ã€ŠDrawstoneã€‹


 Prologue

    Gideon Koar had been a great man, in Jimmy¡¯s eyes. A revolutionary kind of man ¡ª an icon type. Bodies being found buried on his estate? Tortured, abused, and experimented on?

    The news was hard to believe. It didn¡¯t sit right with Jimmy. He smelled foul play.

    But he had orders, and a request.

    ¡°Do your best to minimize my visibility, Jimmy,¡± his boss had said. ¡°I can¡¯t have the rest of the council thinking I¡¯m interested in gaining a piece of the Koar pie after rejecting their offer.¡±

    Trey Oberon was an oddball compared to the rest of the Council seats. An oddball that Jimmy would sacrifice his plan A for. From his distant vantage point, he knew his face was familiar to those entering and leaving the estate, ensuring his immediate recognition. Most would see him as another constable or detective tasked with combing the estate for useful intel. He fit the stereotype. He could blend in.

    But some would recognize him as The Hound. People would spread the word, and anyone aware of his primary contract with Trey Oberon would begin asking Trey troublesome questions. The people at Trey¡¯s level played political games within games within even larger meta games. It always sent Jim¡¯s brain for a loop, and he¡¯d cracked some pretty cerebral cases in his time.

    A career of cases-gone-wrong has taught him to never leave the office without a plan. Three of them. Plans had saved his life more times than he had fingers to count with. He assessed each job, determining whether it was high-risk, like tailing a council seat to a secret location to gather evidence of illicit dealings, or low-risk, like his current contract.

    His mission was to escort the orphaned son of Gideon Koar to a new city with a new identity. He didn¡¯t know why, and he didn¡¯t care. What he knew was that Trey seemed to place a lot of value on getting this done as

    So Jimmy would do his best to see it done.

    Plan A involved secretly exploring the seized Koar estate to check if he might confirm any of the evidence causing the commotion. To be honest, Plan A was more personal than it was professional.

    Back in his heyday, his backup-backup plan meant being prepared to extort his safety and payment for his work with blackmail he¡¯d gathered against whoever his particular employer on other cases. Council Seats were typically fair dealers, but at times they were like bloodthirsty sharks. There were a couple of those types with Seats on the Council now. Other times, you¡¯d experience a peaceful period where all the Seats had the capacity to cooperate in something less like a cold war split 5 ways, and more like a world government should.

    All that to say that he¡¯d had his fair dealings with the Council before. He was a known value to them, and his primary loyalty to his boss wasn¡¯t a very well kept secret.

    Which meant he had to go with his backup plan; Plan B.

    The focus of this job wasn¡¯t the Koar estate. It was who it would have belonged to if the Council hadn¡¯t pounced upon it like a hungry lion. Once more, Jimmy found himself questioning the peculiar timing. They hadn¡¯t waited more than a day to have their people on that estate. It was almost like they¡¯d been waiting for it. It made him wonder, was the explosive death of Gideon Koar while he was tinkering away in his top-secret lab so tragically accidental, after all?

    But that was a Plan A kind of question, and one he wasn¡¯t being paid to answer. Instead, the focus of his job was the Koar heir. An heir to nothing, now. Nothing but grief.

    His boss had told him that the council had claimed a few special privileges during this case, one of which caused Jimmy to believe that the kid would already be at the local law enforcement branch. The Gideon estate wasn¡¯t far from the police station, as it was in a wealthy neighbourhood with a well-funded and accessible police force.

    As far as back-up plans went, this one was pretty threadbare. He was certain of his ability to succeed, despite improvising. He probably didn¡¯t even have to go inside.

    But that Plan A curiosity was still pulling at him, pulling his attention like a stubborn itch. He considered if going inside was too much of a risk, and he figured it wasn¡¯t. It might be useful to try to talk his way into listening in on the kid¡¯s interrogation.

    Lucky for him, he knew the guy at the front desk. He was the offspring of an old acquaintance, one who liked to tell his boy that he and Jimmy ¡®The Hound¡¯ Jeremiah were quite the team back in the day. The kid¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Jimmy, and greeted him like an old uncle. Jimmy asked if he would help his dad¡¯s old pal with a small favour. The kid seemed uncertain at first, but with gathered something that might have been a feeling of resolve and gave Jimmy a nod.

    ¡°Anything for my dad¡¯s old partner,¡± the kid said, ¡°we¡¯re basically like family.¡±

    The kid let him behind the desk, which offered a shortcut into the offices, and Jimmy was on his way.

    He¡¯d helped the kid¡¯s dad on a charity case in a fit of sentimentality. Hid some evidence of a pretty minor crime that would have him fired. It took him less than a day, and he got a year of free drinks at a local pub from the whole thing. That had been over a decade ago, and he hadn¡¯t talked to the man since.

    Family, Jimmy scoffed. The guy had filled his kid¡¯s head full of fluff.

    He observed the atmosphere of the office as he walked.

    Cubicles, loud printing machines, cops and admin staff all exhibiting the symptoms of varying levels of stress. Sweat stains, spilled coffee, furrowed brows, mountains of paperwork. The Council had moved uncharacteristically fast, and this local branch had been on the receiving end of that.

    Jimmy figured that the sudden increase in workload was the least of their problems. Media was going to have a field day with this. Soon, reporters would flock to this neighbourhood like ravenous scavengers. They recently made public the news of Gideon Koar¡¯s tragic and untimely demise; this dark twist will probably dominate the media for weeks.

    It made Jimmy uncomfortable. People hailed the man as a visionary, a modern-day historical figure. He¡¯d help shape the face of the century, making critical advancements in construct artisanship. He¡¯d made them consumer goods available to the public, instead of limited to top-level bureaucrats and the military.

    Academics had been calling this current era the ¡®age of information,¡¯ but ever since Gideon Koar had exploded onto the scene, people called it the ¡®the age of ether¡¯.

    As uncomfortable as the news made him, he was far too jaded to dismiss it outright. Jimmy had been around his fair share of eminent men. He knew a thing or two about his species. No matter the age or era, humans were humans. Sometimes the so-called ¡®greatest¡¯ of men and women would commit atrocious crimes. Most of the time, it was the humble nobodies would commit acts of incredible generosity and nobility. Those types deserved the most praise, in Jimmy¡¯s opinion.

    Years ago, Jimmy had hid bodies for those eminent men, some of those bodies belonging to the noble nobodies who got in the way. Some of those eminent men got caught, some were living large. Some he¡¯d even told Trey about. After years of suppressing his conscious, it was a small revenge, but it offered a sense of closure for the na?ve child that had died within him back then. He¡¯d given Trey a lot of leverage to use against his rivals, some he was sure that Trey was holding in reserve, some he had probably acted on to raise Oberon Enterprises to a new height.

    Jimmy wasn¡¯t proud of his past, but that had been another life. Now, he called his own shots, he could turn down jobs, and he had no one ordering him to do things he didn¡¯t want to do. Being independent in this world wasn¡¯t easy, but he¡¯d done it. Few people in this world were capable of saying that about themselves.

    No one in the office questioned Jimmy¡¯s presence. He flashed in investigative license, and his business was suddenly none of their business. Investigators like Jimmy operated at a level way beyond these people¡¯s paygrade, and he was counting on the fact that as far as they were concerned, it was in their best interest to pretend they never saw him. Jimmy did his best to pretend he had a council-sized stick up his ass and an ego to match as he turned a corner and reached the interrogation rooms. He knocked on one of the observation room doors that flanked them. The door opened, a tall mustached man looked at him and squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Busy,¡± the man said. Just before he shut the door, Jimmy caught the edge of the door with his hand. Despite the man¡¯s efforts, the door barely budged in Jimmy¡¯s grip.

    Perks of having an above-average Affinity Rating for his age, and this man seemed to be over a decade younger, too. He must have been skimping on his training.

    Jimmy flashed his badge, showing that he¡¯s a licensed private investigator. They read the first few lines on the badge.

    ¡°Private? How¡¯d you pull that off?¡± the man scoffed. ¡°listen, you¡¯re crazy or brilliant. I don¡¯t care, because either way you¡¯ve got no business here. We¡¯re in the middle of a very important case, so if you¡¯d kindly see yourself out?¡±

    Jimmy sighed.

    ¡°Look, my employer tasked me with observing this case. You know how it is, right?¡± He asked the tall man, sticking out his hand, the one not holding the door in a vice grip.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Jimmy, by the way. Jimmy Jeremiah.¡±

    The man was about to say something, but then his eyes widened.

    ¡°As in James Jeremiah? The Hound?¡±

    Jimmy sighed.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The Hound was gone. An urban legend now, an echo from a life that he had left behind him. Heavens willing, it would stay that way.

    ¡°Just Jimmy, these days. Keep the hound between us, will you? Thanks, detective...¡±

    ¡°Oh, Greg, sir,¡± Greg shook Jimmy¡¯s offered hand, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ¡°Greg Hemruck.¡±

    That named tickled something in Jimmy¡¯s tired old brain.

    ¡°Greg Hemruck. Where have I heard that before? Was it Smith Transports? No,¡± Jimmy said, waving as Greg was about to interrupt, ¡°don¡¯t tell me. No, it was the Pacific Shield, right? You cleaned out a whole abolitionist cell. Who tipped you off about that?¡±

    ¡°If word got out that I was naming names, the best-case scenario is that I¡¯d be out of a job,¡± Greg scoffed.

    Jimmy nodded.

    ¡°I know how it is. Now, about this Koar case¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªsay no more,¡± Greg said, inviting Jimmy in. Although he slightly disliked using his old identity, Jimmy was gratified that the moniker still carried some influence.

    ¡°¡­I know this is hard to hear, Hunter¡­¡± came a gravelly voice over the small speaker, which was set in the wall above the two-way mirror. It belonged to a young man with sharp eyes in one of the cleanest looking uniforms Jimmy had ever seen.

    This young man was clearly ambitious. He had that energy Jimmy associated with high achievers; competent, and unwilling to settle for anything less than the top of the food chain. Jimmy had been like that once. And from a certain point of view, he¡¯d been successful. If you considered PTSD, an estranged family, three ex-wives, the inability to enter certain parts of the civilized world without constantly looking over his shoulder, the simultaneous hatred and respect of the most dangerous and powerful people in the world, spending half of his nights sleepless and anxious, a successful career.

    But he also had a lot of money.

    Most ambitious young men and women wouldn¡¯t come close to living the life that Jimmy had lived. For the average man or women, working up a rung or two of the corporate ladder would work out just fine. For the few who felt the intense desire to stand out from the crowd, they would climb that ladder until they were competing at a global level. But by that point you¡¯re going up against entire families, and business or political alliances who would do anything it takes to remain at the top.

    For instance, they might tear the inheritance right out of the hands of a young, clueless child without a hint of remorse.

    Hunter Koar sat across from the young hotshot detective, who eyed the kid like a ravenous wolf eyeing a wounded, exhausted rabbit.

    Who was bank rolling this entire operation, anyway? The Council Seats had all wanted a piece of the Koar estate for a while. If this was a joint operation, then there wasn¡¯t much anyone was able to do for the kid. It would explain whyTrey might be interested in helping him out. That was Trey¡¯s usual way of working. He did what he could to minimize the damage that the Council would leave in its wake when it didn¡¯t interfere too much with the combined interest of the rest of the Council.

    Even then, sometimes Trey took risks that would piss most of the Council off. Like, for instance, trying to smuggle away the child of the dead golden goose the Council could never tie its leash around.

    Hunter sat hunched over. He had long, curly black hair that seemed to resist the pull of gravity. Poor kid looked like he¡¯d just been through a storm, and had barely made it out alive.

    ¡°So, what, you guys just pulled him out of his house and stuck him in an interrogation room? How long has this been going on for?¡± Jimmy asked, afraid he knew the answer.

