok looked to Luck questioningly, but he was focusing on what Spirit was slowly outlining. Luck''s eyes could barely make out a shimmer in the air.


    He pulled from Saga, the shar now beside him growling. His nails sharpened. His nose awoke to the scents of the desert. He felt faster. Stronger.


    His eyesight became sharper. He could make out what was there.


    I can see it Amber Eyes. Just barely. It is watching us. Its eyes follow us like we are prey.Saga afforded an inquisitive look to both Ace and Tric who seemed to be looking directly at the thing as well.They see it as well, Amber Eyes.


    Long powerful legs connected to a sleek body. The arms were bladed, segmented oddly. The thing wasbobbing up and down, shifting left and right as if eager. The head was connected straight to the torso, and its smile was all mouth. There were long spiraling spikes on its back.


    "What the fuck is that." Luck whispered.


    "I see it Lucky." Ace said over his shoulder. "Me and Tric both. It''s got electricity running through it." The man''s words were in urgent English. "It''s just standing there Luck. Watching us. God, what I''d do for a gun right now."


    Luck stared at it. There was something mechanical in its movement, true. But this thing was thinking. Luck could see it. He could see it thinking, planning. Clear in the way the thing regarded them, watched them.


    With a start, Luck realized the stealthed enemy was still fifty meters away. The size of a big rig, it had to be. By now the thing was completely outlined in blue and red, the red denoting its weaponry. The outer arms were highlighted red as were its back, mouth, and shins. Its legs left no doubt they couldn''t outrun the thing. Powerful and sleek, just watching it stand there gave a sense to the power in its legs.


    "I see nothing." Erok frowned, his grip was tight on his hammer. Luck found the roken was looking the entirely wrong way. But that wasn''t true. He was watching the keid. They were grouping closer, stomping, and huffing. Somehow they were sensing the enemy. They didn''t seem to bother with the thought of running either.


    Nearby Maxworth unsheathed his daggers, he took a step beside Erok.


    Nayah''s eyes were darting around, she was scared. "I can''t sense its mana." She whispered, somewhat panicked.


    "It''s inorganic." Luck replied, voice tight. "It doesn''t have any."


    Slowly, ever so slowly, it reached for one of those spikes on its back. Its head cocked to the side. A deep chitter resounded across flat desert sand, an undesirable vibration. Alien. Old. Ancient. Those were all words that popped into Luck''s mind at that moment. It''s body jerked to the sound, getting lower.


    "Intruders. Unknown origin. Defend Last Light."Luck shivered, a cold chill traveled down his spine as the staccato translated. Omnilingual allowed him to understand. "Eliminate. Protocol East."


    What seemed an empty stretch of sand exploded in sudden brown plumes of angry sand.


    "It''s coming!" Luck yelled, already thinking of what steps to take. His mind worked in overdrive.


    Vibrating clicking came from a cloaked enemy only Ace and Luck could see. But now their whole group could tell how large it was. The sand being thrown back as a consequence of its steps was no small amount. It was easy to see where the thing was going.


    Straight for them.


    Erok yelled incomprehensibly, perhaps feeling the tension in the fight without even vision of the enemy. He ran forward,towardsthe thing. Maxworth was his shadow, crouching behind him but keeping steady pace.


    Deep staccato announced the things attack and Erok grunted in pain. Chipped rock exploded from his chest as he went sailing overhead, his grip tight on his hammer. Maxworth sliced upwards, taking Erok''s place near instantly, somehow knowing the invisible path of its bladed arm. He contacted and sunk shin deep into the sand. The man was silent as he traded unerring blows with the thing. His body held against forces Luck was sure would break his own. There was a deceptive strength in Maxworth''s metal arms.


    In two seconds he was knee deep in sand, the concussive force using him as a nail. The thing''s other hand, clear for Luck to see, was holding the bladed spike it pulled from its back, acting much in the same way a sword might, and it swept low, aiming to cut Maxworth in half.


    Luck didn''t let it.


    Luck''s foot found the floor with all the strength of a piston. His intent was strong, wild. A swath of sand absorbed the momentum of the swing, curbing the lethality. Still, Maxworth was sent flying. The metallic man skittered across the sand on his side, finding his bearings he tucked in and rolled up on his feet.


    Luck growled, a part of Saga overcoming him, he didn''t have time to watch. He could sense his bondmate on the other side of the thing, stalking it, patient. The shar had gone to flank, using the keid as cover to get behind the thing as soon as he had noticed its interest in the group. Now, his position was roughly behind the cloaked enemy.


    It watched Maxworth get up, its head jerkily tilting right to the staccato it produced from its throat. Eerily, the thing, showing signs of attacking Maxworth, turned suddenly to Luck.


    Sand exploded behind it as it lifted its bladed spike, its other hand supported itself against the floor as it swung at Luck for extra reach. It lunged, its projected arc coming to him as a faint afterimage.


    It came no closer, time had already paused.


    He wasted no time, energy, or mana. He simply ducked under the swing. It would go right over him. He assessed the situation around him, still frozen in time. He didn''t want to test his black armored shell against that blow.


    Erok ran forward, hammer gripped and keeping low to the ground. His stance was a powerful one, meant to keep his feet under him. Maxworth was doing the same, neither of them were shy to engage an unseen enemy. Luck could appreciate that.


    Nayah stood with the keid, a swirling ball of fire hovered above her.


    Ace Vent was crackling with frozen lightning. Tric glowed with untapped energy in similar fashion. It was the perfect picture of power. A bolt of blue lightning stretched jaggedly towards the thing''s weapon arm. Ace''s face was a halfway between a snarl and smile. His left arm was thrown forward, it connected to the bolt traveling in mid-air. His right arm was cocked back, swirling power cradled in his fist.


    Time resumed.


    A ringing boom threw Luck to the floor. His hearing rang. A gust of wind whipped Luck''s back. The bladed spike no doubt. Another boom threw Luck down again, ears ringing louder, disorienting him. He pulled from Saga again, his Nature magic allowing him more physicality than usual.


    His vision got sharper, his movements more fluid, more balanced. His muscles, stronger. The aspect of the shar was a powerful thing. Luck was already moving, he ran forward into the things reach. It''d be harder to hit a small target close to its own body. He didn''t look up just yet. Spirit tracked the thing, even outside his vision he had an awareness of it.


    His ears were already ceasing their ringing, Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration doing their job.


    He dodged right, his leg shot to the side, pushing his body right even as a mound of sand wrapped tightly around the thing''s leg. A fireball crashed into the same leg. Its leg was covered in glass, the heat being that much. It broke the glass in the next instant. The heat was nothing to this enemy, just as he suspected. The metal the enemy was made of was cool to the touch for a reason. Its spike stabbed hard into the ground right over his shoulder. Luck felt the weapon scrape against the chitinous armor over his cheek.


    These things, Luck figured, were the metal formations dotting the Hydr Dunes.


    It screeched and Luck had notime to ponder further, he dodged left, rolling in the sand. Its spike erupted out of the sand, its edge after Luck''s neck. Luck froze time again, not trusting himself to be quite fast enough to bend backward and avoid getting cut in half.


    Hopefully, Erok and Maxworth didn''t mind a little sand in their eyes.


    Luck''s movements, with some help from Earth magic and the thing itself, outlined the creature for the rest of the group. Its body could be faintly seen moving about the plumes of sand. Its head jerked to Luck chittering mechanically. "Assessing threat intelligence. Threat level increased. Restrictions lifted."


    Its arm began to transform into something with a barrel. Saga leapt onto its back, he avoided the spikes perfectly and brought the thing down with his weight. Erok greathammer fell with all the force of gravity upon its arm. Its arm cracked and bent, its screeching intensified. It retreated backward, screeching loudly.


    Luck tried to slow its movement with waves of sand against its legs. His intent was strong and his reactions were fast, even casting the magic on the move. The thing cut through the sand easily. It chittered at its arm, unresponsive to its command. Its other arm bent at an impossible angle to stab Saga through his hind legs, both of them. Saga roared in pain, slashing at the things back to no avail.


    "Saga!" Luck watched as the thing''s head rotated on an invisible neck. Saga was close enough to bite. "No!" Luck paused time but immediately he released it. He couldn''t keep time frozen long enough to reach them.


    Then the keid struck. They rammed with their shoulders, toppling the thing. The beasts were all muscle and with one arm disabled and the other being held down Saga was able to scrabble free from the thing. It was covered in light sand, it took most of Luck''s concentration to keep it that way. Spirit was learning to do it on the fly, taking the load off of Luck slowly but surely. The feat wasn''t possible without Spirit, not this much concentration. Sand was incredibly difficult to manipulate.


    Luck ran over to Saga. Wordlessly, Luck sliced open his palm.Don''t argue. You can''t stand.


    My thanks, Amber Eyes.The shar licked at the wound, knowing its properties.


    The keid held it down, and its cloaking died down to reveal the grey-blue metal Luck knew he would see. Its eyes glowed faintly yellow with electricity. Luck and the others gathered around its torso.


    Luck''s legs burned, but already that pain was dissipating. His breathing had already turned to normal. The scrapes and bruises earned by the random pebble or two he found dodging in the sand disappeared. In long seconds he was back, perfectly healed. He was pushing his muscles to the limit the entire time, basically at a sprint as he dodged the thing. It wouldn''t have been efficient for anyone else, they would''ve burned out and died, getting stabbed or sliced in two, for Luck it took advantage of his regeneration and physical attributes. When he pulled from Saga his already altered physical form enhanced further. Thanks to that, he was able to move like an acrobat and a sprinter combined.


    The majority of the group were looking towards the keid in wonder.


    "Thanks." Luck directed towards the keid.Why did you help? You all were content to leave us at your earliest convenience before.


    The one holding its bent arm against the ground, the same arm that stabbed Saga, huffed.We like to have our fun Druid Lockyer.Luck blinked, they knew?


    But we would not leave a Knight of Nature to die. We could not.Said the one holding the broken arm that was in the process of transforming before Erok destroyed it.


    The largest of the three keid lay across the things legs.We would not leave you. We are honored to travel by a True Druid.


    You knew?Luck blinked, chuckling mentally despite himself.


    We knew.


    Luck shook his head, observing the head of thing swivel around, a faint whirring in the movement. Erok hefted his greathammer over his shoulder, a slash of rock removed from his chest. His chest rose and fell deeply. Nayah held her mage beads chanting softly under her breath, Luck was only able to just make it out. Maxworth crouched nearby the things neck, finding a place for his dagger to rest. Similarly, Ace stood above the head, crackling with magic.


    "A fucking robot." Ace''s eyes never left the thing. "It''s a fucking robot." He spoke in English.


    "I know this metal, sir." Maxworth added, looking back to Erok. The roken frowned.


    "What does your friend say?" Nayah asked. "What is this thing?"


    A master of communication. To speak and understand all languages, written, signed or spoken. Omnilingual. His voice was staccato, surprising all those around him, "What are you?"


    The thing answered back. "Intruder. Unknown origin. Querying Sovereign. Protocol East. No response. Unit discretion."It blurted out a series of short clicks and then paused. "Carrying out Protocol East to best of unit ability. I am Guard."It stilled.


    "It''s carrying out orders." Luck knelt beside the thing. "Protocol East, it says. Its name is Guard." The translations came easy to him, but something about him knew they were slippery, not quite accurately encompassing the words the thing spoke.


    Nayah''s looked at him. "How are you speaking to it?" She exclaimed. "You know what this is?" She still held her mage beads, but Saga was eyeing her Luck knew. His eyes didn''t leave Guard.


    "I''m a master linguist, I told you." Luck answered, shortly. "You didn''t believe me."


    "Protocol East, sir?"


    "What is Protocol East?"Luck clicked deeply, his mouth, throat, and tongue worked in tandem. The technique was foreign to his mouth yet familiar to his mind."Why did you try to kill us?"


    Its eyes flashed red and everyone moved. Nothing happened. Its head twitched, jerked to look at each of the group in turn. Its alien maw worked silently before the clicking came."You are not the enemy. What are you?"


    "What is Protocol East?"Luck repeated, impatience and anger in the words.


    It thrashed against the keid, but the beasts were pure muscle. They held it down."The Sovereign is unresponsive. Unable to retrieve orders. Unit Leader unresponsive. Individual discretion." Its movements became erratic, its head tilted unable to hear something when it snapped back to Luck. "I am Guard."But the language it used had changed.


    "Easy Max," Erok cautioned, the gentleman was still poised with his dagger. The metallic man had flicked his wrist. Luck noticed a smooth groove in the metal. Maxworth''s daggers were sharp, vorpal maybe.


    "Hello Guard." The change in sound hadn''t gone unnoticed. Briefly, Luck was reminded of leading Ace around at The Pools. The people around him had no idea what they were saying. "Why did you try to kill us?"


    There was a low whirring, different than the previous one. Maxworth inched closer. Ace, seeing this, lessened his hold on his magic, and trusted the gentleman to keep the thing in check. "Protocol East must be carried out. The enemy must be rebuffed." It looked around only now noticing Maxworth. It stiffened as it assessed the damage the dagger had done.


    It was speaking Precommon. That language, at least, was included in Spirit''s records. An extremely ancient precursor to Common, the language was towards the very start of the timeline Spirit had access to. Historical records referenced little else at the time. "What is Last Light?" He said, recalling its first words to them.


    "That is improbable. All know Last Light." The voice was low, modulated, background vibrato accompanied it. Luck didn''t respond. "Last Light is one of the bastion cities. The Last live there."


    Luck frowned, his scar becoming more prominent. "Defense drones?" He said to himself in English. Ace heard and rose an eyebrow.


    "Yes." It answered immediately. Ace looked over in surprise. "You all are Lasts. The enemy does not speak nor understand language." It was speaking English. Fluently, too. Smoother than it did Precommon.


    Luck regarded it for a second to the curiosity of Erok and Nayah. "The enemy is long gone." It took only a single glance to Ace to confirm each other''s thoughts. "Ethodthem." They both said.


    Luck continued. "You''ve been asleep. Your unit is unresponsive. The Sovereign is unresponsive. It could''ve been eons since you''ve last walked Hydr Dunes."


    "Impossible. Protocol East are standing orders to defend Last Light from the enemy due East of Last Light."


    "Where are they then?"


    "Unknown." It whirred. "A new strategem is possible."


    Ace chimed in. "When was the last time they''ve tried that?"


    "Never." It hesitated. "Protocol East must be carried out. Sentient life will be wiped of Arune should the bastion cities fall."


    "Arune?" Ace asked. It was an ancient name for Aerae.


    "This planet." It answered.


    "And should the enemy be defeated?" Luck ventured.


    "Protocol Revival initiates." It answered as if educating a citizen.


    "And if sentient life thrives once again?" Ace asked, following Luck''s lead.


    "No existing protocols. No action required. Hibernation in the hopes of never waking." It said bleakly.


    Luck and Ace paused. The drone might have a use in the near future. Ancient beings were waking up. Luck knew that. He never entertained the idea that some might be friendly.


    "What''s going on?" Nayah asked.


    "Druid?" Erok questioned.


    "It''s ancient. A drone of an age long gone. Built to protect a city that doesn''t exist anymore." Luck replied, using Common once more. The drone did not seem to understand Common. "It''s woken up to the update. Ethodthem is restoring old entities."


    "Hold up, Lucky." Ace interrupted. "Last Light, I think its Ardun. Aren''t there monsters constantly attacking its walls? The frontline''s been pushed back. It''s not nearly as bad as the robot is making out to be, at least from what I hear. Ardun, it was programmed to follow protocols to protect due East of the city. The sun''s at our backs Lucky." He explained. "It has to be Ardun."


    "You think it can help?"


    "I don''t trust it." Nayah was quick to reply.


    "You''ll have to learn trust those you travel with, their opinions included." Luck shrugged unforgivingly. "Erok, Maxworth? It knows we''re not enemies now. Do you think it can help us?"


    Maxworth was the one to respond for them. "In light of the System update, we may need all the help we can get. The transition from the Hydyr Dunes, Krukon''s Forest, the Frozen Zones or Snakes Way is known to be exceptionally dangerous. The update will undoubtedly make this more so, sir. I advocate its assistance." Of course, they had done their research, they were planning this trek before Luck even met them.


    Erok grunted. "You have my answer then."


    Nayah looked at Luck as he stared at her. "I''ll trust you. " She said with quiet sureness.


    Luck nodded, addressing the drone in Precommon, "Last Light still stands." He said simply. "The lines of battle have been pushed further back, past your guard. Do you know what the System is?"


    It paused, whirring. "No."


    "Do you know what Ethodthem is?" Luck tried.


    "Yes, the encompassing neutral force that allows the Last to combat the enemy. It permeates Arune." Evidently, the named used by the gods was what it was most familiar with.


    "Ethodthem brought you back. Your city still needs defending. Come with us, we will travel there together." Luck told him. He couldn''t gauge what the drone thought. In fact, Luck didn''t think it a robot, it was too thinking to be that. Too independent, individual. Though also not. Peculiar.


    Luck asked the keid to step away and they did so, the drone standing up shakily, chittering staccato as it checked itself. It looked to the group. It''s body tilted with its head. Luck remembered during the battle its allowance of restrictions being lifted. The thing hadn''t fought at its true potential. With a shiver, Luck realized it could easily kill them at full capacity.


    "I cannot. Must find unit, regain bearings, contact Sovereign, resume Protocol East or retrieve new orders. Thank you, Last." It said finally in English. "Must prevent accidental attacks on the Last. Must update the other Spectres. Years unknown have passed. Defend Ardun." It repeated itself in assurance. "Thank you, Last. " It said once more.


    "What are the Spectres?" Luck had to ask.


    "We are the Spectres. Once Last, uploaded into these bodies to protect the living. It is the fate, the honor of the dead to preserve the living. The end of Project Revival allows our eternal rest." It was a person. That was why Luck felt something off. There was a decidedly human confusion to the drone. A type of curiosity and hesitation earlier.


    They were people from long ago. "We''ll meet again, at Ardun. Whatever chaos awaits there."


    "Goodbye Last." It said, and Luck wondered how it was going to convince the other Spectres.


    The drone is compatible for data transfer. Additionally, it seems possible to hack its core programming and gain control of it. Multiple firewalls are ancient but well studied. He blinked at Spirit''s analysis.There are broken systems within, unrepairable. It is possible to-


    Luck cut Spirit off mentally outlining what he wanted to do instead.


    Affirmative.It is possible.Spirit replied.


    Luck wanted to help. He walked forward, resting his hand where Spirit told him to. Guard''s eyes lit up in data, a perfect stream of condensed information flowed through its consciousness. In moments it was done and Guard was looking towards where another hunk of metal was located on Diversi''s Map.


    It looked down to Luck. "Thank you. Goodbye, Last."


    And it disappeared immediately. A short pause followed before sand erupted from where it stood and it was off. Luck corrected himself, until Guard was off.


    Somehow he felt it wasn''t the last time he would see the drone.

 Chapter 15 - The Man in Krukon

    The Gold Swamps, though many claim fortune awaits them in such boggy waters such a sentiment is only true for every second wandering soul. The waters that rise with the tide bring dangers lurking inches beneath the darkened water, shapes moving and writhing under the cover of bog. A scant few see the swamp as the Swamp Elves do, a peaceful balance of teeming life. The swamp lives, breathing with every rise of its waters, blinking with every rise of the sun. The Elves know this. I have lived it.


    -Deit Caos, storyman


    "I mean, I understand A.I. aren''t unheard of, even back home, but that thing was ancient. Did you see the markings on it? Those were explosive blast marks, or at least something close. And you saw what a fireball did to it. Absolutely nothing. Whatever it was fighting was not something we want to tangle with." Ace was still reconciling the existence of technology that centuries ahead of our own.


    "Ace, come on. Was there nothing in your impartation that hinted at anything about advanced technology? I''ve got an S.I. in my head remember? And you''ve talked to Evodim remember? Recall that he has a physical interface too. There''s a touchpad in the living room." Luck rose an eyebrow at his friend. It wasn''t until after he responded that Luck realized how accustomed he was getting to this new life.


    "There was, there was." Ace sighed. "But seeing it? Luck, that was a combat drone. A combat drone. A robot designed for killing and destruction, even if its main function was to protect. That''s something people from our world would kill for, and then deploy at the cost of thousands of lives. You understand?"


    Luck sobered. "Yeah." He replied. "Forget this world is bigger than we can fathom. The tech available here might be a lot more advanced than we''re used to my friend."


    "No kidding." He said quietly. "I just hope they make guns as good as they do back home."


    Luck laughed. "What I''d do for a good pistol right now. Magic''s well and good but I''d rather do with a handgun while I get used to it."


    "I used to think you stopped time everytime you took a shot back then. Your aim was that inhuman. Now you actually can." Ace groaned draped over the lip of the saddle. The keid had requested they change riders every day since the day Luck began to talk to them. It had been a week since they met the combat drone.


    "As if you couldn''t match it." Luck replied easily.


    "True, but there was no one else who could." He said.


    Luck shrugged smiling. He never thought he could get nostalgic for those days. Sure, he enjoyed being free of it but there was something enlivening about living that way. He didn''t miss it though, he only missed the people. Mr. Ark, his parents, his sister. He remembered the last time he saw them.


    "My dad could." He said, watching the keids march on.


    His sister, falling to the floor, a hole in her head. He ran, looting her body for anything useful, leaving her there in the crowd. His parents, the trail of blood leading to their cold bodies. Amber eyes reflecting off a pool of their blood. Tears, heavy and wet, full of grief and sorrow. There was so little he could do.


    He stared into the shifting dunes, a gentle breeze ruffling his clothes. There had been an eerie absence of deactivated drones. They were supposed to have come across multiple. They had come across none.


    "Yeah, yeah he probably could." Ace replied.


    Luck didn''t take his eyes off the dull beige dunes. He held the crystal pendant in his hand. His palm wasn''t rough or calloused but it was coarse in all the spots that had contact with a gun. His father''s hand was different, he had the hard hands of a hard life.


    He gripped the pendant, watching the motes of light split two ways yet again. There was no doubt now. His family wasn''t together, not grouped as he thought. The motes had begun to spread but the distinction in their gatherings had become to make itself clear.


    "We''re just gonna have to veer a little left again." Luck grimaced.


    A wind buffeted them. It brought a slight chill. They were moving north, towards the Frozen Zones.


    Ace gripped the reins of the keid, prepared to correct them before they moved on their own, he dropped the reins after looking at Luck. "We''ll find them Lucky. We''ll find them, don''t worry."


    "I know." Luck said softly, his face was a mask.


    <hr>


    He threw his arm in a heavy, sickled arc backward. He left the knife in the eye of the beast. The jungle grass pushed heavily upon his legs, pleading him to halt. He didn''t. The underbrush was heavy, enough so that kneeling would''ve had him lost from view.


    Not from these ones, he knew. Not these ones. The ones hunting him were smart, more cunning. Relying on their nose more than their eyes in the heavy dark green blanket that was this jungle. Rays of sunlight pierced through overhead, bugs and insects flew to them like fountains of water. The man ran past these, dodging them. His form was a dark blur, traversing the terrain in a hurried sprint.


    Four now, of the eight that he had started with.


    Three arrows, two knives, one now, and a broken bow. He was shirtless, scarred but otherwise healthier than he had ever been. He held that last knife against his forearm, the blade traveled the length of half his arm. He was familiar with it.


    Running, he still wasn''t tired. But running could only you get so far here. They were swinging from the vines above, hooting and calling. A glimpse of one through the sunlight, illuminated, and locking eyes with him. He dove under the brush but already he could hear familiar calls. An alert.


    His location was known.


    He jumped from an exposed root, grabbing the hairy leg of the creature before slamming the thing down without mercy. It screamed and hollered an ugly noise before the loudest crack of its skull shut it up. The man slit the creature''s throat, the fastest method to dispatch it. The most efficient.


    He grabbed a nearby vine, chopping it off at a length. Wrapping it around his shoulder and hip he sucked on the cut end for precious moments. Listening past the buzz of insects, past the brush of leaves he couldn''t hear anything of the creatures hunting him.


    They were white, long-limbedand flat faced with fangs the size of his hand. Their bodies were made for this jungle and they were the size of the man if not larger. They hunted in groups.


    He heard nothing.


    They were still hunting him then. He sucked the vine dry, remembering the day he saw the creatures do it themselves. His teeth on the vine, his hand went to his quiver. The arrowheads of these arrows he made sure were weighted heavily. They had a muchbetter impact this way. He wasn''t getting any long distance shots in this environment anyway.


    Most importantly, he could throw them if he wanted to. He knew how.


    He stalked the creature, a reversal of roles for the moment. It walked on two feet, surprisingly alien in the almost human way that it did. Long fingers brushed at the nearby leaves and the man cocked his arm back aiming for the creature''s heart.


    Another one appeared and the man didn''t hesitate. A third appeared and the man paused. A fourth followed and the man slowly backed away. His feet found soft mud or feces it didn''t matter, he nearly slipped. He caught himself, careful not to disturb any of the heavy brush nearby.


    A fury filled screech rang inches from his face. His head snapped up and a creature was on top of him. His forearm blocked the fangs of the creature, dried vine wrapped around his arm served as protection. The blunt force from its flailing limbs knocked against his chest and thighs.


    "Fuck!" The man yelled, getting his knife under him.


    He opened the creature''s belly, spilling guts all over him. Gore rained upon his jaw and beard. He grimaced, he wasn''t outrunning this pack with such a strong smell. His arrow hand pushed the body off.


    Three of the creatures circled him. Their white was easily distinguishable in the dark green of the jungle. Two went high, climbing the trees and aiming to get behind and above him. One stayed to his front, drawing his attention, beating its chest, raking at the ground.


    He wouldn''t let them see the end of their tactic. He approached suddenly at a swift crouch. The creature bounded backward, beating its chest. The motion was hesitancy. Prey didn''t advance.


    The man did.


    He took advantage of that short delay easily getting into the reach of the creature. It pulled him towards its body, intending to lock its jaw on the man''s neck. His left forearm pushed violently against the creature''s neck while his right hand came up at an angle to split its throat.


    Memories. The past two weeks had put his survival skills to the test. They were from a very long time ago, but he never forgot them. The man''s face was muddied, guts spilled across his bare chest. His arms were muscled and defined, more function than form. His legs were powerful pistons that were functioning at their peak.


    No hint that the man was ever a cripple.


    Growling, he beat his chest in a surge of primal belonging. He glared upwards, knowing he would climb up and kill them by hand if he had to. He would do that and more to see his family.


    The man roared his challenge. "Come at me then bastards! See if you and this jungle can stop me from my family!" His voice boomed across the jungle, alerting the six or so remaining in this particular baboon tribe. "The Lockyer''s aren''t ones to submit! Come!"


    Rick Lockyer stood covered in gore bellowing his challenge. A chiseled jaw was prominent even beneath his thick beard, still covered in gore. Depth and power emanated from intelligent dark brown eyes. He scanned his opponents, waiting for a single hint of movement, muscles tensing.


    Both leaped from their perches above screaming and hooting. They landed on all fours, their tails up for balance. Rick sliced the first one''s tail off and plunged an arrow in the second one''s side before dashing out of their reach.


    Another white baboon lunged out of the underbrush, Rick only just catching its white fur. He jumped over it, grabbing its head and twisting it with a satisfying snap before running again. Hit and run, that''s how he was dealing with these baboons. At first, they''d hunt him down with abandon, but once they realize the ambushes he would set they slowed considerably. For Rick that just meant safer ambushes, easy targets, and easier pickings.


    He ran toward a familiar tree, the trunk curving and splitting three ways. He jumped up on the lowest branch, kicking off the trunk to reach it before crouching to complete stillness.


    Silently, his hand went to the bow and quiver of arrows he had fashioned and left here prior. He held the bow down low, arrow knocked. The hoots and calls were absent, they wouldn''t start unless he was spotted. They were quiet hunters in their pursuit.


    He watched six of them run past, including the tailless one and excluding the one he left with an arrow in its side. He drew a bead on the last one. Rick nocked the arrow, drawing to his cheek and pushing out his chest. The last in the pack swung forward in great low loops, a hungry determination in its eyes.


    An arrow sprouted from its forehead in the next instant, its body tumbled to the floor in a tangle.


    They wouldn''t be turning around anymore. He tailed them at a swift pace, just enough to stay silent. He ripped the arrow from the dead baboon''s head on the way, tossing it into his quiver.


    They were reaching the end of their territory. Rick had already taken out the four creatures at the back of the pack. He ran parallel now, knowing the area he chose a tree they would cross sight of.


    His index and middle finger brought the string up to his cheek again. Breathing slowly, he waited.


    The lead baboon, larger than the others bounded forward with a single baboon in tow.


    Rick released. "Die bastard." The arrow flew true, an imperceptible whistling as it shot straight for the rear baboon''s heart. He was already moving to the next position when he heard no audible thunk. He turned back to look over his shoulder.


    The lead baboon had caught the arrow. His wiry arms reached backward and the rear baboon was blinking at the metal shaft. It glanced wildly around before finding Rick even through his camouflage. Huffing, it slammed the floor angrily disturbing the underbrush. Snapping the arrow it charged him.


    His eye''s widened with surprise. "Damn." He breathed, before turning forward and disappearing.


    The baboons didn''t need their eyes. Rick wasn''t safe. They had his scent. He had seen them confirm scents before, had watched them do it multiple times when they hunted. It was a simple baring of their fangs to each other. Both had done it.


    He unwrapped the vines on his forearms allowing them to dribble to the floor loosely. He let his right arm be free of the vines, holding the knife, it needed the most motion. His left hand gripped the loose makeshift whip, however. He pressed against a damp tree, right beside a particularly large exposed tree root. He could hear the heavy panting of his pursuers. Closer. Closer.


    His left armed whipped out in an arc catching the lead baboon as it leaped above the root on the neck and wrapping twice around. It choked while Rick ran counter-clockwise, tightening the noose while beelining for the second baboon.


    He rushed forward in a feint, tugging hard on the vine to arrest his momentum. The larger baboon choked. The smaller swung its arms forward intending to beat him to death. Rick caught its hand, tied it to the vine, before untangling himself and having the other end in his right hand, his knife switching to his left. The maneuver was less than two seconds and the smaller baboon was screeching and struggling against its bonds Rick having entangled the creature to its leader.


    The baboon struggled hard, unknowingly tightening its larger companion''s noose.


    Their fates were decided the second they decided to hunt a Lockyer.


    Rick Lockyer darted forward in a horizontal cut that opened its throat.


    He would keep moving due East. The trees thinned towards that direction and the only river that cut through the thick jungle flowed that direction as well. If there was civilization at all in this world, it was that way. Informations was something he desperately needed.


    Around him, the jungle teemed with life. Hoots and calls in the distance marked other baboon territories. They were all different. This tribe was especially weak. They proved no problem at all for him. These were the closest ones to normal as far as he could remember aside from their size and sense of smell.


    His hand went absently to his side searching for his walking cane. Instead, it found a metal grip attached to the barrel of a high caliber pistol. A silencer was attached but even then he dared not shoot. He could''ve afforded the luxury a week ago but that was then.


    Not now. He was too deep in the territories. The creatures were unpredictable in their adaptation. However, he observed that the majority had enhanced senses that disregarded sight. Hearing was among the list and even silenced, a shot from his pistol would drive many to his location. The white baboons he had hunted were among the few that adapted differently. Their territory had various scented flowers, many of the surrounding trees oozed with sap. He assumed that was how they found their prey.


    He dropped his bow and arrows. They were made durable and to last but after two weeks they had become near breaking with all their use. He had had to use the bow as a club on occasion. The bow was as bent as the arrows. He could make more later.


    It truly felt like a month or two had passed. Rick had to remember, Jerxos had said Laura and the kids would be dropped off at the same time. He could trust them. There was not a trace of doubt in his mind that they would live. Rick and his wife had spent their parenting years teaching Luck and Tate all the necessities of their life.


    He smiled ruefully, even some of the tricks from their past ones.


    Night fell, the coming almost imperceptible as shafts of sunlight slowly dimmed and darkness became absolute. He lay against a curved root in a particular twist of wood that rose five feet above the ground. Thoughts of his family usually brought him to sleep, their simple memory was enough to bring him a small smile and usher him to the next morning.


    Something moved in the trees, barely a whisper to indicate the movement. He lay resting still, knowing they wouldn''t attack. They were multiple. He had run into them before. Not all of the baboon tribes were hostile. He had met onefriendly tribe and the rest left him alone. The majority, however, were hostile, but Rick knew the ones that passed over his head. They wouldn''t bother him, likely they were claiming new territory.


    Different memories filled his head as he drifted into sleep.


    The God of Rebirth, he was still trying to reconcile the existence of gods, gifted him with certain abilities in accordance with what he demonstrated during the impartation as Jerxos had called it. He called them tools, things that facilitated his survival in Aerae as he knew this world was called. They were part of him now. As certain as he was that his family was alive.


    His entire life was tested in his impartation. He had to draw upon practices he never thought he would need again. He had killed with various different weapons, succeeding in all trials until they changed.


    No longer was he in the city. He was in the mountains sparring with an old man. His leg had healed but he barely had time to register it before the diminutive wizened man was upon him. He flowed through the man''s attacking fists and advancing arms landing a series of heavy blows upon his chest. The stepped back grunting, a surprising power in his chest as he raised a judging eyebrow upon Rick. He advanced once more.


    He was in an arena armed with chainmail and longsword. His opponent was a capable-looking man that held two swords low and forward. Rick advanced, knowing to play defense was to die. The man was roughly the same size as Rick but the moment he allowed Rick to dictate the flow of battle was when he lost. He was familiar with these styles of combat but his progress was frustratingly slow. The man ducked down and to the side, flicking one sword to Rick''s side and using the other to pivot on the dirt floor upon which they fought. He kicked out and caught Rick on the thigh. Rick slashed down and horizontal aiming for the weapon rather than the man himself. The man''s other sword was nowhere near to aid in the block and his blocking sword crumple under the weight of Rick''s attack. It wasn''t long before Rick had his sword to the man''s throat.


    He was in the woods. A bow and arrow in his hand. A whistling drew his attention before he jerked his head left, his eyes widening at the sprouting arrow where his head had been. He jumped out of the way and into the trees, his head peeked only to hear whistling again. He traced the arrow. He nocked his own and jumped out, needing to know the location of the archer. Whistling. His form twisted suddenly and he released. His arrow spliced the other archer''s. He nocked another and shot again. A grunt in the distance.


    He was in kevlar with a rifle in his arms. A gruff man stood in front him. Rick blinked. The man lunged forward, knife in hand. He was using modern combat techniques, efficient and deadly. They traded blows, grappling at close quarters. The man was good. Rick had sparred against his son multiple times, maybe he could put up a better fight with a working leg but this man was nothing compared to that. He kicked the man back, the man unstrapped his pistol only to catch a single bullet to the head. Rick brought down the rifle.


    That was when the monsters began to appear.


    He was on a bridge of stone and rough dirt. Tufts of fighting grass rose here and there. A short cliff, maybe three feet, brought him down to another level of stone. The bridge was straight, he stood upon the highest level of it whereas moving left or right would bring him down one of these short cliffs. Four or five of those later was only inky blackness. Webs of bright white and brown hung like the ominous wrappings of a mummy. Strapped to his back were a metal halberd and assault rifle. Two grenades hung on his hip. It seemed both were frag. He searched around for an enemy before turning to the obvious with a curse. They were not spiders, not completely, and they were each large. What saved him was their unwillingness to leave their web. They threw balls of web that unraveled as if alive tendrils of white writhing for grip. Rick went to the lowest level, killing the many he could see like a firing range before chopping the webbed supports with his halberd. He did this to either side of the bridge and the whole webbing fell inward to the depths. Echoing growls erupted losing their volume until dying out completely. The trial didn''t end so Rick waited a day until they crawled out to repair their home. Rick killed them all.Stolen story; please report.


    No equipment this time. He was surrounded by small humanoids. They were squat and chittering in a language he couldn''t comprehend. All at once they surged on him. He stumbled backward quickly finding his feet. Initial surprise diffusing, he managed to keep the creatures tripping over each other as he dispatched them. They were strong for being so small and by the time he snapped the neck of the last one he was covered in bruises.


    His feet splashed against the rock. He was in a shallow, water up to his knees. He could see through the water clear as the sunlight that pierced it. He had only a single grenade and knife and greatly wished he couldn''t see through the water. He began to run awkwardly, knee-high, in retreat. Sinuous eels with bladed fins swarmed around themselves before moving en masse. He turned around with a grimace he had only a small lead. A few steps later he pulled the pin on his grenade and tossed it backward. The water exploded and Rick knelt down in the water with his knife, watching for any stragglers. A single eel clashed against his blade but Rick stomped on it painfully and severed it at the head.


    The encounters became worse. His choice of weaponry became more exotic and specific, the encounters usually having only a few methods to overcome. Luckily, much of the weaponry was familiar to him. He wondered the fate of someone else in his position. It wasn''t until after he would learn that the impartations were custom tailored to the individual''s strengths.


    Sword, shield, arrow, rifle, and pistol were among the most common. Spears, axes, halberds, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, grenades made appearances as well. The monsters that warranted such weaponry were a bright spot in Rick''s memory. Though that memory was tainted by the fact they tried to kill him.


    Then it became stranger. He began dispatching targets with odd powers. A single bullet would bounce off something invisible. A man that conjured fire, burning half of Rick''s face off. Merfolk that controlled the water, rushing at Rick just below the surface. Creatures that regenerated after a missile to their torso. Creatures that simply didn''t take any damage at all. His explosives would explode but their force would be contained in a single spot. His spears and axes would shatter, forcing him to quickdraw his pistol in the hopes his opponent would be caught off guard.


    Then, his weapons changed. Blades became sharper and guns became stronger. Those were the mundane changes. Swords made of energy or metal that glowed purple that could pierce anything. Guns with clips that never ended. Bullets that froze those they touched or paralyzed on impact. Futuristic weaponry adorned his body, tracking guns, guided missiles, infrared scoping, pulse beams, bullets made of energy.


    His equipment began to change next. Cloaking devices. Pendants that could block any impact. Boots that allowed him to stalk enemies upside down. Rings that could activate orbs of flame. Or bodysuits that could absorb and redistribute force.


    He was experienced with nearly everything Jerxos had presented him with up until the monsters started to appear in the trials. And they didn''t stop. The weapons and equipment he used only became more specialized and peculiar. He hesitated to call it magic but it was, he knew that. It helped after witnessing enemies that used it as well. He adapted well he thought.


    He recalled the conversation with Jerxos after the second time he died.


    "That was... impressive, to say the least." A man said, a look of consternation on his face.


    The only thing preventing an immediate attack was the setting. "A beach bar?" Rick questioned. "Am i supposed to kill you now?"


    "No. I believe you''ve had enough time killing. Impressive, though, impressive. It is not often I have the pleasure to send a soul so capable away." The man drank a colorful drink. He wore beach shorts and a shell necklace.


    Rick sat down. "Get a bottomless drink in front me." He said. "We can talk then."


    "So different from your son!" The man bellowed. "Straight to the point. I can appreciate that in a mortal." The mystery man ordered a drink for Rick.


    He took a sip only to look down blinking at the strong drink. It managed to stay topped off no matter how much he gulped down. "My son was here?" Rick asked, his eyes snapping to the strange man''s.


    "This isn''t the afterlife if that''s what you''re getting at. Quite honestly it might be the opposite. A rebirth. New beginnings. A beforelife if you will." He paused smiling at Rick''s neutral face. "You seem to be taking this in stride."


    "I died. You obviously have me here for a reason. Then, I died a second time. I think I''ll just drink until you get to the point." Rick said gruffly. "How do you know my son? Is he alive?"


    The man chuckled a genuine grin splitting his face. "I am Jerxos, God of the Rebirth." He introduced himself. "And you my dear mortal are quite fortunate. Your son managed to grab the attention of godon the night your whole family died."


    Rick''s face darkened, he took another drink. "Even Tate." He said, looking into his cup. "They killed her too?"


    "Mortal, none of that matters," Jerxos said, peeved at Rick''s apathy towards his godhood. "They yet live."


    Rick looked the god in the eyes, searching for truth. "Why am I here?" He had asked.


    Jerxos had explained it to him then. How his son had earned the attention of a god. Rick chuckled, for his son to attract the Goddess of Fortune, fitting. A new world. Filled with much of what he saw in what Jerxos had related was his impartation. A sort of skill test to determine what to send him into Aerae with.


    None of that mattered. His family lived. He could reach them. He had only one last job to do.


    Survive until then.


    Rick turned in the bar stool, arm on the counter. "Then, how did I do?" His bad knee was back. He was glad there were chairs to sit.


    "Good," Jerxos said slowly. "Extremely well, actually. You managed to go through hundreds of weapon trials, dozens of skill trials and very rarely did you falter save for the more exotic challenges. Web riders, lurches, blade eels, a score of goblins, a juvenile callamoth, a slew of sentient opponents, old tech drones. Given the equipment and circumstances, you adapted quickly and smoothly. Efficient, extremely so. I am somewhat... in awe."


    Rick could''ve attributed it to his past, his time in the military, his stay at prison, his life as a mercenary or even his seat at the top of the underworld, but he didn''t. That was catharsis. None of that mattered. None of it was the reason he performed as well as he did. He was a man who had just witnessed his wife die.


    Rick Lockyer was angry. He wasn''t performing. He was distracting himself, getting lost in his task. Indulging his anger and rage in the outlet given to him. Anger sharpened his mind. Where fury brought flames to others in brought ice to him. His threat assessment and tactical thinking was at its peak during those trials.


    "Anger is a motivator for me. What of it?" He waved.


    To Rick''s gesture and comment to continue Jerxos responded with a raised eyebrow, "This leaves me somewhat lost as to what to leave you with." He sighed. "Walk with me as I explain."


    Rick did so, putting weight on his leg was painful but not unbearable. He nodded thanks when Jerxos handed him his cane, as shiny as the first day he had it commissioned. Old habits, he checked the blade to find it in place.


    Jerxos''s flip-flops caught the sand as he walked towards the shore. His face was set into deep thinking. Sometimes the god would look upwards, other times he would look to the distance. His hands moved in foreign gestures.


    Jerxos set a comfortable pace for Rick. It was ten minutes before the god sighed deeply. "In terms of rebirthees and what tools to grant them, you are a strange case, Rick. You performed exceptionally well during your impartation which warrants a great tool. In fact, your performance and statistical data forbid me from granting you the items I would normally. It was a powerful weapon indeed that I intended to gift you. But the simple possibility it could be stolen from you forbids it as a reward choice. You deserve much better it seems. Something permanent."


    "I''ll be fine with a good weapon, any of the ones I used towards the end of the trials would suffice. " Rick didn''t understand the problem. "I can manage without." He would find his family whether he had help or not. This was simply an introduction to what foes he might encounter. He was sure gathering the necessary resources to combat them might take a while but that he could pull it off as well.


    "I''m afraid to say that at least in this matter you overestimate yourself Rick. Without a gift from me you would be hardpressed to survive out there, let alone find your family. I know your history. No matter how much effort you placed to conceal your past from your children. You and Laura are as transparent as The Pools to me. Even with that history, I didn''t suspect such results."


    That was... a surprise. If any being might figure his life out he supposed a god might be it. That life wasn''t meant for the light. His kids were used to the dark of the city but Rick''s past was a pitch-black night. It was a void of anything, the deepest black of nothing. There were places in the world, hidden from nearly everyone that Rick knew and had operated in. Terrible places that warranted terrible things from terrible people. Rick had come to terms early, he had a mental strength little people had. To call them horrors of man would be saying too little. Rick didn''t dwell on those thoughts often, but his heart broke imagining his kids knowing the man he had had to be back then. Bright, intelligent, cunning amber and light, light brown always, without fail, swayed his heart no matter how stoic the facade he kept seemed. His kids were his weakness as well as his strength, to be without them or their support would be his worst fear. He could face unspeakable horrors, monsters in the darkest night, even the dull monotony of an average worker''s job if he knew those eyes would be there when he got home.


    "You can''t tell my children. They can''t know." Rick''s face grew serious. "If they- "


    "I will not. It is none of my business anyway." Jerxos said understandingly. Rick relaxed, he had unwittingly gripped his canes blade mechanism. "Your new life is my business, however. And I cannot find a fitting reward. It''s infuriating, truly. "


    Rick tapped his cane, his fingers caressing the polished wood in a practiced habit. A new life. The thought was a familiar one just out of grasp. He had always wanted to elope. To do so would be freedom. It was impossible, however, being so entwined in the life of crime as he was. His family would be tracked down easily, hunted in some cases until they''d be caught with their pants down and killed. With that in mind, it would be impossible to relax or settle down. He told this to Laura many times but even then she would insist that one day, one day they would. He smiled softly at the memory.


    Perhaps now he could have that.


    Jerxos talked openly to himself unconcerned should Rick hear his musings. "Not a weapon. Magic? But none fit the criteria. A gift of knowledge? Regarding weapons? Still, that would not suffice as a reward for his feats. Multiple tools? No, too many tools are as much a burden as they are helpful. How about a few impactful tools? Gah! Again, none are fitting! Magical weapons? He could lose those as well. Perhaps an advanced technology? No, none fitting his use. Companions? Bases? No, of course not. Ingredients? Banish the thought."


    Jerxos sighed deeply, a common occurrence the past hour. "Nothing?" Rick asked patiently. He loved the beach.


    "I am sure there is something. There must be. My apologies for the wait it is not often someone does so well in the weapons impartation, especially a hybrid one tailored to your skill set. I do believe it is a first. Nonetheless, it poses a problem of a proper reward. Normal weapon tools don''t suffice with a performance such as yours."


    Rick leaned on his cane. He just wanted a peaceful life with his family. He didn''t regret his past, if not for it he would''ve have met Laura. Still, he wondered what his life would like if he didn''t go with Etsuji that fateful day. He shook his head. That was in the past, no use fretting over it.


    "Ah, that could work. Yes, yes I believe I found a set of tools worthy of you Rick Lockyer. These..."


    Rick woke up. The rays of sun pierced at an angle to indicate the sunrise. It was a new day. He wondered this time if he could avoid the tribes on his trek East. It wasn''t likely but he hoped for it anyway.


    Rick stood up. The sun caught muscle pulled taut as he stretched under the green jungle. Dark green became vibrant shamrock in the day. He wore little, simple cargo pants and a tight shirt with cut sleeves. He chuckled, his son would probably have a stroke at seeing his attire. Or perhaps he wouldn''t. Rick was not nearly into fashion as his kids were.


    He cracked his neck, there was already a new bow in his hand. An effective silent ranged weapon was what he needed. He tested the weight and nodded.He didn''t know how long the trek would take but Jerxos said his family would be nearby. He needed only to find them.


    He had lost count of the days he had spent in the jungle. It blurred with his time during the impartation. His days were a constant focus on survival and movement. With the sun not always shining through the jungle canopy it was hard to say. There were places so thick with trees he could safely walk among the branches for minutes at a time.


    Now though, he walked among the underbrush. The jungle seemed to have experienced heavy rain recently. The whole place was damp, bright pink flowers on long green stalks poked out of the ground searching for those precious rays of sun. They were harmless to him and Rick used them to find patches of mud to camouflage his face. At the minimum, he was knee deep in grass and at the most, it was up to his shoulders.


    It was easily the safest way to travel with the threat of a predator watching. He grimaced, checking the surroundings again in case he missed something. He was deeply suspicious of the jungle the last few days. He hadn''t seen any other large animals that called the place home except the long-limbed territorials. There couldn''t just be baboons could there? The plant life was extremely diverse but the animals consisted of only one.


    Rick didn''t like it.


    He crouched below the grass line, dull blades of grass brushed at his body. Again, there was nothing but that didn''t mean anything. He listened for quiet moments as much as those filled with sound. He went down to one knee in the mud.


    The hoots and calls around him had quieted but those were distant in the first place. He had taken all the necessary precautions so he knew the only baboons around weren''t interested in him. He paced forward then stopped. A quiet rustling died immediately using his own movement as a muffler. His bow hung on his shoulder as he drew his two new knives silently. He held them tightly in a reactive stance.


    Something was definitely out there this time.


    Rick looked through the reeds. Resisting the urge to swipe at the grass in his face he took a slow, steady scan of his surroundings, staying as still as possible. Ten feet in either direction was just grass, the trunks of the trees that covered him from the sun above were a short jog in any direction. And yet, something tickled his peripheral, a gut feeling that something, somewhere, was watching. Birds cawed above, a fluttering of wings disrupting the canopy for a long moment.


    Silently he took his bow from his shoulders and drew an arrow ready, knives still in hand. He crouched like that for what seemed like hours, an extreme patience about him. He allowed his eyes to drift, knowing that noticing changes in the environment came easier in his peripheral vision. These weren''t techniques someone learned in the city. The only man who perhaps knew the entire capability of Rick Lockyer was Etsuji Ark. His best friend was likely managing the city in their absence. Rick wished him the best.


    A blade of green at the edge of his vision pushed forward ever so slowly, springing back without a sound. Minutes later, Rick hadn''t moved, another blade inched forward by some invisible force and sprung back quietly. Mottled green, the figure would''ve disappeared from his vision if he looked directly at it. Minutes passed again, Rick becoming more confident before he made his move.


    In a sudden and smooth motion, he drew the arrow to his ear pivoting on his knee and aiming straight for the disturbance. He was greeted with empty space. He trusted his senses though, something or someone was there. He pulled on the bowstring tighter, his eyes he kept trained in the center unmoving. Even if he couldn''t see it, it was there.


    "Out." His arm held steady, his arrow didn''t waver. "Now."


    It was a hunch. None of the baboons had any drastic evolutions that were able to camouflage them this well. There were no creatures but the baboons and none had ever shown behaviors to indicate they hunted their prey in stealth most ran their prey down and corralling them through superior numbers. For something to have been tailing him and managing to stay on the very edge of his notice was impressive. It also meant it was intelligent, which means it might understand him.


    "Now." He repeated, his sound was deep and gravelly, an effect coming from days of unuse.


    Slowly, Rick''s eyes focused on the green mottled form as it defined itself from the tall reeds. It was only meters away just barely noticeable by the bending of the plants around it, but only just. A slim form became apparent. In seconds he was looking instead at a creature painted black, less camouflage and more art.


    Rick lowered his bow despite the off-putting protruding eyes of the thing. Its scales, small and fine, took on different colors as it blinked. It was crouched among the reeds its eyes were slightly telescopic in the way that they blinked, the eyelids coming to blink from the edges to the center. Its head had a crest of feathers that seemed to flick forward. That by itself didn''t so much as phase Rick, but the kaleidoscope of color and intelligence in those eyes gave him pause.


    It had two sets of arms and both sets of its hands had long fingers with soft padding, their use was clear in the way the thing was standing. Its legssupported its body as much as its fingers did. Its scales changed subtly and smoothly without Rick even realizing the change in color until after it happened.


    Its feathers Rick realized were actually long scales that came up from its head. They were shifting to and fro in a display of soft colorings. Its body was an art piece, a painting that his wife or son could probably have appreciated fully.


    Rick still held his arrow knocked, if not his bow aimed. He didn''t trust the creature. "Why are you following me?"


    The chameleon-like creature tilted its head, patting its chest in a way different from the baboons. It was only then Rick noticed its chest could''ve really been a painting. A muddied, bearded man fought with a small knife in his hand and bow strung on his back. The chameleon man was fending off the few enemiesbehind the bearded man using a strange power swirling in his hands.


    Its scales shifted again, the entire picture flipping onto itself and Rick was looking at anew painting. A city, or fortress, Rick couldn''t decide rose in the distance. The forest was sparse now but the chameleon man and the bearded man faced off uncountable enemies between them and their destination.


    The scene shifted once more. The chameleon man was resting in a tree looking around as if lost. At his feet lay a ragged and torn backpack, the remnants of what supplies he had for the trip were scattered about and trailing off into the trees.


    "So he is intelligent," Rick said to himself. "And he''s out of supplies and wants to travel with me. But could that city be what Jerxos told me about?" He stroked his beard and shouldered his bow.


    The chameleon man relaxed, Rick not even realizing its posture was tense. The second it passed the chameleon became more lax, its arms falling to its side. Rick supposed it wasn''t an "it" any longer but rather a "he".


    "I''ll allow your company just for the sake of interacting with something other than trees and baboons," Rick said.


    Not seeing any reaction he decided the chameleon man was probably starving. His cargo pants held a variety of berries he had tested to be safe over the course of a day and small experiments eating them. The baboon tribes were both in awe and fear of fire. The fear came from the pain they first encountered with it rather than him roasting baboon over the spit. He had left to scavenge and found a neutral tribe howling in panic with one of their members set on fire. He had been put out though, the baboons knocking him unconscious in the process.


    He held out berries and baboon jerky, something he managed by laying the meats in the rays of the sun. The jungle was hot, but out in the sun he felt it would be much worse. The meat had dried within minutes, baking on a rock superheated by direct sunlight.


    The chameleon man looked at both now, its eyes seeming to zoom in on the berries and the meat at the same time. "Not sure what you eat but this is all I have." Rick offered from a distance, still unable to address the chameleon thing as aperson. He shrugged, his thinking would pass.


    It flowed through the reeds with surprising sinuous grace. Up close, it was a little taller than Rick but obviously not meant for a physical fight. Its large mouth would''ve been off-putting to anyone but Rick. He had seen his fair share of horrors, an enlarged mouth was nothing. The chameleon''s mouth opened slowly, a long muscled tongue reached for both food items cautiously, wrapping around them before curling back into its mouth. It let out a content chirping sound as its jaw worked on the food.


    It was time to move. West was the direction he was heading. Civilization and likely the city he was looking for was that way. The chameleon was heading there too, it seemed. If it couldn''t keep up he would leave it. It looked at him now, just observing with those large eyes. Rick looked upward through the canopy and judged the angle of the small rays of sunlight that shone through the shaded jungle. He got his bearings quickly and turned West, the chameleon looked at him puzzled but shifting in colors to deep purple-violet then a solid blue.


    The chameleon, now that Rick looked at it up close, was thinner than what seemed appropriate. Rick realized it must have been without food for quite some time. He held up more and the chameleon wrapped his tongue somewhat more speedily. It stood up on its legs, a motion very human, and its chest scales showed them walking through the jungle.


    "Might as well have read my mind."


    They began to trek West, the hooting and callings of the baboon increased in volume until every ten minutes he had to pause and adjust his course. He would avoid them if he could. His hands never strayed too far from his knives or his bow and he was always ready to turn on a dime.


    The chameleon man he nicknamed Paint. Paint had paused every time Rick did, just barely visible, having turned back into a mottled green. He traveled upside down, hanging from the brown branches above or from low hanging sturdy groupings of vines. Paint made surprising time like this, Rick kept his attention on Paint as well, a small hassle for the companionship of something other than a baboon and plant life. He wondered at the swirling power Paint had depicted himself with on his scales idly.


    He didn''t completely trust the chameleon to watch his back but he did trust him to watch his own so Rick kept higher priority on the area that Paint wasn''t in. The sounds of the baboon tribes often made this unnecessary but Rick didn''t want to assume baboons were the only thing there.


    Paint made even less sound than Rick did when moving through the reeds. Rick''s muddied face and body was pathetic camouflage compared to Paint''s disappearing act. He noted the disparity and checked his holstered pistol with assurance if worse came to worse he had that at least.


    Jerxos has warned him that sentience took many forms. He noted with mild curiosity the mental block that prevented him from thinking Paint was intelligent for not being able to communicate with him. The chameleon didn''t seem to have any gripes with Rick being so. Paint had immediately gone to communicate through visual cues, he applauded the free-thinking sentient in that. But Rick always had a flexible and adaptable mind, he would see past that mental block. It was an interesting thought though.


    Even now, he spotted the chameleon flash red in a quick-witted alert for his attention. Finding Rick''s eyes on him Paint communicated eating the berries he indicated in his open hand, hanging upside down from a branch. Images flashed on his body and Rick gestured his hand out. Paint dropped it and Rick caught the berries popping one in his mouth before tossing the whole stem back upwards. Paint got the message and began to nibble on them, apparently having teeth despite the huge tongue. His fourth arm allowed him the luxury to do this while upside down.


    "Intelligent. No doubt about it." Rick muttered upwards, staring at Paint. He chuckled lightly to himself. "Luck if you could just see this. Son, you''d probably lose your head staring if you were here." He laughed whole-heartedly.


    The thought only tightened his purpose.


    As it were, his attention was on many things aside from the rays of sun that occasionally poke through the impregnable canopy. So he was surprised to find that night fell without him realizing it. He stopped and created a temporary shelter, Paint having noticed this began to fashion the vines above into a hammock. Rick afforded a look upwards and found an interesting nest design that worked with three interloping vines.


    Rick worked a few wide-leaved branches into a nook where the trunk of a tree split when a stem full of berries landed in the soft leaves he placed aside for bedding. Looking up, Paint was already upside down and moving to his nest-hammock. Rick shrugged and made sure they matched the shortening supply of berries in his cargo pants.


    They were. "Thanks, Paint." He waved upwards.


    He had made these type of shelters before back in the day. Trunks that split three ways were a little rarer to find where he operated but creating a bedded and roofed shelter using the trunks to catch the roof was a skill he could adapt. Hanging from the roof were a variety of large leaves that acted as well a curtain as they did camouflage.


    Per usual, the hooting and screeches of the indigenous jungle primates died out in short order. They were inactive at night so it would''ve been great to travel then but the jungle was an absolute darkness when night fell. Once dark and rich green surroundings became black. There was nothing to see and thus nowhere to go. In the beginning, he was nervous of nighttime predators prowling about but the night was as silent as it was dark. Only the ambient noises of bugs and nocturnal birds occupied the night.


    Rick rested peacefully among his grass bedding, something he thought he wasn''t going to get tonight.


    Screaming erupted around him. A large hand pressed hard against his mouth. Rick''s eyes shot open and his hands went for both of his knives when he realized his assaulter wasn''t even looking at him. Paint was in his shelter, head cocked to the side, his crest of scales on his head was adjusting to some unknown input. Rick resheathed his knives, his body under his immediate control, pulling them away for Paint''s neck. Rick regarded Paint for moments until he moved to pull the makeshift curtains aside but Paint stopped his arm with surprising strength, looking down he realized the chameleon had not one but three of his long arms to prevent him.


    Paint turned away again. Without even looking at him his body flashed with images even as the screams outside continued. Rick knew those screams. Those were baboons dying. If ever Rick had left them with a fatal wound he would hear the same crying, or if he scared them enough. Rick recognized the tension in Paint''s body for what it was this time.


    "Something''s killing the baboons," Rick said dumbly. "But I''ve never seen anything else out there."


    He looked peered through the gaps of his shelter. "It''s twilight. Right before sunrise." He cringed at a particularly loud screech and a louder crash. "That sounded big." He observed.


    Paint displayed images of some large creature barreling through the forest. Its face was shaped like a rhino''s but it was bulkier and instead of horns it had large ivory plates protruding from its forehead and cheeks. It rammed trees down and ate the falling baboons.


    Rick turned away from the pictures as he again reached for a cane he didn''t have. The shelter was roofed by a layer of intertwined branches five by six feet. It was the three splitting trunks that offered themselves as a makeshift floor though. Rick crouched on one while Paint was still as a statue nearby.


    There was a moment of eternal silence before a low, rumbling growl shattered it like glass. Paint exploded from his stillness and flashed red and yellow frantically. Rick scrambled away from the noise.


    Then the tree erupted into splinters.

 Chapter 16 - A Dull Desert

    The Bright is the result of a chunk of crystalline material fallen from the High Dungeon which, rather than a racial term denotes its location in relation to everything else, that is to say, the High Dungeon is the largest of the floating dungeons of Aerae. The crystalline shards that fell have formed a rather peculiar environment and has facilitated strange evolutions in the animals and sentients present. In short, the valley between the Rever Ice is so blindingly bright compounded by the reflective nature of the snow and ice forever present of the Rever such that beings possessing even some modicum of sight would have a hard time even being present. To say that The Bright is uninhabitable to seeing beings would not be out of place. Fascinating, however, is the culture that has formed in the sentients that thrive there. An odd amalgamation of appreciation for sound and touch. It simply wouldn''t be possible to learn about this culture normally but the people of The Bright can just as easily leave it and tell us their stories. In truth, none can prove the reality of The Bright as standing atop the Rever Ice and looking down is blinding and dangerous. The magic absorbing properties of the crystalline shards from the High Dungeon prevent magical survey and odd electromagnetic fields prevent similar technological observation. I was fascinated by the people, environment, and animals that lived there. It is a sad irony that I became what I am.


    - Patriarch Venul Yangthu, vampire


    Luck squinted at the sun, it couldn''t have been good for his eyes. He looked down to his pendant again. One of his family members were east, how far exactly could be anyone''s guess but they had to be relatively close if the motes of light in the pendant only now began to split. The rest were north and Luck was heading there first. From his position in the Hydr Dunes east might mean Ardun or further. North from his position was an unknown so he would group with them first. The amount of gathering dots of light indicated how near he was as well. There was more pointing north than east.


    "It''s cooling down." Ace remarked. The night was now an uncomfortable warmth rather than a sweltering heat. Heading north it seemed the desert was rapidly chilling which presented another set of problems. At night, under the light of a waxing moon, it was worse.


    "North of Ardun is the Frozen Zones. It''ll likely get much colder." Luck decided to finally ask about the thing Ace had been fiddling with the past half day. "What are you doing with that anyway? What is that?"


    "It''s Aeran currency. Erok showed me, he kept his silver and gold understandably hidden but he tossed me this one." Ace was flipping it between his knuckles, a smooth brown coin flickering in the moonlight. An easy manuever for nimble fingers. "When they''re stamped it''s with magical authenticity apparently there are reputable banks scattered around Aerae. They''re still expanding but their print on a copper, silver, or gold coin is accepted and recognized almost everywhere. So Erok says." Ace finished, examining the coin as it flipped between his knuckles. He held it up to the moon, squinting at the piece of copper.


    The man was lying splayed across over the edge of the keid''s saddle. The monotony of their travel was painfully dull. The vultures above loomed just as they had the first day of their journey. They were everpresent even during the night soaring right in front of the moon as if they could go beyond and perch on its beauty.


    "Aeran currency?" Luck asked absently his mind distracted by the stars above. "Never thought of a bank existing at all. And if it did then it must be some bank. Aerae''s a big place a standardized currency to encompass it all? That''s pretty significant." Luck said somewhat impressed. He readjusted himself. The cushions on the saddle have long been compressed into their figures by now. It wasn''t the most pleasant ride.


    "Logistically it doesn''t seem feasible. But then again." And Ace raised his hand as a spark jumped between his fingers and the coin lighting up the saddle with a flash. "I''m sure people have found ways of communicating long distance. Magic for one and tech too. Really I''m quite excited to see if there are better forms of the knowledge we already know. Fighting styles for one. MMA, Taekwondo, Jiu-Jistu, Muay Thai. Are there any combat styles superior to the best ones from home? It''s a question to ponder." Ace flicked the coin into his palm and clenched his fist punching the air hard enough to snap his jacket''s sleeves. Luck was reminded of Ace''s expertise as the former mercenary moved through disarms on an invisible opponent.


    "It''s a good question too. Keep in mind the different inhabitants of Aerae and different combat styles become viable." He gestured to the keid traveling in front of them. "The ones from home are designed for the human body. There are a lot of people out there. Who knows what might be most effective when you''ve two extra arms for example."


    "Huh. You''re right. But yeah, that''s one thing I''m interested in. I''m still quite curious what might be commonplace in an actual city. Peace seemed more like a frontier town based around the Arena Fields and central tower. I doubt that magically enchanted ice rooms are the extent of magical influence on city infrastructure."


    "Still feeling like a tourist I see." Luck''s eyes were drawn naturally to beauty so it wasn''t odd that his gaze was drawn from under the saddle to stare at the stars. Silence passed, no other sound than the faint howling of the desert dunes. "You know, there are a few subraces of humans out there. Scient, Higher, Attuned, Lesser, Deep and Sense humans, odd names yeah but Spirit''s never steered me wrong before. A combat style or two might''ve developed between them all. They go to war often apparently. I''m sure their homes might have some magical alterations to them as well." Luck said, chewing on some heat berries. Luck''s palate seemed to agree with the spice. His tongue could appreciate the taste. Mr. Ark would''ve been just as impressed he thought.


    Ace wasn''t in a rush to reply. His eyes traced the awning of the keid''s saddle his thoughts unknown to everyone but him. "Well, I do love traveling. Might make a map myself when we settle down. See the sights, you know?" Ace flipped over and looked out across the desert. Tric flew by silently and Ace handed her some soaked apples for her and Saga. The little dragon jetted away to the two companions'' own mount. "Might as well visit the locals of our very own species. Might be weird to see though." Ace chuckled, watching his Tric fly by. The man seemed in a very good mood compared to the first week of the journey


    Luck smirked at him. Ace seemed especially conversational tonight. "I take it you''re finally warming up to Maxworth and Erok then. Normally you''re the quiet one. The stoic Ace Vent finally deciding to open up?" Luck laughed good-heartedly.


    He snorted. "Don''t get me wrong, Lucky. I can go weeks, months even, without talking. Have done before, actually. Twice, I think. Doesn''t matter. Those were on mercenary contracts with a team I couldn''t trust and didn''t know. Here I''m a free man with free speech. Took me two weeks, though talking to different species even if they''re humanoid is slightly unsettling. Pair that with my elegant use of Common and you''ll have to forgive my hesitancy."


    "You speak to Tric just fine. Even to Saga every once in a while." Luck pointed out. "And come on, learning a new language is right up your alley. You''re pretty damn fluent already." Amber eyes watched entertaining the possibility of some kind of enhanced learning tool.


    Ace showed no sign of hiding anything but, then again, this was Ace Vent he was talking about. Luck found it best not to underestimate the man. Ace shook his head in exasperation. "You know what I meant, demon. Although I guess if I can communicate with the Amber Demon than I should be fine with everything else." Ace shrugged splaying his hands out in a grin that Luck found powerfully annoying.


    Luck groaned knowing the night would be a long one. He''d been probing, but Luck still wasn''t quite sure what Ace''s other tools were from his impartation. He was insanely curious. From what he gathered Ace had done surprisingly well even impressing and catching Jerxos by surprise. Luck had no reference with which to judge. His impartation was strictly strategy, risk-taking, and luck. The factors determining rewards for one''s performance was unknown to Luck. He had simply played the numbers and the game, swiping cards and tools when he could.


    The campsite was just as uncomfortably hot as it had been since the drones had left along with their cold and blissful metal. Not that Luck experienced any of it, the aspect of the heatblind kept him cool. Spirit was holding tight to an aspect of the black armored beetle for him and would preemptively activate it in the event of danger as it had for the initial contact with the drone. Though he kept cool and comfortable he could see the effects on Erok, Ace, Nayah, and to his surprise Maxworth as well. They all did well to resist the mental deterioration as long as they did. Ace was trained for it and the others seemed to be built for it. A man made of rock and one made of metal and gears? Luck didn''t think it would matter to them. But they were becoming more irritable in the heat.


    As a whole, however, the boredom was getting to them.


    After the first few days Erok and Maxworth brought up the idea of traveling during the night. Mainly the problem was how easily a traveler could be turned around in the dunes. There were scarce landmarks and without knowledge and skill in map reading and astrology, one would easily become lost. And not just any astrology but particularly of the stars of Aerae, otherwise Ace would be a suitable guide under the stars. Luck volunteered himself. With the help of Spirit the solution to the navigation problem was a mere upwards glance. They had been traveling nightly ever since taking the majority of the day to rest.


    It was nearly the start of the morning which was the time they ended their nighttime trek. They would camp out from under sun, using the keid saddles as shade and relief from the blazing heat. Vurr was their main source of meat, the small burrowing mammals were the size of pigs and tasted like heaven. Dried jerky from the previous catch would often attract one brave enough, or starved enough to try for it. Erok''s great hammer wasn''t the best weapon to end them without ruining the meat so Maxworth was usually fast enough to slit open the throat of the creature.


    Luck was still lounging in the saddle focusing and failing at rewinding time when he heard an odd bit of conversation.


    "Erok will you spar with me?" Ace''s voice came from the other side of the keid.


    "Spar?" Erok questioned but grinned wide. "I will be honored to Ace. It shall break this boring travel."


    Luck crawled on his stomach to theother end of the saddle to peer at the middle of their campsite which was simply the large clearing between all three keids with multiple travel packs and rations spread out among a small firepit. A vurr was roasting while Maxworth watched it but the metallic man glanced over at Ace.


    "Apologies, Ace. A spar is different in Roken society. You must understand that Erok comes from a highly reputable group among his people. In the Rhoride Hammers, spars are done to the brink of death. I assume you do not want that." The metallic man said from his seat on a small rock. The shadow of the keid closest to him protected him from the sun.


    Luck nodded. "Spar" translated to something along the lines of "to the brink" in Roken. Luck thought it referred to fully testing yourself against someone. Forcing them to the brink, to the maximum of what they could draw from. It was an interesting case where the word was defined differently through the culture of those speaking the language.


    "Ahh, no not at all. I''ve just not been practicing as much I''d like. I''d like to shake the rust off, stretch some unused muscle." Ace''s common had improved significantly. The man might''ve read through the entire dictionary he had on the trip. It was like him Luck decided.


    Erok lay his great hammer on a rock nearby the cooking pit. "We will spar then. No weapons or magic. Only the body. We will have it as the majority do. Simply say "I yield" and the spar shall desist." The roken planted himself in front of Ace making apparent the difference in height.


    Ace came to Erok''s shoulder his body, fit for a human, was nowhere close to as large as Erok''s rock form. Ace''s face had a soft sharpness to it, a subtle hint of the danger the man was capable of. The ladies loved the look but Luck knew better. He recognized it for what it was. Everyone was born innocent, a default in life. Ace, like Luck, had lost that innocence.


    He stepped back as Maxworth indicated the grounds for the bout using a stick to point around the clearing. "I''ll allow this whole area as fair game. Everything within the confines of the keid on three sides. No magic. No weapons." The gentleman repeated. "I''ll stay out of your way and step in if the match goes too far." He turned surprisingly to Luck. "Luck, sir, if you wouldn''t mind assisting me as well?"


    "Me? Sure, of course, Maxworth." He vaulted over the saddle and sat with feet dangling on the keid''s flank. He could propel himself off into the clearing if something came up. "I''ll step in if necessary."


    "My thanks, Luck." He continued. "With that, are you two ready? Official dueling rules dictate the combatants must stand no more than four meters from each other." It was a good distance, the clearing had a diameter of maybe twenty meters. He was curious to see how Ace would handle this.


    They took their spots and Erok spoke first. "I am ready Max." His hands were held oddly low as if he''d be going for Ace''s waist. The roken''s stance was firm and if Luck was interpreting it correctly, aggressive as well. It was hard to make sense of Erok''s arm placement.


    Ace showed him his profile. His jacket was tied tightly to his head keeping his black hair out of the way and his hands came up open-palmed to protect his bare chest. "Ready Maxworth." The stance was cautionary. Smart.


    The sunrise broke the horizon in a slow way, infant rays of sun fell upon the clearing. Ace glistened with sweat his bare chest and muscles defined by the light. The man seemed uncannily calm. Opposite of him, Erok tilted his head at the human across from him, not knowing exactly what to expect but recognizing a hint of something he didn''t see often.


    "Begin!" Maxworth commanded.


    Erok approached swiftly, his feet kicking small tufts of sand upwards. He was aggressive. Ace approached slower, watching his opponent closely. Suddenly, Erok lunged low and thrust his forehand high aiming for Ace''s jaw. The lunge was fast and at odds with Erok''s somewhat rigid stance. But Ace dodged it. His arm pushed on Erok''sand the roken recovered by twirling with the motion to face Ace again.


    Erok regarded Ace with interest. Luck thought he could see Erok replaying the events in Peace. The roken must''ve been wondering who exactly they were right about now. Ace, in typical fashion, was grinning with a cocky sureness.


    Erok''s body was harder, larger and the roken didn''t seem to have a problem stamina wise. Ace, on the other hand, was severely outmatched without his magic.


    And yet, Luck watched as his best friend advanced.Erok dropped low, his arms and stance wide. It wasn''t a normal combat stance, but Luck realized it would probably work on the vast majority of unintelligent beasts that roamed Aerae. Ace darted forward, slipping between Erok''s arms before stomping violently on his thigh and shooting off the roken.


    Erok frowned. Ace darted forward again but Erok was ready, grabbing Ace by the shoulder and throwing him towards Maxworth. The metallic man stepped aside as Ace rolled up to his feet, slight red scrapes across his back.


    Luck looked down on his friend who happened to be thrown right in front of him. "Need advice?" He teased.


    "Not now, Lucky." His friend was laser-focused on Erok who seemed to be approaching again.


    Ace cracked his neck. There was a subtly in the way he stood that Luck recognized for what it was. He seemed a little livelier, wilder. A large side of Ace that manifested in a small way. Luck realized with a shake of his head that his friend was having the time of his life.


    Ace ripped forward in a running drop kick. Erok''s face lit up in surprise as he grunted at the impact stumbling a total of four feet backward but staying on his own. Ace used the momentum to roll backward back up onto his feet. The man was grinning and Erok shifted his strategy again.


    Erok let Ace come to him, watching him in a way that was eerily observant. It was the type of observance that one normally kept hidden in the underground. Intensive. Luck knew it all too well but he knew how to hide it as well. Though, Luck supposed there was no need for Erok to hide his motives in this case. All the same, Luck noticed it.


    Ace darted forward again, avoiding flat-out fists he struck with his feet lest he break his fingers on the rock man. Luck could see the struggle Ace had. Erok would grab him by the arm and by supreme force of will Ace would execute the correct break. Erok''s strength made it hard even when the right move was used.


    Ace was a tangle of limbs, dodging between Erok''s large arms and dangerous grappling fists. It was almost inhuman the way that Ace maneuvered between Erok''s attacks. When he did get caught it was with the knowledge he could escape, taking cheap shots on his way out. Already, Luck could see bruising on his friend though the adrenaline probably didn''t allow the man to feel it yet.


    Erok landed a glancing blow that sent Ace careening to the side. He recovered but was met with a fist to the gut, knocking the air out of him. Ace recovered from that too pulling Erok''s arm forward. He ducked between another arm and stomped on Erok''s thigh again, shooting off into another roll. Erok frowned.


    Ace laughed, it was a solid strike to the stomach but not something that would''ve stopped Ace Vent. In comparison to Erok, that man was small but Luck reminded himself that Ace was extremely fit no matter how the match seemed. Most importantly, he was probably one of the most dangerous men that Luck knew. And that was saying something.


    Ace advanced again despite everything. It was almost a dance as Ace got under and between Erok''s larger form. The former mercenary, in an itchingly familiar tactic, lobbed a fistful of sand at Erok''s face. Erok grunted in annoyance, temporarily blinded. Ace kicked at Erok''s thigh for the third time resetting the dance again.


    Erok grimaced, a microexpression that Luck instantly noticed. The roken was frowning at Ace''s grinning face. Luck noticed that the roken didn''t seem taunted or annoyed but rather Erok''s face betrayed his puzzled interest.


    Ace charged again but this time Erok dove forward at his legs. Ace jumped immediately, his hands pushed on Erok''s back as he vaulted over the roken. Rock shot from Erok''s back and encased Ace''s hands in that small moment. Ace jerked backward with a curse.


    Erok stood himself up, Ace attached by the hands and hanging facing outward upon Erok''s back.


    "Do you yield-" Erok began.


    Ace tucked in and flipped his legs backward and upside down to hook under Erok''s jaw. The roken choked in startled surprise either not expecting that flexibility in Ace or not even entertaining the possibility of being choked in that position.


    "Yield," Ace grunted, his body curled up on Erok''s like a backpack.


    His legs crossed over each other, tightening on Erok''s throat and pulling his neck from his head. Erok grunted and threw himself to the floor. Immediately though, Luck saw Ace pull to the left so Erok would fall on his leg. Ace grunted painfully as his side slammed on the sand a second after Erok''s did.


    Ace''s bare body was soaked in sweat, straining to tighten his hold on Erok''s throat. The rock holding Ace''s hands loosened and he lost his leverage, the pressure on Erok''s neck subsided for a moment and the roken reached backward to grab at Ace. Ace dodged the grappling hands and flipped upright twisting to ride on Erok''s shoulders. They twisted on the ground and a cloud of sand went up blinding both Maxworth and Luck.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If he could work around Erok''s strength Luck knew Ace would win. On the ground, Ace was a decent grappler in Luck''s opinion and the Amber Demon was well versed in bare handed disarming. And Luck knew for a fact with an even strength he could easily subdue Erok. The problem now was only his size and the power in his limbs.Luck leaned forward, feet still dangling over the saddle.


    Slowly, the cloud settled, particles of dust blowing away in the wind.


    The result was expected. Erok held a bruised and bloodied Ace down by the chest. Erok, in a testament to Ace''s skill, was breathing deeply. He had finally pinned Ace down in the cloud of sand having kept him a long arms distance. From earlier Luck realized that aside from disrupting vision the sand didn''t even irritate the roken''s eyes. It made sense, the man was a literal rock. He would''ve had the advantage with the sand flying everywhere.


    "A worthy spar, Warrior Ace," Erok grunted in pain, some significance in his speech. He looked down at his leg. His thigh was chipped, a sizeable chunk of rock missing from his left leg. "Not often something smaller than I brings me true injury."


    "It was well worth the exercise, Erok." Ace said good-naturedly. He was scraped and bruised from rolling in the sand, breathing just as hard if not deeper than Erok did. Both his hands and wrists were a grotesque purple, likely from being encased in rock then pulled along with his acrobatics. Erok still did not remove his hand from Ace''s chest.


    "Do you yield, friend?" Erok grunted.


    Ace stared at Erok. His eyes wandered to the rays of sun that caught the sparkling particles of sand. His eyes found Luck''s own amber irises and the former mercenary grinned. "I yield, Erok. You win." The roken grunted in approval.


    In short order, Erok released Ace and helped him to his feet. Despite their bout, the campsite was just as it had looked like before. Sandy, with a cooking pit and a vurr still roasting under Maxworth''s supervision. Travel packs and the occasional cooking supply were dropped around the campsite in favor of more space on the saddles to sleep an stretch.


    "The spar has concluded. The victor is Erok." Maxworth announced loudly.


    This had the effect of waking the sleeping members of the campsite. Nayah popped her head up from the keid on the other side of the clearing. Luck smirked as her eyes found Ace''s battered body with interest before she shook her head and slumped over the saddle. Saga padded up to the lip of the same saddle and made eye contact with Luck. Luck waved dismissively at his concerned companion and Saga turned to nap again. Tric slept through it all.


    The campsite followed suit. Maxworth and Erok turned in. Ace fell soundly asleep and soon after so did Luck. They would wake up in the evening and set out again under that stars. There was no need for setting watches since nothing ever bothered them in the desert save for the ever looming vultures above.


    But despite that, Luck would occasionally wake up during the day to find Maxworth across the clearing moving through strange forms or simply just staring into the dunes. He was the only one aside from Nayah that would sometimes stay up. In Nayah''s case, she would often look back towards Peace, her fingers absently poking at the pouch on her side. Luck, not for the first time, wondered at Maxworth and Erok''s motivations.


    Of course, Luck was never truly far from waking. He and Ace slept light, a small disturbance would wake them up as they tended to drift right under the veil of sleep. Add to that, Spirit was in constant use of Luck''s sensory inputs, both physical and magical and he wasn''t ever truly in danger of being caught off guard. His S.I. would warn him of anything.


    He woke to the night, a quiet shuffling of travel packs and the movement of the keid under him. His keid was just rising from resting in the sun the entire day. Vague silhouettes lit up by the glow of the moon moved inside the camp. Maxworth, Erok, Ace, and Nayah were grabbing their packs if they had one, or a skewer by the dying fire if they didn''t, a few yawns traded between them.


    "Here." Ace hefted himself over the saddle handing Luck a skewer while munching on his own.


    "Thanks, Ace."


    Luck smiled softly, moving to the front of the saddle to what had easily become his favorite moment of their routine day.


    He always felt small looking at the bright painting of light above. The stars. They shone with a soft brilliance that reflected admiration in amber eyes that twinkled just as brightly. He was just one man and the thought was both comforting and strange. In the city, he was so much, such a large figure in his world. But here?


    It was beautiful. A beauty of nature that tugged on his soul. Stars blinked at him, the portrait unmarred by the lights of the city or civilization. He stared at a pure night sky. Points of light that could''ve housed millions of lives if one were to just believe in the possibility. Constellations that layered and layered upon themselves. Luck loved it. Fashion, style, clothing, it was all unbelievably insignificant compared to the sublimity of mother nature.


    Dull green intersecting lines appeared slowly as if acting as unobtrusive as possible, connecting certain groupings of stars and indicating the cardinal directions based on background calculations. Though they were visible only to him, the lines of dull green added its own beauty to the picture.


    A pleasantly cool breeze brought Luck''s attention down from the stars.


    Ace sat quietly looking at him, still holding his ribs and showing no signs of the pain he should be feeling. Such was the will of the man. "It''s crazy, isn''t it? You never have a sight like that back home. Not anywhere." He said softly.


    The keid moved on a silent march, their steps only known by the rocking of the saddle. Luck laid comfortably on the cushions. "Yeah. I never see anything like this in the city." Stargazing was something he never had the luxury of.


    "Like a man sparring with a rock?" Ace chuckled then winced at the movement.


    Luck laughed. "Exactly."


    The conversation lulled and Luck took the time to look back above. They were still heading north and the temperature had normalized. It wasn''t too hot anymore. It was a comfortable temperature. Which meant that in truth it had gotten much much cooler.


    Ace laid down to rest. His body was damaged but it wasn''t anything serious. Spirit''s cursory analysis surprisingly noted no broken bones or lasting injuries. The worst of his injuries was the bruise across his stomach with his hands close behind. Ace had refused Luck''s offer to help. Apparently, applying Luck''s Troll''s Blood to his bruises or drinking it as Spirit had suggested was simply not to Ace''s taste. It was Ace, after all, Luck shrugged in indifference, all that meant was that he didn''t have to cut open his hand.


    He hopped down from his keid walking alongside the beasts. His feet crunched on the film of fine sand that covered the tough rocks that they now traveled upon. The keids'' jointed hooves made little sound even walking along this terrain. Chittering creatures popped up from hidden holes to watch their procession and it was just these animals that Erok and Maxworth were talking about as he approached.


    "Can we hunt those Max?" Erok rumbled, a slight hunger in his voice.


    "They are not worth the trouble Erok. Angering too many will lead to a constant harassment through these parts." Maxworth replied, metallic eyes regarding the flat pockmarked rock they traveled upon.


    The silence of the night was enough that Luck''s approach was easily noticeable. He reached up to the lip of the saddle, kicked off the side of the keid and hauled himself over. The move was just barely audible but both heard him.


    "Greetings, sir." Maxworth turned.


    "What news, friend?" Erok added, the roken was sitting against the saddle opposite from Luck, nursing his leg. It, like his chest, was chipped.


    "Ah, we''re heading north from here." Luck told them. "My destination is towards the Frozen Zones now. I''ve no idea how long the detour will take but I''m looking for someone up there." Luck got straight to business. "Thank you for traveling with us but if you insist on Ardun we can split up here. You are welcome to take a mount."


    "You intend to brave the Frozen Zones with this group?" Erok voiced his surprise. "There are dangers in the mountains worse than the dunes. Ice wraiths and snow leopards among them. The hardest of my people face casualty there."


    Maxworth nodded, tilting his head. "This is true, sir. The System has just updated as well. I doubt you are keen to find what ancient dangers have awoken in the zones. North is the direction most of the hardiest adventurers take to enter Ardun, and even then, sir, it is with large groups. I hear the fatality rate is quite high."


    "It''s not my choice, Maxworth. I have people important to me in that direction. I would brave the dangers of the world to see them alive and well again." Luck said simply. "I couldn''t leave them even if I wanted to."


    Maxworth glanced to Erok who shrugged. The rock man responded. "The System still grants power to those who are foolish enough to test it, Maxworth. You say you wanted power, gentleman. This is how one gains it." Erok rumbled in Roke.


    Erok didn''t seem to care where they went. From what Luck gathered he was a wandering warrior from his tribe of people. He didn''t know why or what his purpose was but he would ask some other time. For now, it seemed Erok was waiting on Maxworth''s decision. Luck looked on patiently, he was in no rush.


    Maxworth had paused, the gears under his clothes shifting and whirring silently. A sight Luck still found fascinating. "We can accompany you to the Zones, sir. We will see what the System has in store for us. Our purpose for Ardun was to gain power but it seems I can now do that in the Zones." He said the last part slowly.


    He pondered the end of that sentence for a single second.


    Without preamble, Ethodthem manifested.


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    Pay Heed!


    New Quest: Conquering the Frozen Zones!


    The Zones are home to snow clad dangers hidden in the white cold that blankets the jagged mountains and caved depths. Powerful creatures awaken from below. Defeat a Frost Drake.


    Frost Drake: 0/1


    Rewards: Unknown.


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    Luck''s eyes found Maxworth''s silver irises, faint clockwork behind his gaze. He no doubt saw the same thing. A quest. To kill a Frost Drake?


    "So it seems." Luck said reading the prompt. "I take it you''re coming with us then?" Luck tilted his head, already knowing the answer.


    The two exchanged looks and nodded at once. "To the Frozen Zones, friend," Erok replied.


    Maxworth gave Erok a subtle glance that Luck caught. "We will travel with you, sir. I''d like to discuss the quest later, however."


    "Of course." Luck nodded, turning around.


    Luck hopped down from the lead keid patting the beast and thanking it for the days of travel. He had become fast friends with them in the week that had passed. He walked slower, allowing the keid that Ace was mounted on to catch up to him as his mind drifted to Ethodthem and the Frost Drake.


    Spirit? What type of creature is that?


    A Drake is a type of magical beast. Winged creatures capable of flight and hunting down prey even larger than they. They have been extinct for centuries having been killed off long ago. They are as large as the keid and are similar in their elemental attunement to jorths. The difference, however, is that the attuned element to a Drake manifests in a physical way. Solid ice armor, icicle spikes, claws, frozen to the touch. Drakes are violent and one must be wary of their breath attack. A Frost Drake is capable of freezing its prey solid within moments under the effects of its breath.


    Ethodthem''s awaking long-dead creatures?Luck assumed if any creature would pass unnoticed by some great hunt or other it would be one frozen solid under tons of ice and snow.Why a frost drake? Had Ethodthem noticed our path?


    It brought Luck''s curious mind to the nature of how quests formed and how the System gave them out. With the update, the only thing Luck had noticed that was different from when he arrived was how his tools were organized and the updated screens. There was an inherent knowledge in his... soul, he decided, that allowed him a concise and succinct summary of his capabilities that just wasn''t there before. Ace had been the same way. In his mind, he called them his tools but they were the aspects of his person that the System deemed noteworthy. Aside from that new inherent knowledge he knew nothing of the new update.


    How do quests form Spirit? What else does Ethodthem govern? Prior to the update, that is. I don''t expect you to know of the new System.


    Quests are naturally occurring phenomena, accepted as part of the world. In general, they are formed in times of great crisis, need or opportunity. They are missions without purpose, issued by Ethodthem to people in the right position to take action. To slay a necromancer and save a village or to enslave that village and raise it from the dead, Ethodthem does not choose or waver in the mortal dilemma of mortality. Great feats whether pure or twisted are the only things Ethodthem sees and deems worthy of reward. The many aspects of Ethodthem are mostly a mystery to the layman. Like a force of nature, most Aerans accept its influence without a true understanding of its governing. It is a constant debate at the Annual Scholar''s Meet. Some of the other things Ethodthem governs aside from Quests are Titles, Powers, Feats and if one were to believe cotemporary forward thinkers, Statistics.


    Luck pushed the other aspects of Ethodthem to the side, he would have Spirit expand on those some other time. His mind already whirled with those possibilities.And the rewards? What does one normally achieve through pursuing quests?


    Again, Ethodthem, though ever present is still as vast in its machinations as Aerae is wide to an ant. Rewards are given without fail, no matter the situation one finds themselves in. Recall the pendant and map attained from Diversi, God of Variance who happened to be in the right place to reward you. Your Greater Boon delivered to the center for your Grove as well, for instance. The forms in which a reward may take match no set of static criteria. There are, however, keywords that arise often in quest reward descriptions shared by adventurers seeking to expand our understanding of the System. These keywords are Lesser, Greater, Power, Trait, Knowledge, Information, Item, Potion, Weapon, Armor, Companion, Boon, Magical and Nothing. Quests containing Nothing as a reward are a topic of much discussion.


    He did recall The Pools, Diversi had explained it to them then as well. If he thought about it, the map and pendant rewarded must cost a fortune. A map that expansive? Created by a master cartographer? The accuracy it held would''ve been invaluable in itself, no matter how much of Aerae it had mapped. And yes, it was a small corner of the world, but it was a lifetime of travel, more than enough to keep someone busy for decades. That was the reward for saving a people poisoned by their livelihood, the water in which they lived. Luck believed it was fitting, though he never truly did it for a reward.


    He had no idea how fortunate he was to have come across that quest and complete it the way he had.


    With a start, Luck realized he actually had another quest. Call him strange, but he wasn''t used to using these new senses. One with Nature, his magical senses, and even his physical senses had changed so it wasn''t far-fetched that Luck had missed out on this one. Although, this feeling came from the same place that his inherent knowledge of his capabilities came from. It was from the same place that relayed his Time, Nature and Earth magic. The same place that told him of his Omnilingual, Exceptional Regeneration, Troll''s Blood and One with Nature Traits. The same place that listed his Familiar Bond to Saga and his Evolving Dimensional Room.


    He opened the quest.


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    Pay Heed!


    New Quest: Mystery of Ethodthem


    Ethodthem is a force that permeates the very structure of Aerae. You know its purpose is to shift power to those capable but to what end? What powers this force of nature? What beings set it into place? Discover the origin of Ethodthem.


    Rewards: Unknown


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    "Ah." Luck remembered, climbing onto the keid that had walked beside him. They were ominous figures in the night but Luck could feel their presence through One with Nature with ease. The stars above were too peaceful tonight to be bothered by thoughts of the sort. His mind moved back to the quest.


    It was the quest he received as a reward for completing the previous "Mystery of Aerae" quest. Had it been so long since he last checked? Was this a common awareness of Aerans that they always checked? Or was Luck simply oblivious to it? Where would he even start to complete that quest? The Annual Scholar''s Meet? Spirit had mentioned that many times in the past so it must be a reputable event. Luck put that on the backburner as his thoughts were interrupted.


    "I take it they''re with us then." Ace said as soon as Luck got himself over the saddle and settled into the cushions.


    Luck smirked, finding Ace grinning. "Yeah, they are. Maxworth''s on some quest for power and Erok''s seeing him through it." He relayed.


    "Did the frost drake have anything to do with it?" Ace chuckled his chest rising and falling, not even wincing at the movement Luck knew for a fact was agony. Luck wasn''t surprised at his stoicism. At this point, Luck wondered if Ace consciously ignored the pain with mental effort or if his pain tolerance had simply just risen that high. He assumed the latter.


    "You got it too then?" Luck asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yeah, and if I haven''t missed my mark so has Nayah." He gestured gingerly to the other mount where Saga, Tric, and Nayah resided.


    Her hair was tousled but she was sitting up, it was the first glimpse either had had of her since night fell. Her eyes wandered about as her eyebrows shot closer in consternation. In the next moment, her head swiveled to Ace and Luck.


    Ace raised his hands in a noncommittal gesture, playing up his pain and rolling over and below the lip of the saddle, out of view from the mind mage across. Luck gave Ace a flat stare as his friend grinned at him, hidden from sight.


    Nayah turned her attention to Luck. He sighed, a culmination of many irritations over the past few days.


    "We''re heading North to the Frozen Zones. I''ve people important to me up there." He said simply. "I''ll allow you to turn around and take a mount if you wish." The light of the moon caught orange hair.


    "The Frozen Zones." She said flatly. "You do know that such a trip will be impossible this time of the year? It''s the coldest at this time of the year, solid ice blocks the major pathways which were smallto begin with! Not to mention that predators get more desperate, more violent during this time! And a Frost Drake? That''s impossible! They''ve gone extinct centuries ago in the Scale Hunt! They took thousands of lives Luck! It is suicide!" Her voice was a rising crescendo that rung loudly in the night, the following silence only more pronounced. The faint huffing of the keid and quiet clopping of their hooves dominated the silence.


    Luck''s voice was calm, not needing to be raised to carry across the moonlight. "You''re scared." The girl didn''t know what she wanted. In some respects, Luck hated the unnecessary. The girl was arguing when deep down she knew her real reason.


    "I am not." She responded.


    "You don''t want to bartend Nayah." Luck said boringly, his arms under his chin and upon the saddle as he challenged Nayah''s confused, hesitant gaze with his own. "You don''t want to hear third-hand stories from a second-hand bartender. You don''t want to be reminded of the things your father did. You don''t want to be reminded of things your father lived. You don''t want any of that."


    Nayah''s hair flashed orange.


    Luck shook his head. "It won''t work Nayah. You don''t want to learn to bartend. Face it,there''s another reason you''ve come along with me." His voice was a gavel, the truth of a judge. "You blame the Goddess of Fortune for your father''s death but that''s not the truth. Even a goddess can''t help everyone. Your father died living his life and you''re afraid you''ll die doing what you love as well."


    Nayah, even from a distance Luck could see clearly, was breathing hard, uncontrolled. Saga roused and regarded her with a sleepy eye, small concern in the shar''s eyes.


    Luck smirked, a large knowledge in the small beginnings of his smile. An almost cold calculation and reading that came from more than a decade of practice. In the moonlight, his amber irises might have been just as vast as the stars above. His eyes held a secret only they knew as well, the fact she wasIlluse. A perfect magic battery. Yet, despite that, his words were truth as he spoke. Cold and cool as the metal of an inactive combat drone.


    "You want to adventure, Nayah. To live as your father did. To make your own memories somewhere that isn''t Peace or peaceful. And for whatever reason, your mother had been stopping you until now. Though I believe I''m one of the few people who know why."


    And that cold calculative side of Luck turned warm and knowing. Comforting rather than disconcerting. It was a soft, blunt reassurance of desire. A little nudge towards the truth of oneself. He had that air about him that allowed him the skill. He smiled softly, unknowing to his normally controlled expression. His mind wandered to the past few days. There had been doubt in Nayah''s eyes, actions, and speak ever since they left Peace that pained the compassionate side of Luck. The heat of the desert was no help to her mindset. She was suffering, had been for years it seemed, and Luck just couldn''t watch it any longer. Only a few hints, her reaction to Leah''s temple, her father''s story, a few others and he found the problem. It was a classic case of wanderlust.


