《The Long Road》


 Chapter 1: Memories

    Simon Treadwell had been a professor of history for the past twelve years of his life. He certainly looked the part, being a rather average height of five feet and nine inches. One would be hard pressed to describe him as anything but slim if they¡¯d only seen him in teaching attire, but he did regularly go out of his way to maintain a presentable physique. He possessed a hidden strength somewhat betrayed by broad shoulders and square jaw, but enough to fool most. The one quality of his appearance that no one could deny was the intensity of his eyes. Cobalt blue and fierce; looking into them gave one the impression that there was truly an ocean of knowledge behind them. A truth that had him at the top of whatever lists students often kept of their favorite professors. At only 38 years old, Professor Ornam was wise beyond his years. Compounded by his genuine love for his students, it would be considered odd that he was not at the graduation ceremony happening a few buildings down from his department¡¯s building.


    Simon sat behind his desk fiddling over a bottle of 1972 glenglassaugh. Managing to finally get a grip on the tears forming on the edge of his vision he poured himself a glass. Looking around his small office space he grabbed the small glass and lifted it to eye level¡­ ¡°Cheers¡±, he said to nobody in particular.


    Slowly he downed the aged whiskey, enjoying every ounce of it. It had been a gift from his wife, his precious Mary. It had been intended as a something to enjoy together to celebrate the college graduation of their twins. That would have been today, had that night never come to pass. Something you never expect to happen to you or yours...Mary hadn¡¯t even seen the drunk bastard coming. In one moment he¡¯d lost everyone he considered precious in his life. So here he was, six years later and still wallowing in self pity.


    It wasn¡¯t something he spoke of often, but he still had a single picture on his desk acting as a reminder. Their last christmas together, Jack and Lily had just turned sixteen and they had splurged for a family vacation to hawaii. Running his hand over the frame he smiled, ¡°I miss you all so much.¡± Tilting the recently refilled glass to his lips he downed the entire thing before hearing a knock at his door.


    Shit, maybe they¡¯ll go away he thought to himself. Waiting a few seconds before pouring himself another glass, he couldn¡¯t hear anyone outside the door. Gave up easier than I¡¯d expected, good thing honestly. I¡¯m really not in the mood to entertain anyone right now.


    ¡°Simon, I¡¯m opening the door,¡± came the voice of a woman only few years older than him.


    Straightening himself out as best as possible, he mumbled a slight annoyance before responding for her to come in. Sarah Mulson was, despite being a good friend of his, the head of their department. As such, she deserved his respect, regardless of his desire to give it or not. Not that he held anything in particular against her, he really just wanted to be left alone tonight.


    Standing up to shake her hand he had to mentally stabilize himself a bit. He wasn¡¯t much of a drinker, and he had already begun to feel its effects. Managing to avoid even the slightest stumble, he reached out his hand to shake. ¡°My apologies, I was a bit self consumed and didn¡¯t realized you¡¯d knocked. Congratulations on another excellent batch of newly qualified historians,¡± he said with a hearty laugh.


    Sarah chuckled to herself while looking over his shoulder. Seeing the that the picture of his family was sitting next to open bottle of whiskey just confirmed her suspicions. Realizing what today was she had looked for him at the post grad celebration. Having noticed his absence she immediately excused herself having a pretty solid guess regarding the mental state of her friend. Still looking at the half empty bottle she managed to quietly start her half practiced sympathy, ¡°Simon, I¡­¡±


    Before she could even get halfway into whatever she had hoped to say Simon cut her off ¡°Please Sarah...just don¡¯t. I know what you want to say, but please stop. It means a lot to me that you would even come here. I know that what I¡¯m doing won¡¯t fix anything, but just give me tonight.¡±


    Sarah looked him straight in the eyes. Despite being two years older than him she had always admired him. Admired may not be the right word, rather it would be appropriate to say that had he ever had any desire to remarry she would have happily volunteered. Sadly that had never come to fruition, but they had still become good friends. Her favorite quality of his were his eyes, they calmed her. Looking at his eyes made her feel like she was at sea looking up at a cloudless sky. Today however, she saw a maelstrom. She could feel his pain in the short glance she shared with him. Sighing she replied ¡°Fine, but before I leave you be, you have a second visitor and I won¡¯t allow you to turn this one away.¡±


    Simon couldn¡¯t even imagine who it was, but before he could ask Sarah turned towards the door. ¡°Miss Rosenthal, you can come in now.¡± She turned and whispered to Simon, ¡°And you, put that whiskey away before you give this poor girl anything more to worry about.¡±


    After hustling to hide the evidence of his melancholy, he turned to see a short young woman with brunette hair in a long braid and large round glasses enter. Elizabeth Rosenthal, or Elle as her classmates called her. She had been a good student, not the best, but always hard working. The most noteworthy thing about her in fact was that she was completely unnoteworthy. She was without a doubt the quietest student he had ever had, unless he called on her in class she never spoke a word. You could imagine his surprise then when it was this girl that had wandered into his office with Sarah.


    ¡°What can I do for you Elizabeth?¡± He said with as much cheer in his voice as he could muster. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Ummm...Pro..Professor, I told you that you could call me Elle,¡± the shy girl mumbled while staring at her feet.


    Simon slightly rolled his eyes while catching the wry look that his colleague was giving him out of the corner of his eye. He shot her back a look that said, yes I am quite aware of the fact that the girl has a crush on me, don¡¯t encourage her.


    Looking back in Elizabeth¡¯s direction, he coughed before replying ¡°Sorry, Elle...what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be out celebrating with your friends.¡±


    She managed to raise her head a bit and look at him, ¡°My friends aren¡¯t really the type to celebrate. Especially not around that many people.¡± This caused both the adults in the room to utter a stifled laugh.


    Continuing, Elle said ¡°Plus I noticed that you weren¡¯t there, and...and I know how much you care about your students. So i thought maybe something was wrong¡­¡± Noticing that her professor hadn¡¯t stopped looking in her direction the entire time, she quickly acquired a set of very blushed cheeks.