    ¡°My instructions, Jimmy,¡± Greg said, having heard the unspoken accusation, ¡°were to remove anyone not cleared by the case¡¯s sponsors from the property. That includes the kid.¡±

    ¡°¡­and you¡¯re sure that you have no recollection of any place your father might have left more of his research?¡± the young man on the other side of the mirror asked. Hunter shook his head, his eyes red. He sniffed and clenched his jaws.

    ¡°I need you to think hard, Hunter. These men and women are dead. The evidence is pretty clear. They were buried on your family¡¯s estate as recently as 3 years ago. Anything you can tell us that might help us shed light on why your father would do something like this¡ª¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t do it,¡± Hunter muttered, then wiped at his eyes. The kid spoke so low that Jimmy wasn¡¯t even certain he¡¯d heard him right.

    Poor kid. Seems like he has some spirit, though.

    ¡°That¡¯s Esther Visgold,¡± Greg said, gesturing towards the young man interrogating Hunter, ¡°from the LockeMark capital.¡±

    ¡°The Visgolds, eh?¡± A small piece of the puzzle revealed itself. The LockeMark Visgolds had been with the LockeMark corporation for years. They had once hired him a long time ago. They were very well off, very secure in their position, and had been for a very long time. It was difficult to oppose them, and doing so was considered unwise unless you possessed superior resources and a foolproof plan.

    If this was one of their kids, out to prove himself, it would explain the feeling he was giving Jimmy. If Esther could bring that energy to every case, he operated for the rest of his life, played his cards right, and leveraged his family resources right, he¡¯d go far in this world.

    But Esther¡¯s presence meant that Jimmy wouldn¡¯t be enacting contingency plan C, which would see him bust into the interrogation as Hunters¡¯ assigned lawyer, and get Hunter out of there before anyone up the chain of command could stop him.

    Not that he hadn¡¯t taken a risk like that before, and with people much more potentially dangerous than the Visgolds. But he was much younger in those days, and only the youth can enjoy the appearance of immortality. Also, it would risk exposing Trey¡¯s involvement. That risk would only rise if Esther had reason to look into Jimmy¡¯s presence.

    Esther would be too young to know who the Hound was.

    Probably.

    But what would it hurt to keep the Visgolds ignorant to his presence? Jimmy would stick with the first back-up plan. Soon, these guys would lose interest in Hunter. After that, they¡¯d kick him onto the street. That¡¯s when Jimmy would swoop in.

    ¡°How long you figure you¡¯ll keep this up?¡± Jimmy asked.

    Greg hummed to himself in thought.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to get much out of him. Except for some construct projects he¡¯d been working on ¡ª get this; see how frail he looks?¡± Greg asked.

    Jimmy nodded. Frail was an understatement ¡ª he looked malnourished.

    ¡°His last recorded AR measurement had him at 4. That was years ago, and it hasn¡¯t budged since.¡±

    ¡°How old is he?¡± Jimmy asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s 11 this year,¡± Greg said. Jimmy whistled.

    ¡°Poor kid. And you said he was an artisan?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you need a higher AR for those? More than the average toddler, I¡¯d assume.¡±

    Greg laughed.

    ¡°Yeah, from what I understand, you need an AR of 9 to think about learning about constructs. They don¡¯t let you build your own until you have an AR of 12. At least that¡¯s how things are at my kids¡¯ school.¡±

    ¡°So, how¡¯s he been doing it?¡± Jimmy asked. Apart from the obvious, this was Gideon Koar¡¯s kid, after all.

    ¡°Apparently he¡¯s been using ether batts. Figures that Gideon could afford a boat-load of them for the kid. They even had a personal node to charge the batteries on the property.¡±

    It was strange, Jimmy thought. Children inherited their affinity potential from their parents. Gideon Koar¡¯s affinity was very high, much higher than even Jimmy¡¯s, who was pretty gifted¡ªnot that he¡¯d had cause to do anything with it except leverage the increased strength and endurance on occasion.

    Hunter¡¯s low AR was shocking. Another tragedy to add to this whole drama.

    ¡°That¡¯s got to be expensive,¡± Jimmy said. Using batteries would make sense. If you can¡¯t power the construct by yourself, using something else. No human known to him could channel electricity, so they built tools to do it for them, and batteries to store that energy for later use. The logic seemed simple enough.

    ¡°But it makes sense, given who Gideon was,¡± Greg said.

    Jimmy nodded.

    The man had possessed a personal net worth that could rival some Council families. Avoiding petty expenses wasn¡¯t quite relevant at that level of wealth.

    ¡°So the kid is taking after his father? He is any good with ether?¡±

    Greg shrugged.

    ¡°Not my area of expertise,¡± he said, ¡°and the kid won¡¯t say anything about anything. I think he¡¯s in shock. Still processing his dad¡¯s death. Poor kid,¡± he said.

    Jimmy nodded, content to leave it at that. It wasn¡¯t his business, anyway. While he was now here to observe how the case unfolded, Trey had multiple vectors of intelligence focused to and from this building.

    Jimmy just needed to get Hunter from point A to point B. That¡¯s it.

    Esther looked at the two-way mirror, showing that he was done. Jimmy¡¯s relief stemmed from no longer having to watch Hunter suffer through this emotional crucible.

    ¡°Well, Greg, it was great to meet you,¡± Jimmy said, shaking Greg¡¯s hand one more time.

    ¡°Pleasure. Wanna grab a drink sometime? Some guys here would love to hear some stories about your old cases. You¡¯re a legend,¡± Greg said.

    Jimmy laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m a busy man, Detective, but maybe one day I¡¯ll take you up on the offer.¡±

    Greg nodded and opened the door. Jimmy smiled and left. He figured they¡¯d keep Hunter in there for another 20 minutes while they discussed whatever they learned, or didn¡¯t learn. Then they¡¯d tell the kid to leave, but to make sure he stayed in the neighbourhood so that they could contact him if they needed him. He bet that in all the chaos, no one would have considered whether Hunter would have a place to go.

    What a joke. The kid had nothing anymore. No home, no landline. No future.

    At least, not that the kid knew about.

    His prediction was almost spot on. About 25 minutes later, Hunter moped his way out of the law enforcement branch. The kid sighed and looked up at the sky. He fixed his gaze there for a while, before someone exiting the building behind him almost bumped into him. Knocked out of his reverie, Hunter started walking.

    Jimmy pulled up beside him and got out of the car. The kid was tall for his age. Just about as tall as Jimmy himself, and he considered himself about average.

    ¡°Hunter.¡±

    Hunter stopped and looked at him. Jimmy could only imagine what Hunter was thinking. Jimmy was overweight, bald, old, and had a worn grey suit which may or may not have had some darker patches around his armpits. The kid pursed his lips, thinking of turning right back around and walking to who-knows-where.

    ¡°What?¡± Hunter asked. His voice was low and quiet.

    ¡°I assume you just got the worst news of your life,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°And that this news included the immediate notice that your old house, all your belongings, your inheritance, and your projects, were confiscated.¡±

    The nerve was still very raw. Hunter squinted and wiped at his eyes. Jimmy came around the car and leaned down to look Hunter in the face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯re going through, kid. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Was there any way I might help you, Mr..?¡± Hunter asked, sniffling as his eyes watered.

    Jimmy sighed.

    ¡°What you¡¯re experiencing is quite rare. And you¡¯re just a kid. I know it¡¯s not fair. But my employer has taken a bit of an interest in this case. He wants to give you something.¡±

    That got the kid¡¯s attention. He stared straight into Jimmy¡¯s eyes, and Jimmy felt certain it was Gideon Koar himself who was standing before him. The kid might have inherited none of Gideon¡¯s stuff, but those green eyes, peppered with crimson shards, held an intensity that reminded Jimmy of when he¡¯d met Gideon once, long ago.

    He¡¯d been a very focused man. You¡¯d have to be, to accomplish what he had.

    ¡°Give me what?¡± Hunter asked between sniffles.

    ¡°A new start,¡± Jimmy said. Hunter looked at him with distrust and a bit of confusion.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°No one here will bother you,¡± Jimmy said, gesturing towards the building where they¡¯d just kept the kid for a few hours, ¡°you¡¯ll be safe. I promise.¡±

    Hunter looked down, his eyes shifting as he considered. Then he looked back up at Jimmy and nodded.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jimmy said, nodding back, ¡°good.¡±

    He squeezed between Hunter and the front of the car, and opened the passenger-side door.

    ¡°Get in. It¡¯ll be a bit of a drive. You hungry? We can pick something along the way.¡±

    Hunter nodded as he got in. The poor kid was likely drained. Jimmy understood that Hunter¡¯s low AR meant he wasn¡¯t built like other people. He wouldn¡¯t just be weaker, he¡¯d have much less energy as well. And after going through what he¡¯d just been through, anyone would feel exhausted.

    After several hours of driving and a couple of pit stops to eat, he had dropped Hunter off at the empty home, which Trey Oberon had set up for him. Trey Oberon had forbidden him from telling Hunter who provided the home, and it came with a few conditions.

    Hunter was alone in the world and would need to fend for himself- but he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having a place to stay. Jimmy wasn¡¯t too worried. He was the child of Gideon Koar, and despite his handicap, if he had even a fraction of Gideon¡¯s focus and drive, he¡¯d make something of himself in this world.

    It was just a matter of time.

    Jimmy sighed as he drove back home. Another day, another job handled. Whatever happened next for the boy was none of Jimmy¡¯s business.

    As the open road stretched before him on his way back to the Oberon Capital, he was thinking he¡¯d just earned himself another expensive bottle of whiskey.

 Chapter 1

    Hunter was looking upwards, far past the Seckina city horizon, and dreamt of a life beyond. The late-summer sun hid behind a rare veil of clouds. A few ships graced the sky, yet from this distance they appeared like small flies against the great grey, white, and blue backdrop.

    He liked to envision himself as an explorer, crewing a ship bound for newfound worlds beyond Sanctuary. Exploring new lands, meeting new people, discovering and innovating with exciting new technologies. He longed to leave the pull of this place, which seemed to keep his feet stubbornly planted on the solid ground.

    Freedom. That was the ideal. To go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, to do whatever he wanted. So far, he hadn¡¯t found a more appropriate symbol for that than in the tales from the crews that are sent out to explore the places beyond this world.

    Those stories had captivated him when he was younger. A world beyond their own? With their own skies, and their own soils? What would it be like to see his home from so high up?

    He¡¯d thought about it for years.

    There were only a few ships up there that he could see right now, but he knew that there were probably hundreds more, out beyond Sanctuary¡¯s sky, split between all the various Council Seats. Hunter imagined that at that very moment, as he stood there, they would ferry people and cargo across the vast inter-realm space. Hunter liked to imagine he could feel those distant ships¡¯ etheric circuitry singing to him from all the way down here. If he¡¯d trusted anyone at all with the truth about his sensitivity to the strange substance, he¡¯d tell them he could just make out the slightest sensations whenever one passed overhead.

    He¡¯d never been close enough to one of them to know exactly what he was feeling, though. Hunter saw the specific distortions¡ªcreated as charge met glyph and was channeled elsewhere in what he imagined were the most complex glyph networks in existence¡ªonly as a haze, like the way the voices of a crowd of people merge into one sound.

    Being able to feel into the specifics of a construct took time in front of its exposed inner workings. He could read them like children¡¯s books. In the blink of an eye, he could tell you what most mainstream etheric constructs did, accompanied by all the ways he¡¯d design it differently.

    What he knew, which other ether artisans didn¡¯t seem to, was that ether had desires. Maybe ¡®desires¡¯ wasn¡¯t the right word, but it felt more accurate to call them desires than it was to call them elemental charges, although he used the terms interchangeably. If ether was charged by Glyph A, its desire differed from what it would have been if it were charged by Glyph B.

    He called these desires, and their fulfilment, synergies. And so far, he¡¯d never been able to satisfy that deep desire that the ether seemed to crave. If anything, the desire seemed to grow stronger.