    Luck held her eyes for a moment, a tear streaked down her face and she looked spent.


    He made eye contact with a sleepy eye behind her.Keep an eye on her, Saga.


    Saga shifted towards her.I will Amber Eyes. This one is strange.


    That she is, Saga.


    Luck turned back inwards after watching Nayah lie down to find Ace staring at him.


    "What? Something on my face?" Luck joked.


    "Not at all." Ace shrugged, his eyes moving upwards, staring at the stars above. Luck looked at him for a moment before shrugging it off himself.


    He gave a single glance over toward Nayah. Psychology wasn''t something Luck studied. One thing that Luck could say with confidence that he knew though, were the effects of negative emotions. There was enough of that where he came from. There was an underlying stress he could notice easily when something weighed a man down. Almost everyone in the underground had it and even if they did they''d walk with straight backs despite the weight. Nayah had no such posture and Luck noticed as soon as he had spare time to do so.


    Helping someone was always something Luck could take the time or effort to do. He nodded to himself mentally some small part of him lighting up as he remembered people he had helped in the past. He had always loved to see them thrive afterward and perhaps that was selfish of him. He didn''t care.


    He took another subtle glance towards Nayah, his eyes could''ve just as easily been mistaken for scanning the desert beyond than checking on the passengers of the keid.


    Minutes later and he found himself doing the same thing as Ace, staring at the stars from under the awning. The ambiance of the night was supremely soothing to Luck. There was an appreciation of beauty to be had everywhere he looked. Ahead of them, he could see Maxworth sitting up quietly, as silver as the moonlight that struck him. Erok talked to him quietly, the roken was surprisingly the most talkative if not the most eloquent of the group. But his voice kept low as if in quiet respect of the night. Perhaps he was gossiping about Nayah and Luck''s conversation if he heard it. Everyone was awake but the night was sleepy.


    Looking down at himself he cringed at the same black pants he had been cringing at for the past week. He needed to change. He needed new clothes. He recalled the beautiful clothing of the Subaqa, the airy and flowing robes they wore. He had been dying to get into the closet of his dimensional room. Evodim had it stocked with clothing. It was Luck''s dream. When he could finally slow down he would put on a completely new look.


    He sighed, feeling through his connection with nature the small mammals moving under the rock below them. They didn''t mean harm but he could feel a current of excitement from the small animals that came simply from something happening in this dull desert.


    And it was indeed dull.

 Chapter 17 - The Frozen Zones

    The Musicians of Askelm, they say the best of them could soothe a dragon with something to pluck, something hollow to smack, and a clear voice. I''ve heard them once before and it''s not something I''ll soon forget. There''srealmagic to their voices, some type of technique passed down within their circles. To imbue sound with magic... the possibilities. Chanting, yes, it''s been done but only to invoke spells or jog memories. The Musicians of Askelm alone hold this secret. Perhaps a hedge mage might have figured something out but the Musicians are most notable. And not only that, even among the varied groups of Aerae, at least the small portion I know, they are the one of the most unique. Although I''ll have to give credit where it''s due, my people are quite strange as well.


    -YyylensSkiaet


    Eyes blazed amber. A fist shattered the air beside his ear. His fighter''s instinct itched at the other arm coming just after it. He dodged it, falling to a spinning crouch. His leg sweptout quickly, a practiced retaliation that was just as easily dodged by his opponent as it was executed by him. Maxworth was unbothered, jumping Luck''s leg as if skipping rope. The metallic man watched Luck, both curious and quiet.


    "You move fast." Luck said, circling the man. An early evening spar had become routine. Today was the first time Luck and Maxworth had been matched together.


    "As do you, sir." Maxworth moved opposite to Luck.


    Whether it was a result of the sand kicked up or if it were just Maxworth''s body, he twinkled in the moonlight. Luck didn''t allow himself a half of a half second''s distraction but Maxworth reacted all the same. Silver darted forward. Three straight jabs. Luck bobbed and weaved, the boxer in him coming out. He didn''t bind himself to one style of combat. Forearms came up to deflect fists he couldn''t dodge. Not for the first time, Maxworth adapted to even that. There was a mechanical precision to his movements.


    No magic, no weapons. Luck didn''t care. Spirit tracked Maxworth, calculating his moves and possible trajectories in an unobtrusive blue overlay. Luck''s mind worked just as fast if not faster. Stamina from Exceptional Regeneration and Troll''s Blood. Control and unerring precision through Spirit. Luck''s head moved on a swivel. His body, shoulder, and torso flicking back and forth to dodge incoming strikes. His footing, like Maxworth''s, was always firm and light. He dropped his shoulder dodging Maxworth''s searching fist, only for his torso to be targeted with a spinning elbow. He brought his arm up, forcing Maxworth to defend while deflecting his arm in the process.


    Luck watched, moments before, the possibility of Maxwoth landing a spinning kick to his thigh in a blue outline. Luck set his counter stance, taking a measured step back and to the right. Maxworth hesitated. A moment. The smallest of windows. Luck wasn''t a stranger to such times. Luck''s hand reacted like the flick of the sword and struck on the man''s shoulder.


    A sudden clattering of cookware to the side. The firepit. Erok bolted upright, knocking utensils to the ground. His eyes were locked onto Maxworth and Luck.


    Maxworth tilted his head, taking a step back. "How are you doing that?" He said, intrigued. His voice so smooth and full of curiosity he wouldn''t have thought it came from someone seemingly so clockwork.


    "What exactly is it that you think I''m doing, Maxworth?" Luck held back his natural inclination to smirk at bay. Maxworth was an interesting one. So much expression in one Luck wouldn''t think would express it.


    Maxworth''s eyebrows, which were just small ridges of silver, drew together. His face was multiple moving plates that seamlessly connected allowing him to make complex facial expressions. Right now they were moved in a position one might call suspicious, maybe slightly confused or bewildered. Silver clockwork eyes squinted as they took Luck in. They did it in such a way that Luck deemed fairly human.


    Maxworth turned to see Erok wide-eyed staring at him and then to Luck a mess of scattered kabobs and metal skewers strewn about him.


    "Hmm." The metallic man hummed.


    Then Maxworth was upon him. A flurry of silver streaks, so fast Luck could barely keep up. Or so he thought. His hands, his movements, they were faster than they had ever been. Hands moved smoother than they ever had, catching and twisting Maxworth''s as fast as they came, redirecting their momentum. Grapples were broken and his mind didn''t need Spirit''s intervention at all. A hand on his shoulder was pulled off by the elbow, metal fingers stabbing at his neck were redirected to the path of his other metal hand. Maxworth, perhaps unsurprisingly, was adept at keeping himself moving, perpetually on the attack. Luck had the time to smirk at the thought.


    A punch cut off at the wrist. A palm strike similarly deflected. Straight jabs he danced away from. Maxworth was not a simple opponent. He used every limb and if Luck weren''t used to the pain or didn''t know he would heal near immediately he would''ve been loathed to block the attacks. Luck caught Maxworth''s leg as it aimed for his chest, throwing it up and taking shots at his other thigh in the process. The metallic man flipped effortlessly landing in perfect equilibrium and began to advance again. He hummed or maybe whirred, a little louder as he watched Luck''s stance, approaching fast.


    Erok got out from between them. The clatter of cooking implements earlier had left skewers and pans around the cooking pit.


    Luck smirked, a familiar twinkle to his eye. Fighting dirty was what he excelled at. Maxworth just didn''t allow him the normal gaps of improvisation he would normally have. But that in itself offered him something to work with. Despite Luck having internally deemed Maxworth robotic the man wasn''t perfect. He was near to it though.


    In a trading of blows where Luck reduced his speed, then sped up again, and then completelyrepacedthe fight, he caught Maxworth in another moment of slowness. Slowness for his opponent was an extremely small window. But that was all that Luck needed to land a strike in the next exchange. He stepped on a pan''s handle and flipped it into the air. He caught the pan in his left hand, brandishing the thing, adjusting his grip. He was running, no time to waste. Maxworth focused on the pan as if Luck might present some strange danger as a pan wielding master. He was too late to see Luck twisting in mid-air in a well-practiced spinning wheel kick.


    He slammed his heel into Maxworth''s neck, knocking the man to the ground.


    Ace stepped in, signaling the fight over. Too fast the fight ended. And yet somehow, it was too short. "Luck is the victor." He announced, a moderate amount of surprise on his face when he said it.


    Maxworth stood himself up wiping the dust off himself before addressing Luck. "Who are you, sir? I''ve not met anyone with such a peculiar set of moves." He rubbed at his neck, no pain in his eyes but a little unsteady on his feet. His neck was slightly dented. The back of Luck''s foot throbbed.


    "Just a man looking for his family." Luck said truthfully, it had taken him a while to shrug off the habit of being so secretive. He had been more open to these strangers than he had in a decade to others.


    "Your form is not just efficient. I''ve never seen it before. And you yourself, your mind works faster than mine. An incredible feat, sir." Maxworth remarked, he seemedgenuinely impressed. "Undoubtedly honed through years of training."


    Erok walked over slowly. "All my days traveling I''ve never seen someone land more than a glancing blow on Max here. You landed two while dodging all of his. And one of those was enough to knock him down. Maxworth, the same-"


    "Erok." Maxworth cut him off with a polite stare.


    "SorryMax. I''m just... shocked." The roken said. "Rare you find someone without weapon or magic able to stand on equal ground to a Gentleman."


    Maxworth nodded. "May I ask what you are, Sir Luck? Perhaps that may give some insight to my loss."


    The question took Luck by surprise. He blinked slowly. "What I am?"


    "Beastkin? I saw you transform earlier, it would explain your speed and maybe your heightened instincts. Though, it didn''t seem you were using any of your strength then. A Changeling then? But that would only account for your appearance, though I hear they are indeed fast. Gorben? Hmmm, no that wouldn''t be it." Erok muttered loudly.


    "I''m sorry, what do you mean exactly?" Luck asked, confused. Wasn''t it obvious?


    "Your race, sir. I am curious. In a physical contest, there are few races I cannot beat. At least, those my size."


    "You can''t tell at a glance?" Luck wondered.


    Maxworth looked to Erok who answered for them. "The lands we travel are a majority Roken, Dwarf and Cevao. We are confident we could identify a major race at first glance such as the Elves or Gnomes but most others we know only by vague recollection. You, Druid, do not have the ears ofanyelf, the height of any gnome or dwarf, the fins of the merfolk, the fur of the gnolls, wings, horns, four legs, rock skin, metal skin, or any other distinguishing features and, you share no similarities to the forest sentients I immediately thought of."


    Ace sat on the saddle closest to the fire pit listening in. "Ever heard of a human?" His legs dangled free. The mercenary seemed content in the moonlight.


    Erok and Maxworth cocked their head at that. "A human?" Maxworth said, their silhouettes confused at the name.


    "Is that what you are? What is it that your race does differently from the rest then?" Erok questioned.


    Years of grim living passed Luck''s mind. He glanced at Ace who shrugged. "We''re... smart, cunning, intelligent. Hard-workers, stubborn, and determined. At our worst, we''re twisted, evil, killers, thieves, smugglers, slavers, rapists, blackmailers, greedy, lazy and more. At our best, we''re caring, loving, compassionate, empathetic, righteous." Luck paused, not really knowing how the humans on Aerae fit that description. "We''re... different, I''d say."


    "You are both humans?" Maxworth asked.


    "Yes." Ace replied.


    Maxworth gestured. "Do all humans heal bruises as fast as you, sir?"


    "What of their physical traits?" Erok added.


    The throbbing pain in Luck''s forearms and upper arms had dissipated. He had been using them to block or redirect whenever he needed to. They didn''t even count as actual strikes, the ones he blocked, but they felt like them. Luck had compartmentalized the pain a while back. Already, the blue-black bruises were healing, receding at the edges to new, healthy skin. Maxworth''s attacks weren''t a something to laugh at. But neither was his regeneration.


    "No, we do not." Luck answered simply. They both took that at face value. "And physically I don''t believe we''re excellent in one particular way. Perhaps what sets us apart is our potential to adapt."


    "And can all humans transform as you do? Thoughperhaps that is a perk of being a druid than a human." Erok inquired.


    "You''d be correct, Erok. That''s a skill I''ve learned from time in the forest." He said, not really lying. "Unique to me."


    "And do all humans have such colorful eyes?" Maxworth asked, an honest air about him.


    Ace laughed unabashedly. "Even they recognize the amber gaze!" He chuckled while Luck grimaced. Luck rolled his eyes at the mercenary child sitting above.


    Maxworth gave Ace a sideways glance, thinking perhaps he misstepped. "Apologies, sir. It is not often we travel with others, more so people of a race we are not familiar with. The people of Peace are too varied to pin down and too busy to converse with. I believe Erok can agree that we are both curious people. Any insult to your culture was unintended." Maxworth explained, a hint of slight embarrassment as he bowed shallowly in apology.


    Erok dipped his head, respect in the gesture. "I believe adventuring is the consequence of our personalities. Like many, we live the dream of traveling Aerae. We as individuals love to explore, love meeting new people. And the most interesting of people are those who seek power." Erok supported.


    "Don''t worry Maxworth, Erok. A few questions aren''t enough to offend us. Humans are a rather open bunch. Normally they love talking about themselves anyway so ask away." Luck smirked, waving away their concern.


    "Do humans have a natural aptitude for magic?" Erokgestured to Ace, large arms shifting with the movement. Luck assumed he remembered the fight with Melthin and the wazar. Ace had zapped the Wazar King to unconsciousness after all. "I believe you both are somewhat versed. I have seen Ace''s aptitude myself." The large roken grunted.


    Spirit didn''t have enough data on enough users to have reliable information on that subject. Luck answered anyway. "I''d assume they''re average, Erok. If anything I believe any gap in talent might be bridged by hard work. That''s normally the case for us." He was more open, true, but Luck wasn''t about to share the fact he was from another world. That would open a whole new can of worms.


    "Three magesthen." Maxworth remarked. "Once we''re past the dunes and into the zones that will be a help." The clockwork in his neck whirred silently as his head swiveled to glance at Nayah.


    She, perched on one of the nearby keid, shifted uncomfortably, an uneasiness to Maxworth''s knowing stare. It was understandable. Luck knew they saw her cast magic in the fight with the Guard, the remote drone carrying out Protocol West. She was trying to help even while Luck guessed she didn''t often display her magic. There was a risk for her if any of the two found out she was an Illuse. Perhaps that was a common race? Or at least known to everybody.


    Many people here in Aerae were not above slavery it seemed, that is if Spirit was to be believed, and he was. To power ritual circles, artifacts, focusing devices and more an Illuse was one of the best methods. Slavery, torture, magical enchantments, brainwashing. It disgusted Luck. His stomach twisted just thinking about, a slight grimace painting his face in what might as well have been a bright streak of red with how careful Luck normally kept his expression. At least to Ace it was.


    Luck followed his gaze and looked to Nayah as well. "You just gonna watch or come spar with me too?" He called, his body was relaxed and his signature smirk was present as he did so.


    It was a mocking gesture, she never participated. Apparently, she was somewhat daunted by watching the others. She hesitated before hopping down. Luck rose an eyebrow.


    Her hair flickered orange but Luck was unaffected by the magic that accompanied it. Instead, he looked to Maxworth, "If you will, Maxworth. Ace, Erok." Underestimating your opponent was a one-way ticket to the ground.


    They nodded, Ace had found a kebob somewhere which glistened with a glaze Luck was sure came from one of the fruits from the grove.


    Luck focused.


    Today was different. Nayah looked like she had something to prove. "If we''re going hunting for a frost drake you might as well know my capabilities." She opened, her face unhappy with that. Even in the shallow light of the moon, he could see her frown, her fear, at the thought. The excitement underlying it all.


    Already Luck was examining her stance. She had distanced herself to start, probably a habit of casting magic. Luck checked himself though, she was fearful, yes, but not towards the spar. She was calm, collected, even if it didn''t show on her face.


    Night fell fast in the desert and Luck''s mouth curved upwards imperceptibly, unnoticed in the moonlight of early evening. Perhaps this would be an interesting match. "I already know a little. " Luck said with just the amount of emotion to leave her guessing whether he was actually mad. He wasn''t.


    "Begin." Maxworth''s voice carried acrossthe spacebetween the keid, their grounds for this spar.


    Luck made no move forward, backward or sideways. "We aren''t hunting a frost drake." Luck held a hand up in a joking half shrug. "I mean, you can if you want to but I''m not helping you."


    Her mouth opened.


    Luck dashed forward, breaking the conversation. Moving as soon as he finished talking. Nayah actually had a stance to Luck''s surprise but she didn''t know what to do with it. She kicked forward at Luck but unlike Maxworth, allowed Luck to get under her.


    "What the-" She didn''t finish.


    She fell to the ground hard, Luck holding her leg up. "This," He said, "should stay planted with that stance."


    She kicked Luck''s hand off, rolling onto her hands and flipping onto her feet. Agile. Flexible. Just unpracticed. Luck reassessed her. She had a short temper.


    It proceeded like this three more times. Luck waved Ace, Erok, and Maxworth away and they left silently moving to the keids. It was more out of courtesy than anything else, Luck and Nayah were in perfect hearing range but Luck didn''t care.


    Nayah was becoming more reckless, angrier, and spent. The girl needed an outlet and Luck knew it. But she also needed to be taught a lesson, one Luck learned early. Today, Luck wasn''t that outlet but he was a teacher. Aerae could only be more dangerous than the city so Luck would treat it so.


    She came more cautiously. Luck caught her overstepping and hooked a foot behind her, pushing her over and tripping her. His foot came resting on her throat where he stomped with all his force before stopping an inch from her neck. His eyes held a coldness to them, a necessary one that he didn''t feel Nayah had ever seen before.


    Luck''s voice was slow, an unreasonable darkness to it. "Out here, death is a very real and very present possibility. Every hour, every minute, every second, it could happen. Guard, that drone, it could''ve easily killed us if I hadn''t thought to talk to it. Accept that fact, that truth, and you could live like your father did."


    Her hand smacked Luck''s leg away violently. Her glare was lava, angry, molten, ready to erupt. Her voice came just as slow, just as hot. "Don''t ever talk about my father. He was a great man. You have no idea the circumstances around his death. He did everything he could for us, but he could never settle down. It just wasn''t in him. Don''t act like you know who he was. What he did was within his right. To die rather than be a battery. " She lay there on the ground breathing hard and on the verge of tears.


    Luck only scoffed quietly.


    "I don''t know him." He said, looking away, looking to the moon. "Your father was a man destined to adventure, I know that much without a doubt. But he was also an Illuse. He risked capture everytime he went out, just as you do. You''re living in fear, I can see it in your eyes, in your every movement. And you''re angry for it, I can see that clear as day. And the second you realize that fear for yourself it only fans the flames. I''ve accepted death Nayah, accepting that it''s real, that it''s there, looming, you don''t have to fear it anymore. Capture is different, but everyone can die. Don''t fear being captured and you might have a taste of what your father felt like every day." His voice was softer than a bed of flowers.


    "Accept death? How can-"


    His voice startled the night as much as it did Nayah. "Have you even looked up since we left? Just once this journey? So caught up in your fear that you never saw the moon? The stars?" Luck''s voice was sudden and quiet. "Worrying every day since we left that you never got to enjoy the beauty right here, right now. There''s nothing around us but the stars to keep us company. Have you ever thought this freedom is what your father lived for? To risk capture for the ultimate freedom?"


    She shut up, lying on the floor she was forced to look above. Starlight reflected in the tears that ran down her face. She didn''t cry, but her voice shook with emotion. "He killed himself, you know."


    "To live life knowing this is out there? To never see it again?" Luck speculated, leaving her to her thoughts. "I might be tempted to do the same. But we are different men."


    "I don''t want to bartend."


    Luck only hummed, amber eyes shining even as they looked to the distant stars above.


    "I want to adventure. I want to see Aerae as my father did." She was spent, covered in sand. Soft round eyes unfocused, blinded by the starlight above and magnified by her tears. "I want to see what it was he loved seeing. I want to know what my father did, what he loved, who he was. This is all I know about him. That he traveled, before... before we got news of his death."


    Luck looked down at her, remembering seeing his own father dead. A pit of sadness grew inside of him before it was washed away. Nayah would never know how much true empathy he felt for her. Luck only smiled at her, a weight lifted off her shoulders. He could see that she needed this.


    And that was enough for him.


    Luck stepped away. A silent specter leaving in the moonlight.


    They departed minutes after Luck left. The rest, save Ace, didn''t know what spurred the keid to move at the time since no one was communicating with them. But it had become routine and so no one questioned when the keid began to stand as one and begin moving the second Nayah slowly made her way onto one. Luck had talked to them.


    That night Ace and Nayah were riding together, Erok with Saga and Tric, and Luck was left with Maxworth. It passed in relative silence but it was the third or fourth time that Luck caught Maxworth staring at him out of the corner of his eye. Luck was about to ask why but apparently Maxworth had decided at that moment tofinally talk.


    "That was quite honorable, Sir Luck. At least in the sense I know rather than Erok''s. Roken honor is dependant on respect during combat in whatever form that may take." He said, resting his hands on his lap. The man sat with comfortable decorum. It looked uncomfortable to Luck. "A Gentlemen''s code is somewhat different."


    "Is it now? And what about what I did was honorable to you then?" Luck smirked softly, not in the mood to really talk.


    "Are all humans just as strange? Sir Ace has apparent vested interest in the Banks of Aerae, the Adventurers'' Guild, the Book of Sentients, a multitude of System related questions, and even peculiar interest in combat styles and techniques of races with three or more appendages."


    "As strange? Probably not. But as curious? I can say with confidence we are."


    "Yet you do not ask."


    "I don''t need to."


    "You both help the people of Peace. I saw you two dancing among the rooftops, skipping between buildings, crawling on their walls. You weren''t fighting, but directing, leading, bringing others to safety. I could''ve mistaken you for mountain dwellers or perhaps people of the forest. And here, you fight strangely and help our companion Nayah where Erok or I would have been too focused to even notice."


    "People needed help, Maxworth. I''m just helping wherever I can." He shrugged. "If I can save a life or make one better, even just by a little bit. If it''s within my power, then consider it done."


    "You cannot help everyone though. It is a mistake of many do-gooders and often their demise. I have seen my own people suffer from this folly."


    "I know that better than anyone else, Maxworth. You could never know how much I know that. But trying to help everyone ends up helping a lot of people. And I''m no do-gooder, make no mistake." There was a pause as Maxworth watched Luck. "I''ve seen people die over misunderstandings. I''ve killed people over misunderstandings. What a sad waste of life. People with families, people that cared for them. Dead over a simple matter. Tortured or worse, unnecessary pain for a problem that wasn''t theirs to claim. I''ve seen smart people hunching over a barrel fire on the side of the road. Intelligent people capable of great things succumbing to systems of power so corrupt they''re forced to the streets. I''ve seen the most kindhearted of men destroyed. Innocent children raped or murdered. " He breathed, a heat to his voice. "If I can help someone back on track, that''s enough for me."


    Maxworth nodded, clockwork whirring before he spoke. "It is a worthy cause. Not many are as kindhearted as you, sir."


    "No," Luck said, "I''d think not. But I wouldn''t call myself kindhearted. I''ve done my fair share of violence, Maxworth. The skills you witnessed aren''t from charity work. And that wasn''t even all of it. You haven''t seen a lick of my capability." Luck shut his eyes, the weight of a past life bearing down on him. What had happened in his absence? Had Mr. Ark taken over? Had the failsafe he put in place worked? "I might as well be a sitting duck asking for you to kill me out here in the wilderness."


    To that Maxworth only hummed silently. For a moment Luck thought it was mechanical whirring. It wasn''t. The man was actually humming, a small song that encompassed the night. Luck turned, quiet curiosity in his eyes.


    There was a calming aspect to it. A soothing chill that Luck almost mistook for another one of the cold breezes they''d often get due north. But no, it was the song. Maxworth''s voice was beautiful and that was saying something coming from the Amber Demon.


    Oh the lords of rain and sky


    The kindhearted of the country


    The stone-cold of the mountain


    Oh they live in craze and die


    Or only seek a bounty


    Keep close their only fountain


    For neither men, nor god, nor ocean breeze


    Is ever what it seems.


    Luck''s hand pulled out his pendant, many motes of light point north. Was it his mother? His sister? His father? He hoped it wasn''t Tate. Like Luck, she had no experience in the wild and if she didn''t get something immediately useful from the impartations Luck didn''t even know how he would manage in the middle of nowhere. He long suspected his mother and father had a past that necessitated certain skills. Why would his mother know how to tie knots, or the calls of exotic birds from the pet shop, or how to disassemble and reassemble weapons Luck wasn''t even familiar with when she hated firearms? And his father had a hobby in antique weaponry, but that wasn''t all. His father was skilled with them, knew how to use all of them to great effect and deadly efficiency. Once, they were out of lighter fluid, and his father started the fire with nothing but sticks. Sure, a skill a lot of people knew but his father managed it in seconds. Not to mention that for as long as Luck lived he had never known anyone in the family to have gone camping.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He stopped those thoughts as Maxoworth''s humming began to slow.


    The sound died down. It had a lingering effect. He felt it acutely, so aware he was of his person. It didn''t seem detrimental to him so Luck allowed himself to enjoy the feeling, though he did ask Spirit what exactly happened.


    His S.I.''s secular voice answered.Magical input detects lingering traces of mana in the air. Maxworth''s singing seems to have brought it on. Effects are beneficial though nothing drastic has changed aside perhaps from your morale and mood. This would be classified as Buff magic, a general term denoting temporary beneficial effects attained through magic. There are no records of any such magic in my knowledge involving music. An odd implementation to be sure.


    Magic in music? The thought boggled his mind. Luck watched Maxworth silently. He didn''t expect such a beautiful voice from someone so... seemingly mechanical. Every moment he spent with the gentleman reminded him he was not to be judged on appearance as the rest of Peace had. And that knowledge of magic, it seemed even Maxworth had some measure of magical aptitude.


    An amiable silence settled among them until Maxworth spoke. "A small spell I learned as a reward for a Quest. I was asked to help a traveling group of performers being hounded by chuth. They were heading to Askelm. Their lead bard taught me what she knew even as the rest frowned at my presence. I''ve not many reasons to use it but I''ve perhaps developed a taste for music." His voice was quiet as if there was more to the story but Luck respected his space.


    "You have a beautiful voice-"


    A shout from ahead. "Hey! You might wanna take a look at this, friends!" Erok''s voice boomed.


    Maxworth and Luck shared a glance before popping up to peer ahead. The dull desert had ended. Hydry Dunes had slowly given way to more rocky outcroppings and less sand until finally what lay before them came into view.


    The Frozen Zones.


    Desolate, solitary and jagged. The path ahead was covered lightly in the snow, a stark line separating the desert of the Hydr Dunes from the Zones. The temperature was uncomfortably warm, nowhere near the searing heat of weeks earlier. Yet, it was not enough to warrant snow, and looking forward Luck became curious as the line separating the two biomes became more and more apparent.


    Keid stomped ever forward, a faint crunching of less and less sand as they moved towards the line. Erok, Maxworth, and Nayah seemed unconcerned but Ace and Luck, Saga and Tric, all looked with uneasiness.


    Until finally they passed it.


    Instantly the temperature dropped a magnitude lower. The heatblind''s aspect Luck pulled on hard, warming himself up through its ability to regulate temperature. He shivered still, feeling a draw on his mana.


    "W-what just happened?" He chattered, the thin snow deceiving to the eyes. It was cold enough to warrant a hailstorm let alone a thin sheet of snow. "What was the drop in temperature?"


    Maxworth was as unaffected as the keid, turning smoothly despite the thin layer of frost on him. "We''ve officially entered the Frozen Zones, sir.Were you not aware of the Zone cut off? Once you pass a certain threshold the temperature drops due to the ambient mana in the air. The magiscience behind it is beyond me but I believe it''s been speculated that odd mana circles below the ice cause the surrounding mana to behave in strange ways. One of the many being a conversion to ambient ice mana and another regulating the boundaries of it."


    Maxworth looked forward, perhaps scanning ahead for danger. A veil of frosty mist covered the path ahead.


    "Ice mana?" Luck muttered, already breathing deep despite his shivering. The air was definitely heavier, but that might just have been the cold. He cocked his head, listening for something that couldn''t speak back.


    His senses spread open like a budding flower catching the first rays of daylight. Slowly, unfurling with tentative petals. He sat basking in the feeling. He was a man in the moment, though he didn''t realize, achieving for seconds what he envied Ace so often for. And with sudden slowness, like a ray of sun, mana touched on amber.


    Luck let out a small gasp. Cold. A pleasant numbing cold layered over his personal mana, himself now suddenly aware of its presence. Like a newborn opening his eyes.


    Attuned mana is often easier to sense. In many mage curricula, it is often a type of attuned mana apprentice mages are exposed to in order to awaken their sense of mana, however small or large it may be.


    Luck lay in metaphorical snow, another part of him making snow angels of endless icy possibilities. Attuned mana?


    Mana charged with an element is an easy way to grasp the concept. Attuned mana is usedprimarily for that magic. Natural occurrences are often elemental. The environment determines the accumulation or conversion of mana to attuned mana. For example, a volcano might create fire mana while an untouched forest sanctuary might produce nature mana. These arenatural occurrences. Magics as encompassing as, Time magic for example, have not ever been known to produce specifically attuned mana. Specificity of a magic reduces the chances of such a mana type to produce naturally.


    And the benefits?


    With benefits come detriment. Ice mana augments Ice magic, creates cold environs, breeds elemental beasts, and changes the landscape, animals and plant life. Of course, historical data suggests more effects yet undiscovered of such mana. There are detriments to other magicswhen utilizing this mana though the interaction between them still lay in the unknown. Important to note however is that the individual is not affected, mana regeneration is filtered through the soul, clear mana, untainted, is always at one''s disposal.


    Interesting, I didn''t know mana could become attuned.


    "The Frozen Zones." The metallic man sounded as if gesturing to something large and sublime. He spoke without preamble and didn''t offer an explanation.


    Luck didn''t need one.


    They hadn''t traveled for more than ten minutes when Luck finally opened his eyes to the physical. The mist that hindered eyesight came away in whorls of frost breaking upon majestic mountain faces bearded with snow. They cut a slim path between two cliffs misleadingly beautiful. To either side, a slant uphill climb dotted with ice and snow.


    He paused. Luck could feel the eyes of an animal. He turned around to catch a glimpse of a silver wolf standing proudly in front of a cavern entrance, a young cub by his side. Icicles hung off every ledge they could, reflecting the sunlight wherever it pierced the fog cover.


    Luck nodded to the wolf, knowing to tilt his head at an angle, avoiding eye contact not in a way of inferiority but deference. With that, the wolf pawed the ground gently nipping at the young cub. A sharp, quick yip echoed across the mountain and Luck had the feeling he had saved his group a lot of trouble. The wolf gave what Luck recognized as a sign of respect before looking further down the path to something Luck couldn''t see and then disappearing.


    Maxworth eyed Luck. "It is true that you are a Druid then."


    Luck only shrugged back in return. "Nature''s my home, and I protect what''s mine." And oddly, Luck knew that was true.


    Maxworth dipped his head before nodding to the cave above. "Those are Icil Wolves, getting their name from the icicles that hang from their homes. Intelligent pack-hunters well adapted to the mountains, capable of silently traversing the snow and hounding travelers for weeks on end. They go for every meal they know they can take. I''ve heard of seasoned adventures lost to them."


    "They''ve allowed us passage." Luck watched the path ahead. There was no telling what the System had awoken, and even then, he would''ve kept to the same level of tact. This was unknown territory. Spirit''s data wasn''t completely reliable here. His posture was unconcerned as he turned back to Maxworth, they were safe so long as they were within the territory. "We are welcome here so long as we keep to ourselves."


    "I assumed as much, sir. That is not behavior ever observed from a pack leader." Maxworth''s gaze lingered before turning forward as well. He glanced warily at the cave above. "Not behavior I''ve ever heard of previously."


    Luck was too entranced with the scenery to care. Was it possible for ice to be this bright? To be so vivid? There was a hint of color to every icicle or drift of snow he saw, disappearing in the next second. He could feel the cold in the air, in the mana of the place.


    Blue plants, as if frostbitten, rose from the snow. They were leafy and pristine seeming as brittle and surreal as the ice around them. There were trees, rare and pockmarked on the cliff, small ones that were thin as they were beautiful. A stalagmite of cold wood, reaching toward the icy sky and into the fog as if searching to pierce an invisible enemy at an angle. Drifts of snow, white and soft like the fluffiest pillows as luring anyone to rest upon them.


    And yet, underlying it all was a jagged edge, right below the snow. A lurking hazard that used the beauty of the mountains, the rising cliffs and steep hills, the beautiful snow and seemingly brittle plants, the trees and the caves, to hide its teeth.


    There was a danger in the air, of nothing but the ferocity of nature sublime. Life was harsh here as Luck assumed all the areas surrounding Ardun was. He closed his eyes and felt for the place through his connection with nature. A frosty breath escaped his lips as his magical senses opened up reflexively. Seconds later, without getting lost in what he was seeing, he managed to focus on the connectedness between himself and nature.


    Spirit exploded in analysis and situation awareness. Unnoticed movement 3'' o''clock. Medium sized, inorganic. One signature....multiple signatures detected below difference threshold. Unknown quantity undetected. Probability of additional signatures 97%. 4 o''clock, 9 o''clock, 7 o''clock, 6 o''clock. Weaponry unknown, hostility unknown.


    Luck''s reaction wasas fast as a gunshot.


    Luck jerked himself out of his senses, immediately dropping to instant awareness. He echoed low, "We''re surrounded," his voice soft and sudden. He was taken at his word as he saw Erok quickly remove his great hammer from his back, moving it to a firm grip across from him. The roken gave Luck a glance before turning outward.


    Saga, we''re surrounded. Watch Nayah, help Erok. If they''re hostile and you can escape I want you to run for it. You can circle back and track us down. Take Tric with you if it comes to it.


    Saga''s stolen amber eyes, locked to Luck''s. The shar nodded imperceptibly, his feline head scanning the surroundings, locking onto where Spirit had indicated a drift of snow in a bright red overlay.


    It will be done, Amber Eyes. I am puzzled, how did the enemy get so close?


    Your guess is as good as mine, Saga.


    Maxworth''s hands moved as his eyes did, slowly and carefully towards his daggers. Across, Ace shushed Nayah and stared intently at a drift of snow they were coming up on. This one also highlighted in bright red. Danger, Luck knew. The keid were flustered, perhaps sensing something in the air but Luck calmed them down with gentle, mental words.


    "Where?" Maxworth whispered quietly, not sparing Luck a glance.


    Luck whispered, "There. There. There." A tug on his magic and three pebbles arced towards three different locations. He trusted Maxworth to remain guard over those three bright red swatches.


    Erok seemed wary at everything, which was impressive given that he, Saga and Tric, were surrounded by the most inorganic unknowns. The roken''s senses were spot on.


    Spirit, how are you getting this data? My own senses can''t pick up anything, neither vision, hearing, smell or touch.Luck wondered, springloaded to move at any disturbance.


    Visual data unnoticed by the user can be processed through the Mk3 at incredible speeds. Enough visual data is present that the probability of hidden foes is nearing 100%. Highlighting evidence in orange.And immediately, the world lit in orange. A broken twig, scraped tree trunk, dents in the snow barely visible, chipped icicles. Blue pristine plants, bent at odd angles. All were small, but together they were enough to paint a picture.The assumption they are inorganic comes from your inability to sense any nature-based beings in those spots. Additionally, feeling through Earth magic is possible once-


    Cold metal burned like the sun, a second of stinging slit open Luck''s neck with a sickening squelch. Whatever it was had clashed with Maxworth in a shower of sparks.


    Luck blinked, making a face he had seen others do countless times before him, denial of death, a moment of disbelief. Luck choked, panicking, grasping at his neck. Blood gushed out of his throat, clogging his airways, preventing his breath. Filling his lungs. He rasped, gagging. Pain? Luck had felt it before. But panic? He had never been so sure he was going to die. His lifeblood gushed from him, warm blood exposed to the icy air. He was going to die. Thoughts flashed through his mind. His family. Memories warm as his blood, and cold as the air. In moments, Luck Lockyer would be another carcass.


    Immediately he calmed, an almost surreal experience.


    He was dying. But he wasn''t. His breath was long. He hadn''t even needed to take another breath. Why? He was ignoring the pain but only now he realized it was lessening anyway. Luck''s mind started working. The Amber Demon didn''t panic. His regeneration! He looked to the cushions, splattered in scarlet blood, a pool of the almost mirror red. Troll''s Blood. His throat wasn''t gushing anymore, only a minute in passing. Flowing was the word, not gushing.


    Advance action taken. Chemicals introduced to the brain. Panic is unhelpful during this situation. Enemies outlined in red, proven hostile. Chitin armor cannot be implemented until throat closes up for risk of suffocation.


    A clash of sparks reflected in his blood and his mind was pulled back into the moment. He turned around, narrowly avoiding another blade of some swift adversary with an awkward duck. He growled, knowing to use Time magic as a last resort. Too consuming was its mana cost. This fight it seemed would be a marathon rather than a sprint. He could see the rest fighting. He caught only the sight of a fireball and Saga leaping after it. Thunder echoed throughout the mountains, the tinkling of shattering icicles answering the sound.


    A slice across his back pushed him forward. The cut was deep and Luck tracked his foe with difficulty. A two-foot tall sphere with two bladed arms and legs. The ringing of metal on metal underlying all the rest of the noise came from Maxworth, dancing around under the awning between three of the sphere-blades. Luck was only meters away.


    One landed on the saddle''s edge, swiping at the keid''s body. Luck twitched.


    He tried to yell. Only unnerving gurgling came out. He coughed out blood.


    The sphere-blade shot towards him with impressive velocity as if realizing a job undone. Luck caught the thing on his arm, feeling the metal blade strike bone. The thing didn''t have enough inertia to slice cleanly through, he could already tell these things were meant to bleed out their enemies. He grabbed the thing by its body and threw it overboard.


    Luck grasped upwards and, in tandem, a hand of rock came up and crushed the small sphere. A result from practice in the Grove. It sparked, smoking and broken. Luck''s neck was reduced to a deep gash, his arm would be the same in minutes.


    "Erok! Ace!" The looked. "Throw them this way if you can!"


    Not waiting for their response Luck moved quick and cautiously to Maxworth. Two of the sphere-blades hounded him. Instead of bleeding him, however, they only nicked his own metallic frame, if they even got that close. One deflected off Maxworth''s blade and was sent flying towards Luck.


    Luck pulled from Saga instantly using his heightened reflexes and claws to catch the sharp sphere. To his surprise, rather than deflecting the ball his claws cut right through to expose wiring and machinery in its design. Odd gems were affixed to its interior, glowing and pulsing a variety of colors. He ignored that as Maxworth smacked another one with the flat of his dagger toward him. That too was sliced cleanly into sixes. He didn''t have time for further observation of the scrap metal.


    "Lucky!" Ace yelled, blasting one of his own problems with lightning, short-circuitingits programming or whatever governed its actions, while Tric did the same around Nayah to a lesser degree. Ace received a nasty carving to the leg as he knocked one into the middle of the all the keid and towards Luck with a powerful kick.


    Luck followed its arc even as it altered its path mid-air through some unknown method. Two pillars of solid rock tracked it,emerging from both sides in an eruption of snow, before smashing it into pieces. That was when Luck saw the multitude of sphere-blades slicing up the keid below, or at least attempting to through their weathered skin. He checked his anger as the keid stomped them into pieces with only a few deep cuts in return. There was a lot of scrap littering the floor, only two of the keids were targeted it seemed and they weren''t seriously injured. They had done a good job creating a scrapyard though.


    "Come." And the metallic man leaped off the keid without further words.


    Luck didn''t need any.


    Erok was at a stalemate being arguably the most durable and also slowest of the group. Maxworth, similar to Luck''s own thinking, left him alone and beelined towards Ace and Nayah. Luck trusted him and went for Saga who was being forced apart from the group and towards a cliff, though intelligently staying out of harms way. Fast instincts and quick muscles allowed him the luxury.


    Lead them here into my range Saga. I won''t get there in time before they push you off the edge.Luck jogged, watching his footing and surroundings for anything else dangerous. He wasn''t naive.


    Saga growled, baring his teeth at the five or so sphere-blades surrounding him.I will be there.


    They were unflinching in their design and only darted at odd angles going for slight scratches out of danger and yet forcing Saga back with their numbers. Saga lunged forward as one went for him, using a powerful hindleg to kick the sphere-blade off the cliff behind him as he passed. He pounced on a nearby ledge and wasted no time taking a large leap to land by Luck''s side, all four trailing behind him at fast speed.


    The peak of Luck''s current skill was controlling two pillars simultaneously. He stomped hard, raising two pillars of solid grey rockat an angle that crashed into two separate sphere-blades denting them broken before converging on a third and demolishing it like a violent machine press.


    The fourth shot like a missile for Luck and he saw its spherical body open up, some type of barrel he didn''t see in the previous scrap piles emerging. A point of energy built for a half second. The entire sphere-blade vibrated uncontrollably. Luck didn''t like that.


    Luck slammed his foot down and pulled on his mana, pumping a fist in the air with extreme effort. He had just the time to see a spread of light orange, erratic bolts exploded from the sphere-blade as it disappeared behind his rising wall. And he was glad he had the wit to do so. Hefelt the impact of the explosion not only through the wall five feet from him but from theground too.


    Saga regarded Luck, before turning sharply to Nayah screaming.I will help them, Amber Eyes. Quiet One cannot protect the strange girl alone. Already I smell blood.


    Go.And the shar did.


    Luck sprinted after them, watching his sides and blind spots as he approached. A mental nod to a nearby keid as he got close and it lowered enough for him to jump onto its back without much effort. From there he took short stock of the situation before moving to where he was needed.


    Orange points of light surrounded Erok. The same weapon being employed that Luck just experienced. Not good. Not good at all. Already, his mind whirled with ideas.


    He needed to think fast.


    "A roken does not back down! No less a Rhoride Hammer! I am the pride of both my tribe and company!" He roared, echoes from the mountain answered him as he faced multiple orange bolts of energy.


    Suddenly, Luck''s chitin formed. His neck had closed up. And a terrible, terrible idea began to form. Three points of light, the most defensible aspect of nature he had, and a roken larger than he was. He would need to cover the explosions from close up.


    He grimaced, not knowing what it would do, he pulled heavily on the connection with the hard chitin centipede. Immediately he could feel the armor become more taught as he began to run towards Erok. He jumped down from his own keid and towards Erok''s while some type of material formed between his armored plates.


    They seem to be impact absorbers, kinetic sponges.Spirit chimed in.


    Luck was laser focused. "Erok!" He yelled, running up the keid. "Get back!"


    The large warrior smashed a sphere-blade, just one of the many that ganged on him. "I am fine, Druid. Help the others-"


    "Now!" Luck yelled, Erok finally looking over at his armor, he paused, a second of hesitation, before locking eyes and diving behind Luck. The roken could recognize urgency.


    The two-foot sphere-blades were under the awning of the keid, lined up standing on the edge of the saddle towards the mountainside. An almost devilish tinge to the way they stood. Luck scrambled across cushions. Orange energy vibrated violently, a similar sound to minutes earlier. He cringed, knowing how close he was cutting it. He dove forward, time seeming to slow, so pumped up with adrenaline he was. To actually pause time now might take away his armor.


    The sphere-blade furthest from the left tried to move away from Luck''s blocking body but he had leaped in such a way that he was horizontal to them, his belly exposed. He hooked that first sphere-blade with his ankle, nothing but a dull scrape on his armor, and yanked it up to chest level. He caught the other two with his arms and shot off the side of the keid encasing the three erratic orange points of energy as best he could. He screamed. Consuming vibrations shook Luck''s armor where it was in contact with the orange light. His arms felt like they were melting from the intense shuddering. His chest juddered against the movement. Half a second of that suffering, before it multiplied tenfold.


    His world exploded in orange light, blackness surrounded him as unshunnable anguish engulfed him.


    How long did he float across a sea of pain? A doomed sailor finding solace on islands of suffering if ever he found them. Luck didn''t dream, his body was too taxed to allow him that luxury. Troll''s Blood worked around partly liquified arms, rebuilding lost chunks of flesh even as they sloughed off, the chitin armor unable to protect against the explosion. His regenerative smart cells from Exceptional Regeneration worked in the background, facilitating the ludicrous speed of healing. They borrowed energy through Troll''s Blood when they could. An injury as complex as liquefied flesh and deep heavy bruising to go with it wasn''t something immediately healed. Even with Luck''s tools. Add to that, Luck was burned. For anyone else, it was just another type of injury. For Luck, that meant a vastly decreased regenerative quotient.


    "Fuck!" Luck screamed, a yell that pierced even the loudest of cries around him. The sound of thunder rolled around him. Growling, shattering metal, high pitched ringing of steel.


    His eyes widened, the sudden pain overwhelming his senses. His arms. They raged in phantom pain, spasming, and cramping muscles that didn''t exist. Burning. Stinging, aching pain. Suffering. His chest flared as red-hot as his arms did, throbbing as if he got hit with a shotgun. He screamed before it immediately disappeared, another flavor to the cacophony of chaos around him.


    He blinked.


    He, laying on his side, was privy to the mangled half-carcass of one of their riding keid. Luck had known this one as he breathed heavily. She was the youngest, the most willing to prove herself to her elder keid. He frowned hard, his mouth slipping into a thin line. He tried to move. He couldn''t.


    Sense of pain dulled. Arms missing 38% of their mass. Loss of limbs through the force of unidentified explosions through the chitin armor. Explosions are of unknown origin, unidentifed reactions caused a blast of beam-like energy. Organic kinetic sponges were insufficient to prevent damage. Burns across chest and parts of the arms. Left leg is broken, irregular breaks with fragments surrounding a shattered knee cap. Burns will prevent expedient healing. It is highly recommended you remain still and await your own personal healing to take over.


    Spirit, keep my pain dulled. What''s happening around me? How long?


    You''ve been unconscious for four minutes and thirty-three seconds. Longer if not for a release of chemicals in the brain to awake you. New enemies, inorganic, larger, they seem to be taking others hostage or attempting to. No vision of situation.


    Luck rolled over with effort. Large, ape-like machines, if they could even be related, lumbered around. He couldn''t see anything but he felt the thunder, felt the ozone in the air. He could hear metal denting with a heavy impact in the distance, it had to Ace and Erok, and, more faintly, the spark of steel on steel, Maxworth. Nayah then, had to be with them.


    Saga, where are you, friend?


    Escaped, Amber Eyes. Quiet One''s dragon is with me. We watch from above.


    What do you see? I need to know the situation. How many? Describe them.


    Many. Watching, from up above. And more coming, Amber Eyes. Angry, heavy. I cannot scratch them this time. it is useless as they are too thick. They are not prey to me, not these. Small ones join them, same from before.


    Do you see where they''re coming from?


    A silence.They are exiting from a cave above, not only one but many. They come from the mountain. But they are not natural Amber Eyes.


    No, they''re not. And the others?


    Quiet One is with the others, encircled, fighting. I could not protect the strange girl. She disappeared on her own. They are tiring, I smell and see their blood from even here. They will give in soon. Only Quiet One has any teeth in this fight I think, the others can do naught but avoid and retreat. No, mistaken, the large one is defeating them too.


    And me?


    Only two surround you, they are taking remains from the dead beasts we rode. They are ignoring you, Amber Eyes. Sit still, I cannot help you from here. Your healing will save you.


    Luck growled, almost beastly.They killed all three?He pushed the emotion back. Focus.


    All three are dead.


    Luck played dead as Spirit indicated one hostile passing him. Its steps shook Luck''s body, lying prone as he was he felt its weight through the floor. He felt its size. He peeked an eye open surveying the field. Shiny metal legs, covered in light frost passed him, mistaking him for dead. Aside from the keid carcass, Luck''s eyes sharpened, he was simply on the outside edge of all the commotion from earlier.


    Scrap metal lay about the snow-clad landscape, cutting grooves in the otherwise perfectly unbothered snow. Sphere-blades. Some were completely flattened and destroyed, a few acted as statues of metal slammed between two pillars of stone, more mere were simply lying down inactive. That last one had to do with Ace. Around him, he noticed with a surreptitious glance, he found nothing but a small crater of blackened ground. The remains of the little machines Luck defended against were nowhere to be found.


    Where was the rest fighting? Luck couldn''t see them.


    And then Ace was sprinting across the snow, somewhat more agile than Luck could accept. The gorilla-like machine beside Luck alerted onto him immediately. It slammed the ground and propelled itself forward, a heavy inertia to the motion. Ace was running from multiple sphere-blades and now two gorilla bots. He planted his feet and twisted, shooting lightning with a yell muffled by thunder. He was bleeding from the leg, Luck remembering him sacrificing a little to launch a sphere-blade to him with a kick.


    Now, Ace Vent limped.


    The spheres almost hovered across the now, the points on their blades unbelievably keeping them from sinking into the drift. But behind them, two lumbering machines plowed through the snow towards Ace. More lightning. More thunder. Ace dodged the larger ones, rolling between them and scrambling out of the snow frantically. There was something to his movements that was off though. He should''ve been moving away, not towards the machines. One of the gorilla bots turned around in a flurry of snow and swung heavily for Ace''s head.


    With a physical impact, even Luck felt, Erok''s great hammer was there.


    The large machine''s fist shattered. Luck blinked, with a foe that Erok could keep up with, the large roken was demolishing the first while weaving around the second. The movements weren''t so much as fast as they were slow and methodical.


    In a moment unhindered by other sounds, he heard him yell. "The Rhoride Hammers!"


    And then he was upon the next one. Maxworth appeared now, evidently keeping multiple sphere-blades busy. The metallic man backed up slowly keeping himself between Erok and Ace, and the sphere-blades. Luck counted four or five. They moved to quick for him to track. Maxworth deflected two easily, sending one of them into another. He managed to pin one under his foot and stomped hard enough to dent it.


    Luck''s eyes strained at this distance. He grimaced, unable to help. He pulled on Saga, feeling his body changing subtly. Even with the damage to his arms and his current crippled state he felt no pain. His eyes no longer strained to watch the battle. He could cast magic, unbefuddled as his mind was, while a normal man wouldn''t even entertain the idea. Luck was different. Pain didn''t fog his mind, it normally didn''t. Though currently, this was thanks to Spirit. He could achieve full focus lying here as he could standing elsewhere. Unfortunately, they were out of range.


    An unknown enemy posed unknown complications. He couldn''t reveal the full extent of his capabilities. Machinery could just as much imply cameras, though Luck couldn''t say with certainty they existed in this world. Yet, even so, Luck suspected the reflective eyes of the machines. Whatever these things were doing, they weren''t friendly.


    Another call of thunder. The mountain lit up in ghostly flashes as mist descended. Above the fog swirled ominously, bothered by the chaos below as if it were a living creature upon which Luck and the rest had trod upon its territory.


    Luck watched silently, to all just a man killed in the snow. A sphere-blade approached, cutting pieces off the keid and opening its body, placing it there. Luck''s eyebrow rose a fraction. Information gathering? Were these robots similar to the combat drones like Guard? The design was completely different though. Luck would be the first one tell anyone that. These had a more edge and corner design compared to the ancient, almost alien design Guard had. His taste for style and his observant nature came into play.


    And they didn''t seem electric, Ace would''ve said something. These were mechanical, yet they were powered by something else. The gems he saw earlier? It was likely and not completely implausible.


    He tried to move. They weren''t in range of his Earth magic and Nature magic provided no ranged attacking spells. Not yet at least. He grunted softly, only managing to flip over. There was an unpleasant grinding in his broken leg and he stopped moving. He breathed slowly. Deep breaths.


    Thunder again. Flashes of light. The hard thumping smash of Erok''s hammer. The roken was relentless,advancing on the machines that were twice his size. He was just within Luck''s view, fighting among the scrap yard of sphere-blades that the keid had crushed under their feet. Pieces of metal were the arena. Luck twisted, unable to do anything. He grimaced.


    Luck craned his neck, feeling for his mana. Cold. The second he felt for that layer of possibility, ice mana surrounded him. Ace and Maxworth came now. They darted around Erok, an endless onslaught of sphere-blades now. Their method of propulsion, still unknown, sent them zipping around and darting in, out and between. Luck likened it to a hurricane of knives, a storm of steel. And in the eye, Maxworth sent sparks flying while Ace blasted three or four away at a time. Erok stood unbothered by the sphere-blades, themselves unable to harm him, or even nick him like they could Maxworth.


    Erok bent out of the way of an incoming strike, using the inertia of his great hammer to pull himself away, before swinging back around. The motion was unwieldy, difficult and irregular. Erok had executed it with a master''s grace. The gorilla bot was sent to its knees. It''s back shattered as Erok spun around, his hammer not even stopping as it collided with another advancing gorilla bot before shattering the downed one.


    "You challenge the mightiest, fools!" He roared, shifting his hands lower on the grip, spinning it without loss of momentum.


    Still out of range. Luck grimaced again. He hated feeling useless. But... Luck knew the value in waiting. In sitting back and having patience.


    He searched himself internally. They had no use for a liability in this fight. Luck knew the dangers, the difficulty of when someone had to be protected during a skirmish. Innocents, usually. At least, in the city it was. It had never been him though. He latched onto what he sought in his internal search. No less than a few seconds now. He had much practice over the course of the trip through the Hydr Dunes.


    Saga, are there any eyes on me?


    He could feel Saga growl in approval, knowing instinctually Luck''s intent.I see nothing, Amber Eyes. Hurry back.


    He looked to the fighting once more, they would tire eventually. Luck had to help somehow, but he couldn''t do it in his current state. The enemies they fought were endless, relentless. They had minutes.


    Luck had at least triple that to heal and recoup.


    A portal opened on the ground beside Luck, a soothing green mist hovering above a tiled pool of undisturbed crystal water was visible through it.


    Luck rolled over, flopping into the water of his healing spring.


    "Welcome back, Master Luck." Evodim''s voice came immediately, as smooth as the water Luck fell into. "There are changes to the dimensional room I would like to address."

 Chapter 18 - Woman In The Zones

    The greatest of the greenfolk, the treehuggers, Nature''s knights, the bark warriors and twig fiends, the leaf wraiths and elder trees, were called the Druids. They came from many races, many peoples, many professions and many lifestyles, and yet all shared a common trait, they loved nature at its rawest. From the hardy Subdir, Dwarves and Trell that fell in love with the mountains to the fierce Subfira, Shieth, Flenie that inhabit the heat of the deserts and heart of volcanoes. When an outside force threatened their domain, they retaliated, bringing to bear the sublime power of nature itself. Creatures of all, coming to lend aid and deflect invaders after rich materials. But many Druids were more than just that, they were a powerful people, though each unique. One might hold the key to Earth itself, where another might be a legend in a faraway land known for his prowess with the blade or gun. None know with certainty their origins or what earned them their titles, or perhaps even their overarching purpose through protecting nature, none even know their what exactly their connection to Nature even as either. They are a powerful mystery, mystics capable of appearing and wreaking havoc on those that march on sacred groves, mages in their own right, men and women of power and protection.


    -Handbook to Magic: A Beginner''s Guide to Beginning, pg 657.


    The Frozen Zones were harsh and unforgiving as they were beautiful and pristine. Although it may have once seemed that she was a city girl, accustomed to the luxuries and lifestyle of urban living, she looked nothing like that now. Not that she was ever as restricted by her habits as she may have seemed.


    The body before lay lightly frosted, a chilling blue tint to the skin. She didn''t know how long this stranger had been dead or who had killed him. Him? Her? She couldn''t decide. The furcoat the body wore was, in fact, a natural part of the body, bloodied by some unknown cudgel. The remains lay scattered about, the legs nowhere nearby.


    Bodies were familiar, and ironically, this was the most comfort she''s had since she arrived. Dead bodies were always in the city.


    She shrugged, ducking out of the cave entrance to howls of silver wolves. The moon shone above, eerie light reflecting like clear water off the snow of the mountain.


    "Sniped, Jerxos, stranded on a mountain." She said sarcastically. "What a life I live."


    She had performedwell in her impartation, somewhat peeved to learn that so did everyone else. Jerxos had been especially quiet about Luck and her mother''s impartations. It wasn''t against the rules to know evidently, but that didn''t mean he had to tell her. It was like her father to keep her out of the loop, still thinking she was a child. She loved the man to death but she wasn''t an idiot. The man had some kind of dark past, no matter what he said.


    Tate snorted, frost coming off her breath.


    Snowshoes, created from a multitool of bonded, shiftable metal. An enchanted metal, she was told. "Able to withstand a blast from a seasoned fire mage." She recalled, willing the leftover metal to slide over her arm into a brace.


    "A fire mage? Magic metal?" She shook her head. She looked at its surface, floating from a tendril off her arm. "Omnitanium."


    Tate had already accepted the fact. She was given a second chance and she would take it. She would thank Luck when she saw him. The adopted loser might actually feel bad to have watched her die. She gave a bittersweet smile to no one.


    The shiftable omnitanium was apparently a rare occurringnatural magic metal. Physically, the metal was insignificant aside from its hardness and perhaps its light weight. Magically, at least according to the System, which Jerxos had remembered to explain at the last minute, it was an anomaly. It was near sentient magic, and yet its magical and physical structure prevented just that. Apparently, Tate was carrying an obscene amount of omnitanium, nearly two cubic feet of it. It required touch to operate but a powerful enough specialized mage could bond the metal to a person and Tate had just that happen to her. She didn''t need touch to control it. She was in possession of a fortune.


    Tools he called them. And this one definitely was the tool to end all tools.


    Responding to her thought, the omnitanium, an orb of metallic glob currently, reformedto various weaponry she remembered from her father''s collection. To the knife, her mother always carried, to the guns her brother loved. The potential it held was like the deepest parts of the ocean. Depth and mystery, unlimited possibility. It glided across her skin like the tide, a silent surf. It flowed up her shirt and around her torso. Snowshoes and armor for now.


    Her heading was south.


    Her steps were silent, leaving large shallow prints easily hidden by light snow. She felt a familiar tiredness as the metal responded to her will and warmed her body. She was still concerned by the feeling but was fairly certain it was her mana.


    Empty mountain surrounded her. The type ofsetting steps away from a hiking trail. A hidden beauty just as dangerous in its solitude. Snow mostly. She was high up. A drift of snow could just as easily be covering one of the multitudes of ice caverns she often found in the ground and walls of the mountain. There were no trees here, no plant life, only snow and the looming mountains to either side of her. But, occasionally she would come across her saving grace. A bush, just a bush, but it had berries and was what she had been sustained upon for the past week.


    She eyed the ledges of snow above, not wondering for the first time whether someone or something was watching her as she came across another bush. Tate knew there were people living up here though everything she saw denied the possibility. Why else would she have found a body?


    "I''d be more comfortable if they just up and attacked me." Tate muttered, crouching down and foraging berries. The absence of berries lower on the plant hint to some other type of foragers. "If they''re even there and I''m not finally succumbing to madness."


    She sighed, raising her head from her task.


    Then, becoming as still as the mountain, she saw it. Covered in snow and frost like everything else, a giant made of rocks stood. She would''ve mistaken it for an odd pile of rocks if she hadn''t seen it move just an inch. But no, it wasn''t covered in snow. It was snow. And it was moving, a rough imitation of two legs and arms without a head.


    She frowned, looking around.


    This pass was the only way south and she had been following it for a day. She had to get through. Denying this chance might lead to her final death, she had come here with no food. If Tate were being honest she wouldn''t have thought she could survive for an entire week as she did. The omnitanium allowed her that. But it couldn''t do everything. Food came never. Tate was always scavenging, tasting frozen berriesand competing with unseen foragers.


    She looked down at her covered metal arm. Could she do it? The metal shifted and blurred, forming from amorphous globs, undefined to sharp geometric shapes, sleek forms to bulky blocks. Her imagination worked in tandem with the omnitanium it formed and reformed as her thoughts impacted its behavior.


    Her hand grasped the middle of the moving metal, her new weapon forming around it. The handle, smooth and simple with a trigger. The stock, to be pressed to the shoulder or held at the hip. The gas tank, the lighter, the barrel. A destructive weapon capable of well damaging a forest environment. Sleek, deadly and dangerous. Tate¡¯s mind came up with many things but this above all seemed most effective.


    It was dangerous though. Explosives, firearms, chemical weapons, the omnitanium adapted and created as well as it could. Though, Tate felt the drain from these weapons in comparison to say, a sword or shield. For something like a flamethrower, especially one of the sort that Tate now hefted, the drain on herself would be large when she shot with it.


    That tiredness, that sluggishness that followed exerting her will upon the omnitanium was damn dangerous. If she let herself fall under a certain cognition her mind would be too tired to keep the omnitanium staying warm. She had no idea as of yet as to how to automate it.


    Her head tilted toward her target.


    Approaching with a delicate grace, her grip on the weapon increased by a fraction. She was not as used to participating in combat as her brother or father, and, now thinking about it, she was probably less experienced than her mother as well. Her finger traced the sleek design, an irony on such a destructive weapon. It was ergonomic, easy to grip.


    Her breath was steady, a cool frost. Her feet found their footing with almost practiced precision. Light brown eyes were unwavering, taking in every detail. Tate was ready to react, seeing everything. She was in its blind spot evidently. The pile of snow and ice, upon second glance, was eerily human. A torso, arms, and legs formed a rough bipedal body. But there was an absence of a head and its blank features gave it an unnerving oddity. It both belonged here in the pristine snow and somewhere in a museum. Tate noted the hands and feet which gave the distinctimpression that the direction the enemy was facingwas a coin toss.


    The sound of an avalanche wasn''t so much a crash as it was a sudden, frantic crescendo of sound. A rough rumbling muffled by snow permeated the air as the golem of ice and snow turned towards Tate. Somehow, Tate knew it stared directly at her.


    In the next second, she may have lost her eyebrows.


    "Die! Die! Die! Motherfucker!" She roared, a blazing inferno at odds with the size of her weapon engulfing the golem''s arm.


    Her screams echoed across the mountain, rebounding off walls of ice she couldn''t see. The golem''s rumbling overtook her noise. It stumbled backward, stomping heavily on the snow. Plumes of snow erupted forward and from the sides of Tate, aiming to engulf her. But she was no fool. She repositioned and kept her weapon trained on target.


    The snow body of the golem, large and intimidating refused to fully melt even after exposure to this level of blaze. It rumbled loudly, turning her way, or so she thought. And it ran, right into the flames. It was only seconds later she realized what it was doing.


    Tate screamed, scalding water splattering across her exposed skin. She didn''t let go. The pain only pulled the trigger harder. And off into the distance, something answered that pain, howls from above. Haunting howls piercing as her pain, yet more ominous than she''d care to admit. Her mind sharpened, the golem was half melted at the torso having given up its legs and parts of its arms to disable her.


    She could still move.


    An opening in the torso. "Hey! What the fuck? There''s a person in there!" She yelled, turning her weapon to the golems midsection.


    In the next minutes, the snow golem, for all a wonder of magic it may be, tried to pathetically run away. It''s melted arms and legs could do nothing, near instantly freezing to the snowscape. Blue robes peeked from the hole in the torso and Tate was thinking she might just have encountered another human being.


    "Hey! What the fuck are you doing in there?" She yelled.


    A furious, rough voice answered. "Do you know what you''ve just done you insolent girl? You''ve just destroyed months of my work!" He yelled, ducking out of his golem.


    He wore blue robes, Tate confirmed it as he rose his arm, trailing blue cloth following the motion.


    "You-"


    Shards of ice formed in the air around him. They jetted towards Tate with a sharp tinkling. She simply held her finger down and melted them mid-air. He growled, stepping back and trying again. They melted again. Next, pillars of ice came from beside him, aiming for her. She melted them too.


    "Is that all you have, you dick?" She taunted, hiding her tiredness. She was a little too pissed to be dealing with other people right now.


    The man was exhausted, and yet he still threw another wave of ice attacks. His shivering hands grasped at the air before waving in an arc toward her. Melted. All of them. He stood trembling, either from cold or exhaustion. Tate felt the same way. She was coming up on her mana limit. A few strokes of fire throwing and she''d be out.


    "Are you here to kill the wyvern too?" He squinted at her. "To steal my quest? Blasted fools! How did the information leak so fast?"


    The man was astocky figure with perfect posture. Clad in blue robes it was a surprise he could endure the cold. To Tate, he practically screamed ice mage. His hair was gray and his teeth were perfectly white to go with his pale skin. Of note, the individual was actually human aside from the various other races of people that might''ve been hidden in that snow golem.


    "I''m passing to Ardun. I''m not here to steal your damn quest."


    "You''re holding magitech." He stated bluntly. "Powerful stuff, too. You''re telling me you aren''t hunting frost wyverns with that?" He growled, suspicious. His eyes alighted on her weapon but showed no outward recognition of its properties.


    "So what if I am? You wanna try to take it from me?" Tate said pissed. "And I''m not here to hunt your fucking wyverns."


    He blinked, having realized something. "Wait, you''re heading to Ardun from the Frozen Zones? You''re not returning from the Zones, but coming from them? Where''s your party? Adventurers don''t travel the Zones alone, its suicide from the north. Maybe if you were an ice mage... but even then." He said in surprise. Then he immediately became suspicious. "What''s a Pure Human doing out here? Yeah, that''s right, I recognize my own. Don''t expect any different treatment. Humans don''t live north. " He questioned, gaining momentum.


    Tate gave him a flat look and the man looked temporarily confused. "How about, instead of all this questioning, I just burn you alive right here right now. Or have you forgotten who''s exhausted, sitting in their sad pile of melted snow and ice that used to be a months worth of work?" Tate casually moved her finger to the trigger of her flamethrower, the tip ever so slowly moving to face him. "I''ll remind you stranger, it''s you."


    The man jerked in place, angry and suspicious as he was, he shut up. Instead, he tried a different track. His wary focus never left the lighter of her flamethrower, its flickering flame both blue and orange. "Names Mark. Ice mage and martial artist. I''m from a mage guild in Ardun." He said cautiously, clearly not stupid. "We got off on the wrong foot."


    "Great, goodbye." And Tate made to leave, turning around in the snow to traverse the pass towards Ardun.


    The man called after her only two steps later. "Do you even know where you''re going? There are multiple forks down that road. You''ll never make it to Ardun without getting lucky." He stated calmly, sitting unbothered in the cold snow. He eyed Tate as she paused and turned around. "What''s your name?"


    "Tate Lockyer." She scowled. "And you''re taking me to Ardun."


    "Well Tate, if you recall all the howling earlier from your screaming burned face, we''ve got company in say, ten minutes. And trust me, if you aren''t encased in a snow golem you''re gonna want help." He said standing himself up. Mark seemed comfortable covered in snow. Tate watched his movements with dull interest. He was staring at her face and chest. Tate rolled her eyes before Mark spoke. "Your burns, I''m staring at your burns. Don''t get too full of yourself there, girl. Let me take care of them, it''s obvious you''re not who I thought you were. By the time I realized you weren''t, you were intent on destroying me."


    "If you make any sudden moves you''re a pile of ash lost in the snow, got it?"


    He nodded. Vivid, vibrant blue snow formed, he pointed it out just in case Tate got spooked. "I''ll put them on your burns and you should heal up fine, no scarring. Classic post battle medical treatment after fighting fire. Every ice mage worth his snow knows it." The soothing chill was surprising, Tate was expecting a chilling freeze. Instead, her inflamed skin relaxed.


    "Thank you." She said, touching the snow cautiously. Harmless.


    "Don''t mention it. You''ll need it for this next part. There''s no use fighting each other in the Zones if there''s no reason." He said ominously, he was staring upward to the ledges of ice and snow above. "Yep, there''s one. Get ready. Cover your ears girl."


    "Wh-"


    Howling. A dome of sound in which they were the center. They''d been surrounded by an unknown beast. An unknown number too. She shouldn''t be caught too off guard though, she had had an acclimation in form of the impartation. She was ready for whatever appeared. But the howling didn''t stop, they compounded each other as they bounced off the mountain in parts she knew was solid ice, some aspect of their sound screaming it. The sounds were like shattering glass or an echoing tinkling of wind chimes made or frozen liquid.


    Mark was inspecting his melted golem. "They won''t come down for now. They''ll wait until we''re off guard or too tired to keep moving. Icil Wolves, if we''re lucky. Something worse if we aren''t. Come on, I''ll take you to Ardun."


    "What else lives out here?" Tate asked, not ever having moved her weapon away. Her ears were ringing.


    Mark glanced at her trigger finger before answering. "Not much, but who knows now? The update might have changed things. The Icil Wolves are one, a multitude of small foragers and of course, somewhere, there''s a wyvern waiting to be slain."


    He was talking about the System update she received. It listed what small amount of tools she had on her person and her capabilities. Apparently, the world was more dangerous than it had been. But in the Zones where she had been reborn, it affected her little. Nothing changed, no quests were updated, she didn''t have any. No attacks, nothing.


    But then she remembered something.


    "There was a body further up. A furred man. Dead by blunt weaponry, left preserved by the cold in the entrance of an ice cavern. His legs were gone." She recalled. "Does anyone live out here?"


    Mark rubbed his chin. "Grey fur, looks like a coat?"


    "Yeah, I looted him for frozen berries." Tate reached into a metal pouch, compliments of her omnitanium, and popped one in her mouth.


    He eyed the berries with a sad look. "That would be, ironically, my colleague Greyfur. He loved that stuff." He grimaced pain in his eyes. "He left a month before me. We assumed he was just taking his time. Evidently, he died somehow. No one''s explored the Zones in any great effort since the update. It''s often ignored, the other areas West, East, and South had all the attention. The Dunes, Krukon and Snakes Way would probably yield the most interesting enemies for any seeking power. Damn Greyfur." He explained before gritting his teeth and shaking his head. "He was a brilliant mage."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    More howling.


    Tate gave a wary glance up to the ledges above, the howling could just have easily come from there as the other side of the mountain, such were the acoustics of the Zones. She wasn''t used to being so bare and vulnerable. No set backup or fallback. No phone to call for help, no number to dial. No one to watch her back.


    Her omnitanium lost its flamethrower form and melded to her body to become armor once again. A small effort of will that felt more difficult than it should have been, likely a result of her mana exhaustion, warmed her body.


    Mark noticed this. "You''re heating yourself. What manner of enchanted weaponry is that?"


    "An artifact from my travels. Soulbound to me, so don''t get any ideas less I burn your face off."


    "Never. The thought didn''t cross my mind. There is little use of fire for a man devoted to the snow." Mark replied, plucking something from the corpse of his golem and hurriedly hiding it. "Let us leave. The faster to Ardun the better."


    Tate followed him, the mage somehow walking across the snow without sinking an inch deep. Tate''s snowshoes were effective but nowhere close to what the mage was pulling off. He ambled towards the pass, coming close to steep icy cliffs that disappeared into frozen caverns below. Tate followed.


    "Why were you here of all places searching for the wyvern?" Tate asked.


    Mark pointed below, bits of snow falling off the edges of the pass and into the abyss. "That there, from my studies, is perfect for wyvern nesting. Although Earth and Ice Wyverns tend to create their own nests so their behavior and location are harder to define." He explained. "From my knowledge, only a few people that received the quest are capable or idiotic enough to try for it. An Ice mage like myself has the advantage in the Frozen Zones but so does a wyvern of ice. I was lying in wait to challenge the beast, hoping it might make itself known. The draconic cousins are territorial, you see, if it saw me I was bound to have a battle." He walked along the edge of the pass, void of fear. His stocky figure was as still as the ice around him as he gazed downward.


    Tate walked closer to the center. "How far is Ardun?"


    "Together we might take a week, maybe less depending on the weather," Mark replied.


    The path they walked was high above any other crossing between the mountain. Once they passed the gorges that fell right into the mountain they had a clear view of the mountain''s base. Below, there was a valley, and unlike at their altitude, she could spot blue, fragile plants sprouting there. More icy caves dotted the landscape below. Still, it was void of anything.


    "We''ll have better views to come," Mark said. "But enough, what is a fellow human doing traveling the Frozen Zones alone? How long have you been out here?"


    "I''m searching for my family. Chances are they''re at Ardun. I''ve been out here a week traveling roughly south ever since." Tate recalled.


    "Your whole family are adventurers then?" Tate noticed Mark say the word with a certain inflection as if the term meant something more.


    "They''re all damn capable and dangerous that''s for sure." Tate shrugged. "I know they''ll make it there, wherever they are. At least, that''s what my sources tell me."


    Mark nodded. "Here." And suddenly the snow under her feet became denser. She walked without the odd waddle she had been doing for the past week. "We''re stuck together now. You destroyed my greatest protection against the natural hazards in the Zones and with the unknowns of the update who knows what might appear."


    Tate grinned ruefully. "Sorry."


    Mark seemed to stare at her smile for a moment too long, before raising an unamused eyebrow. "I made no outward moves of aggression. I simply stared in surprise at a fellow traveler before I was bombarded by flames. Not many make it to this altitude without dying you know." He waved. "No matter, that was not the first nor the last golem I''ll make in my lifetime. I''ve lost them to much more ridiculous situations before."


    "Oh? For example?" She asked, curious.


    The next hour was spent recalling stories. Tate mostly listened to Mark''s icy experiments. The man sounded more scientist than mage and that comparison fascinated her. He was part of a guild of mages in Ardun primarily focused on the element of Ice. The guild had formed as a consequence of the Frozen Zones and forays into its depths were both common and frequent.


    Perhaps the most interesting detail about the mage was his devotion to the martial arts. Tate hadn''t pictured a physicality with magic. Yet the man boasted a healthy body and claimed to have trained at the highest point of the Frozen Zones before. The man practiced martial magic, melding the casting of magic with the movements of your body.


    Tate didn''t take the man for one to bloat. He seemed humble and laid back, and if that were the case, then the man wasn''t lying when he told her he was somewhat of a master in the martial arts. Less so in his chosen magical art. He was an odd case in the magical community, but well respected. Not many had the devotion he had to either of his practices, let alone enough drive to meld them together.


    "And yours?" He asked.


    "I practiced in deception, spy work, information gathering and a slew of other skills. Though, I question their effectiveness in another city. Only time will tell." She noticed Mark tense up. "Calm down. You found me as a traveler and that''s what I am. That, all of it, is in a past life now. My family is a group of dangerous individuals and we were given a second chance. Whatever I was in the past is not what I am now." She shrugged, catching a snowflake in her hand.


    She looked upwards but noticed Mark looking up and into the distance further north.


    "Blizzard soon. We should find an empty cave to wait it out." He explained, shaking snow out of his hair. Tate didn''t even notice he was as covered in the stuff as he was. She realized she was as well. "I believe one my guild outposts are around here, in fact."


    "Lead the way." She gestured, looking around.


    Mark seemed to be leading her towards an often used natural cavern. At least, from the details and landmarks he kept pointing out, that''s what it seemed like. Though that was getting harder by the minute. Snow began to fall harder and with that the silence of the mountain disappeared behind the whistle of the blizzard.


    "Mage ice!" He yelled over the howling snow. He was pointing towards light blue footprints, that upon closer inspection were unnautral. "They lead the way to a guild sanctuary up here!"


    "Sounds good!" Tate yelled, nothing but the sound of his voice to guide her. But even that was lost among the snowfall. The marked ice was nearly covered as Tate lost sight of Mark. "Where are you?" She called out, staying in place. "Mark?"


    A loud growl, startling against the howl of the blizzard, broke her focus. It came from her right, amid the wall of falling snow. Visibility was low. She couldn''t see past a few feet in front of her.


    Then something barreled into her torso. Pressure against her ribs. A dagger, already forming lunged towards her unseen attacker. Tate looked down to find a growling wolf chomping on her side. Her omnitanium saved her. It yipped, trying to rip her apart. A dagger to the eye ended its life.


    Another howl and this time Tate was ready. A bo staff formed, a defensive weapon fitting for her situation, and she smacked the wolf away. This one was smaller, brilliant silver fur taunted her. The beauty was at odds with its ferocity. It leaped forward, claws out and ripping towards her throat. Tate caught the wolf on her staff and pushed it off. She spun suddenly and slammed her staff hard on the wolf''s head. The metal staff was enough to spray grey matter across the snow.


    There was growling, howling, yipping and barks all around her. Silver fur flashing almost indistinguishable against the white of the snowfall. They''d come in twos and threes but Tate was skilled enough in the bo staff to deflect and bruise with efficiency. But if it was a game of attrition, she would lose. She was near to changing her tactics to aggression when she heard him.


    "Enough!" A rough voice yelled.


    A blast of wind parted the storm in a circle. Tate rose an arm to shield her eyes as her hair flew backward. In the middle, Mark stood hands out. Slowly, his guard went up and Tate saw what he was facing. Across from him, amid the eye of the storm, were three wolves. More lay dead around him. Some with icicles piercing their chests and heads and others simply lay limp with broken limbs.


    All not ten feet from her.


    Eyes on the enemy were just what she needed. Bullets didn''t take much out of her and in seconds she had her favorite pistol trained on the forehead of the lead wolf. Her omnitanium glimmered, frost covered before she let out three successive shots. They all died instantly.


    Mark jumped at the noise watching the wolves fall over. He looked at Tate for a moment before waving her over "This way!" He gestured behind him. Tate saw him concentrate a moment before the blizzard pushed back a little more and a cave was revealed. "The sanctuary!"


    Tate, unsurprisingly, hurried over.


    Mark stood by the entrance, a portal of ice and snow indistinguishable from the rest. He ushered her in and the noise of the blizzard died down immediately. Mark stared at the swirling vortex of cold outside for a few moments before nodding. The way in slowly began to fill with snow.


    He turned around, light blue eyes regarding her. The sound of dripping water encompassed them. "Thanks, let''s head in. We can rest a few hours. That''ll be enough to get us to the next sanctuary further down the mountain." He ducked under some icicles and lead the way, glowing ice and snow his guide.


    He reminded her of her father. Capable, strong, driven and intelligent. Tate smiled a fraction, she missed him. Her thoughts moved to the encounter outside. "Icil Wolves?" She asked.


    "Yes, a small pack of them thankfully." He responded. "Anything more would be too much to keep track of. Although your weaponry there might''ve changed the encounter. Nice piece of magic, that." He pointed.


    In her right hand, still perfectly formed, was a sleek pistol. The barrel and grip contoured perfectly to fit in her hand. The other mechanisms of the device she knew inside and out and was perhaps the reason the weapon took so little of her mana when used. It melted back up her arm.


    "It''s useful, I''ll give you that." She nodded, ducking under a low tunnel entrance. She had to watch her footing. The ice was slippery. Mark was unaffected.


    "I won''t argue there." He said eyeing the metal. They came across a small alcove carved from solid ice, set right into the tunnel walls. "Here we are." He gestured, immediately making himself at home.


    What initially Tate took for a sculpture of ice was in actuality a fully functioning room. Chairs of ice cushioned with snow, a fireplace made of blue ice, shelves filled with books bound with dark blue spines, and more. And the alcove wasn''t small as she thought. There were tunnels leading deeper.


    "Welcome to one of the Magice sanctuaries. That''s my guild''s name by the way. Magice." He said. "Have a seat. Make yourself warm. The snow is peaceful in here."


    Tate did so. She expected cold as she sat down but the chair was surprisingly neutral. Neither hot or cold, which is to say warm compared to the rest of the room. "Magice? Your guild made these hideouts?" Her eyes roved across the space, landing on the books above. She read the spines idly.The Properties of Snow in Magic, The Perfect Crystal Ice, Creating a Golem, On Snow as a Construct,and more.


    "Carved them, actually. They aren''t secret but only someone versed in snow could get in safely. They''re quite the convenience in harsh environments of cold and hail. The Frozen Zones, as a result, are pockmarked with them. Magice is somewhat invested in the exploration of cold areas of interest." He sat, sparking the fireplace with some flint and steel, Tate somewhat amused he couldn''t just create a flame with all the magic he''d been showcasing.


    The fire was roaring in minutes and Tate noticed that the ice surrounding it wasn''t melting. She was lost in the flames for a few minutes. She yawned, realizing how time flew. She blinked and looked towards Mark.


    He waved. "Get some sleep, we''re fine in here." He said, rolling over on his chair. "You''ll need it."


    Some amount of hours passed when Tate woke up. Her chair was vibrating and she enjoyed the sensation up until the first book fell off its shelf. A sphere of perfect ice instantly formed around the book as soon as it hit the floor, crystalizing it completely.


    Mark jerked up. "What happened?" He shook the bleariness from his eyes, focusing on the book encased in a sphere of ice. "Did you touch it?" He asked.


    "Couldn''t have from over here." Tate said absently. She was focusing on the vibration. Where was it coming from?


    "Ice trapped. Protection against thieves should they gain entry." He explained, placing the book in its correct place, the sphere melting as he did. "What''s that vibration?" He said finally.


    He closed his eyes for a moment before they hardened into a grimace. "Intruders."


    Then there was a huge crash of icicle and snow from one of the tunnels.


    Tate leaped out her chair, twin pistols forming in her hands pointing at the doorway. Her breathing was slightly agitated. No more sound. The tunnel entrance was eerily silent, nothing past the curve of its path.


    Tate, hesitantly, lowered her weapons.


    Something moved.


    Her eyes darted back. Silver metal blasted through the air. She raised her weapon near instantly. Her finger triggered twice from each gun. The pinging of metal echoing loud in the alcove.


    A dented orb fell to the floor. Whatever it was, it had just flown at alarming speeds out of thetunnel, jetting across the gap in mere seconds. Tate''s training was the only thing that saved her. Looking at it, it could''ve taken her head off.


    "What is this?" She kicked at it, even as more crashes came from around them. It was impossible to tell where exactly they came from in the icy tunnels. The echoes were throwing everything off. "You seen these up here before?" She reached down to inspect.


    Shards of orange light ripped into existence around each of its limbs.


    "I''ve never-" Mark was just turning around before he snapped to attention, wide-eyed. "Down! Now!" He threw his arms wide and a globe of ice frosted over the lights, separating Tate from their glow.


    Tate scrambled backward, her omnitanium flowing forward into a wall. An explosion rocked her senses, she stumbled to the side. Her vision went black before she opened it to shattered ice. The floor beneath her had cracked, visible fracture lines running across and through.


    "Mark?" She let down her metal, surveying the room.


    There was a pile of snow that wasn''t there previously, piled up against the far wall, under the bookshelves. It groaned loudly. "What the fuck? What the hell are these? My ice barrier barely contained that. I had no time to shield the bottom portion." He burst out of the snow in a spray of powder, Tate not for the first time wondering of his tolerance to the cold.


    Tate glanced at him. "I don''t think your sanctuary is as safe as you thought it was. Is this your first time up in the Zones since the update?" She moved over to the remainder of the ice globe, ruffling through the remains. The body of the orb was still slightly intact, the pieces missing were nearby. "Because these things are not playing around."


    "It''s my first but there''ve been others before me. They noted no changes, especially not any as drastic as this. New threats are reported immediately in Magice. They''re a stickler for updates regarding the cold." He shooked snow from his hair, his eyes seemed a shade darker to Tate as they examined the remains of the enemy. "Bladed limbs. It''s got some type of mechanical propulsion. But see these?" He poked at some multicolored crystals peeking out of its rent torso with an icicle. "Mana crystals, crude ones, probably manufactured in large amounts. Hmm, interesting. Mechanical propulsion fueled by a magical power source. The self-destruct sequence had purged all of its power and, I''m thinking, was to erase any remains in the event of hostile research. Ice preserves, however."


    "Let''s move, Mark." Tate replied simply. "I can hear more jetting around the tunnel walls. The travel back to Ardun might have just gotten a lot more complicated if your havens are compromised. Trust me, I know the feeling." The man was crouched over the metal body, curshing ice in his hands and looking around.


    "It''s probably safer outside." He said.


    "My thoughts exactly. Even in the blizzard."


    "The blizzard''s died down." He said without any outward way of knowing. "Visibility will be low but we won''t be knocked out with any hail. We''ve just got to watch for the wolves. They hunt in blizzards if they''re desperate, but who knows what they''re doing with these metal spheres running around."


    Tate nodded, taking a deep breath. Mark lead the way, the blizzard was still muffled but the sound got louder, echoed further, as they approached their exit. The jetting of air could be heard just under it, evidence of the orbs scouting the haven. Tate didn''t know the extent of the tunnels, but at points in their walk, it would seem as if the sound was coming from four different directions at once. She could easily get lost in these tunnels without a guide.


    "Are we not taking the same route?" She asked since they hadn''t passed a near crystal clear tunnel last time.


    "Oh, you''ve noticed? Not many pay attention to the ice when they visit. You''re right. We''re heading to another exit, it''ll save us a few hours. As of right now, we''re piercing right through the mountain." His posture was just as powerful as it had been when she''d seen him hours earlier. He seemed unfazed by the encounter minutes earlier.


    "Thank you. For leading me to the city." Tate''s voice bounced off the now mirror-like ice. "If you betray me though, I have no qualms killing you."


    It was the first time she saw herself in this world. Her brunette hair, given by her mom, was still as wavy as it had always been, if not a bit frizzy and covered in frost. Her face hadn''t changed, still round, soft and bright. Light brown eyes beamed with intelligence and competence. Her figure harbored the curvature of her mother as well, just enough as to not get in the way of a life of activity. The ice was a perfect reflection.


    While perfect, it did nothing to reveal the many battle scars she harbored under her clothing. Her face miraculously was unmarred and she humbly considered it a plus. It was deceptive. Yes, she had trained with the same teachers as Luck but she had foregone safety equipment. Her elder brother, in her opinion, was too complacent even with the stunts he pulled. Tate lead a different life and her family had never faulted her for it.


    Mark chuckled. "Friendly company''s hard to find in the mountain. You''re not the first adventurer I''ve helped to Ardun. And I''m not the type to betray. " He said pointedly, his footsteps loud in the tunnel. The jetting of the orbs were small whispers now.


    "You''ve helped others then? Noble." Tate said, only half-meaningfully.


    Mark raised an eyebrow at her. "I''m up here a lot, might as well."


    "Is that why you''re so unfazed by a near death explosion?"


    "Sounds about right. I''ve had my fair share of dances with death. We''re no strangers." He answered. "How about you miss? Not often someone so young doesn''t even blink at that, let alone take on two icil wolves by herself, then killing three more. Doesn''t seem like the combat potential of an info hawk. Spywork and deception can only get you so far in actual combat."


    "I had a very demanding family, or rather family business." She shrugged. "Suffice to say I''ve learned a thing or two from it."


    "It seems we''re both more than what we seem then." Mark replied, confident in his path, even winding through the tunnels.


    "You aren''t still worried I''m out to get you are you?" Tate asked, squeezing through a particularly tight pass.


    "Ardun has little enemies. It has nothing to hide. A spy, if you were one, wouldn''t amount to much in the city. As for me personally, I''m fairly confident I can incapacitate you in seconds. If not by ice then by hand." He answered. "Besides, there are very little parties that find Magice''s research interesting or valuable. In the end, like in most of my encounters up here, I''ve decided to trust you. An olive branch usually settles any misgivings or mistrust, and soon I discover I''m just ushering another adventurer to Ardun, plain and simple." His hand brushed against the icy cavern walls.


    Tate respected that. It wasn''t a usual practice for her, trusting people outright. More Luck''s method, really. Perhaps somewhat sadly, she wasn''t raised to trust. She was taught social tells and maneuverings to detect deceit and misdirection. Luck was eventually the one who showed her to accept people for people, despite their motivations. She had been so trained in seeing lies she blinded herself to the people true to her.


    Meeting new people was a dangerous practice. But, then again, here no one knew who she was or what she represented. She couldreasonably assume anyone''s actions towards her were genuine whether they be friendly or hostile.


    It was refreshing and liberating.


    She chuckled when she noticed her reflection had a bright smile across her face. "Thank you, again. It''s nice to have some help."


    Mark, still feeling the ice, responded. "Don''t mention it. I''m heading back anyways, from there I can point you to where you want to be. It''s been a silent two weeks since I got the quest and no sign of the wyvern, about time I returned."


    Tate watched Mark''s footing as they came across a small flight of steps. Chunks of snow loosened as they climbed. Mark gestured into the air ahead and a mound of snow cleared away an opening.


    Tate peered outside. The blizzard was weaker on this side of the mountain but visibility was still at a minimum. Faintly, Tate could hear noises in the distance. Thunder, booming below the whistling of the snow.


    "Is that common here?" Her voice was raised to combat the snow. "Lightning?" She yelled.


    "Not at this altitude. Up higher over the lava lakes, maybe." Mark said, which was a surprise in itself, that lava was present at this temperature. "That''s not natural lightning! For a storm, there needs to be heat and cold! Even this close to the Dunes the temperature is cut off!"


    Ah, the sweltering desert that nearly nothing can live in. Jerxos had mentioned it briefly. The polar opposite to the Zones, nestled right up against it.


    The soft crunching of snow alerted them to a presence to their left.


    "Shhh." Tate signaled, pointing at a larger metal variant of the orbs earlier.


    Her companion followed her gesture. Mark''s eyes hardened into suspicion as he laid eyes on it. Heavy arms barreled through the snow. A strong chest and torso connected to small hips with wide feet. It, like most everything in view, was covered in snow, piling up along its front. Plumes of snow erupted as it charged by. It obviously wasn''t a local to the Zones.


    The entrance of their tunnel was under an overhanging ledge of solid ice and rock. From there, they were snowed in up to their chests. But the snow was deeper than that, extending four or five more feet below. They were left enough of a window to view the mechanical anomaly between the wall of snow and the overhang. Mark had only cleared the snow immediate to the opening. It was like a baseball dugout, the term only coming to her from her forced viewing of barside TVs. Icicles hung low from theceiling, their faces distorted and magnified as they peeked through them.


    "There." Mark pointed towards a curve around jutting stone. The man had shoved his foot into the snow wall to get a better view. "I can sense the temperature change there. They''re coming out of a cave, if I''m right." Another one came around, using the same path as the previous but still having to shoulder snow replaced by the blizzard.


    "We should find another way around them. It doesn''t look like we''ll make it past here without a fight and with them coming out of there by the minutes it''s not one I''m confident we''ll win."


    Mark nodded, but just as they were about to turn around there was a scrabbling of claws on the ice above them and something leaped forward, landing in a heap of snow. Something like a streak of color zipped among the plume of powder, lighting it oddly. Visibility was low in this blizzard.


    Mark''s voice was a sharp, urgent and quiet. His hand covered Tate''s mouth while his other glowed with cold magic. "Shar. Keep your mouth shut and don''t move."


    It took Tate a few seconds longer than Mark to figure out what she was looking at. A deadly predator. Its dark green matte fur hinted it was out of its element, but here, in this blizzard, it didn''t need camouflage. Its head craned upwards following the zipping form, blurred by the blizzard, until it alighted onto its back.


    A moment clear of snow, the wind whipping just so, and Tate was able to see it.


    A dragon, a mix between the eastern and western types. Sky-blue that pierced the snow with clarity. Its head turned to stare, alerting towards the lumbering figures barely visible now. The cat growled, showing teeth.


    Down the mountain thunder rumbled, dull ringing accompanied it. Still faint, but somehow, now much more stark. Both the cat and the dragon craned their heads towards the noise before looking at each other.


    That was when Tate saw the shar''s eyes and her heart shook.


    Amber.

 Chapter 19 - The Facility

    Mana, as a constant presence, creates potential. Whether held by an individual or ambient in the surroundings, be it an Orc, Quadi, Illuse, Greeth, Quansa, or Cevao, whether its sky, mountain, volcano, storm, wind or sea. Mana creates potential. This comes in many forms. Jets of wind, pillars of fire, columns of stone, torrents of water. The alteration of time, teleportation, poison, flesh magic, curses, rituals, voodoo, barriers. All are possible through mana. The creation of elementals for one, or magical creatures such as Pyre Wolves, Earth Shelled Armadillos and even to the smallest Lightning Ant. The changing of the environment, through saturation of mana, is a pertinent topic. Mana is the stuff of the world, and we all may as well be the stuffed toys of a child.


    - On Mana, Thum, High Mage 1st Seat


    The healing waters of the spring reversed the burns on his body. Once that was done it was a matter of long minutes for his body to multiply the healing effect of the spring and his arms to return to their normal mass. Water and blood dripped from his body as he arose. The bones in his legs realigned roughly and he was walking within the next minute albeit with a prominent limp. He was moving toward the forest and trying not to think of the grinding sounds he felt in his ribs.


    He swung by the bar counter, grabbed the most eye-catching spirit and took a swig as his hand trailed the sweet wooden bar. Sharp, bitter with an aftertaste as wooden as the grove outside. He walked, his limp fixing itself with every step. He paused though, turning his head left and glancing at the entrance to the master bedroom. He grimaced at his own attire.


    It was about damn time he changed his clothes.


    The art of dressing oneself was one Luck was especially skilled in. He knew what accents to wear, which styles complimented his frame, his figure, his face, or more often, his eyes. Dark colors, navy blue, grey-black or matte colors often did the trick but his sense of fashion never stopped there. Always, headded nuance to an otherwise straightforward outfit, a twist or flash or sparkle that drew the eye a moment enough to conceal a smirk. But above all, he, though not one to complain of harsher conditions, valued comfort in his wear. He believed a man who dressed comfortably looked just as well as a man in a suit, albeit with many constraints.


    "God damn, it feels good to look sharp again." He sighed, standing in front of his mirror.


    Fitted black sweatpants hugged his ankles. They were the type of wear he''d feel comfortable sporting anywhere, whether it was the street, a business meeting, and, with a thoughtful pause, the forest too. His shirt was made of a four-way stretch material that was both incredibly thin and comfortable. To the touch, it seemed as if sweat wouldn''t be a problem when worn. Not that it mattered. He wore all-purpose, tough wool shoes with padded soles and arch supports that, like the clothes, seemed to contour to his body perfectly. His pendant, gifted by Diversi, was hung around his neck, understandably dormant and he had attached his stopwatch to his waist by way of an attached metal ring sewn into his pants.


    "Your clothes will not match any Aeran standards, Master Luck. Though you indeed appear rather dashing. A thought to keep in mind, however." Evodim, like a tailor who had just taken Luck''s measurements, chimed in as if right behind him.


    "I know." Luck replied, smirking. And whether it was to Evodim''s comment of culture clash or Luck''s appearance was unclear.


    By now, his walk was fixed, a strength in his limbs that came without any loss of energy, such was the power of his dimensional room. A true boon to his survival, honestly.


    He glided over to the restaurant section, taking a comfortable seat by the windows, admiring the forest through twinkling eyes. And though it may have seen like time had been wasted, on a clock as he was, that simply wasn''t true.