    Simon was truly moved by this young girl¡¯s notice of his absence. He hadn¡¯t even considered that he would be missed. I suppose I hold more value than I thought he smiled to himself. Again looking at his friend in the room, her eyes were full of pity for the young girl. They were also clearly telling him to tell her the truth. This is really turning into a pretty shitty day. ¡°Sarah do you mind stepping outside for a second?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she replied. As she turned to walk past Elizabeth, Simon clearly caught the coy smile that she gave the girl.


    After Sarah had shut the door he has offered a seat to his young student. ¡°How much do you know about my family, Elle?¡± he asked.


    ¡°All I know is that they died a few years ago...nobody really talks about it though.¡± Internally her heart was racing...I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually alone with him!


    Committing to sharing the truth with her, Simon recounted the story of what happened to his family on that night six years ago.


    At some point during his recanting Elle had subconsciously stopped staring at the ground. Her eyes studied his face, and as he began to near the end of his story all she could see was pain. The torment in his heart was visible on his face. Yet he didn¡¯t cry, it was amazing considering she was a blubbering mess. The normally easily embarrassed girl hadn¡¯t even noticed that she was sobbing uncontrollably.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± was all she managed to get out.


    Simon hadn¡¯t expected her to anyways and replied as such. ¡°Truthfully, the fact that not one, but two people came to check on me has already lifted my spirits quite a bit.¡±


    It was the truth, not the whole truth, but the truth nonetheless. His heart was still suffering, he doubted it would ever wholly recover, but this was the best he had felt in years. Whether the company or the liquor he couldn¡¯t really be too sure.


    As he stood to let sarah back in he looked at the girl he¡¯d just shared his story with. As he passed by her he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded a little bit of his daughter. Memories of his twins painfully flashed in his mind; the good memories were always the painful ones. He pressed on reaching towards the door as he felt a slight tug on the back of his sweater. As he turned to ask Elle what she was doing he suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight hug.


    WHAT AM I DOING?! That was the sole thought running through her mind as she wrapped her arms around him. It wasn¡¯t that she had finally gained the courage to make a move or anything like that. Rather she had seen the face that he made as he walked past her to the door. It was the face that a proud father would make towards his children, and it had caused to realize how much pain she would be in if her family had suddenly disappeared from her life. She just...felt, no...she knew. She knew that hugging him was the right thing to do.


    Recovering from the initial shock Simon had suffered at the hands of this diminutive girl, his mind was reeling simply trying to understand the why behind it. However something in him snapped. A part of him that had been repressed for six years finally fought its way out. For the first time since the death of his family, he cried. It started as a laugh, he was laughing at his own ineptitude. He had been so wrapped up in his own sorrow that he hadn¡¯t realized that in six year he had neither hugged a human being, nor truly expressed his grief. Then the tears came...slowly at first, but before long a torrent. His frustration at being so helpless, at not being there with them, at losing himself in his own sorrow...it left him is waves. As if the tsunami that Sarah had seen in his eyes had finally forced itself through an invisible barrier and manifested in reality.


    As Elle looked up at her now sobbing professor he fell to his knees with a thud and put his head on her shoulder. The door behind him opened and Professor Mulson appeared with a shocked look on her face. Quickly appraised the situation and walked inside, putting her hand on Simon¡¯s head. They remained there with him for what felt like hours, when in reality was closer to five minutes before he finally regained himself.


    Weight...Simon hadn¡¯t realized how much extra he¡¯d carried over the years. He felt refreshed. Truly a new man, or rather someone much similar to his old self. Realizing that he was still kneeling against his student and that there was now a hand on his head, he quickly stood up and wiped his eyes. Crouching in front his amazing young woman he put a hand on her head and said exactly what he had been thinking earlier, ¡°Elle, thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Briefly, earlier I had thought to myself how similar you seemed to my daughter, and i realize now why I thought that. You are both the kind of people who care more for others than for themselves. Again, thank you so much.¡±


    Standing up he turned to face Sarah, suddenly embraced her in a very tight hug as well. He owed her this much. Finally detaching himself he noticed that her face was quite red. However the laugh he let out only got him a swift punch in the arm.


    Feeling so refreshed, he decided that he would join the party after all. After reassuring the two women that he would be along shortly he ushered them out the door. Turning to finish what this night had started he was startled by a bright light behind him.


    Regaining his sight he finally noticed that there was a man sitting in his chair. A rather robust figure wearing dull grey robes that somehow still held an appearance of elegance to them. He must have been close to seven feet tall and had the most immaculate beard he¡¯d ever seen. Before he could say anything though, the man threw up his arms and stood up, ¡°Simon, my boy!¡±

 Chapter 2: Decisions

    As Simon tried to manipulate his thoughts into something coherent the large man just smiled leisurely at him while pouring himself a drink from the now half empty bottle of whiskey. Dozens of questions were floating around in his head, but he¡¯d managed to assign some priority to them after realizing that, at least for the time being, he wasn¡¯t in any danger. Stammering as he spoke, he asked ¡° Wh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡± The man cut him off. ¡°Well you see boy, that¡¯s a difficult question to answer. I suppose I¡¯m what you might consider to be the god of this place.¡± One couldn¡¯t help but notice the expectant look on his face when he answered. After all it wasn¡¯t everyday one met a deity.


    ¡°Alright then God,¡± Simon said with a clear indication of his lack of belief in his tone, ¡°how¡­.¡±


    ¡°How did I get in here?¡± The man laughed as he could see the annoyance clearly building on Simon¡¯s face at being interrupted. ¡°Sorry my boy, it¡¯s not everyday I get to come down here, and mind reading is quite a good time!¡± Despite his playful character the figure suddenly put out quite an oppressive aura as his face warped to relay a more serious tone. ¡°Do you truly believe a god cannot go where he pleases?¡±


    Simon¡¯s mind was reeling now. He sat down in the chair across from the large man and analyzed what he knew. There was only one way into his room and he clearly hadn¡¯t come from there, then there was the bright flash and this presence that expressed a power clearly capable of erasing his existence if it wanted to. Coming to grips with the idea that this may actually be a deity, he really only had one question in his mind. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why what?¡± The man asked. ¡°Why am I here? Or maybe you want to know why your family died all those years ago? Perhaps you wish to know why I never answered any of those prayers you sent me?¡± He observed as Simon¡¯s face changed from one of confusion into sadness, and finally he grinned as anger crept into those fierce eyes of the mortal in front him.