    Stronger than Hunter could handle.

    Hunter believed the deepest secrets of etherium were at his fingertips. If only his AR were higher. It hadn¡¯t risen in the last 12 years. Most people his age would have reached an average affinity rating of 13 or 14. Aera Oberon, the daughter of the Oberon monarch, was a prodigy. She might have been about a year or two older than himself, but her AR was already reaching the 30s.

    The things he could do with 30 AR¡­

    It was not destined to be. His AR was stuck at 4, rivalling only the most gifted of toddlers.

    It kept him weak. No one understood the mechanism; he found only sparse literature on the subject, aside from pseudoscientific garbage correlating etherium and ¡®life force¡¯. He was yet to find any useful insight that might help him bridge the gap between him and his goals.

    ¡°Where there is a will, there is a way,¡± he muttered to himself. It was a cliche, but it was something his father always repeated in those few brief moments they would share. Cliche phrases were Gideon Koar¡¯s favourite form of advice, but the sheer conviction he¡¯d speak with ¡ª gripping his necklace, a light of passion in his eyes, was enough to spark Hunter¡¯s own passion whenever he was feeling demotivated. He had clich¨¦ wisdom hammered into him as a kid.

    Hunter never figured out why his father was so fond of that necklace, which had a strange design he had seen nowhere before ¡ª save for one family trip to a museum in the Oberon Capital. Gideon would always laugh it off, telling him it¡¯s ¡®a history thing.¡¯ He imagined it was a letter or phrase from an old language. His father had loved to research the Asutnahem whenever he wasn¡¯t in the lab. Maybe it meant ¡®positivity,¡¯ or maybe ¡®perseverance.¡¯

    Obstacles are a mindset. You¡¯re only as limited as you believe you are. Limitations are for quitters.

    Naturally, four-year-old Hunter soaked it all up like a sponge. That was before he knew he would never be stronger than a 5-year-old. Before he knew it, his dream of becoming a powerful ether artisan had died.

    But his father wouldn¡¯t let him quit. And besides, Hunter couldn¡¯t quit. It was like ether had a hook on him and was pulling him towards learning more, experiencing more, feeling more.

    He challenged his handicap. Just a few years before his birth, someone invented ether batteries, and he¡¯d say they arrived right on time. Yet even with the batteries, he had his limitations. It took time to use batteries, to hook them and unhook them, to gauge their output, to ration their charge, and it especially took time and resources to charge them.

    So Hunter needed to work. He needed batteries to earn more batteries. His grace period of free-living ended 2 years ago. Since then, he¡¯d needed to work harder to keep the roof over his head, pay his bills, and put food on the table.

    The problem was, all the jobs he would rely on around town were drying up. He believed the street rats outside his door were the reason he was halfway across the city, avoiding his problem.

    Only 2 days remained before his 3-day deadline closed. Soon he¡¯d need to give them his decision.

    Hunter would either join peacefully and work for the 32nd Street Comics exclusively, or he¡¯d have to suffer the consequences. They¡¯d never told him what the consequences of refusing were, but the uncertainty was just as bad as anything that Hunter came up with to fill in the blank.

    The thought of being beaten, forced into servitude, or even murdered to prevent him from opposing the gang filled Hunter with dread.

    The thought that others would always seek to exploit him weighed heavily on Hunter¡¯s mind. Not that he had to worry too much about the council. The man who brought him to this city had promised him that so long as he didn¡¯t reveal his real name, no one here would connect him to his father.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    This place offered a haven; a sanctuary from the council¡¯s reach. But he wasn¡¯t safe from other interested parties, which his mysterious benefactor hadn¡¯t seemed to take into consideration when he dropped him here, alone.

    Sometimes he wondered if they had been a member of the Council, who had taken pity on him. But knowing the Council, it went deeper. The corps were untrustworthy¡ªmeaning corporate employees were untrustworthy. This implied that his benefactor, if council-connected, was likely untrustworthy.

    And the corps were everywhere.

    So who could he trust?

    He sighed and decided that he¡¯d had enough hiding for the day. He was hungry, and he¡¯d need to get home soon, anyway. There was work to be done, and he¡¯d need to tell the rats that he hadn¡¯t decided yet.

    He stopped by Mrs. Margaret¡¯s on the way. Once in a while, she¡¯d ask him to help by maintaining her store¡¯s constructs. She was getting older, and she had been willing to give him a chance when he needed one, back when he was just starting out. She was one of the few people he could count on when he needed some quick cash.

    Mrs. Margaret¡¯s toy store was one of the smaller stores on the block, flanked by a cafe and an electronics retailer. He¡¯d tried to sell his services to the electronics shop as well, but they¡¯d laughed him out. He¡¯d briefly considered messing with some of their external etheric connections. It would be an expensive fix, and it wouldn¡¯t have done any lasting damage. But it would have been quite difficult to pull off on his own. The cafe already had an artisan on call. He¡¯d tried to tell them he could do a better job, but they¡¯d declined him.

    Mrs. Margaret¡¯s shop seemed empty that day. The door chime rang as Hunter entered, and Mrs. Margaret looked up from behind her desk. Frizzled white hair and large glasses framed a small, wrinkled face. Her eyes seemed exaggerated in her small face. The glasses made them seem much bigger than they were. She smiled at him.

    ¡°Oh! Jonathan, just the young man I was hoping to see. The forklift in the back is acting up again, and I was wondering if you could tinker with it the same way you did with my cash register,¡± she said as she hobbled around the desk and started leading him towards the storage area in the back of the store.

    Hunter smiled.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s look at it,¡± he said. Forklifts didn¡¯t use ether except for a few cases. He¡¯d heard that they were popping up more often as newer designs were becoming more popular than the old Force and Reinforce glyphs. The new designs reduced the AR of those devices by about a third, which was incredible as far as most modern innovations went.

    He doubted she had invested in one of those, unless the store had found an additional source of profit that he wasn¡¯t aware of. Her recent contract¡¯s premature dissolution makes that unlikely.

    Hunter lacked a deep expertise with electronics, but many people asked him for help, assuming a close relationship between ether and electricity. So, although he couldn¡¯t build an electric generator from scratch, he could make some basic repairs when needed.

    To his surprise, the forklift in the store¡¯s small storage area was indeed a newer model. He whistled as he took it in, focusing on the small constructs attached to the small vehicle.

    ¡°Quite the investment,¡± Hunter said as he bent down. He¡¯d need a battery in order to troubleshoot where the issue was. If he remembered correctly, he left one around there the last time he¡¯d been over to repair something.

    ¡°We just got a new contract with Smith Transports. They¡¯re releasing some new products and decided that our shop was the perfect fit to represent their brand in the Oberon domain. Given the trade restrictions that Oberon has been imposing on other corps, it¡¯s a great honour to represent another Council Seat, given the limited amount of dealers they¡¯re allowed to work with.¡±

    He glimpsed the logo on the forklift. Indeed, it belonged to Smith Transports as well.

    ¡°And they threw in a complimentary forklift to seal the deal?¡±

    Mrs. Margaret nodded.

    ¡°They were kind enough to send us one of their newest models at a heavy discount, which they took off the initial payout for the contract,¡± she said, patting the forklift with admiration, ¡°it¡¯s been a while since we got a real upgrade around here. I figured you¡¯d want to get your hands on it, too.¡±

    Hunter chuckled. Mrs. Margaret had been one of his clients for years. She knew him pretty well by now.

    That battery was near where he¡¯d left it the last time. In a slot near where the drawstone would be placed, Hunter reconnected the battery to the forklift. He activated the construct, just long enough to feel the flow of etherium. The issue was apparent within seconds.

    He deactivated the construct and removed the battery, carefully placing it to the side. The problem was a poorly attached network connector, meant to channel etherium between disparate parts of the machine. Hunter was unimpressed by the product ¡ª as well as the artisans who¡¯d designed it and Smith Transports who¡¯d deemed it fit to release to the public.

    He detached and reattached the component, adding a few more channels to help with a more efficient flow of etherium.

    It worked just fine after that.

    ¡°You ought to set up a business around here, Jonathan. You¡¯re such a smart young man. I¡¯m sure a lot of the folks in town would love to do business with you. Who knows? You might land an Oberon contract!¡± She said, beaming up at him.

    He stifled his reaction ¡ª keeping the scorn from reaching his face. She was far too forgiving, in his opinion. The corps had threatened her livelihood, and she still seemed to hold them in high esteem ¡ª despite the lack of honour they¡¯ve shown her.

    ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Margaret. Anything else you need my help with?¡± He asked, simultaneously wanting to leave and find an excuse not to go back home. As much as he respected Mrs. Margaret, anyone kissing a corporate ass in his presence made him feel queasy.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be all, Jonathan. Oh! I can¡¯t forget your pay!¡± She said, shuffling back over to the cash register. He felt that the most appropriate thing to do in this situation was decline, as he did little work at all, but he needed the money. She handed him 50 credits, and he accepted it with a bit of a guilty consciousness.

    ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Margaret,¡± he said as he exited the shop.

    ¡°Come by on Friday. I¡¯ll have some cookies left over from my granddaughter¡¯s birthday,¡± she yelled as the door closed behind him. He gave her a thumbs up and tried to ignore the sudden tension that was welling up in his chest.

    Friday was a day too far. By then, he didn¡¯t know if he¡¯s still be in this city, or if he¡¯d still be alive.

    As he walked, he felt that the solution to the situation was becoming more and more clear.

    He didn¡¯t want to work for the gang. He didn¡¯t want to be chained, maybe even literally chained, by a corp. That was what he presumed would happen once they knew they had Hunter Koar in their midst. He¡¯d thought about the treatment he¡¯d received for the brief period that law enforcement had held him all those years ago. They hadn¡¯t cared about how he felt, and what he was going through. They didn¡¯t care about the circumstances behind his father¡¯s death.

    From the very beginning, all they¡¯d wanted to know was what his father had been hiding, and where he might have hid it. The legacy of Gideon Koar could spell another brilliant innovation on the scale of wireless etherium transmission ¡ª a multi-billion credit venture. It could mean access to new glyphs which could spell a market advantage for years. Such a legacy outweighed the considerations of a young, grieving child ¡ª or the person who that child had grown to become.

    But what if they didn¡¯t know he was Hunter Koar? What if he was just Jonathan Esper? His handicap might be the only distinguishing feature that could link him to the name Hunter Koar ¡ª and it wasn¡¯t like he was the only one who had this condition. It wasn¡¯t common. There were only a few dozen cases of it in the last few years, from what he¡¯d read. The problem would convince them he could work around his lack of AR.

    But where would he go?

    Which Corporation could he stomach working for?

    Mrs. Margaret¡¯s words echoed in his mind.

    Oberon?

    He didn¡¯t suppress the snort this time.

    Their standards would be too high for him to match, even if he could prove to them that his potential was worth the investment.

    But was it worth the investment? He couldn¡¯t be sure.

    He took a glance at the recreational centre as he passed by. Something caught his eye. Whether it was a shape or a colour, he couldn¡¯t tell. He found his attention drawn to half a poster, the other half hidden by an advertisement for a live music gig from a band unfamiliar to him. He tore the covering poster off, reading the contents that had caught his eye.

    It was the graphic of a drawstone in the corner; he thought. That was what had pulled his attention towards it.

    The 10th Annual Global Youth Ether Arts Competition

    Get ready for a weekend of excitement! Teams from around the world will compete for the grand prize, a corporate sponsorship to the Barnum Academy of Excellence, as well as 100,000 credits!

 Chapter 2

    He sneered and felt tempted to roll the poster up and throw it in the trash. But there was something beneath the disgust. A strange feeling ¡ª familiar, yet he couldn¡¯t place it.

    He continued reading the poster.

    Preliminaries:

    Wednesday, May 13th

    Sign up for your local preliminaries today!

