《Provenant》 Prologue - Happenstance Hues of intense red and orange filled the sky as the sun began to set. The warming colors seemed to dye thousands of small white chert houses. Everything near Vane Hill was slowly being covered by its growing shadow. A soft warm breeze was the only sound in the city streets. The usual smell of food and people going on about their business was replaced by the salty smell of the nearby ocean. Any stranger would have thought the city had been suddenly abandoned. But this was to be expected; after all today was the day of the tournament finals. A sudden roar brought the scene to life. It was the scream of thousands screaming at the top of their lungs. They all came from the same place. A huge ring of deep red colored rocks naturally created a base and lifted the building. The rocks gave way to twenty-meter columns as if they were sculpted from the rocks themselves. The Stade, a huge coliseum located at the center of the city. Indeed, its location and color clearly represented the Stade as being the heart of the city. Most likely, it was the heart of the known world. Two men facing each other slowly stepped in. No one dared blink. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this year¡¯s Rise of the Prodigy finale!¡± The announcer said while activating his [Voice] volume Talent. His voice effortlessly covered the whole stadium. ¡°After overcoming ninety-eight other participants these two are the best of them all! Will the winner be the twenty-three year old Raleigh from Mantek Dome?¡± Huge screams of support exploded after the question. The one meter eighty-five tall man raised his hand thanking them. He had a distinct scar running from his left eyebrow all across his bald scalp to the back of the neck. His athletic build clearly spoke of how he relied more on agility than on pure strength. One more fight and it will be over. One more fight and I¡¯ll make Mantek proud. Everyone will acknowledge it as a great dome, and with the prize benefits it will surely begin to prosper. Even Raleigh¡¯s disciplined mind couldn¡¯t help but fantasize of the possibility. The title of Prodigy and the fame and fortune that come with it¡­ I just have to win one more time. This is what I trained and sacrificed all my life for; I rather die than lose this battle. ¡°Or will the twenty-two year old Radan continue Ferod Dome¡¯s winning tradition?¡± questioned the announcer. The other half of the coliseum mightily thundered. Radan acknowledge the audience by slightly lowering his head. His figure towered at least twenty-three centimeters above his opponent. Neglected chin-long hair covered most of his face. No emotion could be read from it. Gigantic muscles rounded up the imposing man. He was a strength user through and through. His sight was fiercely glued onto his opponent. ¡°There can only be one, who will rise as this year¡¯s Prodigy?¡± the announcer said. ¡°The only way to win the title is by topping your opponent. You can incapacitate or make him yield¡­ you can knock him out, break all his limbs, or make him beg surrender. Whichever path you choose there is only one thing you cannot do¡­ kill! Now let us pay tribute to our Lord.¡± A gong sound immediately followed the announcer. It echoed across the stadium as everyone remained in absolute silence. When the vibrations could no longer be heard, as if in a trance, everyone stood up at the same time and faced the same direction. All eyes gazed upon a man covered from head to toe in purple robes. He was the ruler of all known land, the Provenant. As he stood up everyone bowed. He faced both fighters. At the same time, he lifted his cowl just enough so that they, and only they, could take a look at his face. Both fighters wrapped in simple white cotton shirts and knee-long loose shorts bowed deeply upon his Grace. Another gong enveloped the arena. ¡°So it begins, fighters show us you Talents!¡± shouted the announcer. Raleigh immediately raised his guard. He covered his head with his left hand while his right hand was around chest height, a rather offensive stance. He attentively watched Radan using both his hands to cover his face. Raleigh assumed his specialty was a combination of [Muscle + Skeleton] reinforcement. The sunset hues were clearly reflecting upon a water-like membrane in his arms. So, he also has [Skin] reinforcement. I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to break his defense before I run out of resources¡­ No use thinking about it. In a flash Raleigh launched reading his right fist. For the unprepared eyes, or rather untalented eyes, it seemed as if he vanished and suddenly appeared in front of Radan. The gigantic fighter was caught a little off guard by the speed, but he simply stood his ground and received the punch with his right forearm. He launched a powerful swing with his left arm aiming for his opponent¡¯s head. Raleigh saw through his rival¡¯s intention. He quickly spun sticking his back to his opponent¡¯s chest while catching the swinging arm. Leveraging Radan¡¯s momentum he launched him over his own back. He pummeled Radan into the ground with a heavy punch to his face while the enemy was still mid air. He suddenly