    ¡°Good you should be angry, and fortunately for you I intend to answer all of those questions as they are all related to one another.¡± Taking a sip of the whiskey and smiling at the pleasurable experience that flesh could bring with it, he looked back at Simon. ¡°Introductions are in order first though, then I shant waste anymore of the limited time that we have.¡±


    ¡°I am the selected guardian of this planet, the one you call Earth. My name is long, complicated, and generally unnecessary. So unlike some of my brothers and sisters I¡¯ve chosen to simply allow myself to be called by a nickname of sorts, Custos.¡±


    Simon simply nodded while providing Custos with his utmost attention. He had taken in what the man had said about his family and was eagerly awaiting the explanation he¡¯d sought for so long. He didn¡¯t miss the the pensive look in his eyes when he¡¯d mentioned his name however. Seeing an opportunity to improve his standing a bit, he asked ¡°Something on your mind...wait...am I allowed to called him by his name?¡±


    ¡°Yes you are,¡± answered the jolly giant. ¡°And yes, fond memories for the ones who first gave me that name. That is not important however. To the task at hand, why I am here¡­¡± Appreciating the eager look on Simon¡¯s face he began his explanation¡­


    ¡°Your planet is one of many religions, and none that quite have it right. You call us gods and worship us as the creators of all that you know. That¡¯s not entirely correct though; in fact, it would be more appropriate to call us administrators than gods. We did not create this planet nor any of the others for that much, in fact we don¡¯t even quite know where we ourselves came from. What we do know is that we exist outside of the laws that govern the mortal planes and have therefore taken it upon ourselves to govern and guide planets with the potential for sentient life.¡±


    Despite having him mind metaphorically blown, Simon was keeping up with this new information. In fact, curiosity was his primary emotion at the moment. ¡°So based on what you¡¯ve told me so far, you¡¯re the administrator for this planet. How much influence do you have exactly? Did you come here to tell me that you were the one who killed my family? If so, then why bother?¡±


    Mentally smiling at the calm and analytical mind in front of him, Custos responded ¡°That is exactly what I was getting to. You see, we don¡¯t really have the ability to influence anything directly. Well, it¡¯s not that we can¡¯t, but that we aren¡¯t allowed to. We are in a binding contract with each other that forbids us from interfering directly with our wards. For example, if I were to strike you down right here I would most definitely be punished by the council that holds governance over me. We are allowed to use oracles or heralds as intermediaries, but that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    Simon stifled a small laugh, ¡°so even gods aren¡¯t omnipotent.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, although there are ways around those rules.¡± At this he noticed a change in the timid boy in front of him. ¡°Good, it seems that I won¡¯t have to explain it to you then. Yes, one of my brothers broke a rule and hid his tracks rather well I¡¯m afraid. It¡¯s something he¡¯s become rather adept at in the last few thousand years, and it¡¯s the reason he needed your kids.¡±


    Simon visibly tensed at those words...why the hell would an administrator need my children¡­?!


    ¡°Well you see, the answer has to do with something that his world lacks. Or rather something I¡¯ve prohibited. Magic¡­¡±


    If Simon could see his own face he probably would have laughed at himself for how stunned he appeared. ¡°Do you mean magic in the sense that I understand it in? As in spells and classes and the like?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right! Magic is intertwined with life in a way that makes them inseparable. Rather, every living creature in the universe requires mana, the lifeblood of magic, to stay alive. I have watched for tens of millions of years however, and what I¡¯ve seen has led me to the belief that magic leads only to calamity. Every single civilized group of people that I¡¯ve seen that rely purely on magic has inevitably torn itself apart in one way or another.¡±


    Pausing for effect, he noted Simon¡¯s eyes that pleaded for him to continue. ¡°I have allowed your minds to be the biggest influencer in your lives, and quite honestly your progress is astounding. Science is truly an extraordinary alternative to the magic arts. However, despite the mana limiters I¡¯ve placed on earth, some of you are still more mana sensitive and can sense that something is missing. I¡¯ve been able to push a few of those people in past, and it¡¯s them that you can thank for the games that you play in your free time.¡±


    While Custos laughed jovially at his last comment, the mental dots started to connect for Simon. ¡°So let me venture a guess, this...brother of yours...has allowed his planet to come to some sort of magical crossroads? And for some reason my children are supposed to be able to help with this?¡±


    With a grim look on his face, Custos finally got to the gist of why he had spent so much of his power to materialize himself. ¡°Yes, quite frankly he allowed his arrogance at the blistering rate of the advancement of his people¡¯s magic to blind him to the dangers. Where magic is allowed to flourish there will always be an effect on the natural order of things. There are no animals like there are here on earth. Magicly affected planets all grow monsters that correspond to the general mana density of their homeworlds. Normally this isn¡¯t an issue as the inhabitants maintain a slight edge in terms of fighting strength and can even kill the monsters to absorb their mana, growing stronger as a result.¡±


    Pain evident on his face as though dreading the next part of his explanation, he pressed on, ¡°Cuditas, my brother, used an oracle to show a group of very powerful mages how to perform a ritual to increase his planet¡¯s mana density tenfold. Both the mortal races as well as monsters can absorb latent mana, but at horrifically different rates. Growth that would take a human five years takes a monster six months.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Knowing that, why would they attempt such a thing?¡± Simon queried. ¡°Clearly they would be outpaced and be put at risk of being overcome?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they supposedly had a plan in place to actively hunt the major breeding grounds for the different monster species, but things quickly got out hand. His people are now at breaking point where it''s becoming too dangerous to live further than fifty miles from major population centers. So they sought help outside of their available resources¡­¡±


    Shuffling in his chair to a more comfortable pose, Simon asked ¡°So how and why did they take Jack and Lily?¡± Pausing and considering the implications of all of this he suddenly realized something, ¡°What of my wife?¡± he asked.


    Finishing off the remainder of the whiskey before letting out a contented sigh, ¡°Well it just so happens that the lack of magical dependency has led to much more developed critical thinking skills here. That¡¯s a very valuable commodity to those who think with their magical muscles more often than not. So using a very powerful one time use scrying orb, those mages I mentioned earlier looked at this very planet to find someone who might help them achieve their salvation.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck did that lead them to my kids exactly?!¡± Simon was losing his patience and quite frankly the whole thing was becoming infuriating.