    Luck had been communing with the Grove ever since he entered his dimensional room. The connection was much more vibrant when he was physically present in the space. The connection, again, was like old family and familiar friends. True ones, of the type he hadn''t had the real pleasure of knowing. It flowed through his mana and body like iridescent flowers. Beautiful shoots that ended in petals as bright as a painting. Luck admired the feeling, somehow not at all used to it and just as in awe as he was the first day.


    It had only been two weeks. A day for The Pools. He smiled unabashedly, remembering the beauty they brought back to the Subaqa. The swirling clear waters, bright underwater orchids, swimming children and flowing robes. Those were the places Luck longed to discover, a place maybe to settle down with his family. After, it was another day for Dersoc. His mind fell to darker places when remembering the slaves. Of course, how could he forget? He couldn''t. His desire to help others so muted in the past screamed now in Aerae. There was an entire world untamed. Who knew what horrors were out there? He had the means now. He remembered the Hydr Dunes and helping Nayah realize her own wants. Nearly half a month spent there. He had helped someone and that was worth it in his eyes.


    He had been here two weeks, give or take. And yet, so much has happened.


    He looked from his hands, through the pristine glass of the cabin, and into the forest beyond. Between two bushes hiding under a low hanging branch, small animals began to pour. Bounding on the branches, larger mammals swung and landed in among the tall grass surrounding the cabin. Beasts bigger than them lumbered through, flattening grass as they rested too.


    Luck got up from his seat to meet his guests, adjusting the chain on his waist and straightening his shirt. His hair would do whatever it wanted, it looked good messy. "Thank you Evodim."


    "As promised, all animals with combat capabilities." Evodim echoed.


    Luck nodded and stepped outside.


    He spoke in Drood, tall grass already at his knees as he pushed the door open.


    "Greetings." The sound came. A power to the rumbling.


    All the animals quieted and looked to him. A dome of silence fell upon them, themselves forming a semi-circle facing Luck as it had been before. There were varied responses, some of the animals had an appointed leader, while others spoke for themselves. The smaller ones it seemed banded together while the larger they got the less concerned they were of their safety alone. There were exceptions with each case, however.


    What calls, Druid Lockyer?The question, rather than from an animal, came from a tree nearby, planted in the middle of the crowd.


    Friends in need, and potential harm to a habitat of ice.Luck ignored the eyes of the animals, knowing the wisest soul among them was the tree.I call upon Nature magic. What animal might grant me the power to protect my friends and defeat my enemies, tree?


    There was a creaking pause, like old wood. Luck had the sense the tree was "looking around" so to speak.Of what nature are your enemies, Druid Lockyer? Of Ice perhaps?


    Of steel, wise tree. Of steel and fire and power.Even in his mind, he spoke Drood to the tree. One with Nature and Omnilingual, he felt, allowed him to commune to a degree unfathomable.


    Proving his musings, he sent images of the robots, all metal, and mass. The bladed spheres and their orange lights, the explosions, and the aftermath. His doubt, that there may be other versions of these steel variants. Blow of arms and broken legs. The aftermath of the explosion, the damage they caused.


    The wise tree nodded and with an audible creaking, a branch moved to point.This one is what you seek, Druid.The animals around hushed, it seemed they hadn''t ever seen a tree move.He can help you.


    The animals parted before Luck, his woolen shoes silent among the grass, somehow reverent. The energetic mammals, the monkeys, the small animals seemed sapped of their playfulness, pausing as they stepped aside, miraculously staying in one spot. The larger animals moved left and right like parting gateways. Birds flew up onto their backs and insects and bugs buzzed away.


    He nodded to the tree, medium in size, it was clear that although it was so close to his dimensional room the tree was one of the oldest he had seen. It was as if he could picture the tree watching forests grow and die around it decades passing under its watch. He followed its pointed branch.


    A large bug stared back at him, nearly the size of a dog. Its carapace was glimmering oddly, coated in the same type of liquid that was oozing from its multirowed mandibles. It had six pointed legs and its torso hovered three inches off the ground. Antennae were absent but the thing had two sets of eyes and watched him curiously like the rest of the animals.


    Greetings... macid.Luck intoned, the name of the species coming to him.


    Greetings, Druid Lockyer. I answer the summons to your dwelling. What is the need, I ask?It clicked, low and deep.


    In Drood, "You may all go. I have found who may help me.", and the gathered animals dispersed peacefully.


    They all gave some subtle gestures of respect as they left. The largest of the animals stopping a moment beside him before moving on. The swinging monkeys made signs at him. The small animals squeaked or gathered before moving away as one. Birds alighted on his shoulders and bugs buzzed by.


    Soon Luck focused on the creature before him. It was odd, he knew that to anyone else the creature, rightfully so, would look like an alien. Some might even be repulsed at the oddly, feeling and tactile legs the bug had if not its intelligent eyes that seemed to take the world in. Perhaps the dripping mandibles might scare people too.


    Luck saw only nature and its magnificence. He admired the bug, how it evolved, how it survived. Spirit immediately conducted an in-depth scan and cross-referenced the findings with its general species database. Nothing came up. The macidit seemed was not recorded anywhere. Luck reached to touch the bug and its glimmering carapace dimmed immediately as Luck moved to touch it. There was a slight sting but Luck already knew the capabilities of the bug.


    Evodim spoke, "That is one of the few magical species in the Grove. It is called a macid. But, I believe you already knew that."


    "My thanks, Evodim."


    I intend to draw upon you through my Nature magic.Luck stated, addressing the creature.


    Of course, Druid. We of the Grove protect the Druid as he protects us.


    Its legs tapped wildly, something Luck recognized as pride. He chuckled.


    Spirit''s analysis of the creature was quite something. Indeed, as the tree said, the macid was perfect for what Luck needed. Aerae was truly a special place. He was amazed at times at how true that was and how often he said it.


    Spirit renew the aspect of the hard chitin centipede.


    Advance actionpreviously taken, task already complete.


    Good.


    With some focus, he pulled deeply from the macid who was all too happy to comply. The bond, like a tether of companionship, connected them on a level Luck didn''t think possible. Like the rest of the grove, Luck felt it. His magic reached for the aspect of the macid and it responded. And it was as if a door opened and the aspect of the macid came to him.


    "Thank you, friend." He said in Drood.


    His hand reached out and rippling portal appeared, snowflakes and sounds of battle preset on the other side. He nodded to the macid and stepped through. Wind buffeted his hair but already he felt warmer and at ease in his clothes at the very least. He squinted through the weather.


    Immediately Luck was moving towards the sounds of battle, a crunch of snow under his feet. His shoes, as promised by Evodim had no problems dealing with the moisture. It shouldn''t have been ten minutes since he left. The aspect of the heatblind kept him warm. He was able to cross through the heavy snowfall without any loss of temperature.


    Crashing metal came from Luck''s left and turned on a dime peering through the snow. He rounded a mound of snow, likely created from lumbering gorilla bots to find all four of his companions being hounded by robots. Nayah, Erok, Maxworth, and Ace were all there.


    Nayah was wobbling on her feet and Ace looked drained as well still holding crackling lightning in his hands. His electricity arced between the smaller blade-spheres that jetted around them, cutting and opening their skin. Luck watched as they melted to slag after exposure for short seconds.


    In the front, Maxworth dodged around a gorilla bot while Erok hammered it into oblivion.


    In the distance, plumes of snow that signified more bots coming down the mountain.


    Luck wasted no time, immediately raising pillars of stone from the icy ground. They came at a powerful velocity enough to knock over a gorilla bot. It took Luck longer seconds to restrain the bot against the ground. The aspect of macid wasn''t particularly neededyet.


    "He lives!" Erok yelled, waving his hammer.


    "Let''s keep us all that way!" Luck yelled, focused on the struggling gorilla bot shouting above the wind. He took position in their formation, feeling oddly prepared.


    Time slowed and he tracked the many sphere-blades darting around Ace and Nayah. With Maxworth free, the burden was relieved but Luck was able to pin them all down. Erok came around and crushed them handily.


    "Lucky, I knew you''d survive. You bastard." Ace wheezed. Chuckling, the man was exhausted. "After you were knocked out they''ve been pouring down the mountain. I think I spotted Saga up there. I know for a fact Tric is as well, harassing them as she can."


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest: Clear the Frozen Zones of Foreign Influence!


    Strange mechanical creations infest the Zones. Discover their source and put an end to their activities!


    Reward: Items, Weapons, Armor, Information


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "We have also been issued an additional quest," Maxworth added. "These mechanical creations aren''t welcome in the area."


    "You think they''re hunting the Frost Drake too?" Luck asked.


    "Nevermind that. How are youalive?" Nayah asked bewildered. "I saw you. You were dead. And missing half your arms." Her face betrayed her shock. "How is this possible? Is no one surprised?" She looked around wide-eyed.


    "He has demonstrated rapid healing previously. I admit I did not expect this level of recuperation but it is welcome. We are allies after all." Maxworth explained. "His secrets are his as ours are ours and yours are yours." Nayah flinched slightly at that.


    "There are much more crazy things to be seen in the world, Nayah." Erok rumbled, hefting his hammer above his shoulder. He was taller than everyone around. "And you must trust Luck when he says he is capable. He is the first person I''ve seen to best Maxworth in a duel."


    "But-"


    "Okay, okay." Ace cut in. "Have we decided? Are we getting out of here or clearing out these machines?"


    In the underground, Luck was born into leadership. It came naturally and his charismatic nature only propelled his inherent talent. The drawback, of course, was his age and it was the leading cause of insubordination among those who followed him. Distrust of his authority and capabilities being the root of the problem.


    It wasn''t that he was surprised per se but when even the battle-hardened Erok and the skillful Maxworth looked his way for the decision he couldn''t help but smirk.


    Ace rolled his eyes.


    "We clear the mountain. I can''t have whatever these mechs are harassing any travelers. The Icil Wolves didn''t hint at anything but there was a definite hesitation on seeing Maxworth." Luck glanced over at the man. He only nodded. "They don''t trust metal. Which likely means there have been problems before."


    To her credit, Nayah nodded, perhaps finally embracing the spirit of adventure. Luck glanced at her momentarily meeting her eyes and then nodding in approval.


    And then something like the loud crack of a firework rang through the mountains.The rest tensed at the noise but despite everything Ace and Luck found the noise comforting. It came from up the mountain.


    Ace, smiling, slowly looked at Luck. "Lucky, I do think I''ve just heard a gunshot."


    "I think you''re right, Ace." Luck grinned.


    Erok acted as a windbreaker as they trudged up the mountain. It took the better part of an hour but following the quickly filling trail left by thelumbering bots allowed them fast movement. Nothing came down and Luck got a distinct impression that whoever was sending the bots had lost too many to justify further hounding.


    "We must entertain the possibility of multiple variants," Maxworth warned the group. "The smaller bladed orbs themselves pose a problem to half our members. And the larger ones are only defeatable by Erok and Luck to a lesser degree."


    "I can avoid detection easily. Right up until my mana runs out." Nayah said. "My magic doesn''t lend itself very capably to combat. And distracting a single bot doesn''t seem to work at least when another is around."


    "They might be sharing vision." Ace visibly shivered, sparks flew from his skin every now and then. "One sees what all of them sees and what not, like a hive-mind."


    "Hive-mind?" Erok asked.


    The conversation devolved into Ace explaining both to Erok and Nayah the concept of a hive-mind and his suspicions behind the purpose of the bots which he believed was data analysis and perhaps hunting monsters for materials. Luck agreed silently. If the robots in the area were simply reactivated from the system he believed they might simply be carrying out their last orders. The only reason Luck didn''t think these bots were in the same vein as Guard and defending Ardun was that they didn''t have a language and instead it seemed they were programmed and acted accordingly on their own intelligence.


    That was up in the air though. It could''ve been from a completely different age. Precommon was the earliest recorded language and in the timeline of his mind it was the furthest back Omnilingual allowed him to remember. Which meant Guard was as ancient as things went. These robots, rather than electricity, used whatever those powered gems were he found in the blade-sphere torsos. If they did, Ace would''ve been able to sense them which might point to a completely different technological era.


    Luck noticed Ace shiver again.


    "Ace come here. Let me try something." Luck gestured.


    "Sure Lucky, just don''t freeze me any more than I already am." He said, rubbing his arms and arcing electricity between his hands.


    He delved internally, leaving the cold of the Zones to bring something back for his friend. He drew upon his Grove, the beautiful forests and lakes and rivers, and mountains opening in his mind''s eye. He soared through the sky, feeling the wind on his face as a bird of his grove would''ve. He leaped through the trees like the long-limbed monkeys and burrowed through the ground as a centipede. Eventually, he was leaping through bushes, slipping through the territory of larger heat-sensing predators.


    He was a heatblind and from it he drew its aspect, pulling it through himself and towards Ace.


    He didn''t know if it could work. But, Nature magic was all about connection wasn''t it? And Luck did have a high affinity for it and suffice to say, it felt possible. The connections between things, communion and ecosystem and balance. He reached for Ace, contact making the process easy.


    Ace''s eyebrows rose. "What are you doing? I can feel your mana." He asked, staring at Luck''s hand resting on his snow-brushed shoulder.


    "Take it." Luck said. And immediately he felt the magic slip through to Ace. "Now open my gift to you." He smirked, patting his friend on the shoulder.


    In the next moment, a few things happened.


    First, Ace breathed out a sigh of relief. He only had a few seconds to praise the magic, wondering exactly what this new feeling was and how he knew exactly what it was at the same time. He warmed up immediately, the sparks between his hands becoming less frequent as he did so.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Second, Erok had started shouting to prepare for something moving ahead. The sounds of Maxworth unsheathing his daggers, Luck still unsure whether they were long enough to be considered shortswords, was audible. Nayah prepared in her own way, the clacking of marbles as she reached into her pouch, the air around her turning slightly hard to focus on.


    But perhaps most importantly was the ground caving in.


    Erok yelled in surprise and Maxworth, almost comically was deadpan as Luck was looking at him when they fell. Ace jerked backwardand Luck paused time. As if a still picture, Luck had precious seconds to consider the situation. It seemed everyone had shared the same fate. Snow fell all around them and was leading the way down so he couldn''t determine their landing, visibility was blocked by the snow. To the sides, the trapdoor was a large one swinging metal plates near to slamming the walls due to gravity pulling them down once they unlocked. Unfortunately, the walls were cold metal and Luck couldn''t do a thing to stop their fall. Earth magic was useless here, he didn''t think he could influence metal at all.


    Time unpaused with a gale of cold air shooting upwards.


    We''re falling in Saga!He didn''t think he''d get an answer.


    Yells of surprise echoed down the shaft. A chitin carapace immediately covered him. Whatever they were falling into Luck had nothing to stop the impact for his team. His hair, like Ace and Nayah''s beside him, was pulled back by the wind.


    Then he heard the screaming shriek like a nail on a chalkboard. Maxworth had tested his dagger into the wall. "I can pierce the metal! Everyone link arms!"


    With no other options, they did so. But not before Erok grabbed Maxworth''s other dagger on the fly and grabbed Luck and Ace.


    They pierced the wall, carving jagged grooves and stopping their momentum. Erok''s arm was strong enough to withstand the jerk of near three hundred pounds of human and it seemed on the other end Maxworth was able to withstand Nayah''s weight as well.


    Everyone breathed heavily. Sparks skittered off the walls and down into the abyss as the scraped to a stop.


    "What now?" Nayah questioned, hanging off Maxworth''s arm. Her voice echoed briefly.


    "Erok can you break through the wall with your hammer?" Ace asked, he was hanging below Luck hanging onto his chitin covered arm, he had barely felt the jerk.


    "I''d need a free hand. I can grab the groove we carved. Luck can you pierce the wall with the dagger and hang off with Ace?" Erok was already moving to hand the dagger down.


    "I don''t have a free hand either Erok." Luck replied, he was holding Erok''s arm and Ace''s arm.


    "Throw it down." Ace called. "I''ll catch it.


    Maxworth was hanging with Nayah on their own dagger only a few feet away. "I would not like to lose that dagger." He stated.


    "He''ll catch it." Luck replied confidently.


    "Max?" Erok made sure. "We''re not getting out of this any other way. This part of the wall is hollow. I can feel the rock on the other side. Looks like a tunnel."


    To Luck, it seemed like any other section of smooth featureless metal wall.


    "Do it. Though I am unsure if he has the leverage to pierce the wall." Maxworth added skeptically. "He has not the strength of you or I, Erok."


    "Ready Ace?" Erok called down.


    Luck made sure to keep Ace steady. He couldn''t have him swinging left or right less he miss the catch. Ace took a moment before Luck thought he saw something flash in his eyes.


    "Ready." He said calmly.


    The dagger fell hilt first and Luck watched Ace eye it. Through nothing on Luck''s part but the tenseness of the moment time seemed to slow as the blade spun. Angling left, the hilt was moving away from Ace and the blade was facing him. It fell past Ace''s shoulder spiraling away.


    Luck was about to sigh before Ace''s hand shot out like a viper, catching the blade by his index and thumb.


    There was an awed silence.


    "Lucky, I''ll let you know when to pull me up so I can sink this thing higher on the wall. Wouldn''t be too well to hang from down here." Ace called up.


    Nayah as if her words just caught up to her. "Wow."


    Maxworth hung almost motionless and only the swaying of Nayah moved him. His grip was firm on both his dagger and Nayah''s arm. "Ah, I see."


    "Now, Lucky."


    Luck''s bicep curled as Ace''s did and he shot up higher than Luck though he could propel him. The dagger in his hand, glowing red and sparking with electricity, sunk into the metal wall and slipped downwards a few inches before it cooled.


    Erok lifted Luck up to Ace and they locked arms.


    "Nice." Luck said.


    "Thanks, it should be cool enough to pull out as well. Not hot enough to completely melt the metal of the wall. There might be some magic on this dagger too." Ace replied.


    "The form of my dagger is preserved through magic," Maxworth replied, confirming that they, in fact, were daggers. Not shortswords. "You did well, my weapon will be fine to extract after we are all safely evacuated from this drop."


    "Brace yourselves. This might shake the wall." Erok, clinging onto the wall by one hand in the jagged crevice the dagger carved, reached around his back and unlatched his greathammer from the stone of his body.


    He swung his body left and slammed the hammerintothe wall. A large dent formed in the shape of his hammerhead. Thrice more and he broke through.


    Luck felt the impact travel through Ace''s arm. He didn''t seem to be bothered.


    The edges of the entrance were sharp jagged steel that would''ve ripped into any fleshy person that tried to enter the way Erok did. He slipped into it like a water slide. Seconds later he was hammering down the edges and flattening the opening.


    "How are we doing this?" Erok asked. "If any of you want to swing over I can grab you."


    Instead, focusing, Luck shifted the stone from the tunnel out into the shaft to create a pathway both under himself and Nayah.


    Nayah was about to drop down but Luck stopped her.


    "Hold." He called over. More stone moved and created supports under the pathway and even then Luck held onto the construct with his mana to strengthen it. "Alright go ahead and drop down."


    Nayah did so gingerly, back pressed against the edge of the shaft as she moved to Erok who held out a hand which she took. Maxworth pulled upwards on his dagger and pulled it up through the carved trench before dropping lightly on his feet, calmly walking to Erok who, this time, didn''t bother to lend a hand.


    Luck released Ace''s arm and walked confidently, his improved balance from the Familiar Bond could''ve had him hopping on one leg. Ace heated the dagger and slipped down against the wall as the dagger melted through before pulling it out when his feet touched stone and walking over nonchalantly, handing the dagger to Maxworth.


    "Ideas?" Nayah asked through chattering teeth, it wasn''t until now that Luck ever saw her shiver.


    He laid a hand on her shoulder and he could sense she was hesitant but accepted the magic. Instantly her eyes widened and her shivering lessened. Ace gave her a knowing nod.


    "Erok can you sense rock?" Luck asked, curious as to how he determined there was a hollow area.


    "To a degree, Druid," Erok said. "I am not the most talented of the Rhoride Hammers in this. Perhaps ten feet in either direction."


    "Then we''d be roaming aimlessly." Ace said.


    Come to think of it, could Luck?


    Spirit? Analysis of these tunnels, throw up every detail.


    Old tunnels as evidenced by stalagmites and stalactites. Clear pathways hint at artificial tampering. Dampness hints at perhaps some type of underground thermal activity. It should be cold enough down here to form icicles and snow, this tunnels lacks that.


    Boxes stemmed from the walls denoting approximate humidity, geological composition, density and more.


    Is a more advanced scan possible? Can we map these tunnels?


    It is possible through Earth magic but that level of mastery has not been achieved.


    Luck nodded, he wasn''t kidding himself. He doubted he could learn another new sense so fast. Perhaps with time in the tunnel but as is their methods were limited.


    He tuned back into the conversation.


    "Any maze that isn''t multi-floored can be completed by keeping your hand on the right-hand wall. Eventually, you''ll hit the entrance if the maze is a standard one without tricks." Erok explained.


    "That works?" Nayah asked.


    "It does but that method requires more time than puzzle solving might," Maxworth argued. "It might be more efficient to look for other methods."


    "This isn''t a maze." Luck reminded them. "These are just tunnels. I say we head deeper. An underground base is the best kind of place to keep all these mechs in the mountains. I''ll leave pillars of stone so we don''t repeat our steps."


    They roamed the tunnels for what seemed forever. Occasionally Spirit would remark on a particularly interesting geological specimen, oddly forming where it shouldn''t be. At one time Erok commented on the formation of a bright orange-yellow gem, rough in the stone.


    "Orstone." He said. "Mages use them as mana stones."


    Ace blinked. "Citrine." He said, noting similarities. "But... not. Weird." He said, rubbing his chin.


    Perhaps commonalities shared between their worlds have different properties when exposed to mana. It was a thought that Luck pondered walking through the tunnels. For the most part, aside from Spirit''s constant analysis, to which it Spirit only used a mere 4% of its capabilities Luck kept to sensing the Earth.


    He asked Ace for tips. "How do you sense lightning? Electricity? I''m trying to do the same with the earth."


    "You can sense lightning? That''s rare." Nayah jerked her head towards Ace but then looked to Luck oddly. "But, I believe it''s rarer for someone of your control of Earth to not be able to sense it." She spoke.


    Luck could only shrug.


    "Lightning is power. Energy. It''s almost like an aura I feel except more static, tingly. When untamed that is. The energy running through Guard, for example, was more guided and purposed." Ace began. He added the next part in English, away from the ears of the rest. "Again, like utilizing your Time magic, it might be a completely different feeling. Scratch that, it probably is quite a different sensation."


    "Hmm." Luck hummed.


    He focused on the essence of earth itself. The compositions he saw along the boxes that Spirit displayed, the formation of stalagmites and pillars of stone. The density and hard-packed nature of the earth. He connected his understanding of the passing of time to the creation of caves and tunnels. His understanding of the natural world to the animals and creatures it supported.


    It was stability. A foundation of support below the feet of even those underground. A force of nature like any other. A shoulder to rely on or a helping hand. Earth was stability, and perhaps, Luck thought, the element with the most potential in terms of creation.


    The next step he took forward it was as if it shined a light in an empty cavern blossoming out from his foot to encompass the tunnel he stood in. His eyebrows shot upwards. His eyes were closed gently but his pupils moved wildly to accommodate the new sense as if believing they should be seeing something. But he did. He saw the tunnel and the people as they moved across the stone.


    His earth-vision died ten meters from him. No better than Erok.


    The concentration required was immense. As if he had to keep swiveling his head around to keep the areas around him in focus. His brain couldn''t handle all the information. All he saw was the stone, the earth. And underground as they were that meant everything.


    "Maxworth, turn left." Luck said suddenly whereupon they came across a fork in the tunnel.


    Wordlessly he did. Luck led them down the tunnels, further and further until his view suddenly died in a pit of blackness. Of nothingness. He startled, opening his eyes.


    Nayah was staring at the walls. "Metal." She said. "This is the place then." Clean, seemingly smooth metal lined the walls. The hall was square rather than round like the tunnel.


    "You can sense then?" She asked. "I thought you couldn''t. Surely, Ace''s advice wasn''t so enlightening."


    "I just learned how." Luck replied. "I''m a fast student."


    "Wh-what?" Nayah coughed. "That''s absurd."


    "It''s the truth too." Luck responded languidly.


    The metal hallway, what likely would be some entrance into the hypothesized underground facility, took the better part of an hour wandering through the tunnels. It was wider than the tunnels, perhaps three times their size. Whatever bots roamed this area were probably wider or left in larger droves. Perhaps an exit for a mass of sphere-blades?


    "Shall we?" Maxworth said dully, his feet, contrary to Luck''s belief, were silent on the metal. Luck expected at least some clanging between the metal man and the floor but there was nothing.


    Erok grinned, his heavy footfalls as muffled as he could make them as he followed.


    Navigation through use of Earth magic will prove easier as the Mk3 learns.Spirit informed.Passive techniques automated like this allow the user to focus on more expedient problems.


    How often do Mk3 hosts die because they rely on their Mk3 too much?


    Define "too much".


    Ignoring danger and risks expecting their Mk3 to shore up their ignorance.


    38% of users succumb to laziness and reliance on their S.I. and in turn, die to easily avoidable dangers. This trend of deaths has been studied in depth by the company''s researchers furiously. As you''ve addressed this problem you will be included in the statistic of those who recognize the importance of their own autonomy.


    Luck practiced his earth-vision. He wouldn''t be like them. He would at least know his own magic before delegating it to Spirit. Luck, better than most, knew that everything could be taken away from you. He didn''t think for a second that what he had couldn''t be taken from him. He did believe, however, that he could do everything he could to prevent that possibility.


    When they came across their first enemy it was a relief that Maxworth was leading, the one who likely had the strength to match his reflexes.


    The robot that emerged began instantly trading blows with Maxworth as it rounded the corner. It was humanoid. Maxworth dispatched it in seconds, not a dent in his arms.


    "A different variant." He said, bending over the body.


    There were multiple dents to the neck and head that Luck presumed had finally done it in. Ace neared, an arc of electricity melting away the outer layer of its metal. As the metal parted in a curtain of glowing slag, the interior revealed the same crystals they had pointed out earlier albeit along with many more varied ones.


    Maxworth stood watch while Luck plucked the crystals and held them in his hand. Two were smaller than his pinky and the largest one was the size of his palm. They all varied in color from the orange-yellow orstone or citrine to almost sapphire blue and emerald green. The sizes though seemed to be of significance. As did the strange markings on the interior of the bot itself, no doubt some lost to the melting of its casing.


    Mana stones, rough cut and set into a complicated engraving. Orstone as a mana battery has one of the highest transfer rates of mana to other sources than any other stone in its level of abundance. The general information package does not include any data on advanced engravings or enchantments.


    "Manaless, or extremely efficient. I can''t sense anything coming off of these." Nayah crinkled her nose. "Are they dwarven or gnomish? Maybe tinkish inspired?"


    "These are not dwarven nor gnomish," Erok replied. "These are the farthest things from dwarven made golems or gnomish inspired tinkering that I''ve seen."


    "As for the Tinkish, these are not made by them either," Maxworth replied, not looking back.


    Ace glanced at Luck. "No weapons on it, Lucky."


    "No bullets, no ammo, no gun. I''ve noticed." He said.


    What had they heard earlier then? They''ve spent their whole lives listening to the noise, practicing its effects, honing the sound. They knew exactly what made that noise and what it meant. But these bots didn''t seem to have any equipment save for themselves.


    "How did it fight?" Ace asked.


    "As perhaps an adept might. One still in training." Maxworth replied. "Commendable if their numbers are as the others are."


    They were moving again in the next minute. Three more of these bots came and Ace brought up the possibility they may be communicating but Ace felt no electricity that might hint at communication and neither Spirit, Luck or Nayah could determine any other methods. The fact they kept running into them was simple coincidence.


    That was until they spotted one of these humanoid bots opening sections of the lower torso. It was filled with gems. And it was moving toward a side access tunnel ahead, having come from what looked to be an entrance to the caverns. They must have come from an empty branch where they had missed one orstone.


    "Resource gathering then?" Maxworth voiced, looking at a scratch on his arm. "Perhaps that explains the hardened hands."


    It wasn''t long until the bot brought them into a huge room surrounding a glass cube frozen over by the temperature. Even Luck felt the drop in temperature as soon as the bot led them into the open area. The place was upwards of a hundred meters high and longer than that. Boxes of gems and glowing stones lay about, the bot they followed dropping its load in one of these.


    The group quickly made their way behind the largest stacks of these boxes tucked against the walls of the room. Here, they were unseen with a generous view of the happenings around them.


    "What is that glass?" Nayah whispered, staring at the piece dominating the entire room. "It''s massive."


    The majority of movement around the steel enforced glass cube were the humanoid bots but Luck spotted other sphere-blades darting about and other strange bots that hovered around on what seemed to be a sled. These ones supervised movements around the supplies, whatever they were for.


    "What is this facility for?" Ace said softly, looking around. He plucked a gem from the box and rolled it between his palms.


    Pipes and wires ran through the room. It was much warmer against the wall than it was closer to the center of the room. The bots closest to the glass cube moved extremely slow, frosted over as they were. It was as if the heat of the walls were fighting to contain the cold emanating from the cube. Scaffolding ran around the entire wall, multiple levels of solid steel lining the interior.


    "Do you see anyone who could be heading this whole operation?" Luck asked the group.


    Erok, the tallest, peered over the stack scanning the surroundings. "I see an overhead balcony, looks like a viewing area it does not look like anyone is there though, Druid." He ducked back down.


    Nayah was looking through the cracks between the boxes. "I see nothing either."


    A rough, angry cackle enveloped the room.


    Luck peered through the boxes.


    A person hunched over, but it seemed that was just his posture. He was large, and covered in metal parts. Sections of his arm were replaced with metal, half his skull was the same. His lower half wasn''t in Luck''s view.


    "Half-gnome, half-goblin," Nayah whispered. "Looks more gnome."


    The half-gnome cackled, like an honest mad scientist, his legs disappeared into a mech''s lower half. As if the half-gnome was piloting the legs. "Idiots! Trying to break into my citadel! The hearth of my power!"


    Following him, a sturdy-looking man in a blue robe and a man encompassed in steel. Luck thought he was seeing adventurers for the first time aside from Maxworth and Erok. A mage and a knight.


    Unfortunately, they were held in place by dinged up bots though that didn''t seem to dull their functions.


    "My autolings are specifically created to resist frost idiot! This is the Frozen Zones! An ice mage is the first thing I''ve accounted for!" The half-gnome cackled, his wispy white hair unsure what to do.


    The blue-robed man struggled against his bonds, growling. Frost traveled up the robot holding him but nothing changed his situation. The ice mage''s eyes were as cold as the room as he stared at the half-gnome. His arm was broken Luck realized, but it was frozen over, likely in a splint. The knight, in contrast, stayed solemn.


    Luck was about to move when a familiar voice subdued him.


    Careful Amber Eyes, the enemy, do not underestimate. Fire and metal, dangerous.


    Where are you?


    Luck''s eyes immediately moved to the piping and thick wires, thinking he might see Saga along the support beams. It was where he would''ve hidden if he could. Yet, he still couldn''t spot the shar. Even with his trained eyes and heightened perception.


    Among the walls, hiding. The enemy does not see me but I cannot get close. He is aware of things even behind him. The captured were stemming the tide of enemies down the mountain. I believe them allies.


    Luck rubbed his chin. They were the reason he didn''t need to use the aspect of the macid. There were too little mechs for the time he was gone. It was because of these two. Had they shot the gun too? They didn''t have any weaponry except for the knights metal sword, attached to his side.


    Spirit didn''t recognize the mount the half-gnome rode but Luck observed the openings in front of the thing. Some type of projectile or perhaps a simple flamethrower. Burns weren''t something Luck wanted right now. He looked around for a moment before he found an access ladder up to the scaffolding on the walls.


    He climbed upwards.


    From there, the rest watched him climb around the scaffolding, parts of it jutting out above the robots to get close to the cube. None, however, Luck noticed, got as close as the initial overhead balcony. The balcony was higher than the scaffolding along the wall and stopped right above the cube.


    Moments later, Maxworth and Ace were by Luck''s side. They were both silent. Erok stayed below and stopped Nayah from following. He knew he was too large to hide well but was aware of at least Ace''s background. The two had formed the beginnings of a friendship. Maxworth''s presence needed no explanation. The gentleman was dangerous.


    Ace and Luck perhaps more.


    The scaffolding wasn''t a solid platform, instead, it was a metal mesh that allowed visibility through its floor. It was on one of the jutting sections that they perched, right above the half-gnome.


    Luck took a moment to admire the cut of the ice mage''s robes as one of the bots holding him threw him down. His ice-coated arm bounced loudly against the floor and he groaned in pain. The knight beside him, his armor and faceplate didn''t move. Instead, Luck imagined he saw his grip tighten.


    The half-gnome walked up to the cube. "You have no idea what I''m doing here. Trespassers, especially any idiot that made their way this deep into my home, have to be eliminated." Luck made a face when he saw the half-gnome was wearing. Old leathers and what appeared to be ripped cotton patches that covered little, obvious burns and soot coated the material.


    The ice mage stood up. "If you think my guild will allow someone to operate in the Frozen Zones you''re sorely mistaken. You''ve already broken into our sanctuaries in your excavations that enough will warrant searches. They''ll find you." He growled. "You sick halfling, who are you?"


    "I''m Noshm, creator of the New Age!" Yellow teeth lined his mouth as a warty tongue licked his lips. "With this facility, I can power my greatest creation. An autoling so powerful it could raze cities by its own!" He announced, cackling with insanity. "And you two, especially the mage, will only help power it!"


    The knight spoke, a hollow bass emanating from the faceplate. "This cube is your greatest creation?" He asked, skeptic. The knight had not struggled at all, though it was clear he was injured by the way he stood. Likely, he was smart enough not to anger his captors. It was a skill taught early in the underground. "Doesn''t seem that impressive."


    "No, fool. The cube is just another source of power." Noshm glared, mechanized legs stomping.


    "Then what is it?" Ace looked around.


    "You''reinsideof it."


    Luck paused. Inside of it? The gems were power sources. Theentirefacility was his creation? An autoling as he called it? That didn''t bode well.


    "Damn." Luck said, noticing again the wirings running through the place. Pipes came out at angles and other wires connected to the cube in the middle of the room. More wires split to create circles with etchings drawn inside of them. Boxes of gems rested in these and seemed to glow dully. "Everything is connected." He said to Ace and Maxworth who simply nodded.


    "Finally, silence." He breathed, nostrils flaring. ''Yes, the facility itself is my creation. When I say it is capable of razing cities not only do I mean in terms of power. I mean it in terms of size too. It is my grandest work. It took half a century after the 17th Dimensional Breach. But now, Aerae has known peace too long. I will rule cities!" He bragged, completely open with his plan.


    The 17th Dimensional Breach is renowned as skeptic history. Insufficient historical records describe or even mention the occurrences of any other Dimensional Breach aside from the 1st one, and even then the 1st Dimensional Breach was never described in any large degree. Later, ancient discoveries detailed the 101st and 112th Breaches. The 17th Breach, as mentioned by Noshm, does not occur in any world lore and only posited to be true should one believe the Breaches even exist. They are supposed ancient events of spacial invasions.


    Noshm is from the past then. Another victim of Ethodthem. Perhaps he was frozen in ice as well?


    Noshm, thinking, looked to the cube. "Perhaps my source of power needs sustenance, however. Yes, perhaps you will serve better as food." He grinned.


    Luck noticed the odd look on the ice mage, held down by his frosted robot warden. He followed his eyes to the frozen cube. And he noticed again the steel reinforcements and spotted glowing etchings on their surfaces. His eyes tracked the frozen snowflake designs that frosted the cube when he realized they were on the inside.


    He was staring at glass.


    A shadow moved against the glass and the entirety of the room was engulfed in a roar that shook even the gems. The shadow formed a figure but ultimately a claw scraped against the inside of the glass creating a noise as unpleasant as the roar. The ice on the inside was carved away and an eye as blue as the sky and as large as Luck stared down at Noshm.


    "It is not a cube, fools." Noshmsnapped his fingers and the robots moved to haul the knight and mage towards an elevator. "It''s a cage."


    Luck stared through the scaffolding floor as Noshm passed under him. Ace and Maxworth had their eyes glued to the glass cage. The ice mage was staring upwards, dumbfounded.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    Hidden Quest!: Free the Frost Drake (Replaces: Free the Frozen Zones of Foreign Influence! and Conquering the Frozen Zones!)


    A Frost Drake, awakened by Ethodthem, arose from an icy slumber only to succumb to the ambitious Noshm to be used as a mana battery for his greatest creation. Free the Frost Drake and stop Noshm''s Massive Autoling from seeing the light of day!


    Rewards: Chance of Blessing, Chance of Lesser Boon, Ally, Information


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 20 - Frost Drake

    On all accounts, the Legend of the Seven has been proven impossible. Mages, magicians, wizards, and sorcerers have repeatedly stressed the impossibility of such people to have ever existed. Yet their story inspires confidence in children who hear it. I refuse to succumb to the facts of the modern age and subscribe to the mysteries of the past. I believe in the Mists of Rathul, the Ents of Zan, the Dragons of Durn, the Oceans of Clim-Atz, the Blood Gold Sky, the Hardest Ground, and the Baths of Ryuv! For if they don''t exist what use is the wonder of magic?


    -CraddusFaul, Famed Historian, Speech at the Annual Scholar''s Meet


    Luck debated for a heartbeat''s length on jumping down on top of Noshm as he passed under him. It would''ve been as easy as a few silent steps and quick vault over the guard railing. Luck wasn''t a complete stranger to knocking people out from above. He checked himself, however, noticing both Ace and Maxworth making no moves.


    Those two would know better than him.


    "You can''t get away with this! Magicewill come looking!" The mage yelled, being dragged against his will.


    Noshm grinned, stepping aside as an open elevator lifted both victims until they were level with the glass cage. The knight was stoic, tugged roughly by the slightly larger humanoid bots. The robed mage fared less well. He struggled, freezing the bots and deterring their task as much as possible.


    They led the two towards a suspended pathway above the glass cage that ended in an open horseshoe.


    The mage stared wide-eyed, pausing in his struggle, as a section of the cage below him glowed dimly before opening slightly. A claw slammed against the opening with a sickening screech, almost immediately as the opportunity was there.


    "Bastard." He spat.


    And it was Noshm''s mistake that his attention shifted long enough to gloat as it was in that exact moment that the knight''s armor split into itchingly familiar scythes, slicing off the bonds of both him and his allied mage.


    The mage yelled arcane words, Luck''s Omnilingual scrambling to translate something akin to "Be still and freeze."What followed was the instant freezing of his immediate surroundings. The robot closest him to him flash froze into a sculpture of pristine ice.


    "Bout damn time." The ice mage growled, breaking a frozen finger off the encased robot reaching for him.


    "Trespassers!" Noshm yelled, fiddling furiously with controls interior to his mechanized legs. "You are in the heart of my creation. Don''t think escape is even possible, fools!"


    The knight whom Luck had assumed was male had created a larger weapon that drew from her armor. She shattered the frozen enemies with what Luck could only liken to an enlarged baseball bat.


    "After that? We''ll kill you first, dick." She said.


    Luck, Maxworth, and Ace, despite all the commotion, stood stock still, observing the happenings. Luck was trained to remain reactionary in such situations. Maxworth, Luck thought, had similar habits drilled into him. All observed the tidings below with almost cold, cutting eyes. That was, until that last line.


    Luck made to look at Ace to find the man staring intently at the knight before he returned to Luck an odd look.


    "That... was English." Ace said slowly.


    "It was." Luck said slowly, recognizing something in the voice, both he and Ace willing the knight to turn around.


    "And that voice." Ace continued. "It sounded like..."


    Then, the knight turned, face exposed.


    The moment between breaths. Stillness eternal. Round-faced and roughly battered, the intelligence of a Lockyer shone through the cold grime in the form of bright brown eyes. Lifeless, a hole in her head, lying dead in a puddle of her still-pooling blood. Her figure, outlined in a shimmering pool of reflective metal. His sister, alive and well.


    Tate Lockyer.


    Luck was up, dashing toward the spider-webbed scaffolding against the wall. Moments later, Ace was behind him. Wordlessly, his eyes roamed the vertical jungle gym, darting back to the level of the glass cage, then to his sister fighting on the horseshoe.


    His calloused hand found a single handhold before his mind took over, finding paths upwards through the bars, mesh, and railings. Spirit''s guidance plotted a course as well. A new sense of balance allowed him to adjust grips and switch between bars with fewer points of contact than he''d usually risk. He hefted himself upward, using his upper arms only for speed. The burn would dissipate in moments thanks to his regeneration. He vaulted over the railing, landing amidst what seemed to be some type of worker bots.


    Luck''s eyes were focused amber.


    Ace, who had been following Luck hauled himself over the guard railing.


    "I can''t zap them all, Lucky." Ace said simply, as their eyes turned red. "I can try though."


    A blast of power sent the first group against the wall while an arc of lightning hopped frantically between four more of the workers, melting parts of their body to slag. And like a blaring alarm, thunder slammed the eardrums of every living being in the large room. Cries went up from below as a large roken began creating problems for the bots beneath.


    Noshm yelled something, but Luck''s ears were ringing. He didn''t have time to parse out his sentence. He only acknowledged openings in the room that hadn''t been there before and the large contingent of bots moving towards their level, using the elevators or outright climbing up the scaffolding. It didn''t seem they were concerned for the structural support as Luck was.


    His chitin carapace flowed throughout his body. Black carapace grew upon abs, shoulders, and arms as he ducked under the saw-blade of a worker, easily pushing the bot off balance and over the edge. His clothes tightened with the carapace finishing and he removed them leaving alone his pants and shoes, sighing at the inconvenience. He heard the bot crash into the floor and found its limbs dented, rendering it useless.


    Erok waved upwards, slamming his great hammer against the bot before warding more off. Luck smirked, noticing Nayah missing. Where had Maxworth gone for that matter? He had no time to think more on it.


    His stamina was near limitless but he couldn''t push them all off. They left fewer and fewer openings, avoiding Ace and moving towards Luck instead when the path allowed. Their simple mass was a problem Luck couldn''t immediately overcome.


    Around Ace and further up were piles of slag still hot to the touch. Ace had barely kept the space between them free of the bots. Robots had climbed onto the pathway between them. Some held saw-blades, others held drills, but the vast majority seemed to have thumbed hands, which was a sight in itself. Luckily, they didn''t know how to use them for combat.


    Still, Luck would rather not be literally disarmed. He didn''t doubt the strength of his chitin but he didn''t want a repeat of the explosion that took chunks from him earlier.


    Even here, surrounded by metal and alloy and the artificial, Luck held a connection to nature as strong as if he stood in the most revered of forests. Luck knew, in Aerae, magic was just as naturally occurring as any regular animal. And it was with that mindset that he drew upon one of the few magical species of his Grove.


    The aspect of the macid came to him.


    Already, his chitin armor coated his body, but he felt the aspects combine and link and connect the way only Nature magic could. In moments, Luck''s carapace shone dimly with reflective transparent-green fluid, glands formed right below the chitin to coat the body. Luck felt slight fatigue as there was a harder tug on his mana, but his physical regeneration somewhat made up for it despite the fatigue not being material at all.


    The next worker bot that lunged for his arm held on for no longer than two seconds before magically enhanced acid began to eat away at a large part of its limb. Luck shook the decay off, walking forward through the crowd of metal. He made it to Ace, hissing metal behind him as a pathway in his shape was carved through the robots. Add to those odd formations of melted slag and behind them, the scaffolding might''ve been an abstract art museum of half-made sculptures. He strode up beside Ace who had turned around while keeping a constant stream of lightning forward.


    Ace rose an eyebrow before gesturing forward. "You first then."


    "No complaints here." Luck smirked, rushing forward.


    The acid of the macid was especially effective as its reaction ratio was heavily favored toward the acid. It took a mass degrees larger to dilute the acid completely and its consistency and magic lent itself to spread forward as it ate away at its target. In short, in large masses of melee opponents, the macid was perfect for this situation, especially so given the fact no one but Ace and Erok had any effective countermeasures against simply resilient opponents.


    Luck darted among the scaffolding, somehow instinctively knowing how to make the acid inert as he vaulted over guard rails and hopped between metal support poles that wouldn''t be wise to eat away at. Instead of succumbing to an uncountable amount of small blows Luck struck in advance against joints where he could and torsos when the opportunity aligned. A single blow was enough to incite the dissolving process.


    The workers, though dangerous in droves, proved utterly useless against Luck. He was a black figure, glimmering in clear green liquid that melted his way towards Noshm. It was a few minutes in when Ace decided to stay back and conserve his mana. The workers would simply throw themselves against Luck and there was nothing they could do as they disintegrated. He moved in a slight rhythm, ducking and weaving and striking while moving forward, upward, and across gaps in unstable pathways that went unfixed. Probably due to the fact that no organic creature used the pathways anyways.


    They reached the pathway leading directly over the glass cage after what felt like ages.


    Noshm stood on mechanized legs, powerful pistons visibly correcting and adjusting as the half-gnome half-goblin glared at Luck. Tate and the blue robed mage stood across from Noshm, the two parties on opposite sides of the horseshoe.


    Noshm whispered to himself but Luck''s enhanced eyes and Omnilingual allowed him to read the lips of the gnome-goblin. "More intruders? It won''t be long now." He growled, staring into one of the opened sections of the walls before he yelled across the gap in the horseshoe. "My combat autolings are returning and then you''ll be drake feed, fools! Surrender and I might grant you an easy death!"Flames burst forth from his half-mech.


    The ice mage whispered something, jabbing forward in respectable form. "When the Zones thaw you blasted halfling!" Luck deemed him capable. It didn''t seem that either had noticed Luck or Ace, however.


    A cloud of frost met the flame and violent steam erupted between them. The drake below roared his breath blasting plumes of frost upward from the cage, creating even lower visibility. Luck felt his carapace vibrate with the noise, grimacing at the effect on his ears.


    Noshm, in the cover of steam and powered by his mech legs, powered around the horseshoe. Luck caught a glimpse of Tate and the mage reacting before bots blocked his view. They were crawling from below, though they were nowhere near the level of the floor or any scaffolding. Luck looked down to find that Noshm''s "autolings" like ants, had created a bridge of themselves to climb up to the horseshoe esque path.


    There was banging below and a large chunk of grasping robots toppled over to the floor like a tree before they could latch onto the pathway. Luck peered over the edge and found Erok smashing away like a lumberjack, unharmed but looking tired, at the base of the robot-made tower.


    "Lucky." Ace gestured. "I say we just blast through. God, this would be quite the easy task with a gun."


    "I agree. He''s rather exposed up there isn''t he?" He responded. "Have to admit though, magic is pretty fun."


    "After you, man."


    They, or rather Luck, barreled forward, leaning on his enhanced stamina and strength from his traits as well as Saga''s bond to keep his balance and head straight. He left a mass of robots dissolving with a hiss behind him. A saw blade came for his neck, a particularly vulnerable spot, and Luck swiveled right and tripped the bot with an acid-coated leg. He tapped one on the chest and pushed one''s face away, acid eating at both in the moments after. The hardest part was moving the bodies out of the way so he could keep momentum.


    It wasn''t long before they came to the base of the U-shaped path. Now, they were perilously above the hole in the cage. A single clawed hand still scraped at the opening to no avail. They would have to watch their steps.


    Noshm, twice as tall as either ice mage or his sister, kept advancing. Jets of flame, rather predictable Luck thought, erupted from the chassis of his legs. In this way, the mage was kept busy while other sections of the gnome-goblin''s chassis opened up to fire shrapnel. Close enough to a shotgun Luck thought.


    Tate held a shield, still not having noticed him and focusing on the shrapnel. The ice mage cooled the area of flames, raising what looked like small ice people that served only to divert the flames for scant moments. Tate was shoved backward painfully with each sharp explosion of shrapnel.


    Luck pulled hard on Saga, still somewhere along the walls.


    The shar sensed this.I am with you, Amber Eyes.


    Always, Saga.


    Luck staggered as a wave of weakness took over him. His mind fogged for a dangerous second, his step faltering, even as his senses enhanced and his nails sharped.


    Mana capacity reaching threshold. A magical practitioner of greater skill would have trouble weaving these many aspects together. It is an unprecedented event that your body can hold them in equilibrium. Extended use may be damaging not only to your material self but your magical projection as well.Spirit chimed, a calm voice amid the chaos.


    Luck, breathing hard, responded. "You didn''t stop me?" He was too tired to communicate mentally.


    The Mk3 has no authority to arrest user control unless strictly given access. Advance warnings can only be predicted to an extent, such a sudden draw on another aspect was unexpected. The Mk3 may divert resources to reading surface thoughts and mapping out user behavior if it is acceptable. 46% of users allow such mapping.


    Luck reset himself. His breath leveled as his focus sharpened, easily seen in the feline eyes he now possessed narrowing at Noshm. Under his acidic carapace, taut muscles tensed. He took in the sights around his peripheral. Bots unable to reach the necessary height to interfere. A deep bass ringing from the open sections of the wall that could only be combat bots, which Luck assumed were the blade-spheres and gorilla bots. Ace behind him, Maxworth and Nayah missing. Saga somewhere higher along the walls, watching and waiting.


    Luck sprinted forward, lighter on his feet than one would assume.


    "Fuck off, bastard!" Tate yelled, odd barrels forming in the front of her shield. And then the sound of a ringing gunshot. Bullets? The bullets pinged off his metal chassis. A miss.


    Luck dashed into the fight right as Tate''s shield flowed up and down her body. She wobbled on her feet but her eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of Luck. She wouldn''t have recognized him. She would''ve seen a black figure darting low towards Noshm''s mechanized legs.


    Another jet of flame and in her shield''s place a solid wall of perfect sparkling ice erected.


    Luck slid under Noshm and kicked violently at both his legs. He was surprised when his carapaced legs rebounded violently. He repositioned but Noshm''s pistoned legs got away from him. In a motion too fast for Luck to follow Noshm had his shrapnel gun pointed at Luck''s chest.


    "Die, intruder."


    Luck blinked, two things running through his mind. One, his mana was too low while maintaining these aspects to pause time. Even at rest, that magic took a large chunk of his mana. And two, he was about to get shot in the chest.


    He threw his arms up in front of him as he was impacted off his feet, thrown against the floor.


    He felt fine. He sprung onto his feet immediately, not taking it for granted. The carapace''s kinetic sponges did the trick and the carapace itself remained only scratched. Noshm jerked in surprise, lining up another shot.


    A crackle of lightning drew Luck''s attention for a second before ozone filled the air and Noshm''s half-mech was brought to its knees.


    He turned back towards his tired friend. "Thanks, Ace." He called briefly, dashing forward.


    "Wasn''t me!" He called back.


    Just then he saw a sky-blue streak paint the air above. The sounds of whistling wind and crackling lightning followed the color as it danced about jetting blade-spheres.


    Tric.


    Tric led the blade-spheres on chase, darting into one of the many tunnels. Nearly all of the sharp orbs followed her trail.


    Noshm glared upwards and then back down to Luck who was charging him. "Enough!" And a pulse of orange energy erupted from his mech, crackling tendrils of not-quite electricity licking at metal and flesh alike in the span of a second.


    Silence.


    Then Luck was on the floor. Immobile. For a second he thought there was a weight on him but he couldn''t even move his head to check. His body was unresponsive, though at least he breathed. But this didn''t bode well. His carapace remained but from the tilt of his head, he could only see Noshm.


    Scanning paralysis.Somatic nervous system rendered completely inert. Exceptional Regeneration and Troll''s Blood interactions with this type of effect have yet to be observed. Without any outside factors, this paralysis might last hours or longer.


    "To think I had to sacrifice the unique mana stones of my own legs!" He roared. The half gnome-goblin dismounted, a small body, maybe five feet tall emerged. He wore dirty leathers, covered in blast marks and ash. Upon his tool belt was an uncountable amount of knick-knacks. He pulled a knife from somewhere and pointed at Luck with it. "You." He spoke. "You''ve set me back, dirty human. I''ll kill you! I''ll kill you!" He ran, scrambling on fours at times.


    Luck only stared at him, unable to speak as he walked with a knife in hand. Luck was calm despite all this. In terms of victims, Noshm had made the worst possible choice.


    The halfling stood above Luck. "Die! Die!" He drove the knife towards Luck''s chest.The knife broke.


    Luck''s mouth did not smirk.


    But the halfling wasn''t an idiot. And Luck felt his heart somewhat quicken when Noshm disappeared for a moment before reappearing with a saw blade and drill, components separated from his worker bots. A chilling grin crept up the gnome-goblin''s face as he worked Luck''s carapace. The saw ripped finely at Luck''s armor before Noshm gave up and switched to the drill. A crack formed on Luck''s chest and he quickly made peace with the fact he was about to experience immense pain. Torture wasn''t something new, unfortunately.


    He''d be a damn long distraction though.


    Then a silver dart launched the gnome-goblin at an incredibly painful speed.


    "Hmm, it seems he possesses some type of forcefield, sir." A familiar voice sounded. "Shame. Certain magical shields are easily penetrable with my weapons. This one, not so much."


    It was Maxworth.


    Luck still couldn''t move. "The othersare paralyzed. I was unaffected. Erok is below keeping the larger bots busy with Nayah''s support. Tric is keeping the smaller orbs busy as well. I did not anticipate your sudden move to help the two strangers, forgive me for being late. They are limp as well." Maxworth said. "That said, I believe I have a gnoblin to defeat. Curious, it seems he inherits the inventiveness of both his ancestor races."


    A roar shook the room again, encompassing even the hammering of Erok''s blows below. The Frost Drake below sounded angry.


    Noshm''s voice came into focus as the roar receded. "My work cannot be undone! Ethodthem wills it! A Quest to conquer Last Light. The rewards are immense! None will know a halfling as successful as I!"


    It was a foolish dream. He imagined a massive robot emerging from the mountain being pelted by whatever spells or weapons Ardun had at hand. Was it warded against acid as Noshm''s mechanized legs were? If something in nature could produce acid as strong as the macid''s then what could a devoted mage do? Could his creation withstand every manner of spell? Was is structurally sound and immune to infiltration? The planning and schematics for such a project would be the work of multiple people over the course of decades or even centuries.


    Maxworth replied. "That is impossible." And Luck could make out the noise of Maxworth''s weapons rebounding. They were fighting then. A forcefield against Maxworth''s daggers. Luck didn''t discount the odd gizmos and gadgets he remembered hung from the gnome-goblin''s toolbelt.


    Explosions and sharp cracks littered the suspended pathway. Cold air accompanied another roar from the glass cage below. There was a clash of blades he couldn''t see. Another explosion. An explosion again, this time more shrill. Cursing and more cursing.


    "What kind of autoling are you?" Noshm shouted in surprise. Another explosion.


    "I am not some simple autoling." Maxworth began, a seriousness to his voice. "I am a Gentleman. A race of people created by a magicist that had unlocked the secrets of perpetual motion." Maxworth had an emphasis on his last words as Luck heard his blade strike forcefield again. "Do not forget that you pale in comparison to a true inventor. The Gentlemen, so revered, my creator''s life work, were even gifted by the God of Invention with souls. Such was the respect he garnered as a magicist."


    "Absurd! That''s not possible!" Noshm shouted in disbelief.


    "Everything is possible."


    Luck''s hand twitched.


    Exceptional Regeneration cells are adapting and recovering electrical charge between nerves. User''s body''s bioelectricity is being realigned. Somatic nervous system will return voluntary control in approximately two minutes.


    They moved into Luck''s vision and he caught Noshm''s gaze glance to one of the sections of the room that opened into tunnels. He grinned eerily as something stepped through, just barely visible in Luck''s peripheral. He tried to crane his neck, tried to follow Maxworth''s own gaze. The metallic man bent his knee.


    An orange blast of power shot Maxworth dead center, throwing him off the pathway and over the edge.


    Luck tried to follow Maxworth''s arc but his head wouldn''t follow. At the very least, he didn''t fall into the drake cage. But with Maxworth down no one could stop Noshm from killing everyone.


    "Finally." Noshm muttered. "Those combat bots take forever to move through the facility. Even my scouting orbs and lifters arrived first." He said this all as he walked over to Luck holding some caustic glowing rocks. He tossed them between his hands, staring at Luck. "Now, you wouldn''t happen to want to tell me how you got in, would you? Or better yet, let me know who might miss you?" His smile was all yellow and breath.


    Inwardly, Luck grimaced at his stinky clothes. There was no style there. Only a smattering of leather bruised by what looked like failed experiments or backlash from whatever explosions he was throwing around. It didn''t look the like he had any form of magic what with all the technology surrounding him.


    Luck was sprawled, one arm under him and one across the floor with his legs together. The arm under him twitched. He was slowly regaining feeling, but he didn''t need to actually give anything away by testing that himself. Spirit had been feeding him his body''s responsiveness every few seconds.


    After Luck only deigned to stare at him, "Not that you can talk, but you don''t seem like the type to, even if you could." Noshm frowned. He looked down at Luck thoughtfully when there was shouting below. He clicked his tongue. "More intruders." His eyes scanned the entirety of the room. "My combat bots will deal with this. What a mess you made, dirty human."


    Mana based forcefield operating at around 50% power. There is a physical aspect to the barrier as evidenced by Maxworth''s blows. Prolonged exposure to magically enhanced acid may be enough to drain the remaining power.


    What''s my body responsiveness at?


    87%


    He took, of all things, an ugly looking stick out of one of his pouches. "You are a pain. Nothing can set me back though. My creation is almost powered and once I erase you, intruders, I will be free to complete it. If this does not kill you, however, I will simply feed you to the drake."


    Warning magical artifact detected. Ice infused wand.


    An artifact? A powerful glowing light signaled the flesh in Luck''s chest to freeze like a blizzard in his lungs. Pain erupted as lances of pure cold shot deep into his body. Luck doubled over with the impact. Parts of his carapace became incredibly brittle as Noshm recognized progress. "Good. Three more shall kill you." Luck''s breath was hard to catch, freezing air coming from his mouth, he even felt his heartbeat coming slower. Repeated punches of cold to the chest. Good, solid, bone-breaking punches of shivering chill. That''s what the after effects felt like.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Noshm threw both hands upward, pointing the wand straight down like a dagger.


    100%


    Time froze. Luck got his arm under him and rolled out from under the wands trajectory. His carapace had disappeared, having released it to free up mana for the time pause. It was extraneous anyway. Luck could regenerate most things, the carapace was a countermeasure against being delimbed, fire, and pain in general.


    Now, with seconds to spare Luck was shirtless, glistening with reflective transparent-green acid. He went for a vicious killing elbow to Noshm''s face but a barrier formed inches from impact. It flickered oddly with time still paused. He did this twice more in the span of two seconds.


    Time resumed as Noshm''s barrier broke with the sound of powering down machinery. Luck''s elbow, still going for a fourth hit, shot right into Noshm''s face. His elbow landed with a sickening squelch, the result of enhanced muscle and bone density along with years of practice.


    His wand clattered to the side, inert and useless. "What...how?" He sputtered, clutching at the bloody mess that was his face.


    "Shut up." Luck spat sharply. "How long are-"


    Luck noticed Noshm''s eyes move down the pathway.


    Behind you, Amber Eyes.


    And then there was a crash as Luck turned around. He found Saga mid-air, having jumped from above. A tall humanoid robot was moving silently among slag and melted metal, sneaking up on Luck with mechanical steps. Saga''s claws sunk into its metal neck before beheading it completely. Saga disengaged with poise, landing perfectly on all fours as the body of the combat bot fell over the guard railing. Saga had probably recovered from the paralyzation due to the regenerative traits he received from Luck.


    Luck looked back down to Noshm, now hovering above the shorter gnome-goblin. "How long are my friends paralyzed?" He spoke in angry gnomic.


    Noshm''s eyes widened as Luck raised his arm, stuttering. "That could be-"


    "How long?" He yelled, kicking the gnome-goblin in the ribs. Noshm spattered out green-blue blood.


    The gnome-goblin groaned, curling up into himself. "Hours. How are you moving?" He gasped, reaching for something at his toolbelt. "How did you just... How?"


    Luck crushed the offending hand eliciting a pain-filled shriek. "Anymore of that and your whole arm goes." He said,his voice as cold as his chest. "You should''ve let us cross the Frozen Zones unbothered. It would''ve saved our time, and your life."


    Luck dragged the small halfling''s body towards the middle of the horseshoe. The drake below roared, encompassing the entire room again. He could feel frozen parts of his chest vibrate in response to the frost drake''s cry. He grimaced, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling. Spirit wasn''t needed to numb this level of pain.


    "P-please, I''ll do anything!"


    "Enough stalling. You think I don''t notice your bots below? They won''t reach you in time and if you don''t want to risk your own life I suggest you hold off on the energy blasts." Luck, holding the Noshm by the neck, jerked him violently towards the edge of the pathway. "I doubt that''ll kill me though. I''m a sticky bastard when I want to be."


    Luck was all too aware of the combat variants that had poured through the access tunnels. Spirit''s analysis of their capabilities was only assuaged by the sounds of Erok and Maxworth, who had survived the fall, below. It seemed Erok was as unaffected by the paralysis as Maxworth was.


    Two meters tall. Energy weapons similar to blade-sphere self-destruct mechanism. They are made of a heavier, denser cousin alloy to the blade-spheres and gorilla bots. Hacking and system interfacing prove futile. The autolings are automated independently, whatever directs their actions is not computer based.


    On the end of the horseshoe, both the ice mage and Tate lay still, Luck affording his sister a glance. Ace was the same behind him but for the most part, they were all fine. Luck''s eyes were cold amber when he looked back down at his hostage. He believed everyone deserved a second chance, but this gnome had threatened family and friends. Luck was going to kill him, there was no doubt.


    But training came before emotion. He would have his fill of information first.


    Noshm was large for being so short. Luck had a firm grip on the bloodied gnome-goblin''s neck. If not for his massive levels of stamina he would already be out of breath from this simple exercise. Noshm was heavy. The metal plates covering his arms and sections of his skull added to the weight. What Luck couldn''t see earlier was that his legs had similar augments, though for whatever purpose Luck couldn''t guess.


    "Are there others like you in the Zones?" Luck asked, making sure the gnome-goblin knew where his hand was.


    Noshm choked. "No." He said, "There is none like me."


    There was a pnuematic release of air from one of the sections of metal on Noshm''s shoulder and it slid backward revealing a compartment. Suddenly, Luck had a syringe in his arm, pumping clear fluid into his bloodstream. Luck looked down, recognizing the name of the poison as Spirit listed it. It was one of the poisons coating Nayah''s glassware in Dersoc.


    Efrhm Thrun poison neutralized.


    Luck gently pulled out the syringe,made a show of glancing at it as one might a toy, and held it point-first above Noshm''s widening and fearful eye. "Now, next time you try that, I''m going to kill you Noshm. I''ll do it slowly too so we have as much time together as we need. Tell me why you''re trying to take over Last Light."


    Noshm wasn''t as pathetic as the people from the city. When faced with fear people normally gave in, but Luck could respect the fire and ingenuity in Noshm''s eyes, even as the gnome-goblin ran his mouth. "F-for power! I am the smartest bastard child of both gnomes and goblins. A true specimen of gnoblin taking both crafts to their highest plateaus! I will kill you a hundred times over to prove my worth, dirty human. Ethodthem will grant me the power for my deeds!"


    "A genius, huh?"


    "Yes! A prodigy! I have altered my body. Weapons and modifications, tricks and poisons! I can do the same for you, human! If you will free me I will let you help me take over Last Light and together we can reap the rewards!" He spoke loud, but for all his volume his voice was calm and collected. As Luck understood it, this was a real offer, he could tell that much but Luck wasn''t interested.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    Hidden Quest Branch!: Join Noshm and Conquer Ardun! (Replaces: Free the Frost Drake!)


    The gnoblin inventor Noshm invites you to share in his glory and plan to conquer Ardun. Use the magic of the Frost Drake and inhabitants of the Frozen Zones to power his Massive Autoling and march on Ardun!


    Rewards: Biological Implants, Treasures of Ardun, Greater Blessing (x2), Greater Power, Greater Magical Trait, Unknown


    Accept/Decline


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck spared the window a cursory glance, wondering at the rewards. His mind raced at the possibilities behind those "Greater" prefixes. His choice, however, was already made. The tug from One with Nature was a part of him, a part of his identity that he welcomed as he entered this world. Besides that, he just wasn''t the type to raze a city.


    Another window popped up noting that Luck declined the branch and his previous quest came up again.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    Hidden Quest!: Free the Frost Drake (Replaces: Free the Frozen Zones of Foreign Influence! and Conquering the Frozen Zones!)


    A Frost Drake, awakened by Ethodthem, arose from an icy slumber only to succumb to the ambitious Noshm to be used as a mana battery for his greatest creation. After being offered to join in his Quest, you''ve declined in favor of your values. Free the Frost Drake and stop Noshm''s Massive Autoling from seeing the light of day!


    Rewards: Chance of Blessing, Chance of Lesser Boon, Ally, Information, Unknown


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck removed items from Noshm''s toolbelt as he spoke. Being thorough, while keeping Noshm, easily subdued. "Unfortunately, I am a druid, and you''ve both upset the balance of the Frozen Zones and threatened my friends and family. For that, though I respect your ambition, you die." Luck simply kicked Noshm off the pathway, watching as he fell screaming and spitting towards the opening in the glass cage.


    Before he even fell through a claw made of ice pierced the gnoblin before retracting back into the cage. The shriek of the frost drake shook Luck''s heart like cold air to the lungs. The ice in his chest, the frozen feeling, began to fade and thaw.


    The roar came again and this time something in Luck''s mind clicked. There was a tug on the knowledge of the Druids of Old that he received as a Greater Boon and his inherent knowledge of languages tied with it. He focused on the roar, its pitch, and its depth. He found himself not within the sound, but outside of it, looking in.


    And then he heardwords.


    "Time unimaginable spent frozen in ice and I awake to captivity?"It roared."What magical cell have I been imprisoned that withstands high orders of Ice magics?"The deep roar, Luck realized, had been the drake furious in its captivity, contemplating its cell."I require freedom! To spread my wings! To soar the icy winds above! Free me! I cannot live on prey served without the hunt!"The cage rattled dully, whatever glowing enchantments keeping the drake from escape.


    For moments, he simply marveled at the drake that such a creature could exist. He looked at the items on the floor, taken from Noshm''s belt. A tablet marked with glowing letters, odd glowing pouches, another wand, a metal cylinder. How could he imprison a creature so magnificent? Luck shook his head, all toofamiliar what a thirst for power can do to someone.


    The Frost Drake had an old tie to nature, but Luck felt with a sureness that the Frost Drake could coexist in this day as well. He opted to leave the problem of the drake for later. The sounds of battle below, which amounted to the dull clanging and smashing of metal, were also not of much concern. From Spirit''s analysis, Saga could easily dispatch the scant few combat bots, which were just sturdier metal with energy weapons. The design was somehow of much less quality than the gorilla bots or blade-spheres. He trusted his familiar to deal with them.


    With a quick glance below Nayah had finally appeared melting the bots with lances of fire that Luck felt warmed the room ever so slightly. Erok and Maxworth, similarly had no trouble maneuvering around and dispatching the gorilla bots and humanoid workers below with the blade-spheres being occupied by Tric and not having to protect anyone from their harassment.


    Somewhat unceremoniously, Luck gathered the comically limp bodies of Ace, Tate and the ice mage. He wasn''t shy to joke about their plight. Ace rolled his eyes because he still could and Luck placed him comfortably on the pathway, all the while joking. The ice mage Luck gathered in a similar fashion, though the man seemed slightly unsettled at Luck''s lighthearted joking, all things considered Luck may perhaps have seemed mentally unstable. Luck did note that the man, unlike most of the people he had met so far, was decidedly human. Through his joking, he noticed the robed man''s calm breathing despite his situation as well as the occasional twitch of his arm despite Noshm''s admittance that the paralyzation would last hours.


    When Luck moved to grab Tate, who was facing away and still hadn''t seen Luck without his hard chitin carapace, the metal surrounding her spiked towards Luck''s chest. It stopped inches from his body. Luck, however, was unconcerned at their lethality or sharpness. He wondered at what type of magic allowed her control and what type of metal it was though right now it wasn''t a concern. He simply stepped around the spikes and into his sister''s view, ignoring the metal cutting into his bare chest and arms.


    Tate''s brown eyes, the ones he had grown up to find always looking up at him, widened ever so slightly despite the paralysis.


    Luck''s controlled smirk turned into an uncontrolled grin and then a full-on smile until he finally burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your face, Tee." He smiled. "It looks like you''ve seen a ghost. Or maybe a demon." He grinned, unable to stop himself from using the title he so loathed for the joke he knew his sister loved.


    The metal spikes did not retract.


    Tate''s eyes searched Luck''s face, a measure of suspicion in them. But they calmed down once Luck confirmed it was him. There were a series of methods for a Lockyer to confirm their identity to each other given circumstances where such a thing was necessary. In Luck''s case, he liked to think he was the only one knew Tate''s old crush.


    "You know, Ace is over there limp. Should I lay you right beside him?" He grinned at Tate''s glaring eyes even as the suspended metal spikes sharpened a degree.


    He gave a softer smile. "It''s good to see you, Tee. Really good." Her eyes softened to that and the spikes retracted. "You''ll be unparalyzed in few hours time. Or you can drink my blood and see what that does." He smirked at her. "Yeah, I thought not. Well, you can save your questions for later. I know you''ll have them. I do too. For now, I''m not sure if you got the Quest, but I''m going to see what I can do about that Frost Drake." She gave him a look. "What''s with that look? Come one, I''m sure I''ll be fine. You know your older brother, though I suppose you haven''t seen me in a while, huh?" Luck laid her comfortably on her side by Ace and the mage, putting her a ways away from them.


    "I''ll be back." He said.


    He walked to what would be the dip in the horseshoe shape, staring down at the glass cage below. He could make out only mist and frost, curling around the opening in a dense fog before spilling off the sides of the glass.


    A roar exploded from the opening, sending plumes of icy snow upward like a geyser. "Freedom! Free me from this infernal cage!"


    Spirit analyzed the snow.A drake''s breath attack. Infused with magic inherently attuned to the Frost Drake. The temperature is low enough to flash freeze near anything. Beware.


    Luck nodded, the design of the above pathway was so that anyone standing above the cage was perfectly safe, unless they were pushed off of course, which was Noshm had been intending to do.


    He took a seat on the edge of the pathway, letting his legs hang off the side. From here, he could see Maxworth and Erok dealing with the remaining few gorilla bots, even noticing a few combat bots lying among them.


    The words came like a churning waterfall, somehow always having been there. He knew that just as well as speaking Draconian, the drakes could be spoken to in the language of the druids as they were as part of nature as they were sentient beings. It wasn''t as if his connection to One with Nature drew from some source of knowledge, but there was a definite resonance when the knowledge of the Druids of Old came to the forefront of his mind. They were just simple phrases and wordings, not enough to convey any real meaning to a drake in its own language, but perhaps enough to get a point across with enough gesturing and miming if a drake would even allow it. What really drew everything together as he spoke was his Omnilingual trait, another part of his brain unlocking the language, as if it was always there, which it was.


    His voice came deeper than it should''ve, more powerful as he opted for Draconian."Rest easy, friend. I will free you."The words were from the throat and stayed there, vibrating between the lower pitches and ceasing with tearing growls.


    The thrashing below, of which Luck didn''t even notice until now, stopped, leaving the large chamber silent."Who are you that speaks the language of the Drakes? You sound small, friend."


    "The size of your savior matters not I imagine, great drake."Luck grinned to himself, checking the markings on the glass."Only that you are free."The etchings glowed, indicative of magic. Luck stared at them, somewhat tickled.


    "Truer words have not been spoken in eons."The drake replied."Who has imprisoned me so that I may rip his innards from his gut and freeze his head before I shatter it between my claws?"It roared, this time with such anger that Maxworth and Erok glanced towards Luck in concern. He waved at them, searching for what bothered him about the etchings.


    "I''ve just previously delivered him to you, friend. I believe you''ve already eaten him from the sounds I had heard."Lost in thought, he allowed some of his sarcasm to leak. Luck chided himself."Even one as small as I can recognize the sound of our size being devoured."


    An inhalation below and Luck thought the drake was about to breathe ice again before he realized it for what it was."You amuse me, friend. What news then, of my cage? I long to be free, to thank you, and be off. To soar the frozen winds, to explore what has changed in my absence. Perhaps you might tell me, savior friend?"


    Spirit, anything on these etchings?They were large, as warranted by the massive cage, so Luck could easily afford a view of them. Straight lines, curves, circles, all stylized almost like water, all flow and ebb.They seem oddly familiar. What am I missing?


    Nothing. The flow of mana is working the same way as regular enchantments, however. Even then, the Mk3 has no data on enchantments save for the most basic of ones. These etchings have no match with anything in my database.Spirit replied.


    "You''re aware you''ve been asleep, friend?"Luck tuned back into his conversation with the Frost Drake.


    "Yes, I chose to hibernate as my kind were hunted, friend. Frozen in ice, I awoke only to be entrapped in this! I had enough time to realize Ethodthem had updated just recently, too much time. Perhaps that is the reason I awoke in the first place."


    "I regret to inform you, great drake. I am as new to this world as you are. I''ve only arrived just weeks ago. All old and new to you, is all new to me. You are trapped, being used as magic battery to power a contraption I doubt your captor actually designed to raze a city I doubt he could."


    "Ah, I see. I am curious now, how you look my friend. To think, I was awoken from my slumber for this."


    "You will see soon, friend. I will not leave you here. A druid leaves no creature of nature stranded."


    "You''re a druid? You must be from another plane to have only been here weeks and attain druidship."The rumble came in surprise."There were not many, if at all, during my time. But now... yes, I feel your tie to nature. A knight of nature, to save me? I suppose it is fitting. I am ever more curious about your appearance then."


    "A moment to think, my friend. The magic surrounding your cage is befuddling. I will need peace to think upon it, apologies."


    "Of course, your time is yours, friend. I''ll not be going anywhere."The Frost Drake joked.


    Luck pondered the etchings. He should understand them, because of his knowledge of all languages, a boon he never truly grasped the value of until recently. And he did, to a degree, but there was still something off about them. Then, even if he did understand the language what use was that?


    It was evident they were for containment, that much was true. A quick query to Spirit brought up some possible enchantments. Of them, there were many dealing with resistances to physical forces and temperature changes. He assumed those could possibly be represented somehow here.


    He rummaged through Noshm''s things, still by the edge of the pathway but not so much to be in danger of being knocked off. A tablet, wand, glowing pouches, and a metal cylinder. His attention immediately slid to the tablet, seeming to be some kind of control for the cage. It was a smooth rock but carved intricately with symbols Luck simply couldn''t fathom.


    He looked for matching symbols on the glass cage until a stupidly simple througt struck him.


    The cage, for whatever reason, was upside down. "Really?" Luck groaned, likewise flipping the tablet over.


    He understood the etchings as soon as he flipped them over in his head. There were sections carved with an old writing, similar in symbolism to English, yet mixed with odd emphasis on tapering letters and curves of the words. He cared not for most of the other wording, though he noted "drain", "harvest", and something akin to "destroy". The translations weren''t perfect but he focused on "release" and ignored the other sections of the tablet.


    Instinctually, he reached out with his mana and pressed the button.


    A pneumatic hiss exploded from the glass cage, sending frost and ice outward in a ring. The glow of the cage diminished while the whole cube unfolded carefully to reveal something magnificent.


    The Frost Drake, all glittering ice, and snow stretched to its full height, bringing its head level to the platform upon which Luck sat. It spent moments looking around and Luck admired the ridges along its neck, the ice-like scales covering the beast. A crown of icicles, as if frozen, lay across its head. The head itself was covered in solid clear ice, like a helmet that allowed the ferocity of the creature''s visage still to scare its victims. Teeth as sharp as glass lined its maw. Behind it, wings like the layer of ice upon frozen lakes stretched beautifully and satisfyingly. It rested on all fours, though Luck could barely make out most of its body from his vantage point. Its tail swung around behind it and Luck could hear the crashing of metal as a result.


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    Pay Heed!


    Hidden Quest Complete!: Free the Frost Drake (Replaces: Free the Frozen Zones of Foreign Influence! and Conquering the Frozen Zones!)


    A Frost Drake, awakened by Ethodthem, arose from an icy slumber only to succumb to the ambitious Noshm to be used as a mana battery for his greatest creation. After being offered to join in his Quest, you''ve declined in favor of your values. Free the Frost Drake and stop Noshm''s Massive Autoling from seeing the light of day!


    Rewards: Chance of Blessing, Chance of Lesser Boon, Ally, Information, Unknown.


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    He was ready this time, unstartled. Instead, he immediately moved to damage control in case the drake was unstable after captivity.


    "The metallic man, the rock individual, and the woman beloware all my allies. The three here also helped to save you, friend. My familiar is among them and a small dragon as well, both are friends. The metal creations running around are inventions of your captor."Luck quickly added."It is good to see a creature as magnificent as you free, great drake."


    The drake followed the voice and looked down at Luck. He made a noise Luck now fully recognized as a laugh, or perhaps more closely, a chuckle."You are indeed small, friend. And indeed it seems it is of no matter."He said."Worry not. In freeing me, your allies become mine so long as they do not act against me."He looked around, his massive head craning around the room that he filled a good fifth of. And he spoke arcane words that Luck translated.


    "Freeze."


    And everything did. Everything. Luck pulled on the heatblind as he looked around, eyebrows and hair almost having flash-froze. He was slightly jarred, mouth opened slightly, as every single surface of the room was covered in ice. Even the air itself seemed frozen. The boxes of gems below froze over, leavingfaintly huedcrystals of ice. The scaffoldings had transformed into an icy cliff and the floor became reminiscent of an ice skating rink. In short, it was beautiful. And no place for a man who was as shirtless as he was.


    He stared for long seconds before he caught something move.


    Saga moved, padding along the ice, and warily looking up at the Frost Drake. Erok and Maxworth took Saga''s flanks and Nayah appeared as well. All the autolings had frozen in place, completely inert. He heard movement behind him and found Tric having perched on Ace''s shoulder.


    Luck turned around to see the Frost Drake staring intently at Tric. Luck''s heart almost jumped out of his chest to find the creature so close. Luck glanced between them, hands in his pockets. Tric was craning her head oddly at the drake and the drake looked to Luck oddly in response.


    "You travel with a real dragon, though young. That is indeed a pure lightning dragon, druid. How did you come across such a creature, friend? I thought my cousins were long instinct and living on through drops of blood in other races."


    "Ah, Tric iscompanion to mylimp friend you see there in the black. He is quite the lightning mage, though I''ve yet to meet any other ones for reference."


    "Then he must be someone special to call such a creature to his side."The drake said quietly, at least in comparison to its regular volume. "Perhaps my cousins may yet thrive."


    "That he may be, great drake."


    "Ah, enough with that, druid. What is your name? I am Rever, named after the Rever Ice itself."


    "Luck Lockyer, at your service, Rever. A pleasure to finally meet you."


    Rever chuckled."A pleasure to be free of that cage, Druid Lockyer."


    He glanced down at the people below and extended a clawed hand. Like an ice sculpture, Rever didn''t move, only proving his peace.


    He is a friend, Saga.


    Then he is mine too, Amber Eyes.


    Saga leaped onto Rever''s clawed hand and stared back at Maxworth, Nayah, and Erok who followed seconds later. Luck was surprised Nayah came so readily but he noted a real awe in her posture. Luck guessed at the thoughts she might be having of her father''s adventures. Rever gracefully lifted and deposited them onto the pathway on which Luck was sitting and swinging his legs. They stepped off quietly and looked around.


    Erok''s was battered, small chunks of his rock body missing here and there. Luck supposed all that mattered was that the man stood straight and proud, his great hammer resting upon his back as usual. His face was stoic as he looked to Rever. "I had noticed the Quest changing but didn''t expect completion so soon. Good job, Luck."


    Nayah was untouched, only looking extremely tired. "A real drake. Wow. I''ve only ever heard stories." She grimaced, adding, "That disgusting halfling, no one should ever be used as a battery."


    Maxworth had a blast mark upon his chest and side that Luck suspected came from the orange blast the took him off the pathway initially. His arm was also bent and warped but the man stood unbothered, daggers sheathed. "No creature should be held against their will and word. The Gentlemen know enough of that."


    This a true predator, Amber Eyes. Do you see his claws and teeth? His size? Weapons like that would do well in a hunt. I joke, Amber Eyes. I am not so enthralled by a creature so magnificent. We together are stronger than any foe. I am glad you survived the fall and glad you survived the halfling. It is good to see you.


    Me too Saga. Me too. It''s good to see you too, Saga.Luck chuckled, rubbing Saga''s head as he came beside him.


    Rever craned his head, blowing a pleasantly chilly breeze over the group to garner their attention.


    The crowd quieted as Rever spoke, though they didn''t understand him."What would you ask of me, Druid Lockyer?"


    Luck remembered the promised Quest rewards. He would not bar his companions from the rewards but Luck didn''t really want anything in return. This was doing what he simply felt was right. It''s the same mindset he kept back in the city when could.


    "I seek nothing in return, Rever. The reward for me is your freedom to roam free. I cannot say the same for my companions, however."Luck switched to Common while Rever waited patiently. "He wants to know what you all want as a reward."


    Maxworth added almost instantly. "Power. Power to break the bonds I was created in. I do not expect the drake capable, but all the same."


    Erok regarded the drake for moments before he answered. "What he sees fit."


    Nayah looked at Luck, who was grinning at her agape face. "A memory of him. To know that I truly witnessed him." Luck chuckled, that was quite a fitting gift. "I just want to remember this moment. My first adventure." She whispered. Luck imagined she would''ve been impressed by a camera from home. All the same, it was a desire that Luck supported.


    Luck was about to relay all this before a slow voice responded from behind him. "How about Ice magic?" And Luck turned to find Ace grinning, all perfectly mobile.


    Luck gave his friend a surprised look. He should''ve been immobile for hours more.


    "Lightning magic." He held open a palm. "Paralysis." He held open his other one before lifting them up and down like scales, looking intensely interested in their movements before looking at Luck sarcastically. "Not that hard to put two and two together Lucky."


    "Ah, got it." Luck said before relaying everything to Rever.


    "To the Gentleman, I can offer little of what he asks. The power that binds them could perhaps only be unraveled by someone as genius as his creator and thus I grant his blades the essence of cold."Rever breathed and Maxworth''s dagger froze in their sheaths. Luck told him this as he broke them out of their ice and examined their blades closely with a nod. Luck was surprised to understand that Maxworth may have been around at the same time Rever was if he knew the Gentlemen''s history and creation.


    "To the rock man, I grant a great hammerof true Rever Ice,"Spirit informed Luck that the Rever Ice was a type of ice as well as a location. Rever broke a spine from his back and clenched it in his claws before the surrounding ice crumbled like a mold to reveal a greathammer identical to Erok''s own. "Stronger than most metals, unbreakable, cold and lighter than almost any weapon of the same quality."Luck explained this and Erok nodded in reverence, attaching the hammer to his hip rather easily, but not quite letting go of his other hammer yet.


    "To the creature of magic, I know your plight as one hunted by those who seek power. It is a humble being that treasures memories over power or material. For that, I grant you a memory of me as I was. And words of wisdom from one who has lived life longer than most."Rever touched a claw to Nayah''s forehead. It held there for five seconds before a tear formed in Nayah''s eye. It froze immediately, a perfect teardrop as Luck watched it fall. But Nayah''s hand caught it and Luck looked up to find her eyes opened and herself crying freely.


    "To the one followed by a lightning dragon, I give insight to the element of frost and chill. I breathe ice to his blood so that it may respond if he has any."Rever did just that, a cloud of frostengulfing Ace''s form before almost immediately disappearing. Like asudden explosion of glittering, cold flour. Ace looked down at his arms, slightly frosted over."And so it responds."


    Rever shifted, his massive heard turned towards the blue robed mage and Tate lying beside him."And what of them Druid Lockyer? What might they want?"


    "I have no idea."


    Rever chuckled, Luck becoming used to the noise, but everyone else tensing. "None at all?"


    "The robed man is a practitioner of ice. A capable man who trains his body as well as his magic, from what I gather. He traveled with my sister who is beside him. If my sister deemed him palpable company then I suspect he is a good man. As for my sister herself, knowing her I doubt she would want anything in return. That''s just how we were raised, Rever."


    "A blessing of cold to the robed man then. But as for you, Druid Lockyer, you deny rewards for yourself as well as your sister?"


    "There is no need. I help when someone needs help, Rever. It is ingrained in me and my sister both. We seek no rewards when having no need for them."


    "Then no rewards for you, small friend. Instead, a gift.I declare you Friend of Drakes."Rever straightened, standing higher than before, looking directly at Luck. His voice exploded with power."Hear! I Rever of the Frost Drakes, Elder Species, recognize Luck Lockyer as Druid. Know that one approved by the Drakes treads the Frozen Zones, saves Drakes, and demands nothing in return! Hear!"And it was as if his voice traveled across the very essence of nature.


    Blue lights swirled from Rever, he calmly watched them as Luck held eye contact. They curled around Luck and something changed and he felt more credible. Whereas when Melthin approved him he achieved the same feeling, now it was as if something more ancient did so. The lights swirled into him and Luck sensed a gong reverberate through his One with Nature trait as if a part of himself approved deeply.


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    Pay Heed!


    New Title: Friend of the Drakes


    You are recognized by Drakes of every element as someone stamped with the deepest respect and approval by one of their own. This label marks your soul only visible to Drakes and those with extremely advanced measures. You are favored by Drakes everywhere.


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    Luck stood up, feeling it rude to continue to sit and bowed deeply, a habit he learned from Mr. Ark.


    "It is an honor, Rever."


    "You truly require nothing of me, friend?"


    Luck sighed but grinned all the same. It didn''t seem like the Drake would let it go."Ah, perhaps less for me and more for the entire group. A way out of this facility would be nice. And if it''s not trouble I do assume my friends would not mind an expedient trip to Ardun or rather Last Light as you might know it."


    "Unfortunately, it does not seem I will be able to power through these walls. Yes, I know the city by both names. It has been there as far as I can remember. Until the Hunt they had left Drakes alone in peace. Though I can at least bring you closer to the city. It will be no problem as soon as we are free from this place."


    Luck explained that particular portion to the group.


    Ace chimed in. "Tric says she knows a way out large enough for the drake as well."


    "Tric will show the way, though I doubt we can keep up with you on foot."Luck said.


    "No matter, you all may ride upon my back. I''ve not ever given myself to be ridden by any manner of beast or man but today will be an exception. Board, small friends."And Rever aligned his back with the pathway, a place of ice forming for all to rest upon.


    Then Tric was leading the way through the winding tunnels upwards. Melted blade-sphere lay strewn about the caverns which alternated from rock to ice and back again. Luck had a while to admire the icy back of the drake. The rest of the group were in similar states, admiring their gifts, and conversing quietly. Maxworth flipped his daggers over and over peering down their edge with a geared eye. Nayah stared absently at her frozen tear, glancing at the back of Rever''s head. Erok tested the weight of both his greathammers while Ace stared at his hands with a concentrated look on his face.


    Luck took the moment to appreciate the fact he was riding a Frost Drake.

 Chapter 21 - Frozen Cliffs

    The Vasareng form an impressive society and kingdom nestled deep within the Uncharted, so we think. Explorers that wander inside and dream of charting and mapping the area bring home sketches that, upon reexamination, match nothing on a second expedition. We believe the Vasareng are the cause. On our own expedition to the Uncharted it wasn''t weeks yet before we were knocked unconscious, the entirety of our group. What we awoke to were the Vasareng. A fascinating discovery. Each individual consisted of three bodies, walking cubes that varied in hues. Their city, of what we were allowed to see, was modern in its design, using principles unimagined. Each Vasareng bonded to an animal of the Uncharted so what followed was an awakening, for the expedition to see dangerous creatures walk calmly amongst each other surrounded by colorful cubes. We were in awe. We spent months there learning of their city and their people, but they were a cautious group and we had only scratched upon the symbiotic bond they share with the animals they bond to. Such so that one day we simply awoke with all our gear and supplies at the edge of the Uncharted as if everything was naught but a dream. It may well have been save for the detail that we all experienced the same exact one.


    -Solm Gaiu, adventurer


    Frozen winds pulled at Luck''s hair, revealing twinkling eyes that gathered the scenery below like a handful of toys. Luck had no idea where his appreciation of beauty and wonder truly came from. There was simply something sublime and captivating about holding the entirety of the Frozen Zones in an amber iris. Blankets of snow and ice gently covered misleading ridges and edges. Frostbitten trees, the largest Luck could find might''ve been cold-touched bonsais from this altitude. Even the air was beautiful, snowflakes danced past at speeds too quick for Luck to appreciate them. Their fading beauty only accelerated as Rever glided onward.


    The cold, in all its beauty, was also biting. Luck had gone around earlier, laying a gentle hand on all those aboard. A bit of magic and everyone was warm.The discovery he was able to share aspects of nature was powerful. Maxworth and Erok were unaffected by the cold and so only glanced at Luck with mild interest.


    They were too busy inspecting their weapons and Luck left them to it. Only Ace and Nayah were as amazed by the rush of the wind passing through their hair as Luck was. Tate and mage were still paralyzed but Luck had made sure they were comfortable. As it turned out, his sister was actually quite mobile.


    His gaze landed on her. Though she couldn''t talk, the metal surrounding her moved her limbs and head to admire the Zones. Luck knew that, like him, Tate cared little for rewards for doing the right thing. It might have been the way they were raised, or more likely the person who trained them for the majority of their adult life. Mr. Ark was a great mentor but his quiet views always made themselves heard in the way he observed their actions.


    It was two, bordering on three, hours before Rever started to descend. On the flight, Luck wasn''t shy to question the machinations of the world since it was no secret that Rever already knew he wasn''t from this one. Ethodthem, it seemed, affected even him greatly throughout his life. Rever had gotten Quests to create frozen fortresses when he had the opportunity, to raze cities, or create works of art. He believed the stronger he became the more frequently that he was the being offering rewards, rather than receiving them, which was to say one or three times during his lifetime.


    Rever had his share of Titles and Feats which he explained to Luck briefly.


    Titles were given by accomplishing certain tasks or by garnering a reputation among a group of people or beings. They defined an aspect of the individual and, from what Rever speculates, were given by those who recognize you or created by the System itself. Rever was understandably secretive but shared that he hadn''t met many with a Title, less so of the smaller sentients. They affected how the System addressed you, what Quests you receive, and what rewards you might attain. They had a power all their own and if you were recognized for things you did then the Quests you might be offered would ones of the same vein. After Luck''s question, Rever explained that for the most part, the System was a private thing between individuals. Titles weren''t visible to other people they only affected interactions with the System. The only System-recognized Title aside from Friend of the Drakes was True Druid, and he thought, perhaps, that was why he was given the Quest to free Rever rather than kill him.


    Feats were achievements of the individual that grant specific bonuses. Actions of the extraordinary that no other individual could feasibly manage. Achievements of great skill, strength, courage, heart, intelligence, dexterity, agility, will, sacrifice, the list goes on. Rever admit to having a single Feat but the drake went silent soon after, leading Luck to believe that not all Feats were happy things. Their effects, to Rever''s knowledge, ranged from dispositional benefits to increased physical, mental or magical strength. Even those could specify further. Rever did note that often a single event of spectacularity wasn''t enough to gain a Feat, often it required multiple demonstrations to manifest in truth.


    Apparently, prior to the Update, as Luck deemed it, these weren''t common knowledge, though they wouldn''t really know until they hit Ardun. Reverhadbeen frozen for quite a while.


    Opening up his own status, as Rever referred to it, showed that aside from his listed Traits and Powers, he also had a section denoting his Titles which amounted to Friend of the Drakes and True Druid. He noted the lack of any Feats being displayed.


    The screen was increasingly intuitive. Luck felt it change to fit his preferences every time he''d open it up. Make no mistake, Luck had examined it thoroughly through boring nights in Hydr Dunes. It was descriptive, helpful and, Luck conceded, pretty damn cool. Though from what Luck gathered, even looking at the light-blue screen now, he was correct. Ethodthem only represented Powers, Traits or Skills given to him by the System. For example, Nature and Earth magic were present but there was the distinct lack of any representation of Luck''s training. No listed proficiency with knives, bare arms, wrestling, grappling, small arms, rifles, deception, etc.


    In the end, Luck shrugged when speaking with Rever, the status screen was an easy way for an individual to find their rewards. According to Spirit, even in ancient Aeraen history, it''s referenced multiple times. Post-Update the screen had advanced. Quests were listed, Traits and Powers described in great, concise detail. Titles and Feats as well. Rever speculated that many aspects of the Status Screen are locked to the lay people. Even he felt Titles and Feats were just scratching the surface of what Ethodthem might bring to bear.


    Important to note were the staring eyes of everyone as Luck conversed in low Draconian. Erok and Maxworth''s reactions were subdued, having already witnessed Luck performing similar communications. Nayah seemed to have forgotten. Ace was shaking his head and whispering to himself while Tate had found the muscles of her eyebrows to be functioning. Of all, the mage seemed the most surprised, he had regained some movement, enough to prop himself up and stabilize his limp form, but the man had an inquisitive look to his face that Luck found somewhat intelligent.


    Luck smirked at the impromptu crowd before continuing his conversation with Rever for the rest of the trip.


    Luck did indeed receive all of the rewards promised to him, even if he didn''t ask for them or tried to deny them. Of course, one of the first things he noticed was the fact that the rewards didn''t specify if they were split among the group or for each individual. The promised rewards were a Chance for a Lesser Blessing, a Chance for a Lesser Boon, Information, Ally and Unknown. After his conversation he considered information done with. The Lesser Blessing went to the ice mage, who still regarded Luck silently. The Lesser Boon he felt he was in the process of receiving right now, the flight to Ardun. And Ally had to be Tate or Rever himself while Unknown could''ve referred to the weapons and enchantments given to Maxworth and Erok.


    It wasn''t long before they started their descent. His hair whipping back, he could just make out what might''ve been the outline of the city before it disappeared behind a mountain.


    Saga and Tric were the first to dismount. The shar''s padded feet landed silently on the snow. Saga was particularly respectful of the Frost Drake, nodding to him as he dismounted. Erok and Maxworth followed. Erok carried the ice mage, who looked to be taking the carrying well. Luck chuckled as Ace was having a one-sided argument with Tate and her metal that it would be easier for him to just carry her down.


    Luck admired the drake for several seconds before saying goodbye. Armored with a helmet of ice did nothing to stop Rever''s edged beauty. His claws grasped at the snow, seeming for all the world a part of it. The almost pure blue-white of his sparkling scales nearly made the drake invisible in the setting. But his spines reminded Luck of not only his ferocity but the magic he commanded.