felt a huge explosion on his chest and was sent flying. He landed on his back a few meters away. He immediately spat out some blood. Even while lying down his punch was this powerful? If he were to put his whole body into the punch there is no way I can survive it. Even if I can dodge most of his punches with my speed superiority he will eventually land one. On top of that there¡¯s also the possibility that he will gladly receive damage just to counter attack. To make things worst, at the current pace I will only be able to fight for five more minutes. I have to end this now. Raleigh noticed his opponents gaze fixed upon him as both stood up. A slight bluish glow appeared on his right fist and both his legs. He took Radan¡¯s first show of an emotion, a slight smile, as an acknowledgement of a worthy rival. It was followed by the same glow emanating from Radan¡¯s arms and legs. Raleigh once more launched himself with his right fist readied. Fool, that power level will never get through my armor! I admit you have good techniques, and your speed is better than mine, but that alone is not enough. Radan thought as he prepared his defense. Radan¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the blue glow from Raleigh¡¯s fist suddenly turn purple. Instinctively he lowered his head and crossed both his arms in an attempt to use them both as a shield. The huge bang caused by the impact silenced the stadium. ¡°You¡¯ve obtained a Provenance.¡± Remarked Radan. ¡°Provenance of Speed,¡± replied Raleigh. ¡°I had it before the tournament started, but couldn¡¯t use it against any other opponent. I hope you¡¯re not too injured, after all power comes from a combination of strength and speed. I gambled a man of your Talents could withstand it.¡± ¡°I yield,¡± said the defeated Radan. Both his arms where hanging as if they belonged to a rag doll. Every bone from his hands to his elbows was fractured. The audience remained in complete awe. It had probably been three years since the last time they had seen a Provenance level user. A grinning Raleigh turned to face the Provenant expecting his acknowledgment. He immediately changed his face when he saw me looking at him, but was that a face of disappointment? Did he want Radan to win? The Provenant rose from his seat, his face now fully covered by his cowl. The crowd slowly returned from their stupor and stared at their leader. He gracefully jumped from his seat into the middle of the arena. Murmurs praising his ability could be heard everywhere. ¡°It was a fight worthy of the final. Both of you fought bravely and have made your domes proud. Radan, knowing how to gauge your opponent and admit defeat is an often overlooked skill. Hold your head high, you did wonderfully,¡± the Provenant spoke calmly. His voice enveloped the coliseum. It was followed by waves of applause from the entire crowd. ¡°Raleigh, your talent is truly one in a million. I can¡¯t imagine the sacrifices you made to achieve Provenance. Rest assured everyone present will forever remember your name. I¡¯m sure the two of you will make many contributions in your new future as part of the Capital¡¯s ranks. Come join us sons!¡± Chants for the new Prodigy erupted as the order was given. An unseen door opened at arena level and both fighters slowly followed the Provenant inside it. By the time they were inside the new room, which was really more of a tunnel, the Provenant was out of sight and only some guards remained. Both of them were instructed to follow the tunnel and wait at the end of it. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The walk took them about an hour. There was nothing special about the tunnel. It was wide and the walls were made from orange-colored rock. Rocks wrapped in bioluminescent worms were hanged at even intervals to provide light. By the time they arrived to the end Radan had completely healed his broken arms. An enormous metal door stood before them. It was at least a meter higher than Radan and about four meters wide. It suddenly split in the middle and both halves retracted into the surrounding rock walls. Even Radan¡¯s usually stern face was unable to hide his amazement at the sight inside the room. It was completely stocked of strange looking gigantic tubes and machines they had never seen, even the walls were made of metal. In the middle of them stood the Provenant signaling them to come in. The doors automatically closed once they entered. Adding to their surprise, the two loosing semifinalists were also present in the room. ¡°Well then its about time we get done with this¡± abruptly remarked the Provenant. He then gave each of them a neckpiece. It was made from metal and would fit tightly around their necks. The four of them looked like lost animals. Even though they didn¡¯t understand a thing they simply followed the Provenant¡¯s motions and put on the neckpiece. ¡°Good, good. Ok now, Raleigh as for your first place prize¡­¡± The rest of the competitors watched him expectantly. ¡°You get to die last.