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t imagine this¡¯ll alleviate the anger you feel, but you raised a couple of spectacular specimens of human ingenuity. You don¡¯t need me to tell you that your children were prodigies though. As for why them specifically, just so happens that amongst children ages eighteen and under with a specific level of mental acuity, they also had to most mana sensitivity.¡±


    After a quick pause to allow Simon a chance to speak, he continued, ¡°The reason they need children is pretty straight forward actually. The soul is the most powerful part of sentient beings, and mortals don¡¯t have the ability to perform long range soul transfer while the target is still tethered to its host. So they prepared two vessels for your children''s souls and performed the ritual after severing their connection to their bodies. Or to put it more simply, their souls were transplanted into infants¡±


    Custos was in an awkward situation. It wasn¡¯t exactly normal protocol to apologize to mortals, but that¡¯s exactly what he intended to do. ¡°For that you have me to blame. My brother hijacked one of my oracles and before I realized what had been transmitted your family had been killed. I am truly sorry.¡±


    Clearing his throat, ¡°one last thing, your wife is in my care.¡± he said with the utmost care in his voice. ¡°I solemnly swear that you two will be reunited, it¡¯s the least that I can do after my failures.¡±


    The knowledge that his children were being used to protect some foolhardy otherworlders did nothing to assuage Simon¡¯s pain. All of his suffering, as well as his family¡¯s death were both because of some reckless god?! As his mind raced it eventually settled on one thing. ¡°Why tell me all this now?¡±


    For the first time since his explanation had started a smile crept back onto Custos¡¯ face. ¡°Quite honestly because I¡¯m pissed off.  He stole from me...actually they stole from me. Not only that but he is directly responsible for the deaths of three of my children. As for why I¡¯m telling you now? The soul is a very fragile thing, and yours was...damaged. That¡¯s putting it lightly, but the point is that you¡¯ve had yourself something of a revival tonight. You have your friends to thank for that. This is the first time since their deaths that telling you wouldn¡¯t have done irreparable damage to you.¡±


    This was something of a revelation to Simon, who up until now hadn¡¯t considered the idea that perhaps the lack of response to his pleas was due to concern rather than a lack thereof. ¡°Ok, so what now? What¡¯s the plan? I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ve told me this without some plan for recourse.¡±


    Noting the obviously maniacal grin on the deity¡¯s face, Simon pondered at the possibilities in front of him. Is it really possible for me to do anything in this situation¡­


    ¡°The first option is quite literally for you to do nothing. You have people who care about you here, whether or not you reciprocate those feelings only you know.¡± Seeing the slight flush on Simon¡¯s face caused a low rumbling laugh to come from the giant. ¡°If that¡¯s the path you choose then I certainly won¡¯t hold it against you. And neither would Mary.¡±


    Addressing the questioning look on the young man¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken at length with her about this, but she chose to let you make the decision without her influence.¡±


    That¡¯s just like her, Simon chuckled internally. Always the eternal optimist in regards to my decision making abilities.


    ¡°As for option number two...how would you like to go get your kids back?¡±


    Simon¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°How...how is that even possible?! You can¡¯t even directly interfere with your own world let alone another¡­¡±


    ¡°You just let me worry about that for now, when the time comes I would happily explain it to you. You should know right now however that that path with be extraordinarily dangerous. You would be thrust into a world of magic with a body that would barely manage it. Spellwork would be out of the question for you. So your most potent weapon would be your mind. I should also tell you that the effect of magical immersion has affected the bodies of the sentient races there. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯d be about average size for a young man on that planet. So I¡¯d understand if you want to¡­.¡±


    ¡°I''ll do it! Simon cut him off. I don¡¯t give a damn if it¡¯s a world of giants and monsters, that¡¯s what Mary would have wanted me to do. I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Good! That¡¯s what we figured you would say.¡± Standing up to walk around the desk he placed his hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder and looked him in the eye. ¡° Best not waste any time, I know that you would have wanted to say goodbye to your two friends, but seeing as I¡¯ve already muddied my hands I¡¯ll go about altering their memories a bit.¡±


    Understanding the solemn look on his face he offered reassurance, ¡°I assure you, if everything goes well then not only will you see them again, but they¡¯ll never even have realized you left.¡±


    Seeing Simon nod, Custos continued, ¡°There are three things you need to know before you go. First is that while I can send you there in one piece, I¡¯ll have zero control over where you arrive. All I can assure you is that you¡¯ll get there in one piece. Second is that most of the world¡¯s governed by my kind are run via an integrated system that interfaces with the magic inherent to those worlds. You¡¯ll more than likely suffer a severe mental strain from simply trying to wrap your head around all of the information.¡± After clearly being in though for a few moments, ¡°Actually you should be fine, you¡¯re a smart guy and your intelligence should be high enough to prevent the strain. Either way you should be prepared for it.¡±


    Checking to make sure that he was keeping up he said, he finished ¡°Lastly and most importantly, you are not weak. Your mind is a tool that¡¯s more powerful that than anything anyone there possesses. Use it to gain influence and mastery of whatever magic you can use there and you won¡¯t just find those kids, you may be capable of much much more.¡±


    While he definitely felt overwhelmed and apprehensive, Simon new that he was making the right decision. He thought back on his life and for the first time in a long time was a least a little bit glad that he had spent much of his youth playing games. Hopefully Custos was right about the synergy that might give him with this system that he was talking about. ¡°Is there anything I can bring with me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, in fact I¡¯m afraid that not even your clothes will survive the trip.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­.shit,¡± Simon grumbled loud enough for the big guy to hear him.


    Laughing loudly he patted Simon on the back and pulled him to the middle of the room. ¡°Alright we¡¯ve wasted enough time. Plus I can¡¯t give you any direct guidance. I mean that, if the other administrators found out that I¡¯d told you specific information they¡¯d immediately pull the plug on this operation. Just remember what I¡¯ve told you. Oh...and try not to die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real bastard, you know that right?¡± Simon said begrudgingly.