    It was the most curious sensation which arose inside of him. It was something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long, long time. At first, he thought the sensation was anxiety, but as he considered winning the competition, he realized he wasn¡¯t scared.

    He was excited.

    He shook his head. There was no way he was considering this. What was he going to tell them?

    ¡°Sorry, but do you have a small mountain of ether batteries I can borrow? Trust me, I¡¯m an expert.¡±

    The thing is, he was certain that if they allowed him to enter with the condition that he could use ether batteries, he could win that damn competition and get the hell out of this city. Despite the risk, he felt like a potential avenue to freedom had opened up and he¡¯d be a fool not to take it.

    100 000 credits would go pretty far with him. Then it occurred to him that job security would also be pretty nice in the future, after the life he¡¯d been living.

    He almost gagged at the thought.

    That wasn¡¯t like him. Those were not the type of thoughts he was prone to thinking.

    Was it stress? Maybe he was cracking under the weight of uncertainty for his future.

    He entered the rec centre and talked to the person at the front desk. They gave him a pamphlet explaining more about the competition.

    Like it said on the poster, it was a team competition, but the preliminaries were a knowledge test. He only needed to show up, pass the test, and he would enter the competition the coming weekend. But he¡¯d need to travel all the way to the Oberon Capital City to compete.

    And he¡¯d be going without a team, and he¡¯d be taking the risk of losing and having nowhere to go.

    Yet, the possibility of winning remained.

    The excitement that came with that thought was almost overwhelming. It was a feeling he hadn¡¯t felt in ages. He applied for the preliminary test, scheduled for noon the next day at the rec center.

    After passing the test, the only thing he would need to figure out was how the hell he was going to get to the primary competition. He considered the 50 credits in his pocket that Mrs. Margaret had given him.

    That should be enough for a taxi, he thought.

    He made it home with little hassle from the street rats. They seemed disinterested in his arrival, save for a few threatening glances and one of them pointing to their watch.

    Time was ticking.

    He didn¡¯t sleep well that night. He could hear the Comics out front, a constant source of noise and annoyance until they got bored and headed home. After catching a few hours of sleep, Hunter had a small breakfast and reviewed some notes from his latest research until he had to leave.

    Hunter contemplated Seckina City as he walked through it on the way to the rec centre. The name ¡®Seckina¡¯ was a legacy from an ancient language. Not as old as the Asutnahem, which was about as dead as languages got.

    Seckina. The word was supposed to mean ¡°Dauntless.¡±

    What Hunter thought of when he heard the word was stubbornness.

    Tunnel Vision.

    Ignorant obedience to a vast machine marching along at the cost of your own life.

    All sentiments he attributed to the Council and their grand, unifying legacy. The stubborn chase for power, the inability to see beyond their egos, and utter indifference to the damage they cause to whoever gets caught up in the wake of their games.

    He¡¯d seen bureaucrats show up at Mrs. Margaret¡¯s store, voiding contracts with years until expiration, contracts upon which she and her family depended, because a competitor offered a better deal. They didn¡¯t care about the impact of their choices, unless it was about how it would impact their reputation and back account.

    Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with such a blatant disregard for written agreements. But the Council, and those connected to the Council, weren¡¯t under the same limitation as most people.

    They weren¡¯t beyond taking everything from someone who couldn¡¯t afford the loss in order to further their agendas.

    They would have found nothing on his family¡¯s old estate. Hunter had looked after his father had died, and before they ¡®found¡¯ the bodies. Nothing remained of his father¡¯s work. At least, not that he hadn¡¯t already given to the world.

    As he walked, he could spy the tall E-towers that received and transmitted wireless etherium signals ¡ª one legacy that his father had left behind. E-towers peppered the city. Most businesses preferred the secure communications the ether-comms could provide compared to the alternatives. The downside of communicating along an etheric network was that although it was wireless, it required a lot of static infrastructure, and line of sight for the signal to travel across.

    Whereas most personal mobile phones could be used anywhere with service available, the brick-sized devices were a bit of an eyesore and a hassle to carry around. That being said, their convenience made up for the inferior security. Besides, Hunter doubted if most people would ever need to worry about their conversations being overheard.

    It was the people with things to hide, and things to lose, who invested in gaining access to the E-Tower network. His father once had sole ownership of those towers. Now he could see a bunch of different logos painting across their long cylindrical surfaces.

    LockeMark Industries, the Lumina Company, and the Pacific Shield. Three out of the five megacorporations who owned the world, and the realms beyond it. And he presumed they were the three corporations who were most likely to have conspired against his family. He would bet all 50 credits in his pocket that they were behind the explosion which had ended his father¡¯s life.

    His father never gave into their demands and always rejected their offers. He built the network himself, found high-level, independent investors who wanted an income stream aside from their parent companies. With their seed money and a grand vision, Gideon Koar had started his own venture. A burning jealousy gnawed at the Council, frustrated by their powerlessness over the pig. So, Hunter guessed, they took action to ensure that their dominance was absolute. The Council seized his father¡¯s company and all the land held by the Koar name. Every credit his father had saved now belonged to companies who already had more money than they could ever spend.

    As far as he could tell, Oberon wasn¡¯t in on the council¡¯s plot. However, as a council seat, there was no way that Trey Oberon could avoid accountability. As far as Hunter was concerned, Oberon Enterprises and Smith Transports were just as complicit, whether or not they were involved. Knowing and not doing anything about it made them guilty, and there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t have known.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Of course they¡¯d known, Hunter figured. They¡¯re Council Seats. A company can¡¯t rise to the top of the pile of money-hungry pigs by being a saint, or ignorant. You devour the smaller pigs and make deals with the larger pigs to secure your dominance. That being said, if it came down to a choice between which companies he¡¯d throw in his hat with, Oberon and Smith would be the prime contenders, if only because they didn¡¯t smother their branding all over whatever remained of his father¡¯s work.

    That was the deciding factor. He¡¯d almost convinced himself not to come this morning, telling himself that he should either run away or join the gang. Too much could go wrong. He could have underestimated the competition. What if the test touched on something he¡¯d only be familiar with had he attended a school? What if they decided his AR was too low for him to be taken seriously as a candidate?

    Suppose he grew too tired, too fast? His physical weakness made it a real possibility. He may not even be capable of competing at all.

    Then he reminded himself that he has some advantages that the other contestants didn¡¯t. Unlike them, he¡¯s been able to devote most of his young life to etherium and constructs. He could match most experts in the field in terms of knowledge.

    He also had very little to lose, all things considered.

    He was surprised to see a line stretching out the rec center¡¯s door as he approached. Eavesdropping on the surrounding conversations revealed they were all here for the same reason he was. They all appeared to be around his age and were most of them were graduating this year. It made sense, now would be the perfect time to gain a corporation¡¯s attention. Even if they didn¡¯t win, there is no way Oberon would let young talent go so easily, right?

    He found the thought comforting. And for a moment, self-disgust washed over him.

    Is this how easy it was for his sense of integrity to be challenged?

    He shifted from corporate hatred to desperate ambition, agonizing over whether he measured up.

    But what was the alternative?

    He decided overthinking it would only stress him out. What would serve him now was reviewing what he knew, and what he could do. Basic schema, formula lists, the ever-growing combinations of synergies that he treasured as the greatest work of his young life. They all flashed through his mind as he took an inventory.

    And he realized he was coming up against another potential problem. Just how much did he know about synergies compared to these hopeful students around him? Compared to his peers? How stunted was his education? What if some of his synergies he¡¯d so prided himself on discovering were common knowledge? The library wasn¡¯t an artisan¡¯s wonderland. Compared to most industries, most people still considered ether artisanry niche and emergent.

    The best approach was to be careful. Revealing too much might prompt questions about Jonathan Esper, leading to Hunter Koar¡¯s discovery.

    He thought that the only way to ensure he passed the test was to underperform. Yet that circled back around to the original problem. His information was lacking. He was certain he had read all the relevant information at some point. Somewhere in his mind were all the relevant names, dates, and events he would need to memorize for the test.

    But where would he even begin? He didn¡¯t have time to go to the library and refresh his knowledge. There was too much to go through.

    Yet he still felt this was all worth the risk.

    It was his turn to approach the front desk. They directed him to a gymnasium where the test was being held. He walked down a long, silent corridor. His steps echoed. A soft murmur intruded in the silence. Signs appeared, pointing the way down a few branching hallways towards his destination. The murmuring grew into a wall of voices. Hunter hadn¡¯t heard so many people together in the same place for years.

    The gymnasium was more packed than he¡¯d expected. More than a hundred tables, all facing the same direction, filled the gymnasium. Were there so many young artisans in Seckina? Maybe they were also from some of the surrounding towns. An annual contest like this might be a big enough deal to attract a lot of attention. An attendant at the gymnasium door directed him towards a seat. The remaining seats filled within minutes.

    A woman appeared at the front of the gymnasium. She was older, had blonde hair and kind eyes, but with that unmistakable pride of a corporate cut-out.

    ¡°Hello, welcome to the annual Youth Ether Artisan competition''s preliminary test. My name is Joyce, and I¡¯ll be one of the 4 Oberon representatives marking your preliminary tests. The test is 80 questions long, and time to completion will factor into your score. This year¡¯s test will be a bit more challenging than previous years, and will require a score of 95 percent in order to pass,¡± Joyce said, pausing at the chorus of gasps arising in response to her announcement.

    ¡°The offered sponsorship to the Barnum Academy of Excellence has only occurred a few times in the history of the Youth Etherium Arts Competition, and the requirements for those years have always risen to match the prize. This year, only the best of the best may compete for the chance of a lifetime. Does that answer your questions?¡± Joyce asked the murmuring youths spread out before her.

    ¡°Now, you will have 1 hour to complete the test. I and a few others will watch to ensure that there is no cheating. Questions?¡±

    There were a few questions. Such as, ¡®will there be half marks?¡¯ which made no sense to Hunter. Who would grade a question as half right? What kind of insane calculus did they use to determine that a question was over 50 percent correct?

    Absurd.

    What if it was over 50 percent right?

    The last test he¡¯d taken must have been over 6 years ago. Soon after, he¡¯d stopped going to school entirely.

    It had been a mathematics quiz. Multiplication. He remembered that he¡¯d performed well. He spent his spare time at the library supplementing his lacking education, while his class struggled with basic algebra, he was in his room on the Koar estate memorizing construct schematics.

    It was the school environment itself that he found himself ill suited towards, but not learning. He loved to learn.

    This test evoked nostalgia in Hunter, but he felt its intensity. He could see jaws clenched and brows furrowed as the pressure to perform rose in the surrounding people. The test seemed a lot more daunting than it had a few minutes ago.

    Someone handed out the tests, a small stack of paper stapled in the upper left-hand corner. There was a space for Hunter to write his name and the table he was sitting at, as well as the date the test was being taken.

    There were a few questions where he felt he couldn¡¯t get around sharing his synergies, and he justified it by telling himself that they were too obvious not to use. In those cases, they were probably the expected answer.

    And if they weren¡¯t, he¡¯d just say that he¡¯d done a few experiments in his own time and had found a few new glyph combinations that worked out pretty well.

    Apart from that, the test was a breeze. He only struggled with some of the more academic questions. There were a lot of names he didn¡¯t recognize, but he did his best to deduce what the question was asking him based on the information given.

    The multiple choice answers themselves gave enough information about the question¡¯s subject for him to make an educated guess.

    Sometimes he¡¯d be stumped and would just circle ¡®C¡¯.

    The written portion was more about describing the logic behind choosing one design element over another. Sometimes, it described arbitrary glyph choices, which Hunter could dissect and understand immediately.

    The multiple choice portion was the most difficult and comprised most of the test. He completed the test in 40 minutes. He deposited his test at the front of the room. Although he wasn¡¯t the first to complete it, Hunter reckoned he was among the first 10. The test¡¯s difficulty surprised him, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. Although there were some specific gaps in his knowledge that he¡¯d identified, they were far less than he¡¯d feared.

