《Gravitas》 Chapter 0 - The Arrival ¡°ARGGHHH!¡± A groan broke the silence in the pitch-black domain. As the man moaned and spit out a mouthful of blood. He was currently in a dark enclosed space trying to remember how he ended up there. Suddenly some blinking red lights caught his attention and after a moment his eyes adjusted. The better vision brought on a small headache and memories started to flow back. ¡°Ah.. something must have gone wrong..¡± Finally the man so called Simon began to recall some of what happened. During his test flight or in better words experiment something went terribly wrong and during the catastrophe he lost consciousness. After checking the status on the instrument board and trying to make sense of the situation he could only think of a single sentence about his current predicament. ¡°Im screwed..¡± Simon reminded himself. After another cough with some blood he unfastened his seatbelt and and drifted in zero gravity trying to think a way to solve this giant mess before it would be his last. ----------------------------------- For Simon Kent this was not the first time his life was in danger, he was a astronaute and life threatening situations had propped up before. Simon didn¡¯t fear death, no what Simon feared most was people close to him dying. Although he was not afraid of death he was by no means suicidal, though some that knew him might call him that. Because of his life experiences he kept a arrogant and overbearing persona to almost everyone which fitted his current profession. In reality Simon was smart, driven and a science nerd. He was not always like this but after his family died in a car accident at age of 7, he started to change. Watching his parent and older sister dying without him receiving a scratch felt like a cruel joke from god. After the accident he ended up living with his grandfather who was just as heartbroken as him. His grandfather was a retired pilot and also trained to be astronaut but never got to go to space after some bullshit health problem deemed him unfit. They grew close sharing the loss and were more like friends than grandfather and grandchild since losing his family made Simon quite a mature loner for his age. Life carried on for Simon and after two years he started to revert to his older outgoing self and even started to get some friends. However this period would not last long, on his tenth birthday his grandfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died shortly after. At this young age some part of Simon believed it must have been his fault caring too much that god punished him. This is when he decided he should keep a distance from people and also what he should be doing with his life. To honor his late grandfather and family he would make it up to space. Most children had this dream but for Simon it was ingrained in him and kept him motivated, it also helped that space had almost no people. After being relocated to some distant relatives Simon dove into studies and training. He could be considered a genius by his foster family however most of it was pure determination. The only hobby he retained during this period was reading fantasy books after being introduced with lord of the rings by his grandfather and practicing jujutsu to stay fit. He grew up fast while keeping and arrogant overbearing front so people would keep his distance, this proved more difficult after puberty as he was staying fit for his future career and the opposite sex started to notice. Because he was not a monk and it fit with outside persona he had a few girlfriends but it was always short lived. He went off to study cosmology and astrophysics and it was here he formulated his own theory on gravity assisted propulsion. After joining the International Aeronautics and Space Administration or IASA and flying two missions aboard a space shuttle as the science officer and getting promoted to the rank of commander he was given the go-ahead to be the pilot of the flight to test his theory from college. He was now 35 years old and after going up to space he could not imagine a better job. During the flight to prove his theorem something had obviously gone wrong. After performing the necessary maneuvers and reaching a high velocity the modules system had begun blinking warning lights and a series of violent shakes caused Simon to momentarily lose consciousness. After he woke up it was all black. Seen from earth''s perspective a sudden gravitational anomaly began to form in front of the module and suddenly both the phenomenon and Simons shuttle disappeared. ----------------------------------- An hour of working in the banged up module he manage to get minimal required power to control the craft. T first thing he did after settling back in the chair was to turn back the communications to regain contact with ground control. ¡°Houston control this is commander Simon Kent do you read me, over?¡± Static was all he got back. After turning over the communications dials to check if everything was working, he continued trying. ¡°This commander Simon Kent do anyone read me, over?¡± ¡°Well that didn¡¯t work.. Lets check what¡¯s outside¡± The module had no windows but instead used cameras to get the same view without the use of transparent material. After turning the displays back on he was left dumbstruck. He was in a geosynchronous orbit over the planet however this was not planet he was used to. The landmass was all wrong and no lights could be seen over the darkened parts of the planet. ¡°Houston control¡­ wait that won¡¯t work anymore..¡± With a self depreciative smile he tried to make sense of the situation. He brought up the system logs of different sensors to find out what caused this clusterfuck he currently was in. The last log showed an unknown error being recorded by the ship''s sensors. It occured just as the experiment was suppose to be completed and after that the module lost power. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Must have something to do with that¡± He pointed to the screen to show his non existing audience. ¡°Shit already talking to myself.. Either i traveled in time¡­¡± That theory proved false, as the display screens view changed. As the ship rotated dead in space it pointed at the moons. This planet had more than one moon, two to be exact. Either he was suffering from hallucinations or the only viable hypothesis that was left was the unthinkable. ''Huh? My experiment caused a wormhole.. Well that''s just perfect..'' Simon swore and banged his fist on hull. Simon tried to remain calm, he had never been afraid of death but this current situation drifting alone somewhere in space-time after passing through a Einstein¨CRosen bridge, would make anyone a bit on edge. Shortly after regaining composure he once again checked the status on the module to see what his choices were. Visiting the planet was his final option since he had no idea what was down there. Though it looked inviting, like a second earth, without all the pollution or comfort of electricity. Since the local inhabitants could waiting for him with either lasers or sharp claws he put this idea off for the moment. After some time of weighing the different ideas to get back home he started feeling weird. He felt both hot and cold at the same time and he could have sweared he saw his skin turn a purple hue. He didn¡¯t have the chance to double check as he suddenly spasmed. A violent seizure prompted Simon to once again lose consciousness. ----------------------------------- Time flew by and the energy reserve on the module kept dwindling while Simon was out cold. When he awoke warning lights had begun to start blinking again. He checked himself but could not find and visible injuries, he thought that he must have received some internal damages from the accident. That was low priority for him as this time his craft was on the last leg, the only option left was to land and hope for the best. Simon made up his mind and started up the engine and thrusters to begin his journey into the unknown. He calculated a trajectory for the splashdown somewhere in the biggest continent on the planet. Because he was running without most of modules system online, this was mostly down to his on the fly calculations. ¡°Heh with the luck i¡¯m having today i might land back on Mars¡­ Well here goes nothing!¡± During the rough descent in the atmospheric entry more light started blinking red. With a loud noise some piece of the craft broke up because of the heat buildup. The module started spinning but he luckily got it under control, nevertheless the craft had veered of course and now headed to a thick forest on the east side of the big landmass. Simon had no time to check for civilization during the tense crash landing. However as he was nearing the ground he had some minute moments to marveled at how the flora looked similar to earth. He was still going quite fast and the landing was going to be dumpy. He shook some more as he trimmed a few trees. The screens stopped working as he slid across the earth. When the craft came to a stop he was in a small sized clearing and this time he did not pass out which served as best news all day. Simon took stock of his situation and checked his suit to find out it was ruptured, he made a decision to just open the hatch and get it over with. Hopefully there was breathable atmosphere, if not he was dead anyway. He unlocked himself from the seat and opened the hatch to outside. As he carefully took his first breath and opened his eyes he was greeted by sunlight and fresh air. Simon just stood for a few minutes just breathing. He watched the nearby terrain from the hatch. The clearing had deep dirt path in the direction which he came in for a landing and some pieces of the module wing was lying around it. Some segments where smoking but there was no risk for a forest fire since it seemed quite damp outside. Simon scanned the clearing and marveled that looked almost identical to earth. The trees and grass was green here as well and they appeared much like the boreal forest he was used to. He reckoned the local wildlife might also be the similar to earth but with his luck they might just be spitting fire. But to be the first to land and explore a new planet was the dream for most in his field of work. Simon steeled himself and went back to pack some supplies and tools from the module, before jumping down on the moist dirt ground. ¡®Damn i forgot to say something cool when taking my first step on the planet.. Well noone here to complain but me.¡¯ At that moment he remembered he might suffer from internal bleeding but he was now feeling normal. Once again Simon started checking himself yet he could did not feel the obvious signs for internal bleeding. With that problem aside he could start his exploration in the area around the crash site and maybe find water. He had some from the craft but nothing that could last longer than a week with rationing. The clearing and forest investigation was quite anticlimactic as it all seemed so familiar, he could have been in any forest on earth. It was just eerily quiet. The only noteworthy discovery Simon made was when he tripped on a rock and a few insect like creatures with six legs and wings flew out from the dirt. Simon didn¡¯t have time to name them, they seem quite annoyed at being disturbed and fluttered away quickly. As the sun started to set he made his way back to the module to fill his stomach and rest for the night. While he was eating his dinner the first sound of animals reached him. Distant roars and bird sounds confirmed that larger animals also roamed this planet. When he went up to do a check on the nearby perimeter he saw the vast amount of unknown stars in the sky further reminding him that he was all alone. Simon for the first time in a long time wished for some company. Chapter 1 - Angry Birds At dawn Simon woke up. He had fallen asleep late despite being utterly