    Once again letting out a boisterous laugh Custos managed to collect himself and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch eventually. It may take me awhile though, things are going to get pretty dicey for me after I send you. Every administrator within my grid will know.¡± Pausing to let that information sink in, he finished with ¡°Anything you¡¯d like for me to relay to Mary?¡±


    Simon thought hard for a few seconds. There really wasn¡¯t anything he could say that she didn¡¯t already know. He was sorry? No, she would just tell him to stop being an idiot. That he loved her? She would just laugh and say she already knew that. So he settled on the thing that always made her smile. A promise they made often to each other, but hadn¡¯t been able to keep that last night she was alive. ¡°Tell her, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    With his hands reached out in front of himself, Custos channeled the spell and with a large flash of light Simon disappeared with a big grin on his face. As he disappeared, Custos ignored the numerous mental pings meant to notify him that other administrators wished to speak with him. He looked down at his hands and whispered to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t you die, boy.¡± Then he vanished as well.

 Chapter 3: Opportunity

    For the first time in his life Simon was pretty sure he knew how clothes felt when they went through a wash cycle. Nausea wouldn¡¯t even begin to do it justice. As the blinding light faded from his vision, he attempted to collect himself between fits of retching. Crawling up to his hands and knees he began to take in his surroundings.


    Dense underbrush blocked his vision on all sides with very little tree cover to speak of. The foliage on the bushes was dense enough to block his view at his sight line, but in one direction he could vaguely make out a mountain range in the distance.


    The sudden realization of his nudity was a bit of shock, but at least the weather didn¡¯t seem to be an issue. Glad to have been brought during a warmer season, he tried to bring himself to stand only to trip and receive a facefull of mud. Damn...still feel like someone ran me through a blender. Coughing and spitting to get the mud out of his mouth he found that the ringing in his ears was finally dissipating.


    ¡°Why the hell can¡¯t I stand up yet¡­?¡± he mumbled to to himself. Stopping to think about it, it occurred to him that he was actually on a new planet, which meant that aside what whatever side effects that spell had caused, it was quite likely that the gravitational pull. Wait...hadn¡¯t his benefactor said something about a system that¡¯s integra¡­


    As soon as he had thought the word a semi translucent screen popped up in front of his face.


    It took everything he had not to get excited when he saw it. Custos hadn¡¯t been kidding, this looks like the character screen straight out of an rpg.


    ¡°So it seems like I can mentally control this thing, but for now I really have no idea how to use it to its full potential. I wonder if there is some sort of map?¡±


    As if on command, the screen changed to a full sized map of his immediate surroundings. ¡°Well, as useful as that is...it¡¯s all greyed out. Must be some kind of fog of war or something since the area around me is exposed at least. It¡¯ll probably fill in as I learn the information or go those areas myself. At least I can tell that mountain range is to the east.¡±


    After failing to find information about the planet itself, he mentally tabbed back to the character screen. He noticed that there appeared to be some sort of layout for his gear as well as a simplified version of his stats.


    Simon Treadwell


    Age: 38


    Sex: Male


    Classes: Classless Lvl. 1


    HP 110/110 (22hp/min)


    MP 340/340 (68mp/min)


    Str: 13


    Agi: 11


    Con: 12


    For: 17


    Int: 22


    Wis: 25


    Active Skills: None


    Passive Skills: None


    Spells: N/A


    Talents: None


    ¡°Seems like all that time with my face buried in those books did for me,¡± he laughed to himself. Curiosity had always been one of his stronger character traits, and it was rearing its head again. Not being the least bit satisfied with that basic amount of information he quickly found himself looking at more detailed description of the different stat types.


    Strength


    A measure of physical capacity to perform certain actions. Affects the ability to lift of move heavy objects. Each point of strength over the base of 10 is measured as an increase of 2.5% over the previous number. Thresholds beginning at 25, 50, 100, and so on, reward a static bonus equivalent to double the previous threshold.


    Agility


    A measure of physical speed and rate of movement. Affects the ability to quickly redirect one¡¯s own body in quick, concise ways. Also affects linear speed. Each of point of agility over the base of 10 is measured as an increase of 1% over the previous number. Thresholds beginning at 50, 100, 200, and so on, reward a static bonus equivalent to double the previous threshold.


    Constitution


    A measure of physical toughness and durability. Affects the thickness of skin, muscle fiber and tissues, and bones. Also affects rate of physical recovery from injury. Each point of constitution over the base of 10 is measured as an increase of 5 hitpoints and 1 hp/min. Thresholds beginning at 25, 50, 100, and so on, reward a static increase of double the current hitpoints, applied after permanent bonuses.


    Fortitude


    A measure of mental toughness and resistance to mental attacks. Affects the ability to resist mind controlling or damaging spells/skills. Fortitude is measured as a static number and will succeed in blocking an attack based on the following formula: Fortitude > Attackers Int/4.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Intelligence


    A measure of mental capacity to understand information. Affects learning speed, intuition, and spell/skill strength. Each point of Intelligence over the base of 10 is measured as an increase of 2.5% increase in spell/skill strength. Thresholds beginning at 25, 50, 100 and so on, reward a static bonus equivalent to double the previous threshold. Abstract gains to learning speed and intuition are unquantifiable.


    Wisdom


    A measure of ability to process and use information. Affects decision making as well as mana capacity and recovery. Each point of wisdom after the base of 10 is measured as an increase of 5 mana points and 1 mp/min. Thresholds beginning at 25, 50, 100 and so on, reward a static bonus equal to double the current mana points, applied after permanent bonuses. Abstract gains to decision making are unquantifiable.


    +1 Int


    +1 Wis


    Considering that next question he answer he wanted to discern an answer to was how to gain skill points, he was happy to have had at least a portion of his question answered.


    It seems like stats are gained by application of the stat in question. So i suppose doing physical exercise would help with my agility and strength. Also¡­.I guess the uses for my intelligence are cut in half since I can¡¯t use spells.


    +1 Int


    Just as he was beginning to think that this was way too easy he heard a muffled scream and immediately hit the deck. After determining the direction it had come from he slowly crawled into the underbrush in that direction. As he reached the edge of his little clearing he began hearing more odd sounds. Banging of metal and what sounded like water sloshing around. He was also forced to acknowledge that the closer he got the more he noticed a sickly, sweet smell on the air.