    As Hunter turned to walk back to his desk, he caught the test he¡¯d submitted out of the corner of his eye and froze. He felt weak, and the room seemed hotter than it had just been a moment ago.

    On the top left-hand corner was his real name ¡ª there for all the world to see.

    Calm down, he told himself. Breathing deep and slow, he considered his options.

    There were only two that appealed to him.

    The first one was to leave and forget this ever happened. Leave the city and survive, somewhere, somehow. Maybe a farming community would take him in without asking too many questions. He could maintain their constructs for a place to live and three meals a day.

    The second was absolute insanity, but it stirred something within him that surprised Hunter.

    The urge was dangerous. A reflexive itch. A crazy, reckless compulsion that Hunter already knew he was going to follow, because that¡¯s what he did when this feeling came up.

    So, he said ¡®fuck it.¡¯ He left the test where it was.

    Hunter Koar.

    Table 47

    Based on his experience, he had no way of identifying how well he did. He¡¯d had to make too many guesses. Now, all he had to do was wait for the announcement of the results. Worst-case scenario, they would recognize his name, notify the corps, and drag him away, never to see the light of day again.

    Best case, he would pass and they wouldn¡¯t recognize his name.

    There were a few other degrees of positive and negative between those two, as well.

    The latter case felt unlikely to him. He had registered as Jonathan Esper, but had taken the test as Hunter Koar. He figured that discovery wouldn¡¯t sit well with them.

    But he stuck around anyway. He had nowhere else to go ¡ª unless he wanted to go home and deal with the street rats.

    Whether he passed or failed, only time would tell, and Hunter felt surprised at himself for not caring anymore. Once the urge to throw caution to the wind had left him, he¡¯d expected some sort of anxiety to creep up.

    When he analyzed what he was feeling, all he felt was a deep sense of being tired. He was tired of hiding. He was tired of being tired.

    He¡¯d let the fates decide his destiny, and accept their decision.

 Chapter 3

    Joyce rang a small bell at the front of the gymnasium, the people who hadn¡¯t completed the test sighed, their postures deflated. That latter reaction earned a frown from Joyce, who announced that those who didn¡¯t complete their tests should still hand them in for marking, especially if they only had a few questions left. There was still a possibility that they could receive a passing grade.

    Hunter admired the woman¡¯s poise. He¡¯d never admit it out loud, but the sheer stoic disregard that corpos seem trained to exude in so many situations was something that he envied. He wished he could face all of his problems with the focus and unwavering self interest that they could.

    But he considered himself to be a good person¡ª a better person than he would have been had he stayed in school, had his father never died, and had Council never taken away everything that was rightfully his.

    Not that they¡¯d taken away everything. His mind flashed to a small metal briefcase, sealed so strongly that in all of these years he¡¯d never been able to open it. The briefcase had arrived at his doorstep, under mysterious circumstances. He recognized it immediately, he had seen it before, in his fathers lab. He recognized the faded logo of the company that made it, he recognized the bumps, scrapes, and nicks along its surface. He recognized the failed attempt to erase the permanent marker Hunter had applied to it when he was too young to understand what he was doing.

    The locking mechanism required a passcode that he had yet to guess.

    He had no idea what the briefcase contained. Maybe evidence of the Council¡¯s plot against his father? The timing was a bit suspect, wasn¡¯t it? Maybe it was from his mysterious benefactor, playing some mental game, or trying to see if Hunter would open it and reveal some secret that they hadn¡¯t been able to pry out of it. The possibility of that seemed faint. It wouldn¡¯t have been hard for someone with enough strength, or the right tools, to open it.

    Hunter¡¯s involvement wouldn¡¯t even be necessary.

    Thus, the mystery remained. So far, no one had come to claim it from him.

    Joyce rang the bell again, breaking Hunter out of his thoughts.

    ¡°We estimate that it will take approximately two hours to mark all of the tests. You are all free to stay until then, but feel free to leave and come back later to receive your result, which will be posted on the wall behind me,¡± she said, turning and waving towards a corkboard behind her.

    Hunter had nowhere to go. He was hungry, but he figured that he needed to save what money he had in order to get a ride to the Oberon capital. He¡¯d need to bring some of his stuff with him, tools he¡¯d designed to make his artisanry with ether batteries more efficient. He didn¡¯t have a hope of winning without them.

    He sat down in a corner and decided that that¡¯s where he¡¯d wait for the next two hours. With nothing else to do, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, diving deep into his mind where he kept all of his synergies memorized.

    Over the years it had grown extensive. He had personally discovered certain glyphs, like his father had. Nothing as significant as the Link sub-glyph, of course. But certain alterations of well known glyphs that work more efficiently with other glyphs, that corresponded to different elements. He also had lists of different elemental circuits that could create a more efficient flow of ether in a construct.

    Once Hunter understood that ether had ¡®desires¡¯, he found that it was easier to channel it in certain ends. If you forced it to interact with an element, or ¡®charge¡¯ that it didn¡¯t desire to interact with, the output would be much less potent. It would take more input to achieve far less output than you could be getting if you followed the etherium¡¯s desire.

    So far, he¡¯d started to gain some insight into the notion of defusing etherium¡¯s desires. One problem with complex etherium networks was that inefficiencies tended to stack. The multiplier wasn¡¯t incredibly significant, but if you could defuse certain elemental charges, or ¡®return¡¯ them to a previous state of desire, you could regain some efficiency in the etherium¡¯s flow. At least, that was Hunter¡¯s hypothesis.

    He¡¯d not been able to discover the mechanism behind how the desires and the elemental charge of etherium was linked. It could have been the same phenomena, the element was the desire, but that was just a guess. He would need a lot more time, and a lot more data in order to understand what he needed to in order to progress. But once he did, he intuited that it would open the door to even more possibilities.

    And, he reminded himself, those possibilities hinged on whether or not he passed this test, today. Otherwise, in all probability, he would be dead or owned by the Comics. A fate worse than death, in his opinion. He doubted they¡¯d let him continue his research in peace. He would lose all freedom to pursue his own interests.

    He needed this win.

    He owed it to himself, and his work.

    The first hour passed very quickly, but the second hour felt like it stretched ever onwards. He decided that he would spend the rest of the time walking around the rec center. He wondered if he could find any snacks.

    To his surprise, after exploring for a bit, he found a few pastries.

    <hr>

    ¡°Boss, I''ve got a bit of a problem,¡± Vin said, waving Joyce over. Joyce raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You mark it either right or wrong, Vin,¡± Joyce said as she made her way over to him.

    Vin snorted.

    ¡°No, the problem is that the name registered to desk 47 doesn¡¯t match the name on the test that was handed in,¡± he said, handing her the test and pointing to the printout of registered names and the desks they were assigned to.

    ¡°See?¡± he said, pointing to the printout, ¡°desk 47. Jonathan Esper. And if you look at the name of the test¡­¡±

    Joyce read the name, and then read it again. Her heart skipped a beat. She handed the test back and pursed her lips.

    She did her best not to take a deep breath, and wipe her hands on her blazer.

    ¡°Did they pass?¡± she asked Vin. His job wasn¡¯t to mark the tests, it was to verify that the marks were accurate and that the participants were who they said they were.

    Vin shook his head.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Some of these answers are sheer nonsense, never mind the abysmal multiple choice score,¡± he said, flipping through the pages. He found an answer to one of the written questions and handed it to her.

    ¡°It looks like he just made up whatever came to mind and thought we wouldn¡¯t notice. I don¡¯t know, feels like he¡¯s some troll who took the test to waste somebody¡¯s time. Not like it isn¡¯t the first time it¡¯s happened, just some kid with nothing better to do,¡± Vin said.

    Joyce looked over the question.

    You have a pallet with 80 pounds of product stacked on top of it. The pallet needs to be lifted and moved to another location 10 meters away. Design a stationary etherium construct to lift the cargo and move it.

    Joyce recognized the question. It seemed simple on the surface but many would find that pulling is much more difficult than pushing, when constructs were concerned. The glyphs used by Hunter Koar, a name she never thought she¡¯d see again¡ª and to be honest she wasn¡¯t sure if she should report it immediately¡ª were almost correct, but they all seemed different than how they were standardly depicted. And the network syntax, the underlying architecture that directed the flow of etherium, was unique.

    She¡¯d never seen it before, at least not in this context. One of the glyphs appeared normal, but it was out of place, it was right at the end of the networked glyphs, instead of near the beginning where it ought to be.

    If it was anyone else, she¡¯d dismiss it out of hand completely. And she needed to be certain that this was indeed the Hunter Koar. The name ¡°Koar¡± wasn¡¯t unique to Gideon¡¯s lineage. There were a few seperate Koar family¡¯s in the world. Some had changed their name legally¡ª in admiration and envy¡ª after Gideon Koar rose to fame,

    Some of those might have named their child after Gideon¡¯s kid, following the spirit of obsession.

    But if it was Gideon¡¯s kid, then these answers couldn¡¯t be dismissed out of hand. She needed to verify them¡ª and then figure out what it meant. Both for her, the competition, and for Oberon.

    Etherium constructs weren¡¯t like any other system. Sure, there were many hypothetical ways to achieve a similar end result, but so far, the known formulas for glyph networks were extremely rigid. Artisans would have to experiment for years to find a new glyph pair that worked, let alone an entirely novel network syntax. The very nature of etherium was mystery. Its substance and depths were hidden to mankind.

    They were groping in the dark for any sense of progress, and when progress was made, no one could tell exactly what it meant, and exactly what it reveald about etherium itself. It was simultaneously the most mystical, fantastic, and frustrating field of study in the world.

    And along comes Gideon Koar to make great strides that dwarfed the efforts of previous generations. The name Hunter Koar could mean many things¡ª fraud, a bad joke, or a potential infusion of vitality into her career. Not that she needed it.

    But who would say not to such a juicy opportunity, practically walking itself into their lap?

    It was probably nothing. Like Vin had said, just another troll. A Koar namesake with delusions of granduer and an inability to humble themselves.

    In that case, Joyce would do them the good grace of humbling them herself, and then she would report them to the authorities, who would probably charge them a hefty fine.

    She would wait to hand out the result herself.

    But before that, she would indulge her curiosity regarding the construct design which ¡®Hunter¡¯ had submitted in this answer, and if it worked she would entertain the notion of taking him seriously. She couldn¡¯t do it herself, but she did know someone who could.

    She walked down to the reception desk with Hunters¡¯ test in hand. She faxed the pages in question to someone she knew in the Oberon Artisanal Research Division. He was an eccentric sort, but was always willing to indulge his and others curiosity about new etheric possibilities. After she faxed the pages over, she gave him a call.

    The mobile phone sported such an awkward design, one which she was glad her company was attempting to remedy. Oberon Enterprises was working on a more advanced product, something a bit smaller, its design a bit more aesthetically pleasing and easier to hold in the hand. She¡¯d seen the prototype, and it was already a vast improvement over this giant grey brick.

    She dialed her friend¡¯s number as she walked back to the small office space the recreation center had given them in order to mark the tests. After a minute of waiting she was about to hang up before he answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m very busy, today. Whatever it is, it better be important,¡± Paulov said. His accent making his words seem sharp and aggressive, but Joyce knew the man well. They joined the company around the same time and had collaborated many times.

    ¡°Have you checked your fax?¡± Joyce asked.

    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Paulov asked.

    ¡°I need you to verify something for me. An exciting possibility if it pans out, but there¡¯s also the chance that it could be nothing. A waste of time,¡± she said. Bait, and hook.

    ¡°What kind of exciting possibility?¡± Paulov asked. Joyce smiled.

    ¡°The kind that could mean a totally new construct architecture with a strange networking syntax,¡± she said.

    Paulov made a noise that could have been humming, but could have also been murmuring.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, probably a waste of time,¡± he said. When he didn¡¯t hang up, she knew he¡¯d give it a look.