exhausted. The morning was cold, damp and cloudy. Simon pushed himself out of the shuttle and restarted his exploration. The light wind and the trees swaying was the only nearby noise. Bright light started to appear when the clouds moved and the temperature started to rise. Simon steeled himself and walked on. After walking for awhile he stopped and listened. He didn¡¯t have to wait long for the sound to become more clear. A smile formed on his lips and he heard the telltale sound of water running. He picked up speed and ended up in front of a river with clear water. Simon scanned the nearby area before walking up and testing the water. The water was heavenly on his lips and he refilled his bottle. Simon backed up and turned around to head back. *Crack* Simon snapped to attention as he heard a twig crack. Where the sound came from stood a large animal. It looked like wingless bird with a nasty looking beak, but it had fur. It¡¯s fur was in a myriad of green and brown colours like camouflage. Simons pulse started to pick up. He had been cornered. The water flowing was the only noise as Simon and the bird had a intense staring contest. It opened it¡¯s bright red beak *URRRRRR*. A moment later similar sounds responded nearby. ¡®Damn¡¯ He thought ¡®I''m being surrounded¡¯. As he was trying desperately to come up with a plan the bird charged. It was surprisingly fast and caught up with him in moments. Simon had barely time to register the moment before he felt a pain shoot up in his body. The bird attacked him with violent ferocity. He responded in kind, slamming his fist on it¡¯s side. ¡°Arghh Fuck!¡± he cursed aloud while hitting the bird. Adrenaline corsed through his veins and the bird staggered back a few steps, dazed from a punch to it¡¯s face. He looked down and saw both bite and claw marks on his torso and legs. Simon felt his body bleeding profusely and he saw two more birds stalking out of the forest in his peripheral vision. Their red beaks gleaming in the sun. As the first bird started to come back from it¡¯s revery he reversed closer to river. Blood seeped from from his wounds and he was starting to feel light headed. ¡®Think damnit!¡¯ *UUURRRR* All three birds started another charge. He made up his mind and jumped. The river current was violent and the temperature was cold. Simon was drifting downstream fast and as he came back up for air he saw the birds following. *URR* *URR* *URRP* The water near him was being dyed pink as his wound kept pumping out his blood. Simon was lucky when a stone in the middle of the river stopped his drifting. Simon coughed up some cold water. He quickly tore off his undershirt and made a quick bandage on his wounds. As he looked back up he saw two birds glaring at him while the third was backing up. ¡®Fuck it¡¯s gonna jump¡¯ he swore in his mind He pushed off the rock before the birds could start round two. The flow caught him once again and he picked up speed. While drifting he cursed himself, he had been so stupid. He should had been much more careful when exploring but the exhaustion and the familiar forest had lulled him into false sense of security. The encounter was a stark reminder that he was completely out of his depth. And now he was wounded and without food. Simon didn¡¯t have much more time to think of his foolish mistakes as he gained momentum. This planet was trying it¡¯s hardest to kill him. The latest attempt was the waterfall closing in fast. He continued drifting after the fall with his head looking straight up at the sky. Simon was starting to feel colder and the blood loss wasn¡¯t helping. The birds stopped at the cliff not pursuing further. As their sad cries echoed through the silent forest, Simon felt some pressure lessen. Time ticked by and after a while his speed slowed down. As he tried looking around he saw a bend of the river coming up. With Simon''s last strength he pushed himself to the gravelly shore and crawled out of the water. The ground and plant life was warm from the sun. The sun was now high up in the sky. He felt himself warming up as he inched up the slope. Behind the slope was a dirt trail with some semblance to a road. It looked like an overgrown farm road. This was the first sign that this planet could have some civilization. Simon didn¡¯t have much time to think it over as he was all worn out. He ended up in the middle of the road before passing out. As time passed by strange things started occur in Simon''s body. His skin and started emitting a purple hue and his temperature rose. Inside his body more bizarre things happened. His stem cells was revived by the phenomenon. This created new tissue, improved cell health and increased his body¡¯s overall strength and endurance. The most noticeable change was that he started to revert in age during the afternoon. When the temperature went back to normal levels all that was left of wounds was small scars with lighter coloured skin. The changes ended with his skin colour going back to caucasian. Nothing more happened until late afternoon. Two figures came walking on the road nearing Simon. As they drew near they started becoming weary. During this time of the cycle this path rarely saw any travelers. The two inched closer to the body checking the treeline for any ambush. All they could see was a body lying in a small pool of blood. What stood out was the strange clothing the young man was wearing. The closest stranger kneeled down to check for breathing. She turned around and nodded to the old man. What ensued was a argument between them. This was broken when Simon stirred in his sleep. ¡°Urghh¡± Simon moaned in a low voice. The gravel nearest his body started to float a few seconds before returning lightly to the ground. The old man exclaimed surprise in a gravelly voice and pointed first to the woman and then to Simon. He seemed proud of himself as he continued walking. The woman picked up Simon with a scowl and followed after. Some words came from her that sounded a lot like curses. They reached their destination at sundown. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ----------------------------------- Simon woke up with a headache in an unknown room. The room was sparse with uneven wooden floor, stone walls and a small window on the far wall. The only other furniture in the room was a wooden bench and a large chest. He put the quilt aside to check his body, what he saw left him more disoriented. He had always been fit but this was ridiculous, his muscles was more prominent than they had ever been before. A distinct six pack greeted him as he drew fingers over the injuries. All that left was some pink skin. ¡®Must have great healthcare here¡¯ Simon mused. The sound of shuffling brought him back from his thoughts. He put the blanket back over his body and closed eyes as he focuses on the noise. The door creaked opened and Simons pulse sped up in both excitement and alarm. The footsteps neared him and he decided to open his eyes to get this alien encounter over with. As his eyes focused on the form he could finally see the alien. She looked remarkably human but her ears was fluffy and she had some light fur on her arms. He gaped up at her and started to speak. Before he could utter a word the woman lightly tapped him and shook her head. She pointed at the thing she was carrying and handed it to him. Simon gripped the wooden bowl and spoon and peered inside. A clear soup with unknown vegetables greeted him and his stomach grumbled. The girl nodded at him with a neutral expression and then exited the room. His gaze followed her out and he forgot to introduce himself or ask any questions before she left. The soup tasted salty but the vegetables was crunchy and well cooked. He sighed in ecstasy at his first fresh food on the planet. The bowl was quickly emptied. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Simon shouted Shouting brought on a coughing fit and the girl entered with a scowl on her face. She made the universal sign for silence and Simon nodded dumbly at her. Now that he some energy in him he could focus on her. The girl was tall, had brown hair and striking blue eyes. She was dressed in a grey robe that hid her body''s features. Before he could voice any protest she pulled back the blanket and checked his body. He could feel that she had strong calloused hands. Simon blushed for the first time he could remember. Simon was always the alpha in relationship and conversations with the opposite sex. ¡°Hey!¡± Simon complained in a croaky voice. She bumped his head again and continued checking him. The bump brought back the headache and Simon dropped the bowl and put his hands on his head. The girl stopped and looked slightly worried. Simon had a strange feeling in his head and the bowl beside him shot right up towards the ceiling and stayed there. As the pain eased the bowl fell back down and hit the floor. Both the girl and Simon watched the bowl to see what it would do next. ¡°Amara..¡± A stern voice brought both their attention to the doorway. There stood a old man with a prominent grey beard. He pointed at the girl and then to the hallway. She nodded and went outside. ¡°No mu falt..¡± she spoke in a low voice as she passed him. ¡®What the hell.. Sounds like they are speaking english¡¯ Simon was trying hard to make sense of the situation, flying bowls and english speaking aliens. And the old man standing in the door looked human, even more so than the violent fluffy girl. He felt that universe was playing tricks on him. At least his headache passed. ¡°Exsude her yng sage, her meen well but..¡± the man spoke. ¡°Uhm no problem..¡± ¡°Where am i? How did you heal me? Sage?¡± Simon asked. ¡°Holt on holt on yng sage¡± The man replied with an amused face. ¡°I wil anser yur questins in dy time but for now you need to rest, we found you on the road heading home and we need to make sure that you¡¯re alright before we could have a long talk¡± The old man explained. As the old man continued speaking Simon could make out the words better from the strange dialect. ¡°I¡¯m Thomas and the girl is Amara she don¡¯t talk much but is friendly enough, rest now¡± ¡°Simon¡± He answered before he was left alone again. He watched the world becoming darker through the window before falling asleep again. During the night he woke several times from nightmares of evil birds. Each time he woke up the girl Amara would peer into the room to see if he was alright. She would only nod at him before closing the door. As Simon slept the Thomas and Amara sat talking about the stranger. The room had four chairs with comfortable red cushions and a large black table made from some exotic wood. ¡°Well Simon seems like a nice young man and the magic he was using.. I can¡¯t believe the luck i''m having.. To learn new things at my age, interesting interesting¡± Thomas grumbled ¡°And you wanted to leave him for the Roamers¡± Michaela responded in a low voice. ¡°What was that?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°Nothing..¡± ¡°Ah yes i can¡¯t wait to experiment on him and learn his secrets!¡± Thomas continued. Amara responded with a stern scowl. Thomas coughed and continued talking mostly to himself ¡°Ah i mean.. hmm.. talk and help him harness his power for the greater good.. Yes yes a most unique blessing¡± The low moan from the nearby room stopped the one sided conversation. Amara stood up and walked away to check their guest. ¡°Very interesting indeed¡± Thomas mumbled as he drank the last of his tea and stroked his beard. Chapter 2 - A Blessing In Disguise It was early morning as Simon climbed out of bed. He had awoken from the distinct smell of food. He stretched, and moved to check the state of his body. For the first time since waking up in the shuttle, there was no discomfort. A plain brown robe was placed on the bench for him. He remember to make a wide berth from where the bowl had landed. Simon dressed quickly in the chilly room, and made his way through the doorway. As he exited the room, he ended up in the kitchen, both inhabitants he had met sat at a big table. He walked and sat at an empty seat, opposite Amara and Thomas. Before he could say anything, a bowl and cup was placed before him. Though it was the same food as last time, he didn¡¯t mind. The fireplace crackled as he ate. ¡°Morning¡± Simon croaked between scoops. ¡°Good morning Simon!