    With the utmost caution he reached out and pull apart a few of the lowest hanging branches of the outermost shrub in his encirclement. He saw what appeared to be a dozen or so men and women, some of whom were heavily wounded, attempting to flee¡­¡±What the hell is that thing?¡± Realizing he¡¯d just said that out loud he quickly covered his mouth and checked to make sure he hadn¡¯t been seen.


    In response to his question a tag with a bunch of question marks appeared over the creature¡¯s head. Understanding that he simply didn¡¯t have enough information he resigned himself to observing as the soldiers had their escape path cut off by another of the foul beasts. Soon there were a few dozen of they bipedal hyena looking creatures surrounding the group.


    They were roughly the same height as him, although they were slouched at the shoulders so that was a bit deceiving. Most wielded crude one handed axes and wore nothing but patchwork cloth around their waist. Dotted throughout were a few who stood a bit taller and wore light leathers, clearly some type of leader unit for them. They also had quite a few using rough shortbows that looked to have have had better days. Despite that, they seemed to be accomplishing the objective of keeping the soldiers corralled.


    While watching the group it was clear that they had an overwhelming individual advantage over the monsters. They could easily cut down two or three a piece before the creatures were forced to regroup. The outcome was clear though. The beasts were smarter than they looked apparently, because they were adapting to the point where they were simply trying to inflict as much damage as they could without taking any mortal wounds. A battle of attrition...and one they would win eventually.


    Whispering to himself, Simon wondered, ¡°How is it that a bunch of professional soldiers lack any semblance of coordination? They¡¯d clearly be able to get themselves out of this situation, but I haven¡¯t seen a single one of them even attempt to take command. Too proud maybe?¡± As he was pondering, an idea suddenly came to him. If played correctly, this could be opportunity for him. Soldiers meant authority, and they were also a potential source of information for him. If he wanted to save them though, he¡¯d have to act quickly.


    Observing which direction they had come he noticed that they had been funnelled through a series of shallow valleys that led from the north. Their lack of coordination had caused them to be oblivious this fact, but it was something that Simon could take advantage of. Circling to the opposite side of the enclosed area he was in, he made his way into the open and quickly made for the nearest hill to the north.


    Avoiding the few trailing monsters that were making their way to the bloodbath he eventually found what he¡¯d been looking for, the body of one the dead soldiers. Costus hadn¡¯t been kidding when he¡¯d said that they were massive. This one was easily eight feet tall and probably weighed well over three hundred pounds. Realizing that there was no way he¡¯d ever be able to use any of the armor, he starting stripping it off to get to the pants underneath.


    +1 Str


    Sighing at what was obviously the system mocking him, he proceeded to strip the corpse of its pants and undershirt. Tying them off to account for them being far too large for his six foot frame, he quickly moved to the backside of one of the hills near where the soldiers were being whittled down.


    Peeking his head over the top of the hill he could see that in the middle of their encirclement there appeared to be two robed figures. From what he could tell, one of them was maintaining some kind of spell that was deflecting any projectiles coming their way. Not that that was deterring the bow wielding creatures who continued to pepper their formation to no avail. ¡°I suppose his mana will run out eventually,¡± he mumbled out loud.


    What had become apparent to him at this point was that the other one was the only reason they were even still in the fight. A healer, I suppose it makes sense why they¡¯re so reckless then. Although from her appearance it was quite clear that she didn¡¯t have much left in her either. Once those two go down they¡¯ll be done for, I have to do something before then.


    His mind was unusually calm considering that he was about to watch a dozen people die. Doing a quick count of the remaining monsters, there seemed to be about fifty or so left in fighting form. Ok, there i zero chance that I¡¯ll be able to kill any of those things, but if I could get in there and get them to listen to me then we might just stand a chance.


    So, taking advantage of a soft spot in the encirclement, Simon took off at a sprint. Weaving his way through the creatures they barely had a chance to realize what was happening before he¡¯d be out of reach and to the next line. Just when he thought he was going to make it without any problems he heard one of them bark something and the line closest to the soldiers turned in his direction.


    No more than fifteen feet from the encirclement, Simon made the least sane decision he¡¯d made all day. He ran straight at one of the beasts. Hoping to take it off guard and slip past it, he was dismayed when he saw it grin from ear to ear, showing off its grotesque mouth full of razor sharp teeth, and raise it¡¯s curved sword over its head. Just as he was about to be sliced in half, a spear appeared through its chest. Thanking whichever god had just saved him, he dove through a gap in the line and turned around in time to see the large soldier in silver plate armor throw it to the ground.


    ¡°Think you can turn your back on me you fucking dog?!¡± He spit on its corpse before looking over his shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯re either the stupidest man I¡¯ve ever seen, or you¡¯ve got a plan to get us out of here. So, which is it?¡±


    Simon responded with a grin, ¡°how about both?¡±

 Escape

    Tilin and the rest of his unit had been hounded since they¡¯d left the edge of the gnoll¡¯s territory early this morning. They had assumed that once they¡¯d moved far enough away, the mutts wouldn¡¯t hound them any further. An assumption that had already cost the lives of five more of their unit. Now their fourteen man unit was all that remained of what had been fifty.


    After making their way into a relatively open space they had formed an encirclement to protect their injured and their two remaining mages. Swearing under his breath, ¡°Damn, if we hadn¡¯t let Royce get pegged by that arrow we could blast our way out of here.¡±, referencing their now dead fire mage.


    He had noticed that the gnolls had stopped charging headfirst into their encirclement, content to draw out this fight and wait until Kira ran out of mana. Not a bad move considering the wind mage was the only reason he didn¡¯t have half a dozen arrows stuck in his skull at the moment. Also considering that their front liners had been running low since stopping, they were royally screwed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he heard Maya eclaim, abruptly shaking him out of his thoughts. Following the muscular woman¡¯s eyes, he saw a rather tiny man running in their direction. He was weaving and dodging between the gnolls attempting to make it to their encirclement, regardless of the reason behind the man¡¯s insanity his objective was clear as day.