    ¡°Probably. I need to know within the the next half hour.¡±

    Paulov said something in his native language.

    ¡°I did say I was busy, didn¡¯t I? Fine. You owe me,¡± then he hung up. She reached the office just in time to see the team finishing the last few tests. She told Vin to wait another 30 minutes or so before they announced the results. He shrugged and glanced at the test in her hand, which he had handed to her a few minutes earlier.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said, hoping to change the subject before he decided he was curious enough to ask any questions, ¡°just verifying something. How¡¯d everyone do?¡±

    He shrugged.

    ¡°Just over 15 percent made it through, i¡¯d say. More passing results than I¡¯d expected this far from the capital. Looks like its going to be a very competitive year,¡± Vin said.

    Joyce whistled.

    ¡°How many of those were full teams?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Vin said, ¡°it¡¯s not like they need to inform us who who they¡¯re teaming up with in order to take the preliminary test.¡±

    Joyce nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when you can post the results. It shouldn¡¯t be too long now,¡± she said. Vin shrugged again.

    ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡±

    She smiled. Vin was ambitious, but he knew when to push and when to listen. He¡¯d want her job one day¡ª which extended far beyond supervising preliminary tests. But this wasn¡¯t the right time to challenge her authority or competence, not that it would matter. She had a stellar track record, and that earned her some leeway in her decision making process. For instance, deciding to extend the marking period by half an hour for no apparent reason.

    Her superiors wouldn¡¯t care.

    Especially if she managed to make a connection with the son of Gideon Koar.

    They all had orders to make sure the kid wasn¡¯t bothered by other corporations. They were explicitly told not to make Hunters¡¯ life difficult, or bring much attention to him, if they were to ever cross paths with him.

    But this was different. If this was him, then he was all but announcing himself to the world, and that gave her an opportunity to fulfill the spirit of the orders, if not the explicit word. If he wanted to be seen, then Joyce might as well take the opportunity he handed to her. She could help him along his journey, and increase her esteem among her colleagues.

    And if it wasn¡¯t Gideon¡¯s son, then all she¡¯s done is her due dilligence, rooting out trouble and enforcing the integrity of a Seated Council Corporation.

    Either way, she wins.

    <hr>

    The two hours was up. After getting something to eat, it was almost like he blinked the final half our away. He approached the gymnasium and found a small crowd had gathered before the closed doors, those who were waiting for the test results to be announced.

    Hunter found a spot in the hallway and waited for the gymnasium doors to open. When 20 minutes passed, he was wondering what was taking them so long.

    Another few minutes passed. The others started to complain. Some even knocked on the gym doors, and their friends¡ª or Hunter assumed they were all friends, laughed.

    He started feeling nervous. He managed to push it away while he waited, but now it was obvious, the tension growing in his chest, in his gut, in his jaw.

    He hadnt felt nervous about a test in years. He was confident that he did alright, not that he could back that feeling up with anything concrete, but the doubts still managed to surface. His whole life was devoted to etherium, to constructs.

    If he wasn¡¯t confident about the results, who would be?

    And there weren¡¯t just doubts about the results, but also about how much he might have revealed. He treasured his research, he treasured how it set him apart. One day, he would be exploring the worlds beyond Sanctuary, using his unique knowledge to solve unique problems. He would do it his way and make a name for himself like his father had.

    He¡¯d be a visionary.

 Chapter 4

    He imagined his father¡¯s face. Stalwart, focused, displaying an unbreakable will.

    Electronics and information technology were dominating the world. Etherium constructs used to be a niche product with very limited usage. Now, constructs were everywhere. Communication, transportation, heavy labour, and defence technologies had emerged in abundance after the contributions that people like his father had made. Etherium could perform feats that the standard model of physics couldn¡¯t explain.

    Hunter wanted another revolution. He wanted etherium and electricity to be mentioned in the same breath. There were things that computing technologies could do that etherium constructs couldn¡¯t. The capacity to dramatically increase the efficiency of computers, both personal and corporate, provided one minor example of etherium¡¯s utility. Being able to cool a server room by 50 degrees without increasing your electricity bill was worth the investment. At least, that¡¯s how he would sell it if he had to.

    Another example was the etherium-assisted forklifts he had contemplated the previous day. Primarily electric, but with etheric help to lift much heavier loads at a much lower price point than was typically available before.

    Most people were already using a drawstone daily to increase their affinity, which helped them to grow stronger and healthier. He imagined that constructs becoming more widely accessible and relevant to day-to-day life would be a welcome change by everyone.

    What depths could Hunter uncover? A contented smile touched his lips as he pictured the possibilities.

    He itched to get back to his notes, to his work. That, combined with the nerves of waiting, almost made him turn around and head home to bury himself in a project.

    He chafed at the thought of accepting a fate beneath his perceived merit. But he wouldn¡¯t let this train of thought pull him along any longer than necessary.

    Tomorrow, he would need to give his answer to the Comics. He planned on being in a different city by then. His absence would be his answer, and his degrees of freedom, as well as the status of his research, would be determined by what happened next.

    As if on queue, the doors to the gymnasium opened. Excited chatter broke out among the assembled youths. More had appeared over the last little while. Most of the preliminary hopefuls had elected to stick around for their results.

    Security personnel checked everyone¡¯s IDs upon entry; when Hunter presented his ID, the checker raised his eyebrows. He waved someone else over, a thin man with a thin moustache and thinning hair.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± the man said. Hunter¡¯s palms sweat and he gulped. He figured he had little choice at this point. He could bolt, but this was the path he¡¯d decided on.

    They led Hunter through a door on the other side of the gymnasium to a small office space. He recognized Joyce in there, writing something at a desk on the far right-hand side of the room, away from the cubicles. Her air of authority, common to those in charge, was apparent, and the folding desk between them might as well be made of heavy, polished oak.

    She had recognized his name. There was no other reason they¡¯d drag him here, away from the rest of the other participants.

    This was it.

    ¡°Sit down, please, Mr. Esper,¡± Joyce said with a smile. ¡°Or is it Mr. Koar?¡±

    Hunter rubbed at his chest, hoping that it would somehow dispel the burning tension that had been building up over the last little while. He sat and Joyce offered him her hand. He realized his hands had a subtle tremor. He grasped her offered hand in as firm a grip he could manage.

    ¡°Koar,¡± Hunter said, ¡°Ah, Hunter. Hunter Koar.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the matter at hand, Mr. Koar,¡± Joyce said, the smile vanishing and replaced by something more familiar. Cold, stoic, indifferent.

    Hunter sighed. He reminded himself that he had nothing to hide, and that helped with the nerves.

    ¡°You are a mystery to me, Hunter,¡± Joyce said. ¡°The first thing to get out of the way is the fact that you failed the preliminary test.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s heart dropped to his gut.

    He¡¯d failed? A knowledge test about etherium?

    Of course, he¡¯d known it was a possibility.

    A small possibility. Then again, where had his confidence come from? Sure, he had years of experience grinding out a living with constructs, but he¡¯s always known that he was an oddity in the field.

    ¡°Was it the multiple-choice questions?¡± He asked, already knowing the answer. His written answers weren¡¯t wrong. They were simple and were all solutions that he¡¯d used for years. They weren¡¯t even that complex.

    ¡°Among other things,¡± Joyce said, ¡°some of your written answers were ¡ª let¡¯s say that they¡¯re creative. We knew that under the simplicity of the question was a very complex problem that would challenge most of the youths who encountered it. There¡¯s a reason we call it a test.¡±

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°The solutions to those questions were simple. All of my submitted answers work if you take the time to verify them.¡±

    Except for a couple of instances where he had to reference things he barely remembered, specific theory names and who they were associated with.

    ¡°The designs, at least,¡± he amended.

    She looked at him with a keen interest, now.

    ¡°You know, that was what lead me to the idea of entertaining this little meeting of ours. My colleagues here who marked your test, and the one who double-checked the marking, both commented on how absurd your solutions were,¡± she said, studying his face.

    He didn¡¯t bother hiding his reaction to her words. He sneered.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Then your colleagues are morons,¡± he said. The familiar disdain felt like a balm to his nerves. If they couldn¡¯t recognize the simplest solution to the test¡¯s problems, then they weren¡¯t artisans.

    ¡°Careful, Hunter. I¡¯ve worked with those ¡®morons¡¯ for years. ¡°Their competence is the reason we selected them for this job,¡± she said, her voice deepening.

    Hunter took a deep breath.

    ¡°Look, if you take the time to verify my answers yourself, you¡¯ll see that they work. I should have passed this test.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°No, even if you got those answers right, your score would be less than the amount of questions you got wrong in the multiple-choice section.¡±

    Hunter felt his future slipping away from him. A familiar sense of exhaustion worked its way through his limbs.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, ¡°so what does this mean? Why¡¯d you bring me in here?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to get a good look at you. I recognize your name, Hunter. Of course, you¡¯re not the only Hunter Koar in the world, but even the small possibility that you are the son of the infamous Gideon Koar meant I couldn¡¯t dismiss your solution, could I?¡±

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°So you know who I am. What are you going to do?¡± He asked, afraid he knew the answer.

    ¡°Let me finish, young man. So I did as you suggested. I called a friend of mine to verify the answers to your test. He had some very colourful words to say about your submissions,¡± she said, smirking.

    The flame of hope that had died must have had some small ember remaining, and he could feel it struggling to stay alive within him.

    ¡°I quote, ¡®utterly illogical, confounding, and nonsensical, yet somehow it works,¡¯ he asked about the identity of the genius madman who developed an new formula for such an old problem,¡± she said.

    Hunter raised an eyebrow. He knew he had a gift for etherium, but the solution he¡¯d provided was hardly genius.

    Was it? He realized he couldn¡¯t tell. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d never considered whether his use of glyphs had drifted far from what most experts would be familiar with.

    He wouldn¡¯t ascribe the word genius to something so simple. But from what he understood about other artisans and researchers in the field, they found progress to be much more difficult than Hunter did, and Hunter found the entire process to be vague and frustrating himself.

    His level of success came from sheer obsession and persistence. Either researching glyphs or synergies took most hours of his waking life. Either that or designing and fixing constructs in order to support himself. Genius had nothing to do with it.

    ¡°I told him your identity was a sensitive matter. He wasn¡¯t happy with not knowing, he gets quite passionate about artisanry. A brilliant man, very driven. You might meet him one day.¡±

    Her choice of words fed the ember of hope into a small flame once more. It must have shown on his face, because she smiled.

    ¡°Hunter, you failed the test and lied about your identity. By all rights, you should be on your way home with a large fine and a black mark on your public record,¡± she said, ¡°not to mention the fact that you¡¯ve openly identified yourself. Do you understand what that means?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°I do,¡± he sighed, ¡°it was a mistake. I hadn¡¯t realized i¡¯d written my real name until it was too late, but I couldn¡¯t afford not to pass this test. My true identity being discovered was worth the sacrifice if I could win the competition.¡±

    Joyce nodded, a look of concern appearing on her face. He almost believed it was genuine.

    ¡°Even if you passed the test and they admitted you to the competition, could you even compete?¡± She asked. Hunter thought she knew what she was really asking.

    ¡°My affinity rating,¡± he said. She nodded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall any specifics, but I remember hearing that you had some sort of handicap. Have you resolved that?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, ¡°But I¡¯ve found ways around my deficiency. I can use ether batteries as a substitute.¡±

    ¡°Ether batteries? That makes some sense. I imagine it must take a long time to get anything done, though. You understand that there are time constraints for the rounds of this competition, correct? And you would be up against teams from all over the world, teams that will have no problem outpacing you during some very demanding trials,¡± she said.

    Hunter nodded. He crossed his hands and looked her in the eyes.

    She hadn¡¯t kicked him out yet. In fact, she was still listening.