    "Thank you, Rever."Luck bowed, in true awe and respect.


    "No, thank you, small friend. For freeing me."The drake lowered his head. A localized blizzard blew up around him. He glided through the snow, reaching a nearby cliff overlooking a howling trench. Raising his head in the frozen winds Luck watched him spread his wings."Caution before the walls of the city, friend. Danger is always there."And then a piercing screech that Luck translated to a cry of triumph and freedom before Rever dived out of view.


    "Crazy." Ace said simply. "Almost as crazy as your damn sister. Mind giving me a hand, Lucky?" Ace cut in sounding truly desperate.


    "She''s a Lockyer, what''d you expect man?" Luck grinned, happy to have his sister back even if she happened to be glaring at both of them.


    "Pretty much exactly this." Ace shrugged, shaking his head. His hair was frosted with snow but the man didn''t shiver. "I''d say we''re only a few hours or so from the walls." He added. "I don''t know about you but I''dloveto get a move on. It''s about time we got to this damn city."


    Erok came, ice covering his arms and chest. "I do not trust strangers so easily." He said, looking back at the two.


    Maxworth was silent on the matter, though the man was holding close his daggers. Nayah too only stood nearby stealing short glances towards Tate and the mage who were, in truth, not that far from their conversation. It didn''t particularly look like Erok cared they knew his thoughts.


    "Relax, the girl is my sister. My reason for heading to the Zones in the first place. See this?" He held up his pendant, glowing motes of light still pointing east. "Tuned to my family. My sister''s harmless. " He paused thoughtfully immediately upon saying that. "Well, perhaps you''re right to be on guard. She is very dangerous in actuality. She means us no harm, however. And if that man is with her then he must be worthy of trust as well."


    "Doesn''t hurt to see a human face. Especially after seeing yours this entire time." Ace said after a moment. "Too much amber."


    Luck shook his head, pulling on the heatblind. And, after a thought, his hand went to his pockets, pulling out an amber set of playing cards with a bit of dimensional sleight of hand. The very same ones that were gifted to him by Jerxos'' wife, Goddess of Fun. He was tempted to flick one at Ace''s neck knowing full well he could draw blood but he was loathe to bend or scuff such a magnificent set of exquisitely crafted cards.


    "Careful what you say, Ace. I could shatter your precious hair with how solidly frozen it is right now. While I''m at it I might as well shatter the teeth making that cocky grin." Luck didn''t even need to look up from his cards. He went through a variety of idle shuffles and sleights. Twirling cards between fingers and hands, careful not to lose them in the wind.


    "Max, why don''t be banter as they do?" Erok said a moment after Luck started walking.


    Luck heard Nayah chuckle as Maxworth replied, barely audible.


    "Because we are a fairly boring pair, Erok."


    "Ah."


    It was a downwards climb. By no means did Rever drop them off on an easy path. Luck would be the first one to admit he was out of his depth. In truth, without the fruits from his dimensional room and the aspect of the heatblind, he might be panicking at the simpleroar of the wind. As it was, what would''ve been a cold, freezing reason to fear death was a strong wind against his face. The fear of any physical dangers was abated by the knowledge of his regeneration but the still isolation somewhat got to him, even with the large group.


    Ace led, for all Luck knew having even done something similar before. Who knew with that man. Maxworth helped Nayah along who had nearly had a panic attack on the treacherous path. Erok held both Tate and the mage comfortably, confident in his stride even when Luck wasn''t. Saga and Tric made their own paths but scouted forward for them, returning with promises of safe traveling.


    Luck''s foot slipped, his wool shoes losing traction for a fraction of a second. He found his step easily, breathing normally even as Maxworth eyed him. As of now, the drop below, the height, was unknown. The drift of snow that came off with his footing disappeared. Nayah''s eyes widened.


    "T-that was close." She said, chattering until Luck laid a hand on her, giving her the aspect of the heatblind. "Thanks." She said, still avoiding looking over the edge of the path.


    "I advise exercising more caution, Luck. I don''t believe I can catch you should another slip like that happen whilst I''m not paying attention." Maxworth added.


    "No kidding." Luck said, seeing Ace already paces ahead. His amber set of playing cards jumped between his fingers, the sound of a birds wings between his fingers.


    He liked to believe that passing frozen caverns, slippery trenches, and hundred meter drops were just as dangerous as a day in the city. He also knew, quite confidently, that he was wrong. The sublimity of nature was far more terrifying than a gun to the face. Not only the possibility of death but dying alone, where your presence meant nothing but more food to the ecosystem. This was not an environment at all suitable for the likes of Luck. For all the experiences Luck had gone through, all the challenges he had faced, this particular trip had been the first time he had seen snow. It was the very first time he was acquainted with the dangers of the mountain, the dangers of falling, breaking limbs, freezing to death, dying of oxygen deprivation, and many more Ace felt the need to sarcastically narrate, suspiciously nonchalant all the while.


    So Luck was surprised to find himself perfectly at ease.


    There was an urgent shout behind him and Luck twirled around instantly. An icy tendril had gripped onto Maxworth''s leg. It jerked backward but already Maxworth had planted a dagger in the ice, cracks forming from the strain. His leg shot out from under him as the tendril pulled again.


    Luck focused on the moment, the stillness between breaths, and time froze.


    It was a drain on his mana the longer he held it. He was planning to grab Maxworth''s free dagger and cut his icy chains. But after a moments glance at the suspended, reaching tendril of lightning only a foot left from his face, he unpaused time. It seemed Ace had it in hand. A crackling cackle of lightningshattered the icy chain, perhaps with a little too much power. The lightning''s impact upon the path rumbled upwards. And Luck saw a single drift of snow slough off the mountain meters ahead.


    Then the rest came. An avalanche. The members of the group had only a moment to look upward. Luck caught Erok shielding the two paralyzed members with his body while Maxworth hugged the wall and braced. Meanwhile, Luck dodged another cord of ice, whipping at his legs and ankles. His foot shattered the ice, and more advanced only to abruptly dissipate.


    Clumps of snow fell. Nothing near enough what Luck saw earlier. He looked up. A dome of ice formed. Immediately his eyes went to the paralyzed ice mage, but the man was instead looking off the edge of the path and towards the opposite cliff. His blue eyes roamed the ledges and ridges along that cliff, searching. It wasn''t his doing, Luck concluded. He couldn''t have done it in his condition. So that left their attackers. Why?


    In Common, a voice rang out echoing across the chasm between them. "Release the mage or we release the avalanche you''ve called upon yourself!" It echoed, a second time then a third. The chasm was silent.


    Spirit almost immediately detected the man. Camouflaged in the snow, to all just another lump of powder, to Spirit, it might as well have been a flag. He was with one other. "Over there Ace." Luck jut his chin out, not loud enough to be heard. The two opposing mages weren''t human.


    "Keep your ice to yourselves lest I zap you off the mountain!" Ace responded his slow voice at odds with the speed of his magic, but just as commanding. "We seek Ardun! Plain and simple!"


    At this distance, though Luck sensed them whispering, there was no chance he could hear them past the whistling wind. Not even with his enhanced hearing. They responded. "Again strangers, release your hostages or die in the cold! You''ll go no further than this!"


    Luck would''ve already had a barricade of sorts up if he was skilled enough, or rather, powerful enough to pull rock from the depths of the snow and break the solid feet of ice that encased it. His chitin did form, however, though he wondered how exactly that might help in this situation.


    "They''re allies, Roth!" A horrendously slurred voice rang out. "I''ve been paralyzed, long story!" Luck would be surprised if anyone understood it at all. Luck, though, heard every word for what it was.


    There was a beat of silence and Luck got the impression they were debating. He moved slowly, trusting they could see him. On his way, he bumped into Maxworth, coming away with a borrowed dagger. He slipped nearby Erok.


    "Prop him up against the wall, Erok." Luck said. "They''re after him. Don''t look at me like that, Tate." His sister was eyeing him carefully.


    Just as he thought, a rope of ice, misleadingly flexible, reached for the legs and ankles or nearly everyone in the group. Nayah lobbed a fireball to the opposite cliff but missed entirely, having no idea where they truly were. They seemed to be encouraged and reached for he legs, tripping her and dragging her away if not for Ace''s grip on her leather armor.


    In a swift motion, Luck had his arm around the paralyzed mage''s chest, holding Maxworth''s frostbitten dagger against his throat. A whisper of frosty mist fell from the blade like wet blood.


    The magical harassment ceased.


    He stood calmly, eyeing their direct position. Tate looked at him and he shrugged, she didn''t seem particularly peeved at the development. She had probably come to some similar conclusion. The mages, Luck knew, weren''t going to drop an avalanche on them. It gave them cover, made retrieval of the perceived hostage harder, and made their lives more difficult than it had to be. Not to mention the possibility of their friend to simply be pushed off the cliff by the tons of snow.


    Luck conceded that the man he held fake hostage did try to negotiate, though slurred, with whoever these people were. They seemed like the nice type, the kind of people to get angry at injustice. Unfortunately, his slurred rambling, his tongue impeded by whatever effects Noshm''s blast carried, soundedextremely as if he was gagged. That didn''t work in their favor at all and so Luck moved to damage control.


    A sneaking cord came from mountain wall itself and Luck only tightened the dagger, drawing blood.


    It receded before the person across, whom Luck observed was furred, spoke again, now out of his drift of snow. Though Luck noted the fact the other person stayed hidden. "Release him and you go free, stranger." The furred man said, Luck further noticing a snout under the hood he wore. "Those are Magice robes. You kidnap or kill one of ours and you make an enemy of the guild."


    Luck had already assessed the robes with due interest. In particular, the ones his fake hostage wore. He couldn''t feel them through the chitin armor but he had the sense they were durable. But make no mistake, they seemed as if snow had become cloth, albeit with a blue tint. The sleeves were tight and hugged the wrist. It wasn''t as if the robes were baggy, such would be an error in their functionality, just that they seemed to hang with thickness.


    "Peace, we found these two paralyzed and traveling together." They need not shout. A lull in the wind allowed normal speaking, eerie as it was for the space to be silent. "They''re no enemies of ours."


    "Then release him from your blade!" The other called abruptly, erupting from a snowdrift, revealing himself.


    The furred one cut back in. "If indeed you mean them no harm release our friend so that we mayretrieve him." Luck noted that their robes did, in fact, match the paralyzed mage.


    He whispered to the man he held by bladepoint. "Are they friends?" Luck asked. "It''s a treacherous path. I''d hate to misplace my trust."


    "Yes," The voice came tongue-slack. "allow me to talk to them. These men aren''t used to seeing travelers this close to the city without having seen them leave." The mage did well not to suspect Luck of actual hostility. It was a nuanced situation. "More so, a large uninjured group. We should''ve been hounded by the wildlife our entire way back but our method of travel saw that we didn''t." Luck had indeed turned around a few hunters, mainly lone icil wolves.


    "Can you form a bridge?" Luck called after some thought. "He wishes to explain clearly our situation, though his tongue is still coming back to him." His voice echoed for moments, the only answer being itself.


    "And risk ourselves over the chasm? Do you take us for fools?" Thesecond man called. "Only a-"


    "For us to cross, friend. For us." Luck spoke, allaying their concerns. "Your friend and I. So we might clear this up without any harm coming your way." Luck smirked, even as the man he held hostage looked doubtful at the last part.


    An immediately indignant voice shouted back from across the chasm, scoffing. "Our way?" The sound echoed with anger.


    But the furred man''s response chided him, his voice nearly silencing the echo. "A reasonable request. A moment then, stranger." He said. "We''ll form your bridge. Jrok."


    He watched snow shift, ice moving beneath the powder before it broke free in brilliant branches. They formed a stable base before extending and connecting like the patterns of a snowflake. Luck had the feeling the spectacle he witnessed unfolding before him was leagues beyond his capability, requiring degrees more mana than he even had available. Luck waited patiently as more pillars of ice supported the structure. In minutes, they had a complete bridge.


    Ace glanced at Luck as he passed with ice mage in tow. "You sure?"


    "Yeah." Luck said, helping the ice mage walk.


    The blue-robed man had a sturdy build. Luck noted the man''s confidence walking the frozen structure, supporting himself on the short walls with one hand. Luck trailed behind him, his steps a little more ginger. The ice of the bridge was nearly clear but Luck ignored the heights, some part of him indifferent. The howling of the wind picked up as they neared the center of the chasm.


    "What''s your name?" Luck said idly.


    "Mark." He responded, slurred. "Mark Gaypa."


    That was all they had time for before the short walk was over. They eyed Luck, unsettled, he thought, at his chitin armor. He must''ve looked truly terrifying. He smirked, unsure whether it was visible through his armor. He made no outward moves as Mark moved to converse with them, wobbling on his feet and jerking weakly when his legs didn''t respond. His walk was unsteady but stable enough.


    Luck''s enhanced hearing was of no use. Instead, it was his eyesight that allowed him to follow the conversation. Reading lips was something he discovered he was able to do after gaining Omnilingual. Although he could already read english speaking lips to some degree.


    "It is you! Mark? We thought you''d gone missing like Greyfur." The furred man man responded, who Luck now thought pertinent to mention, had brown fur. "Though if anyone would last as long out here I suppose it would be you." His snouted face bared teeth in a fascimile of a smile.


    "It is good to see you, Roth." Mark laughed as well as he could. "And you too, Jrok." He nodded to the other robed man. But there was a sad way to his mouthed words, Luck was surprised he could even detect it through lip reading, as he continued. "Greyfur... has passed. Ravaged by Icil Wolves."


    Roth grimaced, shaking his head. "Another one to the snow. We will hold a ceremony for him then. I''ll alert the guild master in debrief." The furred man was silent for moments before continuing. "Then tell us, Mark, who are these people? Seeing a guild member being carried off isn''t the most helpful to their case." Roth mouthed, the entire conversation still silent to Luck. "And how goes the hunting? And your golems? Did you find it?"


    "I did find the Frost Drake, in fact." He said, to which both men went silent. "My golems, however, failed miserably."


    "You''re not one to joke, Mark." Roth, laying an arm on Mark''s shoulder, said.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "No, I found it." He shook his head. "We found it. This group saved me. And in fact, that man," Mark gestured to Luck. "spoke with the drake. I know little about him, other than that he and the rest of this band are skilled. For all that, I gather they''re simply the average pilgrims to Ardun, seeking glory and riches as everyone does."


    "Then the Quest to kill the Frost Drake... he slayed it?" Jrok said, his lips were visible just barely under his hood.


    "No, he spoke to it, negotiated I think. The Quest changed and we freed the drake instead. The ramifications may be tremendous but my life was forfeit had he not interfered. There are other details better discussed in the guild hall, however." Mark rubbed his arm, Luck sensing that some feeling was returning to the man. "I grant them guild immunity as Officer of Magice." He said with some nonchalance and finality in equal measure.


    Roth hesitated but nodded his head in respect and Luck noticed Jrok turn his way. The whistling howl of the wind was in contrast to the relatively light snow, at least in comparison to previous snowfalls. Luck cut a strong figure, his armor covering what would be bare chest and arms, yet still hugged his form tightly. The chitin that acted as a helmet, it seemed, allowed visibility of his eyes.


    He regarded Mark and Roth slowly as they approached, seeing faint swirls of snowflakes surrounding the two. Their steps crunched lightly in packed snow. Mark walked slightly ahead of Roth addressing Luck.


    "The misunderstanding has been cleared." Mark opened, more in control of his body than previously. It looked like thesymptoms of the paralysis were wearing off quite quickly towards the end of its effect. Luck eyed Mark''s features, finding his eyes might be bluer than before. The blessing of cold perhaps? "The walls are dangerous to travelers. I owe Tate and your group for helping me, unprepared as I was for the beings awakened by the System. I rank high in one of Ardun''s magic guilds, Magice, and have thus granted you crowd safety. You''ll be allowed passage through the Magice entrance. Your blunders are mine, trouble you cause is my responsibility." He stood straight and calm, waving to his associates behind him. "Follow us."


    Luck''s chitin receded, revealing a grinning man, bare-chested in the cold. "And I owe you, for helping my sister through the Zones. She''s a stubborn one." Amber eyes crinkled.


    "She is your sister then? She said she was searching for family in Ardun." Mark recalled.


    "We are." Luck replied, switching mentally to address Saga.


    Come on, Saga. We''re free to pass.First Saga and Tric came before Ace shrugged walking forward and the rest followed suit. Nayah hesitated while Maxworth and Erok shared a single glance before walking forward together. Saga prowled confidently, testing the bridge with quick light steps. The rest walked calmly, unthreatened. If these mages tried anything Luck was only a pause of time from slitting their throats. Luck preferred it this way.


    Mark eyed the procession, before turning in the snow, leading the way and trudging forward lower and parallel to the chasm, descending. "I hope you find them then." He said. After a moment, Roth and Jrok, stepped into his wake.


    "Thank you for saving Mark, stranger," Roth said, bowing slightly. "


    "Sorry about that," Jrok said. "You''ll learn to let bygones be bygones in Ardun. Death is a constant companion and danger is his mistress."


    "I''m sure." Luck responded, glad his playing cards were unharmed. "No hard feelings then."


    Jrok stared at the cards flipping between his hands with a moment of interest before turning away.


    There were only mutters from Nayah about these new people, and Ace, though his were more of the joking sort. Ace seemed content to let them lead but Luck noticed his scanning of the snow-bitten terrain ahead. While Ace regarded the path ahead Maxworth walked nearby the mages. Luck''s smirked as the mages tended to move away from the metallic man, though little it may be. It didn''t seem like prejudice, but rather uneasiness.


    In all, there was little conversation. Luck just assumed the rest were content to follow the three mages since they promised fast passage into Ardun, which, by the way, Luck still couldn''t see. The heatblind was a boon since neither Ace or Nayah had any winter clothes to speak of. Nayah wore only fitting leather and Ace had black pants and a hoodie. Luck made sure they were warm on the trip, however, and all three of them received at least some notice for their lack of appropriate attire. Of all, Erok was taking it the most in stride, not even blinking at the mages or their stares while the mages themselves, aside from Mark, whispered to themselves. Luck got a good amount of stares his way too, being shirtless in this weather as he was.


    Luck''s mind wandered, his footsteps on autopilot trudging through thick two feet deep snow. The snowfall ramped up and Luck noticed all three mages look up to the clouds. For a moment, Luck wondered what necessitated such attention until he saw it.


    Snowflakes.


    Perfect patterns of symmetrical ice twirling down from the sky, patterns among patterns.


    On a whim, Luck asked Spirit to track their paths. And the sky lit up in beautiful colors, light-blue thin lines swirling around imaginary paths. The sky was a painting framed in frost and snow, a knitting of light and ice. Spirit warned Luck, breaking his amusement, of the resources diverted to this and Luck stopped, leaving the sky only white with snowflakes. He caught one on his tongue much to the amusement of Saga who padded along silently behind him. The group was amazed, most audible were Ace and Nayah, themselves commenting on the beauty and perfection. Erok nudged Maxworth and the gentleman paused for a moment to admire the sky. Tric darted among the snowflakes, either dodging them or nipping at them.


    The mages, done with their appreciation of the weather, trudged forward again, forcing everyone else to follow lest they get lost in a flurry. Luck took another second of admiration before following along, a soft smile on his face.


    Eventually, Tate was able to walk and Luck enjoyed her presence, giving her a hug that she could actually return. It wasn''t yet that she could talk or felt confident to and Luck made it decidedly known he enjoyed the absence of her annoying voice. She was expressive in her retaliation. Luck grinned at her. She was as in awe of the snow as he was, though she didn''t show it. He knew his sister. For everything that happened, he was glad she was okay.


    She still had their mother''s wavy brunette hair. A little frizzy from the cold. Luck chuckled. And exactly as Luck thought, Tate seemed to be holding up mentally. It wasn''t a bad dream or some hallucination. His sister had died. She died. Without a doubt. Perhaps she was holding it back perhaps not, but her brown eyes showed only intelligence and competence, not a trace of doubt or fear.


    They stopped in front of the bottom of a cliff. Directly in front of the group was solid ice and rock. Luck hadn''t seen any walls nor had he seen any indication of a city. No smoke or lights or pollution or anything, no trace of human or otherwise. Still, Luck wasn''t naive, to bring them here meant some other alternative way into the city.


    Mark pressed a hand against the cliff, set his stance, breathed deep, and exhaled frost. "The sanctioned passage of Magice." He intoned, gesturing to a section of ice being pulled down and apart by invisible magic. "Enter."


    The ice came down like a curtain. Starting at the top, it folded down like drapes, leaving a sizable arched doorway. Either side was smooth cold ice and inward Luck could only see the same thing. He marveled at the display noting they could easily walk three abreast if they wanted to, and without further ado, they were walking the tunnel.


    "Huh, mirrors." He ran a hand along the surface of the ice. "They don''t smudge either." He smirked back at himself, still walking, his hand coming back wet and cold. The tunnel was all mirror currently, if not a bit warped.


    "I really need new clothes." Ace shook his head, looking at his attire before snapping to Luck''s. He twisted in the mirror to wipe snow off his pant legs. "Wait, Lucky, when''d you change? Those pants aren''t the same ones you came with."


    "Oh, when my arms and legs were blasted to near uselessness. Traumatizing." He said sarcastically. "Don''t know how I''ll ever get over it."


    Ace gave him a flat look. "You''ve been through worse than that." He was right.


    "You arms and legs were blasted off?" A familiar voice asked, soft and competent. It seemed more a surprise to Tate and Luck than Ace. "Huh, my voice is back and legs aren''t wobbling as much now. Damn, feels good."


    Luck chuckled, noticing Maxworth and Erok tune into the conversation. "Hey, Tate." He said softly. A greeting that held more meaning than Luck had time to express before he moved back on to sarcasm. "Yes, my arms and legs were blasted to near uselessness, but hey, impartations, you know? They''re damn useful." He shrugged, letting a smile slip.


    "And you''re not telling me are you?" Tate laughed, high and bright. Her laugh dwindled down until it was just her smiling before her face became more affectionate. "Missed you too, Luck." She gave him a side hug. For a second, everything felt alright. And Luck wouldn''t show it, but he was relieved. To witness his family all die? To be left alone as the only survivor? Ace was right, he''d been through way worse than broken arms and legs. He''d experienced what it felt to have your heart and soul shattered, ripped from your being. "Good to see the Ace Vent somehow make it too." Tate grinned teasingly.


    Ace grinned back. "Good to see you too, Tater Tot."


    Tate groaned rolling her eyes. "Fuck you, Ace." She hid her grin half-heartedly. Ace weathered Tate''s retaliatory punches, the grunts they received only throaty chuckles from Ace''s mouth. "I should''ve known after all this, you two would be exactly the same."


    Luck''s laugh echoed amiably through the tunnel. For some reason, after seeing Tate alive, when he told himself his mom and dad would be fine, he knew they would be. Wherever they were, whatever they were doing, it helped to see another Lockyer alive and kicking. It served to remind him of what his family was truly capable of. He liked to think he had full confidence in the skills of his family, and he did, but a man could worry about his parents and his sister, no matter who they were or who he was. Looking at Tate, half covered in metal and leather, was a wake-up call.


    "Not exactly." He said. "The impartation gave us a lot of new tricks. And this world, it''s different from ours." Luck looked at her. "How''d you handle the first weeks? I know it wasn''t exactly easy for us, eye-opening, but not easy."


    "I lost track up here in the mountains. I''ve been stranded, nothing to eat but berries, nothing for warmth but the heat from my metal." She looked at her arm, covered like a sheath. "I got it from the impartation. Useful little thing." She grinned. "Until I met Mark. Accidentally melted his golem. Killed some wolves. At the very least, he got us turned the right way before those robots attacked us in one of his guild sanctuaries up here."


    "Warmth from the metal?" Ace said puzzled. "Some type of magic then?"


    "Look at her Ace. She''s not dressed for the cold how did you think she survived up here?" Luck replied, hitting upon the same conclusion he made privately earlier. "I don''t suppose you''ll tell us what else it does."


    "Not unless you tell me what''s new with you guys." She shrugged.


    "You already had a sneak peek during the fight with Noshm." Luck replied, grinning. "Thought not though. Too much like your older brother."


    Tate smiled, shaking frost out of her hair. It was out of place, her fixing her hair in the reflective ice, but Luck welcomed the familiarity. "First time I''ve fought damn robots, I''ll give you that." Her metal flowed up and around her arm moving between her leather garb. "And this, well I think it''s better not to say."


    "Goddess of Fortune, you''re just like your damn brother." Ace cursed, dragging his hand down his face. Luck raised his eyebrows at him at the use of Leah''s title. "What? Just testing how it feels on the tongue. You think she''d mind?"


    "Not particularly." Luck thought. Was swearing with a gods name a compliment or insult? Or was it neither? "Honestly, I don''t think she''d mind."


    Tate''s voice was soft, and for that, the two were silent in order to hear it. "She''s the one, isn''t she? The one that gave us another chance here?" Her attention was on her hair, nonchalant, her fingers though, moved to her forehead. Where a bullet had gone through. "You met her, Luck?" She asked, looking sideways at the mirror as she walked.


    "I prayed for us, Tate. And she answered." He remembered that church filled with four-leaf clovers of emerald and shamrock. "Yeah, I met her."


    "She brought all of us back right? Mom and Dad?" She asked, a timid hope in her voice.


    "Yeah, she did."


    They shared a silence, their obvious thoughts inferred by Ace.


    "Stop worrying you ding dongs. One of your parents is more dangerous than all three of us combined." He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I mean, come on Tater Tot. I don''t need another mopey Lockyer. And, you both can''t tell me that when I tell Laura or Rick about all this they aren''t gonna smack you across the head." He rapid fired, out of breath. "Like really, they can take care of themselves. Do you know who those two are?"


    Luck shared a look with Tate. It was a pure moment, just looking at Ace giving them an exasperated look before the man turned around as if they were hopeless. The first chuckle Ace didn''t hear. He may have twitched when Tate snickered. He didn''t see Luck''s smirk. But he definitely heard them laughing heartedly moments after.


    Luck grinned at his friend as lightning flared in Ace''s palm with mock anger. "Go for it bud. Not like you can kill me."


    Ace combed his hair back with a hand. "God damn Lockyers." He muttered, the electricity in his palm dissipating, much to Tate''s interest. "There, Tate. Sneak peek in case you missed it the first time." He said annoyed.


    "Huh." Tate paused. "I''ve only seen Ice magic so far. Cool."


    By now they had been talking for a good while. The mages walked ahead, leading the way through the tunnel. So far there was only a single path so Luck assumed anyone could''ve led but it was probably better to put familiar faces upfront though. Only moments after that thought did the tunnels begin to snake and fork. Saga walked beside Luck having no trouble doing so, wide as the tunnel was. Tric perched on the widest and rockiest shoulders of the group behind him. Maxworth walked abreast Erok and Nayah..


    And it was now that Maxworth questioned Luck.


    "What language is that, sir? I''ve not heard anything similar before." The shorter metallic man asked. After traveling with him for so long Luck gathered Maxworth was somewhat like Ace. That is to say, very secular and traveled.


    Tate glanced over at Maxworth somewhat interested before her eyes landed on Saga.


    Mentally Luck took the time to warn Saga.Careful Saga, my sister loves everything and anything soft. Rest in peace, friend.


    I will be fine, Amber Eyes.Saga chuckled back, nudging Luck''s hip softly.She is family.


    She is.


    "We must''ve slipped back into it without knowing." Luck responded to Maxworth''s question about their language. They had been speaking English and had transitioned almost seamlessly. "It''s our native tongue."


    "Do all humans speak it?" Erok rumbled, causing Tric to shift, it looked like the little dragon was actually sleeping.


    "Ah, I don''t think so. Native to our city. I doubt it''s shared among other humans." Luck said, skirting the truth easily. Though in truth, there were hundreds of languages aside from English. His mind saw conversations and responses like a grandmaster in chess when he wanted to. If he wanted a casual conversation to go one way, it would go that way. "Are you two that interested?" He asked, slightly curious.


    "Conversation can sharpen a dull march." Erok grunted. "The Rhoride Hammers often speak of their weapons but Max never tells me about his daggers and I''ve told him all I can about my hammer. Though I guess," He gestured to his rever ice great hammer. "I have another one. Besides, conversation in different languages might hone a dull march further." He said.


    Maxworth nodded, Luck allowing him to walk beside him. "My daggers also have changed. Though I prefer to discover and note their capabilities myself." He said. "And yes we like to hear other languages. The Players of Askelm often sung in beautiful languages when I traveled with them. Since then I''ve had a small interest." Luck caught that he was referring to the the traveling band of musicians that the gentleman learned how to sing from.


    "Besides, friend, it looks to be a long walk" Erok gestured forward.


    Mark and the mages stopped atop a lip of ice that overlooked a cavern the size of a warehouse. From a bird''s eye view, they could see the expanse of the space. Luck whistled low, the cave at the end began to blur with the distance. It was all ice and slip and Luck thanked his new sense of balance as they descended a nearby winding staircase. He could make out Mark, Jrok, and Roth talking.


    "Have you patrolled the cavern since the Update?" Mark asked, looking around intently.


    "We conducted a thorough examination maybe a week post-update. I''d stay alert though, I don''t trust nothing to show up." Roth said slowly, his voice filled the empty space, broken only by stalagmites and icicles. The rest of the group reacted accordingly, tensing and looking around.


    "There are more creatures up in the Zones too." Mark replied. "I need to report to the guild master. The sooner the better." Their robes trailed behind them.


    "And these people?" Roth began. "You trust them completely?"


    "Saved me. Capable bunch." Mark responded fast. "Part of that requires anextensivereport to the guild master. Suffice to say, the drake wasn''t the least of my problems up there. But this group handled both. They''re a commendable crowd." The pause in the mages'' step made Luck think Mark wasn''t the type to give out compliments easily. "I trust them."


    "I see." Roth responded glancing backward. Luck held eye contact, a twinkle in his eye.


    It wasn''t long before Luck had the sense to look up. Skylights, holes in the cavern above. Shafts of ice that reached the surface. The majority of the cave was still ice, clear to the rock it froze upon. The only shadows rest in the crevices between chunks of frozen rock and the unlit ceiling. But the place was still brighter than it should''ve been, almost like it glowed blue.


    His connection tonature bloomed, and while the majority of the place was ice, Luck could still feel the connection in places. Life teemed even here, just under the ice. Organisms that made possible the impossibly bright cavern. They were as soft and clear and light as the snow and ice around them. Bioluminescence of the same type some of the fish from The Pools harbored. They were in stasis, still emitting some type of glow through the ice. And they were everywhere. A less observant man wouldn''t have immediately noticed.


    Spirit? What are those?Luck inquired, staring intently at the walls as he descended down the stairs.


    They are reminiscent of lightfish. Magical senses detect no outward mana usage. Their traits seem to be physical.The S.I. supplied.These species are unknown to my database.


    Luck''s mind wandered as they climbed down the stairs onto flat ground. He could make out the individual frozen fish if he stared at a chunk of ice long enough. "Frozen fish." He said. "They''re lighting up the place."


    "Oh, you''ve noticed." Mark grunted, raising an eyebrow. "Not frozen. It''s part of their life cycle. We call them Freeze Light Fish or just Freeze Fish. They grow in the ice before they burrow down into the icy waterways below the Zones. And when they need to lay eggs they swim back up the frozen channels in the ice. The light''s the way they find their path upwards and back." His hand rubbed against a frozen chunk of ice formed around a boulder. In it, there were freeze fish in stasis as if floating in clear water.


    "That''s amazing." Ace breathed. "I''ve never been in a frozen cavern before." His hand came back wet from the same boulder and he wiped it on his pants. "Cold."


    "It''s cold everywhere, Ace." Tate snorted.


    Luck reached for them, the frozen fish. Strange as it may sound he could feel them notice him. Maybe the lights shined a little brighter as he walked by. Luck whispered to them in Drood, an unfathomable depth to the language. "Sleep young fish. I only pass."His voice was a whisper and so none heard him.


    Small voices whispered into being like flowing water to a frozen river.


    A Druid is here! Safe passage to you!


    Swim with me, Druid!


    He is a True Druid! I have never seen one before.


    Luck''s eyes lit up in happy amber. He rather thought the fish were cute and he chuckled that for all their enthusiasm and awe they were helplessly stuck in the ice. He rest a hand on a nearby chunk of ice. Uncountable tiny eyes followed his movement, suspended as their bodies were. "Rest frozen fish. Know you are safe here, for here walks a Druid."The effects of his words were immediate. A ripple of calm resounded across the cavern as an inaudible hum lessened further. A soft smile graced his lips as he patted the ice. "Good." He said.


    They were fascinating beyond belief. Not a single magical aspect to them. He already observed small pick-like appendages forming near their fronts. Likely, it was their method to claw through the ice or break it apart.


    "Fish too, huh?" Ace sassed.


    "No idea what you''re talking about, Ace." Luck smiled, failing to hide an encroaching chuckle. It was hard not to feel happy having seen these magnificent creatures. Something akin to pride blossomed in his chest.


    "Wait, one of your tools is to talk to fish." Tate snickered.


    "And trees." His mercenary friend chimed in, not helping Tate''s laugh.


    Luck rolled his eyes at both of them. They simply had no idea the communion he could share through nature simply from his two traits. One with Nature and Omnilingual allowed much more in-depth conversation than he believed any Druid might''ve shared with any animal, simple though it may be.


    He took steps forward and reached for his connection to the place. A million motes of calm light, like lanterns of water, lit up in his sense. It was both familiar and sublime, humbling to his soul.His breath caught as he felt the presence of millions of frozen fish some swimming only several feet below them. He steadied his step and enjoyed the presence of family and friends. And he truly felt that way. A multitude of muffled voices, some clear as ice and others garbled with water spoke to him. He let his mind swim with the fish, true relaxation coming to him here of all places.


    "Beautiful isn''t it, Nayah?" Maxworthgestured,an odd role for the gentleman to take.


    Nayah was open-mouthed, looking around in awe. Her mouth opened and closed and Erok nudged Maxworth with a small smile. "Let her alone Max. It''s only once a person gets to see something for the first time." He was testing the weight of his hammer, looking around the same way. "And this may be her first of first times."


    "Ah." Maxworth said slowly, giving a moments pause before continuing. "Well advised, Erok."


    How much do you think are in this cavern, Spirit?


    An estimated half million.Came the S.I.''s response.


    Calculations and numbers sprang up harmlessly in Luck''s field ofvision like augmented reality. Figures regarding volume and mass and other such things. He sensed that Spirit used this overlay simply because advance action allowed it to do so. Indeed, Luck found it extremely attractive. All the information was visually represented without being obtrusive and glaring.


    What is this?Luck asked, mentally gesturing to the entire U.I.


    This is an A.R. overlay. A new feature of the Mk3. Testing shows 83% of subjected users with high mental capacity react poorly to this type of information representation. Of that 83% nearly 100% experienced visual overload while 5% experienced mental shutdown.


    Luck observed the overlay calmly.And me?


    The Mk3 has observed 100% certainty you would experience none of those symptoms. Your documented regenerative capabilities and magical traits allow this overlay without any adverse effects. The Company''s goal was for this feature to be widespread and usable for all users, however, the feature was laid dormant in most cases less the user becomes suitable. You represent one of dozens to experience the overlay without negative effects.


    Dozens?Spirit had always given Luck percentages but he had assumed that the Mk3 was expensive so exactly how much people had used the product?How many users currently own a Mk3?


    That information is not logged within my database.Was the succinct response.


    Luck thought as much. The Company, Spirit had told him, was what created the Supportive Intelligences. Whatever private organization they were, they were extremely secretive. Not that Luck had done any research other than asking their own product. He wasn''t all too curious.


    He shrugged. Set the A.R. Overlay to the default when processing or presenting new information. I like it.


    Affirmative.


    The cavern tapered into a slimmer passage as they walked. Water began to trickle from the walls. Eventually, they came to a still river upon which chunks of ice floated and fish swam in. The pathway they walked was frozen solid but below there was water, a blue abyss made friendlier with the appearance of fish. They shimmered in the ice and Luck got a few glancesfrom the group as the fish seemed to cluster below his feet. He tossed bits of heat berries from the grove over the edge, fish nibbling at the fruits.


    He ignored the stares, shuffling cards with a smirk.


    Minutes later and Luck noticed the draw on his mana lessen. The aspect of the heatblind was needed less and less. The river had a lethargic current to it and by now Luck had amassed a large gathering of fish. The entire group paused in surprise as a genuine mass of fish ebbed and flowed under Luck''s feet visible through the clear ice.


    "What the hell?" Jrok exclaimed, stepping away. "The fish don''t do this."


    Mark was the next to reply. His voice was gruff but he didn''t hide his amazement. "Icehorns, look." And sure enough medium-sized horned fish charged below their feet, dancing and jousting each other. "I''ve never seen a gathering of them this large."


    "Wow." Nayah breathed, a hand on the floor as if it were a window. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen fish swim. It''s so beautiful." She traced a finger on the glass and an illusory fish swam below leading the others around and around. She giggled, breaking the magic.


    "Deja vu to The Pools." Ace nudged Luck, stepping around and peering at the fish below. His eye''s held genuine interest. "They are pretty beautiful." He agreed, holding his hands behind his back and glancing downward.


    As one, however, the group''s attention slowly shifted to something large below. Some mouths going agape. Others slower to follow.


    A white-blue figure emerged from the depths. An echoing pulsing call erupted from below like the very voice of the sea. It looped slowly disturbing the semi-still surface of the river, overpowering the current even at the distance below. It was massive. A pronged tail that flowed behind it like a kite and two large flippers guiding its path. It spun in large loops, lethargic and slow,as if everyone was looking through a spyglass into a dream.


    "Snowhale. And it''s coming right for us." Mark breathed. "Everyone brace. Might get a little rough on the ice." He called a little louder.


    The mages immediately slammed their hands against the ice instantly freezing up to their forearm for leverage. Luck''s focus was below, simple wonder in his eyes. A respect held in the awe of his amber irises. And perhaps the rest had come to know Luck more than he thought, for they didn''t even flinch at Mark''s warning. Instead, they followed Luck''s example, not fearing for anything.


    As one, they took in the primal rush of a massive lifeform brushing just below the surface of the ice. A few feet of clear ice between them and nature sublime. It was dead silent as the snowhale arched, passing just below them, ten feet clear on either side of them, thirty feet long with its tail trailing longer behind it. Only a few feet from the thick ice separating them. The fish below them spread naturally, like peasants to royalty, and the group got a full view. The sound of displaced water encompassed the tunnel, waves of rippling water disturbing the calm current of the frozen river.


    Only Luck heard the whale herself.


    Greetings Druid, I bid you safe passage through the ice ways. I pay my respect to you. Approved by Wazar and Drake both, my respects from the ocean below and all its dwellants.To the rest, her elegant speech was the most surrounding call of the blue.And a show.


    A motion from the sea, my thanks to the ocean. Follow the current, friend. My respects fromthe depths of the ocean''s oceans, the bottom of the sea, and the smallest and smoothest of rocks.


    A pulsing echo rang out in mirth.Well said, Druid!


    "I think we''re fine then," Mark said slowly, his head swiveling as the whale passed under them. He gave Luck a once over as he passed him. Slowly his hand freed from the ice encasing it.


    Luck thought he might as well get the group moving again. He grinned backward at the slow crowd, most of their eyes below the clear ice. The fish rushed back in as the snowhale parted them, clustering below him. Some eyes were drawn upward but they only found Luck''s back.


    It was as if he was some kind of fish god. His enhanced hearing, especially with the acoustics in the cavern, allowed him to overhear snippets of conversation. He fiddled with the amber cards in his hands, loving their feel. Their art was beautiful, tactile ridges and sharp edges gave the cards a crisp cut feel. The perfect set of playing cards.


    Nayah''s voice. "Who is he, really?" It was unclear who she was addressing.


    "Just a friend." Ace''s voice replied. "A very very very dangerous friend." Luck could almost hear the shrug and grin on Ace''s face.


    Another voice further away, smooth. "He is a strange one, Erok. A good strange I think."


    A rougher sound responded slower. "A man of many secrets, yes. I wonder, sometimes Max, who exactly he is."


    Mark''s voice, quieter. "He''s your brother, really? You don''t even look alike." A pause. "Does he train? There are little mages that hone their bodies."


    "He''s adopted. And yes, he''s always been my brother." Tate''s unmistakable voice responded. "He seems happier than I''ve ever seen him." She added softly. She was right. "Mage?" She asked after a seconds pause.


    One of the mages, Luck hadn''t memorized their voices yet. "Magic you think?" Luck chuckled.


    "No." Another responded. "You think he''s a fish person? Aquatic maybe? I don''t see gills on him though."


    "I don''t think so. He is intriguing though. The guild master will see him in any case. Perhaps he might have some insight." The first voice said. "There''s an air about him, no?"


    "Dangerous, I think." One voice pondered slowly.


    "Indeed, I have the same feeling." The second responded.


    It wasn''t long before the snowhale below departed, finishing a loop and diving deep into the cover of the depths and Luck said a heartfelt farewell. The whale was a magnificently large being, white-blue and humbling. He felt small, like a planet was moving just under his feet, heavenly bodies moving around him. The depth below could''ve as easily been space. The vastness below Luck couldn''t even sense. Luck paused to watched the snowhale''s form disappear. It was like a ghost or spirit had graced their passage only to descend out of view.


    The fish below him departed as soon a large arching wooden double door came into view. It was rustic and thick, not a single splintering section. It smelled reminiscent of the wood of his bar back in the dimensional room.


    Mark laid a fist on the doorway and Luck was convinced he was going to do magic. Instead, he rapped loudly on the door three times. "Mark Gaypa, Officer of Magice!" He yelled. "We bring guests!"

 Chapter 22 - Court of Gods

    Ardun is a city built upon glory and treasure. Towering walls surround the city rebuffing the many denizens of the areas in the immediate vicinity. To the North, The Frozen Zones, a cold beauty harboring dangerous predators able in the cold. To the West, Hydr Dunes, a sweltering desert void of any notable life. To the East, Krukon''s Forest, a veritable jungle teeming with life. To the South, Snake''s Way, no better description than its very name. Each at first glance, don''t seem outright dangerous yet the forces they can bring to bear are fearsome, especially near the walls of Ardun. Fear the walls travelers, often is the band of adventurers that become lax on their trip finding the dangers tough but manageable, the walls are where they die, time and time again. If they even survive that far. The natural defenses Ardun harbors makes sure no other power can challenge it nor can Ardun challenge any either. Only the powerful or truly resourceful can even make it the walls. And lucky is the adventurer even allowed entrance.The assaulting monsters don''t normally allow the gates to ever open. Different ways into the city are often discovered by the truly desperate or truly spectacular. The exact allure of Ardun is unknown but the monsters attracted to the city are forces of nature all their own. If not for the powerful individuals that man the walls of Ardun the city would be overrun in hours. I dare not attempt to even map the area.


    -Yetton Fal, Follower of Diversi, mapmaker


    Diversi, God of Variance stood, quietly in the realm of the gods. The room was pitch black and dotted with stars as if the only thing that daunted the gods was space itself. Thrones circled the room, made of various materials. If not a throne then some other representation of the god that presided there. Some were wreathed in fire, crafted of marble, made of air, water, lightning, tornadoes, etc. Others were more humble, a single blooming flower, one was crafted of wood, others were set into the ground. There was a seat so minuscule one wouldn''t have noticed save for the empty space around it. Some consisted of bones, plants, symbols, floating shapes, hands or simple colors. All were set against the blackness of space.


    Diversi''s seat always changed. As did his appearance for that matter. Today his chair was a replica of a talented crafter of one of his people down below. The Subdir were excellent crafters, or rather carvers in this case. And though the original was carved out of stone Diversi''s was made of soft velvet.


    Appearance was a powerful factor even in the Court of Gods. Oddly, the God of Rebirth, someone Diversi thought would never catch on, had been paying attention to that particular aspect recently. The god had a small hobby of fashion lately. Jerxos was a strange god, however, Diversi liked him. Diversi pondered that as he rechecked his own appearance.


    Because, as God of Variance Diversi was devoted to being different, devoted to change, he prepared accordingly for today. He had, unlike any other god or goddess, arrived on time. And as he expected, the Court of Gods was entirely empty. The other gods would never admit to it but he knew they liked the small changed Diversi brought. One of those were his outfits. Always, they were out of the ordinary, magnificent or plain weird.


    Today though, in light of the Update, Diversi had done something... different. Even for him. He wore a simple suit of popular style below in one of the larger population centers. Ardun had an interesting taste in apparell having more focus on utility even in ceremonies. He wore a layered leather armor cut in perhaps too vulnerable a state while altogether being aesthetically pleasing. Rough and flexible leather pants buckled down with various pockets attached. An armband tightened around his right bicep so much that he had to use his left to check his hair.


    "Oh? Perhaps I''m early?" A man covered in timekeeping watches and clocks arrived. "I could''ve sworn this was the time."


    "You''re late actually." Diversi corrected.


    "Ah, of course. Though I think I''m right on time actually." The god gestured. And with the wave of his hand, handfuls of gods and goddesses appeared through their own means. The space was easily accessible to the divine, a short walk, jump, swim, or teleport away no matter the god. "Ortick, God of Time, pleased to meet the God of Variance." He bowed.


    "You know of me?" Diversi rose an eyebrow. Ortik seemed to blink and he was sitting right next to Diversi on a throne made of glass and sand. Sections of the throne moved and flipped pouring sands in fine rivers and streams throughout.


    "You are a small topic among some gods. Even then, your name would pop up among conversation simply for being friends with the Goddess of Luck." Ortik said. The god had found a pair of glasses and seemed to be getting older and older until he was an old man, rubbing at his beard. "The God of Rebirth too."


    "Those two are of the few who want to see change in Aerae." Diversi said, adjusting his leather. "If we had done something other than lay about perhaps we would be ready for this Update that Ethodthem brings." He sighed. "It is the laziness of the gods and goddesses that allowed us to stagnate."


    Ortik groaned as his bones creaked but said nothing. Diversi already saw a few gods and goddesses look his way. It was strange to see the God of Variance in normal clothing let alone formal wear.


    A raised dais was centered among the seats of the gods. The Court of Gods had not been used in thousands of years. For Diversi, this was only the seventh time he had attended. Some of the new divines had never even stepped foot in here. While more had been in attendance dozens if not hundreds of times. He eyed the procession looking for the shakers of Aerae.


    The domains of the gods were always shifting and changing. They were wide and encompassing and as such there were many gods. But some gods were ever present, always at the peak of power. They were those who were worshipped all around. The governors of Aerae in any real sense. Diversi had only ever seen one. In fact, at times many gods didn''t attend these meetings and it was for that reason Diversi had not met the beings of powers that were gods even to him.


    Diversi''s apparel did little to draw attention as not one, but two, of these powerful gods, appeared in a boom that silenced the crowd. Even he was in awe, forgetting completely about his attire.


    Auth, God of Power, towered above the gods and goddesses nearby, exuding an aura of strength and poise as he found his seat. He was a tall figure whose muscles did little to explain the danger the gods felt from his very presence.


    "Ah. So he came." Ortik croaked. "It has been a while since Auth graced the Court of Gods." He smiled, toothless.


    Gods and goddesses pointed in soft amazement. Fasch, God of Wonder, appeared in a haze, drifting among the gods like a fog. Her dress floated behind her and the effects of whatever power the gods and goddesses around her manifested seemed to pale in comparison to her presence.


    Nearlyhalf of the thrones were filled. To put things in perspective, of the times Diversi had come and he came whenever he was invited, not more than twenty seats ever filled. Here, there must have been hundreds. This many gods in attendance was unprecedented. The Court of Gods was silent for odd minutes like they truly held the discussion in the cold vastness of space.


    "Well," A goddess surrounded by floating glowing symbols spoke. "Who called the court then?"


    Silence.


    It was the question many whispered. The place hummed with power and presence, especially regarding Auth and Fasch. But even they were curious who called the court. It was easily assumed what the purpose of the gathering was for but it was also tradition for the god or goddess that called the Court of Gods to open discussion. Thousands of years were still thousands of years, sometimes even the gods forgot their own traditions. He ventured that the thought never crossed the mind of most gods here to call the court.


    Diversi straightened his cuffs and stood up.


    Conversations lulled then silenced completely as he took position on the dais. It took scant few moments for the gods to realize someone had appeared to address them.


    He was acutely aware of both Auth and Fasch''s full attention. Diversi, however, being a god like all in front of him was used to commanding attention. His throat cleared.


    "I am the God of Variance, Diversi, for those who don''t know me. I strive to be different and advocate change when necessary. For millennia, I have beseeched the gods to devote more time and investigation into the machinations of Ethodthem, the natural force that permeates Aerae. Now, even the gods are threatened by beings awakened by the Update. I am also the one who summoned the Court of Gods."


    He took a breath, straightening his collar and checking his cuffs before looking up. There was a smoldering anger in his eyes. "So let me begin by saying this: You are all idiots."


    The soft murmurs died instantly. Gods stood up in anger but Auth raised a hand and they all sat back reluctantly fuming. Diversi continued. "Divine beings of powers, people that command the very elements, unseen forces mortals cannot even fathom, and yet, fools, the lot of you." He breathed. "Now, we scramble. Some of the lesser gods matched by slumbering creatures we have never seen. A few greater gods, especially of the ocean, finding massive lifeforms emerging from the depths, threatening their power."


    A few heads in the crowd nodded and the stern faces and concern on the greater gods'' faces suppressed the anger of the previously unaware. Even the God of Monsters was grimacing. Diversi didn''t stop. "Of those of you that command the abstract domains. There are creatures still that manipulate emotions and minds. As the God of Variance, I feel beings of chaos and entropy encroach on Aerae or ones that command order and precision, dangerous in their intensity. Beings that disrupt the cycle of life and death. Whatever domain you preside over, the Update has played no favorites. I possess the unique perspective to sense the differences in Aerae. Look around at any relevant gods or goddesses and see for yourselves." Gods looked around and found others nodding. Silence reigned again.


    He continued. "Fools, all of you. And now, I sense even attacks on the domain of variance. Cults coming into creation preaching blankness and blandness. Beings erasing the minds of the most creative and different mortals below. Those, rest easy, are at least few in number and localized. I cannot say the same for any other god and their domain."


    A young voice chirped full of energy and gravity in equal parts. Ortik was younger now. "I am Ortik, God of Time. As presider of one of the more abstract domains I can attest that not even mine is safe." He aged rapidly becoming an old man in seconds, the clocks ticked slower around his body. "The God of Variance is right. We were lax too long and now we pay the ultimate price. A threat to our powers and livelihood." His next words resounded clear and with finality.


    "A chance to die." The old man croaked.


    Thatgot the attention of the room. The lesser gods scoffed but the greater gods and their silence humbled them. People broke into loud conversation. How to combat the threat? What steps could they take? Minor gods shared their troubles, ancient beings awakening right under their noses. Panic, generally.


    Too used to their immortality.Diversi thought.


    Auth slammed a fist into his throne. A shockwave of his power made the manifestations of power from other gods dim and flicker. This was how attention was won in the Court of Gods. He roared. "You combat those that threaten your power the same way you took it in the first place!"


    "Eons have passed since then! What do you suppose we do?" An exasperated voice yelled back. A few murmured agreement.


    "You prove to Ethodthem you deserve it. You earn that power again. You defeat any enemy that threatens you and become stronger for it! You gain power again!" He bellowed it like a challenge. It was as if the rest of the gods were but children and he had pointed out the most obvious thing.


    He growled and made his way to the dais, the aura around him flaring with intensity as gods murmured. Diversi took a polite step back as Auth took authority. "All gods and goddesses are subject to the system. It is not that enemies threaten our power but that we have the means to gain more!" He yelled.


    "What reason would we need to be stronger for?" One scoffed. "We already sit at the top of Aerae."


    A lady in white stepped up to the dais her presence almost entirely hidden by Auth. Her eyes shone green, a soft buzzing drew Diversi''s attention from the clover in her hair and down to the ladybugs flying around her. A bunny hopped beside her. "If you haven''t caught one that''s no longer true. The gods cannot even say how large Aerae is, how deep or how wide or how high, it is simply that vast. We do not even know if we are truly the only gods here. We have done nothing with our time at the peak and we pay for the waste. If you believe now, with the Update, that there exists nothing in the vastness of Aerae, in all its nooks and crannies and crevices and abysses, that can challenge a god then you''re mistaken." Leah held the room, the contrast of her soft-spoken demeanor commanding just as much attention as Auth''s powerful presence did.


    Diversi announced her. "Leah, Goddess of Fortune." He gestured and Leah nodded softly. The Court of Gods erupted into conversation.


    "You brought this upon us, fool!" A goddess screamed. A wave of fire flung towards Leah. Diversi waved a hand and the fire became sparkling mist. It was a gesture, the fire couldn''t truly hurt Leah, and any real attack would not make it past another god. It spoke to displeasure however.


    Leah grimaced. "I see rumors have spread before I have even the chance to explain." She said, a few gods glaring at the goddess'' outburst. Leah continued. "I worked my domain. Just as all of you do. I saved lives, helped the elderly, the sick, the unfortunate, the clumsy. A stroke of luck for them, a saving grace. Every life I could save I saved. In all, it was not much, but people lived and I continued to do so."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "You made Ethodthem bring this chaos to us!" A voice rang. "Without you, we would not have these troubles! The mortals below are not our affair less they worship us! Let them die!"


    Diversi scowled. "Silence your voices less you stand on the dais where you can be judged by every god and goddess in this room. I believe Auth and Frasch are more than happy to remove you if need be. Enough interruptions." Diversi shot a sharp glare to the offending voice before gesturing back to Leah.


    "Though I sensed the tide of misfortune coming I had initially thought it was my own power backlashing. It seems, however, that Ethodthem had been on the verge of the Update for quite a while now. I admit I was the one to have tipped the scales." She spoke, some gods glared and others nodded with somber looks.


    Diversi crossed his arms and looked across the crowd.


    Another god walked onto the stage with perfect poise. He held a cane and cut a lithe figure. Beside him, a god laden with knick-knacks and gadgets and gizmos. The first one spoke. "I am Stabequil, God of Balance." He nodded to Leah. "The Goddess of Fortune is right. There has always been an overwhelming imbalance of power and danger in Aerae. In my domain, however, some things are balanced on an imbalanced scale. Only now, do I notice how wrong I was, and how large of an error I made." He shook his head. "I apologize fellow divine for I could''ve warned us earlier had I only thought of Ethodthem''s function."


    The second god spoke. "Ah, worry not,friend. I''m sure the gods forgive your blunder for we were all blind in the end." He addressed the crowd and only then did Diversi realize this was Jerxos. "The God of Balance notes that now, in light of the Update, the scales have shifted again. Danger is more present now than it has ever been. It has been weeks since and beings of old or new are only still awakening, still drowsy of their slumber."


    Stabequil nodded. "Now, in Aerae, there is more danger than there are means to combat it. And we, the gods, have the majority of that power." He looked to Auth who nodded.


    "The rules of rebirth are not so simple." Jerxos intoned. "Plucking souls from the planes beyond that fit into Aerae is a tiring process. With the Update and even the months beforehand, I found it easier to grant new lives to old souls. To balance the shift. I am but a small factor, but now at least, there are more mortals below that can defend themselves."


    "So what then? The gods have sworn away from meddling below." A voice rang clear. "Even if Aerae is threatened the gods descending would wipe what little of Aerae we preside over. The mortals dying would not help the situation


    "Are we expected to clean up Aerae?" One asked. "We''ve all witnessed the consequences of meddling before. We belong isolated in our own hideaways."


    Another voice responded. "Our influence extends through Aerae by means of worship." It said, slowly. "Perhaps it is time to circulate power." Protests immediately responded, even the quieter of gods shouted loud at the idea.


    Diversi nodded, his hand shot up and the crowd sat down slowly. "Think, gods and goddesses. In truth, what do you all do with the power you hoard?" Mouths began to answer before Diversi continued. "You hoard the power to exert influence over your peers and nothing more. To impress or flaunt or brandish or boast. It is time the gods give back to the denizens that worship us."


    Auth spoke powerfully. Diversi respected the God of Power in the sense that none of it went to his head. "To defeat the challenges that Ethodthem brings to bear we must spread our power. The largest of us cannot fight the smallest of ants. Power to the mortals will fix the problem so that we aren''t overwhelmed. Should we be greedy now would invite apocalypse. Make no mistake, gods and goddesses, you know my domain, so know I have a vague sense of beings as powerful as I. And if such beings exist then to them your deaths would be a small struggle."


    "S-small?" An angry voice shouted. "We hoard power in case of emergencies! So that old gods like you can''t squash us underfoot if you decide to!"


    "As powerful as you Auth?" Another began reasonably. "Surely, and I mean no offense, a dozen minor gods or even a few greater gods can take you on. It would be the work of a small team to combat these unknown foes, no?" There were nods of agreement all around.


    "Fools." Auth''s voice exploded. All the gods looked to him. "I know power. I know my limits and yours. It is you who are blind to real strength. When one says another matches their strength you may assume you know his power. But when the God of Power says he senses those with power on par with his." Auth breathed deep. "He meansthis."And shockwave of pure force blasted nearly everyone into their thrones, cracking seats and throwing down gods who happened to be standing.


    Ortik caught Diversi and steadied him. Stabequil held Jerxos and Leah stood her own ground surprisingly. Diversi had to hold his jaw shut. It felt like Auth multiplied by a thousand times to an infinite degree. The power in his aura was unmatched by any god in the room. His mere presence demanded anyone to argue with him.


    Ortik whispered to Diversi. "Leave it to Auth to smack sense into the young gods." He said, now a middle-aged man with a strong voice and graying hair.


    Jerxos chuckled to himself and addressed Stabequil. "Quite the balance, friend." He gasped, hit by Auth''s presence as well.


    "Thisis the power I command.Thisis the power I feel our enemies possess.Thisis what threatens Aerae.Thisis what I mean when I say you are naught but a small struggle for beings on par with myself. To me, you are even less than the mortals are to you." He boomed.


    Diversi gaped more. He, more than most, knew the dire circumstances. Still, for Auth to have sensed something of that magnitude? Could the gods challenge such a beast? And what of what Stabequil said? If the gods hold all the power who combats the threats on a mortal scale?


    The crowd was silent as Diversi was sure they had the same thoughts running through their head. If not that, then simple primal fear of the divine ran through their veins as they stared at Auth.


    "T-then what do we do?" A timid voice raised itself to be heard. "W-what can we do? Surely you can''t expect us to match your power?"


    Leah spoke next. "We can offer little help to the mortals unless you are one who can affect the everyday. Bestow blessings and gifts upon your followers to the best of your abilities. It is all we can do to keep Aerae alive." Some gods nodded stoically and other grimaced. The act of blessing mortals or artifacts were costly and inefficient if the mortal died. It was a gamble not many took in a land as dangerous as Aerae.Now that it was only more treacherous the gamble had to pay off. "Success for your followers mean success for you. It is the only way we can influence the tidings below."


    "You can''t expect that to actually work!" Someone said. "Mortals die constantly. That''s a waste of power and resources. Is there no other way?"


    "It''s true they risk their lives and die with no purpose!" Another responded.


    An exasperated voice called out. "That is why you choose who you bless! Do not grace the foolhardy and faux confident. You must focus your efforts on the most capable. Blessings have always been rocky territory. A reliable recipient is all that is needed. One attuned to your domain and able to use your gifts to the fullest."


    Diversi nodded, that was the best approach. However, moving forward was not without risks.


    "But still, the drawback." A collected female voice reasoned, thinking out loud. "Will we not be risking ourselves if our power goes to waste? The scales of balance are already so skewed as the God of Rebirth said. If our blessings fail then does not our overall power lower? Our capabilities to fend off whatever is thrown our way?" The goddess pushed up her glasses and glanced around the room.


    "And not just us. I''m all for helping the mortals. But if they fail us? The scales tip further and we are only more weakened, no?" A louder, echoing voice said. The larger goddess brought up a good point.


    Diversi cut in. "Combat is not the only way to influence the happenings below. For those of you that adhere to the crafting hemispheres or domains of knowledge, your blessings in the right hands might mean miracles below. And with less chance of a mortal dying below."


    There were nods in response, some gods and goddesses unhappy at themselves being singled out.


    "But what is that between us all?" A strong voice called. It belonged to a god holding a blacksmith''s hammer. "I doubt the numbers we bless are enough to make a difference." His voice was like a hammer to the anvil.


    There was silence all around. Diversi frowned, it was true that a god could only bless so many people. Perhaps a maximum of three for the greater gods and barely a single blessing for the lesser gods. Auth could maybe manage countless more but still. Diversi himself felt he could only afford two.


    "A conundrum them." A wizened god spoke. His hand grasped a gnarled staff but he walked with aged power. "We hold the majority of power on Aerae but we cannot descend for fear of cataclysm. We cannot influence those below in any great measure without too great of losses to ourselves." He walked to the dais and addressed the crowd leaning on his staff. "And, many of us have our own problems to deal with regarding prevalent changes to our domains."


    The wizened god''s robes and bookish appearance tickled some memory of Diversi''s.


    "And who are you?"A tiny voice pierced the room.


    "I am one who knows even you God of All Things Small. I am one who knows Ortik in great familiarity. One who nows Auth and Fasch as old friends. One who even the higher gods come for counsel now and then. Sometimes, if a young god is wise, he would seek me." His graying hair only enhanced the intelligence in his eyes.


    Auth stepped away from the dais and Diversi and the rest followed allowing the strange god the floor. Many murmured at the movement. The god continued. "I am the God of Understanding, Prehe."


    Diversi froze for a moment before his breath returned to him. This was the God of Understanding? In the flesh? But of course, it only made sense that in lieu of the Update he would appear. Perhaps he could explain things? But then, wasn''t it always said that even the God of Understanding couldn''t fathom Ethodthem''s machinations?


    The crowd erupted into surprise.


    "Is it him?" A god suspended in a bubble of water garbled.


    Another spoke up loudly, nearly lost in the exclamations and outbursts. "I thought he was a myth!"


    "Calm down everyone!"


    Diversi cleared his throat loudly, stepping up to the dais. "I will havesilence!" And his voice resounded against the walls. He at least had the power to make his voice sound different from the rest, and thus most of the gods settled down. "I already spy a few repeat offenders. You know who you are. Once more and you''ll be removed from the premises." A few gods sobered up even though Diversi wasn''t really keeping count.


    "Now," Diversi breathed. "I believe the God of Understanding was saying something?" He gestured.


    Prehe nodded to Diversi before continuing, a tired look on his face. "We have our own problems to deal with. We cannot descend. We cannot influence Aerae below without any great drawback." He breathed. "We have all become lax in our power. We forget what it means to be weak, what it means to struggle. A few of your perhaps, have the perspective, but most of you have already let the power run to your head."


    He waved his staff. "We hold the majority of power in Aerae, as I''ve said. And yet, only a fool would call the mortals below useless." Gods flinched at that. "They know what it is to be weak. They''ve endured the dangers longer than any of us."


    "What are you saying then?" A god asked.


    "In short, there is no need to descend. Unlike the divine, the mortals below know what it takes to reach for power. And though we hold most of the power, it is us I worry for." He spoke, grimacing. His hand clenched at his staff.


    This time, there were no outbursts. It was because the God of Understanding had said it himself. There was no arguing. The gods hushed each other and spoke quietly. Diversi at least could understand Prehe''s prediction that the mortals below could take care of themselves. He was one of the few who had birthed a race. And not just one, but four. He, more than most, knew what they were capable of.


    Perhaps he was naive to believe it was they who needed him.


    Everyone stepped down from the dais. The gods would mill around for a bit to digest the information before discussion began in full. Any new gods would be getting a quick tutorial on how the Court of Gods is structured. For now though, they would mingle.


    "Thank you." It was Prehe. "For calling the Court. If not for you I might not have even come. Yet, the ideas being thrown around here were futile at best." It took a second for Diversi to catch up.


    "The gods have been subject to their power too long. Even me, I admit. As a creator of mortal races below, I find it embarrassing I didn''t have confidence in them earlier. But, I have the unique perspective. You are right, from the past, there is no reason they would fail me. They never have."


    "Ah, well at least the God of Variance was aware of it affecting the rest, no?" Prehe said. Diversi was both surprised and not that he knew his title. "And yes, the Subaqa, Subaer, Subfira, and Subdir. The people of the elements are a capable bunch."


    "Thank you." He bowed. It was a large compliment.


    "I must speak with Auth and Frasch. Fair tidings." He nodded and walked over to the two who were already conversing.


    A giggle drew Diversi''s attention.


    He found Leah laughing, playing with her bunny. "What''s so funny then?" Diversi asked, smiling.


    Her voice was mirthful despite everything. "It''s just been awhile since someone''s cursed with my name." She giggled.


    Diversi gestured to the gods around vaguely. "What do you think? Of all this?" He asked.


    "Change at last." She said to him. "Not how I envisioned it but I regret it somewhat. The gods are caught unprepared. Sitting at the peak of their power caused no harm to anyone. And now they may very well be injured because of the Update."


    A male voice cut in with enthusiasm. "Well, it was bound to happen whether Leah did something or not." Jerxos still wore his trinkets and baubles but under it was a rather finely cut suit. "Only now the gods have to react and get off their thrones."


    "Indeed." Diversi nodded. "By the way, Jerxos I came across some of your rebirthees. In fact, they cured one of the homes of my people. Perhaps Prehe was correct then, some of the mortals are quite capable of their own survival."


    "Ah, did you get their names? There are a lot of rebirths recently." He responded.


    "I believe the name was Luck Lockyer and Acen Vent. Odd names, I wouldn''t forget them." Diversi didn''t notice the attention of both gods suddenly sharpen until he looked back at them. It was supposed to be an idle topic. "What?"


    "They came from a group of souls I plucked from another plane," Leah said softly. "They were dangerous mortals in their world with good hearts. An entire family." She explained. "They made an impression to say the least. They were among the most impressive I found, perhaps at the top."


    Jerxos smile sagged a little but he only gave a defeated grin. "They were an interesting bunch. If you don''t remember they were the talk of the gods for a while when Leah first announced the coming misfortune."


    "I''m afraid I was preoccupied until just recently. Mainly due to similar events happening throughout the homes of my people. The two mortals were a welcome reprieve." Diversi responded.


    Jerxos continued. "Ah, no worries friend. You know how the rebirth tests go, correct? Or at least a general understanding?"


    "I do."


    "Well those mortals tested unprecedently well. I''ve mirrored the tests for an average among fitting rebirthee candidates and achieved no results at all near their scores. And that, not only to Mr. Lockyer and Mr. Vent but the entire Lockyer family as well. Not to mention the other man Leah plucked." Jerxos shook his head. "My wife is loving the chaos."


    Leah spoke with a laugh. "She''s the Goddess of Fun. What did you expect from her?"


    "Are they special then?" Diversi wondered. The affairs of mortals were at least a small pastime for him. Though if they weren''t of the people of the elements he cared less.


    Leah spoke again. "Not yet. But they''ve already made ripples in Aerae which is more than what the gods can say. They were a crowd I picked out for their hearts. They''d help those they could and stem the misfortune I know now is Ethodthem''s Update."


    "Such faith for mere mortals." Diversi rose an eyebrow.


    Jerxos groaned. "You''d have faith if you knew what they got away with." He rubbed at his face. "They might even graduate from ripples to splashes if they survive down there long enough." He groaned again. "Which reminds me, I need to talk to the God of Time. Have you seen him?"


    Diversi pointed and Jerxos was walking away with the clanging of his trinkets and baubles.


    Leah spoke. "We both are of the gods who can detect the change coming." Her gaze was focused at the milling gods. A frown graced her face. "They have no idea."


    Diversi straightened his leather armor again. "No. No they do not." He stepped up to the dais. "But it is our job to make sure they do."

 Chapter 23 - City of Light

    The capacity for wonders, formagic, reside in the soul. The affinities, the aspects of the magical spectrum one resonates with, determine what is possible for each individual. They represent a soul''s compatibility with a type of magic, of which there are countless, no matter anyone''s attempt to categorize them. In general, the layman has a natural affinity to at least one type of magic, the natural elements are most likely. Thematter of ever discovering it is up to them, as methods for just that are few and far between. Often people screen for the very basic elements - as those are the simplest to discover - and find their affinity. It should be known, however, that it is extremely unlikely for an indiviual to have no affinities than it is to have multiple. Because of this, mundane tasks are often supplemented with magic through Aerae, though these amount to nothing more than cantrips.Realmagic, no more than a handful of every ten thousand ever grasp. Not the lighting of matches or the moving dirt of potted plants, nor the chilling of drinks or blowing of small breezes. I speak of the conjuration of storms! The summoning of tidal waves! Of calling upon lightning itself to smite your foes! Few ever witness or achieve such mastery. There are, of course, general ranks of knowledge widely "accepted" by magical practitioners though these, along with other titles, skew into obscurity. Roughly, they go: Initiate, Acolyte, Magician, Mage, Magus, Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock - Mage being the general term. Unfortunately, the little organizations regarding magic that exist in any influential capacity pick and choose their favorite titles. Additional namecalling such as Hedge Wizards, Adepts, and Witches only add to the confusion. At the very least they, refreshingly unanimously, refer to magical pioneers, lone or decreasingly few in their craft, as Solus. One of the few things magical practitioners can actually agree upon.


    -Callon Fewt, asmall excerpt of The Titles of Mages


    It was a winding staircase that the mage''s led them up once the wooden gateway opened. The icy structure was like distorted glass, their faces warped in the walls. Idly, Luck thought on whether Ardun itself was sectioned off by the cardinal directions. Was the north-side city covered in ice while the west-side suffered from the sweltering heat of the Dunes?


    "The staircase emerges in the heart of the guild. The main lobby." Mark called back, his voice carrying easily. "Don''t get any ideas. Any suspicious moves and you''ll be frozen solid. Literally."


    "Your whole guild isn''t made of ice is it?" Ace joked.


    "No." Mark replied. "That''s not structurally feasible in Ardun''s climate. Besides that''s too much work." Luck noted that detail mentally.


    "I''d expect a guild of ice mages to be at least a little bit chilly." Tate chimed in.


    "The guild master will want to talk to your representative. And you Tate, on the matter of Greyfur''s body." He said. "Other than that the rest of you are free to mingle once I announce you."


    "Sounds good." Luck replied.


    It was a matter of minutes before the stairs straightened and the temperature began to warm. There was a distinct lack of icicles, an odd detail to notice that Luck wouldn''t have if they weren''t so always present. The stairway opened up ahead.


    Boisterous voices filled the air. The clang and cheers of ale and drink. Luck grinned at Ace at the familiar atmosphere, for all their expertise they couldn''t pass up good drink. They emerged and the first thing Luck noticed was that they came out of the floor in almost the center of the entire lobby. The place seemed rather un-icy. Chandeliers of ice hung above, some of the tables and chairs were formed of ice but the majority was decidedly wooden and stone. A durable building that burst with life. His ears were filled with the sounds of loud patrons. There were people everywhere, and he realized he didn''t even see another human at all. The entire place felt almost like a tavern.


    Immediately, the sounds of the crowd died down. People put down their drinks and eyed the group. A group of brawling men paused in their fight, not at all seeming like mages. He could almost swear he felt their roving eyes pass over him to Mark.


    "Mark''s back!" One cheered, slogging drink all over a frozen table.


    "You reckon he slew the beast, then?" A voice called loudly, before laughing drunkenly, raising the volume of the place.


    "Won''t be long before he goes out again!" A woman yelled. "And he brings friends. Again! Cheers to him and the new pilgrims!" The crowd erupted in boisterous clapping. People slapped mugs together and slapped each other across the back.


    Mark shook his head grinning. "Welcome to Magice." He smiled, looking around pointedly.


    Luck smirked and followed Mark as he signaled them. Erok and Maxworth seemed interested in the entire building while Nayah was having trouble dealing with the attention. Tric perched on Ace''s shoulder and Saga strode by Luck''s side without any outward reaction. In truth, the shar really didn''t care. Luck stroked Saga''s coat.


    "So he is yours," Tate spoke, eyeing the shar. "It''s the same one I saw in the mountain. A shar."


    "He''s not mine. He''s a friend, and his name''s Saga." Luck replied. "You already acquainted yourself in the walk here if I remember correctly." He recalled, remembering Tate petting him as she did all fluffy animals.


    "I did." She laughed. "Mark was very cautious around the cat at first, you know. It wasn''t until we saw it and the little dragon taking down the bots that he calmed down." She recalled, staring at Saga. "It''s got amber eyes, just like you."


    "He does." Luck grinned, tuning into the voices around them. "Weird, isn''t it?"


    He could see and hear whispers about them already. It only took moments for them to be the talk of the crowd. And oddly, the uniqueness of their group was matched in the crowd. There were so many different looking people Luck couldn''t help but stare. He spotted people the seemed almost crystal, shining with color. Some sprouted saplings from their backs or outright bore fruit over their shoulders. Others looked lithe and slim with a single protruding horns. There were more of course, but Luck''s eyes couldn''t take them all in at the same time. The small majority of the people here were furred and snouted though, sharing similarities with Roth. It was not a big majority at all, but it was.


    Wolfen.Spirit interjected. Fitting, Luck thought.


    Mark walked toa nearby long table. The entrance to the Frozen Zones was the centerpiece of the entire room. A staircase that descended downwards framed by ice. Surrounding it was a multitude of tables and furniture as if this lobby was the resting area before and after trips outside. There weren''t many open tables but already Luck could see some situated fairly in the middle of the crowd.


    One of these, Mark led them to. "Make yourselves comfortable. I need to talk with the Guild Master Freeze. Yes, that''s his real name. I''ll be back." He said quickly, deflecting friends that approached him. He walked towards a more brightly lit part of the lobby. A man with glasses at a desk pointed down a hallway and Mark disappeared.


    Luck turned back to the group.


    Everyone took their seats, enjoying the ambiance and presence of other people. Strangers, but even that was comforting. They''d been alone for weeks, nearly a month just traveling. And while he did love the solidity, he grew up in the city. Having strangers in the background was a familiar feeling. A welcome one at that.


    "I believe I see another, gentleman. Excuse me."Maxworth pushed out his chair and walked towards the stranger.


    "I can never relax around them," Nayah said offhandedly. She quickly added. "I have nothing personal against them. Just..."


    "It is nothing to be ashamed of." Erok stopped her. "The history of the Gentlemen is long, complex, and misunderstood. The struggle is theirs to share." The roken rumbled, watching the two metallic people converse across the room.


    "What is with them anyway?" Ace asked. Even if the knowledge was commonplace Luck assumed the group knew they, being Ace and Luck, weren''t exactly from around the area, so Luck didn''t care anymore. "Max got looks in Peace, even after saving some people. They have a bad history?"


    "A bloody one." Erok grimaced. "But if you want to know I suggest hearing it from Max himself." He raised a hand. "For now, we have time to rest. And rest is always appreciated."


    It was funny to Luck, seeing everyone sitting together. They''d been on the move so long Luck hadn''t actually seen anyone sit in a chair their entire trip. It had always been rocks or keid or snow. The rest didn''t seem to notice or particularly care but Luck found it quietly amusing. As he did most things, come to think of it.


    Luck absently set his elbows against the table, shuffling his set of amber playing cards. It was a bad habit he never bothered to get rid of, the elbows not the shuffling. It was easier to handle the cards this way. He twirled them between his fingers like feathers, making them flip and dance as if they were alive. His eyes reflected with amber and it only took moments for himself to be engrossed. In moments, the world was lost to him and what mattered were only the cards.


    It brought back memories of home. To the Devil of The Cards, there was much more meaning behind them. He was rightfully called a cheat at times, but Luck could play any game quite skillfully anyway. And to him, cards were fun. It was rare for something to be just that - fun that is - in the underground. Sure, they were a gateway to more dangerous gambling and risktaking, and Luck loved that. But it was always the feel of the cards, the texture and sharpness, the rigidity and smoothness, that called back memories of the idlest moments of his life. Ironically,the oneshe held closest to his heart.


    It was only after a dynamo shuffle into two one-handed shuffles and a few deck switches that Luck zoned back into himself. There were murmurs all around and he knew he had an audience. One of the sapling men stood nearby, right beside Saga actually, with interest and without fear. A man made of yellow crystal drank beer as his eyes darted between Luck''s fingers. Erok leaned forward in his seat. Nayah was entranced as well. Maxworth looked on with interest too, apparently having returned without Luck''s notice.


    Everyone watched, they were still loud, but the majority were interested. This isn''t to say they had the attention of the entire room but they had a very small corner of it.As it just so happened, the table they occupied sat five comfortably. Oddly, it was a pentagon, though a lot of the other tables were odd shapes as well. This meant it might as well have been a poker table. Luck smirked, the game of poker might''ve been too hard to understand for the onlookers so he thought of something more attention-grabbing. It had been a while since he had a bit of time to relax and mess around with a deck of cards.


    To everyone but Ace and Tate''s surprise, they found cards being dealt to them. Amber cards glided across the varnished wood. "Slapjack." He said absently, continuing to deal. Ace and Tate admired the backs of the cards.


    They nodded as Maxworth, Nayah, and Erok observed.


    The game, when it boiled down to it, was reaction based. The rules weren''t so much exploitable as they were absolute. There was nothing to cheat with. You took turns putting cards down until a sandwich or a double in which case anyone fast enough can slap it, gaining all the cards. Face cards determined how much cards the next player put down. The winner of the slap starts the new round. If there is no slap then the person who played the last face card gets the pot.


    Saga felt Luck''s excitement and came out from under the table.


    In short, Ace and Tate had no chance. With the Familiar Bond''s enhancements to his perception and reaction? With Spirit''s effect on his mental acuity?


    Luck smirked, placing down a Jack. The cards were themed with tools from Jerxos'' game. This one depicted a laughing man. His face was mirthful and the crowd in the background laughed wholeheartedly with him. Tate placed a card down as the Jack called for only one. Ace put down a King which called for three cards, it depicted a beautiful garden temple with a man performing magic for a woman. Luck placed another King down.


    Luck''s eyes sharpened and he slapped.


    Ace''s hand had found its way under his. Tate blinked and Luck squinted at Ace as he pulled his cards in. Three additional face cards in his hand gave him an advantage. He was too distracted by the artwork of the cards, a mistake on his part. The Goddess of Fun, Jerxos'' wife, had really outdone herself. Of course, the artwork of a goddess was a solid excuse for being caught off guard but he wasn''t about to tell anyone the origins of his precious amber deck.


    In English, "You chose this game, not me." Ace said smugly, splaying out his hands. Tric chirped smugly from Ace''s shoulder.


    "Jeez, calm down Ace. It''s just a game." Tate glanced at him.


    "Your start, Ace." Luck smirked.


    Ace started with his favorite card, an Ace, and Tate had to place down four cards. No slap. Ace gathered all the cards. Ace put down a Five. Tate put down a Jack. Luck put down a Two. Tate took the cards. Tate put down a Six. Luck followed with a Seven. Ace a Three. Tate a Two. The game blurred with speed, several more patrons attracted by the sound of cards being smacked against the table. A King, a Two, a King.


    Hands moved fast. Ace won.Again.


    Luck memorized the cards, his mind focusing on their symbols rather than the artwork. Luck''s mind was always geared to counting cards but this game, at this speed? It was a waste of time. He gave up, this game, as he intended it to be, was based entirely on reaction. He grimaced, relishing the challenge. Tate smiled despite her cursing and Ace rubbed his arm, grinning too. The rest seated at the table were having their own discussion about the game.


    Ace put down a Two. Tate, a Three. Luck placed down a Queen. Ace put down two cards. No slap. Luck gathered the cards. He started, placing down a Seven. Ace placed down a Seven.


    Luck found his hand on top of Ace''s. Too slow.


    He brushed off the loss. Some part of him registered the crowd forming around them but he was too focused now to care. Absently, his leg brushed against Saga. His breathing slowed, his senses sharpened, his muscles became tauter. His eyes slimmed down resembling vertical slits. The entire process was extremely subtle, only occurring between quiet breaths.


    Saga peered at the table with interest. An interesting game, Amber Eyes. It seems Quiet One has you beat.


    Perhaps if he wasn''t cheating. Though, there''s no way to prove that, is there?


    Cheating? Is this not a game of reflex? When are there ever rules to limit what one can do? If it is possible to react that fast then you must.Saga craned his head in question.


    Hmm.Luck hummed, placing down cards with speed.


    Now, the pile was quite large. Face cards were necessary to keep the game going. They ended turns and started new ones. The only way a round ended was for a sandwich or a double. Or alternatively, a face card that called for a player to put down any number of cards and where that player failed to place down another face card.


    It was almost slow-motion as Tate placed a card down. Ace twitched milliseconds before Luck. Luck''s hand was already jetting across the table. Ace''s blurred similarly. Amber eyes shrunk to vertical slits with focus happening in less than a second. The sound of the slap of wood resounded across the lobby.


    A quick pounce, Amber Eyes. Admirable.


    The three looked to the table. "Fast." Ace nodded lifting his hand and shrugging. "Pile''s yours, Lucky." Tric chirped madly, earning the eyes of the crowd. Saga stared at her baring teeth.


    Luck took the cards wordlessly. Tate looked between both of them and rolled her eyes.


    The next round the game proceeded the same way. Up until the slap. Again, it resounded across the lobby. Except, this time, under both Ace''s and Luck''s hand, was Tate''s.


    She looked at both of them. "What? If you want to play that way, we''ll play that way." Metal crept up her arm conspicuously.


    Ace glanced at Luck and they all laughed.


    "An interesting game, Erok." Maxworth was saying. "It is entirely based upon reaction and pattern recognition it seems. And they all seem somewhat familiar with the game."


    "I think the player that gets all the cards wins," Nayah added. "I don''t think I''d last the first few rounds If I tried."


    "Seemingly not." Maxworth'' smooth voice responded, his eyes were glued to the game.


    "Hey!" Nayah retorted.


    "Perhaps you should try your hand, Max," Erok suggested. "It is one that you may excel at."


    "Anyone can slap in whenever. The only problem with games like this is the size of the table. You can only have so many people surrounding the pile of cards." Luck explained. "By all means, feel free to join."


    Ace expanded. "If you don''t know the rules it''s-" He put down a King. Luck was too slow, the aspect of the shar was wearing off. Tate blinked.


    This time, it was like a strong knock against the wood. A metallic hand slowly gathered the rather large pile. Maxworth calmly rested his hands on the table in a neutral position. "I believe I''ve grasped the basic rules." He said simply.


    Erok bellowed jovially. "There you go, Max!" He boomed.


    Luck rose an eyebrow, shuffling his seat closer. It would be a close game indeed then. Ace and Tate gave each other looks. They readjusted themselves, getting comfortable and limber. He knew their tics from a lifetime of card games. In this game, it meant little aside from showing him they were serious. Tate''s eyes took on a sharp focus while her lips parted slightly. Ace was more subtle, and in most cases it was hard to read him, but in this? A cocky grin spread across his face.


    Maxworth was still. But he imagined he heard the gears within the gentleman whirring just a little louder.


    They played for a few rounds with the majority of the winning slaps coming from Ace or Maxworth. Luck and Tate were losing their cards slowly. Tate''s speed just wasn''t up to par with what was clear were inhuman reflexes. The aspect of the shar had worn off, but he''d have to see if he even needed it.


    Luck cracked his fingers.They don''t call me the Devil of the Cards for nothing.He concealed a smile as techniques moved through his head. His fingers didn''t twitch, his hand didn''t move, not even his arm. Oh, but they would. And no one would see it.


    After a few rounds of losing Luck finally, by chance, won a pot. His fingers moved uncomfortably under the other hands on top of his. He scooped up the cards and centered them into a nice pile so he could deal them on his turn. The winning sandwich was one of Sevens. His hand cupped itself and the card bent to his palm. It was a small edge, but the next time a Seven came around on his turn, he would know when to slap. In this game, reaction beat speed, and he wouldn''t even have to react, he''d justknow. He''d have to track the second card from the top of the pile as well in case a sandwich matched. It wasn''t a problem.


    His eyes darted fast past the hands of the players and through to the pile. A King. Jack. Four. Tate takes the cards. She put down a Seven. Luck barely twitched. Ace placed down a King. Luck reacted quickly slapping down an immediate Seven and slapping again in the next instant. Half a second hadn''t even passed.


    Both Maxworth and Ace blinked at him.


    He grinned, repeating the process with face cards instead. Tate got knocked out and was unable to slap back in. Erok sat back, not even trying on a game based on speed. Nayah nudged him and he chuckled, holding up a placating hand. There were a number of tricks Luck employed. He could slap with either hand, being ambidextrous as he was, and nimble hands allowed him to palm two separate cards. He''d been asked suspiciously to flip his hands over but a quick flip of the wrist, barely visible, shot the cards straight into his sleeve. A bit of shuffling had them back in his palms for the next round.


    The game went on.


    Luck''s eyes flicked to the interested patrons and he adjusted his elbows on the table. It was a little uncomfortable. There were only a handful of people standing near their table, the rest of the watchers were simply sitting nearby. In all though, no one looked to have their own deck of cards. He recalled the sideways of Dersoc, the gamblers he saw there. So he knew they existed in this world.


    He slapped the last sandwich and won the game, Ace losing the last few of his cards.


    "Good game." The former mercenary said defeated. "A little inhumanly fast there." He threw out there. His voice was void of accusation but it was there in his eyes.


    "Indeed." Maxworth agreed. "I am new to card games, sir. It was an enlightening experience, friends." Luck knew Maxworth was pretty sharp, but he was the only one who didn''t suspect Luck of foul play, mainly because he didn''t even entertain the possibility.


    "Don''t start with Luck." Tate groaned. "Not the person you want to play with if you want to have fun." Luck wondered why she could immediately speak Common while Ace couldn''t. Maybe she got it during the impartation?


    Maxworth nodded, indifferent. Luck realized what Tate had been saying.


    "What?" Luck opened his mouth in protest, aghast. "I''m fun." He said defensively, making a show of shuffling cards between his hands. Erok chuckled.


    "Ididhave fun." Ace backed him up, grinning.


    "See?" He gestured at Ace. Tate rolled her eyes but suppressed the beginnings of a grin Luck could easily recognize.


    "Why are you helping him?" Tate said in amiable disbelief, smiling.


    Nayah cleared her throat. "Ahem." She said. "I believe that must be the guild master. You''ll have to postpone the games for now."


    Luck turned to watch Mark across the room. "So it seems." He began to gather the cards.


    Mark strode to the table, having to move around a few standing guild members - or what Luck assumed were guild members. A tall bearded man followed at a strong pace behind him. Similarly, the taller man was dressed in snow-like robes, though he wore both blue and gold.


    The five-man table turned and Mark introduced the person. "Guild Master Freeze." He announced.


    The person in question was a wolfen. He had simple black fur and commanded the room in a subtle way. "Hello travelers. I''ve been told there''s something I need to hear." He looked at them a moment. "Let''s take them up the walls, Mark. After all, the first thing any pilgrim might want to see is Ardun in its entirety. No better place than the walls of Magice to see it."


    "How big is this place exactly?" Luck cut in unable to stem his curiosity.


    Freeze turned to him and there was a subtle pressure in his gaze. His fur was a midnight contrast to his snow-white robes. He looked Luck up and down. "Sufficiently so. Large enough for over two hundred members plus staff." There was a sword at his hip and his hand never strayed too far from its pommel. "It pales in comparison to the size of Ardun, however. The walls are the best place to see. With me, Mark." Guild Master Freeze started forward without preamble.


    Mark chuckled. "Sure thing, Freeze." He gestured after him. "Come, all of you. It''s your chance to see Ardun. Magice has one of the best views in the city."


    In short order, everyone followed Guild Master Freeze. It was a short trip that allowed Luck to comprehend the size of the structure. They passed a cafeteria, some sparring halls, dorms, and other facilities. There was even a room he saw filled with ice. It emanated cold and there was nowhere in the building that ever came close to that temperature. But soon they were past even that.


    "He seems lax for a leader." Luck remarked, watching the guild master ascend a staircase.


    "Those with power need only to demonstrate it once to command loyalty," Mark replied. He supported himself on staircase banisters as he ascended. "Guild Master Freeze isn''t questioned here in Magice. And that, more than anything, is telling."


    "What''s the guild specialize in?" Nayah asked, Luck hadn''t thought of that. He assumed the guild was a group of people striving for power, maybe stemming the tide of monsters. Maybe they just liked Ice magic. He could see people devoted to mastering a magic.


    "Research. Specifically, of the magic circles underlying the Frozen Zones. We have little people experienced in such fields but they are some of the greatest minds. Magice is an association of ice and snow. We research the cold, and the Frozen Zones are just that. The mana circles, magic circles, runic circles, whatever name you want to call them are of our interest." Mark replied. "At our center, I''d say we want to push the boundaries of our magic. A typical goal for most magic guilds." He shrugged. "Ice magic, if you hadn''t guessed."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Are there other guilds in the city?" Ace asked.


    "Many," Mark said. "Any, in particular, you''re searching for? Many come to Ardun to study or further their craft, technique, or magic if they''ve any promise. And Ardun houses the experts skilled enough to train outside the walls."


    Erok rumbled before Ace could speak. "How about a fighter''s guild, specializing in physical combat. Somewhere to spar?"


    The conversation became of the city until Luck''s mind was filled with it. He stared at Freeze''s back as he strode through an open doorway. The transition was so smooth he didn''t immediately understand that he gazed upon Ardun. A bastion of a city sitting between huge walls. Buildings rose upward when they couldn''t stretch horizontally, streets laced the grid and people walked or ran or sprinted across, to and fro. It was lively. Kids were running, tapping on the shoulders of men and women, soon everyone was running to see something.


    Guild Master Freeze spoke deep and with a frown. "One of Krukon''s grand apes have gotten over."


    Luck reevaluated. His eyes backtracked the paths. They weren''t running to something they were runningfromit.An ape, almost impossibly large, was visible from even here. The sheer size made Luck feel small. It rose above the size of one of the nearby buildings and judging from the distance that structure would''ve been multiple stories.


    Mark peered over the wall''s parapet. "How long has it been since the last breach?" Their voices were too casual. Luck tried not be concerned for the lives down there.


    "A decade and three months. Thirty-seven dead in the south by way of snake. A gold-black enlarged anaconda, if I recall correctly. I see adventurers already moving." Freeze replied.


    "Isn''t that bad?" Nayah asked somewhat hesitant.


    Maxworth was the one to reply. "It is Ardun, Nayah. There are many capable souls here."


    "Is that the guild you spoke of Mark?" Erok pointed to a crowd of men that rushed out from the streets nearby, mere specks compared to the ape.


    "Yes." Mark replied. "Ardun''s fighter''s guild. If you can wield a sword or any weapon you can try to join. They accept only the most experienced and capable members. They have one of the lowest mortality rates of any organization, a true achievement in times like this."


    Freeze''s voice was approving. "They do well for those who don''t use magic." He said.


    "They''re climbing the nearby buildings. What are they - ah, I see. " Luck saw men throw weights over the ape, keeping calm even among its rampage.


    "They''re chaining it down." Tate noted. "Efficiently too."


    It was a project. The needed weights to even stabilize the monster against the ground was immense and it took long minutes for the group to accomplish it. When it was firmly pressed against its bonds and the ground the guild moved in. Its death was fast. Luck watched the entire ordeal in silence. The creature had some connection to nature and he spoke a small prayer under his breath as Mark began.


    "The monsters have begun to attack more frequently even outside of the Waves." Mark explained, his eyes on the commotion below. "The Waves are when they all come at once, for simplicity. The walls of the city, manned by the most trusted of our people, watch for just that. This level of activity outside of the Waves is unprecedented. More so, there have been strange happenings of late regarding the areas around Ardun, Guild Master Freeze." He said seriously, turning from addressing the group to the guild master.


    "A result of the Update, no doubt." Luck added, still watching ape below and in the distance.


    Freeze rose an eyebrow. Mark gestured to Luck.


    He took the cue. "We journeyed half a month give or take. Through Hydr up into the Zones and finally down to Ardun. The purposes for our route remain ours alone but the dangers we weathered I will gladly share. Metal hunks speckled across the Dunes have begun to rise, ancient remnants destined to protect Last Light, or what is now known as Ardun. Protocol West, they call it. These structures are marked on multiple maps and are oddly never buried in the sand, no matter the storm. Their absence can be confirmed easily enough. Additionally, we came across and dispatched a half-gnome half-goblin from a time eons before ours found deep within the Frozen Zones creating an ''autoling'' large enough to breach the walls I see before me. Not to mention the Frost Drake we saved from him." Luck said the entire thing rather quickly, letting Freeze decide whether or not to believe it. "The point being, ancient threats or allies are awakening. I gather the areas surrounding Ardun have at least some history to them, and for that, I warn that you caution yourselves to whatever may awake from that history, at least those you know."


    The rest of the group nodded and Freeze took in the information. His eyes seemed distant and the man seemed older for a moment before he turned back to the group from his gazing. "And our guildmate you found dead? Greyfur?"


    Tate was the one to respond this time. "Dead by blunt trauma. I found his body."


    Freeze stared at her hard but Mark shook his head. Freeze paused at the hand on his shoulder, breathed and gazed upon the city. "Of course. Most of anyone who matters already know this, and has known this. There''d be much more chaos have we hadn''t done anything."


    Mark blinked. Freeze nodded. "Don''t act surprised, Gaypa. You''re never at the guild to begin with. The other officers have been reporting strange occurrences and anomalies in the Zones as well. They filter through to the correct channels, specifically those regarding the four regions and most of anyone with access to that network know something''s up. This ''autoling'' calls for some investigation, however, if you believe it could''ve breached the walls. Worry not, the responsibility is with the right people in Ardun."


    He looked to the group. "Thank you all the same, pilgrims. Feel free to rest here for the day, admire the city from the walls, talk to the guild members, perhaps explore the city yourself, or even apply to Magice. Come morning, as non-guildmembers, we''ll have to ask you to leave. Though, we will point you to the Mainhelp, one of the largest buildings in Ardun. I''d recommend visiting there today if you can manage it." He pointed. Everyone''s gaze was drawn if they hadn''t already seen it earlier.


    It was a thick spire, rising higher than a high percentage of the other buildings. A clearing, though small from this distance, must''ve been the size of a stadium. There was a lot happening there but Luck''s eyes strained and Saga nudged his hip noticing. It looked like a majority of the fleeing citizens flocked there.


    "As for the chaos ensuing due to the Update. Feel free to spread the news - or don''t. The people will find out on their own whether we like it or not. Though I expect Ardun to rally than to route."


    Most of the group nodded to that.


    Luck leaned against the battlements. The Magice building was large and fort-like but it was designed well. He could see that much just from looking around atop the building. He was finally here. One step closer to finding his family. He had made it. Ardun. The word echoed in his head and he looked amid the small running specks below, the chaos ensuing, and the peace found in ignorance on the opposite end of the city. There were large buildings that dotted the cityscape and different peoples walking freely among each other. It got tight between buildings very often and vendors took advantage of that intimacy.