    Suddenly one of the gnolls near the back let out a loud bark. Obviously Tilin didn¡¯t speak stupid mutt, but the fact that the front line of their fighters turned around to look told him all he needed to know. In the split second before the little guy ran straight into the gnoll standing five feet away from him, Tilin step forward and put his spear right through the thing¡¯s heart. Sliding a bit to the side he watched as the man dove past his left hip and rolled to a stop in their formation.


    Dumping aside the now dead monster impaled on his spear, he expressed his anger. ¡°Think you can turn your back on me your fucking dog?!¡± He spit on its corpse before looking over his shoulder, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯re either the stupidest man I¡¯ve ever seen, or you¡¯ve got a plan to get us out of here. So, which is it?¡±


    The strange fellow simple smiled and responded, ¡°How about both?¡±


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Not wanting to spend any unnecessary time asking questions that already had answers, Simon took the larger man¡¯s words to mean that they were open to any new ideas at this point in time. Guess I wasn¡¯t wrong about them not having a plan.


    Standing and walking closer to the outer ring, near the spear wielding giant, ¡°How long can you guys hold out without taking any more casualties? I need to speak with your wind mage to find out if this plan of mine will work.¡± Simon definitely had a plan, but there were several variable that he just didn¡¯t have enough information about.


    ¡°Not long, but so long as we are in a primarily defensive formation none of us should take any lethal damage. Kira is just about out of mana as far as I know though.¡± Tilin was obviously skeptical, but he doubted someone would rush headlong into danger without some idea of how to get back out.


    Giving an acknowledging nod, Simon turned and jogged toward the center of their encirclement. There were three wounded men being treated by the hooded healing mage, and he would have to take that into account as well. This really might be impossible, Simon laughed to himself while thinking he¡¯d probably just killed himself.


    As he approached the wind mage, Kira, she looked up and made eye contact with him. She was a rather plain looking girl despite her clearly large frame. In reality she was actually on the smaller side for the people of this world, but Simon didn¡¯t have a frame of reference for that yet. Simon could see however, that the poor girl was terrified. Her eyes completely betrayed her in that regard. The eyes of a prey animal as a wolf approaches to finish it off.


    Approach this gently or this poor girl may snap, Simon thought to himself as he reached the two mages and three injured men in the center of the circle.


    Even standing he was barely above the eye level of the girl as she kneeled in exhaustion. Simon was actually pretty impressed by her tenacity in maintaining whatever spell she was casting. ¡°It¡¯s Kira, correct?¡± He asked in a tone that conveyed suggested urgency while maintaining a softness to it.


    ¡°Yes...I¡¯m Kira, and you are?¡±, she said in a clearly pained voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember us having any halflings in our expedition group?¡±


    While mildly annoyed, Simon expected that mentioning he was a human at this point would invite far too many questions. ¡°My name is Simon, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your magic? Or should I ask her?¡± Simon said while nodding in the direction of the healing mage.


    ¡°Questions are fine, just make it quick, I need to focus and I¡¯m very nearly out of mana.¡± The young girl said curtly.


    Good, at least she appreciates the gravity of her situation. ¡°Alright, then first question, is what you¡¯re using to deflect the arrows a spell? Or are you manipulating the wind freely?¡±


    At this point Kira was more than confused about who this man was and why he was asking such specific questions, but considering that she¡¯d seen Tilin send him this way she decided to play along for the time being. ¡°It¡¯s a spell called wind barrier. However it¡¯s normal cast radius is just enough to protect me or one other person within three meters of my location. I¡¯m pushing it out further by compressing more mana into the spell.¡±


    Stopping to give Simon a moment since he appeared to be thinking, she continued, ¡°As for wind manipulation, that¡¯s definitely possible, but it¡¯s far less mana efficient than simply casting wind barrier.¡±


    Oho! I feel like I¡¯ve just learned some pretty important things here...wait not important right now! Simon smirked and then shook his head.


    +1 Int


    Ignoring his status up, Simon responded, ¡°Ok one more question before we put this plan of mine into motion. Is it possible for you to take mana from me? Or for me to give it to you? Either one would work.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Cocking her head to the side slightly, ¡°Yes...it¡¯s possible. However mana channeling isn¡¯t done at a one to one ratio unless the skill is leveled up. So you would only be giving me one mana for every five you spend. That¡¯s if we can even walk you through it. Not to mention that you¡¯re only level one and don¡¯t have a class, so your mana pool is bound to be pretty pathetic.¡±


    At this Simon cut her off, ¡°I have 340 mana, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Smiling at the shocked looked on the young woman¡¯s face, he also said, ¡°Seems like they¡¯ve finally run out of arrows, so without making it too noticeable go ahead and turn off wind barrier.¡±


    Kira hadn¡¯t even seen Simon look around and was still recovering from the shock that he had more mana than she did, but she did see that the arrows had apparently stopped. Stopping her channeling, she kept her staff raised as a ruse. After all, wind barrier is an invisible skill, so unless they tried shooting again the gnolls might never notice it had disappeared.


    It hadn¡¯t gone over Simon¡¯s head that someone how she knew his class and level, but he decided to shelf that information for later. He did see her face subtly relax though, indicating that she had stopped channeling. ¡°Ok so how do I go about giving you some of my mana. I can afford to give you all sixty eight since i can¡¯t use any of it myself.¡±


    Despite the dozens of questions she had for the strange man, Kira had already committed to following his lead until they were at least safe. ¡°Mana flows like a river through our bodies. It also accumulates in several places in our bodies that temper and slow it so it doesn¡¯t rage out of control. Those nodes can be opened with practice to allow the flow of mana to be used in spells and skills. You just need to focus on your hands and imagine the mana pouring out in a small trickle. Imagine I am the cup you¡¯re pouring into and put your hands on my forehead. Once you feel your mana flowing, just maintain your concentration.¡±


    While it certainly seemed easy enough in Simon¡¯s head, he knew that there was some reason that he couldn¡¯t cast spells. He could only hope that he wouldn¡¯t be affected by whatever that was while learning mana channeling.