¡± Thomas said with an amused tone ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Much, thank you¡± ¡°Yes yes i can see that, when we found you looked very pale and sick. So we did, the only thing anyone would do..¡± Thomas continued. A low grunt came from Amara as he explained. ¡°Thank you, both for that. I had a bad couple of days. I don¡¯t have anything on me to repay you for healing me, but i can work¡± Simon answered and finished his breakfast. The table was quickly cleaned of by Amara. Thomas and Simon continued talking. She stole some glances at the boy sitting at the table. She felt relieved that he was feeling better, but her neutral expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s only right, that honorable sages, help each other when in danger¡± ¡°Sage?¡± Simon looked at Thomas confused. ¡°Ah yes quite a peculiar magic you have boy. I hope you could show this old man some of it¡¯s secrets¡± Thomas resumed, not answering his question. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! What¡¯s a sage?¡± Simon quickly cut him off. Now Thomas looked bewildered. This was not the response he was hoping for. Was the boy simple or bad at lying? He racked his brain what he should say next. ¡®Aha, he must be testing me to check if i''m one!¡¯ Thomas expression changed to a smile, as he put out his hand. Simon focused on it, and waited. After a few mumbles from the old man, a small fire formed over his palm. Simon did a double take, and nearly fell off the chair. He didn¡¯t have much time to explain this fire, before he once again was left surprised. A water ball coming from kitchen, shot off and extinguished the fire. He looked between Thomas and Amara, now once again reminded he was talking to aliens. ¡°As you can see, we are both sages, so now quickly show me!¡± Thomas propped his chair closer, and waited intently. ¡°Umm, i can¡¯t do that¡± Simon denied. ¡°Nonsense boy, I saw you showing Amara yesterday¡± ¡°What?¡± He looked at Amara, who was pointing at a bowl ¡°What the crazy bowl? I did that?¡± Simon pointed at himself, and both alien nodded at him. ¡°Boy, you¡¯re telling me you didn¡¯t know you were a sage? You''re not lying right?¡± Thomas looked sceptical. Simon shook his head and glanced at Thomas hands. ¡°Are you simple then?¡± Thomas asked tilting his head ¡°I knew a retarded sage back in the day, who could sink into the ground.. Didn¡¯t end well¡±. Simon was slightly hurt, this must be the first time an astronaut was called mentally handicapped. The only explanation, was that these aliens were magicians and thought he was one. As he watched Thomas he could see some resemblance with Gandalf from Lord of the Rings books. ¡®Well, maybe more a Gandalf santa¡¯ Simon pondered. ¡°Ah no, i didn¡¯t know i was a ¡°Sage¡±, is it like a magician?¡± Simon asked. ¡°Haha magician! They can only do useless things like talk to grass, and do simple tricks! No, a sages are masters over the six elements, that make up the world¡± Thomas explained while stroking his beard. Amara came back to the table started to reading a book, not bothering participating in the discussion. ¡°Six elements? Like earth, water..¡± ¡°Ah yes, the six elements that make up the world! Fire, water, earth, wind, light and darkness..¡± Thomas droned on for a long time, explaining the so called elements, and their uses to Simon like he was a simpleton. Fire sages used fire and was the most destructive of the elements. Water countered fire, and didn¡¯t have much use on land, though the most expert of water sages could form and use ice. Earth sages could manipulate the earth and wind sages could use the wind, there had even been wind sages that could form lightning. Light and darkness was a bit more bizarre. The light sages could use healing spells, but also incantations that could boost regular people''s strengths. Finally the darkness element could employ shadows and night, to disorient the senses. There was much more information that Thomas explained, mostly of different sages he had met and defeated during his life. It¡¯s all sounded amazing, maybe a bit basic for Simon who had probably had the best education on the planet. If magic existed here, how did it correspond with the laws of physics. Controlling these elements must use energy from somewhere. Simon contemplated this almost tuning out Thomas. If he had been the cause of the bowls theatrics yesterday, he must have done something to it. All he could remember is having a regular headache at the time. ¡®Wait.. the bowl shooting up into the ceiling does not match any of these so called elements¡¯ ¡°So, what element am i?¡± Simon cut him off in the middle of s story about a light sage that was so powerful, his augmentation and healing spells caused the patients to explode. ¡°So, he cast it on his enemies instead! Haha! Huh? Ah yes, that is what i also would like to know i dedicated most of my life to study the elements¡± ¡°How long have you had your blessing?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°Blessing?¡± Simon once again looked confused. ¡°Boy are you sure you''re not stupid?¡± Both Thomas and Amara looked at him with. ¡°No.. Where i''m from i¡¯ve never heard of blessing¡± ¡°Must have some other name for it where you come from then.. Hmm that might explain why you¡¯re so strange. Well the blessing is the gift from the gods, every person receive when they become adults..¡± Thomas followed with a lengthy clarification. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Blessing was the worldwide term for the gifts all people acquires when they reach puberty. It was a broad term, since the blessing came in a myriad of different changes. Most people received additional strength or better senses. Some became smarter and there were even cases of people seeing the world in purple. Rarer still, was people becoming sages that could use the elements to perform, what seemed like miracles to the common people. These individuals what highly sought after by nobles since most blessings, had a change to be hereditary. ¡°I knew of one man who never aged, now that¡¯s a blessing! Too bad he could not move..¡± Thomas was back to talking about people with strange blessings. It was an eyeopener for Simon, this blessing phenomenon could explain why his muscles were so prominent. And now that he thought more about it, his senses were more sharp. But, if that was true, he had gotten more than one blessing, which Thomas haven¡¯t mentioned could occur. Maybe he was a special case having not grown up here, this made Simon somewhat excited. Having a special body and being a sage seemed like a great fortune in this weird world. Simon tried once again to stop Thomas talking. He only stopped when Amara elbowed his side. ¡°I just received my blessing mr Thomas, so i have no experience with being a sage¡± Simon explained. He thought that is was best to be honest with his benefactors. ¡°Huh boy, you look older than that.. Weird maybe people grow up slower where you¡¯re from. You look at least, 16 cycles¡± Thomas answered. ¡°Well I¡¯m thirt.. Wait what!?¡± Simon stood up quickly, and almost ran outside to the water barrel he had spotted from the chair. When he reached it he gazed at his reflection, he saw a young boy staring back at him. As he used his hands to feel his face, it finally registered that it was him. He looked like he had done in high school, but with an even more handsome and chiseled face. Various expressions were displayed in the water. ¡®Must be these blessings¡¯ Simon thought to himself while staring. ¡°What a weird one..¡± Thomas laughed as he watched Simon from the window. Amara could only agree with a nod. This boy was definitely strange. ----------------------------------- Simon was left to his own devices, as Amara worked in the garden and Thomas disappeared to his library. He had much to think about. He sat pondering while watching Amara working. Though she had an average face, her furry ears and clear blue eyes was striking and exotic for Simon. It was pleasant to watch, and the clear sunlight and sweat from working only highlighted her features. The one story house, was located alone in a clearing. It was L shaped, and made mostly from stone, though the roof was clad in dirt and vegetation. Several chimes were located on the roof. It looked almost natural in the clearing. Just outside the house was a giant garden with different plants and herbs. The house and garden formed a perfect rectangle. A dirt path made it¡¯s way from the house downhill, and he could see the bigger road from where he sat. On the path was a small shed and outhouse. When spotting this he hurried to outhouse. As he made his way back to the bench he smiled at Amara, who only watched him. ¡®Wierd Girl¡¯. ¡®Wierd Boy¡¯. They both thought at the same time. He went back to thinking of his sage power. Launching a bowl didn¡¯t fit the description of the elements. Even though their explanations was very crude and basic for a person from earth, they didn¡¯t fit. He made the assumption that the so called blessings was caused by some foreign energy that existed here, and sages could somehow harness this energy to preform magic. The synopsis was that he somehow had altered the gravity of the bowl, or he had used telekinetic powers to push it. As gravity was a natural phenomenon, he must have gained some energy to counteract it. The force required to, invert gravity, on a small object, like the bowl was not much, but coming from him it was still amazing. Even though gravity was the weakest interactions of nature, it still had limitless potential. If he could harness this power, the possibilities were endless. ¡®Well, i can either think all day, or i can experiment¡¯ Simon thought with a silly grin. He started breathing rhythmically and focused. He tried to get back the feeling he had felt during his headache. For a half an hour he felt normal and made no progress. Simon was about to give up, before he felt something weird, it almost felt like a small continues tap in his head. It was very faint and felt alien. As he focused on it the headache came back with a vengeance, he caressed his face and opened his eyes. The concentration was slipping, with the pain and he made a last ditch effort to keep it. While experimenting Simon''s eyes was locked on Amara working, and the garden tool next to her started to float. Amara watched Simon in pain, trying to impress her with his meager power. It only lasted three seconds, before the feeling slipped away and the tool fell back in the dirt. ¡°Success!¡± Simon smiled. As this was the second time he had seen it happened, it made him a believer. This instance had been less painful that the first. It almost felt like a new muscle, just waiting to be trained. Time flew by, as he sat alone pondering. With these blessings, his life would certainly be interesting. Finally, during this uneventful moment, his thoughts finally drifted to earth. His home, much like this planet but also vastly different. Even though he lacked any meaningful relationships, he would miss it. He would miss his job most, since being in space had been both his and his grandfather''s dream. Not being able to visit his family and grandfather graves would certainly haunt him. He could try to get back, but that seemed like a pipedream at the moment, since these people didn¡¯t even have toilets. Another problem, was that he still didn¡¯t have a clue how he ended up here, maybe it wasn''t because of his experiment. He made