    He gripped his pendant and looked to the motes.


    The group questioned the guild master for the better part of an hour before he had business to attend. The questions ranged to cultural customs, to the major guilds and their systems. Luck asked a question about clothing himself, specifically those of the guild master''s. They were exorbitantly expensive. That is, after the money system was explained to him by Ace in English. He had apparently learned it from Maxworth, and true, Luck did indeed recall a night where he spoke of the banks of Aerae. There was one such in the city actually.


    The rest of the day was one of leisure. They all agreed to explore the city having been excited to experience the place they saw below. There were a few people that Luck turned away as they curiously asked about his cards. He held them safe in his pocket. Mark took a short walk outside the building to show everyone the path to the city. It seemed the Magice building was situated in the northern corner of Ardun, at a higher altitude and somewhat isolated. They walked down, passing a few isolated buildings before the scenery began to change into what they saw from above.


    They had only just reached a crowded plaza, one of many Luck had seen from above.


    "Remember the fighting styles you told me about Maxworth? You think they practice them here?" Ace was excited, hands in his pocket and whistling, taking in the sights.


    "There will most definitely be practitioners." Maxworth nodded, giving Ace a curious look. "Why are you so interested in the most basic styles of combat?"


    "I wonder how different they are from the ways I was taught, Max." Ace replied honestly. "Does that not excite you? Imagine, facing off against someone like what Luck was to you. The style was perplexing to you but tell me it didn''t intrigue you? I wonder what techniques are similar and which are different, perhaps preference dominates efficiency, or perhaps cultural background has an effect." He said, passionately. "I want to spar damn it!" He grinned.


    Maxworth seemed to be smiling, a rare occurrence, as he gazed at Ace. "Perhaps I''ll join you then. Though my presence may be disconcerting to some. I will hang back if necessary."


    "Won''t be necessary. If they''re scared of you just challenge them to a spar. If that''s actually acceptable in the circumstance, that is." Ace laughed. "I''ll teach you a few moves if you''ll let me ask a few questions Erok said I should be asking from you and not him."


    Maxworth''s reaction was positive. He seemed happy at Ace''s nonchalant jibing. "That would be acceptable, sir. On the condition I ask some questions about your familiar. She is really quite charming." Tric chirped at that, having been perched on Ace''s shoulder.


    "Just Ace is fine, Max. And of course, why not?" He grinned, winking at Luck. He didn''t even realize he was rolling his eyes, it just happened. Luck waved him away scoffing.


    "Forget sparring, we''ve had enough physical toil. I''ve heard good things about Ardun''s chefs. Putting aside the history of the city, the hardy nature of its inhabitants, the food processed from the monsters surrounding the city is said to be superb." Erok rumbled, though it came more from his stomach. "Nayah," She looked surprised at someone addressing her. "Would you accompany me?" It was a small gesture that might''ve meant a lot more judging from the reaction on her face. Erok was a good guy, Luck decided.


    Nayah had been somewhat quiet since Luck had confronted her in the moonlight. There were many differenced separating her from the rest. One learns a thing or two in the underground. Food is always a surefire way to bridge differences. It was the purpose behind Ark''s Dishes. It seemed Erok knew that too. "Of course," Nayah replied, a small smile on her lips.


    Ace and Maxworth were already talking, asking strangers for directions. They waved a short goodbye with plans to meet up later at Mainhelp.


    Erok and Nayah looked at him.


    "Will you be joining us, Druid?" Erok''s voice was deep but Luck could make out eagerness at the prospect of eating. "If eating animals is against your creed we can dine somewhere without." Luck thought Erok might be aghast at that idea but the prospect of veganism didn''t daunt the roken. He was refreshingly honest.


    Luck laughed genuinely. "No, it''s not Erok. Thank you for the offer and for considering my duties," Luck chuckled, "but I''ll be exploring on my own. Maybe try visiting a bar on your way, Nayah?" He smiled at her.


    She gave a small grin back. "Maybe, maybe. Well, we''ll see you at Mainhelp later then."


    "I think I''m going to try to find a library then." Tate said, having been silent most of the time. She stared at her arm. "Maybe find out a little about this." She nodded and was gone.


    "We''ll talk later, sis." He waved.


    Everyone wandered into the crowd and Luck was able to track them for a short while only with helpfrom years of training before they altogether disappeared. Now it was only Luck and Saga.


    Do you think I''ll be looked at twice scaling the buildings, Amber Eyes?Saga said sarcastically.


    Luck chuckled mentally. I''m afraid so, Saga. I''m not entirely sure what the people''s knowledge of familiars are but I don''t think it''s easy to recognize one on sight.


    Hmmm. He could hear the shar thinking.


    Luck decided to help him.Sometimes the easiest way to blend in is to walk among the common folk like you belong there. Go for-


    "Is that your familiar, sir?" A gruff voice addressed him. Luck turned to find a uniformed man standing at attention behind him.


    "Yes he is." Luck answered.


    The man reached around his waist and rummaged through his satchel. He tossed a bright red cloth weighted down by a small metal trinket at him. "Tie it around your familiar. We can''t have people panicking over a shar in the city. You''ve already gotten stares. The trinket marks a friendly beast, the cloth indicates he''s a familiar, and the color indicates danger. As a shar, he''ll be permitted to aid in defense of the city if it''s needed." He rapid fired.


    "Oh, thank you. That helps a lot officer." Luck did just that, tying it around Saga''s arm.


    "It''s just ''guard'' to you, citizen." He nodded. "I''ll be on my way then. Have a good one, citizen." He waved and began yelling at a child looking abashed near a fruit vendor.


    "Saga-" He turned slowly. "And I''m all alone..." He could just make out Saga disappearing into the crowd. True, almost none of the crowd reacted negatively to the shar. One look at the sash and they went along their way.


    Suffice to say, Luck was, for the first time in a long time, alone in a city full of strangers.


    There was something to be said about slipping into a crowd and becoming part of it. An anonymous addition that could just as easily leave a group of strangers as it did enter. He relished the nostalgia, weaving through the crowd as he often did. Dodging under a pair of moving men with more joints than they should, catching a mother''s falling groceries, spinning around furred wolfen, moving seamlessly away from giants of men that towered heads above others, projecting his path for the smaller folk that in turn weaved around him, awing at people of crystal, nodding at watching guards, absently brushing away pickpockets with a stare. The place bustled with noise from the vendors hawking their wares to the loud conversations of the passerby. His footsteps became one with the crowd and he enjoyed the views, allowing the scenery to take him.


    He squeezed between buildings as the crowd did. They were of varying materials but their properties were made known by Spirit. Most were the recurring hardstone, a tannish brown that turned grey in the shade. The buildings ranged from squat and tall like Peace to even stranger structures that built at angles or seemed flatter than they should. Vendors took advantage of the intimacy and beckoned passerby, many of which humored them. They sold tattered papers, books, monster pelts, ice cold drinks, steaming hot food, weapons, and armor, trinkets and jewelry. Luck couldn''t really think of anything they''d missed. Luck smiled like an idiot lost. Stares were pointed his direction but he didn''t care. He was a city kid at heart. Genuine joy and mirth at just being back home, or something akin to it. It was different, sure, but when it came down to it, it was the bustle, the noise, the business, the strangers, sights, smell and crowd that made a city.


    He tuned into the noise as he walked, trusting his body to cut through the crowd as he had so often before. He heard a variety of beautiful languages, structured and strict, fluent and elegant, unique and weird, descriptive, vague, rough, guttural, whispish, fast and slow. It was something of an orchestra, different instruments that vied for attention that Luck heard as one piece. A beauty no one else but him could appreciate.


    He thought the people would be in a panic because he knew he heard the talk of the breach and the grand ape that got through on the lips of many passersby. But a second look at the crowd and he realized something. Somehow, these happy people seemed almost hardened. As if the crow''s feet on their eyes hinted at as many smiles as hardships. Weapons were openly about but no one was threatened by them. A decade had passed since the last incident but no one seemed worried, a testament to the city.


    There were clothing lines strung between buildings, both holding clothes and advertising local or exotic teas or alchemical mixtures. Kids in the windows reeled wet clothes out and the people below didn''t mind the drip, cooling them off the little it could.


    "Liner! Dry them for a three copperaera!" A man tossed up a sopping wet bundle of clothes.


    "Four for the lot, mister!" The kid called back. "Not a copper less! I''ve got your face, sir, off you go!"


    "Pah! Fine!" The man waved, disappearing into the crowd.


    He spotted a musician on the roof playing fast-paced music on his fiddle. Nimble fingers darted about as if they were dancing across a bar room, or chasing thieves. The passage between these buildings was particularly large but even then it didn''t give itself to be large enough for dancing.


    "Fancy a dance, love?" A burly man asked his wife.


    "With you darling? Of course." And they twisted the crowd open into a dancefloor.


    People got shoved and shuffled away but they only rolled their eyes. Eventually some even danced harder to knock the couple off the clearing. They only laughed and spun fasted.


    Luck smiled as the people danced. And soon he was among them, spinning and twirling and dancing the only way he knew how. It was a mixture of martial art and instinct, a rhythm developed from methods less wholesome. But to turn it to such activities was freeing. Often did a lady glance his way, sapling men cheered him, small folk danced around him. He swung his torso and lifted his legs, swaying to the rhythm. Showboating, as some might call it. Luck threw his hood over his head and built momentum, spinning in place. His hand propped itself to the ground as he threw his waist close to the floor, his feet following. His other hand came down and a combination of enhanced balance and past experience had him windmilling on the floor, the crowd of spectators "oohing" and "ahhing" some outright screaming or chanting.


    "Auth! How is he doing that?" A man laughed. "He looks like that crazy monk with his legs flying around like that!"


    A mother clapped enthusiastically for her sons "Go! Go! Go!" People started clapping.


    The fiddle matched his rhythm and built upon it, sending the crowd wild. Even the more purposed citizens clapped and called as they moved on their way. The speed crescendoed and Luck seamlessly spun upwards before coming up onto his legs in an instant, bowing deeply. The motion was so sudden the fiddler missed his cue and instead stopped completely, an almost artificial silence in less than a second. The crowd took half a second before they erupted into cheers and hollers.


    It was surreal.


    He got pats on the back and smiles his way and he accepted them with ease. Some stayed and danced as a woman tipped the fiddler again. The music came slower and the vendors of that particular area were happier. The crowd moved on quickly, apparently, performances of the sort weren''t unheard of. From the vibe he got, the people of Ardun were a celebratory folk.


    Up ahead there was a commotion. A wall of people slowing down to stare at something. It wasn''t long before spotted a gigantic hand in a shallow crater. Ropes and weights locked the hand, then the entire arm to the floor. It was the grand ape, the significance of the name would''ve been lost on Luck if not for the sheer size of the thing. It landed in what would''ve been the largest of the plazas he came across, and still, the thing managed to completely wreck three buildings. People crowded around, guards lined the body, some even leaning against it.


    "Ah, an ape this time." A crystal man chimed in, his voice light and piercing. "Krukon''s becoming more dangerous too."


    "What''s it been a decade since the last incident? Though this is nothing compared to then." A wooden man, his voice like creaking wood spoke.


    "And three months." A random wolfen added.


    The three speculated on the happenings. They each had combat duty outside the walls so they weren''t strangers to Krukon''s Forest. They spoke briefly, sharing the bond between soldiers before saying farewells. For Luck, it gave him a bit of context. This was a city built on and thriving upon monsters. It''s primary product and resource were the things that attacked it. Of course, the citizens would be nonchalant.


    He frowned as his stomach rumbled. He was sick of the fruits in his dimensional room and didn''t feel like hunting in the Grove, even knowing he could escape into it unseen. He preferred the city of Ardun for now. Although the heat berries would do to stave off his starvation while he attended to his main problem.


    Luck was dead broke. The money system, as explained by Ace was fairly simple. Aeran banks backed Aeran currency with valuables and treasures kept locked up in solitude. An Aera was a coin of either copper, silver, or gold, where the former equated to one hundred of the latter, moving up.


    He found a nearby guard. "What are the rules for setting up a shop like the vendors?" He asked.


    "An empty space and something to sell." The guard replied, rubbing his mustache. "Although this late in the day there''ll be no spots worth your time, lad."


    "Alright. Thank you for your service, guard." Luck said genuinely, surprising the guard who nodded in appreciative salute.


    It wasn''t hard for Luck to find something sufficient to get himself on the roofs. Even tightly packed buildings allowed him to shimmy upwards. The hard part was doing so unseen, but Luck had practice of that, even in a bustling city like this. A quick sprint up a wall, one that he wouldn''t ever have attempted previously, and he latched onto the very first pipe he had seen in the city - or rather noticed. From there it was a series of jumps and holds until he was able to shamble on top of the highest building for half a dozen blocks - or what passed for them.


    He sat in lotus pose and rooted himself to the building and thus the dirt it was built upon. He spent thirty minutes on the flat roof feeling the earth. Sensing it. It was as if every vibration was a ripple in quicksand, obscuring the image and pulling him deeper until he was blind. His foot tapped the ground and his vision cleared in a single foot''s radius around him. He focused on that, trying to teach himself. Spirit had sufficient instruction and Luck was able to make some progress simply from trying the methods Spirit described. Parts of the process he allowed to be automated before taking them upon himself once he better understood them.


    "Magic is an art rooted in emotion." He recalled, absently.


    His sense clamped down on the vibrations moving through the hardstone below. They were stubbornly blinding him so he took them on all at once. To be just as stubborn. He noted, from outside his emotional lens, the relentless grip he held on the magic, even for something as simple as this. The vibrations became coherent and he closed his eyes to notice the footsteps of a family below him, living in the building he sat upon. He left them to their privacy. He tried other methods more emotional than the ones Spirit recommended. It was another hour and no extra progress was made. He was able to sense a little further than ten feet and perhaps with more accuracy, enhanced further with Spirit''s help, but in all that was it.


    He groaned, chewing on a heat berry. "I got too engrossed with the magic I forgot the purpose I was trying it for." Luck chuckled, dropping two stories between buildings into a roll. He peered over the edge of the building, watching traffic. "Looks like I''m finding a place to set up shop the old-fashioned way."


    He could easily bring in customers and he wasn''t looking so much for a passage filled with people than he was for a passage thatcouldbe filled with people. A few glances at the many competing stands he saw only shared the same product albeit at different quality, location, and price.


    The sun was still high in the sky as Luck found somewhere fitting. It was an exposed area against the sun. Foot traffic was slow here and the majority of the crowd were the sapling men - Sentinels they were called. Luckily, Spirit had these people fairly mapped out in the general information package. They were a slower race and because the surrounding streets and passages were actually easily congested they elected to come through here at their slow pace to reduce traffic. Not many vendors set up here either.


    Of course, Luck found it perfect for his methods. It was a small clearing and out of the way, no one would be looking here. He stomped lightly on the ground, forming a countertop and small tent made of stone. A doorway to the back, filled with empty shelves. He stepped into the small storage room, not even five by five feet. The front of the place was even smaller, but such was the spot he chose.


    He placed baskets of flarefruit along the shelves. Another woven basket of sweetbark. A few of glowturns. Soaked apples, fronds of coldleaf, heatberries, and more. A bland fruit that was fun to chew - oddly. More fruit that Luck sampled himself and Spirit named for him. In moments, Luck with nothing in hand, had fully stocked his small shop.


    He grinned smugly. "Knew those seeds would come in handy."


    He decorated the front of his shop with baskets of fresh and vibrant dark-gold flarefruit sitting on sweetbark plates. Another plate of dark blue soaked apples dripped with juice in the sun, reflecting off the eyes of the people nearby. Glowturns hung in baskets from earthen rungs above, soft yellow like lanterns framing the shop. Coldleaf fronds lined the other fruits until Luck''s small shop looked like it was bursting with life. He''d have to thank Ace for weaving so many baskets.


    He created a chair in plain sight, his magic perfectly concealed by the plants, and took a seat. His frame was perfectly outlined and he idly took out his deck of cards and began to shuffle and play, pretending for all the world to not notice his first few customers gazing about the fruits and veggies.


    "Are these coldleaf fronds?" A sapling man asked, this one had an apple growing from his shoulder. "I thought those only grew high in the Frozen Zones."


    "They do, they do." Luck smiled. "I''m afraid I have a surplus however."


    "Four silver aera for an entire frond." He haggled.


    "Highway robbery. Ten silver or none at all. Are you aware of the alchemical brews alone coldleaf lends itself to? Not to mention its scarcity of late." Luck talked out of his ass, though Spirit did confirm the alchemical lies.


    The sapling man. "Impossible, coldleaf is relatively easy to acquire. I''ll part with six silver aera, no more!"


    "You mistake yourself, customer. The Update increase the dangers, and thus the labor. Ten silver aera is fair, I assure you! Though I''ll let you got with eight if you call your friends over!" Luck chuckled, shuffling his cards. "Pick a frond, have your choice."


    The sapling man frowned but chuckled in the end, "It''s a deal." He handed over eight silver coins stamped with odd symbols. The sentinel plucked a piece of his choosing and nibbled a single leaf. "Authentic coldleaf. You''ll have a swarm of customers in no time."


    Luck thanked him for his service and relaxed. It was short-lived. He had a line going in less than twenty minutes.


    "What is this delicious fruit? Here! Have a bite!" One wolfen growled, his fur stained with juice. "It''s like sharp and sweet! But doesn''t leave a single aftertaste." He handed one to a sentinel friend.


    "Harvest! What is that, vendor?" He called forward, having already bought a handful of glowturns.


    "That would be flarefruit, dear customer!" Luck yelled back. "And how about you, my good cevao?" The Cevao were the crystal people Spirit pointed out for him.


    "Amazing!" The distant customer called back as the cevao in front him decided.


    "Hmm." He said, "What do you recommend? I''ve only come from all the commotion and I saw the line was still short." He turned around, seeing the entire street nearly cut in half by the line. "I think I at least made the right decision there. Just now what to buy?"


    Luck nodded, he like a person who took a chance. "Sweet, sharp, tangy, spicy, juicy, or minty?"


    "Sweet and minty." The crystal woman said. Her voice was like the tinkling of windchimes. She was a vibrant yellow that matched the glowturns.


    "Texture? Firm? Crisp? Crunchy?" Luck listed off his fingers. He was quite quick to deal with customers and in all honesty the small chats he didn''t mind.


    "Crunchy?" The cevao asked, confirming what she heard.


    "Crunchy."


    "Crunchy then."


    "Sweet bark and coldleaf and some of these chilled frost berries, you''ll like those." Luck showed her three small baskets. "Have a small sample of each, free of charge. Take what you like."


    She ended up buying a handful of all three. She didn''t even complain at the prices Luck asked of her. The money went into a newly installed earthen drawer for a few hours until it overflowed. At that point, Luck deposited it straight into his dimensional room.


    "A basket of glowturn and heatberries." The sentinel that came up asked. "That''s ten to a basket and two dozen of the heatberries, correct?" Luck adjusted the hanging woven baskets so he could see his customer.


    "And about 45 silver aera." Luck had appointed Spirit to analysis and pricing, quite lazily, and neither he or his customers had complained. Spirit assured him they were making a profit. Of course, they were making a profit, these plants came straight from his Grove. Still, the Mk3 showed him the numbers and Luck waved it away, wanting it to be a surprise.


    "45? Sure, with this kind of business I can''t blame you. Nearly none of these fruits are present in Ardun. You must be some trader, vendor. Good luck and well wishes!" A ripe tomato hung from his back as he left.


    Luck smirked and waved. "Pleasure doing business with you-"


    A rapid voice cut him off. "What kind of coldleaf is this?" A spectacledcrystal man exclaimed. He was a scrawny fellow wearing comfortable robes but his body unlike most was a clear crystal. His white clothes stood out from the crowd as he inspected the coldleaf fronds. "I''ve never seen them so vibrant and plentiful."


    "Ah, I believe that''s my business and mine alone to know." Luck smirked softly knowing all too well the magical properties of the seeds from which they were grown. He''d have to take another look at whatever enchantment was on them now that he was somewhat versed in Nature magic.


    "Perfectly understandable." He droned. "I''d like to buy your whole stock if you deem it acceptable."


    Luck paused, re-evaluating their worth. His mind fired off for moments. "Are you part of some alchemical organization? A merchant''s association? Am I speaking to a representative?" He asked finally. He rested his elbows on the counter and regarded the man with the tilt of his head.


    Data sprung up from the cevao individual. Some Luck could ascertain without the help, breathing rate, heart rate, etc. The clothes he wore and anything else noteworthy. In Luck''s eyes, he seemed an ordinary citizen aside from the way he held himself, like a man of importance.


    "A sharp one you are, vendor." He pushed up his spectacles which only seemed to make his eyes a kaleidoscope. "I am from Ardun''s Merchant Guild. Any non-vendor establishments have some tidings with us by law. Permanent setups and such. Coldleaf is one ingredient that aids somewhat in the defense from the north, though it also is found only from the Zones. With the Update this has become only more dangerous to harvest And because it is too costly to import, both for us and the fellows who bring it, I am interested in your stock on behalf of the Merchant''s Guild and thus Ardun."


    "Identification please." He ventured.


    "Sure." The man held out a metal trinket, a silver bag of gold.


    Luck heard a few people groan from behind the man and took that as verification instead. "How much would you offer for a shelf of coldleaf of this quality?" He asked, touching some fronds on the counter. He had more but was unwilling to give large amounts of something to someone who wanted it. Luck just needed some money. "That''s four baskets worth."


    "Five gold aera is a reasonableoffer I believe." No changes in behavior, Luck noticed. Some quick math on Spirit''s part and Luck got somewhat of a similar deal if he had charged individually.


    Luck pretended to think longer than he needed to. The cevaoperused the rest of his wares while he waited. "A deal then." Luck finally said. "Five gold aera." He called back, pulling out four baskets of the coldleaf.


    The man pulled out the promised money and Luck made a show of "placing" it into his earthen drawer. "The Merchant''s Guild would like to thank you for your time. Have a good rest of the business day, vendor." He said, before departing.


    Luck was actually more curious about their role in the city so he asked his next customer. "The Merchant''s Guild or Merchant Guild, whatever. They handle the big businesses around the city and occasionally track down smaller vendors if they hear about any product they''d like to get their hands on. They offer fair prices too but they''re like big predators hunting the prey of the poorer customers. Of course, most of us don''t like them but we know they''re good for the city." A sentinel told him. This one was a wooden yellow with ripe fruits on his back as well. "They''reas big as the Adventurer''s Guild or the Practitioner Coterie here."


    The sentinel man was the last of his customers and he didn''t seem to mind the slower conversation either. The Adventurer''s Guild was an organization that took requests from the citizens and issued them to their guild members. These could range from bodyguard duty to hunting for special ingredients outside the walls, or, if by request of the city, just defending the walls from Waves. They were a powerful group that ranked their members to verify which difficulty tasks they could take or attempt. Luck could see how something like that could work here, there was a lot to do.


    The Practioners Coterie was an inclusive group whose influence was great. They harboredpeople skilled in the magical arts and taught those who showed promise. Most magical practitioners dreamed of joining their ranks. A verifying symbol from the Coterie was of great influenceby its lonesome and lent immense credibility to the individual who carried it. Aside from a myriad of goodwill projects around the city, they contributed to the city''s defense during Waves, and, although the defense of Ardun would be possible in their absence, their presence had saved many lives.


    Luck would have to do more research since these groups existed even outside of Ardun.


    For today though, he was done. The street was nearly empty and no eyes were there to watch him. Spirit confirmed this too, it was easy since there was only a small angle to view the shop from. In moments, however, it disappeared into the ground. He smirked, counting his fortunes.


    Twenty-one gold aera.


    Idly, he wondered what the rest of the group had been up to as he made his way to Mainhelp.

 Chapter 24 - Mainhelp

    It was said that the many gods were once people of the mortal realm too. That they had risen from below and lifted not only themselves but their people to the heavens with them. And yet it has also been said that the gods have always been there, as constant as magic. There are theories that argue their formation similar to naturally occurring mana nexi. Or even some based solely on the fact of their influence on the world. My singular theory is that gods and goddesses are a mixture of all of these and more. Every fact that argues a fair point for one theory and a falsity in another is a point for mine. The theories regarding the deities that preside over Aerae are unlimited and thus, perhaps all hold a grain of truth.


    Positing that, we move on to the many races of the realm and a critique on the Book Of Sentients...


    -Recorded from the 50th Annual Scholar''s Meet.


    Luck wasn''t one to shop. In truth, it was just another thing he just didn''t have time for. The only goods of any concern to him were clothing and he''d usually order products from the usual brands he favored. In fact, he knew more about illegal gun and drug trafficking than he did of legal capitalism. He did admit that food had become something of a hobby too - thanks to Mr. Ark. The thought of food was more on his nose than his mind at this point.


    The food here was delicious. Standing in the line of a sidestreet vendor on the way to Mainhelp was enlightening and served to only exemplify the fact.


    He would be lying if he said he hadn''t noticed the stares of everyone since he arrived. Even the guild members of Magice looked at him oddly and he''d assume they were used to pilgrims coming through.


    For the two cevao behind him, he was something of an oddity. First, a human, which were apparently rare in these parts of the world. And second, his clothes. He wore superior wool shoes, a far cry from the leather, sometimes furred boots most wore. And that was nothing to the say of the glances at the make of his clothing.


    He didn''t mind their curiosity, it was only natural that they ponder the make of his shirt, or what vendor sold such quality clothes. They remarked on his sweatpants and their slightly baggy look. Harmless. The people here were used to such oddities as it turned out, but he still stood out nonetheless.


    Though, just like everyone else in this particular sidestreet, his mouth was watering at the scents that filled the air. He had a nose like anyone else. A stomach too. The stall he had lined up for was selling something akin to a kebab, except the meat was speared on either a large fork or small trident, such a distinction was unclear. The vendor was one of the lithe, horned people he often saw moving through the crowd. There were actually a lot lined up as well.


    The lady''s voice was just another among the many shouts on the street. "Hovian meat! Juicy, succulent, and just cooked! Fresh off the fire! Two silver aera for a tri-prong!"


    People shouted back. "Three for me!" A horned individualcalled.


    A piece of floating information - thanks to the A.R. overlay - highlighted itself, stemming from one of them further up the line.


    Une.


    It was his turn. He walked upto the vendor as a large wolfen father handed his kid a tri-prong and departed. The vendor shouted backward as she moved behind her fire to skewer more meat before returning to the front counter.


    "What''ll it be?" Her voice was loud but somehow kept itself soft. Her eyes were a pale white-pink and her skin nearly glittered. The face that regarded him was in slight surprise, slim and angular, but recognizable as an expression. Her horn was a dark grey, glinting with sharpness. Barely a moment had passed.


    He replied in a language uncanny and dreamlike. A bizarre beauty in the noise. "How much do you think I might be able to stomach?" He said nonchalant, extremely insouciant.


    The unewas skewering meat and adjusting the fire when she paused to turn around. Her head tilted and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Her horn - if Luck wasn''t seeing things - had changed angles. "Now, that is something I don''t hear every day. Must be some story for a traveler to speak Unish." Luck had her full attention. "A tri-prong and a half might fill you up. Tell me an interesting story and I might just add some more hovian meat to the first."


    His response was with a sly smile. "I believe I might know the most languages in the entire city. Sentinel, cevao, une, wolfen. A gift from a mentor of mine, if you will. Not a great story at all." Luck shrugged. "But the extra meat would be nice."


    She chuckled lightly. "Not good enough, but you''ve earned some extra." She skewered the meats on a prong and handed it to Luck. "Two silver aera, speaker of unish." She added sarcastically.


    He tossed her the coins. "Thank you very much. Point your horn upwards, vendor." He only smiled as the une was slightly opened mouthed, then squinting, and then shaking her head in laughter. The saying was one that was with cultural significance and somehow Luck could glean a little knowledge from that.


    He smiled, weaving through the crowd and heading for the tall tower that rose to the sky above.


    Among the crowd, Luck fell into the moment. It was the same type of deal when he urged time to stop. But this time he stared at the moving people. The wolfen, the unish, the sentinels, cevao, and the other strange individuals he saw. They flowed as if water. His eyes wandered, languidly chewing on the stick of meat with delight.


    He toyed with his Time magic, reasoning that such a magic was unnoticeableto anyone in the crowd. He briefly wondered whether it was possible to sense fluctuations of mana and thus other mages. The answer to that was; not as far he knew. He had never sensed Nayah or Ace, or even Maxworth''s song-like magic. Diversi, however, was a different story. Luck hadfelt the wave of magic as he renewed The Pools and he hadn''t even unlocked his mana then.


    Time was a concept Luck truly struggled with. A moment was easy. He had spent the most fun times of his life catching them in the eyes of an audience. From simple magic, the mundane kind, to catching criminals with a flourish, or having a gun to someone''s head within a blink, or a flash of lightning so bright it left spots in his eyes. Or the beauty of nature, watching illusory butterflies fill the air with colors, the dumbfounded look on a god''s face. The dancing and twirling with strangers in a stranger city. Death, his parents, bloodied in a pool of their reflective blood. Blacker than he had ever seen. Time stretched into short eternity, it felt like.


    Those were moments.


    But to slow time altogether? To speed it up? To skip or hop between time? They were the ideas he toyed with. The passage of the crowd remained unchanged, despite Luck''s will. Time moved at its own pace and at this rate he felt he could sooner change the flow of a river.


    Spirit had nothing on the matter except simple exercises or techniques that applied to exploringall magical practices. Luck had already entertained many of those ideas. The use of emotion. Intent. Circulating one''s mana, akin to throwing the mana. Actively working the mana. Passively allowing the mana to flow, similar to Nature magic. None applied to Time, and he thought fittingly, it shouldn''t have. Time was another level all itself. The fact he was able to pause time, even for a few seconds, was something miraculous all itself.


    His musings were interrupted by screaming ahead. He had gotten turned around. Fortunately, he was still heading towards Mainhelp, but he was in a sidestreet that seemed less wealthy than most. It was shaded at this time of day, but looked like it might''ve been in shadows its entire existence. He couldn''t see any guards and the ways were thinner and slimmer than the usual wide streets that allowed many pedestrians. He casually walked around the corner, minding his own business.


    A woman had a sword to a man''s throat. The man looked exhausted but guilty as evidenced by the sweat on his brow.


    "Thief. Slaver. Criminal." The crystal woman spat menacingly. A child hid behind her. Luck realized this woman was a mother and was slightly taken aback. Ardun was a unique city indeed.


    The man pleaded, convincingly, he might add, except for Luck''s notice. "Please, forgive me. My daughter you see-"


    He whirled grabbing the sword of the woman with his gloved hand. His other hand pulled the woman forward and off balance. But the woman directed her knee into the man''s groin while her hand fended off his knife-hand. She got knocked to the ground as three more crooks appeared opposite of Luck. The man kicked away her sword and her crystalline features seemed to sharpen.


    She looked desperate, shielding her child. The three thugs on the other side got her attention but when she looked Luck''s way he realized something.


    He turned around. "Evening gentleman." He waved, greeting the two wolfen and une in front of him.


    "Wrong place, wrong time, kid. We can''t have any witnesses can we boys?" They all had shortswords. Suitable equipment in the smaller space.


    The other''s tapped their swords together. "Shouldn''t be a problem. Looks like a foreigner. No one will miss him."


    Luck rolled his eyes. "Back away before I decide to end you. I don''t have any problems with you or the woman. I''ll leave you be if you let me go."


    "Hah, big words!" The third guffawed, carelessly swinging his sword around.


    "He looks wealthy, Grothn. We can''t riskanyattention." The smaller brown-furred wolfen growled.


    "So?"


    "So. Wealth means connections, if someone goes-" He screamed.


    Luck stabbed him in the eyes with his finished tri-prong. He kicked his knee in and sent him to the ground. He grabbed his head with both his hands and kneed him viciously in the snout. Luck''s attack was vicious, merciless and without warrant. He came out of nowhere. From innocent, wealthy and perhaps naive in their eyes to something to fear.


    Amber blinked back at them, dim in the shade. He threw the tri-prong to the side, bloodied from meat.


    "Keep your eyes on me next time." He stared at the now-unconscious thug. "Sorry."


    "You have no idea what you''ve just done." One said coldly.


    He debated picking up the sword but the other two were already upon him. He didn''t need it anyway. Coupled with Maxworth and Erok''s teachings in the Dunes and his basic instinct, a weapon in his own hands was unneeded. The A.R. overlay was already reading and assessing the situation, a myriad of things coming to Luck''s peripheral attention.


    The first approached inhumanly fast. He jabbed forward, thrusting with his sword, too far. Luck slipped into his guard and threw a fist at his face. The Familiar Bond allowed him to pull it off with ease, but Luck sensed he could''ve managed without. The wolfen recoiled with a bloody snout, grasping it in pain. The next instant a sword came for his shoulder and he was forced to back off. The wolfen growled and the une tiled his head lower. They advanced together.


    Luck sprinted forward with enhanced speed. Phantom swings outlined in blue played across his vision but he had already seen them coming. The wolfen aimed for his shoulder vertically, while the une went horizontal. He dodged, ducking below and aside shoulder checking the wolfen, slamming him into the wall. A little brute force unsuspected went a long way. He cocked his shoulder back and cracked his elbow across the wolfen''s snout, knocking teeth and blood out. Disabled instantly. He slid down the wall and his sword clattered to the floor.


    "What the hell." The une whispered in unish. There was caution in his step, much more dangerous than the usual hesitation, as he prodded closer.


    His swordplay was of some skill. He managed to push Luck away with the threat of his sword, but he saw through him the next instant. His leg swept out below the une''s lithe form and the thug fell forward into the crook of his elbow as Luck slipped behind him like a snake. He tightened like a boa and the une jerked at his neck. He fell to the floor unconscious.


    The other side had noticed him and began to approach. They were yelling now, having seen him knock all their friends out. "Should''ve learned from what you just saw." Luck shook his head. The woman was still fending off the wolfen man. He was having trouble, having expected more hands.


    Three more. Luck deflected the first, tripping and pushing him behind him, out of the way for now. The second was dodged and he gave him a sharp jumping kick to the stomach, sending him groaning to the floor. The third growled cautiously. He rolled forward and shot off the ground straight at Luck. His sword was coming at an angle but Luck had moved too, he slammed the wolfen''s torso between his elbow and knee, horizontal as he was. He coughed blood and Luck stomped on his sword hand. The first one charged Luck knocking the air out of him and they threw down to the floor. Luck got his legs around the thug''s shoulder and pulled on his arm, pushing and tightening his thighs. He heard a pop and the wolfen screamed. Luck released him and the crook held his arm on the floor groaning in pain. Luck kicked him in the head, knocking him out.


    Six bodies lay broken and unconscious around him.


    The leader gaped at him but quickly regained his bearings.


    "Who are you? How did you?" The woman was distractedly staring at Luck. "You''re nothing but a young man!"


    The wolfen reached for her at that moment. Immediately, pillars of earth slammed into the wolfen''s side and held him there. The sidestreet was gritty and damp, more humid than anywhere he had walked in the city before. His feet splashed in a shallow puddle reflecting a proud water tower above, no doubt leaking a small amount.


    "You just harassing passerby, buddy?" Luck spat, smiling and taunting. The wolfen wore ruffled clothes, probably from being thrown down by the woman initially. He adjusted the wolfen''s leathers as he struggled, suspended a foot off the ground by the two huge pillars. "There, presentable."


    "Who are you? Do you work for the Coterie?" He growled, spittle shooting into the damp floor.


    "Ma''am, who is this guy?" Luck asked, looking the wolfen up and down, trying to decide whether or not he liked his outfit. It was nothing but a strange amalgamation of leathers, not even cut nicely. He was curious about the collar. His hand gripped the wolfen''s neck strongly, tilting his head left and right. "He doesn''t look that well dressed so he loses my respsect."


    "H-he''s probably a slaver. All of them probably are. Mage slavers. Looking for mages on their way to the Practitioner''s Coterie Exams. My son comes with me outside the walls sometimes. Big groups. He has an affinity with two of the elements. They must''ve been after him." The wolfen growled at that. Luck nodded, forcing his head back and away from the woman. The collar was actually quite nice.


    Luck stepped and crossed his arms. The bodies were strewn about. Some had dirtied fur, muddied in the puddles of the sidestreet. The une''s silver horn stood out against the ground. The cevao were the most colorful, their happy hues at contrast with the deed they tried committing.


    Luck began to drag the unconscious together in a pile. He paused in his movement,instead taking a breath and focusing on everything around him. He talked to the woman, a turquoise crystal as the crooks slid across the ground seemingly by themselves. The earth itself seemed to cradle their bodies. "Mages are more valuable I''m guessing." She nodded at him. "There are larger streets to take. Why this one?" He asked.


    She glanced at the wolfen who was still suspended. "Traffic."


    "Is that magic, mister?" The son squeaked, wide-eyed at the usage Luck employed.


    "Earth magic, Reten. With fine control too." She said. "I''m Pyrel. Are you part of the Practitioners Coterie?"


    Luck smiled softly at the child, the kid''s features were glowing and he was turquoise just like his mom. He turned back to the mother. "Just another citizen, ma''am. I''ve only just gotten to the city myself, but I was interested in the Coterie. I was unaware they were holding exams today." He raised an eyebrow.


    "Tonight actually at Mainhelp, but I see. A pilgrim then?" She sighed. "Every citizen of Ardun is capable of handling themselves. So every criminal that tries their luck in the city knows their own strength and those of an average citizen. They don''t turn to this life in this city without knowing what''s in store."


    "I imagine they don''t, Pyrel. Are you a mage yourself?" He asked, the unconscious thugs finally finding each other.


    "A weak affinity to Fire, but nothing more. Nothing worth acting upon." Her eyes lightened up though. "My husband, though. He is a mage through and through. The Coterie is secretive and inclusive and mysterious, but they don''t keep people from their families. They''re a good group, no matter the speculation. My husband is the honest sort, like bedrock, a lie would never get past him. Whatever secrets the Coterie keeps are rightfully theirs to keep."


    "And Ardun''s laws of self-defense?" Luck''s stare was cold looking at the thugs on the floor.


    "The law is clear on the worst crimes. Rape, murder, slavery. The lives of criminals that practice in any of these are immediately forfeit. Their cases can be argued if their victims wills it, there are many reasons any person turns to one thing. Though still, they end up dead more often than not." She shivered.


    "Well Pyrel, you and Reten should probably be on your way. You might get there late." Luck gestured out of the sidestreet, small enough to be an alley really. He frowned staring down at the crooks. "I''ll catch up with you." He remembered, "Oh, Luck Lockyer by the way - that''s my name."


    She looked at him and the crooks before nodding quickly. "Of course, of course. Reten, come on dear. Thank you, Luck. We will see you in a few minutes then." They quickly shuffled out of the sidestreet but Luck''s amber was glued to the people on the floor.


    A drop of fresh water dripped from above, landing with a splashon top of his forehead before sliding down his face. He sighed. "Even here, huh?" He wiped the water away and got to work.


    Several minutes later he was on the lookout for a pair of turquoise cevao. Instead of the streets, he was traversing the rooftops, climbing between buildings and ledges and windows with ease. It was degrees easier to move across Ardun like this, though it didn''t look like the people of the city stuck much to the rooftops. The buildings at times were too far apart from each other to be a reasonably safe jump, for Luck it didn''t matter, but all the same.


    He wanted to take this exam for himself. Earth and Nature alone might be of note, not to mention his high affinity with both. From what he heard, joining the Coterie might allow him better advancements in magic and not only that but they help the city in other ways too. Armed with their symbol alone, he could venture out of Ardun and search for his family, if they''re not here already.


    He had been glancing at the pendant all day as he''d been exploring the city. It was miles in either direction but Luck''s stupid stamina levels allowed him to move across the city without tiring. And in every spot, the motes were always east, towards Krukon''s Forest and south towards Snake''s Way. This was true as close to the walls as he could get as well. The one in the south was recent development and the rest of the motes pointed close by, toward Tate.


    He gripped the pendant, a whirlwind of emotions rushing through him. He closed his eyes to calm himself. Who was in Krukon? The giant ape that scaled the walls came from there. And Snake''s Way? Guild Master Freeze mentioned the last breach was from an enormous boa decades ago. One large enough to slither over the very walls of Ardun.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    His eyes landed on them, dominating the view in every direction, just past the buildings and the bustle of the citizens below. They didn''t so much as loom over the city as they did rise above it, reaching for the sky. Great off-white bastions of protection. They blurred in the distance even though they encompassed the view, such was their span. He could barely see anything upon them, but his enhanced eyes might''ve betrayed small ant-like shapes patrolling their length. He saw no method of even climbing the walls so he assumed there was some internal passage throughout.


    He reached Mainhelp.


    He stood at the edge of the nearest building, surveying the plaza. There were no more rooftops to jump to. He spotted Saga coming up on his left and nodded to him wordlessly. They had seen each other a handful of times among the rooftops, it had always been a generous distance, however, none had felt the need to meet up. On the rooftops, tannish brown or light grey, it looked like a desert if you discounted the noise and life below.


    "Tired already?" He quipped, stroking matte green Saga''s coat. The shar had leaped quietly from a nearby building.


    There are many scents in the city, Amber Eyes. A few vendors offered me food.Saga nudged Luck''s hip with his head in greeting.


    "It''s a magnificent place, isn''t it?"


    Truly. But everything is new to me, Amber Eyes. I feel like, still, I am just a kitten. There are many things for me to know, to learn, that I never thought of before. It is the bond, I know. My mind is larger than it has ever been.


    He nodded peacefully, sitting on the edge of the building.You already have some of my amber too - in your eyes. And I''ve become stronger, quicker, faster. I can see farther than ever and at night to some extent.


    Then we are both Amber Eyes.He made a noise, chuckling.There was a pause as even Saga took in the sights and sounds, and likely the smells of the plaza below.Who knew I''d ever the need to wander and think? Just... think, nothing more. Just that.


    We all do, from time to time.He recalled earlier.Everyone copes differently, for whatever it is you''re coping with. For you, it is a lot to process and you now have a mind to do just that.


    Saga purred quietly.And you, Amber Eyes? What of your family? Are we to venture out again? I have no qualms leaving this city.The support was immediate, genuine, and without motive.


    He smiled at his friend, truly touched.I trust them to make it here. But if they don''t by the time I''m able to go to them, then that''s what I''m going to do. Thank you, Saga. For always being here.


    It is nothing. You would have done the same if the roles were reversed. But the shar share no family ties as humans do.He pondered that.I know what your family means to you through our bond yet I share nothing of the sort towards my own. Only vague memories already forgotten.


    He blinked. You were somewhere before the Forest of the Drowned? Before us? I thought... I don''t know what I thought.


    Yes. I was brought from somewhere, but Amber Eyes I have no ties there, and I loathe to speak or remember it. My time there I had not fully comprehended until recently and even then I didn''t want to relive it. It is the same as why you do not speak of your own time previous to our bond.


    It was true.He had never spoken those events out loud. Not even to Saga or Ace who had been there for them. It seemed like both had sensed he had to figure it out himself.I understand, Saga. But if I need to talk I know you''re here. And you know I''m here for you too.


    Saga yawned, baring teeth.Of course, Amber Eyes.


    "Wanna rest with Evodim for a bit?" Luck chuckled, noticing the shar''s drowsiness. A lot of food would do that to anyone.


    Saga nodded blearily. Luck pulled on the tether of his dimensional room. It was tied to him, everpresent. A safe place, that exuded calm and security to him. There was a time it had been dormant but an exertion of his will called it into existence. He opened the portal below the shar and closed it the next second. There were no eyes on the rooftops. His earth sense didn''t pick up anything, and Spirit''s own analysis as seen by the A.R. overlay agreed. Not that anyone would know what they saw in the first place.


    He made his way down the building. He descended between buildings into an alley. He allowed a few people to pass below him before he dropped down, the earth itself cushioning his fall even as he spiraled to disperse the shock. Walking out of the alley, he melded into the crowd. The heat of the sun was less now, being later in the day. Although, the sweltering heat from the crowd didn''t lessen at all. Understandable, given the pure mass. Even here, vendors lined the buildings, some looked extremely wealthy and those were the owners of the houses on the perimeter of the plaza. Business was good here apparently. Luck pulled on the aspect of the heatblind, cooling himself, as he moved through the crowd as it poured into the plaza. He threw his hands in his pockets and checked out the goods or free samples the vendors hired kids to hand out as he made his way towards the towering spire in the middle of the large place.


    From the conversations around him he was able to pickup the general tidings.


    A black-eyed clawed man pointed towards the spire. "Mainhelp''s over there pilgrim. They''ll get you situated if you''re not already. Pilgrims get directed there but even Ardun''s normal citizenry have business there time to time."


    "What''s the significance?" Luck asked, stopping to talk. The random individual had just seen him walking and inferred his reasons. Though he wasn''t trying to be particularly innocuous about his gaping.


    "It houses a Bank of Aerae, for one. And the Soldier''s Guard, to name a few. Ardun''s powerful meet there and discuss city happenings. That''s the place of the city treasury too. Items or Artifacts retrieved from City-Wide Quests and the like. It''s the plaza itself that''s the attraction. Ardun''s events are hosted here and the best vendors congregate around this area." The man was gruff but amiable, having turned from another group of people. "Not to mention the major guilds that are based right around this square. The Adventurer''s Guild you''ll know for sure."


    That was noted. "I''m actually looking for my friends, said they were interested in the fighter''s guild, food, and sparring. But I''m also looking for the Coterie Exams." Luck returned the amiability, his posture open and casual as the crowd moved past him.


    He looked over across the plaza, even with the din of the people around him he could hear shouting and cheers. "That over there would be most likely. Every week, or if someone''s throwing one, there''s a sparring tournament. Ardun''s fighting guilds are sure to be there. Likewise, the vendors know who''s the most hungry in this square. They''ll be there too. " He continued. "As for a mage, the exams are free entry and the line is stupidly long, but they''re on the opposite side of the plaza." He shook his head and his black eyes stood out more.


    Luck thanked the man. He shrugged saying he was returning the favor from someone who helped him. It was a cultural thing according to Spirit.


    The entrance to Mainhelp was guarded by two men on either side of the large arch. The sheer height of the structure was daunting. They let Luck pass without hassle after a quick glance and he realized the guards were almost his height and a half. They hadn''t even twitched as he walked in.


    Rich looking people darted in and about between the many counters lined in a semi-circle on Luck''s right. The second he walked in, silence. It was like the magic of a library, but Luck turned back to the door briefly wondering if there was truly some magic in play. He couldn''t hear the outside at all. The guards looked at him, somehow sensing his gaze, and he turned back inside.


    Marble floor, shining despite the many feet that walked across it. Black lines, like lightning, seemed to stretch across the entirety. There was a ceiling, Luck noticed. Which made sense, this entire spire wasn''t a single floor. And the half-circle on his right, rather than being directly in front of him as he entered was a nod to the left side of the spire being used for something else.


    This was the bank he realized. But he suspected the other side was what he needed to get to.


    "Excuse me? Where''s the way to the Solder''s Guard? I need to report an incident." The teller at the window wasn''t any race he had seen before but he looked away from his work to point. Luck followed hisgesture to the opposite end from the entrance. "Thank you." He said, getting out of the way of the line.


    The opposite half of the bottom floor was similarly decorated. Marble and pristine. There seemed to be a more urgent and pressing air about the room, even more noticeable given the library-like ambiance of the banking side. There didn''t seem to be a uniform among the soldiers but he did recognize a symbol they all shared somewhere on their outerwear. A ray of sunshine piercing the clouds. It didn''t take Luck long to find someone to speak to.


    Luck quickly and succinctly summarized the events he witnessed and the seven unconscious people buried in the street up to their necks. A pair of soldier-guards were listening and the one Luck talked to needed only to nod to them for them to be on their way.


    He departed, taking note of the lack of stairs he had observed. His eyes roamed the decor, noticing the etchings of gods or goddesses along the marble walls, grandiose and mural-like. So the city was of some artistic capability. He was loathe to leave but he had already agreed with the group previously to meet up. Luck''s guess was that they were at the sparring tournament.


    Maxworth happened to be in the ring by the time Luck got there. There were some sour faces but the majority were cheering and yelling as Luck broke to the front of the crowd. He saw Ace at the opposite end with Erok and Nayah as he pushed to get there.


    Maxworth''s opponent was a smaller person. Unlike his metallic frame, she had small horns and powerful legs. A long tail, oddly purposeful, kept her balanced as she ducked and weaved below Maxworths spinning kicks and lower sweeps.


    Luck was just thinking he''d have just grabbed her tail, controlling its position by forcing the woman to the left or right when Maxworth did just that. The motion was eerily controlled. His leg came down, pivoted, and the opponent dodged left, while Maxworth''s other leg came around to lock her tail under his knee. From there, Maxworth forced her down and she tapped out. He was surprised to see that gesture, but nonetheless, it worked.


    Luck put his hand on Ace''s shoulder to announce himself. "We don''t really think of tails in a fight do we?"


    Ace grinned turning. "No, but who knows? Can''t chat Lucky. I''m up next." He quickly made his way through the crowd, patting Maxworth with a grin as he passed.


    "Ah! Druid, you''re back." Erok rumbled, noticing him. He immediately offered one of many fried morsels he held. "Please."


    Luck chuckled, eyeing Nayah who had as much food as Erok. "I''ve already eaten. But did you two participate in the tournament?"


    "It is not real combat, or for training. The Rhoride do not fight for reward. Well, not always. A roken in the tournament is not fair in any case." He chuckled. "I have seen my share of mock fights and glory fighting. Participated even."


    There was still a lot to Roken society Luck hadn''t figured out. Less so of Erok''s actual group, the Rhoride Hammers. "And I''m guessing you''re just enjoying the show Nayah?"


    "Ah, I''m participating actually." She said slowly. Luck blinked. "It''s a safe practice. And I need the experience."


    He nodded tilting his head back and forth. "True, true. Well best of luck to you."


    "Luck, sir." Maxworth said shortly. "Will you be joining us?" He gestured. "The combatants here are quite interesting. Some of these people neither I or Erok have ever seen. Though he seems to be less enamored than I."


    "Although I''m quite confident I could win this tournament, " Luck joked, "I''ve decided to check out the Practitioner Coterie Exams on the opposite end of Mainhelp. I just had to pop in to find you all and let you know beforehand."


    Nayah grimaced at the mention of the Coterie. Luck wasn''t blind to the attraction of power. He''d be the first to guess that one of the groups that take advantage of the Illuse happen to be present in the city.


    "Perhaps we''ll stop by once the tournament here is over. I believe I saw the examinees. It was no small amount." Maxworth added.


    They said their goodbyes. There wasn''t anything really keeping any of them together except for the adventure and struggles they shared on their way here. Nearly a month of time spent traveling. Perhaps that was enough though, because no matter what he said, he was the one that felt he needed to let them know of his comings and goings. He hadn''t really ever thought of them real friends, and truly, he really hadn''t the slightest idea of who they really were. He knew Erok was steadfast and appreciative of strength and skill. Maxworth was quiet, skiiled, deadly, and analytical, observant but above all curious. Nayah was nervous at most things, in awe of more, but she had a quiet strength she pulled on to face things no one else who lived her life could''ve.


    Luck whistled his thoughts away as he came rounded the other side of Mainhelp. Again, he still hadn''t found out whether the name referred to the spire itself or the spacious plaza around it. He stared upwards for a moment before tracking down the exam area.


    It wasn''t hard.


    There were gouts of flame and sparkles. Sparkles, yes. The fire and perhaps some of the twisting vines he could have prepared himself for. The globs of dark goo flying around, people wreathed in water, or simply floating a few feet off the ground. A man held back a man twice his size.


    It was of note to mention the oddity of the words "man" and "woman." It was enough to catch Luck''s musings even during watching the magic cast upon the open ground. The words directly related to a male or female counterpart of any race in his mind. Most languages didn''t have a reference to gender like English did.


    So he saw the smaller man, who was in actuality some other race Luck couldn''t know, push a larger man, again, this time he could see the man was a wolfen, several feet backward. The wolfen nodded, however, dusting off his hands. The smallerman had details about him though, it was likely he was some dwarven archetype. He couldn''t say he knew exactly what a dwarf was, but there were as many, if not more than the varieties of humans Spirit had acquainted Luck with.


    It was a very large field. It was relatively small compared to the entire plaza, but nonetheless, Luck deemed it large. It was simple dirt, but compared to the rough and trodden packed dirt of the rest of the plaza he found it odd. It was too uniform, too neat. Magic? The people occupying the field weren''t nearly as uniform. Many of the mages, Luck didn''t exactly know the technical term for someone who uses magic, walked off sadly. He thought this was some kind of practice but apparently, they were already being examed. He could vaguely see a few figures on the far side of the field lined up with most mages. Proctors perhaps?


    Luck smiled softly, feeling the connection to nature inside of him. The glimmer of the moment - him, just being. The strength of his legs and the ground below him, the foundation of mountains. Nature, Time, and Earth. It was almost as if he was flexing his mana, that raw potential that overlayed his physical being. And not only that, his muscles flexed tighter than he remembered he could, his body feeling looser, his senses sharp. He felt... dangerous. In a way, he hadn''t ever before.


    And he wasn''t even holding a gun.


    There wasn''t so much a line than there was a bustling crowd of people both young and old, grim or eager, pushing forward. He slipped through easily, years of moving in city crowds coming back to him. The weapons, swords, bows, and daggers were new to his experience. He expected something of the sort, however, but there were definitely more exotic weaponry among the crowd. Colorful staves held in the hands of frail men. A gray sword that seemed to hum with holes cut into its very blade, like swiss cheese. More oddities among them, there were few, but everywhere they were it was as if they had their own space. A une, holding two swords against his hip, glanced at Luck with disdain.


    It looked like there was definitely some type of competitive spirit in the air. But weren''t mages rarer than this?


    An announcer whom he couldn''t see called out among the crowd. "Next examinees be ready and find a proctor across the field! Adventurers vying for their next badge, for the last time, clear the Coterie''s exam field!" The voice became exasperated towards the end if not a tad mad.


    The announcer repeated the last statement to the rhythm of heavy footsteps and jangling weaponry. Many of the people he saw with weapons had outright left. Even some of the people he was sure were mages had walked off. In actuality, there was an extremely crowded mass of people, packed to the brim, farther down the plaza. He heard someone faintly yelling about rules for the people present there. That left alone him with only a dozen or so people. It was as if a cloud of dust had settled among the leaving crowd and everyone took long looks at each other. There were haughty people, scoffing at the competition, silent types, confident and sure postures, Luck saw a few interesting demeanors. He caught some his way as well. Simply because his outward reaction was curiosity and confidence. Only a handful of this dozen moved towards a proctor.


    He spotted Pyrel and Reten and made his way over upon seeing the familiar blue faces. "Nice to see you again." He grinned, getting their attention. He was glad to see them doing well, not shaken that much.


    "So you''ve made it!" Pyrel smiled, "Much easier when the adventurers leave to actually see the field."


    "Yeah, I was under the assumption mages weren''t as common as what I was seeing." Luck chuckled, gesturing around. "Turns out I was right." His amber eyes languidly assessed the competition. There was a lot to see in someone''s body language and though Omnilingual didn''t necessarily count it as an actual language Luck could''ve taught it at an advanced level.


    "Gods and goddesses above, you won''t find that many mages in one place anywhere." She exclaimed. "I''m not sure the exact statistics but I think it something like five to seven percent of people have the talent. Of course, that varies between races as well."


    "What''s the test then?" Luck asked, "Has anyone passed yet?" He saw four individuals meet in the field with a proctor for each of them. They were only talking right now so perhaps the terms of their test were unique for the individual or proctor.


    "Not yet." Pyrel said gently, stroking Reten''s hair. "The Coterie is strict. Even in Ardun where talent blooms and the hardiest of folks thrive there is rarely an entrant into their ranks. The exam can be anything they''re looking for." She shook her head. "Not many people are happy with that but they can''t argue the effectiveness of the organizations as a whole."


    "And the benefits of being a member?" Luck asked skeptically.


    It was Reten who answered almost immediately. "Are many." His boyish voice was stoic as if he were already preparing himself mentally for the exam.


    A voice that he vaguely recognized intoned behind him. "They say the System grants the Practioner Coterie exclusive Quests too. That much is speculation though. But as the boy said, wealth, power, and influence is a shallow viewing of the benefits." It was a wolfen in smooth blue robes. His eyes, like many of the wolfen, were beady, as he assessed Luck with a huff. Roth if Luck wasn''t mistaken. "I can''t say I''m surprised you''re here, pilgrim. A mage like yourself probably made the trek specifically for the exam."


    He was one of the few that fired upon the group in the Zones. "Roth, right?" The wolfen nodded. "And Mark? Where is he?" The lack of his companions was noticeable. The other one Luck couldn''t remember the name of but Mark was one of the hostages. "Is he not also trying to join the Coterie?"


    "Mark has little interest for the Coterie, though I dare say his magic exceeds their expectations. Besides, the frost drake''s blessing upon him is of higher concern to Magice." He talked as Luck noticed an approaching proctor. A glance at the field showed many of the examiness just waiting around. "Is your mage companion not also vying for the Coterie?"


    "He''s at the fighter''s tournament. I believe his interest lies in physical combat for now. But the man''s never been known to stick with something for long. He''s someone with many hobbies, you see." Luck explained.


    "So he practices both magic and body. Much like Mark." He responded with an approving nod.


    The proctor that came up to their group of four was a wide man. Stout and steady. And that was odd given his smooth purple skin and lithe features. It didn''t match, but there was perhaps something working for him because Luck didn''t outright detest his style. The robes upon his shoulders were emblazoned with a tome flipping through its pages as if by an invisible wind. He wore deep colors and Luck might''ve gambled on their hue denoting their field of magic. What changed between proctors were the cut of their clothes rather, and they even didn''t all wear robes, though the clothes did seem popular.


    This particular proctor wore tan-grey robes. Their inherent light coloring somehow more vast and full of depth than Luck could reasonably puzzle. He addressed them all as a group. "All of you here to take the exam?" The man''s smile was as powerful as his voice. His teeth were sharp and clean.


    "We are!" Reten said boldly. Only now did Luck realize the little crystal kid held a sword on his hip. Just like his mother.


    "Not me, sir. I only accompany my son." Pyrel smiled gently.


    The mage laughed heartedly, a sign of genuine mirth after such a long day that Luck suspected he had. "A brave child. He might stand a chance then!" He crossed his arms and nodded at the group. "I feel good about you all. I do. No magic of my own needs to tell me. I need only my gut! Haha! But that''s always what my gut tells me on the very last batch cause it knows it gets to eat right after!"


    The man snapped. Luck would''ve missed everything if he blinked. The swirling colors, the bending and warping of space itself. Lights flashed, of color and not, across his vision taking portions of his view and mixing them. His mind felt as if it was being jostled and jerked. His stomach flew off somewhere as it dropped through him. It happened in the span of a second.


    And then he was standing in a large room.


    A man cut in leathers stood calmly in the center. "You''ve all been transported to the Coterie''s testing grounds." He echoed out to the seven people surrounding him. "Everyone will be tested here today. The field outside is but an illusion cast by one of our senior members. We have the pleasure of having the company of one of the Practitioner Coterie''s acclaimed Wizards in Adrun this exam. That is how you''ve been transported here."


    He droned on and Luck glanced around the room. His earth sense spotted traps within the floors but nothing to trigger them. His connection to nature gave him nothing, however. Small insects and beetles crawled around, some spiders hiding in their webs in the traps.


    He didn''t need to ask Spirit before information began springing up around the room. The distance to the speaker - fifty feet. The diameter of the room - one hundred feet. The spaces each person occupied. Nothing stood out from simple appearance. The other men and women around him stood calmly. One was anxiously on all fours pacing about, he seemed almost tiger-like. Another was dark as the stars as if his very eyes belonged in space. That man was slowly inching back into the wall, nearly disappearing if Luck''s eyesight wasn''t partly night-vision thanks to Saga. Some were already flaunting their power, though whatever the exam was had yet to be revealed.


    The man speaking continued. "This room is where your test shall be conducted. A talented mage might know his craft inside and out but the best mages are those that know themselves. The best of you have the most flexible minds and wills but admittance to the Coterie is not something taken lightly."


    His next words were delivered with gravity. "It is entirely possible you will die during the test. You may leave now if that is what you wish." The man held eyes, slowly turning around the room.


    Luck looked around at the others. For him, and especially here in Aerae, that was every day. He didn''t go anywhere without knowing he could protect himself. That was something he always had lived with. His life was always in his hands and there wasn''t anyone else he''d more trust it to.


    The man turned to him and held his eyes but Luck only looked on languidly. The man did nothing more than nod at Luck. He finished his rotation. "Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Jayeke, your proctor, and Sorcerer ranked Domain mage."


    Data typed itself out in Luck''s peripheral.A domain mage is one who exerts control over an area. Their magic is extremely niche and at higher levels can even alter reality in their domain to an extent. The laws of the world are overwritten in the domain of the individual. Many of these mages are self-sufficient given a way to sustain their mana and often are secluded by choice from the world. They are easily the most defensible of magical practitioners and have been known to build fortresses and castles to live in for themselves.


    He laughed and his voice was much closer than it should''ve been. "I see many of you recognize my magic, though I doubt any have ever witnessed it." Many of the confident mages in the room seemed to be frowning. Luck did as well. "Yes, as you may have guessed. You are all entirely encompassed within my domain. As such, you can be sure I am overqualified to proctor your exams. But indeed this means I am also quite able to give you one of the best assessments of any other proctor."


    Luck''s posture stayed lax and his face bored as the whisper came, harsh and sudden. Inexplicably right behind his ear. "So those of you with a tough front can abandon them here." The man wasn''t even looking at Luck. He was facing the opposite side of the room and a man to Luck''s left jumped, startled. He smirked though, wondering if the Jayeke could pick up his smug expression.


    Luck, on the other hand, hadn''t sensed anything with his Earth magic so he likewise didn''t react to the scare tactic. That and Luck was trained his entire life to hide every tell and tic. He was constantly feeling the mana in the air, trying to get a sense of it like in the Frozen Zones. He couldn''t. As Jayeke turned around he gave Luck a raised eyebrow, a subtle gesture that Luck made out. It seemed he earned his attention at least. Anything to stand out from the rest was good he reasoned.


    "There aren''t many proctors capable of it, but I rather favor the idea of testing you all at once." He said. He was still clearly visible in the middle but Luck wondered if that was even real. "You won''t be required to do anything in particular but I will be watching every single one of you. Inmy domain I seeeverythingand controleverything." It was as if the room got closer, darker and more personal.


    He became more lighthearted as he finished. "So, the test is this,"


    "Survive."

 Chapter 25 - Testing Grounds

    Of many discussions slimes dominate. Fire Slimes. Water Slimes. Earth Slimes. Lightning, Shadow, Ice, Mist, and more. There was once a man I knew who devoted his entire life to studying the curious and adaptable creatures. He was perhaps the most devoted researcher I had ever the pleasure to meet, though a bit slimy sure. A Sorcerer named Ofcolor "The Slime Mage". I''ve not ever heard of any whispers or rumors of his whereabouts when he disappeared, but the going truth was that, in his last breaths, he allowed a slime to eat him, to document the event or perhaps discover the sensation firsthand.


    -Venul Yangthu, before his conversion to Vampire Patriarch.


    The room was spacious, almost as if he were inside a circus tent. The lighting was a sufficient firelight orange, whatever source that it came from, but there was enough flickering shadow on the edges of the room to conceal a few bodies. The comparison was one often he liked to make.


    Luck Lockyer, if nothing else, was realistic.


    His mind had been working overtime. Not for a second did he assume he was transported for nothing. A half-dozen or so other examinees. Less than what he saw outside. It likely meant there were more than a few testing grounds then. He saw one person meld into the shadows earlier, the person, Luck couldn''t reliably identify their gender, had taken initiative at once. A wild man prowled like a tiger, anxious at the mention of a Domain mage. Another man and woman stood steadily listening to the proctor. More again had their own reactions.


    Luck was of the few whose reactions were entirely internal.


    Luck himself was observant of Jayeke, watching his moves, his reactions. He took careful note of what Jayeke reacted to or didn''t. He doubted any of the other examiness saw as much as he did. He doubted any could see Jayeke''s micromovements, even during his speech, when someone would move a certain way. Though there were a few that were gingerly flicking their eyes to the ground. Luck had, arguably, the most awareness of the situation. Spirit had adopted a type of weaker passive earth-sense, and coupled with Luck''s own awareness and enhanced senses, he had a strong grasp of everything around him.


    That was right up until Jayeke finished talking.


    "Survive."


    Luck had to do just that.


    Shrapnel blasted out of the ground around everywhere. It was like a frag grenade had gone off, throwing metal shards. Like a war had started right then and there and he was thrust right into battle. Luck stomped hard on the ground. A rock wall surrounded him as he bent low to meet its height.Violent thuds against his wall marked the impact of more shrapnel. His ears rang. His reaction was near instant and still a piece of metal embedded itself into his side.


    "Holy fuck." Luck grimaced, ripping out the metal. It gave way to a squelch of blood. The pain was blinding, but the logic was that it didn''t matter. Spirit quickly silenced his pain receptors so he could focus.


    He didn''t find himself wanting to peek over his makeshift shelter. He laid a calloused hand on the walls of rock barricade. Vibrations. There were people he could make out. Movement.


    The earth shuddered under him. His influence was absolute, however, moving against the magic acting upon the ground below him. Whatever it was, gave up.


    Then the ground shuddered everywhere. A voice echoed out, ghostly and absolute. "I determine whether I deem you capable of the Coterie. Prove to me you have what it takes." The voice whispered itself to everyone, becoming harsh and cruel towards the end.


    "I forfeit!" A gruff voice yelled suddenly. Halfway between a cry of pain and fear.


    No voice responded and Luck wondered whether or not that was allowed. But he had his own problems to worry about. His earshad picked up something unsettling. Soft padding, the hallmarks of someone or something trying to be quiet. Barely even noticed by his earth-sense. It wasn''t as developed as his other senses but that''s why he had many in the first place.


    There was an eery silence that Luck felt wasn''t right at the same time he heard the presence move quickly. Luck breathed steadily and slammed his elbow into the wall he felt it approaching. Spikes erupted deadly fast, piercing whatever creature or person had come.


    He tapped lightly on his wall, sending vibrations through the spikes and into the intruder. He dare not peek and expose himself.


    It was shaped like a cat. A large one, though not as big as Saga. But the vibrations were odd, and the animal hadn''t even made a sound. And then, he felt he could sense it, though not in the way he had thought.


    The next moment, it dissolved into dirt and dust.


    Too slow. Everything was happening too slow. He had spent too much time blind, what was happening outside? He formed small window slits for him to look through, and saw muted chaos. He gaped, the scene not registering correctly.


    Blinding energies flew about. A monster of shadow was fending off creatures of white light. A localized tidal wave of water was being parted by a woman even as predatory fish snapped at her. Some of the mages had teamed up but that only meant their challenges were that much difficult. A man and woman were fighting a creature with too many tentacles, electricity arced along its body, and the ironclad duo stepped back in caution. There were beasts made of earth too, growling and leaping at a man who fended them off bare-chested and howling. The entire testing grounds seemed to have nearly tripled in size.


    Luck widened his field of vision only to find himself surrounded by a silent pack of blinking predators. They were gliding close to the ground, eerily silent and light on their feet.


    Their heads cocked up slowly to gaze at Luck as he saw them, a veritable mass of black eyes blinking like lonely stars. And then they ripped into a frenzy, screeching and crawling across the ground with a speed very concerning.


    "If I had a fucking a gun right now!" He yelled. His walls bloomed into spikes even as pillars of earth came together to slam the crawling creatures into mush. More spikes, more pillars. They shot out at ferocious speeds knocking away or outright killing the things.


    Spirit released the aspect of the hard chitin centipede and Luck became encased in bug plating as one landed on him.A small group has burrowed underground.He slammed it into the ground.


    There was a dot below him, indicating these new threats. Luck only packed the ground harder as the crawlers threw themselves upon his sharpened shell wall. His walls were only spikes now and he himself was his own protection. They leaped and bounded across the top of their dead allies even as more spikes made of earth bloomed from the previous ones like thorns.


    Multiple came into melee distance and they didn''t even have a chance to utilize their claws or wide mouths. Luck grabbed one by the neck and slammed it into an already blooming spike. He widened his position with an effort of will, pushing everything outward to give himself some room to move.


    He growled. "Come on then!" He reached into the two pillars of earth he raised up on either side of himself. His hands slid into the earth as if it was water and came away with sharpened, deadly short swords.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve had some good practice!" He brandished his swords, the old, rusty techniques taught to him by his father coming back as sharp in clarity as the weapons he held.


    Combat paths outlined.Spirit chimed, an ever-present cool voice.


    Possible slashes, stabs, strokes and maneuvers outlined his vision. The paths of many of the crawling creatures were highlighted in green where they lined with his sword. Of less intensity,were the outlines in blue where he instinctively knew he could move to in order to dodge and manipulate the flow of enemies. There were even outlines of green pillars of earth, representing his magical capabilities. Red denoted threats to his person that he had to adjust for. It was as if his vision was a ghost of a battle, but he could see past it, easily focusing his attention.


    They hesitated for only half a second, blinking at his swords before the horde surged.


    There was very little red to be seen.


    Even in that moment, the seconds before the mass of bodies collided with Luck. There was a small peace. A knowledge in the initial movements of the clash. They moved seemingly slow, as Luck''s mind moved ever faster.


    And when they finally collided it wasn''t in three''s or two''s. It was by the dozens. He felt the hard impact against his black, gleaming chitin. He was thrown forward, hearing the scraping and clicking of claws on his arm even as he got up. Harmless, but dangerous all the same. The crawlers were relentless, but elbows and pommel strikes kept them away from his face while the edge of his swords kept them dead on the ground.


    His strength wasn''t overly powerful but his stamina was absurd.


    Full power kicks pushed the annoying crawlers away, giving him time to move. His sword cleaved them by the half dozen, spraying guts and slime to the floor. Red, just like a human''s. Luck didn''t flinch even as splatters landed among his face.


    They were like ants and hethe food for the colony. He was swarmed and ladened down, and if not for his stupid amount of endurance and stamina he would''ve been overwhelmed long ago. But his swords never stopped swinging, stabbing, keeping them at a distance when he could. It was nearly inhuman, the amount of things Luck seemed to be keeping track of.


    Crawlers below him, in the ground, were being simultaneously subverted by the very earth he controlled. Flanking crawlers, waiting in the wings, struck down immediately as they pounced, becoming multiples of two. The ones that tried speed, straightforwardly rushing from the front, were cut open in sprays of blood. But the stroke of his swords never stopped there, they continued, in loops and whorls, like calligraphy.


    It was as if he was a writer in blood.


    And still, it didn''t stop there. Pillars of earth came from the ground, subverting the horde and manipulating its flow when it was beneficial. Sometimes they even crushed swathes of the crawlers. Spirit needed not to remind Luck of the moves he had already been thinking of, his mind being one borne of wits and quick thinking. The result was an almost perfect view of the carnage he wrought, immune to the gore and violence and interrupted only by the occasional flash of color Spirit judged he best know.


    "Unceasing, aren''t you?" Jayeke''s voice came into being, clear amid the battle. Luck barely blinked at the strikingly clear comment. "I aim to push those here. It is my role as proctor. And while there are already a few who surprise me. You are an oddity. You simply haven''t stopped. Some type of Nature or Healing magic I presume, allowing you to sustain physical combat for this long?" Luck afforded himself a smirk.


    Luck could make out the chaos outside his own dome of silence, a consequence of his initial shelter he supposed, and it seemed everyone else had their own problems. He peeked only when his view of his own battle allowed him the luxury. And his was a mobile battle for sure, to stay stationary was to be bogged down by thesheer weight of his enemies. He could never dwell long on the challenges he saw the others face.


    "I owe nothing to your speculations, proctor." Luck grinned, absently. He slammed a crawler into another, impaling them both with his second sword, while his other snaked at the throats of three more. A spike of earth lanced out at another two, blocking the flow of the horde and allowing Luck to give himself room once again.


    ''Hmm. Earth magic. And quite proficient with the sword too. A fast and tactical mind to boot." He hummed. "Then for now, this. You willcrack. Not everyone can fight forever." Luck fancied himself one of the very few who probably could. "Good luck."


    And as soon as he said those words, nearly every crawler bulked up. The hits became twice as hard. His chitin had begun to scrape, an effect of their sharper claws. They werefaster. While before they were black, shifting, lithe figures the size of large housecats. He could see muscles on them now, witnessed their mass as he cut through them. Their teeth gleamed with something akin to acid. And in Luck''s eyes, they became more along the lines of a small, large predatory cat.


    Chitin''s effectiveness has been compromised. Prioritizing dodging and evasive maneuvers when applicable.Immediately his vision erupted into blue paths, shadows of his form in blue he could follow.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    And yet, Luck''s reaction and tactics were solid. He didn''t miss a beat. He swung his body under leaping crawlers where he would''ve previously taken their bites head on so he could take their heads right off. His short swords flicked upwards, opening their underbellies as he passed.


    His swords chipped and melted as he used them to bar the teeth of the crawlers when he could. It mattered not. Hands of earth came up to grapple the mass, sweeping the rest away violently. Luck simply swung his sword through the earth like it were water and it came away repaired, sharper than ever.


    And then, an influx of sound, screaming, explosions and the wooshof massive amounts of air being displaced. The sound of rushing water. Luck pierced a crawler to the ground and left his sword with it, having to retreat. His hand swiped through a thick spike of earth and came away with another sword. Explosions in the distance again. The clang of metal on metal, the hacking fleshy sound of metal on flesh. His new sword was put to use immediately, gutting nearby crawlers as he ignored the sounds for now.


    He risked a second to look up. His dome of silence had gone. He could hear the encounters around him now. And it seemed that everyone else could too.


    Crawlers from his own battle turned and nearly glided across the floor, moving towards another mage fighting creatures of light. He was near the edge of the room, where it was darkest initially. But now, it was the brightest spot in the space. He grimaced, the man or woman already looked to have their hands full.


    Luck felt crawlers below him, still burrowing in the earth, turn their heading to the man. Those, Luck could help with. His foot stomped on the ground, sending awave of intent through the floor and crushing the small group before they could go further. He was easily able to divert enough attention to help the other man out. He hoped that it would help in the end.


    "The enemy is never limited to only one type of foe. Especially here in Ardun." Jayeke resounded, his voice both serious and curious. "I have seen much over the course of my years, and I have given what I thought might be the most challenging to each of you. And while many of you have surprised me, sometimes the odds are just never in your favor."


    Ominous. But he felt he already knew what was happening. He took a quick glance around but had to shift his attention back to his own battle.


    Luck kicked away three crawlers. His swords slashed separately at groups of four even as his hands came down to subvert and push the few that made it to his legs. He spiked the floor at an angle when they charged forward like that, impaling them. He left only severed pieces and gore as he moved on.


    His earth-sense, operated by Spirit, gave him a solid sense of awareness and vibration of the happenings around him for the better part of twenty or so feet. It was the reason he could move around and step backward so freely even while covering his front. Even the Mk3 couldn''t predict movements in such real time when there weren''t even any inputs on the happenings behind him. It was the earth-sense that allowed Luck to sense the enemies behind him and act accordingly with the crawlers in front of him.


    When the wolves came, that was limited. They were the enemies a nearby mage had been challenging. Luck thought he remembered it was the tiger man he saw fending them off. They came in small droves and hounded Luck intelligently, keeping his moves limited and using the semi-mindless crawlers to their advantages.


    They made the fight increasingly difficult, and Luck suffered powerful bites to both arms bruising his arm even through the chitin. Those wolves were decapitated handily but changed little for the overall battle.


    It wasn''t even a few minutes before Luck realized he couldn''t outlast or outheal the new threats, along with the crawlers. Being limited in his moves meant the crawlers could get to him, erode his chitin, and bog him down. A wolf came too close and Luck crippled it, knowing going too far would leave him open. His mind whirred as he saw the wolves growl at the move.He wondered if they were even smarter than he gave them credit for. Would they have sacrificed one of their own for the kill?


    Each time something similar would occur. Luck would bet money on it. Something had to change. He was losing this drawn-out battle despite his stupid regeneration and stamina. And the wolves were smarter than he initially thought. They were herding him towards one of the other nearby battles. But he had been adamant, retreating and moving in as best a circle as he could while still mowing down the mass of crawlers and crippling the wolves when he could.


    He stuck a wolf in the side, feigning a mistake. His leg was caught by a crawler, but the acid was mild enough to ignore for now. The wolves burst forward at his apparent state, but one barked sharply and they slowed at the command immediately, like soldiers well trained.


    Too slow.


    Spikes of earth erupted in their paths, piercing their chest and hearts. They all whimpered in pain. Luck couldn''t manage that much force with his Earth magic across so many wolves with perfect precision, whilst fending off the crawlers, without the help of their own momentum. He skewered the crawlers around him and looped his path again, this time being able to move away from the battle he was being herded to. If he had revealed his Earth magic to the wolves earlier, he was confident they would''ve without a doubt been warier. This way he was able to take out many instead of the one or two he would''ve managed before they altered their tactics.


    The pack leader charged forward in a blind rage. Luck was taken aback at the behavior so foreign to what he was thus far accustomed to. But it made sense, the wolf had lost much of its pack. He caught his vicious maw, yapping, and growling, against his earthen blade, but it was dulled and so the wolf only bled from his mouth. There was a pain in its eyes but Luck felt no connection to the creature, even being One with Nature as he was and a Druid as well. He knew the animal was a fake, if not convincing, imitation of the real thing.


    He stabbed its chest with his left-hand weapon as his right-hand weapon twisted, jerking the wolf''s neck with a whimper. The beast, slain, slid to the ground unceremoniously. Luck was numbed to death in the life he lived. He was many things in the eyes of people killed. Judge, executioner, villain, demon. Even savior at times. It wasn''t that he had done any of this before, slaying swathes of enemies, goring, gutting, and slicing through muscle and sinew, but if nothing else, he might''ve been one of the few in the modern world with the stomach, mental fortitude, and means to do so.


    The crawlers stopped spawning after a few minutes of mindless battle. It had been an exercise in getting used to Spirit''s A.R. display.


    Recommend cessation of chitin armor. The drain on your mana pool is low but enough time has passed for it to become significant, along with your occasional use of Earth magic and the moonlight shar''s aspect, your mana capacity has lowered even further.


    Do it.Immediately the armor receded into his skin.


    A voice boomed. "Well it truly has been a nice exercise warming up my Domain magic." He said, echoing across the testing ground. Luck looked around and found his fellow examinees panting harshly, some swaying on their feet. "Though I don''t deign to tell you anything about my magic I don''t have to. Know that what you''ve witnessed so far is nothing near the absolute authority a mage of my kind, nay, asorcerer of my kind, has over his or her field."


    Luck felt someone approach through his sense of the earth but let them approach since there didn''t seem to be any hostilities or competitive foul play so far as he witnessed. Besides, he knew the wolfen that approached.


    His wolf-like eyes gazed upon Luck''s area with sharp, cold intelligence. It was Roth, the ice mage from Magice. "Earth magic then." He said simply, noting the irregular spikes and shaken ground. It smoothed itself out even as he spoke, by no will of Luck''s own. "Practical. Though it hardly explains your survival against a Frost Drake. Mark refused to enlighten me and I''d normally not believe it but the System''s Rewards are plain to see."


    Luck only smirked, chuckling at the curious wolfen. "Good to see you''ve made it so far."


    He snorted back, frost coming from his nostrils.


    "The Coterie pursues the advancement of magic. An organization devoted to surpassing itself and renowned for its expertise in the realm of magic. You''ve all demonstrated the necessary skills, combat potential, magical applications, mana control, mana management, andspell efficiency." Jayeke continued.


    "But perhaps the most important part is recognizing how powerless you all are."


    Instantly, Luck sank into the ground, strands of mud cloying at his body, pulling him further down. "What the-" He exerted his own influence, trying to reach for the bog around him only to find Roth sunken all the way to his chest.


    He growled, a low sharp rumbling. "Domain magic." The bog around him froze itself, ceasing his movement but then thawed the next instant. He thrashed against his sticky bonds, powerful muscles apparent under his blue robes.


    Luck glanced left and right, the others were the same. One mage was waddling around with an intense light in his face, clearly unable to see anything. A woman was held in a glob of green water, upside down. She sent sparks of electricity through but only grimaced as her apparent tolerance did nothing to help her. The ironclad duo seemed pressed to the floor, on their knees, as if gravity itself was rewritten there. One man cowered from a gigantic beast that even Luck shivered at.


    The laws of the world are overwritten in the domain of the individual.Luck voiced mentally. "Domain magic is absolute control over an area." He said to himself. "To walk into an enemy Domain mage''s field is folly."


    "Correct." And he was there.


    Standing in his cut leathers, there was nothing really significant about him. That was made him stand out all the more to Luck. He had a surety about him that didn''t seem like it belonged to him. It was the way he walked across the once solid, sticky ground without any consequence. He walked around them like an amused collector, simply staring at expensive pieces of art he knew he could buy at any time.


    He laughed, "Folly, what a precise word to describe walking into my domain. And yet know, the Practitioner Coterie has mages strong enough that even I could not handle. And so forth, Aerae has many challenges and foes that they cannot fathom either."


    "You performed well, examinee. What is your name?" He addressed Luck.


    Luck didn''t bother to struggle against his bonds. Logic warred against the idea, and Spirit''s hard analysis of the material the mud was made of brooked no arguments. Jayeke had somehow created one of the most elastic and durable muds to grace Aerae. Jayeke noticed this lack of movement and raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.


    "Luck Lockyer." He said, mentally flinching at the phantom response regarding the Amber Demon.


    But Jayeke moved on. "And you ice mage? Magice has always bred talent in the element of ice. Perhaps their research is truly paying off more than I thought."


    "Roth Gran, sorcerer. Why do you speak with us first and not the others?" He still struggled and Jayeke, it seemed, took some small amount of amusement from it.


    "Make no mistake mage, I am speaking to everyone at this instant." He grinned.


    "It must be a headache to keep track of all those conversations." Luck ventured, looking no worse for comfort half-sunken into the ground.


    "Quite," Jayeke responded, confirming Luck''s thoughts. The man had to be paying attention to everything at once. That was a daunting thing to master. "But perhaps less mentally exhausting and more physically demanding was your combat here. That was a feat of stamina and endurance I''d never thought I''d see. I use that particular creature to wear down larger enemies, in fact."


    "What was he fighting?" Roth questioned curiously. Luck thought the man might be curious as to his actual capabilities since all he heard were stories.


    "Shademaw Lions, of the younger sort," Jayeke said simply, to which Roth gaped. "Conjured in droves, mind you. Though I didn''t intend to be needing to bring more and more until I had checked back."


    "Shademaw juveniles?" Roth exclaimed, having temporarily forgotten about his bonds.


    "They seemed very similar to the smaller of the large predatory cats." Luck shrugged if there was anything worth mentioning about the creatures he hadn''t thought to analyze them and Spirit hadn''t thought he needed to know.


    "Those creatures are capable of taking down beasts as large as the ape that broke through Ardun''s walls earlier today. In the right numbers of course." Jayeke calmed Roth. "Do not be so surprised Mage Gran. With the right magic and wits shademaw lions are the least of a magic practitioner''s worries, especially juvenile ones." But the domain mage looked at Luck pointedly.


    "Still, I have heard stories of packs of adult shademaw lions. Surely, the juvenile ones in number are worse than even that?" Roth questioned.


    "Then, are you aware of the foes you faced?" Jayeke countered.


    Roth paused in his questions. "I hadn''t thought on them much."


    Luck did wonder at that.


    Jayeke looked at both of them initially. And Luck felt for the first line he was addressing everyone. It was the way he said it, that Luck could picture each and every person receiving the exact words. "Each of you examinees fought a creature I deemed appropriately powerful to pit you against."


    Then it seemed as if he was regarding Luck alone. "Shademaw lions, in number, are dangerous and yes, Mage Lockyer did indeed fend off a hefty number. But every fight is over once your opponent''s moves are learned, Mage Lockyer simply learned fast."


    He knew that all too well.


    Jayeke turned to stare at Roth, his arms crossing in front of him. "As for you Guild Mage Gran, your foes were of the element of fire, infused with magic that thaws and repels the cold. Cobers, the segmented blue flames you faced, devour the cold and exchange it into heat through their biomagical processes. The more you fought the more powerful they would become, if not for your quick and efficient use of your magic, they would have been the death of you."


    Roth rose an eyebrow at that. "Then why not continue to send the same enemy?"


    "Nary a battle ever goes the way you expect Mr. Gran." Jayeke replied, tut-tutting as he straightened up. "I''ll release your bonds now." He said with a smooth suddenness. As if he were dismissing them, and everyone else.


    And with that, Luck and Roth slipped upward through the mud, not a single particle of dust on their clothing as they were freed. A control and power that against his better mind daunted him.


    "That is all?" Roth questioned carefully. "Were you not intending to show us how powerless you all were?"


    But Luck was entirely aware of what had just happened. He had simultaneously rent every mage powerless, though not in the flashy fashion he thought many expected. Luck was entirely familiar with efficiency when he saw it, he knew that style or flair had no place in actual effectiveness. Though that never stopped him, personally.


    Jayeke turned slowly, raising an eyebrow. It was a dramatic motion Luck quietly applauded as he only repeated Luck''s own thoughts. "I''ve not only disabled you two. But half a dozen others as well. And all of you, capable mages in your own right, if not a few flawed or unpolished."


    "And the testing ends now then?" It was a question that Jayeke did not often hear as evidenced by his slight surprise. Luck smirked, already feeling as if he was refreshed, ready to take on another horde. His mental state was perhaps a little taxed, a direct consequence of his mana exertion, but his was a sharp mind. "It seemed a little, too easy." Luck shrugged, unsure whether the man was one to take the taunt.


    Suffice to say Luck missed being underestimated by those in perceived power. An aspect of his old life he rather enjoyed, truthfully.


    "Oh?" Jayeke crossed his arms. "Easy? It seemed the rest at least struggled with what I had conjured for them."


    Roth scoffed in quiet disbelief. "If you believe shademaw lions are trivial, Lockyer. Then I hate to discover what truly challenges you." He raised an eyebrow.


    "Well, of course I was at least taxed by the enemies. I had made no argument there." Luck scoffed, hiding his smirk.


    "Ah, then what aspect of my test did you believe might have been too easy, Mage Lockyer?" Jayeke said powerfully. His eyes were raised in surprise, perhaps slanted in slight anger. "I will admit there was little to think through but utilize your magic, strategy, and analysis of your surroundings. But my test doesn''t search for any single aspect of the mage that prevails over others. It tests all of them. And all to as much as I dare push you."


    "Ah, I do believe that is true." Luck agreed insouciant.


    "Then your point Lockyer?" He repliedforegoing the slight respect he had been showing earlier.


    "Well, I''d wager it was only a matter of incapacitatingyou."


    Luck eyes seemed to sparkle like fossilized amber, a crude smirk lining his mouth as he made eye contact with Jayeke.

 Chapter 26 - Organizations

    Not to say that I don''t believe you... but doing what you''re implying is strictly not possible. I mean, the ramifications of such an act, and the evidence that you simply cannot recreate the feat of magic you''re referring to is... well, irreputable. You know I trust you Grim, but there has never been something like that on record ever, and there have been no killings as of late so who''s to say anything actually appeared? If anything the Wardens will fix the line and everything will move accordingly. Space-Time is flexible after all.


    -Ramblings of A Crazed Magiscientist, a work of fiction.


    Ace sat in the lobby of one of the largest organizations in, not only Ardun but Aerae as a whole. Or so he was told. An observer would''ve thought he''d decided to roll around the dirt or wrestle a bear, maybe run into a cactus. The last would''ve been a deduction from the cuts and nicks across his chest and arms. They were shallow, stinging, uncomfortable and the complete opposite of how he was feeling.


    Of course, the mages bustling about the lobby were too busy gossiping to particularly care. And of course, the people around him had seen just how he had gotten into that state in the first place.


    The chair he sat in was one that he melted into, or rather was it that the chair melted into him? His legs didn''t hang, nor did they stop short. The armrests were just enough to be used as intended or lounged upon, the latterwhich Ace had decided upon. Legs up, and relaxed, the events leading up to their current situation barely phased him.


    "What is so impressive about this entry exam?" Erok rumbled, the roken had taken to standing, calling the chairs too soft. "Is it not as impressive as the rounds for the Adventurer''s Guild?" His tall stature was ignored in a city as diverse as Ardun.


    "The Practitioner''s Coterie is a widely respected and powerful group, Erok." Max explained, though his attention was outward. His voice was smooth like silver, succinct and precise. "Entrance into their ranks comes with the risk of death. Still, thousands apply for initial exams. The spots are coveted heavily."


    "Many people travel here specifically for the exam, Erok. Ardun is a foothold for many shakers." Nayah explained. "And while the Guild might be more powerful and vast, The Coterie has its own allure." Nayah shot a glance towards Ace as she mentioned the guild.


    "It''s one of the reasons some of the locals pegged me for traveling here." Ace agreed.


    The three stopped talking for a moment to look at Ace quietly. In truth, they hadn''t stopped looking at him oddly since he dispatched ten opponents in a row. He had been asked to meet with a Guild Official on account of his performance if he was aiming to join in the first place rather than sparring for sport.


    "Enough with this." Ace chuckled, gesturing to all of them "If you have something to say, I quite imagine I wouldn''t be averse to hearing it."


    There was a slight pause. Ace wasn''t slow though. He may have gone overboard when sparring, but he hadn''t had a chance to stretch out his skillset in the past few weeks. When was the last time he was able to grapple someone or trade blows with someone his own size and speed? Erok and Maxworth were different opponents altogether and while he was confident he was able to take them the people sparring weren''t comparable.


    "Forget it, Ace." Nayah replied, slowly shaking her head.


    Every successive spar he would amass more fans and scare away challengers. It was maybe the sixth or seventh fight that he lost sight of his group of friends. The last three fights were something else but he managed, and those opponents more than any of the other fights had left his group slightly dumbfounded, no matter their initial knowledge of what Ace was capable of. What gave him pause, however, was the unrefined technique of most of his combatants. To him, it was almost like the rest were fighting on their instinct and very rarely with any strategy. Of those that did seem to have some kind of refined technique going in, Ace was leagues beyond them.


    He could still easily put people in awe without magic. Though perhaps some of the moves he applied seemed like theywere a type of magicand that was why.


    "Well? What''s this about someone defeating a proctor of the exams? It''s got all these people milling about like crazy." Though of course, Tate was the least surprised of the group. After all, she knew Ace''s public and private history perhaps as much as the Amber Demon did. And it wasn''t as if his opponents had been particularly divergent from a typical humanoid. Ace zoned in on the conversation. "Surely it isn''t entirely unheard of?" Tate finished, her eyebrows raising as she glanced around the lobby.


    The metal on her arm flowed like mercury.


    "Someone defeating a proctor of the Coterie?" Ace sat up. "The proctors should be the most capable and in control mages of the group, right? For a new entrant to overpower one seems pretty unlikely." He had heard as much talking to the locals, especially those nearby the exams.


    "It''s not unheard of." Nayah cut in. "There have been previous records of similar happenings. Gelford of the Snow, the mage whose control of the weather forced the proctor to cease the exam. A Life mage named Jonas who simply didn''t die. There are more but those types of cases are few and farther between. They do not happen often. If they did, it was for some unavoidable draw or circumstance like those I just mentioned."


    "Then what of Ace''s display for the Adventurer''s Guild? Surely, that is just as impressive." Erok rumbled, there were, in fact, a few faces that had been glancing over at Ace. Nothing hostile he noted, thankfully.


    "Admirable." Surprisingly it was Max that spoke. His response was short. "Even I could not accomplish the same. Although, I think it is surprising in a different way than the Coterie exams." And while Ace severely doubted he couldn''t, he left it at that.


    "Ace''s... performance is an oddity." Nayah addressed everyone, having truly gotten a little more comfortable around them. "It seems I''m the only one passingly familiar with how these tests go. In Peace, many a traveler was one who had failed the Guild, Coterie, or Ranger exams."


    She continued. "These spars Ace participated in are something akin to a showcase for people that are serious to get into the organization. You have to be noticed. Which means you have to impress. Defeating ten opponents in a row itself calls for some attention. To do with ease?" She tilted her head at Ace. "That level of skill demonstrated was monstrous. But for your last three opponents to be who they were? And for you to still defeat them with relative ease? I wouldn''t be surprised if you''d be contacted soon. One way or another."


    "It is not a simple task to defeat an Orgek." Erok''s shook his head. "They are deadly fighters, often bonded to life with their weapon of mastery."


    "Even without a weapon, they are dangerous. Fast, powerful, and smart." Maxworth replied. "And you managed to even seem as if you were dancing among them."


    To be fair, Ace had a Trait that helped him. He honestly would not have been a match forthe last three in terms of sheer speed and instinctwereit not for his Trait. Acute Battle Sense allowed him to move as if he were dancing a well-practiced step whilst playing chess in his mind. It was powerful, if not for the fact he remembered Jerxos'' eye twitching at the tool, and still he felt he barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.


    "Suffice to say I didn''t have my weapon of choice either." Ace grinned cockily.


    And he didn''t. He hadn''t even seen a gun since he arrived in Aerae. He was jealous the second he saw Tate form something akin to one, if not in form then function. That strange metal of hers was a powerful tool.


    A few eyebrows rose at his comment. "What?" He said. "And by the way has anyone seen Luck?"


    At that, they all realized none of them had. The only reason they were in the Guild''s lobby was that it made a good public area to meet up. Luck was supposed to meet them here. All of this commotion was just a coincidence, they all had arrived here to meet up after everything was said and done. They had lost track of time chatting.


    "I''ve not seen him." Nayah stated. The rest had similar responses.


    Tric perhaps had the best view, flying up above and outside the building. She had a bright cloth tied around her to denote her as a familiar and not some wild monster.


    I don''t see him!Ace could practically hear her zipping about in the wind.


    "Hmm." Ace began, having an eerie feeling.


    Someone tapped his shoulder. A man in light armor, axe sheathed at his side. Ace had observed the same man around the lobby frequently. This time, however, he had in tow a particular someone if Ace remembered.


    "That''s him." The accompanying individual nodded to the armored man.


    Ace turned, the motion catching the attention of the rest of his group.


    It was the Ogrek. Battle scars down his chest and arms, an almost tealish green tint to his skin. Large, but otherwise the visage of a human, albeit sharper and more animal. He rivaled Erok''s size. A damn difficult opponent, intimidating in the mastery he had of his weapon, an obvious lifetime attached to the skill he wielded it with. The old Ace he would''ve gave maybe thirty seconds before the Ogrek cut him down.