    Turning his mind inwards, he focused on his blood. He reached out for it and tried to feel it flowing through his body, all the while reminding himself that this world was different and he wasn¡¯t going crazy. Just as he thought he might not be doing it right he began to notice it. A slight movement of something intangible inside his body. It was different than she had described it. He couldn¡¯t feel anything like the natural pools she had explained to him, rather it felt as though he mana was turbulent. It flowed in a rough and untamed manner without stopping.


    Shaking off his uneasiness, he pressed on. Focusing on his hands could still feel that the mana was reaching his hand and curling back into his arm at a very rapid rate. Kira had told him to imagine a small hole opening in the pool, allowing some of his mana to leak out, but without the pool he felt a hole would only lead to his mana spilling out in droves.


    Expecting that his mana wouldn¡¯t come out slowly, and not wanting to waste any, he pressed his right hand into her forward and focused creating a small rupture in the lining in his palm.


    Active Skill gained - Pure Mana Channeling - Lvl N/A


    Kira was caught off guard as Simon suddenly placed his hand on her forehead. After a few seconds of waiting expectantly and not feeling the telltale sign of his mana flowing into her reserves, she began to ask, ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re do¡­?¡±. She stopped as a burst of mana entered through his hand and rushed to fill her empty mana pools. She had never felt anything quite like it before. Her mana was filling rapidly and unlike her other experiences with mana channeling, this didn¡¯t feel diluted at all.


    As Simon¡¯s mana quickly depleted he pulled his hand back and mentally forced his mana to stop. As the hole closed he fell to a knee and tried to catch his breath. Sweat was dripping down his brow and he hadn¡¯t even noticed that he¡¯d been clenching his jaw. Staring at the ground he felt a large hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Kira giving him a worried look. This isn¡¯t the time for anyone to feel sorry for me, we have to take advantage of the break that the gnolls are giving us.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Was that enough to fill you up.?¡± This may have been what Simon said, but the look on his face clearly indicated that this was a lie.


    Kira wasn¡¯t an idiot, but she also didn¡¯t want to press the issue. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you just did, but you somehow ignored the loss ratio. So yeah, I¡¯ve got plenty of mana. What did you want me to do with it?¡±


    Looking at her with a big grin, Simon grabbed a nearby stick and began drawing in the dirt. To pull of his plan, their timing would have to be impeccable.


    After fully explaining the plan, Simon asked where exactly they had been trying to run. He needed to determine their destination if they hoped to break free from their pursuers after all.


    ¡°There is a small village called Fallos just a few hills to the south of here, we had hoped that we could get in view of the walls. The beasts aren¡¯t brave enough to continue the chase that near to the village.¡± Kira had been skeptical of Simon up until he¡¯d explained his escape plan. Not only had she never even imaged using her magic that way, she was pretty sure she¡¯d never met another wind mage who had. This realization caused a mental shift in regards to her perception of the diminutive man.


    ¡°South it is, I¡¯ll go inform Tilin. Begin the preparations for what we¡¯d talked about. I¡¯ll make sure the big guy has a couple of his front liners to carry the injured.¡± After saying his piece, Simon turned and trudged towards the large spear wielding soldier.


    Tilin currently had his spear lowered and was sipping water from a small water pouch. Despite his apparent lax behavior, in reality he was still in a combat ready position. The Gnolls had backed off after they¡¯d run out of arrows, supposedly content to wait out the humans¡¯ small number of rations. They were still a very real threat though if they decided to once again press their attack.


    Hearing the small man walk up behind him, Tilin lowered the water and wiped his mouth. ¡°Are you ready? Faster than I expected, but not unwelcome.¡±


    Simon had vastly underestimated this man. Despite his lack of strategic planning, it was clear that he had a good head on his shoulders. He was in control of this situation to the best of his ability, it¡¯s just that his skillset didn¡¯t include the ability to think outside the box. After his mental reshaping of Tilin¡¯s capabilities, Simon responded, ¡°Yes we are. When I give the signal we will all move to the south. We will need for three of the healthier amongst you to assist the injured, but aside from that just keep as many of your men on rear guard as you can afford to spare.¡±


    Tilin looked over his shoulder, examining Simon. Despite his small stature, the young man oozed authority and discipline. He did not find it difficult to admire him, and reflexively saluted, ¡°Yes Sir!¡±


    Passive Skill gained - Leadership - Lvl 1


    Grants a 3% increase to all stats for those under the influence of the skill user.


    Simon had to manually close his jaw after Tilin¡¯s ludicrous display, and it had gained him a skill nonetheless. A rather powerful skill at that. Snap out of it old man, finish what you started.


    Simon turned and jogged back to Kira and the nameless healer. Upon reaching them, Kira nodded in his direction indicating her readiness as her staff let off a subtle glow. Tilin looked back and saw Tilin give him a slight nod as well. ¡°Do it!¡±, he said to Kira.


    Kira released the spell she¡¯d been holding as a forceful gale shot out in a straight line towards the southernmost part of their formation. It extended outwards towards the set of hills closest to them and through the gap that Tilin had created for them. After reaching out fifty meters or so, the gale suddenly split in two and redirected it¡¯s force towards the east and west. It violently knocked away any gnolls in it¡¯s path creating an avenue wide enough for a half dozen people to fit through. Finally the two forces stopped, creating two seperate wind walls that continued to push outwards.


    Simon looked at Kira¡¯s handiwork with admiration, and at the top of his lungs he yelled¡­¡±Run!¡±

 A long overdue update

    A quick note to anybody who was reading this. I stopped submitting chapters because I had written myself into a corner and didn''t quite know what to do to get out of it. So I''m going to take a bit more time and actually do this right. You know...actually plan ahead and write out an outline for where I want to take the story with more than just a vague notion. Just wanted to give a quick thanks for the comments and reviews that I got! Always nice to have a hobby, but before I just shovel out a bunch of crap that doesn''t make sense, I''m trying to get my bearings a bit. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Side note, while I do this for The Long Road, I''ll actually be submitting another few chapters for as second story that I''ve already got planned out. I''ve found it helps me if I don''t get too railroaded by one mindset. Feel free to check it out, or just be mad at me for taking 2 months to give an update. Hell...I know I would be peeved lol.


    I''ll post another update here once I know for sure that I''ll be able to pump out chapters consistently!


    Thanks,


    McCharChar