up his mind to solve some of the riddles of this world and train in his new power, maybe someday he would find his way home. He, would adapt to his new circumstances, like he had done before. ¡®But first food¡¯ Simon stood up and dusted himself off, and went back inside to continue his talk. There was much to learn. Chapter 3 - Novus With the most of the morning spent talking and thinking, Simon went back inside. Even though he hadn¡¯t performed any strenuous tasks, he was still hungry. He watched Amara preparing the food from the table and tried numerous times to strike up a conversation, but was only met with nods or shakes. Just as the lunch was placed on the table, Thomas appeared from the hallway. He looked slightly in a hurry to dig in, and Simon could only agree, it smelled appetizing. The meal was same vegetables as he had before, but now grilled and with a brown bread, that somehow melted in his mouth. ¡°Ah, Amara these krips are delicious like always¡± Thomas commented, while stuffing in the food as fast as he possible could. When the meal was finished, both Simon and Thomas sat rubbing their stomachs, looking satisfied. Now that Simon had digested the information he got at breakfast, he was ready to continue. Both of them seemed impatient to restart their conversation. Simon explained that he was new to being a sage, but he promised to show Thomas, when he could control it better. When he asked about how sages could do magic, Thomas smiled. It seemed like he was very eager to tell him. ¡°Well you see Simon, a sage use mana, the lifeblood of Novus. We harness mana by recanting spells and channeling them through our core. By doing this we can start fires, or cast waterballs, as you seen before¡± ¡°Core?¡± ¡°Yes, all sages have a core located somewhere in the body, it grows as you use it. So, if you are a newly blessed sage you can¡¯t perform complex spells, since you¡¯re core can¡¯t handle the mana. It will only lead to a failed spell and sickness¡± Thomas said shaking his head. ¡°Why can¡¯t fire sages use water spells then?¡± ¡°Oh! Interesting question, and one that i¡¯ve been trying to figure out. I think, it¡¯s because before the blessing, the core is very small and colorless. When you reach adulthood, the blessing alters the core to an element so the body can use it. Well atleast the beasts that can use the magic, have their cores in the same color¡± ¡°But, this is basic knowledge that even a peasant would know.. hmm¡± Thomas looked sceptical ¡°Where did you say you came from boy?¡± he demanded. ¡°Uhmm i didn¡¯t¡± Simon thought furiously how he was going to explain this, this was the first serious question Thomas asked. Well he could lie, but he didn¡¯t know the name of any place on this planet. He decided to just show them and make their own conclusions. Simon started to point his finger to the sky, but before his finger reached straight up, Thomas cut him off. ¡°Through the Jagged Mountains!¡± He said with a surprise ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone living behind those! What¡¯s it like there?¡± Thomas looked very interested. ¡®That was easy¡¯ Simon sighed. He made some vague explanation about the so called world behind the Jagged Mountains. That they didn¡¯t have any sages where he came from, and that he had gotten lost and ended up being attacked. When he asked about the birds, he was told that they were called Roamers. Roamers were scavengers, that usually only attacked weaker animals or dead prey. Roamers were also delicious, and because of that they were hunted and domesticated. Thomas, described the tender meat of wild roamers in great detail. When Amara left the table to go back outside Simon took the chance to ask. ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± He asked with a hushed tone. ¡°Oh Amara..¡± Thomas said with a slightly sad voice ¡°She¡¯s from one of the wild beastmen clans. Well, they don¡¯t know any magic, and because she didn¡¯t get any blessings that made her stronger.. She was shunned and beaten, before being driven out. Savages. I found her alone in the forest, using water magic to stay alive. Took a few years before she started talking to me¡± ¡°Well, that would make anyone change..¡± Simon answered. That stopped the conversation, both Thomas and Simon felt like they were talking behind a person''s back and was trying to change subject. ¡°What about you? How did you end up here?¡± Simon gestured around him. ¡°Oh that, just a regular story. I grew up in the empire, as a commoner. I wanted to pursue knowledge of the elements, instead of going to the wall and be killed. So i fled from school, and made my way to the warring kingdoms, to live my life in peace. Well, that didn¡¯t work so well, kingdoms rise and fall there every day. I had to learn to fight to protect my research from other sages, and i did it well!¡± Thomas said ¡°I settled down in the powerful Kingdom of Trot, as a court sage. But 10 cycles ago, it was invaded by an alliance of neighboring kingdoms. We lost and i had to flee, leaving most of my life''s work behind. I ended up here, in The Exiled Forest¡± Simon thought Thomas had lived an fascinating life. There were a lot of places he mentioned that seemed interesting, but also dangerous. A whole new world, with places still left untouched, called to Simon''s inner child. A world with magic, swords and other races. But Simon didn¡¯t forget to step back and think. While this planet may seem riveting and magical, where there is individuals, some will disagree, which leads to arguments, which leads to conflicts. Simon clearly remember the brutalities that had occurred in earth''s history, and from Thomas story this world didn¡¯t seem any different. ¡°Do you still have any maps or books that i can check since i¡¯m new to this side of.. The Jagged Mountains¡± Simon questioned. He had to have more information about the world. ¡°Of course my boy! You can use my library while you train your magic here, just be sure to show me your progress¡± They both stood up and Simon followed as they went deeper into the house. He passed two bedrooms on the way, before ending up in the biggest room in the house. There were a lot of bookcases placed around the room, but not many books. Besides the bookcases, there was a fireplace and a desk with a chair. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°There are still a few books that i used to teach Amara in here somewhere. But be careful Simon, if you damage any books¡± Thomas cautioned him with a hard voice. His attitude changing drastically. He looked terrifying while giving the stern warning. Simon felt cold sweat running, he could only nod dumbly. Just as fast as it had come, Thomas changed back to his chipper tone and left him alone. ----------------------------------- It took a while for Simon to calm down, he took the old man''s warning to heart, before walking around the room to check the books. Even though they were few of them they were sorted with a simple system. Books about herb and plants, books about wildlife and beasts, books about countries and races. The largest group of books were of course about magic and the six elements, it had several written by Thomas. He flipped carefully through a few books to check on the language. It was thankfully readable, instead of being archaic like he was expecting, it was a simplified english, atak instead of attack. The spelling seemed to change between books, but he could understand most of them. Thomas writing was by far the hardest to read, and his books included a lot of pictures of stick figures burning. ¡®Well, he did say he fled from school¡¯. Simon finally found what he was looking for in a book about The Empire, on the first page was a detailed map of the continent. He found the The Exiled Forest marked on the eastern side of the landmass, it was a giant forest. The Jagged Mountains separating it from the Northeastern coastline. Bordering to the west was the region called The Warring Kingdoms, it contained mostly plains, rivers, smaller forests and hills. To the south was first an area called The Plains and further down was a giant desert called Red Badlands. He could not help but glance at The Empire, it was by far largest country marked. It laid west, beyond The Warring Kingdoms. Interested to learn more, he continued to skim it¡¯s contents. The Empire was founded two thousand cycles ago by five people. These people was chosen by the gods to build a lasting refuge for humans that were worthy. They were all smart, beautiful and very powerful sages - the pinnacle of human beings. The five were, Karl a light sage and their religious leader, Bianca a earth sage as trade leader, Hans a fire sage as the military commander, Frida a water sage, keeper of the empires knowledge and wife of Magnus. Magnus the most powerful of the five, their leader - the first emperor. He was described in the book to have the ability to call in thunderstorms that could destroy cities. They built The Wall to protect from The Corrupted - a race spawned from hell itself, that slaughtered the humans in the thousands. The Wall still stood today, protecting the Empire¡¯s northwestern border from the endless horde. They built the capital, Novus Prime, named after the planet. Each district built and governed by the respective four leaders and in the center was a massive palace overlooking the city. From here the emperor ruled for 200 cycles, always expanding and conquering new territories. To this day it is ruled by the emperor''s descendants and a council of four ministers. Simon lost track of time, it was a very interesting read, but like always he took the contents with a grain of salt. He sighed and rubbed his head, he had a slight headache from sitting in the darkened room for too long, not a magical one. Perhaps he tried to learn too much, too fast. He stood back up and decided to get some fresh air and see if he could help with any chores. ----------------------------------- Westward in a castle made from marble and stone, preparation for war was being made. In one of the spires sat a group of gim looking people, they were in a heated argument over the crisis that loomed over the kingdom. Keel Kingdom was located in the most eastern part of the Warring Kingdoms region. The country mostly relied on trading but this was about to change. A tyrant ruling in a nearby kingdom had gotten enamored with Keel Kingdom''s young princess and when she turned him down the situation had escalated to war. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough soldiers!¡± A general shouted to one of the ministers. ¡°Well round up the peasants as a militia and use them¡± The minister responded with a heated tone. ¡°They will be slaughtered by the enemy. They are more experienced, better equipped and they have many more than we can muster¡± Another military leader explained. ¡°We need more troops, without it stopping our food production and trade deals¡± The finance minister thought aloud. ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Asked the king. The room turned quiet. ¡°Your majesty, we have about an cycle for them to mobilize and march to our border¡± The general said with a respectful tone. The king sighed and made his decision. ¡°General start rounding up all able bodies to mandatory conscription. Also recruit mercenaries that are living in The Exiled Forest and add them to our army¡± ¡°Yes your majesty¡± Not everyone in the room looked satisfied, but they were ready to carry out the king''s orders. As the people left, the king sat alone gazing at the two moons that lighted up the night. He prayed to the gods for a miracle. ----------------------------------- Author: Hello, just checking how you liked the story so far. I know there has been a lot of info dump in these chapters but Simon''s first adventure will soon start. Any feedback on the characters, world or magic system is also much appreciated.