    "Hey, friend." Ace grinned at the Ogrek.


    The armored man cut in. "His name is Wreth. He is an experienced warrior with much standing and respect in the Guild." Upon inspection, this man had a bluish tint to his skin as well. Much more subtle. He redirected the conversation. "I am here on behalf of the Guild. Your sparring had attracted many eyes. The Guild itself is one of those pairs. I am Jaxon, Adventurer''s Guild Proxy. A small role to play, but one I play well."


    "Ah, I see. What brings you here then?"


    "We would ask if your intention was in joining the Adventurer''s Guild. With your demonstration, we deem you capable enough. Although it''s true not everyone spars for the sole purpose of gaining entry into the guild. We are never averse to recruiting capable individuals." There was the guild emblem on his armor but other than that he showed no official identification. The multitude of surrounding people didn''t challenge his authority though.


    "You are a strong warrior." Wreth nodded, moving his hands and shuffling his feet. Ace recognized some amount of martial movement in the steps. "Your moves are odd. Focused on the individual."


    "Don''t discount yourself, Wreth. There is a lifetime of mastery in your style." Ace replied coolly. "On another day perhaps you would best me."


    Wreth growled softly. "No, I do not think so." Strangely acute.


    "Well? We simply wish to know if it in your interest. Otherwise, we will be moving on to some of the others we had noticed."


    Briefly, his mind flowed freely with thoughts of the future. Could he live a life at ease? Not once worrying for his own life, or risking it on his own terms? His life had always been one of risk and reward, where skill made up for nearly all of his risks.


    "What comes with joining?" He asked.


    Nayah chimed in. "Prestige for one. The Adventurer''s Guild is widely renowned nearly everywhere you go."


    Jaxon glanced at Nayah. "True. And also Quests, issued by the System itself, and the Rewards that come with completing them. Experience and traveling, meeting other powerful individuals. Organized expeditions into Aerae''s unknowns. Emergency response to high-risk threats and such. The opportunity to fulfill tasks issued by the citizenry for coin."


    "Seems like work," Ace responded, though truthfully he felt he was one who needed to have that in his life. It was a little attractive. But Ace was hesitant of any large groups, he had just freed himself from a similarly large organization or mercenaries. There was a dark side to every group as large as the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "Only as much as you accept. The System updating only pushes us harder for new members. Consider us the vanguard, so to speak, to spearhead the unknowns that the System brings us. Joining us will save many lives, sating your curiosity of the world in the process." Jaxon explained, his eyesgenuinely twinkling in a spiel Ace was sure he had given multiple times. "It''s a noble pursiut, but I will not downplay the dangers that accompany the Guild."


    "I think I''ll pass, thanks." He waved, leaving Nayah''s mouth agape.


    The two ogrek paused only momentarily but nodded understandably, respecting his decision with little pushback. "Then we will be off."


    "Huh?" Nayah said sharply. "That was the offer of a lifetime. People risk their lives, their whole careers for a chance at a job so lucrative as joining the Guild! How could you throw that away?" Her voice nearly broke, but the volume was lost in the rising commotion of the lobby.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "An interesting decision, Ace." Erok rumbled, the roken was much more talkative than Ace would''ve guessed weeks ago. "I believe the Guild is the envy of any aspiring individual seeking power. Do you not also want that?"


    "My interests lie elsewhere, just as yours and Maxworth''s do. The Adventurer''s Guild is not the medium I need to achieve them." They nodded, but Ace added. "Once I find out exactly what it is. Besides, you''re all forgetting the potentially life-threatening situations they''re basically promising." He grinned.


    Tate laughed, a bright cheery noise Ace was never averse to hearing. It was directed towards Nayah''s deep breathing, Erok''s confused brow and Maxworth''s comical tilt of the head. The only thing missing was Luck''s smirk.


    Where was he?


    Gradually a voice rose louder than the rest. A crowd of footsteps knocking hard on wooden and tiled floors. Frantic yelling, panicked voices breaking the regular noise. It was already loud by the time Ace noticed, and Ace noticed things fast. The lobby cleared out as people parted like the waves.


    "I need the best healer in the Guild! Now!" A robed woman carried a limp body into the middle of the lobby floor. The mages surrounding the particular woman made room for her and ran off to find the right people to pester.


    Many of the people only took one look at the blood trailing into the Guild before dismissing the poor soul. Ace among them.


    "He''s already dead." Ace said cooly, noting the amount of blood lost. "He''s probably stopped breathing by now."


    From their spots in the chairs they could only see between the mass of onlookers surrounding the body. Mangled. That was the term Ace would use to describe what he briefly saw.


    Tate chuckled. "You think that''s the proctor?" He had forgotten how lightly dark her humor was.


    "No robes." A man in the crowd said backward upon hearing Tate speculating. The space created by the commotion had pushed many people backward, condensing them against the walls and consequently against their sitting area. "An odd thing too, usually the proctors are better at holding back."


    "They are explicitly warned before the test." Nayah shrugged. "Chances of death are slim but it happens."


    The people bustled like a moving thing, more curious and bored than actually concerned. Just the way even the younger people looked upon the body reminded Ace what type of world they were living in. Yes, he saw swords and shields and weaponry and magic that seemed more at home in some fantasy. He had witnessed an advanced technology, a damn combat drone for God''s sake. But there was a real wooden floor below him, soaked in the blood of a real person, somewhere in a city both magnificent and jarring just as real as the previous things.


    He saw a man in cut leathers, fit to his form and hanging from his arms and legs and waist. A powerful posture, a sureness in his movements, people seemed to part before him. He was standing beside the body. Ace could see him every time there was a gap in the crowd, he was too lazy to get up from his chair in any case. The one in Luck''s Dimensional Room beat this one by far, however.


    He missed that place. It was relaxing.


    The man cleared a path for an old lady who moved at the speed of a turtle, a gnarled wooden staff in her arms. She stared at the body on the floor, looked at the blood as Ace did and then to the man across from the body. The room had fallen to quiet whispering as if what she said held some notable importance.


    "He failed, did he?" The woman said. "It''s not like you to get carried away like this. I thought you types are all about absolute control?" She thwacked the mage on the arm and he flinched in good nature.


    "Did you hear about the exams earlier today?" The man said changing the subject.


    "Ah, one of the proctors got it handed to them?" She chuckled. "Who was it this time, Gerd, Stejuyi? They''ve always been lax. I must admit that their brand of magic is not the easiest to control. Not to mention proctor with. Out with it then." She gestured.


    "Well..." The man scratched his head. "Ahh that would be me Guild Master."


    She blinked, her eyebrows raising up in genuine surprise. "You?" She exclaimed. "And? What of the mage that bested you? Where is he? Where is she?" She corrected herself.


    The crowd parted again and a medic moved onto the body of the man on the floor. A similarly dressed mage did the same. They only took a seconds glance and got the Guild Master''s attention. "He won''t make it like this."


    Sighing at the news the Guild Master looked back up. "It''s unfortunate, but this poor soul doesn''t seem like he''ll be surviving." She sighed. "It''s not the first death in this lobby. I''d thank you for making an example today, new candidates for the Guild need to see death like this. Well, Jayeke? And of the mage that bested you?"


    "He happens to be right there on the floor." The man pointed at the crumpled mess. "Mage Lockyer."


    Ace nearly shat a brick. His hand slid down his face as he decided how he was going to react.


    "Well. I take it back. The man lives!" Ace yelled, shooting out of his seat and gathering the attention of nearly everyone in the lobby.


    Ironic that Luck was the one who gave him the tips to move through crowds as he did, especially doing so with surprise, like perhaps the revelation that your best friend is a mangled corpse on the ground.


    He pushed through the crowd and made his way to the two in the middle of the circle. Tate came out right behind him. She still didn''t recognize the body.


    Ace turned to Tate. "First off, he''s fine." He whispered the next part. "Stupid regeneration." Then he addressed Jayeke and the woman. "Hello, that''s my friend on the floor."


    "Well, he won''t be for long." The medic responded grimly.


    "Oh, he will." Ace hummed.


    "You." The Guild Master said. "I know you. You''re the one who defeated the three Ogrek after seven consecutive sparring wins." There was murmuring the crowd. He even spotted Jaxon and Wreth observing the whole ordeal.


    Ace nodded but gestured to Luck, who seemed to visibly be reforming. "Lucky, you good? You''re gonna make your sister worry." He whispered it, actual concern coming through to his voice, as he knelt down.


    To his small surprise, there was a very very soft moan that sounded something like, "Fuck you Ace." A bone snapped audibly into place.


    Everyone jerked at the body suddenly speaking. The more magical medic, since it seemed there was a physical healer and a magical healer exclaimed softly as well. "What the...? I''ve never seen anything like this regeneration. Is this even possible?"


    "A Reward from the System." Ace explained, and he was met with no resistance at that. A genuine surprise for him. He had expected at least some pushback at that excuse. All he recieved were quiet nods from most people. Of course, he didn''t want anyone to know his own capabilities, and he assumed neither did Luck.


    "And you are?" Jayeke questioned, smiling somewhat apologetically.


    "Friend of Luck''s here." Ace replied. "Are you the bastard that did this to him?" He said without preamble.


    "Ah... that would be me, yes. I sincerely- " Jayeke started but was cut off almost immediately.


    "How is it possible he is in this state if you say he had bested you?" The Guild Master turned on Jayeke as well.


    "You''d think you''d be the one who''d be messed up and mangled." Ace remarked keeping an eye on Luck. It looked like his friend would actually be coming back. Inwardly, he released a sigh of relief. He gave a mental affirmation to Tric that they had found Luck.


    Jayeke merely nodded, sighing and shaking his head. "First and foremost I am glad it seems he will survive. A mage like him would be a valuable asset, even if I am not sure exactly what he did." He explained. "He is an exceptional mage of both endurance, vitality, and stamina. He quite simply did not stop against the tide of monsters I brought against him, even when others had long reached their own limits, even when the rest had already impressed me, he continued."


    "And you did not pass him then and there? Is the Coterie so blind that it risks new capable members in light of the Update?" The Guild Master shook her head, tapping her staff on the floor disapprovingly. It rang louder than Ace thought it would.


    "Well, he complained to me that the test was too easy and that it was only a matter of disablingme." He sighed then. "It was, of course, a shallow lunge at my pride, and we both knew it, but I indulged him. After all, I had just tested this mage on a battle of attrition to which he never even wavered." He continued. "I was curious, for the Coterie''s sake, of his further potential."


    "And?"


    "And suffice to say I did not expect to be disabled so quickly. It was done professionally. No blood wasdrawn, a neat checkmate. I did not react accordingly." He glanced down at Luck''s body.


    His limbs were twisted, scrapes against every exposed piece of skin. Covered in bruises. It was as if he was thrown like a ragdoll at high speed. Ace noticed some of these things correcting themselves even as he looked at the broken limbs and torn skin.


    "You? You mean to say in your own domain he managed for you to admit defeat?" The Guild Master asked, pressing to see if she was understanding correctly.


    "Correct, but... of course at the moment I hadn''t really realized it." He shook his head. He gestured. "So this."


    Ace sighed. Paranoia wasn''t something he truly struggled with. But secrets getting out were annoying. Now people knew Luck''s regenerative capabilities, whether they believe it from the System or not, the fact of the matter was that people knew.


    Generally, the more private you were the better, especially in a world as wild as Aerae. He could tell anyone that much just from moving between rural and sometimes even remote missions. Like the wild, if someone knew enough, they could target you effectively.


    Perhaps he was just being pessimistic. Maybe the people didn''t even care, there was a large number of people who simply didn''t remark on the regeneration. Then again, there might''ve been other members of the Guild more impressive than even that.


    "Medic, healer, get the man a room." The Guild Master said. "Looks like he''ll be up on his feet eventually."


    "Yes Guild Master Mavon." They got a stretcher under him. The material of which was something Ace didn''t recognize. They looked to Ace and Tate. "You two are free to follow. It seems the man knows you so you''re admitted as guests."


    "Alright. Let''s go Tate." Ace looked back to his group of friends but found Maxworth near the edge of the crowd, a small bubble of space around him. He simply nodded and turned around to tell the others.


    Hours later, they were in what passed for a medical room in the Guild. There were shelves full of oddities and potions, a bed for Luck to lay in, and chairs all around. Everyone had stayed for a few minutes but by Ace''s insistence, they left to check out Ardun with the promise that he would stay. Nothing was happening anyway, Luck was still unconscious.


    Tate stayed as well, understandably worried but also not surprised. "He always does stuff like this." She frowned, Ace knew she would slap Luck''s unconscious face without any moral qualms if she wanted to. That was just Tate being Tate. "It''s different now though. I feel like this second chance is our last one too." She said softly.


    Ace sat across the room, letting her be with her brother. "That''s Lucky for you." He said. "He''s done more dangerous stuff before. This time he just knows he can heal it all back. If anything he''s more capable now than he''s ever been, Tater Tot."


    Tate glared at Ace, but wasn''t quite in the mood to put up a fight. "I wonder, do you think he thinks about them when he''s near death. I know I did when I was up in the Zones, facing off Icil Wolves with Mark. Facing starvation even before then." She said quietly. "I thought about everyone up there."


    "Everyday he does." Ace said softly. "I know that one for a fact. The first time he got that pendant on his neck he went straight after you. It''s how we ended up so close to you when Noshm caught you." Ace recalled the blessing of cold he received, a chill he never knew previously suffusing him lightly. He breathed slight frost. "Your brother hasn''t had a day of rest. Everyday we weren''t fighting for our own lives, we were fighting to find one of you Lockyers."


    "Pendant?" She asked, a look of confusion on her face.


    "It links family. It''s why he took the exam. Join the Coterie, use the resources to help locate Rick and Laura." Ace nodded. "Either of those organizations would help."


    "Then why did you deny the Guild?" Tate said sharply, tilting her head.


    Ace paused, choosing his words carefully. "Because I realized I don''t want part of any large organization that hires out mercenaries." He finished, silent. His reasons were his alone. It wasn''t a life he''d ever be eager to live again.


    Tate sighed. "Sorry Ace."


    "Yeah, I''m sorry that I have to sit here and listen to you two flirting again." Luck quipped. Ace swore he heard the smirk in his voice before he even looked at his sorry face.


    That bastard. Every time.


    Tate sighed, but Ace noticed her ears redden. Ace sighed as well, at least Tate and he were on the same page when it came to that. They wouldn''t work well together.


    "Back from the dead, huh? That''s too bad, thought you''d stay that way." Ace smiled despite himself. "Looks like you got into the Coterie at the very least."


    "That''s good. How was sparring? You find any martial arts to do with people with more than four appendages?" Luck grinned.


    How did he know I was asking about that? Did Maxworth?


    "Fought some monkey guy but other than that not really. Just stronger, larger, and faster opponents." Ace shrugged, not off balance.


    "Yeah, much larger." Tate added, looking at Ace like he was crazy.


    "Yeah, well I learned my lesson too." Luck made eye contact. "Do not startle a mage. Man, he destroyed me. If I was anyone else I''d be dead right now."


    "True, true. But you''re Lucky." Ace slipped in.


    "Ace, I swear to god." Tate groaned, the metal on her arm somehow seemed disappointed too.


    Ace felt it odd being in that room. For one, none of them had ever been in any official sort of hospital, and when they did it was nowhere near as relaxing or stress-free as they were. They just sat and talked and talked and talked, and for a while, there was a sense of normalcy Ace had never had the pleasure to know. He smiled, a rare genuine one that anyone would''ve been hardpressed to find on the mercenary before.


    "I talked to the Guild Master Mavon. There are a few caravans going into Snake''s Way. I believe that''s South of Ardun, and where some of those lights on your pendant are pointing, Lucky. We don''t have to be members to join it, but we will be expected to defend the caravan while they harvest what they need from the surrounding forest. Are you interested?"


    He rose and eyebrow before making eye contact with Tate. "It''s either Mom or Dad." He said softly. "Of course I am."


    "I''m coming too." Tate added.


    Neither Ace or Luck were naive. Tate could easily take care of herself. They weren''t one to hold her back if she set her mind to something and for that, they would have someone watching their backs out there.


    "And what if we were members?" Luck asked.


    "Better protection, we''d be an asset to the Guild so they''d want us safer. Basically, a lot of assurances we wouldn''t otherwise get. We can still get paid, although we won''t be getting any rewards if this is part of some Quest we''re not seeing, which it likely is." He chuckled. "Don''t forget we''re still dirt poor. Lucky we have the Grove for food and drink, not to mention shelter."


    "Oh, we don''t have to worry about money, Ace. I''ve already set up shop earlier today. I''ve got a handful of gold Aerans on me." He smirked. "Go figure herbs and fruits from the Grove sell so well."


    "Grove? Aerans?" Tate questioned. "What have you guys been up to these past weeks?"


    "Oh, you know the usual." Ace laughed. "We''ll catch you up Tate. But for now, I think we need to let Luck rest. Even his stupid regeneration takes a toll on him, at least I think it does, otherwise, it would be unfair. And I don''t think Jerxos would be particularly keen on allowing that."


    "Well, maybe, maybe not. I am exhausted though. Let''s try to find somewhere to hole up for the night." Luck''s body was mostly in the right shape, but the difficulty with which he moved was telling.


    "Yeah, Magice is too far North in the city for us to catch the caravan tomorrow. It leaves on the South end of the wall." Ace explained, briefly outline the layout of the city. "After all, you''re not allowed to spend the night here once you''re whole."


    "Sounds good." Luck said after thinking about it. At least he seemed unbothered with traumatic injury.


    Ace shook his head.


    "Alright, I''ll be on the lookout."He sighed. "And by the way, Jayeke said he''ll be coming around to fill you in on your new membership. Tate and I were the only ones here when he showed up but you were already unconscious." Ace added, remembering his visit a few hours ago. "Tate?"


    "I''ll stay with Luck." She said.


    Ace nodded. "Then I''ll find us somewhere nice to stay." He smirked at Luck fully intending to find something glamorous.


    And then Ace was walking outside of Mainhelp. The towering spire was the center of the plaza. He had just come from the Adventurer''s Guild building, a wooden structure that seemed smaller than it was. Architecture was one of his hobbies but the dimensions didn''t line up exactly, he suspected that some of the structure extended underground or had implemented some type of magic.


    The interior of the buildinghad been a nice break from the simple dirt ground he walked upon now. His walking was without true purpose as thoughts crossed his mind. Above, the sun''s light still shone, but only reflected off the sky. It didn''t look like Ardun slept though, as many many people were still out and about.


    That at least was something Ace was familiar with. It was like any other city. There was always something to do. But for him, he was simply tired.


    The rest of the group would return to Luck''s room in the Guild building before Ace returned. He''d come back with the location of an inn to stay at. He consulted some passerby and they directed him to a well-reputed inn that wasn''t far off from the Adventurer''s Guild.

 Chapter 27 - Rest

    A man in robes, holding a staff looked through a sterile glass window. His rough clothing was in contrast to the pristine tiled floors and sterile work environment around him. He spoke into his staff, no doubt projecting his voice into the viewing chamber. He tapped his staff against the class scolding those inside. Runes drew themselves against the glass and the mage nodded as something or someone inside the viewing chamber got the general spell formula. The mage''s face went from a tired smile to simply tired when his face, and the room he resided in, flashed purple, red and black. Blood splattered against the wall as a black demonic claw scratched a section of the glass larger than his head. The mage sighed, and with his breath, the demon erupted into flesh, spewing black blood over red blood. The mage shook his head and moved to another viewing chamber watching another of his apprentices attempt the spell circle.


    -Video footage of Necros training facility.


    Though with its wooden walls and rustic shelves it looked nothing like a hospital, there was a caring warmth about the style of the room though, he''ll give them that. It was in the polished... potions, for lack of a better word. They rested on the shelves along with other devices that, while Luck knew served some medical purpose, he couldn''t truly fathom. They didn''t look modern in the slightest. And perhaps that made sense.


    He was comfortable, something he enjoyed, even in the silence of his sister across from him. They could spend hours without talking and still feel close, as he could with all of his family. This time though, Luck found it hard to be the rock his sister needed. He was never one for strong emotional support. That was a job his parents had signed up for.


    "The healer took a long look at you and determined you needed no further treatment than that of time." Tate stated, her brunette hair fell to her shoulders in waves. Light brown eyes regarded him, all cool intelligence.


    "And what a mess I was." He sniffed, his clothes went into his dimensional room with Evodim. The naturally regenerative properties of Evodim would take care of them.


    "They threw those clothes on you as soon as you resembled something human." Tate said, a little too straight-faced.


    Naturally, knowing her his whole life she was both one of the hardest and easiest people for him to read. He recalled how he must have looked, and how he had never told her his tools. His face went to immediate concern.


    "Hey, Tate. I''m fine sis. Don''t worry about it." He said softly, locking eyes with her.


    She sighed, her voice smooth but lips quivering despite here attempts to coneal the involuntary muscle twitch. "You''re my only family right now. I don''t care about the business or my training. It''s nothing without Mom, Dad, and you." She let out a long breath. "To see you like that Luck? I thought I''d be alone again, just this time it''d be colder than even the Frozen Zones."


    "Hey, hey. I wouldn''t leave you alone. We''ve got to find Mom or Dad before they do something stupid. I can''t handle them both." He joked lightly.


    Despite herself, she grinned. "You were just a twisted mess Luck. What was I supposed to expect?"


    Feeling the mood lightened, Luck scoffed. "A few decimated limbs isn''t enough to stop your older brother idiot." He jutted out his chin and puffed out his chest. He laughed inwardly, he was already feeling at his peak.


    Spirit how long was the recovery? He addressed his S.I.


    Approximately five hours. Displaying previous state. The smooth secular voice answered.


    In Luck''s vision, a diagram, much like an anatomical chart displayed. Parts were highlighted red, and further, some were bright red. These were his shoulders, torso, swatches of his chest and back. There was little green, if any at all. But then he realized that his limbs, that being his arms and legs, were completely blacked out, inoperable. If he had consciousness, or if Spirit allowed him to feel, he wouldn''t have been able to move anything. He very well might''ve shut down completely.


    Compared to his current state, everything was bright green. Such actions, like this done to impress the Coterie, he wouldn''t ever have entertained if not for this cushion of healing to fall upon. His Troll''s Blood was extremely powerful, flooding his blood with healing energies. And not only that, Exceptional Regeneration was actually directing that power, focusing and orchestrating it like some musical masterpiece.


    It wasn''t that he had allowed himself to be lax in avoiding danger. Rather it was that he expanded his parameter for danger, accepting the fact that his regeneration allowed him to do things and take risks where he otherwise wouldn''t have. It was a practice the old Luck could appreciate, everything was an asset whether you viewed it that way or not.


    "I''m glad you haven''t changed in the weeks since everything." Tate said softly.


    "Of course not." Luck smirked. "For that matter, neither has Ace, really." He said slyly. "Still the suave ladies man he''s always been. I''m sure you''ll be happy to see him."


    "Damn it Luck." She reddened against her will. There was a time she would''ve been as red as a tomato, these days with Luck''s jibing it was becoming closer to a light pink.


    Still, Luck didn''t really stop her from punching him. "Bastard." She laughed.


    He could heal fairly fast anyway, and it was worth it after all.


    That was an hour or two ago. He still had a soft smile at the memory, however recent. Tate was quick to leave after Jayeke appeared, looking at her apologetically as he gestured to Luck. He wore, unpredictably, very plain clothes. Gray and brown tones that didn''t stand out at all in Ardun, aside from the fact they blended perfectly with both the scenery and the populace. They were immaculate, however, something like that wouldn''t get past Luck''s notice, and the man''s hair was so as well. He was someone who looked like he was in complete control despite his rather plain appearance.


    Now, he was looking athimapologetically. With good reason too. He had outright almost killed Luck.


    Luck stared at him calmly, allowing him to begin on his own time.


    He gave him a curt nod, before taking a seat that appeared as he sat down. It was a bit nicer than the ones provided. "Apologies Mage Lockyer." There was a pause that seemed uncomfortable for him. "I''ve never met someone with such mastery of Body magic." He said, slowly regarding Luck, but altogether comfortable in his assumption. His eyebrows scrunched up for a bit when he saw Luck whole and hale, surprisewritten all over his face.


    Luck gave no tells, not reacting in the least. If the mage wanted to assume he was a practitioner of Body magic then so be it. Perhaps that was a feat of Body magic in itself. He had commanded the attention of entire rooms filled with crooks, politicians, murders and scum of the earth. A mage was no enormous leap in ability. A breathy exhale was enough for Jayeke to continue, scratching his head.


    "Already in one piece too." Jayeke regarded him. "A powerful practitioner then. Endurance and stamina, precision, quick-thinking and wit. But, no strength added to your body, perhaps only stronger than the average human. I assume your study then went into speed and agility. With the level of speed you appeared at my throat, I can only imagine the devotion to your craft."


    Inwardly, Luck had never heard of Body magic, although it was easy enough to guess. He instead felt smug, knowing he''d be able to appear faster anywhere someone of that speed possibly could. That was, until he realized the real extent of his Time magic, which amounted to three seconds. Maybe more given that he hadn''t checked his capabilities in a while.


    "My magic aside. How many were admitted into the Coterie this time around?" Luck''s curiosity got the better of him. Jayeke had said many impressed him but he remembered Nayah explaining very little were ever approved to join. The group was very exclusive. "I''m to understand that the Coterie only allows a small number of new members every so often."


    "Only three sufficiently impressive."


    "Does the Coterie allow privacy of magic?" He wondered.


    "All members are admitted based upon their skill and magical demonstrations. A warrior able to overcome a magical onslaught from a proctor would simply never be admitted on account of the lack of their own personal magic. No matter their other qualifications. The effects you produce and magic you implement must be registered to the Coterie."


    Secrecy and privacy. They weren''t something he was prepared to let go, especially in this new life. His mind went down different tracks, weighing the importance of the organization to finding his parents, to life afterward.


    In the end, he realized his parents were a pair of badasses. So was he for that matter, he didn''t particularly need their help.


    "In fact, you''ve impressed me greatly. As such, you- "


    "I decline." Luck yawned, not out of disrespect or for a show, but for actual, genuine, exhaustion.


    Jayeke sputtered for a second. "Wh-what? Why?"


    "The Coterie, for all its merits, has no place for someone like me. I would never fit."


    "But the benefits are truly astronomical." He said, genuinely puzzled. "Reasonable funding for any magical research one could ever want to carry out. Peers that are as driven, if not more, to study their own particular field. Protection and insurance against your life, the Coterie protects its own. Monetary compensation for the advancement of magic. Endless libraries of knowledge. More, so much more, and yet you''d throw this all away?"


    "I would." Luck sighed, holding up his necklace to look at the motes.


    "Why?" Jayeke asked, a simple curiosity in his voice that perhaps was the drive that got him this far into his magic. "This is once in a lifetime. You''ve not only been tested and succeeded, but you''ve also been tested by me of all people. A Domain mage has the unique precision to carry out the exam to perfection... well nearly perfect. The fact you can claim you had me at forfeit, you could climb high with that under your belt."


    "Because of this." Luck held up his necklace, twisting it around to show him the motes of light that danced East and South.


    "A compass?" Jayeke asked, surprisingly close in his guess.


    "A compass that points to family." Luck said, shining it with the thin blanket covering him. He met Jayeke''s eyes slowly, a lethargic, melancholy tilt came in the form of a sigh. "We''ve all only just escaped from an organization from which we were at the peak. And let me tell you Jayeke, sometimes it isn''t sunshine and white clouds past the peak of the mountain. We found thunder and lightning."


    He held eye contact and Jayeke''s eyes flicked downward. The man was young, Luck realized. Way older than Luck himself, but he considered himself an old soul who lived too much too fast. Most people in their third decade seemed young to him, naive.


    Jayeke cleared his throat and stood up. "If that''s the case, then you''ve got nothing to do regarding the Coterie. Simply don''t show up, and your membership will be aborted." He paused. "There''s a caravan, heading down Snake''s Way. Adventurer''s Guild is protecting it, perhaps you might be interested. I noticed some lights pointing South." He said, looking at the necklace.


    "I''m aware." Luck nodded. "Thank you."


    Jayeke got up awkwardly. "You are one of only a dozen I had ever approved. I''ve denied close to a couple thousand aspiring practitioners. Not once had they ever denied me. Not once had they ever had me at a checkmate. Not once had someone ever entertained the idea after learning the type of magic I practiced."


    Luck smirked.


    They talked idly for even idler minutes.


    The chair Jayeke conjured only disappeared minutes after he himself did.


    In the end, it wasn''t a complete waste of time, contrary to what it may seem like. He had gotten out of it what he, at the very least, wanted to accomplish. He wanted to know his standing in magic relative to his peers. If not that, then his combat potential compared to others that were, arguably, well equipped for it. From what he gathered, his S.I. and quick thinking allowed to be much more conservative with his movements, less mana intensive, and, paired with his physical traits gave him an enormous cushion in combat that the others did not have. That wasn''t to mention the fact he could pause time either.


    All that did for him, however, was highlight the fact these people persevered in their studies without the tools he himself had access to. What kind of determination and drive did it require for such things? To persevere in Aerae, a dangerous world becoming only more dangerous, and to practice magic at the risk of bodily harm, only to test it further in the crucible which was the Coterie exams? Luck would be the last person to underestimate those mages.


    It was a display of magic prowess at its heart, the exams. Such tests had the consequence of not only showcasing your talents to those testing you, but to those testing with you as well. He was particularly awestruck by the sheer amount of different magics he felt in the air, like flavors of mana, so very vague to him. Really, it was like a whisper of something he should be aware of but was simply... not. Such an indescribable feeling wasn''t new to him when it came to mana.


    Later, he would find the time to ask Ace how his own canvassing of the more physical combatants of this world were. Because for some reason, they both felt Erok and Maxworth were simply not normal enough to base their general assumption off of. Some part of him pegged them as experts in their trade.


    Sliding out of his bed, the sheets fell off of him. He was wearing a simple gown. He stretched, allowing the blood to flow to his somewhat numb body. The doctor, or medic, or healer, whichever was the correct term, truly never showed up. But he wasn''t a fool. He heard enough from the rooms around him to understand where they were.


    He wondered if the other patients had similar rooms. His eyes roamed the rustic shelves and the items upon them. Some medical seeming books and odd tools. Bottles of liquids and potions he assumed to have healing properties.


    Information sprang forth, coating his vision in unobtrusive detail. Soft blue lines connect to tidbits of context detailing the many oddities in the room.


    Fire''s Douse, Bone Mender, Health Potion.Spirit listed, among others. There was actually a mildly interesting story as to why the Health Potion was named so simply. The others were self-explanatory and those that weren''t Spirit clarified.


    They were alchemical mixtures. The books were of the same practice too.Herbs in Ardun, Mixtures of Healing, and so on.


    Luck wasn''t averse to stealing, but thiswas a powerful organization, so he refrained, no matter how easy it would be for him. He chided himself lightly as he walked barefoot among what appeared to be some kind of healers wing of the guild building. His feet were barefoot, but the building was warm, as was the wooden floor.


    He felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned and found the old lady who he vaguely remembered.


    She began to speak but Luck beat her to it. "Guild Master Mavon." He smiled.


    She regarded Luck slowly, a depth to her Luck didn''t let slip by him. "You''re in one piece then. We don''t have many that can recover from something like that in the Guild." She said, resting lightly on a gnarled staff. "It isn''t against the rules to be in both Guild and Coterie, you know." She said, an unsaid invitation in her voice.


    "Oh? And what makes you think I''m in the Coterie?" Luck maintained eye contact. His eyebrow rose at the lady''s choice of clothing. Simple robes unlike what he saw from most adventurers or old ladies in the city.


    "You are." She frowned. "If you bested Jayeke, you are." She said with assurance.


    "I''ll have to decline." Luck held up a hand. "But I hear the Adventurer''s Guild is leading a caravan down Snake''s Way. Is it open for strangers to guard as well?"


    "Your friend said the same." She huffed. Her lips pursed but her face was accepting. "Of course. That caravan is routine every month. But in this day and time, it''s to be guarded heavily. There have been disturbances down south, and not only that, attacks have been less so."


    "Would that not be beneficial? Fewer attacks from snakes seem like a boon."


    "A bad omen, more like. The guards are doubled, but if you can pull your own weight, you''ll find yourself a spot in the caravan." She smiled, tapping her staff on the floor. "I''m sure you won''t have trouble finding yourself one. Given your capabilities, that is." Her eyes crinkled, she seemed to enjoy simple conversation. But underlying it perhaps was the smugness of someone who thought they knew something they didn''t


    "Sure. I have my own business down there. How will I find the caravan?" Luck said with curiousity, analyzing the Guild Master in his own time.


    "Head south of the city. You shouldn''t miss it along the walls. A caravan prepping in the morning won''t go unnoticed." She said, her eyes regarding him again. "Well, then I must be off. Best of luck to you, stranger. I''ve business to attend to in the other wings." She began to walk. "If the Coterie-"


    Luck let her take two steps before he said aloud. "And by the way, I denied admittance to the Coterie." He could practically feel her pause before he could hear her feet and cane once again moving.


    And, passing the lobby, no one even looked at him twice, as different as he was whence he entered. He took one look at the inviting lobby, nodded and left.


    Outside, it was dark. The stars shone like twinkling city lights, but their nature was altogether something else. They were everywhere, and it was as if the people of the city were immune to the sight. He walked among the crowd, aimlessly, noticing their eyes forward and down, never above. He moved about them with the idle practice of someone with years of moving through bustiling crowds under their belt.


    But Luck saw past the horizons of the buildings, past the towering walls of Ardun, and to the heavens above.


    "Funny how people take things for granted." He murmured to himself, flexing his limbs.


    He wondered at his relative power compared to the layman. How fortunate was he, truly, to have a dimensional room he could retreat to? To regenerate? Or to have an S.I. in his head? For now, he simply didn''t trust Ardunnot to notice him entering his Grove. It was a nice place to rest and recuperate but for now he''d play it safe. He already had a few ideas on how to slip away.


    But then a sky-blue golden streak interrupted his thoughts and reminded him he had somewhere to stay for the night. The little dragon perched on his shoulder, pushing on him as she rested on his head. "Alright, alright! Calm down Tric. I can see why Saga gets pissed at you."


    Luck grinned, noticing the telltale familiar''s sash tied around her as it was around Saga. The symbol for a companion.


    She chriped and Luck concentrated, she was a beast of magic and nature after all.Follow me!


    Lead the way, little dragon.Tric jerked from Luck''s head, peering at him in surprise.


    You can hear me! Wow!She exclaimed, somehow avoiding scraping Luck''s scalp off with her claws. She jetted into the air, excitedly darting about. Sparks of electricity lit up the street momentarily and drew a few interested eyes.


    "I can." Luck smirked. "Did Ace actually find an inn at this hour?" Luck pulled from his Grove, a citrusy fruit appearing in his hand and tossed it to the young lightning dragon.


    He did! Oh my thank you so much! I love these fruits!She exclaimed diving and catching said fruit smoothly. She arced around and didn''t turn back.Follow me, slowpoke!


    Luck stood there blinking for a moment. Tric hadn''t even slowed down! Or deigned to use a path along the streets! She disappeared over the buildings, a fleeting spark of electricity against the black night sky.


    "Well. I haven''t done some city running since Peace. Let''s see if I still got it." And then he was running up against a nearby building. A few surprised denizens yelled at him, a notable one being the owner of the stall he used as a stepping stone to the lip of the nearest roof.


    He hauled himself up smoothly, coming into an easy crouch. The night air was fresh. It was such a small detail, in this world, it was likely an everpresent one. But that simple whiff of air was a stark reminder of where he was. Somewhere that wasn''t the polluted city he had grown up in him.


    He glanced about, sharp eyes surveying the nightly rooftops until he caught a spark of light.


    He spoke to himself, calculating.


    "Shouldn''t be that hard to catch her right?" He smiled mirthfully, leaping across the first rooftop. He landed in a roll, silent and conservative of momentum. It was a leap he would never have pulled off before. But the movements were all too familiar, all too enlivening. He smiled again, looking back at the gap he crossed and the people below. "It shouldn''t be too hard at all."


    Then he was sprinting across rooftops, a pace he could hold indefinitely. Rebounding between buildings and balconies. Leaping gaps, running across walls. Catching the lips of buildings and hauling himself with a grip strength he had never had before.


    The sky-blue streak he followed never got closer in the end. He smiled as he spoke out loud his thoughts. "Oh, but she did speed up." His words were lost among the wind.


    There was a feeling that he had run further than Ace would''ve actually have canvassed. That Tric was flying in circles. But then, given how much fun he was having, Luck didn''t really care.


    Eventually, the distance closed. In fact, Tric was moving towards him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    You last too long!She said, panting hard, sparkles of electricity nothing more than tingles of light.How can you run longer than I can fly? That''s not fair!


    Luck laughed as she perched on him. "I was wondering when you''d get tired. Don''t worry, I doubt many could keep up with me as I am. Besides, you did good."


    She only ruffled her wings, the short smell of ozone wafted up to Luck''s nose, reminding him of Ace''s magic.The inn is just down there. Everyone is there. I''ll let Ace know you''re here.


    He walked to the edge of the building and found what was described.


    An inn. One especially exorbitant. Polished, rustic wood panels in place of where most buildings had the same generic stone the whole city used. Lanterns hung by the front entrance, emitting warm light for all visitors, even at this time of night. Glass windows. That wasn''t something Luck was used to seeing.


    He made his way down and into the foyer without fanfare. There Ace, Tate, Nayah, Erok, and Maxworth were sitting.


    "He will?" Nayah asked. "At this inn of all places?"


    "That''s what he said before I left. And he, if anything, is a man of his word." Ace shrugged, holding up his hand.


    "Indeed this is one of the most well-reputed inns in the city. If comfort and lodging of the highest quality is what we seek then here is where we''ll find it." Maxworth added, he was polishing his swords.


    "You''re sure he said that Ace?" Tate asked.


    Luck had already opened the door and rounded the corner. "Said what?"


    Ace gave him a swarmy grin. "Oh Lucky you''re here! I was just telling everyone you offered to pay for rooms and board. You know, everything from baths to food to blankets to beds." He had a glint in his eye.


    "Sure, why not." Luck smiled easily.


    Ace sputtered for a bit, calling to Luck as he moved to the barkeep. "You sure? It''s expensive!"


    He waved the bearded cevao down. An odd look, given the crystal nature of his beard. "How much are the rooms for everyone?" He threw a hand back to gesture to the group.


    The crystal man looked over Luck''s shoulder. "Two gold aerans for the lot of them." He sniffed. "You might as well-"


    "Done." Luck held out his hand, and with the flourish of a practiced master, flipped two gold aerans onto the bar counter.


    "Pleasure then." He nodded. "Tell your friends to come up when they want their key and food. I''ll know their faces, not hard to miss them either." He said, pointedly looking at the group.


    Luck turned and Maxworth, Erok, and Nayah, were both staring at him. He knew gold aerans weren''t exactly the smallest amount of currency to throw around.


    "Druid-" Erok began, waking up from his slight drowsiness. Luck likened it something of a food coma from earlier.


    "Don''t mention it Erok. Maxworth, Nayah, the pleasure is mine after all our travels together. We wouldn''t have gotten here without you three." He said genuinely. And then his mirthful expression turned only a tad sharp, a smirk on his lips. "And you Ace, thank you for letting them know I was paying. I wouldn''t have wanted them to waste their money."


    Ace floundered for a half a second, before he conceded and smiled dejectedly, giving Luck a sporty smile. "No worries Lucky. I''ll pay you back for the room eventually." He waved, standing up. He was apparently moving for the barkeep, having heard of room and food.


    "You didn''t promise that did you?" Tate smiled, seeing everyone get up and make their way to the bartender.


    "Nope, but it was my pleasure. Besides what''s a few aerans between friends?" Luck shrugged, taking a heavy seat beside Tate. There were rather plush chairs around the entire foyer, the rest of the spaces were occupied with nice tables. He nudged her adding, "And family?


    There was silence not unlike the hospital wing of the Adventurer''s Guild earlier. Amiable, as it always was. The rest of the group were just talking and laughing, everyone had truly gotten closer. They were occupying a table, and while there were other residents they didn''t seem to mind the atmosphere the group made.


    "Lucky! Toss me the playing cards!"


    Luck yelled back. "You better watch your fingers Ace. This one''s a nice set." He threw the cards in their amber case and Ace caught them.


    "Think I''ll teach them poker." He called back. Luck saw him pulling out some aerans. He remembered someone mentioning bets in the sparring ring.


    Tate chuckled beside him and Luck quickly followed. As they were winding down from their laughs Tate spoke.


    "So regeneration? Grove? Familiar?" She said after a while, raising a telling eyebrow.


    "Metal arm?" Luck responded smoothly, raising his eyebrow higher.


    The night devolved into a recounting of his adventures and a telling of Tate''s. The Forest of the Drowned, The Pools, Diversi, Dersoc, the slaves he found there, the teleportation, shadow speak, Peace, the Arena Fields, The Update, Hydr Dunes, Guard, the Frozen Zones, Noshm, and finally Ardun.


    They gathered Luck actually arrived before Tate, though her sense of time in the mountains was heavily skewed. He explained his Grove and the money he made off it. His familiar, Saga. Some of the Quests he had done, or received.


    "What about your impartation?" She eventually asked.


    "What about it?" Luck dodged.


    "What''d you get? Come on, you know what I meant." She probed.


    Luck agreed to tell her on the condition she revealed what she got first. She reluctantly agreed. Luck was actually very interested in this omnitanium she possessed now, its possibilities seemed endless. Eventually though, she was caught up on his story too.


    "You''re kidding." She said deadpan. "Jerxos didn''t even give me anything near as useful as that! I just got this piece of metal." She said, ripples running down her metal encased arm.


    "I don''t know, sis. You never know how useful something''s going to be." Luck said slowly, regarding the thing on her arm. "If you can make a gun like you said, I''d say you''ve already gotten most people beat." Now that he thought of it, she was probably the gunshot he heard up in front of Noshm''s mountain before the group fell through one of the trap doors.


    She sighed. "Still, it''s not as awe-inspiring as magic."


    "I feel like you''re taking this for granted." Luck laughed.


    "Well, you give people power and there are always people bound to get jealous." She replied. They were slipping into the types of conversations they often had. It was as comforting as the plush chairs. He just wished his dad and mom were here.


    "True, but power isn''t everything. It''s how you use it too. We know that, don''t we?" Luck said. "Besides, I''ve got an exceedingly steep, near vertical, learning curve. I just happened to start a foot off the ground."


    "Still." She pouted.


    "Well, at least technically you''re rich." Luck gave her a prodding smile. "If something''s that expensive sis there''s a reason for it. The properties you describe themselves are something of interest. My S.I. can barely analyze the thing this close."


    Spirit was spouting diagrams and data off the rippling metal, intriguing stuff really. It was light and hard physically. But magically, the metal was near sentient magic, according to Tate. It''s physical and magical structure by all accounts should prevent that, and yet it was. An anomaly. And she had on her, by her own words, an obscene amount.


    "Eh, what''s money if I can''t spend it?" She frowned, eventually sighing. "Thanks again Luck, for getting us this second chance."


    "Look, you can all thank me at the same time. It''ll be easier that way don''t you think?" Luck chuckled. "Hopefully, we find one of them tomorrow." He said.


    Tate was about to answer before a rumbling voice exclaimed. "I win! Two pairs!" It was Erok, and his enthusiasm was not lost on Ace''s grinning face.


    Maxworth looked to the middle of table to match his cards but ultimately laid them down neatly. Apparently, he had nothing notable. Nayah''s face was scrunched up as she checked as well, then double checked, but came back with nothing. Ace needn''t even have looked at the cards, but the ex-mercenary was giving Erok a soft applause.


    Tate nudged Luck who found himself amused at the sight. "I''m probably going to head to my room then."


    "By all means." Luck gestured. "I guess I''ll try my luck at a few hands of poker."


    Tate squinted at Luck, before moving to the bartender for her key and food if she wanted it. "Have fun." She waved.


    Luck approached the table and sat down by Ace.


    "So he finally joins us." Ace stretched then yawned. "What were you two talking about?"


    "Oh nothing Ace, she wouldn''t stop talking about how handsome you are." Luck said mildly. Ace played it off well but Luck caught his reaction. A slight jerk of the shoulders, a calming exhale. All covered expertly with a rubbing hand on his jaw.


    He yawned again. He smirked, Luck didn''t notice any chips on the table. "How about we play for real? Two silver big blinds, one silver for little blinds. Everyone got at least that much?"


    Ace''s eyes sharpened, but then dulled as he scratched his head.


    "I am intrigued." Maxworth nodded, placing a sack of coins on the table. "It is a game of risk and calculation is it not?"


    "As am I." Erok rumbled, dumping a handful of coins on the table.


    "Well if everyone else is..." Nayah said reluctantly.


    "Uhh, I don''t think I have the money to." Ace said apologetically, smiling all the while. He leaned forward on his elbow, ready to spectate.


    "You''re lucky I paid for your room then." Luck laughed, nudging his friend.


    "Well- " He began, before a small sack of coins landed in front of him.


    It was Maxworth. "I am deeply intrigued with these cards Luck. Perhaps I could commision my own set? They seem a terrific way to pass the time." He said. "For now, we can all play. And Ace you may pay me back if it suits you, if not it''s no matter to me."


    There was silence for a while as Ace picked up the sack of coins before smiling. "Thanks."


    Erok shifted to look at Maxworth. He then looked to the rest of the table. "Well, you heard him!" He chortled.


    Luck shrugged and dealt the table.


    They burned the last few hours of the night like that.


    When he finally got up to his room, he hadn''t actually played well. Ace together with the uncertainty of new players was enough to corner him, and Maxworth was no slouch himself. The only players who had any real loss were Ace and Erok, but Luck thought Ace played the way he did on account that the money he played with was Maxworth''s anyways.


    The stairs creaked in a sturdy way as Luck felt sleep calling on him. He had gotten his key from the bartender, who seemed to be both owner and worker of the inn. He was a night owl too, as Luck hadn''t even seen the crystal man yawn, not that cevao even did. He had no idea.


    He opened the door and found a rather furbished room. A skin of some fluffy animal covered most of the floor and acted as a rug. His shoes came off and he had to admire the feel of the fur. Perhaps his connection with nature should''ve protested at the decoration but he was always a realist, things like this happened, whether he liked it or not. He actually didn''t care much, as much as his Trait was a part of him, he was still the same Luck Lockyer that could appreciate an aesthetic.


    He fell face first onto the plush bed, a dimensional portal immediately opening up and swallowing him whole. When he rolled over, he was in a tastefully scarce bedroom, just enough, not too little, not too garish.


    "Ah, welcome back Master Luck." Evodim faded into hearingwith impeccable genteel. "Please, rest. Once you awake, I believe it is time to address the changes to your dimensional room."


    Luck awoke before he even knew he was asleep. A sudden flutter of amber eyes, a deep inhale, and he was up and rested. A soft-firm nest of bedding, his perfect preference. Firm pillows, and sunlight flickering into his room from outside the wooden cabin.


    He changed into breathable clothes, taken straight from a closet seemingly more impressive than before. He passed the bar, running his hand along the polished wood, the sweet smoky scent coming to his nose. Against his better judgment, he succumbed to his taste buds and poured himself a green drink. The taste of green apple, an almost lemon sourness contradicted by the inherent bitterness of alcohol.


    "Perfection." He gave a content exhale. He looked to the small passageway beside the bar, a patch of grass that was currently occupied by two familiar white bunnies. The ones from Leah''s temple. "Hope you two have been well. The Goddess of Fortune would kill me otherwise." He remembered her green eyes briefly before moving on.


    "Alright Saga, come on out. You''re helping me with my magic. We''ve got the better part of the day." Luck called, cracking his knuckles. He could already feel his Grove reacting to his presence.


    He felt Saga seconds before he even saw the amber glow of his eyes right before he emerged.It would be my pleasure. I have had a good rest, but I have grown bored. And I have had too much time to think. Too much.


    Luck nodded, knowing the shar was going through his own battle with his newfound intelligence. There was an understanding to his voice as he spoke. "Then nothing like mindless combat to get your mind off of... well itself, no?"


    Saga growled in what Luck understood was a chuckle.Indeed, Amber Eyes. What shall we be doing?


    "Well, I just need you to attack me." Luck smiled. "Relentless, nonstop. Don''t give me a moment to breathe, or a break to rest."


    Saga growled in understanding as his eyes flashed. He noticed Saga''s legs tensing, his shoulders hunched as if he was stalking. All the minor changes he had always noticed in his companion when in battle.


    Luck frowned, before his eyes widened.


    Saga bared his fangs, shooting at Luck like a missile. He dove behind the furniture of the room, kicking Saga a good distance away from him.


    "Not yet!" Luck yelled. "You''re ripping all the furnit- " Luck bent backwardway farther than he should''ve as claws cleaved the air.


    It will regenerate, Amber Eyes.You asked for relentless!


    Saga growled again, a terrible intelligence that unsettled Luck. Then somehow Saga was in front of him, maw agape to catch the side of his torso, claws extended and paws outstretched to pin his arms.


    You guard is low-


    Like the shot of a bullet, time froze. For two seconds. Saga blasted forward, Luck not wasting a moment and running for the window.


    Amber Eyes!


    He heard scrabbling and hissing, even as a pillar of earth shattered the glass to his cabin, allowing to dive through and out of the way of Saga.


    Then for an eerie moment, he heard nothing. He turned on a dime, bracing for Saga''s advance.


    Only, Saga was gone. "Creepy as fuck, holy shit." He breathed.


    Unfortunately, this training wasn''t for attacking or defending. Meaning he wasn''t about to attack Saga with pillars of earth or spikes of the sort. Nor was he going to draw upon the aspects of his Grove to help augment his body. He wasgoing to train those magics, but not in a typical way.And let it be said he wasn''t going to track Saga through his link either.


    "Hopefully he plays fair too." He chuckled, covered in dust. "Bastard. Didn''t expect him to go right for the jugular, right then and there." He dusted himself off, he didn''t even have time to put shoes on.


    With that, Luck dashed off into the forest. If Saga was as smart as he thought, he wouldn''t be safer in any particular way, rather they''d be adapting to the actions of each other like a game of chess.


    "Although, I did only tell Saga to attack me. So I wonder- " A rustle in the trees. Something hard impacted his back.


    He fell forcefully into the ground, but just as quick, it swallowed him. He traveled underground, burrowing through the earth and emerged a good distance away. He grimaced at the dirt caking the deep clawed grooves upon his back.


    Saga prowled, glancing at Luck with bared teeth before he leaped into the nearest trunk, climbing up to the canopy and disappearing.


    Show me your claws, Amber Eyes!A little bit of viciousness in his eyes.


    Another rustle. "Fucker." Luck breathed.


    He spun around only to find a rock falling from the tree, something that shouldn''t have been up there in the first place. At the same time, his calf exploded in fiery pain.


    Luck slammed an elbow into Saga''s forehead, feeling the impact travel up his arm solidly. The shar had emerged from the ground! Could he have gotten that through the familiar bond? "Goddammit!" He yelled.


    You are not the only who has grown Amber Eyes.Saga intoned, de-latching from Luck''s calf.


    Luck slapped himself and began running. Blood coursed down his leg, but he would be fine in moments. He grit his teeth.


    Then he began to practice what he set out here to practice in the first place.


    On the run, he kept an eye out for Saga, every oddity in the setting, every sound or rustling leaf, every beam of sunlight misplaced or gone, every tree tall or short. Little animals rushed by, no reason for their passing aside from simple coincidence. A lesser man might''ve thought they ran from Saga, but Luck knew better. Small animals like those would never even have picked up on the shar.


    The forest became him. He breathed it in and it breathed him. He didn''t count this as cheating. He wasn''t using anything special. He was simply breathing in the air in the way a hiker might''ve. Only, to him, it was so much more. This was his Grove, his home. Of course, he didn''t pull on that connection at all, he didn''t feel it, he only enjoyed its presence.


    Birds tweeted and calls from deeper in the Grove matched each other. Bugs buzzed about, the trees were gossiping, the bushes talked, even the worms below added their own voices.


    His feet were bare, he hadn''t the time to put on shoes. So he when he felt the grass and the dirt and the earth below him, hefeltit.


    In minutes, Luck felt truly aware.


    He didn''t sense Saga, but his neck prickled and he turned abruptly to find the shar mid-leap, surprised Luck had noticed. Ferocity, encompassed in a single image. Sharpened eyes that pierced with lethality, he wasn''t holding anything back.


    And at that moment, with Saga full pounce, Luck tugged on time, tugged onSaga.


    There was a moment, but it faded.


    Saga ripped into Luck''s chest full speed, like a cannonball to a ship. Luck grunted loudly. Instinct and survival mechanisms kicked in immediately, his whole situation crystalizing in the moment. He wasn''t merciful to Saga''s face as they barrelled over each other. Elbows to the neck, thumbs to the eyes, while his arms barred the shar''s teeth from him. His legs got themselves under Saga, and was enough to splay the cat''s claws to the sides.


    "Fuck! Damn it, Saga." Luck grunted with effort. "How''d you get so much better at this!" He yelled, pushing on the shar''s face.


    Hmph, annoying methods Amber Eyes!Saga squinted, keeping Luck''s thumbs away from his eyes, growling and trying to snap at him.


    He kicked Saga''s chesthard and felt something crack as he took a deep slash across the neck and shoulder. Saga bellowed, roaring. He released Luck and stalked backward.


    You are faster than before.Saga conceded.


    Abruptly the shar simply seemed to walk into the ground, the earth itself swallowing his dark matte green fur. There was barely a ripple in the earth, and Luck immediately sensed the ground. Like roots, his vision extended near instantly to the earth below. Something was already shooting up from below.


    Luck propelled himself to the side, a powerful jutting of earth throwing him out of the way. Saga exploded in a shower of stone and debris, mere feet from where Luck stood before. He tried to shield his eyes, but Saga was already darting for him.


    He smiled though. And Saga''s focus followed the crinkles of his smile, a gleam in his eye.


    Why smile Amber Eyes?But Luck could sense Saga grinning too. They at least had something in common.


    Luck''s grin came from a thought to moments before. He had tugged ontime,onSaga. For a brief moment, yes, but it was a major breakthrough. There had only ever been a single thing he could do with Time magic, with time. That was, pause it. But there was something else he had just touched on.


    He widened his eyes in surprise, jerking left as Saga overpowered Luck''s own Earth magic with his, stopping pillars of rising Earth from even forming. Saga clawed the air, whistling between his paw as Luck dodged under the leaping shar.


    He realized he was moving faster than he ever had, an effect of the Familiar Bond no doubt. His mind worked on a level that rivaled the hardwired reactive instincts of an apex predator. Balance and agility, allowing him to dodge and weave and react to the signals his mind sent his body faster than ever.


    It was only a few minutes of this fight but Saga''s determination and confidence waned.


    How?The word echoed into Luck''s mind.Where does your speed come from? The two-legged are never as fast.


    The shar panted lightly, his head cocking to the side in a starking reminder of his animalistic nature. A predator denied his food. A predator confused at a deviation from the natural order.


    Luck slipped his hands in his pockets and shrugged, a smirk in his eyes if one didn''t recognize it on his lips. He looked the part of his days back in the city. Here, in his grove of all places. A sly criminal that knew something you didn''t, a taunt not immediately apparent on his face, but blatant in his actions. The slight smirk, the casual posture, the lax insouciant attitude.


    An explosive cloud of dirt and soil. A half second of growling. The ambient sounds of the immediate forest died down at the commotion. To say Saga was fast would do him no justice. His acceleration was near instant, dangerous.


    But combined with Luck''s lifelong experience, training, and his enhanced reflexes and a quicker mind. He simply stepped to the side, placing a hand on Saga''s hide and pushing the shar off course. The rush of wind whipped his hair back and Luck whistled lowly. He felt a force on him from the air alone. Luck was probably the best person born and raised in the city to pull something like that off.


    His heart raced despite his outward demeanor. It just wasn''t his way to show outward excitement, and perhaps it was just a consequence of his upbringing to hide his emotions. But there were few people who could spot his forward stance. His natural smirk, wider than normal, nearly approaching a grin. The irregularity in his controlled breathing, the gleam in his already shining eyes.


    Of course, Luck knew himself better than anyone. Even those tells would''ve been concealed had he been somewhere public. But still.


    He felt alive breathing in the forest air. The breeze blew across his skin like the feeling of velvet. He drank the air like a drunkard drinks whiskey.


    Saga began to read Luck''s movements, a demonstration of the shar''s true intelligence. But Luck''s hand would always find its way on his hide, and Saga would find himself being pushed away, moving too fast to turn back so suddenly. Short advances were only danced away from, and prodding with Earth magic was only stomped by Luck''s own.


    He could see Saga''s confusion. Luck felt himself on the verge of a breakthrough. He could never relax with Saga, never. The shar was too intelligent, too advanced in his instincts and mind to ignore. And Luck smirked at his confusion still. He was reading Luck''s dodging patterns, simple steps inward and outward of both Saga''s reach and course. Luck never changed it, but even as Saga caught the pattern Luck only sped up.


    He layed a hand on Saga again, the shar having turned more sharply than ever before, nearly catching Luck''s swift form.


    The shar blinked his amber eyes, eyeing Luck.What is this Amber Eyes? How do you move so fast? You have never moved like that in the past.


    He could barely tap into the feeling. It wasn''t as similar to Earth, this new feeling. It was more accurate to say it could be somehow likened to Nature magic if he had the right words. It was a connection to happenings. Something Luck could barely, barely fathom. In moments, like the time before lightning strikes, or the punchline of a joke, or the pull of a trigger, Luck understood. In moments like those, time froze. And Luck could always tap into that feeling. But this was... different than those times.


    Sadder, in a way, if Luck was being poetic.


    It was the stretching of time. Terrible moments that lasted longer. Not many could''ve blamed him for the time his family was murdered coming to the surface. He shook himself off those thoughts but nonetheless kept them close. It was lethargic memory, a sluggish underactive state he had to take a step back to truly understand. It was the moment he stared into his parents'' reflective pool of blood.


    I''m not moving fast Saga.Lucksaid, simply jogging over to the shar. Saga''s eyes widened slowly, his eyes comicallyslow to follow Luck''s blurring form. "You''re moving slow." He imagined his voice might''ve seemedrapid to the shar, accelerated and fast.


    And as if for the first time, the shar, having heard Luck actually speak, cocked his head. He looked around, finally spotting a bird, but Luck found the shar couldn''t track it as it flitted into the trees. He turned back to Luck, his mental connection not at all deterred by the time-slowing effect upon him.You''ve learned something new then.


    Something I''ve been meaning to try.Luck snapped, dispelling the shar. He had something on the verge of a headache. "The inkling of the idea happened upon me as I was walking the streets of Ardun. Even selling foods from the Grove in one of the merchant stalls contributed somewhat. Long hours and whatnot."


    Saga laid down where he stood, huffing.How does it work compared to pausing time altogether?


    Luck recalled weeks past when he had explained his magic to Saga. It took nearly another week for Saga to comprehend the subject of time itself, but soon enough Saga wrapped his mind around it. From there, the shar was already thinking of ways to utilize it, although most were based around violence and hunting.


    "Let''s find out shall we?" Luck gestured, curious. His natural regeneration seemed to stave off the symptoms of mana fatigue


    Saga stood wordlessly, it was a brief respite but the shar''s breath was back.


    And so they began. Hours passed and Luck sparred with Saga. They sparred for long hours as he tested different ways of acting upon the new feeling. Tugging harder was about the extent Luck could muster. Saga slowed that much more and he considered that at least a success.


    At one point, some passing animals came upon them and they ceased their sparring. Small birds flittered down to Luck''s shoulders, and as they made contact he pulled on the time around them, if he could even describe the feeling as such. Again, it was like another limb being used, except in this case that limb couldn''t even be comprehended nor had Luck or anyone else even entertained the idea of something like it existing. All the same, Luck pulled, somehow.


    The birds chirped slower. They flew away more like butterflies than the rapid fluttering of wings and feather one would expect from a bird. He could feel the pull on that layer of potential on him, his mana he knew. It was significant, and only for those two birds, but as he waited and felt his mana he realized it was pulling faster as they flew away.


    "You took more to slow than the birds." Luck said, watching them fly into the boughs above. Sunlight poured down like rain as the shar approached, sticking to the light shade cast by the branches above. Barely a rustling of grass.


    Naturally.Saga huffed, nudging Luck''s hip. He rested in the light shade, content among the forest floor.


    "I can sustain the effect on someone or something at a cost. My mana drains depending on the size and how slow I''m holding them to. And distance, now that I''ve just discovered it. I haven''t tried slowing multiple somethings at once, nor have I even entertained the idea of how much focus and concentration that might take from me."


    How about your metal brain? It cannot help?


    "Maybe one day." Luck shrugged, walking over and laying against Saga. "I need to master it myself before Spirit can reliably reproduce the effect." He threw an elbow onto Saga''s back and sighed into the breeze.


    Your hands on me. When you pushed me.Saga thought curiously.Did you need to touch me for the magic to work?


    Luck thought on that one, looking at a squirrel that chittered by them. As if noticing his gaze, the little creature bounded over. Luck concentrated on it for a quick second. "No, it doesn''t seem like it." The squirrel came upon Luck in slow motion. The second it got onto his hand it nearly froze with how slow it moved. "But it does it make it easier on me."


    "Stopping time completely takes more out of me than this." Luck pondered aloud. "In terms of mana cost and efficiency, this might help me more than stopping time if I make it count and use it correctly. "


    Perhaps, but a decisive blow anytime during our bout would have ended it all. An easy enough obstacle to overcome being able to stop time. Saga noted.


    "Also true." Luck hummed.


    The rest of the time passed rather swiftly.An animalhowling in the daytime reminded Luck he had yet to truly explore his Grove, other than having felt his way through the denizens. Perhaps when times slowed down he could visit in truth.


    It almost seemed too short a time before Luck was stepping out from his dimensional room. But before he could step out, a chime sounded and Evodim''s voice came unhurried. "There are still changes to discuss regarding my growth Master Luck. To note, however, they are not time constricted and can be addressed another day."


    Luck took out his stopwatch, the one he won at the Arena Fields. "It''s already that time Evodim. Next time I come back I''ll be getting much more done. And I''ll be in the residence for a length much longer than now."


    "Of course, Master Luck. Until next time. I will busy myself with regenerating these ruined furnitures." Though he wasn''t physical Luck could almost make out a glare being sent Saga''s way, who rested on his green patch of grass.


    "Look after the place for me." Luck waved, stepping out.


    In the morning, everyone gathered into the foyer without fanfare. Luck was one of the first, having arrived earlier than even Ace and Tate, which was to say, very early. He greeted them both with a yawn, which they contracted like a disease.


    In the night, he had actually unashamedly, taken rest in his dimensional room, allowing himself triple the rest. The time dilation, outside to inside was 1:3, that being three hours for every hour outside.


    He chuckled inwardly, having got himself something like a full day of rest.

 Chapter 28 - Snakes Way

    The exact age and history of Aerae... well, it''s frankly a mystery. Even the oldest historians of the longest-lived races are not truly as all-knowing as they may seem to be. We take into account known records of Dimensional Wars, all Fifty-Seven mentioned. These, mind you, are spanning what seems to be tens of billions of years, which is quite unfathomable to, for example, my own Race - the Huho, who live only a few centuries. A billion... that''s not small number to the academic. It makes one wonder at how it is possible for Aerae to be sustained for so long. Now, consider the evolutionary ancestry between different races. Some of these peoples are unknowns, where other''s ancestors can be traced and magically divined. How long does it take for an entire Race to be wiped out, for no trace to be found nor divined? Now, we move to the Gods. Worship, especially those prevalent in established priesthoods and organizations are recorded to have been occurring for millions of years, and yet other Gods and Goddesses simply seem to have... just appeared. As if they were all there all along. How long does it take for a God, a being of almighty power, to fade into existence and historical fog? Then, to reappear as if nothing happened?


    - A Thesis on the Little We Know, Jun Thayos''asalkyou


    The rest of the group, despite their late-nightpoker game and drinking, seemed well rested. Luck had much longer a time to rest but he didn''t find that conducive for a peaceful morning to mention, especially to Ace.


    They were walking down south of the city early in the morning. It was the beginning of a cold day, but beams of sunlight hit enough of the road to warm the group up. Surprisingly there were a good amount of people out and about. Some young apprentices from the looks of it were running errands for their craft. General stores were open and the more specialized ones were in the process of opening up too. Luck found many people yawning, setting up their own roadway stalls as he himself had done earlier. Those would be the small-time vendors, though it looked like some may have been more permanent than their setup initially implied.


    The caravan was leaving soon but they were making good time. Luck admired the buildings and aesthetic as was his usual practice. He could imagine himself scaling them, running across the rooftops. There was a lot to see in the city.


    Maxworth and Ace walked slightly ahead, his enhanced hearing catching parts of their conversation. They were talking about Ogrek, some type of combat and weaponry focused people. An interesting culture, Luck admitted. Apparently, Ace had defeated three of them in a spar. But what he found more amusing was the budding friendship between Nayah and Tate, and the giant roken in the middle of it all.


    "You''re his sister?" She rose an eyebrow, turning to Luck briefly. He returned the look calmly, before giver her a small nod.


    "Yeah, not the lottery, let me tell you." Tate replied, knowing all to well Luck could hear her. Or perhaps maybe she didn''t but Luck caught the conversation all the same. "So I hear you can cast magic..."


    He smirked amusedly, an emotion both Saga and Tric shared. The two companions apparently, were his assigned walking partners. Bar the fact Tric was simply resting on his shoulder, andSaga; he morestalked than walked. Not that Luck minded the two, he could actually communicate rough concepts between Tric now, and he found himself warming up further to the lightning dragon.Sagafor his part seemed to handle the dragon''s energy with a passive lack of his own. Honestly, that was much the same way the shar treated the energetic bunnies from Leah''s temple.


    His laid back musings were slowly overshadowed.


    Before he knew it, large white walls encompassed his view. They extended as if past the sky, higher than Mainhelp for sure. And that was just their height, their width was no joke either. He could see pathways and catwalks along its side, lights coming from doorways and tunnels through the white walls, that only spoke to the inner workings of their protections. The walls were manned as well. People, like ants, walked and patrolled them, in the morning light they might as well have been foggy silhouettes. Luck had to crane his head to even marvel at the whole undertaking. It took his breath away. These were higher than any skyscraper from the modern world.


    "Damn." He paused. "I''ve never seen anything like that. It''s one thing to see them from a distance, but to stand right below these things?"


    Nayah''s voice was small compared to the size of the walls. "Ardun''s bastion walls. One of the best defenses and major reasons why the city can exist here."


    "It is indeed quite a sight, Druid." Erok rumbled, perhaps slightly relieved to be free from the girls.


    "They didn''t seem this big from Magice, that''s for sure." Tate''s awe was ill-hidden.


    "I hear they never do until you''re right beside them," Nayah commented,


    Up ahead, large pristine gates, set right into the wall. They were some type of white wood to match the walls, reminding him somewhat of polished ivory. Despite that, he could see the wear on the wood, nicks, andgrooves where there shouldn''t be. Dents in some cases. But Luck doubted this gate was the only layer of defense. Wagons and people were milling about, empty crates and barrels moving to and fro. The caravan was readying the required containers for the expedition''s purpose.


    "Ah! Mavon said to expect you all!" A mustached man waved. He hopped out from the driver seat of the wagon. Their beastsof burden were some type of lizard, two for each wagon. The man approached Erok, probably unconcsiouly choosing the largest of them as a representative. He shook his hand. "The Guild Leader said to expect some help. Some mages too, I''ve heard." He waggled an eyebrow at them.


    The mustached man, like the rest of the people milling about, was wearing light cloth. If Luck was a betting man he''d put money on the fact that those clothes breathed. It reminded him vaguely of sportswear, only the look of the thing was more practical and protective, covering limbs loosely rather than tightly fitting workout clothes. Just from that, Luck gathered it was going to be hot. He inwardly found the heatblind in his Grove and pulled on the aspect.


    "The Guild Master mentioned us?" Nayah exclaimed.


    "I did speak to her briefly." Luck shrugged. "She mentioned the caravan to me as I left."


    "Ah, our friend was unconscious at the time but we were able to speak with her too." Erok rumbled, gesturing to everyone. "I have no idea how she knew we would be here, however." Maxworth met Erok''s question with a shrug.


    "Well, I''ll just assume you lot know how to take care of yourselves enough to take care of us. The rumor mill''s already been working hard. They''ve heard you''ve got a fighter strong enough to take on three Ogrek and a mage smart enough to take on a proctor." He smiled, looking at Erok finding him the most suitable candidate for the former title. The latter which, he merely looked around for before shaking his head.


    Ace''s elbow poked Luck''s side. "Hey, that''s us." He smiled.


    Luck rolled his eyes.


    The wagons were currently empty, aside from some specialized experts that were needed to harvest the more delicate resources. They were mostly older sentinels and wolfen along with younger apprentices. Everything else was just empty cargo boxes, pallets, and different containers. The rest of the caravan consisted of wagon drivers and the guards.


    Although not really necessary he spoke to some of the passengers - the people accompanying the caravan for a variety of reasons. The rest of the group milled about as well. Ace and Tate no doubt getting their bearings as well. It looked like Luck would be guarding a portion of the eastern flank with the two while Maxworth, Erok, and Nayah were assigned somewhere on the left.


    "We''re not really sure the level of danger we''ll be encountering." The une rubbed his chin, looking to his fellow wolfen. The horned man was somewhat of an oddity among the other alchemists. "In Snake''sWaythey say every meter devoid of a snake just means the next one you see is that much larger. I''ve seen huge beasts in there, and that''s not even mentioning the chaos between Snake''s Way and Krukon''s Forest."


    "Keep a careful eye though. TheUpdate,made things more dangerous. The System ain''t playing around, the Waves have been eerily missing, they''ve been this late before, but only ever rarely. I doubt it''s a coincidence." The wolfen bared his teeth, at odds with his peaceful craft. He arranged empty bottles in a container to hold them steady.


    "You think we''re likely to come across anything life-threatening?" Luck said.


    "Oh, most definitely." They both responded, before laughing together.


    "The resources we''re after are for city use. Anything usefulforhealing salves, potions, pills, ointments. You name it. My guess is the city is preparing to turtle against a stronger than average Wave. Shouldn''t be a problem considering the bastion walls, but nevertheless a wise maneuver." The une nodded slowly, Luck only now realized their apparent age.


    The wolfen snarled, but there was a joke somewhere in it. Like an old dynamic between the duo. "Like you''ve ever praised the city council." The talk devolved from there to aimless bickering, a good way to pass the time he supposed.


    "It''s not just snakes is it?" Luck questioned. That didn''t really make any sense to him if it was so.


    "They''re the most prevalent threat, though if we do run into something else it''s going to be a hell of a lot bigger a problem than a snake." The une shook his head.


    "Remember the expedition three years ago? The tree mimic?" The wolfen grumbled. "Hate those things."


    "You''re worried over a tree mimic? It took a few lives, but we''ve seen worse you toothed idiot." The une poked him with his horn in an impressive show of bodily awareness. The wolfen growled. "Oh don''t start with me."


    Luck left them be. It was nice to know the reason but ultimately the details didn''t matter. He would guard the caravan along with the rest of the group, and hopefully, find someone along the way.


    His pendant, glowed softly, even in the morning light. Motes of light gathered strongly south and forward from him. Someone would be there.


    "Caravan ready!" A shout went up. This was echoed loudly across every wagon. Luck finally realizing everyone was in a positionto move. The lizards at the head of every wagon heaved, flicking their tongues, and the caravan surged forward, still a decent way away from the gate.


    Shouts from walls came down like quiet, faint rain. Such was their distance from road level. "Open the gates!" One yelled faintly, echoing off the white walls like they were a mountain range.


    The gates opened and they halted in a large relatively plain chamber. On the opposite end was another large gate. Luck noticed this right as the gate they had just passed through closed behind them. Another shout, another response, and the gate ahead of them began to open again. The process happened thrice, thick, huge doors barring entry and exit unless approved by the posted sentries above.


    "They''re like airlocks." Ace whispered, not shy to stare upward at the near cavernous insides of the walls. There were lookouts and guards posted here as well. "Keeping anything from going through that''s not supposed to."


    "Three of them too. Goes to show how big the walls are." Luck responded. Spirit gave him all sorts of information on the interior workings of the walls. From the acoustics alone, he had a very vague outline of the network of tunnels up and around him.


    "Caravan guards, eyes forward." A nearby driver chuckled.


    And they were out.


    The heat was a near physical thing. Wet too. Gone was the cold morning of Ardun. The second they passed the threshold thatconstitutedArdun''s brilliant white walls and stepped into the jungle that was Snake''s Way, the temperature had drastically changed. Luck was right about the climate.


    Twisting trees were heavied with vines and lichen. Luck could see how snakes might thrive in this particular jungle. Heheard sharp hissing to his right and found Tate piercing a small snake through its neck. The metal on her arm forming a sharp bladed point.


    "Easy to miss these ones." She scrunched her face. "Watch the floor guys."


    Ace nodded. "Eyes on the ground unless we want two inch fangs two inches deep." Tric was now perched on his shoulder, electric blue clinging to his jacket. She was eyeing the thick brush. Luck admired her determination, but Ace had already found a few crawling snakes where she missed them.


    "That''s a lot of snakes." Luck walked alongside the caravan, scanning the ground both with his eyesight and earth sense as he kept up. The cost in mana was nearly negated by his natural magical regeneration.


    His overlay displayed red markers where Spirit noticed the deadly things. Luck pulled them each into the earth effectively killing them off. Some of them sunk on their own accord and Luck gave a small glance to Saga as he stalked beside him. The shar simply nudged his hip. His familiar wasn''t something anyone would want to mess with. The shar''s quiet unobtrusive nature belied his intellect.


    The wagons lumbered forward, still relatively fast considering they were empty. At the same time, an alchemist riding passenger frowned. "It hasn''t always been like this. The whole city''s been on alert in every direction since the Update, even the normal folk find something odd. Haven''t had rest from a Wave this long since forever." It was a Sentinel, one of the sapling men. His wooden features crinkled and Luck could nearly imagine the sound of wood creaking.


    "Might as well thin the herd then, no?" Ace grinned, shooting a sharp spark of lightning into the bushes. Smoke rose from the spot. "Leah''s Luck, that''s a big snake." He whistled, sighting the corpse.It wasn''t anywhere near them, but it definitely was big. It was easily several meters long, nearly a foot thick.


    "Leah''s Luck?" The curse got a small stare from Luck.


    "What? It''s a new curse for me and quite the dig at you. I''d say I''ve outdone myself." Ace''s smile was a little too big for Luck''s liking.


    "Well, I''ll say keep trying. There''s a lot of snakes out there for you to perfect your cursing." Luck shrugged.


    The sentinelsat on the edge of the wagon with some grumbling effort. "That snake''s nothing compared to what Snake''s Way''s gothiding." They all looked at him. "That''s a relatively small one actually."


    "They say the snakes can get thicker than the trees and longer than a seven-story building," Tate warned. Luck didn''t dispute her, he had seen her talking to the Ardun''s citizens quite often. Not to mention the mingling she had done with the other guards earlier. Her omnitanium flowed up and down her arms, coalescing into twin pistols Luck envied. "So don''t go thinking this will be a walk in the park." Her hands gripped the weapons delicately, drawing the sentinel alchemist''s eyes.


    He responded after a second. "And even thicker and longer than those have been reported previously. I''ve never seen one that big myself but I''ve definitely seen their passing." A shout rang from the other side of the caravan accompanied by some cursing. It sounded like the problem resolved itself, however. The alchemist glanced over and chuckled. "Might be more interesting a ride than I thought."


    "What''s your name, old man?" Luck smirked. "Might be nice to have some talk on the road." Luck''s voice carried with confidence, but it was not Common. Instead what came from his mouth sounded old and gnarled. Like the diversion of two tree trunks epitomized in sound. He was speaking the native language of the Sentinel people.


    The old alchemist raised his brow. "Japu." He said simply. "You speak Ent." He plainly stated. "I can''t remember the last time I''ve heard it. Not in years for sure, but a Sentinel never forgets." He changed from Common to Ent. "The Sentinels in Ardun are city washed if you ask me, not remembering a single thing about their culture." A smile crept its way onto his face as if he was a plant catching the secrets of the sun. "But don''t tell no one I said anything." He chuckled.


    "Not a word." Luck laughed.


    "You kids with the Adventurer''s Guild then? You young man - with the black hair - you must be with the Coterie, yes? I''ve not seen lightning magic in quite a while either." Japu asked pointedly. He pointed at them with a wooden walking cane Luck didn''t even know he had on him.


    "None of us are." Luck responded with a shrug. "Neither Guild or Coterie."


    "Oh?" Japu tilted his head. "Rumor has it you''ve got a pair of skilled mages. And one that can take on a proctor. And between the three of you, the roken, the gentleman, and the woman all on the opposite end of the caravan you''ve got a fighter at least capable of enough to dispatch seven foes then three Ogrek one-on-one in a row. You''re telling me you''re part of neither?"


    Luck raised an eyebrow, looking to Ace. He hadn''t heard of the previous seven opponents.


    Ace grinned. "Don''t look at me, Lucky. Not my fault the Ogrek aren''t versed in counters to bare-hand disarmament." He shrugged, zapping another snake as they passed. The mercenary focused on the last part rather than the seven previous spars. It was decidedly typical of the man, so Luck let it go with an eye roll. "Besides they were underestimating me from the beginning. Not the brightest idea."


    Tate laughed lightly. "That definitely wouldn''t end well." Her eyes crinkled but she was scanning the leaves above. Any vine hanging from the could be a snake in disguise. They had already run into a handful that used the hanging growths to their advantage. Although most were cut down by the guards leading the caravan, as they were the most experienced. Sickled poles cut down any vine suspiciously snake-like.


    "Well, let''s try not to underestimate the jungle either, yeah?" Ace warned. "That was a damn big snake."


    The trees had actually enveloped them long ago, forming a type of tunnel. Luckily, there was already a set path for the wagons to take otherwise the whole process would not have worked anywhere as smoothly. Everyso often they would pause so the working staff could be sent out to gather from various resource depots, these mostly being mundane herbs and what Luck registered as magical plants. Guards were sent with these people but Luck, Tate, and Ace were tasked with guarding the wagons.


    Now was one of the stops.


    Japu looked astonished. "You? You''re a mage aren''t you?"


    "I am." Ace smiled, leaning on the wagon. His eyes were ever alert, however, even if they weren''t Luck and Tatewerethere, and between all three it was unlikely anything would escape their notice. Not to mention Saga now onlookoutfrom the branches up above, and Tric darting to and fro scanning the terrain. Ace cracked his knuckles as if shooting bolts of lightning from his fingertips strained his fingers. "What''s so surprising about that?"


    "The fact that most mages are solely focused on their art rather than theirbody," Japu answered bluntly. His voice croaked and he coughed slightly but took a swig of a potion at his belt and looked better. "Though it seems if you were able to beat even a single Ogrek then you are not as useless as most without their magic."


    "Thanks, hear that Lucky?" Ace waggled his eyebrows at him. Then to Tate.


    "It''s good that you get affirmation every once in a while, friend." Luck smiled with mock seriousness. He had been quietly pulling the snakes that came nearby into the ground the entire time, and both Ace and Tate had noticed, unsurprisingly. Tate hadn''t even ever needed to fire a bullet yet. "We both know you need it." He nodded sagely, his focusunapparentlyconcentrated on securing a half-circle perimeter around them which accounted to nearly half of the caravans right flank.


    Ace huffed, ultimately shrugging noncommittally. "How long does it take for the crew to gather what they need?" The mercenary was squatting down, inspecting the plant life. "Those old men and their apprentices don''t move that fast."


    "No longer than ten minutes, depending," Japu replied, his voice croaky. "There are areas where we''ve tried to plant and cultivate the ingredients needed but ultimately, those never work out nearly as well as we''d have hoped. The majority of our expedition will be searching for various wilder ingredients. Fire''s Blossom, Douse Stalk, Green Fleets, even some of the trees themselves have useful properties, to name a few."


    "I hope you at least take care to leave the plants alive." Luck arched an eyebrow. His One with Nature trait kicking in slightly. The jungle trees were actually rather reserved, content to watch and converse with each other in quiet tones that contrasted the buzzing background noise of the jungle.


    "We do. Otherwise, we''d have plucked the jungle dry by now." Japu explained. "Besides the Sentinel faction taking part in organizing these expeditions would never stand for something like needless wasting of life."


    Luck nodded. His conversation with the trees said as much. It seemed the caravans never needlessly killed the life in the jungle. It was unlikely they could even make a reasonable dent relative to the entirety of Snake''s Way, but they definitely could exhaust the nearby resources. So said the jungle itself.


    His hand rested on a nearby tree, the bark smooth and damp.Why are the snakes here so aggressive?Even now, he sensed many approaching the caravan as if they were able to sense their presence like a bright torch. Some type of heat sense he gathered,effective despite the everpresent humid heat on the jungle.


    The voice that responded was that of the forest. The tree, ladened with vines, moss, and lichen responded. Its voice as heavy as the burden of life it carried.They are young beasts, such is the nature of the Serpent''s Path. The serpents are young, their only instinct is to hunt and grow. When they mature, with each molting, their mind sheds itself too. Then they understand their path.


    Serpent''s Path?Luck echoed his mind, leaning against the tree. Not Snake''s Way?


    A smaller snake approached Luck aggressively, despite his passive stance. It was bright green and striped with red, slick scales covering its entire thin length, a warning of venom or poison if he ever saw one. A hand of damp earth clamped down on the snake, pulling it into the rich soil between the trees, no doubt nurtured by the very deaths in the jungle''s food chain. It hissed once before the wriggling dirt ceased moving as Luck crushed it below the soil. He had thefeeling that the snakes were much too plentiful for his innate sense of nature to bother him about dispatching the creatures. He was still the rational and logical thinking man he was, no matter the effects of his trait. If the tree witnessed his actions it didn''t mention it.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    It is the nature of the serpents, Druid. The people call this place Snake''s Way, yet, rather than any natural formation, the name is derived from the major population in the jungle. The serpents. It is the path that they walk in life. I have seen it many times. Even the trees are friends with the oldest of serpents.The tree spoke, its voice a deeper buzz in the jungle than the scurrying insects.


    That would explain why the snakes are known to attack Ardun. It''s in their nature, but it still doesn''t explain the nature of the Waves, not that Luck had even experienced one yet. If they were anything like Nayah described them they were extremely dangerous and deadly. She had said it wouldn''t be a particular surprise to find the wall lined with people defending the city, and considering the sheer size of said walls, Luck got a much clearer perception of the threat. Although she had never experienced one either, there was a lot of talk about it. Especially from the adventurers from Peace.


    If the surrounding climates around Ardun could field such a threat he worried of the dangers within.


    He gripped his pendant, noticing the lights gathering more than they had ever been previously. Still, it was not anywhere nearly as prominent as the lights directing him to Tate, who just happened to be the closest of his family. In his mind, he had always assumed the pendant latched onto the signature of his blood and followed it to his family, but often times he would forget that he was actually adopted.


    He said as much to Ace, too late now to be worrying about it since it did, in fact, lead him to Tate.


    Ace crossed his arms. He glanced at Luck with a raised eyebrow before he chuckled, his eyes becoming distant. "Sometimes you choose family, Luck." He breathed in, like a man free. "Especially if you aren''t happy with the one you got." Luck gave Ace a quiet glance, not for the first time. He didn''t have a response to that.


    Instead, they passed the time silently on watch until the caravan lead called the go ahead. Eventually, Japu''s wagon driftedaway some and all three of them were relatively left alone. A whole swath of the caravan''s right side was devoted to them as the rumors allowed them some clout and there hadn''t been that many sightings of snakes on their end thanks to Luck.


    "Tate, how''d the guards look by the way?" Luck asked once they started walking again. They weren''t the only group guarding the expedition. The front and rear of the caravan had some people protecting it as well and there were others interspersed to react accordingly and bolster any which side.


    "Gruff. They looked like veterans to me. I''d know the look of someone who knew what they were doing." She responded, years of detailing criminal organizations displayed in her succinct response. "Magical types by the look of them. Some of them seem too scrawny to be of any other use."


    "Combat here isn''t a joke either," Ace frowned, his hands were tucked in his pants, eyeing the visible guards further up the caravan. "The people know what they''re doing. Some stuff was new, but I could see no hesitance when they came at me during sparring. Usually, I''d catch that in a person. There''s almost always some small part of people that hope for a peaceful resolution and while not necessarily apparent in a spar, there should be something I''d notice. Never saw it at all in Ardun. The small things drive it home - the fact that we''re not... well, home."


    "Mindset is different." Luck agreed, he clicked his tongue up at Saga for an update on their surroundings. They were clear. "The state of living is something else entirely than what we know."


    "Some things are similar." Tate shrugged, her wavy hair sticking to her neck. Her eyes scanned the tree line - which amounted to literally everything - purposefully. "It''s still damn nice to have a gun in my hand." She grinned slyly, flipping her hair in a mock gesture.


    "Bastard." Luck smirked, shaking his head.


    "Not cool, Tot." Ace smiled despite himself. The mercenary didn''t at all seem as bothered by the different climate as Luck would have been previously. Though Luck himself was cheating since the aspect of the heatblind kept him relatively cool. Ace stoically endured the buzzing of the insects and their tiny assaults on his face. He seemed unfazed, but then Luck remembered why.


    "You''ve been to the jungle before Ace?" Luck asked, realizing that without Saga''s earlier teachings to traverse the forest he''d be having a damn hard time even walking. Even with the way cleared specifically for wagons and their lizard mounts, there was still some overgrowth. The fact that he felt perfectly in place walking among the trees and leaves felt like cheating. Admittedly, he never really had a problem with that.


    "Once or twice." Ace shrugged in a manner that suggested he had actually been many times. "It''s nice. A little solitude without being too alone. What with the all the damn annoying bugs and animals screaming at each other." He groaned, but Luck doubted he was actually that annoyed.


    He gave Ace an amused glance before turning his attention outward. "You always were bad at acting." He said as simply and brutally observant as he possibly could.


    "Without a doubt." Ace agreed.


    "My brother''s got a point, Ace." Tate chimed in, ever helpful when it came to bugging Ace. Luck also took advantage of the fact that that particular detail worked in reverse too. "You kinda suck. Never were that cut out for spy work."


    Ace sighed in good nature. "You damn Lockyers. Alright, alright, some jobs took me in more temperate climates. They weren''t all the best times for me." Heshot a bolt of electricityan approaching snake. "In fact, I got taken to a lot of places. I''d say I''m well adapted to changing temperatures by now, even the wildlife I''ve come to tolerate to an extent."


    "He says, right after ruthlesslymurderinga poor snake." Luck deadpanned, smirking in the end.


    Tate and Ace both laughed and Luck forgot how much he missed the sound. There had been scarce days they had all gotten together for a drink, or when they had been split up while Mr. Ark talked with both of his parents. He smiled, finding it odd that they would be here of all places.


    Tate winded down after a few moments. "So?" She needn''t have said anything more.


    Luck glanced to the tree line for a long moment. His amber eyes settled there until he nodded, slightly disappointed. "The trees haven''t seen anyone unusual. Word is still spreading through the roots so to speak, but so far nothing on Mom or Dad."


    "I mean given that Tate has metal that conforms to her will and imagination, I''m sure your parents have something equally useful. It''s quite likely they might have something to escape notice." Ace said.


    Luck entertained the idea for a moment. He shook his head. "They should have been noticed. The trees have a long memory, what are the chances they can keep undetected from the very environment itself forever?"


    "Are we sure they''re even in the jungle?" Tate asked questioningly.


    In his eyes, Diversi''s Map displayed as a hologram. Parts of the Hydr Dunes and Frozen Zones were mapped, but that was due to Luck''s own exploration and Spirit''s cartography.Yetton Fal, the late creator of the map hadn''t ever traveled to Ardun, but given the cardinal directions of the city and what was already filled in, Luck could reasonably assume the range of Snake''s Way.


    "It''s jungle this way for kilometers." Luck relayed. Unobtrusively, he slipped the physical copy of the map out of his clothes. "Here, see for yourself. Ace, take a look too."


    Tate grabbed the map and unfurled it. "Haven''t seen a map like this in ages." She whispered, before looking to Luck. "Where''d you get it? It looks like something off of Mom or Dad''s wall."


    "A Quest from a god." He replied. Tate squinted at that but shrugged in the end.


    Ace helped Tate hold it up as they walked. "It''s got the topography mapped too, small indents or bumps for valleys and mountains. I have no idea how the cartographer even got the script on as accurately as he did." Ace explained, he hadn''t taken a look at the map since the Frozen Zones. "But yeah, you can see, judging from the parts unmapped where Snake''s Way ends and begins, though nothing inside is mentioned."


    "So Mom or Dad are here,somewhere," Tate said to herself. Her eyes scanned the map studiously, no doubt committing it to memory. She handed it back to Luck. "Thanks. I''ve got a rough copy memorized."


    "No problem. Ace, you need another look at it?" He asked.


    "I''m alright, Lucky." The mercenary replied with a wave. "At the very least, we know we''re going in the right direction."


    "Yeah." Luck tucked the map back into his dimensional room. It wasn''t like he actually carried it with him at all times. He summoned a swig of water directly into his mouth, fresh and crystal clear in taste. He was getting more dextrous in the summoning of things from Evodim. The magic was thankfully instinctive. It was still a learning curve though, but he didn''t mind it considering the utility.


    He took out his pendant, a brief examination showed the exact same configuration of lights as before.


    Noticing Ace''s hair, mopped with sweat and sticking to him, Luck was thankful of the heatblind. He was able to regulate his temperature to a certain extent by Spirit''s help alone but there was only so much that could do. Using Aspect of Nature, as the spell was named, he was able to inherit the heat blind''s internal temperature regulation.


    With the jungle as wet and humid as it was, the day progressing was only making it hotter. The sun had risen higher in the sky, a fact Luck had idly traced despite the dense foliage in the way. Beams of sunlight were nearly showing as opaque with the swarms of insects and moisture in the air. The humidity did nothing to cool the caravan down rather it just acted to make everything that much more uncomfortable, even that was something Luck couldn''t avoid.


    The day was surprisinglysimilar to Hydr. They were just on the move - a mindless task. It became routine.


    "Ace?" Luck heard Tate say.


    The mercenary had exhaled. His eyes were focused and although they were scanning the ahead terrain for threat Luck could surmise a certain introspection in them. "Yeah?" His breath was visible, not unlike of the type one would expect in the cold. An odd sight for sure. He looked cold.


    The man seemed... somewhat unconcerned. Tate asked the question. "What is that?" She said, referring to the air.


    "Blessing of Cold." Ace replied, shivering from the cold or excitement, his eyes had a gleam about them. "Compliments of Rever. Insight into the element of frost and chill he had said. Quite. It''s much more than just that. I know the cold more personally than I have ever before." His hand glowed for a moment, but it was a trick of the light. It was just coated in frost, like glittering sugar.


    Predictably, Tate was unbothered by the reward or the fact she didn''t receive one. Luck was fully certain she cared for rewards as much as he did. Maxworth''s cold-blessed daggers and Erok''s true ice greathammer were the physical and consequently visible gifts so it wasn''t as if she was unaware they were rewarded by the Ice Drake.


    "Magic?" Brown eyes sparkled, lighter than normal. It was nice, Luck hadn''t seen that side of her in a long while. "What is it like?" The girl might''ve just found a new obsession.


    "Like nothing I''ve ever experienced." Ace had stopped sweating, he seemed perfectly fine in the heat now.


    "Nothing at all." Luck nodded. "Don''t discount your omnitanium though. If Jerxos recognized its value then that enough should describe the entirety of Aerae''sperceived value on it. That includes mages and the like."


    Loud crashing through the trees. Tate''s eyes sharpened as Luck and Ace''s did. "Trouble."


    Deep staccato. As deep a click as one could fathomly achieve. Eerie, chilling and resounding, even here in the jungle. The sound seemed to come from everywhere but somehow he could tell it was forward. Except, the jungle covered the sound and no one else had noticed. Only his inherited enhanced hearing allowed him to pick it up.


    Yelling from the front of the caravan.


    As one, they ran to the front of the caravan. They were met with chaos. The leading guards of the caravan had come across a... fungus. Unlike the humidity and insects, their spores were not visible to the naked eye. Immediately, highlighted in green yellow, clouds of mist surrounding these mushrooms growing on the jungle trees like an infection. What was visible were the wolfen guard, growling and twitching, screaming and yelling. Blackish yellow shroom grew across their fur.


    "Infectious spores." Luck shot. "Cover your mouths."


    Spirit? Analysis. It was not a naturally occurring fungus. It felt old, something of nature that shouldn''t be here. The work of Ethodthem no doubt.


    Unknown infectious agent. High contamination factor. Parasitic in nature. Visible symptoms, mild insanity, rash, weakness, nausea.Spirit''s voice was quick and sterile.No logged data available. Closer inspection might yield more accurate calculations. A cure may be possible to create given physical data.


    My chances of infection?Luck queried, eyeing the group of guards yelling at each other. A handful were quarantined off to the side as various alchemists brewed experimental potions.


    Uncertain.Was Spirit''s answer. But something deep within him said he was fine. If not for his healing capabilities then his status as a True Druid.


    He turned to Ace and Tate. "Woah, where''d you get those? Oh." He said. The two were wearing metal air filters across their face. They looked of good quality too. Omnitanium, useful stuff.


    "We should be fine around the spores. At least from breathing them. You think they infect aside from inhalation?" Tate responded, her voice was muffled by the filter. Ace gazed at the separated guards with pity.


    Ace replied. "From the looks of it we can''t be certain. Look, some of the guards have it growing on their chest. Could be they planted there or sprouted from their lungs. Those are just the wolfen guards too, fur might have something to do with it."


    By now, Maxworth, Erok, and Nayah arrived. They looked no worse for wear bar the fact Nayah was stepping away from any tuft of grass nearby and checking her feet. Luck could pick up the scent of blood covering Maxworth''s daggers and in Erok''s case, his hands and feet.


    "What''s happening?" Nayah immediately asked.


    "Some type of infection hit the front of the caravan. Fast too." Luck answered.


    He queried the infected trees. They should have classified this as something obviously worth mentioning to a True Druid. It was definitely something pressing and out of the ordinary. But quickly he realized what was wrong with this picture.


    It became instantly clear that the trees didn''t see anything. They were effectively blinded, unknowingly infected. Something in Luck stirred. This was also the reason he''d bet that they heard nothing about a stranger wandering the woods. That also meant his mom or dad was in here, among the fungus.