¡± Raleigh had been wary of the Provenant since he saw that strange look when he defeated Radan. His suspicion increased further with the sharp change of tone with which he received them in the metal room. Therefore once he heard the word die he instinctively launched himself at provenance speed to attack the ruler of the known world. Damn this old man! I don¡¯t care if the entire world chases after me, I will not die in here¡­ those were Raleigh¡¯s thoughts before a second later he was on all four spitting blood to the ground. What the hell happened? Did he out speed me? Impossible, I have provenance rank¡­ damn it all! I don¡¯t want to die¡­ ¡°Now, now don¡¯t be in such a hurry dear Raleigh, I told you, you will be the last one to die. You earned it after all¡­¡± the Provenant mocked him. The other three tried to stand up once they woke up from the surprise of it all. But the four of them felt a harsh sudden sting in their neck. Needles protruded from the neckpieces stinging them. All of them instantly fell to the floor. They lay on the floor motionless, unable to control their body.
That same day a couple of thousand kilometers away ¡°Is that it Bran?¡± asked Maran. He had to look up about fifteen centimeters to see straight into his companion¡¯s face. The two meter man responded by nodding while staring at the wreckage about five hundred meters in front of him. It was easy to spot as its shine reflected mid-day¡¯s intense sunlight, and only cracked earth and a couple of large boulders could be seen around it for at least a couple of kilometers. ¡°This heat is too much, let¡¯s hurry to it, with some luck we¡¯ll find something that provides some shadow,¡± said Maran. Both men started walking towards the wreckage. They wore simple light-grey cotton shirts and pants. Their clothes were so tattered anyone in the city would mistake them for beggars. Their shirts had a long V-neck that reached below their chest. The sleeves were so worn out that only some triangle strands where left. Their pants used to reach their feet but the broken fabric was now between the knees and ankles. They of course, had no need for shoes. ¡°Ever since you became chief you¡¯ve rarely stepped outside the dome¡­ you¡¯ve neglected your skin training old man,¡± taunted Bran. ¡°Are you worried about getting a little tanned? Or are you worried it will cause that last stand of hair to finally become grey?¡± ¡°Ho ho, what¡¯s this? The young ones are starting a rebellion? Ha ha, I guess your right Bran¡­ you¡¯ll understand once you take my place.¡± Replied Maran while casually laughing. ¡°Besides, you may only be forty years old, but I can see some white starting to mingle with that black hair of yours.¡± Unconsciously he ran his right hand from the middle of his forehead to the back of his neck, as if trying to protect the last remains of hazel colored hair. Bran smiled triumphantly at the gesture and said, ¡°don¡¯t joke old man, you¡¯re barely eighty years old, you still have many years ahead of you. Besides, as you already know, I¡¯m not interested in being chief.¡± The leisure talk continued and after a couple of minutes they arrived at their destination. It had the overall shape of a right triangle with the longer side facing the ground. In the south side it reached a height of about four meters, while on the north side the triangle met at ground level. The outside was covered with some sand that gave it an aged appearance, but surprisingly they found no rust. There was no writing or any sort of symbol that could help identify where it came from. After inspecting all sides of the crippled object they found an opening near the north side. Following a few minutes of digging both men were inside of what appeared to be a metal room. ¡°I¡¯m not detecting any strange air composition, there should be no danger breathing normally,¡± whispered Maran. He took out a couple of bioluminescent rocks and spread them through out the room. The floor was covered in broken pieces of metal and glass. There were swirls of destroyed cables everywhere and what appeared to be some intact metal containers. A big monitor could be seen near the south wall. ¡°Humans detected, initialising systems¡­¡± The monitor suddenly lit up and words appeared on it as Bran neared it. A couple of faint lights appeared throughout the walls. Both men were startled and remained still. After a few minutes without further changes they began to move again. ¡°Not like I need to remind you, but please make sure you don¡¯t mention this to anyone else Bran,¡± said the chief while gawking at his surroundings. ¡°The last thing I want is an army of Prodigies anywhere near our dome,¡± replied Bran seriously. His normally lax attitude had left him, along with most of his color. ¡°But who would¡¯ve of guessed the legends where true¡­¡± Both men couldn¡¯t help stare in deep thoughts for several minutes. Maran broke the silence, ¡°it will take some time to take most of this things to our dome without being noticed by the rest. For now let¡¯s scavenge and make an inventory.¡± Outside the orange hues gave way to deep purple that eventually faded into black as the first stars of the night could be seen. The chief was waiting for Bran to crawl out. ¡°Bran is everything okay?¡± Maran screamed so he could be heard from the inside. ¡°Something suddenly opened when you left, you won¡¯t believe it!