    ¡°I understand. But I have developed ways to increase my efficiency as a matter of necessity. If I can get my workflow approved, I promise that I¡¯ll be able to keep up with whoever I¡¯m up against,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase, Hunter. I¡¯m willing to help you out since I¡¯m almost convinced that you are who you say you are, but I need some more proof. This is an exciting opportunity to reintroduce the Koar heir to the world, especially if you¡¯ve followed in your father¡¯s footsteps,¡± she said, then paled as she realized what she¡¯d just said.

    ¡°I mean, in pursuing your passion, of course,¡± she corrected. ¡°I apologize, Hunter. That was a poor choice of words.¡±

    He cleared his throat, suppressing the frustration that arose.

    What was the use of telling her that his father was a good man, and that he¡¯d never do the things that the Council had accused him of?

    She probably wouldn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°Do you mean you¡¯re willing to let me pass the preliminary test?¡± He asked.

    She smiled.

    ¡°If you can prove you are who you say you are,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ask me anything,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you perform so poorly in the test? I imagine someone who has obviously devoted so much time to this field would have no problem passing,¡± she said.

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°I dropped out of school even before my dad died. After the Council took everything away, I had little reason to attend school. I was way too busy trying to put food on the table,¡± he said.

    She frowned.

    ¡°How long ago was that? When did you drop out?¡± she asked. Hunter shrugged again.

    ¡°About 6 years ago,¡± he said, and expected her next question, ¡°I think I was 10 when I stopped going to classes.¡±

    She hummed in response.

    ¡°A 6 year gap in your education isn¡¯t insignificant, Hunter. But your answers reveal that you have a great deal of knowledge about artisanry and its history. I assume you¡¯ve taken the time to educate yourself?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°School sucked. Learning isn¡¯t so bad, though. I realized that if I wanted to make any sort of life for myself, I would need to know things. And I might as well start with what I was the most interested in,¡± he said.

    She nodded and smiled. The answer seemed to satisfy her.

    ¡°Where did you go to school?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Verity Public Elementary, east of here, but still in the Oberon Domain. Near the Capital.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember any of your teachers¡¯ names? Old friends? Anything to help me confirm your identity? I told you why this is important, right?¡±

    Hunter searched for any memory he had of those days, days that he¡¯d suppressed for years. A few names stood out, significant events. He recalled the names of his principal, his first-grade teacher, and some former friends who abandoned him after his Affinity score was publicized, deeming him too strange.

    Hunter sighed. He told enough to satisfy her curiosity, and filled her in on some details about how he¡¯d been living his life over the last little while, and the situation he¡¯d found himself caught in.

    For a brief second, after taking notes, she considered him.

    ¡°You say you need to give them the answer tomorrow, these ¡®Comics¡¯?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°I tell you what, if your information checks out ¡ª and at this point it just feels like a formality, I¡¯ll have someone come to pick you up at your address tonight. I think I can call in a favour or two to get you a place to stay in the Capital during the competition,¡± she said.

    Those were magic words to Hunter¡¯s ears. He could feel tears welling up, and he tried his best to blink them away.

    ¡°Just like that?¡± he asked, his voice wavering. It was ridiculous. It was just a test.

    ¡°Just like that,¡± she said, pulling over a sheet of paper and writing something down.

    ¡°Done,¡± she said. ¡°Hunter Koar has officially passed the preliminary qualification test.¡±

    The tension that had once been burning in his chest was now an expanding feeling of elation and relief.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put in a word with a friend. We¡¯ll get your workflow approved. I bet the competition organizers would jump at the chance. You know how it is, enabling the disempowered and so on. No offense,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take an advantage where I can find it,¡± Hunter answered, still processing what just happened.

    He¡¯d done it. She was going to let him advance to the competition. His new life was one step closer.

    Now all he had to do was win one of the most competitive competitions in the world, alone, with a severe handicap.

 Chapter 5

    Before Hunter headed home, he stopped by Mrs. Margaret¡¯s, letting her know he would be gone for a while. She gave him a big hug and told him she appreciated all the work he had done for her, and that he had made her life much easier.

    They laughed over how they¡¯d first met. Hunter was 12 years old at the time and had told them that his dad was an artisan who had just moved to the city and was looking for work. He asked them how much they pay for artisans and said he¡¯d do it for half the price. They were skeptical at first, but Hunter said he¡¯d do the first job for free. Rejection was a familiar friend by then. It was hard to stay motivated. He was about to give up and try to find another strategy when he finally came across Mrs. Margaret¡¯s shop.

    Mrs. Margaret and her family had shown Hunter kindness and support. It encouraged him to continue looking for new clients. Soon enough, Hunter had at least two minor jobbs to keep him going. It all started here, at this toy store.

    The reminiscing touched Hunter, and it reminded him of how strong he could be when it counted. It also reminded him it was important to have good people to rely on in hard times. Where Hunter was going, he had no one. He would start from scratch. But he knew that ruminating over what he would lose wouldn¡¯t do him any good. He¡¯d had a few moments like that over the last few years and was trying his best to avoid a self-sabotaging spiral. He had to stay positive.

    Hunter wanted to stick around for longer and make sure that all of Mrs. Margaret¡¯s constructs were in good shape, but he had little time. Before he walked out the door, she handed him another 50 credits and told himself to come and visit if he ever came by their part of the city in the future. She assured him that the store wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere so long as she was still alive to fight for it. He needed to get home and pack, tonight he would leave for the Capital. The competition was going to be difficult, but he wasn¡¯t worried.

    Joyce emphasized that the competition would solely revolve around designing and creating constructs. The first round would be about pushing their fundamentals to their limit, while the next two rounds would be about pushing the team¡¯s creativity and problem-solving skills. Joyce said most teams spent the entire year preparing for this competition¡ªthough they would announce the specific makeup of each round just before the rounds started, the overall pattern remained consistent.

    Know your basics inside and out, is what she said. They weren¡¯t just focused on results; they wanted a reliable product and an experts touch. The artisans¡¯ skill in merging art and craft would be evaluated. He was going to be going up against future industry leaders, and the Council of Corporations knew it. This time, it was Oberon¡¯s show, but this contest and others like it would cycle around the various Council Domains, the hosting corporation gained the advantage in the first offer to the young talents, and that¡¯s on top of the prizes for placing in the top 3.

    So although Hunter would be more visible than ever before, and he was sure that the men and women behind his father¡¯s death would know about his existence once more, Joyce assured him that Oberon would keep a close eye on how the contest unfolded. Corporations valued young talent and preferred to recruit these youths from good schools, transforming them into obedient workers as quickly as possible.

    While she didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Hunter understood her real meaning. These are the mega-corps, after all. Vast, bureaucratic dreadscapes, built to pierce the sky and cast shadows that suppressed the c

    That being said, working for one of those would be a better fate than being a victim of the Comics. At least he could guarantee some degrees of freedom as part of the Oberon''s corporate structure.

    Increased security would balance out his increased visibility during the competition and its aftermath. This was Oberon Enterprises, not a local, family-owned convenience store. The amount of resources the company possessed would ract with Oberon. Maybe during his time at the Barnum Academy of Excellence, he would his change his mind about his next move.

    The Comics wouldn¡¯t allow him to change his mind. Neither would any of the alternatives he could think of. He assured himself ¡ª for the thousandth time ¡ª than this was his best option. Hunter felt the pressure, but he wasn¡¯t afraid. His textbook knowledge might lack, but constructs were his lifeblood. Synergies had presented him with opportunities to take shortcuts that would improve the result of most projects that were put in front of him. It¡¯s what kept people coming back to him ¡ª he did good work despite his handicap. Despite what the world thought about affinity ratings, he would prove that his expertise was valuable and that his affinity rating was irrelevant.

    When he got home, he nodded at the Comics, who waited outside his door. It was important to respect them, no matter how much disgust and anger their presence inspired within him. No one in the neighbourhood would challenge the Comics. They sneered at him as he walked by, and he heard the words ¡®skeleton¡¯ and ¡®stick bug¡¯ muttered under their alcohol-stained breaths. Hunter was used to it. It still stung. Old memories of rejection that he didn¡¯t like to touch would aggravate.

    He had always been tall for his age, but the AR deficiency, or whatever caused it, seemed to inhibit muscle growth. That, and the fact he could only afford enough food to survive, and not much else in the way of luxury, meant that he seemed unnaturally thin and frail. Hunter had always had problems with bruises, broken bones, and dislocations while growing up. He¡¯d learned how to be careful as he grew older, and his bones strengthened a bit, but he still needed to be vigilant about where he stepped. He never went out after dark, and he always carefully arranged his environment.

    A severe injury could mean that he couldn¡¯t work, and no work meant no food.

    So it was best not to give the Comics any reason to find trouble with him. He accepted the insults with as much grace as he could. If he triggered their aggression, he would find no saviour. The cops wouldn¡¯t be called, no one would complain. Hunter tolerated the jeers as he walked past them and unlocked his door, and ignored them when they told him he had one more day before they made his choice for him.

    ¡°32nd Street ain¡¯t a place for fools, kid. You think we¡¯re fools? You think you can ignore us forever?¡±

    Hunter felt tempted to comment on the irony of a comic denouncing a fool, but his self-preservation instincts took over and he focused on unlocking his door and getting inside the house in one piece.

    As the door closed behind him, Hunter took a deep breath.

    They would leave in a few hours, like they normally did. And then he would never have to deal with them again.

    Hopefully, he¡¯d be out of their reach for good. Although he was loath to admit it, working his ass off to impress the corps was more desirable than having to be associated with these clowns.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Besides, winning the competition and joining Oberon Enterprises would just be the first part of his plan.

    Getting out of Sanctuary was his true vision. That¡¯s what he needed to focus on.

    Before this competition landed in his lap, the dream of leaving the pull of the world¡¯s gravity seemed like nothing but a dream. He could still innovate, and push the boundaries of being an artisan, but he would do it locked to the ground ¡ª forever unable to step foot on strange new worlds, and see things no one had ever seen before.

    But everyone knew that Oberon Enterprises pride themselves on their out-world expansion. If there was anywhere else that Hunter could have such a high chance of achieving his dream, he didn¡¯t know about it.

    He clapped his hands to cut interrupt his train of thought, shifting his focus towards what he had come back home to do ¡ª get the hell out of this city. To do that, he would need to pack.

    Hunter had little in the way of bags or boxes to pack his stuff into. He strained to think of anything that he could use to bring what he needed to the capital city. He had a backpack that he could fit some of his tools into, and a few small boxes lying around the basement from old deliveries of spare parts. There was also a small carry-bag he¡¯d brought at a grocery store a couple of years ago on a whim, convincing himself that he was doing his part to contribute to a better environment, and then forgetting that he¡¯d bought it until now. He could fit a couple of pairs of clothes into that.

    A backpack, 3 small cardboard boxes, and a carry-bag.

    He nodded to himself. It would be enough. The competition would only last the weekend, so he only needed three sets of clothes to last him Friday to Sunday. If he needed anymore after that, he figured he¡¯d just use the prize money to buy some more. The doubt rose again, the ever-present tension in his chest trying to let him know that what he was doing was insane, but he forced his attention away from it. It was irrelevant at this point.

    Once more, he felt the need to remind himself that he¡¯d committed.

    During the short pause, he remembered that there was another item he¡¯d be carrying with him. In the corner of his room, fit between his workbench and his closet, was a dark silver-grey briefcase. The same one that Jimmy had given to him all those years ago. He¡¯d said that his father had given it to his boss, but refused to tell Hunter who his boss was and what his relationship to Hunter¡¯s father had been. He¡¯d spent some time trying to open the briefcase, but the material was too strong. The only way he¡¯d be able to open it would be to unlock it, but a passcode locked it. So far, he hadn¡¯t been able to guess what it was. Once every few months, he¡¯d search his memories as far back as he could to find anything that could be a clue.