    "They don''t realize it." He said more to himself. Erok caught his eye and Luck clarified. "The trees don''t even realize they''re infected. I asked them earlier about the jungle, they didn''t say anything particularly interesting. Who knows how much of the forest is infected like this without them realizing?"


    Nayah grimaced. "Is it lethal?"


    "It does not appear to be taking any lives." Maxworth stated.


    They were standing a good distance away, clear of any of the colored mushrooms lining the jungle vegetation. But just as Maxworth said that an infected une sprouted a large mushroom from his chest, killing him near instantly. It was a gruesome way to die, something new Luck hadn''t seen, but he was used to gruesome.


    Nayah vomited.


    Luck stared at the trees and exhaled. He''d need to fix this. He breathed deeply.


    In his mind, his voice was the iron will of a True Druid, the absolute truth of one who deserved the title. He spoke Druidic, deep resounding, powerful. Commanding.


    Denizens of Serpent''s Path. Hear! The jungle has been infected. Some of you I have witnessed poor and contaminated, unaware of your state. I am unsure whether you can recognize this virus in yourself, but I ask that you look withinto purge and fight the infection as only you can. I will do what I can but you must do your part too. Hear!


    His message blasted forth, rustling the leaves of the jungle, shaking the vines. Being heard. Then the forest, almost inaudible to most ears, became slightly louder than normal. Luck left it at that.


    Apparently, Tate was able to detach her metal and hand it to people. Luck refused the mask as Maxworth did, but everyone else was happy for the filter. That was all she was willing to give out, however.


    Luck walked forward.


    "You see, it is not a problem of what the cure is! We don''t have the materials! This is especially dangerous for a Sentinel. Just delivering the cure for this fungus would be tricky. It would be less a cure and more fungicide! And those can be dangerous to the host too." Luck recognized the old sentinel. It was Japu.


    "We have enough Fire''s Blossom, that there takes care of the killing reagent." A une frowned. "As for the catalyst..."


    A wolfen woman cut in. "We have nothing. We do not have enough Fire''s Blossom either, if that even works, for a reasonably powerful solution to all the infected."


    "That''s hardly all we have. We''ve been gathering materials specific to healing all morning. Douse Root, Sur Leaves, Green Wood, Jurpo Berries, off the top of my head."


    "If I am to be completely honest and blunt," Japu said, catching the attention of the crowd of alchemists. "We are simply not prepared for this. We have not the material nor the method to administer needed medical attention. Our best bet is to send for an expert in this field in Ardun."


    "Ardun is miles backward. A trip without a crowd would be suicide alone." Everyone mumbled at that. "Splitting our group would be even worse."


    "Perhaps we should seriously consider cutting our losses." Another alchemist said quietly. He was not shamed or ridiculed for the opinion, evidence of a much more resilient mindset that Luck expected.


    Japu sighed and Luck took that as his cue to approach.


    "What''s the problem?" He asked eyeing the infected guard across. "Can we help them?"


    "We''re lacking materials. Certain fruits come to mind, high in acidity or heat. That might either curb the infection or kill it entirely. We''d have to somehow combine that with healing properties otherwise the wounds left by sprouting mushrooms would fester and contract much more mundane infections." Japu''s voice was slow, thinking. Calm despite everything. He seemed a capable old man.


    The sentinel knew his alchemy evidently. The rest of the crowd quietly deferred to him, though some of the older ones were conducting their own experiments on the backburner.


    His set up was on a crate, removed from a nearby wagon. A small workshop that all the alchemists had set up. A large apparatus for various experiments, this included various burners and fragile glass bottles, as long as dry stalks of ingredients laid out before them. In some cases, the crates, which acted as a table contained the very ingredients they experimented with.


    An older wolfen threw a small bottle to an infected guard meters away. The other wolfen growled in worry, drank the potion, and nothing happened. The alchemist clicked his tongue and got back to work.


    A mental queryto Spirit confirmed his own thoughts. "Japu, I might have something for you. Tell me if any of these might help."


    He began to pull out various ingredients from his dimensional room, all the while looking as if he was nonchalantly pulling rare herbs from his pockets. Thanks to Ace''s idle gathering during his hunting he had many already stored. Sour Stalks, Blood Herb, Bleeding Berries, Soaked Apples, Heat Berries. They all came out in small bundles or stalks wrapped with string. Each had a particular property Spirit suggested might be of use to the alchemist.


    Japu''s eyes went wide. "How did you-" He interrupted himself. "Those! Heat Berries? That just might have some effect. Spice indicates a heat signature, a slight citrus taste normally overpowered by the inherent heat. Acidity strong enough to do some damage. This should catalyze the entire solution. Along with a few other herbs... "


    "Who is that?" Another sapling man alchemist asked. "He''s just carrying rare ingredients?"


    "Can it Telfor. We''ve got work to do." A une alchemist snapped. The woman brooked no arguments.


    Immediately Japu went to work. He threw the heat berries into a pestle and mushed them. All the while his other hand moved to grab scrunched herbs from various nearby crates. He threw them in boiling water and reduced them, and suddenly the air became sour. Luck scrunched up his face. He commanded others to hand him ingredients and after a short while, they eventually came to realize what he planned and started to move around him in tandem.


    Japu''s voice was hurried, not entirely uninfluenced by the screaming of the infected guards. "Now, just a healing agent. Normally this would superfluous but considering the invasiveness of the fungus. Hmm. What could possibly-"


    Luck''s senses sharpened. The world pinholed as his eyes became slits, became more animal. Japu stepped back, but all Luck did was grab a small bottle from his equipment, cut open his palm with his new claws and bled himself into the container. He waited patiently before handing Japu the bloody bottle which the old sentinel took with caution. There were whispers and mutterings among the alchemists.


    Luck returned to normal, shedding the transformation like an illusion. So smooth was the transition. "That should be enough. That''s about the regenerative capabilities of Troll''s Blood."


    He made a symbol with his hand over the bottle and raised his eyebrow and looked at Luck. "You''re him then. The one that bested Sorcerer Jayeke." He spoke conversationally as he worked. "They did say that the one that bested him had come back from the most debilitating of injuries. Well, now I know why."


    "Use it well." Luck''s voice was calm. He left it up to Japu to take that as a threat or not.


    His ear twitched. Deep staccato clicking. Ancient. Old. Eerie. It was... language. A deep sound that was not unlike the chittering of insects. And not just that, Luck had heard it before. It was one of the Spectres, but it didn''t seem that anyone other than him noticed the sound past the ambiance of the jungle itself.Not to mention the screaming of the guards. He hadn''t seen a single Drone since Guard the one carrying out Protocol East in the Hydr Dunes.


    Saga? You hear that? An earlier mental command to keep clear of the fungus was unneeded. The shar had already taken a wide observant berth. Tric had followed his lead.


    Yes.The shar responded coolly.Could it be the same metal beast from the sand?


    I doubt it. What is it doing here though? Where is it?


    I have no vision of it, Amber Eyes. We cannot be certain it will not be hostile.Saga added.The jungle is thick. Both with wood and sound. But I feel it is a ways further from us.


    Luck nodded. That was a problem for later. But still, the jungle itself hadn''t noticed the Spectre, which likely meant it was somewhere in the infected jungle where the trees were effectively blind. He entertained the possibility that the Spectre was infected but quickly ruled that out, it seemed the fungus was parasitic so it would have no effect on a creature of metal. Much for the same reason that Maxworth denied a mask.


    If Japu and the rest of the alchemists couldn''t come up with a cure, Luck would step in and utilize Spirit to analyze it first-hand. He had put himself at risk using the same method when saving Ace''s life back in the Forest of the Drowned, but he was loathed to do that again. He wasn''t invincible, there would be things out in the world that even his enhanced regenerative traits wouldn''t be able to overcome. And he had already gotten the statistics from Spirit, a large percentage of Users of the Mk3 die from ignorance and heavy reliance on the S.I.''s functions.


    Luck would not be one of those people.


    He watched the tree line. Japu and the rest would handle the infection. He gathered he would try to analyze the visibile properties of the fungus as much as he could.


    As of now, any progress further into the jungle was reckless. He wiped the humidity from his face, the trees were blackish yellow, spots of mushroom sprouting from the trunks. His enhanced vision could make out the invisible spores, although it seemed their potency ran thin with distance.


    Suddenly there was a loud, crackling, tearing noise ripping through the jungle. It drowned out all sound.


    "Down Lucky!" Ace jerked Luck hard by the neck, forcing him to the floor. A force of wind pressed him down further.


    An entire tree sailed overhead. It exploded in splinters, impacting the caravan, ripping through a wagon. Chaos. Screams and voices trying to control the situation assailed the crowd.


    "What the fuck!" He yelled. His eyes picked up on something large immediately. "Snake!" He spotted.


    Then his body encased itself in hard chitin of its own accord. A large diamond-shaped head, shot like a missile, fangs extended at a length and size as implausible as the snake itself. It was the dark green of the forest but splotched with black and yellow. Fungus grew out of its eyes.


    Luck tensed, forcing intent to the floor. A sizeable hand of earth and soil ripped out of the ground instantly grabbing the snake by the neck. He squeezed.


    Loud bangs resounded, smoke coming from Tate''s pistol. Bullets found the eyes of the snake. Luck buried it the next moment, too trained to be flustered by the attack.


    "There''s more." Her pistols were already trained outward.


    A blast of lightning arced off into the jungle. Ace''s doing. He channeled another bolt in his fist, eyeing the jungle too.


    The heavy clicking came again. Closer.Retreat Last. Serpent''s Path is no longer safe. Protocol East has been amended. New forces threaten Last Light, now known as Ardun. Must protect Last Light. Evacute, Last, Serpent''s Path is not safe. Stay clear of the fungus.


    Then a spectre, all metal and twisting limbs, blasted through the growth. It was just as large as the last one they saw, though this one was on all fours, bounding across the jungle like it was nothing. It was almost spiderlike as it used its limbs to traverse between the trunks of the trees.


    Snakes hung from the twisted cold metal of the thing. Either as carcasses or in futility.


    It''s arm transformed into a cannon. Flames instantly burned the surrounding fungus. Its eyes glowed red, ruthlessly torching the infected guards. Embers, where before there were hopefuls. Instantly dead. Luck pushed aside his thoughts of the injustice, he was too practical for that.


    "Damn it." Luck said aloud. "Something''s threatening the jungle. Remember Guard, Ace? Those drones found something here too. No doubt Ethodthem''s doing."


    "Max, Erok!" Ace yelled. "We got a spectre." He said as they neared.


    Nayah''s eyes went wide. "He killed the guards."


    "Just be glad it recognizes us as friendlies." Tate shot. She eyed the thing. "What is it?"


    "Old remnants of the past. Designed to protect the city." Luck supplied, the alchemists threw exploding bottles and potions, both aiming to put out the fire and concuss the spectre. "That thing was fighting something. Everyone back up."


    Just then, something barged through the path made by the wreckage of the jungle. A snake''s head, fangs and slitted eyes. But it was as large as the spectre, and it looked absolutely feral. And it had arms ending in sharp claws that Luck gathered might be the cause behind the deep grooves left in the metal of the spectre.


    Of course, Ace was the first one to blast it with lightning. It screeched loudly, the magic gaining the attention of the spectre as well. The snake-thing dug its arms and launched towards Ace, but Erok and Maxworth found its face.


    The roken pivoted below the swiping claws taking cover as Maxworth deflected the fangs, and decimated the creature''s shoulder. It collapsed to the ground, and Luck took the moment to clamp down on its tail and other arm with the earth itself, shackles of a sort forming around the appendages. Maxworth''s daggers found their way across the things throat.


    Then its head exploded.


    "Damn girl." Tate whistled, slowly lowering her guns. She stared at Nayah who exhaled. She had thrown fire and hell right into the mouth of the beast. "That''s a shot."


    Nayah grinned sheepishly.


    Maxworth slit the neck of the thing, deeper than before, for good measure.


    The battle was shortlived, not longer than a minute. But adrenaline skewed things.


    Chilling clicking came loudly. The spectre walking on fours, immediately came to staring down at them. Through its legs Luck could make out the rest of the caravan staring in fear. They lost a whole wagon of goods, and a chunk of the guard.


    "Luck." Ace gestured to the thing.


    Its glowing red eyes regarded them, even as its legs shifted stance. The tilt of its head was almost animal. But intelligence was obvious, if not by its gaze then by the eerie language it spoke. It towered above them, nearly the size of the smallest of the jungle trees.


    You should return, Last. This area is not safe. New Command has been established. Sovereign has been compromised by the passage of time. Last Light''s defenses have been compromised by the passage of time. Spectre Drones are the only known active defense. We are not enough.


    Luck opened his mouth. A series of clicks came forth. "What is affecting Serpent''s Path? What is the threat to Last Light?"Tate stared at him, but Luck''s Omnilingual no doubt had its uses.


    A deep whirring came from its metal.My group is tasked with curbing the infection here. The infection''s lasting contaminants gain immense strength and power. Their exact capabilities are unknown. Number of infected are unknown. Local wildlife are unknown. The root of the infection the Spectres are unable to locate. Many sections of Serpent''s Path are lost.


    The alchemists crowded around Luck and them, along with the rest.


    "What is it?" A sentinel whispered. His voice was carefully subdued, but even then the spectre angled its head to him.


    It''s language changed to Common."I am an ancient protector of Last Light. We existed in the times of the Enemy. Ethodthem has awakened the Spectres, and we are duty-bound to carry out our standing orders."


    Everyone shuffled, some still in hesitance and fear. Japu spoke. "And what is that?"


    "We have always protected the city. To achieve Protocol Revival. The last of the bastion cities, Last Light. Ardun."It said, still an alien sound to the ear.


    Luck remembered, he had given Guard an information package of recent history. The Spectres would at the very least be updated on that.


    "And you would kill us?" A wolfen growled. "You are no protector-"


    Suddenly, it reared its head and a sharp screech erupted from it. Its arms became spears, spikes erupted from it every which way. Its eyes glowed red. Luck forgot that it had a mouth. It opened.


    "LEAVE LAST! THE ENEMY APPROACHES."

 Chapter 29 - Inside the Jungle

    "LEAVE LAST! THE ENEMY APPROACHES."


    Luck didn''t blame the crowd as mutterings went through them like a wave. Some of the alchemists were more curious than they should be, but a few acted solidly, explaining it was best to report to Ardun before they all get wiped out. There was general unhappiness at the ashes not far from the front of the caravan, representing the extinguished infected, but no voices for revenge or retribution. A curious reaction to say the least. Perhaps it was just a consequence of the dangers the environment around Ardun naturally posed - death was everywhere.


    The remaining guards were anxious. They, after all, were hardened adventurers from the Guild. Luck didn''t look down at them at all, in fact, he respected their profession as it was one littered with dangers much like his life. In this case though, their fears were unfounded.


    Luck''s eyes lazily scanned the treeline, watching for the threat the Spectre warned them of.


    The alien clicking came again. This time it was clear and reverberant, obviously emanating from the Spectre in front of them. It swiveled its head, gaping mouth and all, too far than should''ve been possible on anything with a conventional bone structure. It stood in eerie peace, looking like a deadly modern sculpture.


    There was a faint noise in the distance. Then, with the crunch of soil and squelching of mud, the Spectre''s form was already disappearing, becoming mottled in the treeline, making nowhere as much noise as one would''ve feasibly expected. A gust of air and sudden absence of presence the only indicator of its movement.


    "We need to leave." It was a rougher man, clearly in his late 30s. From Luck''s memory, he was the head guardsman of the expedition. He, along with the alchemists and general consensus, would decide and judge the level of danger, risk, and reward associated with the mission. "Snake''s Way is infected with an unknown, lethal, and highly infectious fungus. Ardun''s Soldier''s Guard must be notified. The Adventurer''s Guild priority is the city it is stationed. Turn the caravan!"


    "Soldier''s Guard?" Tate whispered. Luck got a look at the mask adorning her face. Tight fitting, it wrapped around the face and seemed to stick there by metal grippers. It was smooth, more rounded than he expected equipment of the sort to look, and much less bulky. A dense filter covered the relevant areas, the whole thing was a dull grey, as if disconnecting from the rest of the omnitanium had some effect.


    Maxworth replied this time, having been standing silently with daggers aloft. "Ardun''s peacekeeping. They are a highly trained group that operates within and without the city of Ardun. Major threats both internal and external are often addressed by them." The metallic man said, his voice a smooth quicksilver. "They''ll likely be informed of the presence of these Spectres."


    The group watched the rustling jungle where the Spectre had gone. Blackish yellow fungus lined every tree in the vicinity, a veritable growth that while not seemingly unhealthy to the plant life, just seemedwrong to Luck.


    He''d have to go in there.


    Erok''s voice by all accounts was a rough, rumbling contrast. "You are searching for family correct, Druid?" He looked to Maxworth, who nodded. "For the Rhoride Hammers and most Roken, bonds forged in combat are the most important, through struggle are the knots most strong tightened." He spoke, his glacial true ice greathammer in hand. "We would not abandon your quest facing this. You have helped me and Max more than you know. Mayhaps we may tell you once we have a break to talk."


    "He is saying you have both my daggers and his hammer." Maxworth interjected. "I do not think the infection will be particularly dangerous to me."


    He watched as drivers and able men turned the various wagons, sometimes lifting the empty ones altogether. The lizards pulling the things had to be held by the reins. Though Luck could tell the large lizards weren''t at all thinking about leaving. His attention shifted to the two.


    Luck rose an eyebrow at Maxworth, his eyes coming back from idle observation. "A few weeks seems a short amount of time for such a bond." He stated. He wasn''t one to miss out on Ace''s interested glance at Maxworth and Erok either. "You owe me nothing. Nothing holds us to each other since arriving at the city."


    "Perhaps. But nonetheless." Maxworth replied for both of them.


    Luck gave him a sideways glance, not for the first time wondering what drives the metallic man.


    There was a quiet pause. The group of them weren''t idle standing on the edge of the caravan - that being what was once the front and now currently turning into the back. As it was, they were among the chunk of guards simply staring at the fungus, daring something to come at them. It was burned to a crisp outward from their location, a purge of fire that the Spectre brought upon the area before darting off.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Pay Heed!


    New Quest: Fungal Venom!


    (Prerequisites: True Druid)


    An infectious fungus ravages Snake''s Way, when not immediately lethal to victims they enter a state of mind-altering aggressiveness and pack mentality. These infected threaten to consume Snake''s Way and parts of Krukon''s Forest which will cripple a vast selection of Ardun''s natural resources. Find and eliminate the source of the fungus.


    Rewards: Information, Greater Item, Unknown.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck blinked at the window, he didn''t have any active Quests except for The Mystery of Ethodthem, though that particular one seemed out of his reach for now.


    "Looks like its already spread." Ace spoke up. He rubbed his chin, breath icy cold from his magic. The gift from Rever was already doing him favors.


    Luck nodded, he was already inclined to do this anyway. "We''re still not sure how the infection spreads." He pointed out.


    "And neither do the rest." Erok hefted his greathammer at the ready, its chill frost resembled Ace''s breath. He, along with Maxworth and Nayah were observing the crowd, looking inward rather than outward. "They are nervous even of the corpses."


    The people of the caravan were arguing, trying to get around the wreckage of the short-lived battle that took place which wrecked one of the wagons. They could maneuver around it easily enough but they''d be taken close to the gigantic infected serpent carcass that lay in the wreckage. And given no one knew the infectivity of the fungus none of them seemed to be liking that idea.


    "I got it." Luck took a breath, his foot firmly on the ground. With an effort of will, the ground below the serpent undulated like a wave, carrying the body out and around the concentration of people to just outside the treeline to rest in the grass.


    The people looked around, wondering who moved it before generally attributing it to their group. Ace waved a friendly hello, shamelessly taking the credit. Luck smirked at that. The mercenary actually received a few waves back despite the stress of the situation.


    Luck''s mouth curved downward as he looked at the caravan. Simply taking into account the lack of guards on their flank meant that without Luck''s group the procession was not as sufficiently protected as was likely safe.


    And yet, Luck had to go into Snake''s Way. It wasn''t an option.


    "Perhaps it would be wise for those of us unsusceptible to the fungus to continue, and for the rest to return with the caravan," Maxworth suggested, much more meaning to the statement than initially apparent.


    He had noticed Luck''s predicament, no matter the fact it barely showed on his face, a consequence of the matter pertaining to the livelihood of his family.


    In another life, Luck would''ve become suspicious, at least initially, instead, he rose an eyebrow. "You would risk your life in search of a stranger''s family?" He said, staring at the metallic man.


    For his part, Maxworth peered into the treeline, over the burnt edges of the forest. His voice was melodic, akin to the time as they entered the Frozen Zones, when he sang that beautiful song. "Not a stranger''s family. The Gentleman do not often meet people they could call friends, sir."


    He stared at the gentleman for a long moment. When he spoke it was with audible amusement. "We have already been friends for quite a while, Maxworth. But I wouldn''t ask you to do this for me."


    "I assume your regeneration plays a part in buffeting the fungus." He said in lieu of an answer. "I am immune for obvious reasons and therefore of the few that can help you here. Unless I am missing someone?" Maxworth said as much without any doubt, he ended the sentence in an inviting tone for anyone to step up. He looked out of place in the jungle, and yet his movements denied that very logic. The man seemed comfortable traversing the terrain so far.


    "I don''t think anyone has a way other than through Tate''s mask." Nayah said, her eyes were genuinely worried, Luck could tell that much from her honest posture.


    "I could keep the masks working, but even now it''s a drain." Tate offered. She caught Luck''s eyes. "I''m coming with you, Luck. No questions asked." He wasn''t really one to argue against her. He trusted Tate with his life, both of them.


    Tric chirped, something more like the crackle of electricity, and Luck''s eyes were drawn to Ace, upon whom she perched. "Hand me a mask and I could make do. But Tric, I''m not sure if I''d risk her."


    "I could handle one mask," Tate replied, the metal she possessed glimmered across her neck and face. It looked of quicksilver and sleekness as it protected her, ever-shifting.


    "We could keep Tric with Saga, they''d be safe." Luck hinted at Ace.


    Ace nodded. "That''ll do."


    And Tric mounted Saga, only for the shar to bound in the boughs of the jungle canopy. They disappeared into a dimensional portal the second they were lost from Nayah, Erok and Maxworth''s view.


    "A few of us must stay behind though. These good people do not deserve to make the journey back unprotected." Erok nodded, his stone features were set. "I will stay behind to escort them back. They did not go on this expedition expecting to be abandoned halfway through."


    Then, eyes went to Nayah, and Erok looked at her meaningfully. "Then I''m with Erok too then. Better to have a mage against the snakes in numbers anyway. That at least I can do."


    "Two for protecting such a large section of the caravan?" Luck asked doubtfully. "You think they would be okay with that?"


    Erok assuaged his worries. "Fear not, Druid. Nayah is more than capable. Many of the guards had seen her work her magic. They will entrust a large section to herself and I. I am confident."


    Curious. In truth, outside of smaller magics, as she did with Mind and Illusion, he had only seen her Fire magic against Guard. Though according to Spirit the Iluse were highly magical beings, it would make sense for her to have some competency in magic. Had Luck been underestimating her this entire time for her naivety? He liked to think he was past underestimating people, but magic threw a wrench in his normal judgments of people. Even a child could cast magic.


    And, with a few purposeful looks, Tate handed Ace an omnitanium mask, and they were off.


    What was immediately apparent, were the large swaths of jungle ruined by what could only be described as a battle between hulking giants. Where trees once stood now featured broken wood, rotting from the ground up. Areas of the jungle also had burnt corpses, and more importantly, less and less snakes bothered the further they ventured away from Ardun''s bastion walls.


    "Eerie" Tate noted. She held her guns low, her shins were covered with the same metal as to ward off stray bites from hidden serpents. "It''s too silent for any of this to have gone unnoticed." Her footsteps in the brush were a welcome break from the constant sound of buzzing humid insects and the occasional hissing.


    "No, these battles have been fought weeks before," Maxworth explained, not shy to bend down to inspect the growths of the fungal infection. "There is already new life, though infected, coming from the rotting trees. Maggots and worms."


    Luck queried Spirit. His peripheral lit up in blue data, lines of writing springing up from the infected jungle around him. He steered clear of the infected trees as he wasn''t sure whether or not he fancied taking the risk, even knowing he would most likely survive it. It was a clear risk, but he didn''t think he needed a mask, a fact that Tate only let up on when Ace waved her down, shaking his head.


    Now, the data was much more dense from the visual cues, and to some extent, even the corpses of infected snakes that littered their path every so often.


    All gathered data suggests no chance of infection. Fungal type is still unknown. Long exposure to minimal spores raises infectivity rate. Symptoms include swollen muscles and a type of mind-altering state. These only increase in severity, other effects are thus far unknown.Spirit spoke as what looked like bloated snakes were highlighted in his view, some even died in the act of biting themselves. The Mk3''s voice was smooth and analytical.


    Luck observed the masks both Tate and Ace were wearing. Spirit had something to say about those as well, without Luck''s prompting.The spores of the fungus, though rarely airborne further than the mushrooms itself, do not seem to be penetrating those masks. An efficient breather for this climate.


    "Looks like those masks are working wonders." Luck confirmed, in English.


    "What makes you say that?" Tate blinked, though she was focused forward and alert, much like Ace and Luck were.


    "Just a computer in my head." Luck shrugged, to which Tate half turned around to.


    "What?" She replied.


    "You heard him Tate." Ace shrugged. "But chill out with the English." He spoke the last part in Common. "It''s not fair to Max."


    The Gentleman was quietly trekking forward, demonstrating again how agile and adaptable he was even in unknown terrain. "I do not mind. I am used to those around me speaking their languages. It is of no bother to me. Though I am curious, only occasionally do I hear you speak in that tongue. Why?" To Luck, that strongly spoke of an outcast, but he didn''t comment. "Is that a native human language?"


    "Our one, yes. We don''t speak it often for respect, mostly. Any more and it would seem like we were keeping secrets." Luck instantly replied. "Maybe we are a little, to be honest, but nothing concerning anyone''s safety."


    Maxworth hummed something more like a whirring gear. "Then I will not pry into your conversations, but if I may ask? Who are we searching for?"


    It wasn''t that large of an epiphany of a thought. But it was a half second where Luck kind of... just regarded Maxworth. Under no logic was Maxworth bound to help them. The Gentleman simply told them he would travel with them... and here they were. Realistically, Luck understood why. The Gentleman was an outcast, they were his friends. But acts of kindness were truly rare in a past life, and ones this severe, even more so. Unsettled wasn''t the correct word for what Luck was feeling, it was something more like a pleasant wariness, despite his better judgment.


    Tate was the one to reply, apparently not finding anything particularly worth keeping secret. "Our mom or dad. One of them is out here, so far as we can tell. And we''ve been split apart for far too long."


    "In Snake''s Way?" Maxworth paused in surprise. "Why?"


    "Good question." Luck shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. It''s already been a few weeks since we got split, they should''ve found their way to a city or something."


    "Maybe to study snakes?" Ace offered, kicking at a small corpse. "Lot of cadavers around."


    Luck chuckled, shaking his head.


    It wasn''t long before they were truly being tested. In retrospect, Luck chided himself for allowing himself to become lax. Hewasalert, but the level of attentiveness was nowhere near what he should have been applying.


    That was why, currently, a sizeable snake was sunk into his arm. He grimaced, prying the snake''s fangs from his arm. He could feel the venom pulsing up his arm, such was the pain.


    "More on the left." Ace warned. Lightning was a common phenomenon around him. Seemingly to spark aggressively and around him.


    Warmness flooded the venom out his arm, and he watched his blood gush out of his wound, pushing clear liquid out of him. His arm tensed as he gripped the earthen swords he pulled from the rich soil of the jungle. Spirit did wonders with the help of his Exceptional Regeneration and Troll''s Blood.


    He caught Tate''s concerned look, but answered by slicing a particularly vibrant snake in half. Maxworth, nearby, was doing the same. He nodded to Luck just as he felt the ground vibrate with a severity he hadn''t experienced.


    "Something big!" Luck warned, as he had been doing for the past hour or two. It wasn''t long before he was deemed to be the best at forewarning of enemies, no doubt due to his magic. "And closing!"


    And then Maxworth was flying. Blasted against the nearest tree, but the Gentleman somehow managed to agilely absorb the impact and slide down on the far side of the tree, terrible grooves marked his passage.


    A serpent on legs. Short legs, relative to the being''s body, were still tall compared to a human. It slithered around trees as if they were mere toys, regarding them as if they were toys.


    Immediately, Luck shot earthen darts at it, high speed. They impacted with a dull thud that sounded painful and nothing more.


    Luck dived as it lunged forward toward him the way a snake does.


    Gunshots, lightning and screeching.


    He rolled back up in the next instant. It smelled of ozone, woodchips flew around freely. Its neck was long, armored in thick scales, and only compromised where the fungal infection grew in yellow bruises.


    Earthen spikes, by Luck''s will, pierced these spots, the aid of Spirit helping immensely. With unerring precision, multiple spots were found impaled by polished spikes of earth and soil. A flash of blinding lightning took advantage of the beasts vulnerable state, blowing a chunk of flesh and scale clean off its shoulder.


    Ace stood, laser-focused, another ball of lightning in his hand growing in size.


    Tate aimed her shots for the thing''s eyes, but quickly found the infected areas of its scaly hide were where it felt them the most. Maxworth, like a surgeon, cut the infested snakes from the underbrush that approached either Tate or Ace.


    Luck felt a moment where the giant serpent, hissing in pain and desperation, broke the spikes inside of itself. With a twist, it turned around and sped forward as if it was swimming through water.


    It lunged. Going for Tate''s throat of all things. A small target. But the shine of its fangs left no doubt in Luck''s mind. His heart sped for a moment, before he pulled his own metaphorical trigger.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When time resumed the serpent choked on a spiked hand that both gripped its neck and impaled it. Luck''s face twisted, he squeezed and the serpent barely made a noise as it extinguished. A cloud of spores puffed from its body, but the group was unaffected. Luck groaned.


    He fell to a knee, his head aching. "Damn." His mind throbbed lightly, but off the battle high it was enough to knock him unsteady. Mana fatigue. "Too much, too fast." His hand rested on the ground.


    Ace jogged over, breathing a sigh of relief. "Pushed yourself too hard?"


    Luck responded as the rest approached. Maxworth still sliced away at runaway snakes. Tate ran forward concern on her face. "Yeah, that headache is something, damn. How''d you handle this before, Ace? Gods and goddesses." Funnily, it was the first time he cursed like that and it felt strangely fitting.


    "Power through you sap." Ace shot with a grin. Despite his attitude, the accelerated rate of his breathing didn''t escape Luck''s notice. Crackles of static traveled up and down his arms.


    He probably didn''t look too hot himself. Covered in dirt and soil, he could feel his muscles straining against no real physical force. Despite his regeneration, he felt the strain on his body was something more. The short breath and weakness was more likely an effect of being low on mana than anything else. A physical effect rather than magical, but nonetheless.


    And then there was another one.


    A screeching hiss. Blurring scales. Along the lines of a busted industrial pipe. A diamond-headed shape ripped through the trees.


    Then, Luck looked up. Ace''s body blurred. His body curved left as the snake impacted. Soil from below tried to soften the impact, and flowing metal rushed to cover his vitals. A resounding thud, mixed with the clang of scraped metal, fangs harder than anything impacting a harder metal.


    Ace''s coughed up the air in his lungs before he disappeared into the jungle trees.


    The body of the snake disappeared, rushing through the grass with Ace still in its jaws. Everyone moved at once. Maxworth found his footing immediately, the wet squelch of his movement evident. Tate rushed, drawing her pistols.


    He looked up, groaning. Luck got his foot under him and dizziness took over. "Too soon." His fist planted into the soil. "Fuck."


    A flash of lightning pierced through the trees. Luck stumbled backward. Maxworth and Tate slowed to a halt.


    Ace stepped out of the thick brush, parts of his torso covered in slapdash omnitanium armor. He smoked, the humidity of the jungle burning right off of him, smelling strongly like lightning.


    "I believe we might need to take this more seriously." And, no matter how hard he looked, Luck couldn''t sense a hint of sarcasm.


    They relaxed, letting out nervous chuckles. No-one asked what happened to the snake.


    When Luck finally got his feet under him, and his head in order. He took one look at Tate and Ace. With that, their entire mood changed. It was easy to forget, even for them, what real danger was and demanded. In parts of their life, taking it easy with light-hearted humor and antics, were welcomed and sometimes even necessary to ease the burden. But every so often, there comes a time where it need be discarded.


    Blood. That was often a sufficient wake-up call. He was numb to the idea, but it was still the life of someone. That''s what Ace had across his arms, not from the fangs or anything deadly, just from the impact with the overgrowth. Blood.


    And so, they took things more seriously.


    The group broke rest near instantly, Maxworth pausing at the change in work ethic, but adapting on the fly just as quick. Luck took point, Ace was in the back with Tate, and Maxworth found his own spot easily enough, noticing their change in formation.


    Others, in similar situations, might''ve been grim. But even that was unnecessary. The three otherworlders held simple, analytical, neutral faces. A fact that, given what someone might normally expect, was all the more chilling.


    They weren''t flawless. No one was. But they were smooth. Suspicious areas where branches hung low and vines hung lower were circumvented. Snakes on the ground were mostly subverted by Luck''s efforts. Tate''s contributions were surprisingly... mundane. Aside from shooting snakes from range, though they all agreed to reduce noise, she simply chopped down the overgrowth that slogged their path. Maxworth''s daggers were sufficient but she could create efficient tools.


    Maxworth sliced wet vines down. "What changed between you all?" A metallic tone, filled with curiosity.


    Ace held a hand tucked into his hip. He had, for the most part, intimidated the larger serpents with legs. They were the ones that had intelligence to go with their fangs. The crackling of electricity was enough for them to hesitate, and the following bolt of lightning enough to stop them dead.


    "A switch flipped, Max." Ace replied, his tone nearly as metallic as Maxworth''s. Compliments of the breathing mask he wore.


    "And the snakes got bigger." Luck grimaced. They had left a few large corpses behind, or, rather,longcorpses.


    Tate called out threats ahead before they could elaborate, her voice slightly modulated by the metal device she breathed through.. "Something moving ahead of us. Covered in the fungus too. Keep your mask on Ace."


    Maxworth''s focus geared forward. "This one is different. Brace yourselves."


    With Luck''s enhanced senses he could tell the same thing.


    Snippets of its movement came like strobe through the jungle trees. The rustling of leaves around them, and the sound of its body gliding across the soil. It was as if the sound came from all around them.


    The surroundings got darker. The canopy, closer. The fungus spores around them seemed to get thicker, more prominent. Had they hit some patch of shade? Enroached upon some unmarked territory?


    Maxworth''s posture slightly changed, his hips getting lower. Before Luck could even guess why, some instinct kicked in, some vague danger-sense that he had developed over the years. Vague but sharp, immediate. He pulled hard on Saga''s aspect. Claws, teeth, hearing, eyesight, reactions, everything sharpened. His body coated itself in armor.


    He ducked, pivoting on his foot and bringing himself immediately to the ground, rolling onto his side. His chest thumped the floor harder than his heart.


    Maxworth wasn''t so lucky. With a metal clang he collided with a scaly writhing mass a meter thick.


    Immediately, Luck''s hand dipped into the earth, pulling out a solid stone sword. He strained his bicep, swinging the sword at an angle to pierce into the snake''s neck. It was the easiest method to dispatch them, using their own momentum to open them up he found. But this one was tougher than the rest, his sword only scratched, dinging off the metal. Superficial damage probably not at all felt by the thing.


    Maxworth slid backward, twin short-swords emitting frost into the snake''s maw. His arms were outspread up and down, swords clashing against venom-dripped fangs. Nicks in the snake''s jaw were frostbitten by the enchanted weapons. Wounds of frost Maxworth found as his swords traveled up to lock the beast''s jaw.


    Luck tried stabbing the hide, even if the head was meters away from him, the sizeable body was still in front of him. His earthen sword was useless however as it sent a ringing up his arm. "Gods, that stings."


    The beast hissed. Luck heard another distant, similar hiss.


    And Ace yelled. "There''s more than one!" The former mercenary dodged his own problem, diving to the side like he was avoiding a spray of bullets. His own problem was a snake of shorter length. It reared its head, dripping wet. Wetter than it should be. A detail he noticed immediately.


    Glowing blue words sprouted from the beasts, showing them attributed to the elements. The lines of data superimposed themselves in Luck''s vision, labeling the enemies neatly.


    Water. A terrible match. It shrieked in a seizure when Ace got a hand on it. Muscles Luck wouldn''t expect existed tensed and spasmed across its length.


    A gout of flame exploded from Tate''s position. "Alright, back off!" She held a shield against another serpent shrouded in shadows. Fire exploded against its hide and it screamed in pain, slithering into the jungle, burns on its body and the ground around it. A metal tube Tate held across her arm, licked the air in a forked tongue of fire, as if mocking the serpents themselves.


    Despite the sunlight, the snake nearly disappeared as if it was swimming into water. Darkness enroached upon it like an old friend, covering its escape. Shadow.


    "Ace!" Luck yelled.


    The mercenary had already finished his own foe, but had been readying a hand full of lightning anyways.


    A powerful blast of concentrated electricity exploded after the snake''s form. Pieces of trunk flew as if flash froze in haunting light, illuminating the speedy twenty-meter form in all its scaly glory. It hissed, blinded, and headbutted a tree. The entire form went limp and the shadows retreated from it.


    Meanwhile, Luck was conjuring as much defense for Maxworth as he dared, covering his retreat to Tate. The snake was slower, thicker. But Luck could see the scales on the thing, the sheer layers disrupted by unwanted growths of fungus uprooting the patterns. Steel, he thought. Metal.


    And damn, did it have some inertia.


    As Maxworth had found, despite the resultant flying soil and gravel of Luck''s failed walls, the beast''s mouth was not so impervious. A bolt of lightning gave it only small pause, and Luck wondered at that, before a gout of flame made the thing hiss. Ace and Tate were hesitant to near it, Maxworth had no such qualms.


    A column of stone erupted into the path of its heavy tail as Tate covered herself in her armor, chunks of solid stone raining down on her like hail. "Damn it, Tate, I can''t afford this drain right now!" Luck shouted, feeling a headache assaulting him already.


    Both distractions were enough for Maxworth to pierce the thing''s brain, having been dueling the head of the snake for the last minute.


    The snake fell limp without ceremony, a dull thud to mark its death. It planted in the ground slightly due to the force of its weight.


    Mawworth''s chilled sword slid out of the snake''s maw with a wet squelch.


    Something about that casual blood drew Luck''s attention. Breathing, all around. An unplaceable silence settling between the sounds of the jungle. Palpable and odd deference in the lack of sound. It was like the jungle finally took stock of them, having tested them truly. And, likewise, it was they that looked outward to the jungle shade, sunlight beating down on them. It was misleading, that the sun could be out, and that such dangers existed under the canopy.


    Danger in Aerae was at all times. In the city, you could either see it coming, or it came at night. A mistake on everyone but Maxworth''s part. And, quietly, silently, he could tell from the little looks from both Tate and Ace that they thought the same.


    He was the first to speak, breathing hard despite his belying traits. "We can''t keep- "


    A roar exploded from the distance, hitting them like a physical wave. Part animalistic rage, confusion, and despair. A rich call that screamed for pain, that waspain. It sounded as if the very roar thatresonated destroyed the throat that it came from. It was full of emotion, desperation. Need, want, hunger. It was all of those things.


    Luck swayed on his feet, feeling everything. There was a connection in him that ringed with vibrancy and urgency at the sound. As if a close friend of his was suffering. It was his One with Nature trait, he knew. And at this moment, he hated it. Emotions flooded him, some harsh controlling part of his ego, the one that dealt with the absolute darkest times moments in the underground, clamped down and cooled his mind. And Luck still grit his teeth, his face flashed with anger.


    "That sounds larger than the Ice Drake," Maxworth noted, wiping the bloodied swords against the boughs of low-hanging leaves. His features were calm, but his head was high and alert as if the fact he slew a snake nearly ten times his length was no big ordeal. "We best avoid that particular creature, sir." He said, turning to where the sound came from.


    Logical, yes. But Luck wasn''t ever entirely rational, despite the cool calculative side of him, he could often times be driven by emotion. And now, he remembered anger and injustice.


    Amber eyes regarded Maxworth. "No creature should have to suffer that pain." He said simply, his headache was slowly dissipating, his features returning from catlike to human. "The fungus has it, but I can feel it fighting still. If there''s something I can do, then you can bet I''m doing it."


    "What?" Tate and Maxworth said. They looked at each other.


    "A Quest, a Druid one." Luck smirked. "I''m not here just for Mom or Dad, but to eradicate the fungus if I can help it. The jungle is my friend, a tool from the impartations, Tate. "


    "Luck, you have to be kidding," Tate said, incredulous. "That has to be suicide. Doesn''t matter if it was a tool or not Luck. It''s a big risk. Besides, Luck it''s always family first."


    Luck rolled his eyes, he of all people knew that. His family and friends were his highest priority, but he had thought of that.


    "I''ve done things more dangerous before. Really? The family card? We know Mom and Dad, you know where they''ll be? Right smack dab in the middle of the deepest shit around. Just watch." And Luck wasn''t joking, their parents had a tendency to rightfully involve themselves and become a power all their own. "And if that roar wasn''t the definition of trouble, I don''t know what is. Even the System allocated a Quest to it."


    "You''ve got to be-.... damn it, you''re right." Tate stumbled before sighing. "Let''s hope to god not. "


    "Well, we''ll get back to Luck''s crazy druidic, tree-hugging ritual at another time. You need to check this out." Ace waved, he was crouch squatting near patches of mud. "If we can save the damn screaming thing that''s likely the size of a mountain, I say we go for it. For now, we''re searching for your parents."


    They walked over. Luck brushing off jungle dirt and soil, Maxworth and Tate doing similar maintenance.


    "That''s a modern shoeprint." was Luck''s first thought vocalized. It was the sole of a familiar brand, a high-end one. "That''s Costen leather, I''d bet mysoul on it." He whispered, understanding the significance.


    "Rick''s favorite brand if I''m not mistaken." Ace whistled, his knees cracking as he got up.


    "Looks like Dad''s been here." Tate said. She glanced around the area, eyeing details the same way Luck was trained.


    "He didn''t get away without a fight either." Ace frowned. He noticed the markings only after Spirit pointed them out to Luck. "On the bark. Low on the trees, you see those scrapes and marks? I bet one of those snakes," He nodded to the carcasses. "could probably rub up against the trees enough to take some wood off. Though this one seems a tadthicker." Ace''s sarcasm was palpable.


    Maxworth rounded the thick copse of trees. He wasn''t nearly halfway around before Luck could hear his footsteps pause, quiet as they were. "Everyone, come here." He called.


    And when they rounded the corner, pushing low hanging branches away from their faces, they saw it.


    It was a snake. Once. Its width was definitely the correct size that marked the trees only a short distance away. Ridges lined its scales like an edged blade, many sections of the thing were covered in blood that was quite clearly another creature''s. Its maw and head was sharper, an umbrella of a mushroom sprouting out of its eye and side of its head.


    But, the rest of it. The rest of itwascovered in blood. Portions were just... missing. Cauterized in places, rotting in others, bruised and mangled. It was easily, despite missing an unknown portion of its length, nearly twice the size of any of the serpents that attacked them.


    It was a grisly scene that smelled of iron where it didn''t smell like the jungle. Red and brown, fresh and dried blood, pooled and painted the jungle floor. Everyone grimaced as they took stock of the picture. Despite all the gore, amber eyes locked onto a single detail, a mundane one that stood out.


    The shoeprints by the serpents fallen head.


    "Okay, you''ve got to be fucking kidding me." Those were the words that bubbled up from within. "I thought at least he''d be pressed. Maybe caught up in the action, not contributing to it."


    Tate smiled though. "Well we know he''s safe at least, far as we can tell."


    "We are assuming this your father then?" Maxworth finally spoke after standing still for a long moment. "What type of man is he?" He said slowly. "No normal individual could pull this off alone."


    The three otherworlders shared a look that conveyed many things, before regarding Maxworth as one. It was a look that questioned their old ways of thinking. That argued for something other than the caution and consequence of their actions. Tate had the smallest say and the largest doubts, not at all for the metallic man being a Gentleman, but for the fact he was a stranger. But for Luck and Ace, time moved fast, and they had traveled with the man for nearly a month. And here he was, scouring an infested and dangerous jungle teeming with snakes for no small reason than the fact they were friends. The decision was made.


    "We... aren''t your pure type of people, Max." Ace started, he was staring into the jungle, whether he saw memories or infested bark would''ve been anyone''s guess. "We''ve had rough lives, harder than most of the people that lived around us." He walked among the mutilated carcass of serpent, emotionless at squelch of gore.


    "Rough, violent, harsh. In an environment ruled by connections, threats, deals, money, and violence, we were some of the best." Amber eyes blinked, awareness burying slithering snakes surrounding them, should they interrupt him. The group was moving again, into the jungle, deeper. "We had the most connections, respect with everyone around us. Earned it. Fought for it. We had the most money. The most feared threats, and the most violent when it came to."


    "The strongest warriors." Maxworth nodded, his voice soft but overpowering the increasing noise of the habitat denizes. "You were they with the most power. It is not something the Gentlemen think about, as we are all equal, but Erok speaks of it often. A hierarchy. A pyramid, with your family at the top." His silvery, geared eyes fixed on them. "The kind of people that oppress the Gentlemen for our unbreakable words, those that oppress the wrongs we have done, no matter the rights we commit." More emotion than he had ever heard come from the man tinted his words with color other than silver. But it was no directed to them, Luck felt.


    "We hated it." Tate drew Maxworth''s eyes like a dog on a chain, gripping her pistols white. Luck and Ace''s mouths were lines, their eyes focused on their task of spotting dangers. "We were the ones who wanted change. We were the ones that wanted things to be different. We were the ones that wanted the crimes to cease. We were the ones that allowed them to continue." She growled it nearly, anger in her voice.


    "There is little you can do atop a mountain despite the fact you stand above all." Luck quoted. "Dad said it all the time. His hands were probably the most tied. But hell if his weren''t the most bruised and raw from struggling."


    "You already know my story, Max." Ace said simply. "But I left it all for a second chance. We just all got split up along the way."


    "And when you find your family?" Maxworth asked Luck, slashing cleanly through hanging vines and moss. "What then?"


    "Then we figure out what we want to do. Aerae is a big place after all." Luck smirked, an expression he felt was not as rich without his parents to observe it. They, after all, knew the entirety of its nuance and meaning. All the emotion Luck could put in the expression was perhaps known best by his immediate family, Mr. Ark, and to some extent Ace.


    The noise of jungle, the chirping of exotic birds Luck had yet to see, the hissing of small snakes, the rustling of leaves and branches swaying in the wind, all of these noises blended together in pointless noise, enveloping the four for long moments. Sunlight pierced the canopy in beams in some places where previously the canopy''s coverage was absolute. There was warmth on their backs, the sun illuminating the trees around them.


    Luck could''ve swore he saw it then. What the jungle used to be. Unridden by spores and fungal growths, but teeming and loud with vitality. The pulse of life running through its bark, than bleeding out of it. It was beautiful, enchanting in the isolation, and sad in the realization.


    "It''s a good plan." Maxworth finally said. "Perhaps when I am done with my own goals I can rest like you three." He said softly. "The Gentlemen''s life the past century was not easy. We are feared for our precision and deadliness, outcast for our looks, hesitance towards our word. That is why I seek power with Erok, why I became a System-Seeker, Erok himself has different reasons. But for me, power comes respect. And that is what we need."


    Luck chuckled softly breaking the silence. "Well, I respect you. You basically parried two enormous snake fangs. If that doesn''t deserve respect then the only other thing I know that does is the fact you came out here to help us."


    Both Ace and Tate scoffed, still alert towards the jungle, and then agreed with Luck''s words. Aside from the sounds of their boots and shoes on alternating mud and soil, there was a gentle whirring underlying it all. Whatever man or machine that created the beings of perpetual motion known as the Gentlemen, had outdone itself. Despite the metal of which Maxworth was made of, Luck could easily see the large appreciation in the gentleman that went into the small smile on his face.


    "I have fought larger before." Maxworth laughed, no real bragging to his voice, as his hands rested against his sword hilts.


    Tate''s voice was light, but a seriousness came from it that snapped everyone back to reality as she called out a warning. The canopy had blanketed the sun out of view. A detail that was in no small part accentuated by the fungus around them that now started to glow softly, pulsing with dull light. The yellow hue was sickly, and everyone proceeded with caution.


    Hours passed. The occasional snake was now much less occasional. The had fought less and less what Luck had taken to calling ''baby'' snakes. Now, the snakes were always as large as what Luck assumed was large for back home. In this forest, though? These things were probably the smallest of the medium spectrum. They would come in ones and twos, sprouting mushrooms and hissing mindlessly, erupting in clouds of spore when one of them eventually dispatched them. This was often delegated to either Maxworth or Tate, as the effort for them to do so was the least required. A gunshot or slash through the neck. Luck and Ace would have to do exert some level of mana that wouldn''t do to help the small ache in their heads.


    Snakes on par with or as large as the elementally attuned ones, as Luck had explained to the group, were nowhere to be seen. And he wondered why, as those seemed to be the strongest so far. It was tough going. The snakes would come from the trees to drop down, some Luck noted were venomous, or poisonous, or latched onto them. Their instincts as ambush predators were still rooted in their mindless task to infect Luck, Ace and the rest but it seemed that rather than being coordinated to attack them, as Luck would''ve assumed given the amount they had witnessed, it was just that they were walking into their territory.


    It came to a point that they simply stared the group down, hanging limply on branches to simulate vines. Or they were mottled and camouflaged on bark perfectly. Hidden a few inches underground, ready to sink fangs into ankles. There wouldn''t be a ten-second walk before they would run into one of them, heavily infected.


    "Where are they?" Ace squinted. "Are we missing something? We couldn''t even stretch without having a finger snapped at before."


    "Maybe they''ve left us alone?" Tate shrugged, cautious.


    "I think we must have run into one of the larger snake territories." Maxworth tighted his hand on his swords, half-drawing them. "But I see nothing." It was a relatively open space, for the cramped copse of trees they had previously been in, meaning it was still cramped, but nonetheless large for a snake of some caliber.


    Luck scanned the surroundings, making sure to check behind him with his earth sense. His eyes picked up nothing, even in the canopy and in the shaded areas behind the trees. Empty. "Maybe this is a territory of one of the ones we killed? Or the larger one we found dead earlier?"


    But then they heard it. In the distance, something large, a battle going on. Screeching, loud yelps and shouts, hissing and... staccato.


    "We should probably avoid that." Tate said, having turned her head towards the noise.


    Luck was looking at the pendant, having pulled it out of his shirt, all the lights were shining brightly towards the battle.


    "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me." Ace groaned.


    "No use in waiting around." Luck grimaced. "Let''s go."


    Maxworth nodded and Tate looked worried. They hadn''t talked about the fact the fungus infected and influenced the mind of the host, and the fact they had no idea if their mom or dad was suited to the task of defending against it.


    It was then of course. When the serpent erupted from below.


    And subsequently like the trigger of his favorite pistol, when Luck froze time.


    It was only the second time he had to do so in the last five hours. More than enough time to recover from it, given the other magic he had been casting.


    Shards of rock and soil exploded everywhere, jaws opened wide from below, moving through the debris right below Ace and Tate. That was the first hint to why Luck had sensed nothing. This particular serpent looked like a rock in and of itself.


    Ace''s face was locked in a snarl rather than surprise, his palm frozen in the action of charging lightning opening to face downward. Like him, Luck could already see Tate dropping her center of mass to roll sideways, her guns minutely turning to face the threat. Too slow, the both of them.


    He marked everything down, everything he needed to do in the scope of fewer than five seconds.


    Luck released his hold of time. His intent shot into the ground faster than light, sharp and desperate. Columns of stone came up at curved to slam against each other right between the rock serpents jaws. Two more lengths of softer soil snaked at unprecedented speed to grab the two by their collars, yanking them urgently to the side. The reinforced pillars Luck sent into the snake''s maw barely held long enough. Ace and Tate rolled through dirt and mud before getting up to their feet.


    It was at the same time they got up that Luck realized the snake wasn''t made of rock but simply coated in it. What followed was the imploding of the snake. Luck pulverized its body in half an instant. Everyone relaxed.


    "Too close." Luck huffed simply. No one could know the true length of their foe. But now that Luck knew it wasn''t just rock, he could tell anyone easily. This one was only slightly smaller than the large carcass they had found earlier. Only its head, looking bashed in poked out of the ground, dead.


    "Way too close." Ace said, breathing heavy. He visibly relaxed himself though. But he and Tate looked around warily.


    Luck sighed, looking forward. He couldn''t risk their lives for this. This was too much to ask, he could always go about it alone. Once he met up with his mom or dad, he''d be safer too. And if, gods and goddesses forbid, they were somehow infected, Luck was the best equipped to deal with it.


    He was about to turn around and tell them to turn back when he saw the group casually start moving again. Leaving Luck twiddling his thumbs for a few seconds. No hesitance, no second glances. Tate and Ace were the ones to lead even, Maxworth on their heel.


    Luck smirked and followed them. That was their answer, he supposed.

 Chapter 30 - Source

    They call it the Whimsy. Its name, like its nature, was as elusive as the wind. It was incomprehensible to those who saw it, mages and scholars who devoted their lives to catalog and understand the unknown, to categorize such in their own measures and devices, were baffled. To think about the Whimsy, was folly. Even as I write this I do not so much as plan my words, butfeelthem. It is ancient magic that does as it pleases, much like the ancient Druidic Groves, the Sanctuaries of Beasts, the Whimsy was cast long ago. It defies reason and is largely unhelpful, but those that understand the magic, whofeelit, can find themselves traveling across continents with ease. It was a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a chance that I beheld it.


    -Qua, Legendary Practitioner of Wild Magic and Chance Magic.


    Auth, God of Power clashed with it.It rippled in rage, their battle spanning the oceans. Tidal waves, small riptides to Auth in his current form, were sure to decimate whichever shore they crashed upon. It was Deep Water Kraken God, a name too long for Auth''s taste. The Lesser Gods of the Oceans and Seas were subpar in their naming sense. To them, he conceded, watching them ride the waves and assault the creature with small surges of power, perhaps the kraken was indeed a god.


    To him, it was a threat to Aerae. Annoying.


    His forearmcollided with a coiled mass of tentacles erupting from the ocean. Shockwaves again were sent right into his feet and into the ocean floor. His power flared but the krakenonly keened, squeezing his arm and challenging his strength. Auth flexed his bicep, ripping its writhing limbs that curled too hard.


    He did not attain power without skill. Application was as key as power itself. He stepped forward, his foot slamming down upon one of the larger, thicker appendages it used to traverse and push on the ocean floor. His other arm, unfettered, pierced into the creature''s core and using the leverage from his foot, Auth ripped the krakenin half. It''s body diluted itself into the ocean, disgusting. It''s brackish blue blood instantly polluted an entire portion of the ocean. Smaller creatures emerged from its blood, coagulating in the water. Not worth his time, the mortals could deal with them.


    This was the first time Auth was called to deal with a threat created by Ethodthem. He grimaced, knowing fully that there were only a few gods who could combat something of that level.


    That was roughly 15% of Auth''s capabilities. Things did not bode well if the other Gods continued to report beasts of this caliber. Manifestingin the mortal realm was always a tricky endeavor. He was the size of two mountains, amounting to a fraction of his power manifested physically. He was fortunate Aerae was limitless in size, he would hate to deal with any mortals to have found him. As it happened, the kraken that appeared did so in an isolated ocean.


    He wondered, truly, if the new Gods were up to the task.


    <hr>


    The God of All Things Small had a name. But the name was such that even the tiniest ears could not hear it. Because he, or she - The God of All Things Small was too small to tell - was identified in not only the sound of said name but most importantly by its volume as well.


    The God of All Things Small, or simply Gats, as the big Gods tended to call the God, fought things on a level no other God, save for perhaps The God of Understanding could understand.


    To these tiny yet malicious foes, fleas were the size of Auth''s physical manifestation in the mortal realms. Such was their magnitude of tinyness. They encompassed a space too little to fathom for all except Gats, and of course, the implied God whichfathomed things as a rule.


    Gats'' presided over All Things Small, and Gats was the smallest of small. But there were many small things and thus Gats was indeed a powerful God, though none would ever guess. Auth, it seemed, during the most recent attendance in the Court Of Gods, had recognized the power he possessed if the small amount of surprise he exhibited said anything, which of course Gats had picked up on, naturally. That strange God of Variance had also taken interest in Gats, but that was likely because Gats was never actually in attendance, and if Gats was, he almost never appeared as big as he did, which was to say quite large for the God, it allowed him to attend without issue or notice.


    Gats was powerful. Power concentrated into the speck of a speck of a speck that was the God of All Things Small. So it was only Gats that sensed the small things that threatened Aerae with a level of danger on par with the big things that the big Gods combatted. Some of the threats that fell within the domain of All Things Small could be left to the mercy of the other Gods. This included vermin and pests and even disease and bacteria and other such examples. Gats knew there were much of those threats.


    What Gats was stuck dealing with, on nearly as large a scale as Gats was tiny, were miniscule invaders. If Gats were to bring them up, Gats doubted anyone would believe it. Gats observed their procession on a relatively isolated herd of animals. Within weeks there was nothing left, and not only that, no trace to whatever occurred, no magic signature, electrical, magnetic, thermal, anything. A danger none could detect but Gats.


    But Gats saw. That had been months before. Now, should the God of All Things Small sense their presence anywhere they did not live long enough before Gats crushed them into pieces smaller than they were.


    Gats was the smallest of Gods. And Gats was to be feared. For should any other God attempt the magnitude of the task that Gats did without so much as a complaint, they would find themselves not up to the task.


    <hr>


    Jerxos sighed. It wasn''t that giving the recent rebirthees their deserved power drained him per se, it was the fact they had demolished his tried and true tests that made him feel drained.


    "Advanced Learning, Time Magic, Lightning Magic, Soul Companion, an Evolving Base for God''s Sake. A damn dimensional room of things!" He muttered to himself. "I had to even part with a whole God''s damned cubic meter of omnitanium! And God''s beside me, the tiered magic and knowledge I shelled out!"


    He was admiring his wife''s playing cards, they were truly beautiful things once he had the sense to truly look at them. Not to mention, in times as trying as these his wife''s works usually calmed him down. He was looking into incorporating some of her creations into his impartations. Though he was hesitant after the last card game he played. The very same card game that necessitateda meeting with the God of Time.


    The talk with Ortik went surprisingly well despite his current mood. The God of Time it seemed had predicted such happenings. Of course, that then brought Jerxos to question the God on the future of Aerae, but Ortik simply shook his head. The future was too everchanging in his eyes to be reliable. Jerxos had originally approached him on the matter of informing the God of a new wielder of Time, only Ortik simply shrugged saying he needed all the help he could get. In what fashion he received it was any God''s guess.


    Jerxos wore a tight suit, which on a God''s body almost always looked sharp, something he couldn''t recall he ever had need to do in all his centuries. The Goddess of Fun had saidhe cut a nice figure too. It was a recent hobby of his. He had truly been embarrassed when he became self-aware of his dressings. Apparently, everyone had just written him off as slightly peculiar.


    He closed his eyes, feeling the new souls in the streams around him. Waiting to be reborn in different planes and worlds. With a pluck of his fingers, he could bring them here to Aerae. It wasn''t any soul that could survive such tampering, their mortal lives would''ve had to either have been many or long-lived. His sense of them was vague, but Jerxos had had centuries deciphering the feel, he knew the best fits to Aerae at the time - what would help most.


    He smiled, sighing knowing he had work to do. There were a few worthy candidates.


    "Perhaps I''ll find something more strange than before." Jerxos grinned excitedly, it was the the Goddess of Fun loved him, he was among the few Gods who genuinely enjoyed their role - who hadfundoing it. And among the few that did? He had the most.


    <hr>


    His vision was augmented with blue. He saw and gathered data at an unprecedented speed, though to him, it seemed rather normal. He ignored the slight sweat between his shoulders, the drain on his mana from his sparse use of the aspect of the heatblind, he ignored the bodies for they weren''t as important, the twisted minds of the infected animals.


    The infection on the trees was noticeably worse. While they were immune to the fungi''s method of infection, it was by far the worst possible one. Airborne transmission. Currently, this mattered not to the group, Luck''s Traits were enough to combat the infection itself, according to Spirit he had already created antibodies, and the rest - thanks to Tate - had the equipment necessary to operate in the environment.


    None of that stopped Luck from wincing at the bruised bark of the jungle trees. The foliage was thick enough that he sincerely doubted that any of the participants in the ensuing fight before them would see them.


    "You''re sure?" Ace said, he balanced on a thick branch ridden with fungus, much the same way Luck, Tate and Maxworth had been doing. He was asking about the fungus.


    "I''m sure." Data, especially with so many cadavers, live specimens, and sample hosts they had crossed, came abundantly. That wasn''t to mention Luck''s own intake of the spores which his body combatted automatically.


    The fungus only spread through the air. It took root in the lungs and branched out through the host''s airways. Any other area it latched onto would not take. The trees, unfortunately, were assaulted in the leaves, bringing the infection into the trunks and roots.


    Tate shrugged. "We''ve gotten this far." She checked herself, her shimmering metal flowing over herself. "I don''t feel infected."


    Ace rolled his eyes. "That''s what they all say."


    "Look, trust me. There''s enough data for me to pick up on. I''ve already broken down the component parts of the infectious spores. They plant in the lungs. Just... make sure you keep those breathing masks on." Luck wasn''t shy to lean on the fungus-ridden trunk. It wasn''t as if it was sticky or slimy. They were just mushrooms, just highly infectious. Cold and soft, sure but nonetheless.


    Maxworth''s analysis cut through their banter. "There. That is another Spectre. Different from the ones we have so far encountered. Multiple are darting through the trees."


    Sure enough, Luck saw it. A mottled blur through the tree line. Multiple snakes hung from its body like clothing. It wasn''t the last one either, he saw more. Maybe three, four total. Writhing snakes covered them, visibly squeezing hardened cold metal limbs to no avail. A deep staccato clicking followed their movements, bouncing off each other.


    We approach the Source. It has inflicted severe injuries to multiple Spectres.One clicked.


    We cannot afford to expend ourselves on a single foe. Last Light - Ardun, must stand.It''s clicking, which would otherwise echo across an expanse of space, was muffled near instantly among the trees.


    Careful Spectres, it screams again.


    He heard it a few seconds after the Spectres disappeared from sight. A deafening roar of pain. Emotion. Luck wobbled on his feet, feeling the connection. He tried to take a knee. Only to tip off the edge of the branch. His enhanced sense of balance kicked in-


    Maxworth gripped Luck''s forearm. "Careful, sir." He said, eyeing Luck. A moment''s pause. His head turned to the commotion ahead of them, he nodded forward. "You are a druid. Can you tell us anything?" Ace and Tate breathed a sigh of relief as Maxworth caught him. The way down was not a long one, but it would be a painful one.


    Luck shook it off. "Thanks." He dusted himself, breathing the mental pain away.


    He tried to focus on the feeling. Whatever it was, was large. The sensory input, the strength of its mind and capacity for pain told Luck that much. More than that, he felt its age, as wise and tried as the oldest of the trees themselves. As if it had lived longer than a mountain.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Quest: Fungal Venom!


    (Prerequisites: True Druid)


    An infectious fungus ravages Snake''s Way, when not immediately lethal to victims they enter a state of mind-altering aggressiveness and pack mentality. These infected threaten to consume Snake''s Way and parts ofKrukon''sForest which will cripple a vast selection of Ardun''s natural resources. Find and eliminate the source of the fungus.


    Rewards: Information, Greater Item, Unknown.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Eliminate the source of the fungus. He didn''t have to kill if he could help it.


    So Luck summed it up. "It''s big, old, and Gods above, it''s fighting with everyone its got." He hopped to the next branch, they had been traveling like so for a while, such was the thickness of the jungle. "There is another problem though." He pulled the pendant from his shirt. "Looks like Dad''s the same way."


    Tate sighed. "So what are we trying to do. You can''t seriously think you can help cure it?"


    "He''s done something similar before. Saved my life." Ace said slowly. "Don''t underestimate your brother, Tater Tot. He''s more capable than you know."


    "You have a Quest, correct sir?" Maxworth asked. "Can I assume it has something to do with this creature?"


    "Yeah, assuming the creature is the source of the infection, which I''m convinced is true." Luck said quietly. There was no need to alert anything around them as they moved forward.


    "I propose we find your father or family member and go from there. He may be in more dire straits than we realize. The Quest shall be second to that." Maxworth spoke, gears whirring gently.


    "Something I had already planned on doing, alas my friend and sister think I''m an idiot." Luck snarked, weak venom in his voice.


    Howls and hooting rang out. Such noise had been coming more frequently, accompanying, of all things, the twang of a bow, although the latter was much fuller and deeper than he figured it should be. Following that, the noise of the Spectres, and then loud hissing, until finally, another pained, shaking roar shut up the entire jungle. He wanted to believe the sound of a bow was his father, but the distance made it too hard to tell. If it was, they weren''t slowing down.


    They could move swiftly among the branches, hidden in the foliage, due to how thick and gnarled the jungle trees were. That wasn''t to say they were particularly high up at all times, in fact, they were sometimes brought low enough for jungle grass to swipe at their feet.


    Tate leaned on her leg, looking at a dipping branch path. It hovered over a mud pool. Thick and viscous. Maxworth glanced at her before stepping down wordlessly, cautiously inching his way.


    The back of Luck''s neck itched. He immersed himself in the moment, scanning for dangers below the mud or past the treeline. It was Tate who gave a low whistle, a sign of uneasiness. But it was Luck that noticed the absence of some of the more minuscule organisms, the flies, the worms, the mini bats he had always felt but never saw, disappear. Their presence, ignorant of the infection, was decidedlynot around. Luck hesitated, how long had it been that he hadn''t been sensing the snakes too?


    He looked towards Maxworth, the gentleman having sensed something and slowly looking up. The buzzing silence was replaced with the gentle whirring of gears.


    It wasn''t a snake though. Mud sloughed off of toned, monstrous muscle. It was an ape, and it would''ve been taller than the trees if it wasn''t resting on its knuckles, breathing hot air onto Maxworth. Its brown muddied fur did neither distract from its glinting fangs, nor the crown of the mind-altering mushrooms upon its head. Idly, Luck realized it was a he.


    Many things happened at once. Or rather, many things exploded at once.


    Luck tugged at the inexpressable threads that connected the beast to everything else. It''s hammering arms slowed noticeably, but it made no difference than allow Maxworth to escape.


    The branch where Maxworth had been standing, exploded. Splinters and shards everywhere. The pool of mud, exploded as the ape leaped into the air slightly slowed, intent on coming down on Maxworth, who was in all likelihood running into the jungle for his life.Lightning. Exploding outward in branches smaller and sharper than the jungle.


    Then, the Spectre''s came out from their stealth. Two of them, just outside of Luck''s perception. They were outlines, rough ones, but their arms were pointed upward, to the airborne ape. Then a small shockwave of force permeated the area as pieces of meat rained down from the sky.


    Clicking.Infected from the other cardinal directions. Krukon''s Apes.


    Threat: Krukon. Query, is he still alive?


    Negative, focus on current task. Teams are receiving crippling injuries. The Source requires all our efforts.


    Coming in, reports of unknown force eliminating infected.


    Forward.


    They dissipated again, leaving like ghosts.


    It happened too fast. That was the largest infected they had so far seen. They were quick to get their bearings though, no matter how dumbstruck they had been. Luck had felt so small, something about that allowed him to cement himself in that moment of time and help slow down the ape.


    "Holy hell." Ace whispered. Luck followed him as he sprinted down the branch. "Max?" He yelled, cupping his hand to his breather.


    "I am here, Sir Ace." A smooth voice responded quietly.


    Luck turned left, careful not to slip on the muddy branch. He had a small headache. "Gods Maxworth! How''d you end up down there?" The gentleman was clinging down the branch with his daggers.


    "I got him." Tate''s metal extended downward, grabbing both Maxworth and his dagger and pulling him up.


    "That was not a snake." The gentleman said, wiping mud from his silver body. "I believe we are close to the separation between the zones."


    "No, that was one of Krukon''s apes. The Spectres were talking too. It looks like they''re leaving us alone." Luck voiced, explaining what he had heard from the Spectres and why the ape was in pieces.


    "An unknown force?" Tate questioned.


    "That can''t be Rick, can it?" Ace replied, he led the group up and into the trees once more.


    "Hard to say." Luck pondered. "We have no idea why''d he even be in this deep either."


    Rick Lockyer wasn''t the type to risk himself needlessly. He was a good man, but practical, something Luck aspired to be but could admit to himself, that occasionally, his emotions took the reins no matter how coolheaded he thought he was. He rested a hand on the nearby tree, unconcerned with the fungus. The tree was clueless to its infection.


    Why was his father here?


    <hr>


    After his makeshift tree shelter exploded into pieces, Rick had been having a bad few days.


    The large creature was not only ridden by the large humanoid apes, it along with its riders was ridden with fungus. By whatever stroke of luck, it was something he dealt with in his impartation. Although, calling that lucky was somewhat incorrect.


    He immediately covered his mouth and stopped breathing.


    Paint, the chameleon-man he had encountered, had reappeared after the commotion, aiming to strike from above. Rick, having jumped higher, latching onto a nearby tree, forcefully held the cloaked chameleon back. He had seen first-hand the danger the fungus posed.


    The creatures rode off. Crashing through the jungle. The silence in their wake was palpable. They did not sleep that night, instead waiting for morning.


    Did this mean the city they were going to was infected? How close were they? If he recalled correctly, there was indeed a more formal name, but it had been referred to as a type of Hijack Shroom. A parasite that entrenched itself into an ecosystem, not altogether harmful for the ecosystem itself, but for its surroundings. And that collateral damage was horrifying, especially once it got into smarter sentients.


    Paint''s colors flashed as Rick himself witnessed the screen. The System.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Quest: Fungal Venom!


    (Prerequisites:Prior Knowledge of Hijack Shroom)


    An infectious fungus ravages Snake''s Way, when not immediately lethal to victims they enter a state of mind-altering aggressiveness and pack mentality. These infected threaten to consume Snake''s Way and parts ofKrukon''sForest which will cripple a vast selection of Ardun''s natural resources. Find and eliminate the source of the fungus.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Rewards: Information, Greater Item, Unknown.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That had been a day or two ago.


    While curious about the rewards, he was concerned with eliminating the Source, doing what he had to do in one of his trials. His resolve was immediate, if it was too dangerous he would turn back. Paint as evidenced by their impromptu communication had decided to pursue the Quest, given now that he knew what berries to harvest for food.


    That said,dangerouswas a relative term for a Lockyer.


    "Leave these ones." Rick whispered, standing on a branch high above their prospective foes. His bow in hand was strained with a taut string. He held two large knives outward as well, his hands having practiced holding all three weapons at once.


    Below them, a concentration of the babboons were hollering. Large snakes slithered around them, frantically biting at the elusive figures slaughtering the crowd.


    Crouched on a nearby branch, taller than Rick if he were in the same position, was Paint. His scales flashed a lighter shade of green and turquoise. Somehow, Rick attributed that to agreement and uneasiness. Telescoping eyes, zoomed in and out at the barely visible creatures to Paint.


    These metal, hulking beasts had appeared. Sharp, jagged, and relentless. Their clicking hinted to communication which made Rick uneasy. By all accounts, they should have been spotted. It wasn''t until yesterday that Rick realized Paint had been covering their presence, if not for the close calls when they had been trying to be particularly stealthy.


    "Hmm, this way is still towards the city, right?" A flash of green. "Is it riskier for us though? We''ve had to move back and forth multiple times for the concentration of baboons and snakes. And not only that, those metal things have been spooking me." He said. "But the forest backward isn''t any easier. The tribes are more of a problem, and much more concentrated and coordinated if we head that way."


    It was the reason they were even traversing this infected path of jungle. He notched the trees with his knife, leaving details he could make out. His mark. It would help them get their bearings if they crossed upon it.


    They doubled back. The apes had a tendency to erratically jump to the canopy. It wasn''t worth risking one of them spotting them, then having to deal with all the infected. Even if the metal spiky things managed to stave them off. They were still contagious after all, so were the trees for that matter.


    It was a good thing Rick had learned some things about the Hijack Shroom. Certain subspecies of the shroom had particular umbrella-shaped heads. The shroom head itself latched onto things if it could, not that it ever naturally did. It was a breathable flap of material, that when turned inside out, could latch and stick to anything.


    As long as one was careful they could effectively negate the infectious air by doing what Rick and Paint had done. They had off yellow umbrella mushrooms covering their mouths, naturally grasping their face, and easily breathable. This fungus was apparently ancient though, he doubted anyone would know to do something like this.


    His foot landed firmly, arresting his momentum as he, not for the time paused at the enormous roar that shook the leaves of the tree. As high in the canopy as he was, to avoid most baboons, he could visibly make out the ripple across the treetop.


    "The Source, unfortunately." Rick grimaced at his guess. He rubbed at his beard for a moment in pause. His form was hunched, as to hide most effectively from stray eyes. "All we have to do is eliminate that, the rest of the fungus will dissipate soon after."


    Paint moved differently from Rick, where Rick traversed the branches with his legs and arms, the chameleon man clung to the trunks moving like he was defying gravity. Some grip strength, Rick mused, or rather that Paint was very light and his appendages were just suited to the task.


    They continued similarly until things began to change.


    Instantly, Rick''s hand jerked left and stabbed into the trunk of the tree. Instead of the expected thunk of wood, the sound was squelching flesh, knife on scale. His eyes darted about. Surrounded. He dropped down a branch and hopped backward, pulling his bow up to his cheek.


    Paint swung adeptly, hanging from the branch above Rick upside down. His hands glowed with that strange energy that Rick had seen little of. Silent bolts of colored energy flew out, striking tree trunks. Limp snakes fell, becoming bright flashes of colors, targets for Rick.


    He pinned them to the fungus-ridden trees. They hung like towels.


    Something bit his neck. Fluid pumped into him. He reached up and ripped the tiny colored snake away.


    "Shit." He gasped. His bow and knives fell out of his grip.


    All he saw was Paint''s elongated, muscular tongue shooting out to wrap around him as he fell. The world around him blackened. A faint roar pierced into his unconscious mind. And all he could think about was how close it sounded.


    <hr>


    Luck ripped forward, earth rippling forward with his motion. His sword slipped between the scales of the rising serpent before it could pull back and lunge at him. The rest were pushed back, bruised chests.


    The baboons were new, but Luck only growled. His features were feline, sharper. Getting into their reach, he hamstrung a pair, before turning on a dime and beheading them both. His earthen sword was sharpened carefully. This was nothing compared to what Jayeke brought upon him. The fruitlessly aimed for his head and arms, looking to batter him with thier reach.


    The battle highlighted itself in Luck''s personal overlay. Bright blues, greens, and little red painted his vision. Possible routes to take, dodging maneuvers, magical offensives, and threats. He was precise and ruthless. They did not stand a chance, Luck could keep this up indefinitely.


    This was another large concentration of infected. A combination of snakes and these new apes. Nothing like what Luck thought a baboon might look like, but Maxworth had spoken. These things had small fangs, lanky and muscular arms. And if not for the infectious fungus, he thought he could make out the gleam of intelligence in their eye, if not a sprouting mushroom. They stood higher than Luck when slouching over.


    It had become clear now. Whatever poor beast was screaming in pain, roaring over the whole jungle - was heading right for them. Killing the infected brought its attention to them.


    Luck saw Maxworth give some attention to the roar before he refocused on two larger snakes nearing him.


    Luck spilled the guts of a snake rearing its head, passing Ace in his advance. "Much closer now." Luck remarked.


    Ace chopped an arm off of an ape, using a sword Luck gave him. His other arm blasted two away with a fork of lightning. "That settles it then. It''s coming for us."


    "What about Dad?" Tate said, moving closer. Her omnitanium branched into swords sprouting from her shoulders, moving independently of her. It covered her in living armor.


    "He should be here. It''s where the pendant - what isthat?" Luck''s mouth opened slightly as his head turned.


    It was a man swinging from branch to branch on a rope. Wait no, Luck gave it a second glance. The rope was pink. The man was limp. Something invisible moved above the swinging body. Luck''s enhanced vision could barely make out the form, its camouflage was better than the denizens of Snake''s Way. Why did that look like-


    "What the hell?" Ace voiced over the battle. He apparently had gotten a look.


    "Shit, that''s Dad." They turned to Luck who was holding his pendant. The glow of it was following the swinging body. "Tate, Max, follow that thing! Let''s go!" His hands swept out as he fought a mild headache. A low wall of dirt pushed outward like a wave, stalling the enemies as they ran into the jungle.


    They took to the high ground immediately, clambering up the trees.


    They were running from branch to branch, swatting away the vines that got in their way, smashing the snakes that did so too. An infected baboon would appear only to be shot by lightning. They were making fast time, now that their goal was so close to them. But still, whatever it was that had Rick was fast.


    A bolt of energy struck Luck in the arm. His whole arm went numb, spazzing out, but then warmth flooded back. He looked down to find his arm discolored. Not in the way of bruising or injury, literally discolored. It was blue. He leapt and scrambled, years of running across rooftops of slick uneven footing coming into play. His Trait, allowing him to traverse the jungle as if it were his home like his feet knew every gnarl of wood.


    His friends were not far behind him, as evidenced by the bolt of lightning that shot forward. Gunshots rang out, and there was a flash of color up ahead.


    Then, he caught sight of his dad, in almost perfect slow motion. His current aspect of the shar allowed him sharp clarity, and his S.I. allowed his brain to process it. His body was swinging between branches. Gruff beard, strong muscles clear. The jungle floor blurred below him. His limp leg was... healed? Luck stared at his face, his complexion. Pale... but hale. Poison?


    The tongue around Rick''s upper torso, wrapped around his throat and arms, tightened.


    Then he was swinging away again.


    But Luck was faster. He jumped down. His feet caught a pillar of dirt, meeting him halfway and absorbing his momentum. His knees bent.


    Then he launched straight for that blurred figure. His elbow came up, making sliding contact with something. His knee was held down, weakly, but enough. More points of contact Luck couldn''t make out. But he could feel the scrambling things body. He slammed against a tree. Spores coughed up from the mushrooms. Something held down his left arm, but his right was free to swing away, pounding with enhanced strength and agility. His other leg found something to hit too.


    "Luck I can''t get a clear shot!" Ace yelled. He smelled ozone.


    His foe flashed dizzying colors that made Luck flinch hard. Then it was gone. He shook his head and bruised body, already healing. His eyesight came back fast.


    Tate was on the ground. Rick lay there. Luck slipped off the branch but pillars of earth came to gently let him down. He slid to his knee beside Rick.


    "Move Tate." He said. He cut open his palm, letting his blood dribble into his father''s mouth.Spirit, how''s that antidote for snake venom?He had something plastered to his face. It was a mushroom. Luck kept it there tentatively, he didn''t seem infected.


    The S.I. responded.100% completion. Troll''s Blood and Exceptional Regeneration created antibodies naturally.


    Two red dots shown in Luck''s view, right above his father''s shoulder. He dribbled his blood there too. The entry wound, he knew. His father was gruff, dirty. How long had he been here?


    Analysis.Luck willed.


    Blue information sprang from Rick. Luck''s hands moved where his mind didn''t observing the data, making conclusions. Lacerations on the arms and upper body, likely from traversing the branched treetops. Some were deeper, Luck attributed that to baboon nails and fangs. Old scars, some Luck never really got to see. He couldn''t tell, but a lot of the wounds were much older, they were definitely from another time. Bullet wounds.


    Lines sprung from Rick''s person haphazardly and Luck waved them away. Muscle mass ratio, impressive. Functionality, high. His limbs were in top shape. But his leg. It was fixed. And it drove it home. He was looking at his dad. He calmed his wave of emotions expertly, staring at the bearded face he had loved.


    "Your dad is ripped." Ace put simply.


    "Well equipped too. That is high-quality wear." Maxworth nodded to his equipment. Rick wore cargo pants, camo. His quality leather footwear matched the markings they found earlier. He had no doubt his dad would''ve removed his tracks if he thought it mattered to anyone.


    "Dad!" Tate yelled, her hands grabbing his shoulders.


    Rick coughed, blood coming up that wasn''t his. He jumped from lying down, grabbing Tate and trying to pin her. She was faster and reversed his grip, getting her leg on his arm.


    An eternity in a moment. He paused, looking at Tate, then Ace and finally Luck. "Kids?" His deep brown eyes emanated warmth. It was a man who had found water after thirsting in a desert.


    "Hey- " Then they widened. He threw Tate sideways and dived, ramming Luck in the stomach, knocking the air out of him as something exploded from their left.


    Dizzied, his vision came slowly. The entire swath of forest to their left had been decimated. Wooden chips were still falling, raining debris. A gash down through the dirt, a gigantic boulder, roots and dirt clinging to it stared at them at the end of the wound in the earth itself. Destruction, mayhem.


    Then they turned around and Luck remembered that this world was nothing like their own. A beast like nothing he had ever witnessed or imagined, roared. Spittle flew, some as large as his head. The ground splattered with it. It was partly covered by trees, but that only spoke to its monstrosity.


    It stood two trees high. On its knuckles. An ape that''s chest looked like a bulletproof wall of muscle. Whose arms shook the very air when they flexed. Whose meaty legs were only triple the size of a thick tree trunk.Luck''s view of the surrounding ground sharpened with every movement of the beast. Shockwaves were felt all around, at its slightest movement.


    Nothing moved.


    It stared at them like ants. As if they were nothing but nuisances, ants in an antfarm. Something invisible pressed on them all, and Luck fell on his ass. Only Maxworth was able to stand through it. Its jaw was low and wide, in all likeliness to accommodate the large tusks that stuck upwards from its underbite. Deep eyebrow ridges hinted at deep-seated anguish and despair. And sunk into those ridges, hateful eyes. Promising death.


    It moved in a yellow haze, huffing, standing there as its hot breath spread over the trees. Yellow sickly spores, large stalks sprouting up from its black-furred body. Its hide looked like it put up a fight, but the shrooms found their way through. Prickly black fur covered the thing.


    It had just thrown what amounted to a small pebble to its relative size and had knocked a small portion of trees down.


    Then he noticed a bright glow from his Dad''s hands. Particles of light, differing in hues coalesced into solid matter. Luck''s eyes went wide. Rick''s brow sweat, but Luck recognized a modern weapon when he saw it.


    "You''re kidding." Luck said plainly. He looked back. It was starting to move. The earth itself shook.


    "No, son. No, I am not." Rick grinned. "It''s good to see you kids."


    He knelt on one knee, bracing himself. When he fired, the area behind him erupted into smoke and fire. A trail of white smoke accompanied a searing, ripping noise as the missile cut through the air.


    Luck, dumbfounded, looked at everyone. "Run!" He yelled.


    They never looked back. Even as an explosion rang out behind them. Even as the shockwave slammed powerfully into their backs. Even as something roared loudly and angrily. Even as something in pain screamed for death.


    Staccato. Screaming. Silence.


    They ran.


    "There get to that cave!" Luck pointed.


    "We won''t make it through there, son!" Rick ran, the first time Luck had ever seen him do so.


    Luck stepped forward, and the hole between the boulders opened wider. Ace darted inside, followed by Maxworth, Tate, and then father and son. Immediately, Spirit helped guide Luck through reinforcing the cave. Narrow slits allowed sunlight and breathing, the boulders outside appeared to meld and become one. The entrance, hidden. The rocks sunken lower, reinforcing the bases sturdiness. Small viewing holes. Everything smoothed out. From the outside, it was as if nothing had passed.


    Everyone watched in quiet awe.


    "Impressive, sir." Maxworth noted, sitting on a bench in the dim natural light. Vibrations rang throughout the cave.


    "Friend of yours?" Rick nodded to Maxworth not uncomfortable with taking a heavy seat beside the metal man. "How did you three find me?" His eyes smiled at them but his face was too worn and tired for the accompanying expression. Maxworth observed Rick carefully.


    "Here." The pendant arced and Rick snatched it out of the air. "Points to family." Luck sat down himself, his arm came to rest as a slab of stone shot out to catch his elbow comfortably. Ace leaned nearby.


    "He found me that way too." Tate added. "We came for you."


    "I was trying to head to the city. The God said it was my best chance to find you all." Rick''s voice was gruff, tired, and altogether curt. "I never thought you''d be the ones to find me. Those damn Asaguy." Anger, relief. Warmth in his words as he looked at them. "And your mother?" He asked.


    "The pendant, dad." Luck reminded him.


    The older man looked down, following the light. "She''s towards the city then?" He said.


    Luck blinked. The lights did indeed change. He could have sworn the majority were pointing to here. He stopped solidifying their position. The dirt and rocks around them outside stopped moving to pack and fill in gaps. "So it is. It''s moved."


    "Yeah, they''ve changed. Hell." Tate spoke up. "Did we cross past her without noticing?"


    "There''s no way." Ace shook his head. "We would''ve seen her with all three of us. And Luck''s magic too."


    There was a small silence. "This is your father? What is that on his face?" Maxworth asked suddenly. Rick rubbed his beard, looking left at the stranger. The mushroom cap stretched across Rick''s face. The rest looked at Maxworth.


    Luck let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, Maxworth. It''s him." His face rested into a familiar smirk.


    Rick caught the smirk like a disease, so did Ace, so did Tate, until they were all laughing lightly. The laughter soon died down, but the moment did not.


    "It''s to stave off the spores." Rick answered Maxworth''s question. "Seeing as you all have masks save for Luck I''ll assume you''re fine in the environment."


    Luck smiled. "Yeah, we''ve made it this far without problems. I, along with Maxworth there, are special cases."


    "So I see you kids have finally gotten too old for your dad. Running around the forest without supervision and all. Damn, I''m getting old." He smiled jokingly, seeming younger than he ever had.


    "It''s not like you could''ve kept up with the limp you used to have, Rick." Ace chimed in, his arms were folded and eyebrows up as he leaned nearby.


    "Although you did have three legs with that cane." Luck grinned.


    Rick sighed slightly. "It never is fair when you two gang up on me. Your mother isn''t even here to support me. Tate? How about- "


    She was crying.


    Tears streamed down her face. Wracking, quiet sobs. But despite it all, a smile on her face. She looked up at Luck and her father, glistening blue pools. "I''m glad you''re okay, Dad." She said quietly. Rick got up quietly, walked over to her, and held her in his arms. "Welcome home, Dad."


    "I''m home sweetie. We''re back." He said, consoling her. "We''ll find Mom, don''t you worry. She might even find us."


    Luck closed his eyes through the whole thing, leaning his head back. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He was never the best at this type of thing. He could sense Tate''s uneasiness miles away, but dealing with it? He was as lost a fish trying to climb a tree. He wanted to help her, he just didn''t know how past joking and acting nonchalant. He was relieved his dad was finally here, that someone could provide her the support she needed. It was never his place to.


    His sister was more fragile than she seemed. She sobbed. Rick comforted her. That was that. Luck couldn''t do it. That''s what his parents were for. There were some things only they could do. They wouldn''t be truly okay until they were all together.


    Luck thought of the infection through the forest as everyone got some rest. Ace rested his eyes and Luck noticed his breath become deeper and pattern. Maxworth simply sat stock still, eyes closed.


    His thoughts wandered to the cluelessness of the trees. They spoke as if nothing was wrong. So far as to say that their lives have never been more interesting with all the wandering creatures. They didn''t sense anything inherently wrong with the parasitic mushroom.


    Luck did. He felt its antiquity, its misplacement in the forest - in time itself. It did not belong. And it disrupted the ecosystem, especially those around it. Ardun would suffer as well, and that was why the Spectres got involved.


    The Quest had told him to eliminate the Source of the fungus.Spirit give me what you have. Anything on the spores and mushrooms we sampled?The S.I. quickly picked up on Luck''s meaning.


    The genetic makeup of observed samples paints the picture of a hive-like organism. The parasitic mushrooms possess a hierarchy encoded within their DNA. Infected hosts display specimens that have dormant traits, which when activated may trigger the production of different pheremones and magical signatures. Additionally, the spores produced by these hosts are fleeting. The Source Host, however, can indefinitely keep a large group of creatures hosted and infected. Eliminating said Source will eventually kill off the infection in the ecosystem.


    Are there any signs for a cure?


    Surgical removal is possible. That, provided with the necessary antibodies may be able to revert a host back to homeostasis, should they survive both procedures and come out unscathed in mind. The willingness of the host throughout said procedure is unlikely.


    Then possible, but a struggle.


    Correct.


    Luck grimaced, he would not have had the time to save everyone. The fact that the Spectres had outright burned the infected to a crisp was a tactically sound decision given that Luck suspected the hosts kept some remnant of their intelligence.


    He thought of the infected. "That giant ape we just witnessed. You think it was the source of everything? Did anyone notice anything off about it?" He asked, breaking the silence in the cave.


    Maxworth spoke. "I observed large mushroom heads all along its shoulders and back. Conspicuously more than any other creature we have so far encountered, and of a much larger variety. I think it is likely."


    "That was definitely the Source." Rick''s voice came strong. "I''ve fought similar in the impartation. Same way I knew to use the mushroom caps as a filter for the spores."


    "You have?" Luck said. That magic he saw... "What was that magic you did? A damn rocket launcher?"


    "He gave me Creation Magic," Rick explained, having the mind to speak in English. "And knowledge of the inner workings of weaponry. With it, I could create that." Of course, Luck assumed, that was not all his father receieved. He didn''t even know Ace and Tate''s full pallet.


    And then his dad did something he would love him for forever. Particles of light filled the cave as he spoke. "I stayed away from using these before. Too loud in a place where everything that heard you would want to kill you. I figure with so much of us we''re bound to make noise anyway." He held them out handle first, three of them towards Tate, Ace and Luck. "Here, take em"


    Guns. Sleek pistols that looked more efficient and perfect than any he had seen before. Either his father knew his tastes or the apple didn''t fall too far from the tree.


    He took it, feeling it hum with something as he tucked it into his waistline as both Tate and Ace did. "Why is it humming?"


    "It''s magitech. I won''t be able to make anything like that, anything at all really, for a few days. But I figured you three could use it." He sat heavily, his body looked worn. He looked tired. "That''s the most efficient one I could make. Take''s your mana, pumps it to create ammo, shoots a bullet. Damn powerful too. That''s the best bullet to mana ratio I can make, but don''t go shooting automatic on me, they''ll drain you fast."


    "Magitech?" Maxworth said quietly. "That is an interesting weapon." The gentleman observed with reserved patience. His eyes regarded the weapons with interest. Ultimately, his hands rested firmly on his daggers.


    Luck recited what Spirit fed him. "The wedding of both magic and mechanical theories into new broad technologies." The actual definition was longer and more impressive. "Should be worth something too. The material that go into these things varies from diamonds to magicite, just for the most basic of these techs. Apparently... even some bits of omnitanium are necessary for the most advanced technologies."


    "Could we kill the Source with these things?" Tate questioned immediately. Her metal moved about her fluidly, but Rick didn''t question it.


    "Probably." He said. "In my trials, something similar was enough. This creature is different and much... larger than what I had to deal with."


    "Is it even our place to deal with this?" Tate said, bringing up a good point.


    For Luck, he felt he had a duty here. He was at home here in this jungle, even now wedged in their makeshift boulder base. With the fungal infection spread throughout it, tinting everything in puffs of yellow, it felt twisted to him. He wanted to help the ecosystem revert back to normal.


    "Just because we have a Quest doesn''t mean we should be doing it." Ace argued. He was understandably hesitant. He, of everyone, was the most prone to taking risks and showboating, but past a certain point, he became pragmatic. "That... thing was bigger than anything I''ve ever seen. How are we even supposed to begin going about taking it down?"


    He felt something move. The conversation tuned itself out as he focused on the vibrations of the floor. Spirit helped him visualize his senses. A vague outline in red appeared. It was invisible. Hiding in the dim sections of their cave, moving stealthily.


    Time froze. Luck reached down and pulled a dagger from the rocky floor. He unfroze time and suddenly - to the rest, that is - he was pressing the intruder up against the wall, a knife to its throat. "Who are you?" He said, calmly. Even as the thing flashed white and pink.


    "What the- " Ace jerked. Tate had a similar reaction, both had pointed their new guns instantly.


    The thing struggled, four visible arms straining against Luck. It was nowhere near strong enough to fight him off. Luck''s enhanced body was enough to keep it pinned.


    "Luck, he''s a friend!" Rick''s voice cut through. "A friend."


    Luck stepped back instantly, releasing the... person. It was another species, that much was certain. Eyes zoomed in and out, protruding from its skull. Scales flicked back and forth changing colors before his eyes. Four arms. Two legs. It undulated in colors that reminded Luck of Diversi''s Pools. Enchanting, for the few seconds he let it distract him. It was thin and lanky and rather than looking malnourished or starved it seemed that was the way its body was meant to be. It was an oddly aesthetic creature.


    "What is he?" Luck said slowly, his eyes tracing the colors on its chest. His hand refrained from reaching for his pistol, as his dad had already said he was a friend. "Some type of chameleon?"


    "Chameleon?" Maxworth tilted his head. "He is a color mime. I think they are called the Colohue, a play on color and hue. They speak in picture." He said, surprisingly succinct. He met their glances. "Erok has met one before."


    Ace blinked. "Huh. He speaks in picture? What does that mean? Like, talking with color?"


    Rick spoke next. "I''ve gathered that much." He said, before turning to Paint. "I remember him reaching for me, then waking up to all of you. What happened?"


    "We thought something was taking you after having tracked you down." Tate answered. "Luck shot forward and tackled him until he let go of you."


    "Then lucky none of you injured each other. We''re on the same team out here." Rick responded, rubbing his neck where the snake bit him. "It''s not safe to be alone out here. Paint, you''re uninjured?"


    Colors flashed along its body, bright red. Instantly, Luck understood the meaning, he was indicating his injuries. Luck could point out exactly which ones he inflicted too. He doubted the colohue would accept his blood to help heal so he didn''t bother offering.


    "And you Luck?" Rick asked turning to him.


    "Nothing I won''t recover from." Luck replied. "I''m glad we got this out of the way but I think I should ask the question on everyone''s mind." He paused as everyone looked up, including the chameleon man. "Are we staying to clear the infection or not?"


    Everyone looked to each other. Ace ran his fingers through his hair, still leaning on the wall he pursed his lips, tapping his new gun. Tate was sitting, leaning forward and holding the magitech limp, her omnitanium flowed around her idly. Maxworth might as well have been a monk the way he sat so still, as if his answer was already obvious or merely dependant on everyone else''s. Rick cracked his knuckles the noise permeating the room and Paint showed no real signs of decisiveness either.