¡± replied Bran. After a few minutes Bran was outside carrying something, someone, on his arms. It was a small male child. He had no hair and appeared to be sleeping. ¡°Well that¡¯s going to be hard to explain to everyone,¡± mustered Maran while holding an incredulous face. The boy, probably six or seven years old, slowly opened his eyes. They were deep blue. The stars above clearly reflected in them. He held a blank expression, as if he were opening his eyes for the first time and didn¡¯t know fear or happiness. ¡°It¡¯s okay boy, you¡¯re all right. You¡¯re safe with us. Can you understand?¡± said Maran. The boy nodded while fixing his gaze on him. Maran couldn¡¯t help but smile at his sincere simple reply. ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your name?¡± Maran continued. There was no reply. The boy kept looking at him, but would not answer. ¡°My name is Maran. He is named Bran. We came upon this wreckage and found you inside. Do you know how you got there? Where there others with you?¡± Again, there was no answer. ¡°Kid, we want to help you, but we need you to tell us anything that could be a clue to find your family. Do you remember anything¡± Silently, the boy shook his head. Chapter 1 - Pat and Chop ¡°There, there little one, it¡¯s all right,¡± said Kino as he soothingly patted Alethia¡¯s head trying to calm her. He stopped staring at the bright-blue glowing structure in front of him and turned his head to meet her. The glow made her deep-black chin long hair seem slightly purple. He fixed his eyes upon hers and admired the combination of their deep blue color mixed with the ghostly glow. A slight, almost undetectable, smile appeared on his usually expressionless face. There were few things he enjoyed more than that sight. It reminded him of the full moon nights he got to enjoy while travelling with Bran six years ago. But more importantly, from the instant he first saw her, Kino understood the concept of beauty. Hmm¡­ I wonder how long will it take for her to snap this time? Oh, more than five seconds, a new record¡­ she does look pretty when she is angry. Kino¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a strong chop that landed in the middle of his dark brown hair. ¡°Again your annoying habit! Stop day dreaming you fool¡­ seriously if your going to admire me with those creepy green eyes of yours don¡¯t do it so shamelessly,¡± remarked Alethia while pouting. She turned her head so he wouldn¡¯t see her slight blush. ¡°Besides, who is little, I¡¯m two months older than you and we¡¯re the same height¡­ any way, we have to hurry or we will be late for the Initiation Ceremony. What kind of idiot comes to see the dome right before he is about to receive his Talents?¡± Alethia grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him. Kino gave the dome¡¯s entrance a last long look. A series of two by two meter hexagons combined to shape a slightly curved wall. It stretched until finally reaching the thirty-meter high cave ceiling. He could barely make out the silhouette of several plants through the naturally dimmed crystal hexagons. Won¡¯t be long now¡­ I¡¯ll definitely obtain access to it. Kino promised himself as he entered the narrow tunnel that connected the Dome with the Living District. The tunnel was filled with an orange glow from the bioluminescent rocks, or bio-rocks, placed along its walls. They quickly ran through the thirty-meter tunnel and were soon inside the huge cave that hosted all of Sahuara Dome¡¯s houses. Facades sculpted into the walls could be seen on both of the huge cavern walls. The houses themselves were carved into the rock. There were three levels of houses on each wall, with the highest ones being offset a little deeper from the house below it. There was a distance of about one kilometer from wall to wall, and the district was at least two kilometers long. It basically looked like a huge three level coliseum with houses instead of seats. In the middle of the cave a groups of incredibly big stalactites, known as the Farol, reached to the second level of houses. They were all bio-rocks so they provided most of the district¡¯s light. Kino was intently looking at the light source as he passed below it when he suddenly bumped into someone. ¡°Inquisitor Jahrel! Please forgive us!¡± Alethia started apologizing. ¡°We are running kind of late, and you know Kino he is always lost in his own thoughts not minding his surroundings. Are you all right?¡± ¡°Fortunately I was still not carrying the seeds, so no harm was done. But please be more mindful of your surroundings child,¡± answered the Inquisitor in an unamused tone. He extended his hand and helped Kino, who fell after the crash, stand up. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t remember anything if you keep hitting your head like that. You still don¡¯t remember anything about what happened before the night they found you?¡± ¡°Please forgive me Inquisitor, I was trying to see the worms wrapped around the Farol responsible for actually producing its light.