    Luck crossed his arms, looking at everyone, and smirked.

 Chapter 31 - Tunnel of Arach

    Those of us gifted by the System are not often as obvious as one might assume. This is because the skills or abilities granted to us come in many shapes and forms. They can be as general or specific as one likes, and in this time of magic and technology, it is difficult to define power gifted by the System or learned or earned by mortal means. On the contrary, an item gifted by the System is often apparent. There is a subtle power about them, a uniqueness in their form that could only be System-given. A sword of flame far more efficient than anything and magitech scientist could whip up. An endless quiver of arrows, something no one has ever cracked. Endless apples as well, with small sources of dedicated mana than seem to never die out. The System is mysterious and powerful. You wonder of my title? Yet study my appearance with caution. What powers might I have? What might I be capable of? Unfortunately, like many bard tales, the truth is often sprinkled with fiction. In essence, who knows?


    -Traveling Bard, Raknor The Slayer


    "I''m glad we got this out of the way but I think I should ask the question on everyone''s mind." Luck paused as everyone looked up, including the chameleon man. "Are we staying to clear the infection or not?"


    Ace sighed at the same time Tate did. They looked at each other in mild surprise, shrugging their shoulders.


    With a gruff rumble, it was Rick who answered after a quiet. "If I know my son, we''re staying." He smiled through his beard. Sometimes Luck thought his dad''s voice might once be muffled by thethickness of his beard. He had forgotten that his voice was deep enough that it didn''t matter.


    "If anyone wants out, wants to head back to the city, I can point the way." Spirit, and by extension Luck, had a very precise mental and digital map of the surrounding area. He could easily track their path backward if he wanted. "Just say the word."


    Paint flashed a variety of colors that Luck had an uncanny mental ability to decode, no doubt a nod to his mastery of language, his Omnilingual Trait. "My god he is insane." Luck gave Paint a brief significant devilish grin. Colors flashed, quiet, unsure, exposed."You understand me?" A flash of blue spotted with purple. Luck eyes only briefly swept over the colohue.


    Luck shifted his attention.


    Maxworth leaned back in the stone bench. To say the Gentleman was nothing more than formed of cold metal was in contrary to his next words. "If it is within our ability friends, then I believe it''s only right to spare the innocents of Ardun. The System''s Update created many hardships, we may be able to curb this one." His was a statement of quiet determination of the sort one might expect from the naive, only... Maxworth was not. He was an extremely skilled and precise combatant.


    Tate eyed the metallic man then. And in her eyes, Luck''s own thoughts reflected back to him. Even after all the discrimination, hatred and if not that, then coldness and isolation that he received constantly and consistently from everyone, Maxworth simply didn''t care.


    "Well, then I''d just feel like shit now if I left." Tate smiled softly. "He''s right, if we didn''t stop Noshm who knows what might''ve happened. It was pure chance we were there and able to help, just like it is now. Besides, wouldn''t want to miss out on family time." His sister was conspicuously - and perhaps a little too enthusiastically -fiddling with her new magitech weapon. Luck didn''t blame her, so was he.


    The pressure of a weapon on his hip was something superficial, given the nature of his arsenal, yet all the same he appreciated the humming magitech pistol attached to his side now. His dad had shot a gods damn missile at the source of the infection. Luck dreamed of being that badass. In his experience, a weapon usually helped.


    "Okay, recon." Luck began. "We''re not out of the jungle yet." As if on cue, hooting and hollering exploded from a short distance away.


    "Baboons." Rick frowned. "Damn baboons. They only chatter like that once they have their prey in confidence."


    "Yeah, they''re surrounding us. Looks like they knew we were here." Luck closed his eyes, he could make out their outlines with his earth-sense for a decent radius around them.


    Ace peeked outside through the viewing slits. "With so many eyes, I''m not surprised they found us. The snakes aren''t nearly intelligent to follow us." Ace jerked his head backward as, what Luck hoped was soil, flew through the slit. Loud chattering and laughter rang out. "They know we''re here. They must have been watching all the commotion. You think after they saw Rick shoot a goddamn missile out of thin air they would back the fuck off." The crackling of lightning encompassed the small room for a blink of time. Something screamed in pain outside, and Luck felt the body hit the floor. A small sharp contrast that painted his earth sense accompanied the thud.


    Surprisingly the lightning was somewhat quieter from what Luck was used to. Perhaps a little of Ace''s mastery showed. Paint joined him cautiously, peering out the thin windows.


    Rick took a solid once over of the room. "They won''t be getting anywhere with us sitting here. Rock''s too thick for them to get through, no exits, no entrances."


    "As intended, Dad." Luck said offhandedly.


    Luck peeked outside too. The actual aftermath of their short sprint and resulting explosion was immediately apparent. A blackened half-crater dug into the ground, an obvious result of a missile impact against something immovable. The entire scene was visible through a near horizontal window of a few centimeters - a precaution Luck took for safety - and only a two-hundred-meter sprint away.


    The baboons were being loud around the crater, but never actually approaching the blackened ground. They surrounded the group''s position, perching on the fallen tips of trees that the Source knocked down. Some standing in the trees in the distance, or hanging off branches further. Of course, Luck could sense the ones creeping up to the boulder bunker where they either thought there were no windows or thought they weren''t looking. He could sense the ones already on the boulder bunker too. His awareness was comprised of many things.


    Spirit supplied relevant statistics.Estimating two-hundred or so entities. Intelligent pack animals, not much in the way of natural weapons other than a sharper intellect than most, short claws, fangs, long limbs, height.


    Luck responded mentally.And numbers.


    Affirmative.Came the reply.


    Luck took a look at Tate. The path of her previous tears eroded lines down her dirtied face. Her mouth was neutral, but her eyes and brow were in consternation and perhaps a tinge of worry. She looked tired. "They''re making a lot of noise out there." He could tell she was somewhat uneasy.


    Luck frowned. He had no news to make her feel better. "Yeah, they''re calling for help." They were definitely loud enough for Luck to overhear.


    Everyone paused.


    "You can understand them?" Ace smacked his head.


    "Help?" Rick asked at the same time.


    "Fuck me, of course you can!"


    Luck kept his senses outward, closing his eyes. "To answer both your questions, they''re calling one of Krukon''s Apes to crack us open like a nut." He relayed, noticing the shifting of everyone''s weight at the news. "From what I hear, and have seen, I''m convinced it''s entirely possible." He popped open an eye to look at Maxworth. "You remember, Maxworth." He gestured.


    "If one can shatter an entire branch of one of the thicker trees, they can this bunker." Maxworth said simply. "We must fight our way out then."


    "Shit. The big ones are something I tried to stay clear of when I could. Paint and I had only a single run-in to convince us to give them wide berths." Rick said. Paint, staring out the window slits, turned abruptly and flashed warning colors. The message was clear.


    Luck took a deep breath, feeling the entirety of the earth within his radius. His back was against the cool stone behind him. His headache had gotten much worse and from the look of Ace''s face his own headache was a stubborn one. He could think past the pain, but it wasn''t helping. He needed to rest.


    Ace peered out the slit, analyzing all the angles of escape outside, ultimately coming to the same conclusion Luck had. "I can carve out a path if Lucky hands me another sword. If Tate can get behind me, we could keep it open. I don''t know how much juice Lucky''s got left but it won''t take long for us to get overrun without his magic. We have to rush it, we''re goners otherwise." His voice was calm, everyone having accepted the plan as it was. He went back to monitoring the outside.


    A short silence. "A sword? Why had I not thought that?" Rick ran his hand through his hair. He chuckled. "The magitech will drain all of you far before you even make a dent in the horde by the way. But... a sword, to match the reach of those damn monkeys, that might just serve me well. Can you make me one, son?"


    "Without any exits, it''s the only way out." Tate''s omnitanium flowed about her, forming into a shiny sword.


    The conversation went on. Mainly, Rick did his best to debrief everyone on what exactly one of Krukon''s Apes entailed. That, with Maxworth''s account of not only his personal encounter but of past adventurers, the rest were able to glean what Luck already knew through Spirit. They were giants of the jungle, somehow surpassing any of the baboons in size and mass. Smarter too.


    Ace, for what Luck gathered was the same reason he himself opted to simply listen, had his eyes closed and relaxed. With Rick, Tate, and Maxworth around, neither were too hesitant to leave watch and lookout duties to the group. He cleared his throat. "I believe it''s quite time we get a move on. Lucky?"


    Finally noticing Luck''s silence. Someone repeated. "Luck?"


    Mentally, he finished mapping the radius of his earth-sense in his mind''s eye.


    Luck''s smirk showed before his eyes opened. And perhaps that, of all things, was what caught the attention. A father knew his son, a friend and sister too were familiar with the expression. Waxing moons of glowing amber shone like a fossil glazed. He was unsure of when they even closed, but they opened now. He pushed off the wall with the smoothness of a showman, the balance and sureness of someone confident. His head only slightly throbbed as he took a slow breath not only for himself but for everyone who he caught in the moment. Him the patient fisherman, and the rest his catch. His foot stepped forward with an inexpressable significance only understood by those that watched him.


    His sense of self dropped into the earth, the cool stability of the ground. He rested his mind against that feeling. And for a moment the throbbing became a focus.


    His voice came slow, not for any move towards theatrics, but a consequence of the calm focus he took not to injure his mind as he used his mana. "Sorry, I had to wait for the damn headache to go away. Ace, you know the shit I''m talking about." He said, Ace pausing to look at him, just as the rest did. His other foot lined up and he set his stance, solid and calm. He took a breath. His hands went into his pockets.


    His feet planted with a firm strength. And then, as if the very earth welcomed him, the ground opened up slowly and steadily. Dirt and stone barely even crumbled as an entrance downward appeared. Luck took the first step as the first step down formed by his will. "Come on. Let''s get out of here."


    He had made his way down a handful of meters, eyes completely closed before a small glow shone through his eyrlids. Quiet footsteps echoed behind him, the mark of people accustomed to moving silently. A soft magic ball of shifting color lit the tunnel forming in front of their very eyes. Thick roots swirled around them, being thrown around in different colors and creating an entirely new sort of jungle. Threads and fibers tickled the shoulders as Luck shared andlistened to their stories as he passed.


    Luck didn''t go deeper than the tips of these roots. His bleeding hand found a way to smear his blood against them when he could. His mind was blank and meditative. He was relaxed here. It felt as if time was frozen, here in the earth, the heart of nature, all aspects of his magic were met.


    "What are you doing?" Rick wasn''t a hard father. He was fair, allowing Tate and him to make their own mistakes and learn from them. In doing so, he trusted their decisions implicitly. Still, some things were just too strange now to leave unquestioned. "Why the blood? That''s not dangerous for you is it?" Like every Lockyer, Rick knew how much blood leaving the body was lethal. Luck was well beyond that point.


    "Antibodies for the infection." He explained. "I adapt fast. It''s the reason the air is still breathable for me. The blood is nothing, I''ll be fine Dad." Luck wasn''t fast enough to hide his smile, not that he was trying to. Rick huffed, but ultimately let a quiet chuckle escape him, somewhat inexplicably suppressed by theold roots around them.


    Spirit? I can transmit the antibodies safely to others correct?


    Affirmative. Without your Traits, however, their effect will be less immediate in others. With this level of infectivity, even the antibodies will not be able to immediately suppress a given infection in the lungs. With constant exposure, most Races would be unable to combat a constant invasive parasitic fungus. Perhaps a Lesser Human with their enhanced physicality might, but not a Pure Human.


    "Can you do it for us as well?" Rick said, sharply. "I do not envy thepeopleI''ve seen hijacked by this thing."


    "I''ll need an open wound from you." Luck handed his dad a small sharp stone. No hesitance, Rick cut open his palm.


    "Me too Lucky, don''t really subscribe to the ''get incinerated by Spectres'' type of death" Ace joked.


    Tate, meanwhile, was already bleeding from her hand. Then, the tunnel flashed with a particular set of colors and patterns that Luck interpreted only to find Paint also bleeding. In the end, he exchanged blood with everyone save for Maxworth for the obvious reason.


    "After this, your bodies will be able to fight off the infection. It won''t be as strong enough as me standing here in high levels of infectivity, but they''ll fight it off eventually, given that you''re somewhere safe. You''re not gonna succumb to becoming a drone if you do get infected now." Luck explained.


    All around them were healthy roots with small fibers reaching into the soil. As they walked, he made sure to replace the dirt and soil where it mattered. They walked like that in comfortable silence, unsaid things passed between them. Tate was calmer, freer, even here pressed beneath the trees. Rick walked unhurried, a blessing given the previous state of his leg, there seemed to be no weight on his shoulders. Ace, Luck felt, was perhaps more himself than any act he might''ve put on as Ace the mercenary.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    And him...


    "You seem happy." Her eyes were on his back, but Luck knew Tate was talking to him. His hands were absently brushing the roots.


    "We just need Mom now." He replied with a smile she couldn''t see. Anyone could''ve heard it, however. "We''re still in deep shit though." He said after a moment of thought.


    "True." He could practically hear the shrug in Tate''s voice, and they both laughed quietly.


    Above them, still, there were baboons around. He could feel them climbing the trees and hopping on the ground. If not that, then the very vibrations of their noise caused enough movement for Luck''s earth sense to visualize. The method he used to track all the things above him was significantly consuming. He could focus on moving forward and sensing above and ahead, no more than that save for small conversation. It wasn''t that he didn''t have the mental capacity, it was that it was taxed. He felt a close buddy of his coming on, mana fatigue and the headache that came with.


    "A cave." A smooth voice flowed over the silence. Maxworth was behind most of the group, walking close to the colohue, Paint. Radiant colors threw the tunnel into light shades. It was easy to miss something. Maxworth was pointing at something Luck never even noticed. "It leads down." A tunnel.


    All paused.


    "We could use this instead. Lucky''s bound to have some mana fatigue by now. When we eventually surface we''ll need him at full charge." Ace reasoned, having moved closer. He was peering into the dark entrance. "Wait, I see something."


    Then there was chittering. Small. Like a million nails tapping on stone in random. It was consuming. Luck froze, too taxed to extend his senses down the shadows.


    "Brace!" Maxworth yelled. Hisstance went low. His hands found his frosty enchanted weapons, billowing ice.


    Paint flashed red and warning. His hands brightened with hues.


    Tate pulled her magitech pistol much the same way Ace did. Ace''s hand lit up in lightning, and curiously a slight frost formed around his fist. Tate''s omnitanium formed around her. "What is it?" She asked, her whole body was braced, ready to fight.


    "Son, I don''t think you could make me that sword now would you?" Rick grimaced, deep but cautious. Luck tried, but searing pain in his mind stopped him. He gave his dad a weak shake of the head. "Shit." Was his response.


    The sound became encompassing. The tunnel, small and muffled, ate the sharp multitude of noise. It was both hissing and clicking, and something altogether... arachnid. Spiders. Big ones.


    A single furry limb gingerly poked out of the entrance. Two, four, seven total followed. By the time everyone had figured out what they were looking at, their numbers seemed to duplicate until they were staring at a moving mass. Blinking eyes, a shiny dull stared at them in multitude.


    Maxworth spoke slowly. Cautiously, as if tiptoeing by a bear. "These are Acid Spiders. They''ll melt through flesh and steel if they get their fangs or mouths on you." He said the next part with extreme pause and stress. "Do not move." The whirring of Tate and Ace''s magitech silenced themselves.


    Ace visibly tensed, too perfectly poised. Tate''s omnitanium flowed around her smoothly, as if waiting to react to an attack. Paint nearly dissapeared against the wall, no matter that Luck could clearly sense him, his eyes couldn''t find the colohue. Meanwhile, Rick seemed more prepared to retreat... which was decidedly practical, and probably the best bet.


    Luck stared back at them, tilting his head upon finding something familiar. He stared into a random pair of eyes and found something odd-


    We welcome you, Druid.The chittering stilled but continued in his mind. The group tensed.The Tunnels of Arach have not seen a Druid in many centuries.


    Everyone jerked when Luck laughed. Tense, danger, all those feelings were thrown into uncertainty. There was a pregnant pause where Luck could see neurons firing off in everyone''s head.


    "You''re fucking kidding." Ace kept his hand on his magitech, one hand free. In a moment, he had deduced the reasoning behind Luck''s laugh. "Spiders too?"


    "What? What''s going on?" Tate whispered, fearful of agitating the mass of furry arachnids. They did not make any outward movements against them.


    "Luck?" Rick said tentatively, once Luck''s laughing had calmed down into a smirk.


    His amber eyes flashed with warmth and perhaps a little mischief. "They''re welcoming us into the Tunnels of Arach." He whispered both outloud and through the connection. "We appreciate your hospitality." The rest he spoke only to them.White fangs and clean kills, Acidren.He knew their formal name, somehow. Likely, a result of the memories of the Druids of Old.


    There was much chittering until a voice spoke clearly.And you too Druid Lockyer.


    The spiders began to relax, meandering about, above and below them. An unhealthy choice for the hearts of the group. On the walls, the ceiling, everywhere was fair game. And too soon, they realized something. It wasn''t that these spiders were so numerous that they couldn''t be distinguished from one another. Not at all. It was simply dark, hard for them to make out individual shapes. Because once they stepped into the colored light Luck found they were size of a large dog.


    That is, they were up to his hip.


    But not shy to crawl over themselves. Hiding their figures. It appeared to him as some kind of natural camoflauge, hiding shapes and individuals. A natural movement in their species that helped conceal themselves.


    "Gods fuck me." Ace cursed, he jerked to the side as one passed above him. "What in the - I have no fucking words. Holy hell, Lucky." He visibly shivered.


    "Are they a threat?" Rick asked calmly. "I assume this is something to do with your impartation? Are we safe with so many near us?"


    Luck responded fast and sure. "They won''t hurt us. We''re friends. Basically family because of one of my Traits." His hand brushed fearlessly along one of the bigger spiders on the ceiling. A chilling sight for anyone, yet that primal instinct was quelled harshly by something deeper within him. "See?"


    "Hmm." Rick nodded slowly. It looked to Luck that his father went through some mental gymnastics before finally settling. "If I can''t trust my own son then I can''t trust anyone." Rick, like him, brushed one cautiously."God, they''re big aren''t they?"


    His father wasn''t one to show fear. Luck didn''t even believe his father was scared of anything. And if he was, it was crushed immediately. Typically, no one would brush against a spider the size of a large dog just because someone said so. Not Rick Lockyer, his trust in his family was absolute.


    "They get bigger too, sir." Maxworth spoke. He was still as a statue, for fear or of simple existence, it wasn''t clear to Luck. "These are young adults I believe. The older they get the larger too. The Acid Spiders are one of the only few species that are allowed to thrive. They normally hunt pests no one would bother spending time killing." He looked around quietly. "And even then, they could maim us in a single bite. That is, that would be happening if were found in their territory in normal circumstances."


    "No worries Maxworth, we''re safe."


    "I have no doubts, friend. It is the same as it was for the Icil Wolves. I''ve witnessed you commune with beasts often enough to trust you." He spoke shortly. "Beyond that, you said your mother passed us somehow on the way to the Source? Could she have been underground?" Maxworth gestured to the tunnel entrance that Acid Spiders writhed around.


    Luck paused. He asked the Acid Spiders if they had seen anyone down there. If there were any humans or anything unusual in the caves.


    We have not encountered any like you, Druid. But the Acidren do not inhabit every inch of the Tunnels of Arach. There are others below, and since recently, dangers even we do not face. We share our space with unamed beasts we fear to even glance upon. If whom you search for is unseen by us, it is likely she is in a territory we do not dare cross.


    A muffled vibration came from above, shaking the roots free of dirt. Luck glanced upward, a small part of him warring futilely with his values. He could sense the large steps above of what could only be the Source of the infestation.


    In the end, even though he was fundamentally changed to care for nature, he was still a Lockyer. Family came first. He recalled Jerxos mentioning something about Traits having in the past conflicting natures with that of their recipients. Not for Luck though.


    "We''ll ditch the Source." But it wasn''t Luck who spoke. Rick cracked his knuckles. "Let''s find my wife." He signaled to Paint. The chameleon man had reappeared evidently. The colohue was hesitant at Rick''s gesturing, but eventually, the colored globe of light floated down the tunnel.


    Rick was the first one to take steps down. His face was locked in a look of determination. Anger, or perhaps grit, at whatever might be in their way. His father was a stubborn one, but as soft as they come if you only go deep enough.


    Ace chimed in. "Sure, head into the spider tunnel, okay. Sure, Rick, sure." He groaned, but Luck sensed ease settle around Ace, a sureness in his step around what would otherwise be extremely threatening creatures. He glanced at them as he walked by. "Gods." He whispered.


    Maxworth followed Paint quietly as they too descended. The spiders, like some odd escort, flowed around them on the walls and ceiling. As if making a point to always encompass them. Luck found it comforting before realizing it was equivalent or as close to an honored escort as they could get.


    Then, it was Tate and Luck for a small moment. Luck grinned noticing her revulsion of the creatures. "Ladies first, right?"


    Tate took a deep breath and spared Luck a forced glare.


    The tunnel wasn''t any size different from the one Luck had been creating. The main difference was that he wasn''t constantly forming it, the concentration he needed was no longer applied. As a result, his awareness spread around him gently, easing his headache. He could feel the ancient rock formations mere meters away from him, sense the age and antiquity like the trees above.


    The thought paused him and he hoped there could be some transmission of his blood through the forest in the meantime. He spoke gently with the trees as he passed their roots, they still weren''t aware of their infection.


    The cave eventually widened out. Before they knew it, perhaps it was a trick of the light, they were walking forward in a large cavern rather than a narrow tunnel. On either side of them, slick cliffs. The bottom was in sight because of their light, but that didn''t make the drop any less dangerous. Luck thought he saw some spider carcasses below, stuck and starved. A rock face too slick for even their legs to grip.


    Ace made an expression of awe and Luck looked ahead, or rather ahead and upward.


    "Damn, never seen a stalagmite in person. It''s huge. " Tate said. "These are the type of things people make tours around aren''t they?"


    "They''re stalactites, Tot. Hanging from the ceiling not sprouting from below. " Ace spoke over his shoulder. He seemed to be admiring the formations much the same way Luck was. Although, Luck was using both his eyes and his earth sense. Somethingmore than awe filled him.


    We do not build our webs in them.A chittering, restless voice spoke.It is a disrespect to the Tunnels of Arach. She spun her webs from below and above until the Titans from the surface descended and ripped them to hanging shreds. Now, Arach''s tattered web has been covered by the stones, consumed by the very earth they were stuck to.


    These tunnels are beautiful. Formations like these would be spectacles to be preserved and admired. Did your ancestors create them? These caverns?


    No, that credit goes to something more ancient than them. The Tunnels of Arach is one of the lesser known zones surrounding Last Light. Where all else attacks and dwells on the surface, we exist below. We''ve not felt compelled to attack the city in months now.The voice echoed sharply in his mind, mimicking the sound of furry legs on solid stone.


    Luck silently smacked himself. It was something he should''ve inferred - that something like this could exist below Ardun. He had seen ice caverns around the Frozen Zones larger than this, and for all he knew, more expansive. Why couldn''t something like this be here? And, it seemed, for the most part, everyone appeared around Ardun, save for himself and Ace who were rebirthed afterhis family had been. That meant, it would not have been a leap of logic for his mother to have begun her life anew... in these dark, foreboding caves. The only reason it wasn''t as of currently was due to the colorful light show that danced on the cavern walls, where crawling spiders were absent from.


    Hold on, Last Light?Luck paused, that was the name of old, the ones that the Spectres used.Have you been awakened recently by the Update?He sensed nothing out of the ordinary with their place in the natural order of things.


    We Acidrenpass knowledge with utmost precision. Some of us stick to the old customs, old names. Last Light, Ice Spike, Hydr''s Watch, Trees of Krukon, Serpent''s Path. Names are powerful things, we show respect when we can.


    Luck nodded quietly. He felt he had maybe heard the names in passing, either the trees of Snake''s Way spoke of the other zones, or perhaps Rever had mentioned them during their brief talks.


    Absently, a blue grid spread from Luck''s feet, using data from his own senses. It flowed over everything within Luck''s awareness and information sprung like a water spout from the surroundings. The density of stone, hardness, shape, malleability, even impurities were picked up. He could even see - in a 3D internal model - the different layers of stone that took part in shaping the cavern. That was little to say of the information that he had already internalized of the group he walked with. Of note, Ace''s magic, Tate''s omnitanium, both of their magitech weapons, his dad''s creation ability - something Luck could still not quite wrap his head around - Maxworth''s daggers and person, and Paint the colohue and the odd colored magic he practiced. All of these were presented to him uniformly and uncluttered, something Spirit had informed him could only be safely done with few high-compatible users.


    Luck stuck his hands in his pockets and perused inconspicuously.


    He focused the stalagmites, thinking for all of what the spiders say, it would be a simple rock formation. He paused when curiously, he picked up an unidentifiable material at the core of the rocks. What''s more, Spirit could not identify it either.


    The stalagmite had a girth of three or four meters. Tate and Rick came close peering upwards into the dark of the ceiling of the cavern where the column disappeared to. Ace brushed his palm against the slick surface, wet with moisture.


    "Amazing." The former mercenary said. "This thing must beold."


    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen any this big on TV either." Tate spoke aloud.


    "That''s becauseall you ever watch is baseball on the bar TV." Rick scoffed. "Besides, not like you kids would''ve ever seen one of these in your lifetimes. You''re city kids." Ace rose an eyebrow pointedly. "Well, except for Ace. Maybe he has for all I know. Life takes you places." Rick allowed.


    There, Luck noted absently. His father would sometimes do that, although Luck assumed he was unaware of it, he would vaguely hint at things of a past life. By now Luck knew his father had some secrets, and it killed his curiosity, knowing that with the type of work they had done, it couldn''t have been that badin comparison. Yet Luck never had it in him to ask. His father''s eyes often went somewhere else when Luck sensed him remembering said memories.


    For example, his eyes often went distant when he was alone for a stretch of time without his wife. It must''ve been a few hours since they unanimously decided to leave Snake''s Way and search for his mother. Perhaps it was this period of rest together that drove home the absence of the last Lockyer. And of everyone, she was probably the most easily missed.


    Rick fiddled with the pendant Luck entrusted him.


    "Problem is, " Rick noted. "This thing isn''t three dimensional. It''s just a two-dimensional compass. Won''t know if your mother''s below or above us. And here, in this tunnel, we''d probably need to know that." He still had the pendant given to Luck by Jerxos.


    "We can rule a few areas out. Above and around us are spider territory." Luck gestured to the hanging thick, sticky webs around them. The large spiders went about their business, bringing in what seemed like large worms or rodents to feast upon. "I believe them when they say they would''ve noticed her. That means, the only way is down."


    "Are you sure we''ll know our way back out?" Tate asked. She, like him, had to be good at remembering directions. Neither had much experience in caves. For Luck, however, he felt at ease in nature, not to mention his impeccable mental map. He could walk the way back blindfolded. "We''ve been on the move for hours. I can''t make out what''s what. Half of the time I can barely see where we came from."


    "Worse than a blizzard isn''t it?" Luck joked. "Don''t worry I can lead us back with no problems."


    Tate gave him a small nod, her omnitanium flowed calmly around her.


    "In any case," Ace spoke into the silence. "You think we could take these breathers off? My face has been itching for some cold cave air." He tapped the metal mask he wore. "Besides we''ve been immunized."


    Luck hadn''t been detecting any traces of the fungus for a reasonable amount of time already. "Feel free." He said. "Should be fine this far from the infection."


    Ace began to peel the mask off until it simply flowed off his face like quicksilver coming back to Tate. For his part, Rick peeled the mushroom cap plastered to his face off gently. Tate and Paint followed suit. And, collectively and oddly in sync, they took a deep breath.


    They would''ve felt cold air in their lungs. Stale, unbreathed, and somehow fresh despite being stale. This was the air the things in the Tunnels of Arach breathed. The spiders, having escorted them to the edge of their territory, if not in number than in size, began to chatter and click.


    This is as far as we go. The territory beyond is not considered ours, Druid Lockyer. We wish you the best in finding what you search for. We will keep our eyes out for this human, although our chances of catching and restraining her without damage to both parties are slim, we will attempt it should the opportunity present itself.


    Thank you, Acidren. We are grateful for the safe passage and welcoming into the Tunnels of Arach.


    The spider shifted in what might have been dark humor.We will not be the only ones. You haveyet to truly be welcomed. Not all below us are as friendly as we to the Druids. Watch your back and the shadows, Druid Lockyer. That is the best advice we could give to you.


    Maxworth calmly looked back at Luck when he made eye contact, a wordless question.


    Luck answered for everybody. "This is the edge of their territory. They won''t be watching our backs for us anymore." He said, speaking even as the spiders around them dispersed, a scant larger few staying to see them off. "Dad, where''s the light on the pendant pointing?"


    "Straight ahead son," Rick replied, rubbing his beard.


    Luck reached into the ground below him. He handed his father a finely crafted sword made entirely out of stone. Sharp enough to nick a finger with easy pressure. The design and aesthetic he mentally modeled with Spirit''s help.


    "Straight ahead and down then." He said simply, taking the first steps forward.

 Chapter 32 - Deeper

    The Update, as many are calling it, has a wide impact. So wide in fact, that not many people have yet to witness, truly, what has differed. Everyone is focused on the new threats, new enemies, unknowns. But, The System is constant all throughout Aerae. We forget that it is like mana, like air! We breathe it and use it like a moth is attracted to a magic lamp! It is mostly the Adventurer''s that have begun to note the changes, as they are often the most traveled and thus have much of The System''s features unlocked. Titles and Feats for one. There are others, more common, less common. It does not matter. They have changed. The System is fundamental to our life. And it has changed. It is changed and we are too busy cowering in fear at the unknown to marvel at it!


    -Craddus Faul, on The Update


    Harrowing blue-black shadows screamed lightning as Luck impaled the creature in tandem with the sound of thunder. It, like some twisted sculpture, died on its spiked pedestal as another, smoking, flew past and struck the wall. Another was thrown hard onto the ground, stunned, before a figure was instantly beside it, slitting its throat.


    Maxworth rose up. "These I do not recognize." He said, dagger painted red. He knelt down, noting the short creature.


    They were at a slope, steadily descending deeper in the Tunnels of Arach. Maxworth had so far been their encyclopedia on the various enemies they encountered. Spirit, it seemed, was not so well versed on the lesser known inhabitants of the Tunnels of Arach. Although, that wasn''t to discredit Spirit''s speculations which were increasingly helpful.


    Blind humanoids, gaping ears, both nod to echolocation. Sharp claws and dull hard pads under their hands and feet are likely used to produce sharp noise to both communicate and see. Hypothesized ancestry with Cave Goblins and Dire Bats.


    "They''re blind. The clicking we''ve been hearing is coming from their feet and hands to see us with echolocation. I hate to imagine how we''d fare without a light down here." Luck spoke aloud for the group''s benefit.


    Rick flicked his sword out, spraying blood across the floor. Luck''s father, not surprisingly, turned out to be expertly wielding the new weapon. "They''re somewhat similar to something I''ve faced before." He said, nodding subtly to his impartation. The fact that they were rebirthees was one not yet known to Maxworth.


    Tate''s omnitanium, as Luck had guessed, was proving immensely effective against anything they had so far come across. That included large aggressive beetles, dire bats, and some of the camouflaged rock crawlers. By its freeflowing nature, it remained pristine, despite the carnage Luck saw it reap.


    Ace wiped his brow as he approached. He was covered in less blood and goop than Rick or Tate but the fatigue was there. He smelled like ozone, and frost rather than smoke came from his hands. Had he been trying to utilize Rever''s gift? "And the pendant, Rick?" He asked, only slightly out of breath.


    By now, these encounters with the cave dwellers were somewhat mundane. Between their group, they had a lot of leeway in these battles as long as no one did anything overtly stupid. But, the parting words of the Acid Spiders still chilled him. Aside from the rock crawlers, basically crab-like crustaceans that fell from above to latch onto their victims, nothing they had encountered was more than a kind of cave-augmented version of something mundane. The rock crawlers were an exception only because it seemed they had some kind of paralytic venom and normal crabs didn''t stick to the ceiling and ambush prey.


    "It''s still pointing forward. No changes." Rick replied. His sword''s tip was always just above the ground, navigating the grooves and divots of the ground with precision. The strength in his dad''s sword arm and control was much more than Luck could''ve hoped to achieve. He seemed to be holding a weapon made of air, with how easily he controlled the weapon. Luck thought he noticed Maxworth observing Rick''s swordplay on more than one occasion.


    "It''s getting colder." Ace replied. "These little - what did you call them? Blind goblins? They''d be a danger to us if we were alone."


    Luck nudged body of one of them. They weren''t exactly pitch black, or camouflaged with the environment at all. He gathered they were simply reliant on the darkness of their habitat. Their ears were flared outward and gaping, even in death, as if to catch every ambient sound. The eyes, if Luck had to describe them, were both unseeing and unsettling. They didn''t reflect the light. They could scamper around silently by shifting onto the soft pads of their feet, sending out noisy clicks when they needed vision.


    "I imagine without light and alone, they''d a pesky foe." Luck shivered. "Alone in the dark and all you hear is the sound of sharp tapping before you''re swarmed."


    "They barely reflect the light too." Tate noted, a small flame coming from her omnitanium weapon. It shone on the bodies but they were still barely revealed. She was referring to the skin, rather than their eyes which Luck had initially noticed. She was right.


    There was a flash of colors as Paint leaned over the things, observing their color. His body changed slightly, and in the light, he was nearly gone. He shifted colors in a thoughtful way.If not for the colors, we would not have seen them.He communicated.


    Their numbers likely represented their success in these caves-


    One suddenly shot off the ground, claws lunging for Luck''s neck. It''s muted eyes sharpened in focus and anger. Faster than that, an earthen shackle planted the little thing down, jerking it violently to the ground. And before anyone could say anything Luck had an earthen spike through the thing''s eye. All this without moving. "They''ve got some intelligence too." He said. "But I doubt they''re the worst thing to come across down here. I just wonder how Mom survived down here."


    Absently, the rest of the group double-tapped the rest of the bodies.


    Their path - a downwards sloped cavern - eventually narrowed into another tunnel. The problem became apparent when these tunnels branched out, becoming more complicated. Luck couldn''t sense the magnitude and length of these paths, otherwise, navigation would be easy. As it was, they simply chose the one that most closely lined up with the pendant. They found themselves crossing slim bridges across deep fathomless trenches. The depth of these occasional caverns was unimaginable, the only safe way deeper were the sloping tunnels.


    According to Spirit, who could easily track their three-dimensional position, they were still under Snake''s Way. But it was cold enough that Luck wondered if they were under the Frozen Zones. In some kind of soon-to-be ice cavern. He imagined the temperature drop was due to the depth. The cavern was so vast such that there was a chilling wind blowing at their faces, pressing them against the cliff walls.


    He pulled on the heatblind. "Why did the temperature drop so fast?" He asked quietly, a constant tone as opposed to a sharp whisper - a mistake many made when attempting silence. It had definitely dropped a few degrees, and suddenly too.


    "Could be anything. We don''t know the geography around here. There''s a handful of formations that might cause a change in temperature across the entire cavern. There might be a source of water below we can''t see cooling down the whole cavern the deeper we go." Ace said.


    "Take a peek over the ledge for me." Luck smirked. "Maybe there is."


    "No thanks, I''d rather not." The former mercenary waved, his focus on his balance.


    They stepped across a ledge. Small stones crumbled and fell away from Luck''s feet, but his balance was absolute. Luck didn''t flinch as he corrected himself. The rest were ahead of him with Paint behind him, as they were the two that seemed to have the best balance. This way too, Luck could catch anyone would fall. Their movements were much smoother once they learned that tidbit.


    Rick paused slightly. He was both rounding a corner of their ledge and stepping onto more stable ground. "Snake." He said, his voice carrying easily to everyone.


    Luck focused on his sense of the earth and he felt quiet breathing, a small shuffle of a sinuous body at rest. Rick, despite calling the warning, did not stop moving. Luck''s dad was the first to step onto a wider path away from the steep drop.


    The snake was large enough to warrant a warning from Rick, meaning it was quite large. It was as wide as Luck was tall, and perhaps ten times the length. By no means was it a small threat. But it was sleeping. On the surface, they had fought similar serpents, and although those were much smaller theydidcome in number. This wasn''t a blind fight to pick, and if they were going to cross this particular stretch of plateau the serpent had to go. That was Luck''s conclusion, and it was apparent the rest understood so as well. Even if they could sneak past the serpent, it wouldn''t do to have that threat at their backs.


    Almost like some inherent battle sense flowed out from the group, the moment everyone stepped onto more stable ground, everyone spread out.


    Luck made eye contact with Ace as Rick approached the snake''s head silently, sword at the ready. The snake was coiled up like a spring, its head like the end of a rolled up rope. Scales flared out, more weapon than armor. And it''s head and face was piercing, like some kind of snake that relied on brute power than any poison.


    A frost coiled off the creature''s body like smoke. Cold emanated from its mouth when its tongue would periodically taste the air in its sleep.


    Rick raised his sword slowly.


    Maybe it was the way he raised it, or the movement of air as he did. Perhaps it was the way its tongue flicked out the second he did, or the fact Ace''s left hand was leaking frost and this particular snake seemed attuned to such things. Maybe it was the fact that Maxworth''s daggers did the same thing as the gentleman moved into position.


    Whatever it was, the serpent opened its eye. Unfocused, its eye locked onto Rick as it sharpened into a sudden slit.


    Bands of earth slammed around the things head. This didn''t stop its scales from flaring out and nearly freezing over in an instant. It struggled against Luck''s bonds for an intense moment before a bright steady arc of buzzing electricity connected to the neck of the serpent, paralyzing the entire body. Rick''s sword came down and only bit a third of the way through. There was a pained panicked keening, but Luck predicted as much from experience, a muffler of rock covered the snake''s mouth - any loose dirt for the construct wasn''t available.


    Two more hacks and the thing was dead.


    Their trek continued in a similar fashion. A mix of perilous drops, cautious footwork, and threatening beasts. It happened that those snakes attuned to the element of ice were inclined to the depths of these caves as well. After speaking with Spirit, and subsequently updating his mental map, it made sense given that they were still under Snake''s Way. The Frozen Zones to the North, Hydr Dunes to the West, Krukon''s Forest to the East, and finally Snake''s Way to the South. They covered all directions of a two-dimensional compass.


    To put things in perspective, it would''ve taken weeks to traverse any of those lands if Luck and the rest hadn''t had help. The Tunnels of Arach, they stretched under all of these.


    Luck suppressed a shiver as Spirit outlined the map in his augmented reality viewing. A hologram, visible only to him floated a comfortable distance in front of him, a sharp green line denoting their path deeper and deeper into the surrounding caverns. The map wasn''t complete either, as many of the side tunnels they never ventured far enough for Spirit to fill out, and still, the thing was still impressive.


    "You''re saying these tunnels are under all the zones?" Ace exclaimed. Luck had given him a sword too. That utility of Earth magic was probably the most useful of them all seeing as how much more efficient it made them. He, not for the first time, was wiping the cold blood of an Ice Snake off of the blade.


    "Yeah, all of them." Luck responded. The section of the cavern they were in felt like it was open air. He couldn''t see the ceiling or sense it and the walls were too far apart to notice in the dark. "It explains their vastness. If all of the zones encompass one direction of relative to Ardun, The Tunnels of Arach are just that - down."


    "That explains the cold then, and all these bitingly cold serpents." He said more to himself.


    They all silently began to move, following Rick. As he held the pendant, he led the way, and unless Luck or anyone else noted something out of the ordinary their method of moving was straightforward. Follow the motes of light.


    "How do you mean?"


    "If the Frozen Zones are connected, all that cold air is crashing down the tunnels and forcing all the warm air up." Ace said as another breeze whipped Luck''s hair. It was cold, and Ace noticed. "And if this is the temperature of said warm air, it''s only going to get colder." He explained, a small frown on his face, the former mercenary shivered.


    "Hmm." Luck hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the group.


    Luck was always aware of everyone''s clothes. Not that he was trying to actively monitor how prepared everyone was for sudden shifts in temperature or anything. It was just one of his hobbies. Not so much fashion as it was wearing something that looked good, felt good and functioned well. It was why he was dressed so comfortably, wearing a looseshirt and fitting pants with many pockets. It was why his shoes were fit to his soles and supported him nicely.


    It was also why he noticed Ace''s slight shiver even in his hoodie. It was why some time ago he noticed Tate''s omnitanium wrapped around her - presumably warming her up. And it was why he noticed his dad''s lack of shirt and perhaps more interestingly his lack of reaction. It was definitelycold, nothing that Maxworth was probably aware of - so he thought. One of the things he did notice, was Maxworth''s complete indifference to the upwind of cold air. And it wascold.He could quite literally feel Paint''s shivering from here. Luck''s teeth started chattering a while ago before he called on the aspect of the heatblind, the small animal that altered its temperature to match the environment to avoid heat-seeking predators. Its ability to regulate its temperature and maintain homeostasis was a blessing.


    And one that he could impart.


    The thing about Nature magic, at least so far as Luck learned, was that it centered around connections. It''s inthe way a budding plant can take in sunlight, and somehow at the end of the month, that same energy could be found in the most powerful predator. It''s the way rain can come down from the sky to be soaked up by quiet trees. The way a waterfall splashing against mossy rocks can invite life between the clear ripples.


    There were many heatblinds in his Grove, and as he closed his eyes a part of him briefly left the cave and floated among of tapestry of threads. In those threads, he could see his entire Grove, some parts mysterious and glowing, others mundane and thin, some fraying some taut. And although he thought of it as "seeing", it was really something he felt, then imagined in his mind. He found one of the threads he often used andpulledat its energy, leaving the thread no worse for wear, but allowing him some of its strength. He could sense the thread become aware, then relax as something like pride filled it. The magic came to him, a direct thread to himself.


    He held that ball of green-white energy within himself, a package - a gift of the heatblind. He went for another, and another, until he had many of these gifts. He took one of them into his own self, immediately warmth filled his limbs and extremities - a perfectly comfortable temperature. He had three of these gifts, an act of mental fortitude, even with Spirit helping him concentrate.


    "Lucky... you''re kind of glowing." Ace''s slow voice came to him.


    Briefly, Luck looked at his hands and found them subtly glowing green. He considered remarking on the fact."You cold Ace?" He asked instead.


    "What? Yeah, not as badly as the Zones but after you- " The former mercenary began. Luck laid a hand on his shoulder and let the magic flow into his friend. A rush of gentle green flowed between them. "did the Nature magic...I was fine. That''s what that was?" He said, having stilled his slight shiver. He seemed less surprised than grateful. "Thanks, Lucky."


    "What''s going on?" Tate asked. She was ahead of them walking. She didn''t look cold at all but Luck doubted the drain on her mana was worth keeping her warm through her omnitanium.


    "Here you go, Tate." Luck laid a hand on her forearm, moving past her to his dad. The shine of the green magic was brief. "And Dad, I''m not even sure if you''re cold but here you go." He put his hand on the back of his shoulder as Rick looked back from the pendant. A gentle rush of green spread between them.


    Both blinked. Rick at the change of his body''s temperature and Tate likely from the feeling of the magic.


    "Well, that''s nice," Rick said first, a small smile of wonderment of his face.


    Omnitanium slid up her arms and legs, centering on her torso. "I''m... warm." She said. "Is this how magic feels?"


    Before the colohue could even consider how Luck could see him. He walked up and placed a hand on the camouflaged individual''s chest. This time, Luck watched. A vibrant green infused his arm, flowing from all over his body and coming to his fingertips. It a subtle light, as if his arm was shining from the inside. From his hand, the color permeated Paint, overpowering the colohues natural hues and coloring him green, spreading like tree roots and veins, until the magic seemed to suffuse itself into him. Paint''s heavy shivering stopped instantly.


    Once he could alter his color again.Thank you, Druid. He flashed. Luck gave him a curious look but nodded all the same.


    "That''s amazing," Rick exclaimed. He stared at his hands, seeming to wonder where the magic went. Now that he was closer, he could see his Dad''s goosebumps recede. "What is this?"


    "That is the aspect of the heatblind." Luck responded. "A creature able to regulate its body temperature without repercussion. It should keep you all warm for a while. Four to six hours at least. As aspects go, the heatblind is not as mana intensive to use, but I still gave the magic some juice."


    "We should be able to have a sense for when the magic is wearing off anyway. At least I did the last time Lucky gave it to me." Ace added. That was interesting since Luck thought he was the only one who could sense it. Although, given the type of magic, it made sense.


    "Luck did that take much out of you?" Tate asked, her omnitanium seemed more flowing now that it wasn''t being used to warm her body.


    "Nothing I won''t recover given time. I''m not anywhere as low as I was before." He responded. And, in that split second, he had everyone''s attention, "Pretty cool, right?" He grinned, breaking the wonder of the moment to brag.


    Ace laughed at that while Tate and Rick both chuckled. Maxworth seemed to take the question seriously and nodded his head although he hadn''t been given the aspect and Paint flashed something like gratitude in color.


    "Yeah, it''s damn cool," Tate said. "I wish I had something like that."


    "Uh, you do sis." Luck pointed at the flowing metal.


    "Yeah, and Dad can create objects out of thin air." She replied sarcastically. "And Ace can shoot lightning."


    "I don''t think I can make that metal. " Rick replied, his voice deep and thoughtful. "Something instinctual in my magic says something about that, what did you call it? Omnitanium? Something about it is special. It''d be a feat of master of my magic to get that done."


    "Maybe the fact it can turn into anything? Both weapon and armor?" Ace replied, just a little sarcastic, which is to say, very. "Hell, why aren''t you tying your hair up with it? The first thing I would with something like that is use it to make my life easier."


    Tate blinked. "Huh." Then a small band of the metal formed, instantly tying her hair up into a neat ponytail. "I didn''t- "


    Luck interrupted sensing something ahead. "Careful what you wish for Tate. You might get to see some more magic." Because that was what he felt, unmistakably. Before Ace or anyone else noticed thanks to Spirit''s warning.


    They weaved like a stream of water through the pillars of pointed stone, inching closer and closer in dim light. A breeze blew across their faces stifling the noise of quiet breath and footstep. Luck crouched, ready to throw himself or pull the trigger and pause time. His hand rested steadily on his magitech pistol, something they hadn''t used for fear of alerting unseen enemies.


    They had been repeating odd cycles of this. A warning shouted out, and then silence until the danger had passed. And so on, as was the manner that they had been traversing the depths.


    Now, however, it wasn''t so much danger as simple unknown magic, which, Luck thought, arguably might hint at something more perilous. He could sense the mana in the air, the same way he felt the element of Ice permeating the Frozen Zones, only here he was unfamiliar with the magic.


    As they rounded corner... the cavern became uniform.


    "What the hell?" Someone said.


    Something screeched and scrabbled in the distance. It was one of the blind goblins, if Luck''s hearing was correct in identifying the sound. With Spirit''s help, the little figure was highlighted in the distance, further down the cavern. Ace and Maxworth both moved quietly and tested the floor of the cavern - suspiciously smooth.


    "You can see it, son?" Rick looked surprised, no doubt having heard the same thing, although his eyes couldn''t focus on anything.


    "Yeah, one of the small guys. It''s running on a short ridge... from something." Luck kept watching as it leapt, ducking and rolling. The movements were familiar. Desperate attempts to survive, Luck had killed a few doing the same thing earlier. After a slow blink, what was once a short humanoid, was a pile of shredded meat, splattering on the cave floor.


    "Uhh..." Tate intoned drawing Luck''s notice. She was peering through a pair of silver binoculars, the wind coming from the cavern whipping her hair back and forth.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Luck squinted at the mess of the little thing. The whistling of the wind, here in this dark place, made the scene even more unsettling. Not to mention that whatever killed it was invisible as far as Luck could tell. "Gods and Goddesses." He cursed, the unearthly curse rolling ever easier off his tongue.


    "It-it just ripped apart," Tate muttered, she probably had a much more detailed view of the happenings with those binoculars of hers. They were tilting left and right, scanning the rest of the cavern. "Thermal imaging shows nothing either. Kinetic imaging... nothing."


    "Maybe it left?" Luck doubted the words even as he said them. He had more or less seen the event between his blinks.


    "It could''ve been some kind of weapon. A ranged attack from a creature we haven''t seen yet perhaps? I doubt we''re the only things with projectiles in this cave, I''ve seen creatures with similar."


    "To wrought that much destruction in one shot?" His daughter asked dubiously.


    Paint appeared and flashed a few colors, unsettled. Apparently, as Luck might''ve guessed, the eyes of the colohue were accustomed to long distances too.I could not see what killed the creature either.


    Maxworth stood up from his scrutiny of the surroundings, having listened to their conversation. "A type of magic then." He said with quiet confidence.


    "That would explain the mana we''re feeling Lucky." Ace replied. "It''s lethal, whatever it is. There are bloody marks all over this floor too, faded until you could barely even see it."


    "The floor may be enchanted to dissolve such fluids, sir." Maxworth whirred, his hands rested lightly on his daggers'' pommels.


    "Then we turn around." Luck shrugged, his eyes scanning the floor for any markings. He couldn''t make out anything out of place other than his sense of the magic. But that sense of his was severely unpolished, he wouldn''t rely on it in any capacity, especially not here. "There must be another way past this section. "


    "Luck." Said an apologetic voice. There was a jangling of chain Luck recognized and he turned. His dad was holding up the pendant. He sighed in slight defeat as the lights pointed straight into the invisible slaughter. Rick grimaced, shrugging. "Maybe we can find some kind of safer detour?"


    Paint''s scales rippled, a pattern coming from them.That would be wisest. An unseen enemy is a dangerous one. The colohue communicated.


    It took the better part of an hour and backtracking a few tunnels upwards and backward. Every branch eventually, one way or another, led to the same section of smooth, clean stone. Like a section was cut out or excavated, it was artificial. Aside from its material one could easily make out where the natural tunnels ended and this one began. They did figure out though, that there were many other similar sections that some other tunnels led to that, while not identical, were essentially the same thing.


    It was at one of those that they finally gave up.


    "We have to go through it." Luck said plainly, despite the cold he looked perfectly comfortable, if not a little irritated at the turn of events.


    They had witnessed a handful of the blind goblins die to whatever lay in this odd section of the tunnel. It was always the same, some desperate scrabbling and screaming until finally, it blew apart by whatever power that lay here. They had even found the remains of an ice snake, some of their frozen scales melting on the ground.


    "Can we send something through?" Ace asked after a pause. Luck, likewise, paused at the idea.


    Could his father conjure something up? Maybe Tate''s omnitanium?


    Rick shook his head. "I don''t think I can manage something like that. Besides the fact your new weapons took most of my - mana did you call it? That." He interjected.


    Tate''s was a similar answer in different wrapping. "I can send something through but I won''t be able to maintain far enough for our purposes. And a ball of metal is hardly representative of us actually passing through." She had her binoculars out again, talking over her shoulder.


    A quick glance at Paint and Maxworth yielding nothing. Idly, Luck thought if Nayah was here she was the most likely magically inclined to deduce what was killing the passerby or to have an arcane solution to test it. If Erok was here, he would''ve been the safest to send through.


    Again, he peered at the smooth cut tunnel. One of many that they came across, and stared. Blue lines of data sprang forth of their own accord, seemingly reacting to Luck''s desire and curiosity. They flit across his eyes and through his mind and still, they were few. Spirit- and Luck for that matter - could make out nothing unusual that would be suspect.


    He rubbed his chin before an idea came to him, one that he had tried how long ago? Days? A month or two? He had lost count of the days since the last time he was in his Grove. His days had been so packed and eventful it had felt like weeks had passed. One of the first times, when he received his Greater Boon of the collective knowledge of the Druids of Old. He remembered an experiment he had tried back then.


    A slow, molding intent. Something he did not truly grasp back then. Faster, more confident. Earth came together in front of him. That layer of potential across his body, barely drained by the expenditure, whereby in the past he would''ve had a headache. A stone block, morphing with sudden dull shifts in the rock, smoothly. Two legs, balanced under a torso. Arms. A head, finally.


    "A mannequin." Ace said flatly. Luck''s eye twitched.


    "A test dummy, with any luck." He replied. He closed his eyes and reached for something in nature to imbue the construct with until he simply settled... on himself.


    He pulled on the aspect of a human, something... somehow he knew was not normally possible. The Druids of Old had hypothesized that Humans and most Sentients had diverged from the natural order of things, and were governed by something more complex than Mother Nature, thus they were out of the cycle of nature.


    But Luck was One with Nature. And so, when he pulled on himself, it was something like asking himself to give a piece of his nature to the asking magic.


    Warning: Proceed with extreme caution, the creation of thinking beings can have severe backlash. The Mk3 had once approached this level of free thinking before The Company had to shut it down. This warning comes as courtesy of The Company. You have been warned.Spirit''s voice came urgently and suddenly.


    Luck responded internally, with a bit of curious pause.I''m not ready to be a father anyways. Curious though that The Company has warnings implemented into your directive Spirit. I''m not trying to create something alive.


    Understood. Some actions, while not judged by The Company, come with warnings if detected. This is simply The Company looking out for its users. Less than .001% of hosts have even attempted these actions to even warrant the warning. 2 individuals have ignored said warning.


    I don''t doubt it. How many people go around trying to create thinking things? But, don''t worry Spirit, that''s not what I''m going for here. Just a dummy to walk through the tunnel for us.


    Understood.Luck realized Spirit didn''t have to reply, as the Mk3 had no emotions, nonetheless.


    Something about the construct of Earth magic and the linking of Nature magic made the entity his. "Just walking then. Only that." He muttered to himself as he let something of him go.


    The magic followed the tether to his earthen mannequin absorbed from a distance rather than requiring Luck''s touch. Mana fatigue settled into the center of his head as he worked to reinforce the stone of the construct. They wanted to see whatever attacked it, a half second, before it exploded, wouldn''t do.


    "Damn, you can make puppets too?" Ace joked. But the mercenary didn''t seem too surprised. "I''m guessing you gave it something to move? An aspect of something?"


    "Yeah. Hold on I need to take a seat. That... drained me more than I thought it would." His mind throbbed, he had previously been something like three-fifths of his full mana. "God, this headache is something."


    "Alright, fair enough. Rest a bit then, maybe we''ll catch something." The mercenary said. "Tate?"


    "I''m on it already." She replied, handing Ace a pair of binoculars as well. Rick and Maxworth were both passed a pair. "Luck?"


    Wordlessly, the man of stone began to walk down the tunnel.


    It walked naturally if ever something was said about a dummy. Luck barely had the mental capacity to really observe the magic but he had felt he had done something fairly advanced. Perhaps the most complicated piece of magic aside from his usage of Time magic.


    It wasn''t long before it came across obstacles. The group watched as it traversed easily along the small ridges and short inclines that the blind goblins were slaughtered upon. Its legs didn''t fail it.


    The second it came across these ridges, however, an impact shocked it.


    "There," Tate said. "See the dust coming off it? Something just hit it."


    Admittedly, it seemed their binoculars were far superior to Luck''s enhanced eyesight.


    "Yeah, there''s cracks over its body now." Ace remarked. The stone man walked forward unbothered, its structural integrity not threatened. Again, a blast of dust, an indicator of the force upon its stone body. If not that, then the staggering of the model, despite Luck''s efforts to make it dense. "Again, there." The former mercenary commented idly, his focus was through the binoculars.


    "What is it?" Rick asked, observing quietly as well.


    "It''s definitely something physical." Luck reasoned. "If there are cracks along its body." He could feel his magic weakening, the combination of his Nature and Earth magic, it seemed, had some type of half-life.


    "This tells us nothing, we still cannot see it." Maxworth added, seeming to forgo the use of binoculars and simply stare at the stone man as if it wasn''t as far away as it was. He raised the omnitanium pair to Tate and the metal liquified, reverting back to Tate''s arm wordlessly.


    "I think I''ve got it." Ace spoke after a minute. "I''m not sure if it''ll do anything but it''s worth a try." His face was in some type of thought. "How long can your punching bag last there?"


    "Not long, maybe three minutes." Luck spoke, not even realizing he knew. If Ace had an idea it was worth a shot for sure.


    "That''s all it needs to do." He said.


    Then, he took a few steps forward, and Luck could see Ace''s breath. He should''ve been warm from the heatblind, but his breath was visible nonetheless. Frost fell from his hands, dripping like liquid, absent of the normal lightning. Luck wondered what he was doing until he realized the ground was covered in mist. His hair whipped forward from the breeze and the fog rolled into the tunnel. White-blue frost, swirling whorls, suddenly the tunnel was covered in white twirling mist.


    Slowly, Luck stood up. His headache had dissipated slightly, but this frost wasn''t going anywhere. Peering into the twirling motions of the frost, Spirit picked up on something. A shape. Bigger than any of them. It was disturbing the frost, prowling, circling the stone man. Highlighted in red, a contrast against the white-blue motions of the frost.


    "I see it." He said quietly. "It''s right there. Circling."


    "I see it too now," Tate whispered. "I can''t detect its motion at all, it''s eerie like it doesn''t make any. But the frost, my lens can pick that up easily. Dad, you should be able to get a reading on it too." She told Rick.


    There was a sudden shift in the frost and the stone man was forced to its knees. Luck spoke. "The earth-guy is done for." The frost parted around it and the stone man was pulverized. After a moment, Luck commented idly. "I don''t think it can sense the frost." The thing moved silently, patrolling the tunnel as soon as its prey was destroyed.


    "It''s the only one," Rick stated, ever calm. "No other movement through the tunnel."


    Luck lined up his shot. taking aim without prompt. A headache had never interfered with where he wanted his bullet. Perfect precision and control on a target he couldn''t see. The swirling disturbances of air flow were hinting at a four-legged creature. Spirit''s display was a red amorphous blob that changed with the mist. The second he shot though, he knew his projectile would throw all that out the window. The force of the bullet would spread the mist and their only way of tracking the thing disappeared. This shot had to count.


    "You''re sure Lucky?" Ace warned, eyebrow raised. "You''ll alert the whole cavern. Rick said the things were loud." Even though his statement was a warning the mercenary quietly unholstered his own magitech pistol, training the sights on the whereabouts of the red enemy highlight. Better two shots than one. Spirit tracked his trajectory and found it sufficient. Two greens lines shifted like laser pointers through the fog until a third joined. Tate''s. Or three.


    The pistol felt good in his hand. Its grip was tailor fit to his hold, the sleek design was modern and ubiquitous but original in implementation. The barrel was slender, as was coherent with the design, and yet Luck found it left the impression of power as much as accuracy. It was an unsuspecting black - what he assumed most of this world would consider some strange artifact before a weapon. Beautiful. Attractive and functional. A fine gun if Luck ever handled one.


    His response was short. "It''s been a while since I shot something, Ace."


    Ace grinned and shook his head, taking no time at all to center himself. Tate gave a smile too, doing the same. So three of them stood, training their weapons on an invisible target.


    A breath. A single breath of unison between the three. A moment of perfect understanding. Each with the knowledge; the instinctual certainty, that the other two would be firing with milliseconds of each other. A breath. Together.


    Then they fired.


    Three loud concussive and successive snaps filled the air so closely spaced in timing and volume that they seemed as one. Luck''s ears rang and vision blurred momentarily. Three cylindrical paths pierced the fog, enlarging and dispersing the frost. Everything happened in less than a second. Burning blue bullets. A scream. An explosion. The heavy sounds of a charging mass.


    "Where is it? Gah-" Ace grunted, air knocked out. Luck whipped his neck backward.


    He was sent to the floor. Pinned. He shot point black, ripping chunks through something with burning blue. Immediately, he electrified, sparks sprouting like a tesla coil. Before Luck could get a shot off, a corpse formed, black and charred.


    "What the hell- " Ace gasped. He grasped at his chest, only to find it bruised. Heavily. No wounds though. His binoculars had disappeared, and what was left in place was a smattering of metal scattered in a pattern that could only have been a flurry of attacks. A precise defense activated immediately. Omnitanium transforming and moving to defend.


    Ace took Luck''s hand and he hauled him up. "You good, Ace?" Luck gave checked for any blood or damage allowing Spirit a small diagnosis. Bruises, to put it shortly. "Goddes of Fortune, that was close." He whistled, not convinced the man was entirely okay.


    "Yeah, I''m good." He said only slightly shaky. Luck assumed more from adrenaline than nerves. Ace wasn''t the type to linger on near-death experience, he had had too many to justify the amount of time it would''ve taken for such an undertaking. "That''s like the second time in as many days."


    Tate kicked at something with a thud. "Creepy as hell." It was charred black. Three holes still burning bright blue. One in the arm, two in the torso. The skin surrounding the wounds looked cracked, some effect of the magitech Luck reckoned. One of the initial shots had missed then because Luck was sure Ace hit his second bullet. It was eyeless.


    "It looks like a bear."Magic properties detected.Spirit added to his thoughts. Luck had picked up a few things having analyzed so many animals, especially when given his Grove, that he could identify a few things off the bat. "More muscle than fat. Overkill on the fangs and claws, along with the brute strength to go with it. And size to go with it. More killing machine than predator, unless its natural prey necessitated these things. I... don''t see any eyes on it either."


    Even so, it was an oddity. Bigger than any one of them in size, it was large for an animal, a match for any of them. Ace was positioned slightly farther from the rest of them initially. The creature had gone for the isolated member of the group, even if it wasn''t by much. Even if they couldn''t see it. He had learned a thing or two from Saga, something he had known in a past life, but never would''ve thought to apply to combat here. Covering your escape route. Behind Ace was a steep cliff, but given the slender muscled body of the body, it might''ve been able to escape that way.


    And it was still breathing Luck realized.


    Ever practical, Maxworth approached stabbing it through its eye. It jerked and let out a final breath. Rick, in the process of moving to do the same, relaxed. Maxworth commented. "''I''ve not seen anything like this before."


    And then the oddest thing happened. The corpse dissipated, into a cloud of translucent dust.


    Maxworth''s eyes went wide. It was the first time Luck had ever seen them go wide. He spoke hurriedly. "It can''t be. But that would explain this odd tunnel." He muttered to himself in thought, his eyes roved the peculiar tunnel.


    "What is it Max?" Ace asked slowly. "Is everything okay?"


    Maxworth looked back at them from his scrutiny, making eye-contact. His mouth opened and he tried again. "A dungeon." He said hesitantly. "We''ve found a dungeon."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    First Discovery! Dungeon: The Blind Maze of Arach (Venerable) (Mythic)


    Long ago before the Titans descended into Arach''s home the Lord of the Caves sheltered children and strays. The weakest of the surface had their chance to become the strongest of the depths below. This was their home, their training ground, their life. When Arach died, defending and entangling the Titans, when Arach''s Web had long been taken over by the rocks and drips of minerals, the Blind of Arach waited. They too were entombed, to linger in the darkness until found.


    Note: As a First Discovery, all creatures inside The Blind Maze of Arach will be enhanced and variable. Equipment and Items, as gifted by Ethodthem, will be enhanced in Rarity. Additional Hidden Rooms and Secrets will be available.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Everyone seemed to pause, reading. "What''s a dungeon?" Luck asked as he read. His eyes were naturally drawn to the colored words but quickly passed over them, noting them down.


    "Check the System," Rick responded, sounding like he already was. Perhaps his father had gotten more use out of the System during his impartation than Luck did. The man seemed much more familiar with it than him.


    He turned his attention back to himself.


    Almost as if something became available to him, he realized some part of him already knew. He willed the question towards Ethodthem, The System. It was the first time he questioned the all-encompassing force that permeates all of Aerae rather than the little database in his head. In his mind, a blue box appeared, detailing the subject. He found that the information only became available to him when the topic came up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Dungeons


    Dungeons are formed naturally throughout Aerae and are concentrations of both mana and treasure which are often formed by the events of the area. This can be due to a number of factors from simple location to internal mana sources to the types of monsters habituating. These dungeons range in rarity and age. Age determines the difficulty of the monsters. The longer a dungeon has been present themore lethal and dangerousthe monsters inside. The more dangerous the dungeon the more rewarding it is. Rarity is representative of uniqueness and resource value. This can mean anything from mana wells to gifted rewards.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck''s first thought was to figure out what The Blind Maze of Arach was described as. He brought up the past notification, scanning the blue before realizing the information he wanted was promptly at the top.It was Venerable and Mythical. Yellow and Red. One of the first times he had ever seen something color coded in these windows. He gathered it was Mythical in Rarity and Venerable in Age.


    Exactly what those were, he didn''t know. It took him only a moment to realize he might as well see if Ethodthem knew. And, of course, it did. Luck shook his head at himself as he read up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    New System: Age


    Age is a new system implemented through the Update. Age is applicable to a handful of locations of interest but primarily refer to Dungeons. Ages are color coded. Ages range from New,Young, Old, Aged, Venerable, Prehistoric,Legendary. Dungeons described as New are less than 50 years old. Young dungeons are below 150 years old. Old dungeons are between 150 to 500 years old. Aged dungeons have been around anywhere from 500 to 1000 years. Venerable dungeons range from 1000 and500,000years old.Prehistoricdungeons range from 500,000 to 10,000,000 years old.Legendarydungeons are anything above that. Age affects the lethality and danger and consequently rarity and rewards of dungeons.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "It''s old." Luck said quietly. "Venerable; meaning anywhere from 1000 and 500,000 years old." His voice echoed out among the cavern walls. It sounded like someone in the far distance had called back, but it was just the echo. It was hard to imagine with the way that noise traveled in these tunnels that a majority of inhabitants relied on sound rather than sight. "Honestly, didn''t think these things would come in any other color than blue and white."


    "Yeah. The age would explain why the thing that just tried to kill me looked like it was bred for it." Ace cracked his knuckles absently. By now the corpse had dissipated but it looked like Ace was remembering the eyeless face. He was staring at where it was. "Years guarding the dungeon entrance."


    "And this other thing? What''s rarity?" Tate asked, directing her question to Maxworth.


    The gentleman''s eyes focused on her a moment before he answered. "These systems are new to me. Erok and I have entered only two dungeons in our travels, always with multiple people behind and beside us. Have no doubts that they are extremely dangerous. I have never heard of Age or Rarity described by The System like this." He turned towards the dungeon, for that was what it was, before continuing. "These must be a result of the Update by my guess. The System as well describes these changes as new. I have not ever seen color in The System''s windows before either."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    New System: Rarity


    Rarity reflects the difficulty of obtaining an item and theutility of the said item. It is representative of an item''s particular value and adeptness of function. Rarity is based on a number of factors. These include natural occurrence, existing amount, interest of said item, value, quality, uniqueness, and a number of additional factors. The levels of Rarity are denoted with a color code. Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Exotic, Mythic, Legendary.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Luck read up on rarity as well. From the looks of it, the higher it was the better whatever it described was too. And given the descriptors of both Venerable and Mythic, Luck felt that they had just come across something absurdly dangerous. A real risk. His healing couldn''t get him out ofany wounds. He couldn''t regenerate limbs, and the thing that attacked Ace definitely had the muscles to rip an arm or leg off. As for the rest, neither of them had protection aside from Tate.


    "She''s down there." Rick clenched at the pendant. Veins popped out on his hand. His face, despite that, was an unnatural calm.


    Luck only had to picture his mother''s smiling face and his decision was made. "Maxworth could you find your way back out tunnels if you needed to?"


    "I have the path memorized. You are not considering entering, are you?" His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "It is suicide. You''ll never make it."


    "And it''s also the reason why I''m hoping you''ll leave. You''ve been nothing but help to us Maxworth and for that we''re grateful. We can''t ask you, Paint, or Ace-"


    "Don''t you dare, Luck. She''s as much a mom as I''ll ever have." Ace''s voice cut sharp, jagged emotion hidden under a passive mask. "I''m going." He said with finality. Tate rested a hand on Ace''s shoulder, giving Luck a meaningful look.


    Luck gave his best friend a single, filled glance, he turned back to Maxworth. "We can''t ask you or Paint to join us." Luck repeated.


    Paint appeared beside Maxworth. Rick spoke. "Thanks for accompanying us, Paint. Even if it was more for necessity than any bond between us. You can be sure once we return I''ll find you." Paint flashed a somber mood, acceptance, and goodwill that Luck thought only he picked up on. Contrary to his thoughts, Rick nodded to the colohue. "And you too Maxworth. I have known you for little, but if my son considers you a friend that you are mine as well."


    Maxworth hesitated with a small jerk. It was so out of place Luck immediately caught it, so atypical of the smooth movements and calm nature of the man. Metal eyes gently scoped out the dungeon beyond, meeting Luck''s family''s eyes the same way.


    Luck barely realized he counted Ace among family before Maxworth gave a short painful nod. "I will find Nayah and Erok. If you do not return in time, we will come for you ourselves." He said. "A note. Once you return, speak of this dungeon to no one unless it threatens the lives of Ardun. Good luck finding her, friends. Please convey my greetings."


    Ace replied. "Careful with the Source above Max. Keep your head down, you two will make it."


    "Here, Paint." Luck produced some a small bag of flarefruit and soaked apples. "Flarefruit," He pointed to the bright fruit. "when you want a snack. The soaked apples, when you''re dehydrated. These should last you a while." Two of Paint''s hands reached out and took the sack.


    He flashed gentle colors.Thank you, Druid.Luck nodded. The colohue appeared, to some extent, attuned to nature.


    With a short nod, Maxworth glanced at Paint and gestured. They made good time at a casual walk between them.


    "Careful Maxworth, check up on Nayah for me!" Tate called at their backs.


    It wasn''t five minutes before they rounded a bend and broke line of sight. The group wasted no time and turned around. The fog of Ace''s frost had cleared out completely. The biting wind, isolated as the dungeon was, had found an angle to push the frost out.


    Luck, idly noticed everyone yawning. His body had not tired in the least, but his mind... his mind was another story. "We have to rest." He said as a matter of fact.


    "We have no time." Rick looked at Luck. His eyes were hard, but worried. "Your mother is down there. You saw those things son."


    "And you know Mom. You think she''d let something like that get her?" Luck shot back. "Who knows what she got from the impartation, but Jerxos let it slip that most of us surprised him. And surprising the God of Rebirth isn''t a small feat, she likely got something useful Dad."


    "Still son." He turned his worried eyes down the tunnel.


    "He''s right Dad." Tate''s soft voice was always more convincing. Luck didn''t fault his father for her being his favorite. Luck smirked to himself, sometimes Rick was just that see through. "You need rest, Dad. We need to rest. We can''t help her like this." Tate always knew how to leverage her daughterly charm. Understandably, Luck''s skill in the said department was much lower.


    "I''ve functioned on less before." Rick yawned, already looking convinced. Having lived with the man his entire life, he knew his moods. And now, if ever, was the time to push, while the iron was hot so to speak. He wondered if Tate-


    "Rick, you stubborn bastard, listen to your kids." Ace shot. Leave it to Ace to insult the former most powerful man in the Underground and get a simple smile in return. "Weneedto rest or by the time we find Laura we''ll be rocks tied around her neck."


    "Besides Dad, remember how you''ve always wanted one of those big dogs?" Luck smirked, laughing internally.


    "Huh?" Rick blinked.


    "Well I got a shar, but still, you guys haven''t met yet." Luck smiled, contracting a yawn like a disease. "I think you''ll like him."


    And there, in the cave, a portal opened, fathoms below the surface. A glowing oval portal connecting dimensions. Sunlight, in a place as dark as The Tunnels of Arach. Tate blinked. Rick blinked.


    Ace yawned. "Finally, those custom leather chairs won''t sit in themselves. Or maybe I should use the healing pools? I''m still feeling kind of bruised." He walked through, not a care in the world.


    Luck''s sister and father stared at him dumbfounded. He only smirked, gesturing with his hand. "Go on." He urged everyone through.


    They stepped through the portal and Luck followed. The portal closed the instant Luck was clear.


    "Ah, Master Luck, you''ve returned. " Evodim''s voice came unintrusively as if he had happened to stumble across him and was not, in fact, omnipresent in the Grove. "Oh, and you''ve brought guests."

 Chapter 33 - Preparation

    Dungeons. It''s a word people use to describe places of concentrated mana. Where monsters and creatures are attracted to. Where events have taken place to give the dungeon significance. It is a place named by the events and creatures and mana surrounding it. And they are named by the System. They are placed of fear and death. Places of rewards and riches. Glory. Blood. A place loved by magiscientists. It''s also how I found my pet rock, Bert. Yes, he''s an actual rock. Yes, he''s sentient. No, you''re hurting his feelings. Make no mistake, if he wanted to, he could kill you with a thought. He''s a good example of the absurdness found in these dungeons.


    -Heyth Smithson, human geomancer.


    One of the first things Luck did was head over to the bar. He didn''t stop as Ace melted into one of the custom leather chairs adorning his living room.


    "Ahh." Ace sighed to himself.


    Luck didn''t stop as Tate looked out what was once a plain door to an indoor garden, which since has been transformed into a windowed glass door with enough wood to maintain the rustic style of the living room now afforded afull view of his Grove.


    "Where are we?" Tate changed her angle of viewing, in awe. Trying to find some kind of trick in the window before Rick just went ahead and opened the door. "Dad?"


    The grizzled man took a deep breath, a reminiscent dwelling in his movement.He pausedoutside and looked around, taking in the surroundings. Luck could just barely hear the grass brushing at his feet, but he was focused on selecting what to drink. Eventually, his father returned taking a seat at the bar, but not shy to stare outside. Tate followed suit. Two of them sat at the bar, Tate curiously feeling at the wood.


    Sweet smoked wood, as if in preparation of bitter alcohol suffused the bar.Luckran his hands along the familiarwood, finding his way comfortably behind all the bartending equipment. He gave his family a single eyebrow. Some boast in the gesture.


    His father''s dark brown eyes cast about the bar in what Luck knew was approval. Luck rose glass in askance, swirling it like a question. That earned a small smile from his father. He met Tate''s eyes and she nodded in defeat too, no doubt still entirely befuddled. Affirming theycould indeed, go for a drink.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ace raise a finger, not even looking to see if Luck had seen it.


    So Luck bartended. He knew their drinks, he could''ve made decent facsimiles of them too. Luck liked to experiment though. Blue lines sprang about the bar, mostly on the racks of bottle behind him, which had since filled out. He even now had multiple bottles of the same wines and spirits. They were names, mostly. Soaked Apple Wine, Flarefruit Wine, most of the fruit from his bag of enchanted seeds were here. Some he never even personally planted.


    He moved like a man in his place. This was nothing new to the three guests, however, so instead they looked around, or in Ace''s case, he simply closed his eyes. Luck made idle conversation, noting internally Saga was out hunting, testing his magic. The shar seemed to be in deep thought, but Luck knew he was aware of his presence in the Grove. Saga had become introspective recently.


    "There''s a healing pool in the back down the hall if you two have any bruises." Luck waved, pouring a drink into a mixer. "Or cuts or whatnot. Or aching feet, anything really." Luck shrugged, not stopping his movement.


    "A what?" Tate stared, her omnitanium was relaxed now.


    "A healing spring?" Rick''s eyebrows rose, some type of recognition in his eyes. "Here?" He sat up slightly in his chair, as if to go, but eyed the now swirling colorful concoction in Luck''s possession.


    "Dad?" Tate asked.


    Luck was surprised. "You''re familiar with something similar?" He laid out drinks, sliding them forward in front of them. The colors swirled about, some property of the wine made it seem more like juice, but Luck had taste tested. It was an orange-yellow color, exotic and tropical. But a cool blue ran through the drink, while silver specks floated about. It was not anything like the wine of his world.


    Rick spoke. "I''ve rested in three during my impartation. Between trials, I was easily restored, but when a particular test was longer these would often be present in case of my injury." He took a sip. "Oh damn. That''s nice son."


    "Ace." Luck raised the third glass and tapped the mercenary''s drink on the hardwood, sliding it to the end of the bar.


    Ace pried himself from the chair, yawning all the way. The former mercenary grabbed the drink and raised it to Luck, eyeing it slightly. "Thanks, Lucky." He walked into the kitchen, miming cooking in way of explanation. Luck heard a muttering sigh. "Damn, I''ve got to beat this then."


    "Go for it, Dad." Luck responded. He gestured to the hallway ending in the pool. "I''ll just tell you now rather than surprising you later since it seems like my companion is busy." Rick was attentive at that. "My companion is a giant predatory cat called a shar. If you see him, he won''t mean you any harm. I''ve no idea when he''s returning, he''s out in the Grove hunting. Hopefully, we''ll get to eat some if he brings something for Ace to work with. That said, he might hit the healing pool first."


    Rick opened his mouth. It closed, before opening again. "A shar is a good companion to have." Rick smiled at Luck''s look. "I fought a lot of things. They are an intelligent creature. " And Rick left it at that, before walking towards the pool. Luck noticed his interested scrutiny of the leather chairs Ace went on about. He also noticed the empty glass his father left on the counter.


    So that left him with Tate. Luck turned to her. But she spoke first. "Oh. This your Grove then." She nodded.


    "Doubles as a Dimensional Room." Luck affirmed. "You want to do anything?"


    "Huh? I kind of just want to relax, to be honest." She said, her eyes were glancing outside. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen a forest. Like the ones you imagine in your head, not the sweaty bug-filled, baboon jungle we were just in. But... just that." She waved, pointing outside.


    "Go for a walk then." Luck suggested. "Nothing will harm you. They''ll approach maybe, the confident ones, but nothing will harm you." He responded, knowing that the Grove knew the guests of the druid. The knowledge of the Druids of Old working in the back of his brain. "Maybe try to find Saga out there. Or maybe he''ll find you, who knows."


    "And Mom?" Tate asked.


    "She''s still in the Tunnels of Arach." Luck replied, seeing the worry immediately blossom. "Evodim."


    "Yes, Master Luck." A voice sounded as if a person just happened to poke their head into the room.


    "Inform my father of the time dilation." Luck requested.


    "Of course, Master Luck. When you have a chance, call on me so that we may discuss the changes I''ve undergone."


    "Will do, Evodim." Luck replied, noticing the question on Tate''s mind. "This is my evolving dimensional room. I named him Evodim. He took aspects of myself, some from my rewards, some from not. And became this." He explained. "Time flows faster in here. We can spend three hours in here for every hour outside. If we''re going to relax at all after today, then it''s here."


    "Aspects of yourself huh? I won''t ask the explanation behind this time dilation but at least I got one answer." Tate grinned after a moment. And Luck saw a glimmer of his sister, a ghost of a larger grin on her face, framed by brunette hair, and enhanced by the smile in her eyes. "That explains why this place looks like it does." She quipped.


    Luck couldn''t help himself and laughed. "Yeah, it does doesn''t it?" He smiled.


    It wasn''t long for Tate to ultimately decide to take that walk. Luck sensed she needed the time to herself. His sister was brilliant. But she tended to think she was the only one with weight on her shoulders, and that thought, more than anything else weighed on her the most. The whole family was the same, though they were much more adept at hiding it, and perhaps better at coping internally.


    They had watched a Spectre incinerate a crowd of people. Nothing on that level of violence ever occurs in the city - Luck''s home. Not all at once, not all so fast. And incineration? Luck remembered the smell, his nose picking up the smell of smoked wood but remembering the smell of burning flesh. Cremation. He''d never witnessed the smell of burning flesh. And yet, he had to move on.


    If Luck were being honest he hadn''t felt much guilt killing snakes. Even the small ones. But the baboons - there was some trace of intelligence in their eyes as they died. That was always something hard to get over. Their desperate death throes, as they bled out, reaching for one more injury against their opponent. When Luck sliced their throats or stabbed their hearts, it was the moments after that he remembered, but could never dwell upon.


    His father had told them both they would get used to death. His mother had said the same. It was no secret they too had killed their fair share, as was necessitated. In most cases, it was self-defense. They both did so without hesitation, Luck had witnessed it a few times, and heard of it countless more. Sometimes it was by third-party, a given order, or subtle nod that would result in the death of a troublemaker. But perhaps it was the hesitance and regret that Luck saw not during or before the act, but after, that caused himself to have, even after all these years, ill feelings regarding it. He didn''t think he ever would get used to it. Perhaps he could, but part of him refused to ever have that normalized. Accepted, sure, he could accept the world for what it was, but toexpectit, to shrug his shoulders at it - he wouldn''t.


    Luck sighed, staring at his glass, tinkling with ice. The liquid''s base was flarefruit, he knew the taste by now, but he had already forgotten what else he put it in, lost in his thoughts as he was. "But damn, if that isn''t the best thing I''ve ever tasted." He smirked, he had to give himself credit.


    "Give me half an hour and I''ll counter that statement." Ace replied. His black hair was only slightly slick, leaning against the doorway into the kitchen. He wiped his hands with a rag as a gamey smell came from the room. "Looked like Saga had been hunting a lot. The cold room is full of meat."


    "Yeah, the shar''s got a lot on his mind." Luck said. "Too smart for his own good. It''s weird witnessing him become more and more intelligent. I''m guessing he''s been hunting to keep himself occupied."


    "Give him time. He seems like the type to take time alone to process things if a shar even could. Maybe that comes with being a predator too." Ace replied back. "Tric is something similar. She''s got better control of her magic. You know Lightning magic is the easiest to lose control of?"


    "I could figure. She may be inheriting things from you." Electricity tended to be unpredictable. And Luck posited Ace had some type of enhancement towards his learning. "How about you Ace?"


    "It''s nice being free." Ace grinned. "It''s not the safest life so far, but damn is it interesting. And this time I''m not alone." He laughed, but it was one of those rare times Luck saw through his friend.


    "It is interesting I''ll give you that." Luck said, elbows on the bar counter. He had already placed everything into their respective places.


    "Well, the meat won''t cook itself." Ace said to himself, looking over his shoulder. "Back to the kitchen." He said.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Luck chuckled.


    "Evodim? The updates please." Luck asked.


    "Ah, of course, Master Luck." Evodim responded immediately as if waiting for a moment to jump in.


    Luck had always found Evodim''s unhurried, polite and unobtrusive demeanor endearing. Luck gestured for him to continue.


    "As you know, my Evolving Trait is linked to you. The magic that surrounds myself, that fuels my change, is wired to your individual growth. Even without it, Master Luck, I wish you only the best." He said.


    Luck walked languidly, only nodding to Evodim''s speech. He found himself opening the door on the side of his cabin, and staring into a peaceful forest. Before the tree line, was what he might''ve called his yard, if it were anything as maintained as one should be. Tall grass rose to his thighs clinging to his body. It was pale green, some dotted with pink flowers. And it flowed like a sea in the gentle breeze.


    "I am aware, Evodim." Luck spoke as he walked, wading through the greenery. A bird landed on his shoulder and Luck listened to it chirp gently in his ear. It was nice company.


    "Your progress with magic is most notable." Evodim spoke, as Luck realized the grass was never so lush before. "The soil surrounding my domain is much more fertile. I know this to be a result of your training and insights with Earth magic. And the growth and fertility of the plants and animals that exist by the cabin are unprecedented. Of course, this is due to your familiarity with Nature magic as well as your Trait. But above all, they grow fast. Time seems sped up for them, but that isn''t to say their lifespans are shorter, they''re longer in fact. As if time is in their favor."


    Luck''s amber eyes roamed around the peaceful area surrounding his cabin. A few tall strong trees, but mostly tall grass. It was beautiful. The grass was pale green, but despite that, the sea of grass seemed to have flowers floating on top of it. So much so present were the little pink flowers that grew upon them.


    "That explains the health I''m witnessing." Luck remarked. "Did you ever get around to planting all those seeds from the enchanted bag I gave you?"


    "Some of those very plants grow before you." Evodim replied. "Many of the plants bear fruit, ripe enough to eat."


    And without a word, spots in his vision highlighted themselves in blue. Camouflaged, they were. He idly wondered why, fruits were generally supposed to be eaten to spread their seed. It didn''t matter he supposed. A short thin plant grew right out of the ground, bearing a fruit heavier than it seemed it could support.


    It was a pale green sphere. Smooth supple skin. Luck bit into the mysterious fruit to find its outer skin nearly non-existent. The second he bit down, his teeth sheared clean through and into refreshing cool juice immediately. A clearness rang through his mind, focus and concentration. The juice dribbled down his chin but left not stain or stickiness. It ran off his skin like water from a clear spring.


    And it was called just that, clearfruit. A taste so crisp, cooling and clear it pierced through the conscious too. A magical fruit, he knew. A rather rare one, actually. With properties that enhanced the mind. The knowledge of the druids of old was truly a boon in times like these, although Spirit could probably provide an answer just as quick.


    Curiously, for the first time in... what seemed like forever, Luck flexed a mental muscle.


    "Hmm, nothing?" He said to the little bird on his shoulder. Luck wondered, Diversi did say only items or things of sufficient power are recognized...


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    Evolving Dimensional Room: Evodim (Legendary)


    A dimensional room is a pocket of space dedicated to an individual. He or she may permit others to enter and exit but it may only be accessed by the individual to which it is tied. The creation of dimensional rooms is a knowledge highly sought after. Only a select few know the secret and less than that have the means to create one. An EvolvingBase is one that grows with its owner. The magic tied to these Evolving Artifacts is outside the realm of possibility. As such, they are an extremely rare occurrence and command great power. This Evolving Dimension Room, further, has the ability to direct that growth to the whims of Luck Lockyer.


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    It took Luck a few moments to really process the significance of that Rarity.Legendarywasn''t just the maximum Rarity rating you could get, though that was admittedly an enormous part of it. From what Luck understood, it was representative ofnatural occurrence, existing amount, the interest of the said item, its value, quality, and uniqueness. That meant... Evodim might be one of a kind. It could mean, there are a number of interested parties of such a thing, that the value of Luck''s tool was through the roof, that the quality of his dimensional room was absurd. Or it could mean all of it.


    It was likely all of it. And that was Luck being realistic. He had lucked out during the card game with Jerxos, and he knew it. The God of Rebirth had actually gone silent when Luck happened to pick it out.


    "Zoning out?" A conversational voice said over the breeze. Like a pleasant windchime.


    "What do you think decides whether or not something is recognized by the System? Like the Blind Maze of Arach, or some random item of power?" Luck turned, the System was weird at times, he truly questioned how it determined things.


    Standing not far from him, Tate rubbed her chin. Her eyes drifted to the little bird on his shoulder, she seemed more relaxed than she had been before. "I''m not sure. I haven''t really done anything with it recently."


    "It seems kind of open with information. For example, can you try to thinkon Evodim - he''s my dimensional room by the way - and see if the System gives you anything on him?"


    "I know who he is." Tate furrowed her eyebrows. It didn''t take long for her to give up. "I got nothing." She shrugged. Her eyes did drift towards the metal on her arms, however. "Try this." She raised her arm. "You get anything?"


    Luck flexed that mental muscle again. This time though, he got nothing, despite the fact he knew the metal was omnitanium. "Nothing. Nothing at all, weird. You think we can only pull up those windows on stuff that''s ours?"


    Tate waded through the grass, a thoughtful yet peaceful expression on her face. "It''s likely, but would that mean it would give us information on things that we didn''t already know? Like, we could use it to figure what something was if we didn''t know what it was in the first place?"


    Luck idly pulled out his stopwatch. The one perpetually in his pocket. It ticked and tocked as it had always been doing. He focused on it. It briefly brought his thoughts back to the Arena Fields and the reward room that shimmered with everything from staves and wands to wine and liquor. It was a burnished brown coloring and the times on the clock were written in a different character than standard numbers. But Luck understood them. The pocket watch had a chain that ran around it, looping back and connecting to its body again. It was just as Luck remembered, stylish and timeless.


    He did remember a window popping up for it way back then. He tried again.


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    Master''s Timepiece (Epic)


    Crafter by a Master Horologist, this timepiece is always accurate to the millionth second. It is enchanted with a small boon of knowledge that affords the holder a rudimentary understanding of time. Intended to be gifted to disciples of horology to the effect of honing their craft.


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    "Huh. That''s more than it was before." Luck said, his eyes taking in the pocket watch. It truly was beautiful.


    "What is?" Came Tate''s reply.


    "The information the System is giving on this pocket watch." He replied. Luck raised an eyebrow, then his eyes went a little wide. "Wait a second, it''s enchanted to help understand time! What the... is that why I''ve been making progress in my Time magic?" Luck was baffled. What were the chances the reward he chose in that room was actually something more than a timepiece? Time magic was supposedly high in terms of difficulty and understanding.


    Luck blinked. Was it really the enchantment on the pocket watch or his own understanding that got him so far? How did that work? He could''ve sworn it was all him understanding the gravity of time, the stillness of a moment, the connectedness of happenings. To pause and slow time. Could he have been under the effect of the enchantment the whole time?


    "Maybe more information becomes available the longer you have something? Did you get that before the Update? What is that from anyways?"


    Luck realized Tate didn''t know. "We told you about Peace, right? That''s the town Nayah is from, right outside the Hydr Dunes. It''s a hub for adventurers passing through. It was where we were after the Update took place. The place got overrun with snakes and callamoths." He explained. "They have an arena there for prizes, kind of like a gladiator type deal, there are monsters and other challengers you could face. Saga, Ace and I entered, if the announcer was telling the truth, this pocket watch should be worth a single gold aeran. It was in a room full of prizes, anything from beer to a sword to paper. A lot of them were magical." Luck looked at it in doubt. "But I think it''s worth much more given the Rarity. We did get it before the Update though. I haven''t looked since then."


    "Maybe information does become available the longer we have stuff. Talk about lucky though, a pocket watch all magicked up to help you with... well, your magic." She finished lamely. "I mean, but it''s a damn random pocket watch in a room full of magical shimmering prizes you said? It had to be worth something."


    Luck reread the description. He thought less that it was designed to help with magic, and more to help with the concept of time in general, for those aspiring to make clocks and watches. Disciples of a horologist. That was an extremely lucky break. Who would''ve thought that some random timepiece might aid him in that way?


    "True, I just wasn''t expecting it to be anything other than for keeping time." Luck mused. It ticked and tocked lightly, a light clicking that was timeless, whimsical and inevitable. He held it in his hand for a moment, thinking about the nature of time. How long had he been with the timepiece? How long had it been ticking? Was it imbued with magic further, the description said it was always accurate, but what of when Luck brought it into a time pause?


    He paused time, staring at the watch tick steadily, five second. Unpausing time, the watch reverted to the correct time, five seconds previous. "Huh, I guess it really was created by a master. There has to be some magic to it then." He said.


    "What''d you do?" Tate had fallen backward among the grass. It created a soft bed easily. Her weight wasn''t enough to bring the grass down.


    "I paused time." Luck said offhandedly, lifting the watch. "It''s still correct."


    "Still gets me." Tate frowned. "Still not fair."


    "Oh shut up, sis." Luck grinned. "You have an everything metal."


    They walked about the Grove for a while. There were a lot of different, vital plants about. They were bred from the seeds Luck had given Evodim way back when. Most were edible, and of those that were many were planted right around the cabin. The tall grass acted as a type of shield and camouflage for them, as Luck didn''t initially notice most of them. They both helped themselves to some snacks.


    "Hey!" Ace''s unmistakable voice called out. "Food!" He said simply, before disappearing through the door.


    It was a quantity respectable for a full meal. But Ace had opted for something more relaxable. "We have some greenelk skewers here. I made some fruit juice from the fruits outside, refreshing stuff. Seasoned sliders with toasted butter bread, that''s more gamey meat, but perfect for a patty. A lot of the fruit comes out to be really good finger foods when sliced."


    "Wow Ace," Rick said simply. "Don''t mind me then."


    Luck laughed, and grabbed a skewer himself. Everything was laid out on a platter, something of a grab and go. They ate and talked, and lounged about. It was comfortable, like good times. The kitchen, the bar, the living room they moved about as their conversation shifted about the topics of Aerae.


    "You think so? It wouldn''t really make sense for Ethodthem to keep track of everything right? Why would it give free information away? I could just look at something and ask the System? It doesn''t seem... right." Ace responded.


    "What is this Ethodthem you guys keep mentioning?" Rick questioned, his voice was thoughtful. No doubt Luck''s father was truly contemplating things in earnest. He was one to learn fast.


    "Yeah, I''m not familiar with the term either," Tate added, furrowing her eyebrows.


    "It''s the god-given name of the System. An old name for the windows and screens you see for Quests and stuff." Ace explained.


    "Good to know." Rick spoke as if mentally marking the thought.


    "How about the different Races we see? What''s up with that?" Tate said, slightly in awe. "I didn''t want to say anything but I was surprised when we got to the Magice guildhall. And then all of Ardun has people of all different kinds!"


    "There''s a bunch of different peoples on Aerae, so we''ve found. It''s hard to remember them all. Humans, it seems, are in the minority actually." Luck lectured what he knew from Spirit. "You know Humans have subraces?" He explained that too, much to the amazement of everyone present.


    It felt like Luck was home despite the subject except for the missing person still gone...


    Ace''s face was bliss, chewing the meat he prepared. "Now that''s a perfect glaze." He threw up an okay sign. "Perfection."


    "A nice bath and then this." Rick shook his head, grinning. "I feel like my mana", he used the word hesitantly, "has returned. Enough for me to make a few useful things." He sat down with a grunt. "The whole conversation really puts things into perspective. I''ve been behind on everything from being in the forest.


    "No worries, Dad. Some of this stuff isn''t really relevant right now anyway." Luck waved, delighting in the meat. He plucked a fruit off the platter and helped himself further. "What''s the verdict for your magic then? Weapons? Equipment?"


    "Armor rather, don''t you think? Maybe night-vision goggles? Though I don''t know how long those will last." Rick grimaced. "We''re gonna get hurt eventually. Either we prevent it through protection of preemption." Luck had reminded them during their meal of his regeneration but the fact remained a killing blow couldn''t be healed. "Best we be prepared for it."


    "We don''t even know what we''re armoring up for do we?" Tate was the one who chimed in, ironically being the most armored of them all, by default. "And can we even guarantee we''ll see anything?"


    "Hopefully, the whole dungeon isn''t like that." Luck frowned. "How is everyone feeling though? My mana is at full now."


    "Same here." Ace nodded, crossing his arms.


    "Me too." Tate gave an affirmative too, her hair flowing as she nodded.


    A portal opened up in the middle of the room. It was time to tackle the dungeon, no matter the fact they would be risking their lives. He wanted his whole family back.


    "You all realize there is a huge chance we die." Ace paused, speaking before anyone moved. "We''re not from this world. We don''t know the monsters. We don''t know magic. Hell, we didn''t even know what a dungeon was before this. We don''t know if there are traps. We don''t know anything, is what I''m getting at." He looked at everyone. "You guys know that right?"


    "The world doesn''t know us either." Eyes flashed fossil amber.


    They walked through.