¡± Kino sincerely apologised. ¡°As for your question, I still don¡¯t remember anything new. I suddenly woke up and felt someone carrying me. After a few minutes my eyes and ears started to adjust. I could barely make out their silhouettes but could understand them just fine. It took me a couple of days before I could actually see. By then Bran explained to me the same story he told you. He found me hiding in a small cave near a camp that seemed to have been attacked by some beast. That beast turned out to be the predator that Sahuara¡¯s expedition had killed hours before finding me. Bran then volunteered to take me to the nearest dome to see if he could help me find any relative. After having no luck with that and due to my overall charming personality, he adopted me and brought me here.¡± ¡°Shame you don¡¯t remember anything before that,¡± said Inquisitor Jahrel somewhat annoyed. ¡°At the very least you seem to be in a good mood if you think your personality is charming¡­ Is it because you¡¯re confident about your initiation? I¡¯m sure a child with Alethia¡¯s abilities and disposition has nothing to worry about, but what about you?¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°About that hmm¡­ I¡¯m a little uncertain,¡± Said Kino. ¡°This is because the Talents you first receive depend on your actions from when you¡¯re five years old until you reach twelve. I have no idea what I did before I was six, which is when I was found. So, since I don¡¯t remember anything I¡¯m not expecting to receive much from that year¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°I knew you were known for not being expressive, but it is strange how you can keep such a straight face while saying that,¡± said Jahrel with raised surprised eyes. ¡°Do you really understand what Talents represent? How important they are?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± answered Kino. ¡°They translate into status and rank within our Dome. With higher rank come greater benefits.¡± Among them, access to privileged information. You¡¯re not the only one who wants to know what happened six years ago Mr. Inquisitor. ¡°Without them you might even end up getting kicked out of the dome,¡± continued Kino. ¡°So naturally I did my best to work on hopefully receiving useful Talents. Fact still remains though, I still don¡¯t know what happened during that year, and so I¡¯m uncertain.¡± ¡°Ah so that¡¯s what you meant,¡± said Jahrel. ¡°Well I¡¯m glad you at least know the very basics of it. Although you did have Bran fostering you, so may be I didn¡¯t have to worry about it. Anyway, we¡¯ve reached the end of the Living District and I now have to go pick up the seeds. I¡¯ll see you both at the ceremony.¡± Once the chancellor excused himself, he took the rightmost of the three tunnels in front of them. Alethia and Kino entered the middle one. All connecting tunnels were basically the same: narrow and lit by bio-rocks. The only thing that changed was their length. ¡°That man gives me the creeps,¡± said Alethia once they were inside the tunnel. She was somewhat shivering and wrapped herself with her arms. ¡°Something about his stare makes me not trust him, but even so¡­ you did your best huh?¡± said Alethia. Her face now showed she was slightly angry, and not in a cute way. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to use your unreadable face to tell blatant lies¡­¡± Pat, pat ¡°There, there little o¡­¡± Chop! Double Chop! That double chop is dangerous! Without a doubt I¡¯ll be receiving [Skin] reinforcement just from that¡­ I just hope there¡¯s no [Brain] damage Talent! Kino sighed thinking about the possibility. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue about this again Alethia. You have your take on what Talents are important and I have mine,¡± said Kino. He was now patting his own head. ¡°It is not MY take!¡± shouted Alethia. ¡°It is EVERYBODY¡¯s take! Aiming for non-combat Talents is foolish. You¡¯ll just end up as a Level 4 throughout your life! Maybe if you¡¯re lucky by the time you are as old as the Chieftain you¡¯ll get to Level 3! But no non-combat has ever gone above that!¡± ¡°I never said anything about ignoring combat Talents,¡± said Kino. He stood in front of Alethia stared seriously at her. ¡°It¡¯s simply that at this stage they¡¯re not as important for me.¡± Showing emotions while we¡¯re arguing isn¡¯t fair Kino! You know I can¡¯t talk back when you do. But it¡¯s okay, if you¡¯re like this about it there must be a reason. ¡°Well, when you¡¯re a useless bum I guess you can always come work for me as my personal maid,¡± answered Alethia. Kino once more turned to face her. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve always planned on supporting you.¡± He finished the argument with a rare smile upon his face. Alethia felt she had a red glow stronger than any bio-rock. She had to look down so he wouldn¡¯t notice her blush. They exited the tunnel and were now standing in front of the Sahuara¡¯s amphitheater. ¡°Everyone taking part in the Initiation Ceremony please enter the room located immediately to your right once you enter the amphitheater.¡± A man wearing a black outfit was shouting in the middle of the cave. ¡°Everybody else please take a seat on the stands, the Ceremony will begin shortly!¡±
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