    There were many times where he doubted whether the briefcase ever came from his father at all, and that it wasn¡¯t some elaborate scheme concocted by Jimmy and his employer.

    Not that Hunter could deduce what that scheme might be, but he was certain of three things: his father¡¯s innocence, the Council corps¡¯ self-serving nature, and Jimmy¡¯s employer¡¯s influential position within such a corporation. Maybe Hunter served as a means to frustrate a business rival¡¯s plan. As far as Hunter knew, over the last few years of his life, he¡¯d served as an unwitting pawn in some grand game of political chess.

    He couldn¡¯t prove it, and his ¡®benefactors¡¯ had asked nothing of him, or threatened him. In fact, it was almost as if Hunters¡¯ wellbeing had been a chore they¡¯d checked off of a list and then forgotten about. It was out of character for any corporation that Hunter had heard of.

    So, either they overlooked Hunter, or they¡¯d been keeping track of Hunter¡¯s situation the whole time. Hunter could only hope for the former option, yet something within him recoiled at the thought, and he laughed.

    It was absurd. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it, and yet there it was. How had he never seen it before?

    He couldn¡¯t tolerate being forgotten, nor could he tolerate being known. But all he could do was shrug it off. It didn¡¯t matter, did it?

    He had an aim, and he¡¯d decided that it was worth the risk. That was what mattered now.

    Packing took longer than he¡¯d thought. He warred with himself over what he¡¯d wear, and which tools he¡¯d need. In the end, he would take all of his custom stuff, and he would bring some of his own batteries. He had a few that were charged, and some were with partial charges. He¡¯d leave the ones that were discharged back home, as recharging them to a state of usefulness would take too long.

    As far as his custom tools went, the most useful ones that he¡¯d built into his workbench would have to be left behind as well, except for one that he could detach and carry over his shoulder. He couldn¡¯t justify leaving it behind, as it acted as something of a third arm which could speed up his workflow. It was a heavy piece of equipment for Hunter, but he figured he could get someone to help him move it.

    After getting everything packed up and placed by the door, he read an old novel to kill the time before Joyce¡¯s people arrived.

    Hours passed, the sun went down, and the Comics left. Hunter waited. He kept looking out the window, waiting, hoping that every passing headlight would turn towards his cul-de-sac.

    Hunter felt tempted to give up hope as the hours passed by, convincing himself that it had all been a hazy dream born of a desperate mind. He let the familiar feeling of dread live in his chest for a while. He deserved it for getting his hopes up. But as soon as it rose, the grief dissipated.

    He felt an odd sense of relief. His fate was determined. He would have to give the Comics his answer tomorrow morning.

    Yet, he remained glued to his seat, watching out the window. That soft ember of hope, refusing to lose its flickering glow for long. Hour after hour, it would flicker, but it always came back.

    At just before 10pm, a large black SUV turned into the cul-de-sac. Hunter¡¯s heartbeat felt like it had sped up a hundred-fold in a second. He felt a surge of adrenaline.

    This had to be them, right?

    Sure enough, the SUV stopped in front of his house. The driver and his passenger stepped out and walked to his front door. Hunter had the door open before they could knock.

    They seemed taken aback. Hunter could imagine how he looked, wide-eyed, winded from the arduous jog across the 25 feet between the corner of his living room and the front door. He could see them now from the light that shone out from his home. A man and a woman, both dressed in casual attire. They both wore denim jeans, the man wore a white Oberon Enterprises¡¯ t-shirt, and the woman had a studded leather jacket. She seemed the friendlier of the two, with feathered hair, large hoop hearings, and a calm smile. The man appeared a bit more visibly guarded. Scanning the surroundings, eyes analyzing every detail.

    ¡°Hunter Koar?¡± The woman asked.

    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re here to take me to the Capital,¡± Hunter said between breaths.

    ¡°Yes, sorry for the delay. I take it this is all the stuff you¡¯re taking with you? You know it¡¯s only for a few days, right?¡±

    Hunter decided not to tell them the entire story.

    He considered the home he¡¯d lived in for the last few years and felt a sense of sadness. This was the last time he¡¯d ever seen it, and as much as he¡¯d grown to hate the neighbourhood, this house had sheltered him during the worst of times and the best of times. He¡¯d had so many minor victories here, so many discoveries, so many dreams of what the future could look like if he somehow got the chance to soar.

    The sentimentality took him by surprise. He would miss this place, but he figured that as far as those surprise second chances go, this was as close as he would ever get.

    Hunter turned off all the lights and locked the door, got in the SUV, and left the cul-de-sac at the intersection of 32nd Avenue and Truss for the last time.

    The key to that house felt heavy in his hand. Not physically, but there was a sense of significance to it. He studied it as the rays of passing streetlights strobed through the windows; the shadows cast through, shifting along the same track and then resetting.

    Before, the key in his hand had just been a key. He¡¯d always been careful with it, knowing that if he¡¯d lost it, he wouldn¡¯t get another one. He¡¯d been close to losing it a few times, each time felt just as apocalyptic as the last. But this was a different weight.

    He was glad that he¡¯d decided long ago to create a necklace out of twine, threading through the head of the key. His father had once said that it was important to remember your story, who you were, and who you¡¯d become. The key would be his way of remembering this place, the circumstances that brought him here, and his dreams of something better. He placed the key back around his neck and relaxed.

    In two days, he felt like his life had changed. He knew he was just imagining it. The future was still unwritten. He would still have to push himself to win the competition. However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he¡¯d just done something important. He¡¯d trusted himself. He¡¯d found an avenue to improve his situation, and he¡¯d taken it.

    No matter what, he¡¯d make sure that this opportunity bore the fruit he hoped it would.

 Chapter 6

    The ride out of Seckina had been silent, but not uncomfortable. His handlers told him Joyce had pulled some strings. He was getting a hotel suite near the competition arena. They would help him move his stuff into the suite, but after that, he¡¯d be on his own.

    Soon, Hunter recognized the surroundings. Certain landmarks on the way to the capital ¡ª the Portsmith bridge the stretched across the Denman river, the iconic smokestacks of the Nelson Brothers factory, one of the oldest factories in the world. No one had used it in over a century, but it held immense historical value as one of the old pillars of the Oberon corporation¡ªbefore the unification war, before their rebranding to Oberon Enterprises. Back then, the company was called Oberon & Sons.

    He felt some nostalgia when they approached the Oberon Capital itself. The last time he¡¯d come here was when his father was still alive, 3 years before his death. He would have been around 8 or 9. He barely recognized the place, but there were a few things that stood out. His father had taken him to old restaurants. One was near the Establishment monument, commemorating The Council¡¯s genesis and the start of the unification war, where they declared independence. It didn¡¯t take them long to conquer or outright buy the rest of the world.

    The old world had died, and the new world had been born. The Council of Corporations had emerged victorious. Oberon Enterprises was a founding member of the Council and one of the oldest Corporations still in existence, rivalled in age by Smith Transports and Lumina Inc.

    The Council had promised a level of freedom that none of the previous nations could compete with. War had always been prevalent on Sanctuary, even the ancient Asutnahem had evidence of war and conquest if you looked back far enough. And speaking of the Asutnahem, Hunter recognized the Oberon Central Museum as they passed it. It had been his father¡¯s favourite place to visit when he took a break from the lab, which was a rare occurrence. He was always sure to bring Hunter with him. Hunter hadn¡¯t cared too much about history at the time. He still found little value in it.

    But as soon as he saw the museum, he committed to visit it. Maybe he¡¯d discover the value in it that his father had always insisted was there. Perhaps he just wanted to feel close to him again. He felt a familiar ache. The feeling of loss was gone, but there he still felt a longing to talk to him again. He wanted to hear how his dad had a new idea for an old invention. He wanted to impress him with how far his synergy research had come along.

    There¡¯d never been time to tell his father about synergies. It was meant to be a surprise.

    Hunter took a deep breath and refocused on the present. He¡¯d visit the museum when he was more certain about how the next few days would unfold.

    The hotel that Hunter would stay at was nothing impressive, but it wasn¡¯t too shabby either. Once the staff showed Hunter to his suite and brought up his belongings, he explored what the small suite offered. There was a small envelope on the table in the small living room that was detached from the bedroom. It was much smaller than where he was used to living, but it was also quite nicer. Clean, and with a magnificent view of some of the surrounding high-rises, as well as nearby parks.

    The stadium was a few blocks away. Signs for Oberon Enterprises and the Oberon family were everywhere; Hunter even saw local sports team logos, though he didn¡¯t care for them. He noticed them plastered on buildings and the stadium. He¡¯d always been too busy for sports.

    He would read the envelope on the coffee table in the morning after he¡¯d gotten some sleep. There was still a full day before the competition began, but he would need to register tomorrow. He hadn¡¯t decided when he¡¯d visit the museum, but he figured it would either be tomorrow, or in between the competitions rounds.

    If he made it that far.

    Even if he didn¡¯t, he could still visit it, anyway. No matter what, the competition would end for Hunter on a high note.

    Pondering the idea that he might not win felt like inviting in certain doom. But Hunter had never been one to hide from the facts. He¡¯d just prefer to entertain the best possible scenario whenever he could. It would all workout for him, somehow. He would prove that he had value. Even if he didn¡¯t win, he might establish himself as a valid candidate to hire. Someone would be interested in giving him a chance, even if it wasn¡¯t Oberon Enterprises. Smith Transports was the only other corporation he considered. This was because both it and Oberon appeared uninvolved in his father¡¯s company¡¯s remains.

    Council Seats were Council seats. He would rely on them only as long as it was practical. He refused to let himself become a ¡®company man¡¯. He wouldn¡¯t sell his soul over to those vast, unfeeling machines. They would never care about him any farther than he was useful to them.

    So their relationship would be based on mutual interest. He could stomach that.

    That night, Hunter slept better than he had all week. The threat of the Comics was gone. His future was still uncertain, but he¡¯s taken the path that gave him options, options that could support his great dreams if everything went well.

    He¡¯d consider that a win.

    <hr>

    Hunter, I trust the suite is to your liking. Having verified your identity, I find myself obligated to set your mind at ease.

    You are likely aware that there were a few significant parties interested in your family¡¯s estate. While word of your presence will likely get out, rest assured that as a Global Youth Artisan Competition contestant, you¡¯re under Oberon Enterprises¡¯ protection, just like all other contestants.

    I¡¯m also happy to inform you that we have approved your battery-centred workflow. There is a precedent for batteries to be used to assist in creating constructs when an individual has exhausted themselves from excessive etherium channeling. This is considered nothing but an extension of that allowance. Oberon Enterprises will happily loan you any necessary ether batteries for the competition. These batteries must only be used for designing and building your constructs. If they are used as components of constructs, in excess of any batteries that are supplied for that specific function, you will be disqualified from participating any further.

    Best of luck,

    Joyce Collingwood

    Talent Acquisition Specialist for Oberon Enterprises

    Seckina Centre Office

    P.S. Don¡¯t let the other contestants get to you. Stay focused on what you know, and I¡¯m certain that you¡¯ll excel. It¡¯s also worth reiterating that Oberon Enterprises¡¯ protection only extends to active contestants, not previous contestants. Disqualification or loss means you¡¯re no longer protected.

    Hunter had taken some time to wake up before reading the letter that Joyce had left for him. The suite came equipped with a coffee press and a fresh bottle of milk in the fridge. The small box television had access to a few channels, and Hunter had to play with the antenna before it would show a clear-enough image.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He turned the channel dial until he found the morning news. A terrorist attack in another domain, one in Oberon Enterprises Domain, far from the capital or Seckina, but still worrying. The news report included the Global Youth Artisan competition, but it seemed less significant to most of the city than to Hunter. Despite having earned the right to use the local stadium, the competition wasn¡¯t deemed popular enough for more than a brief article covering its history and some prominent international participants.

    For the first time, Hunter saw who he was going to be competing with. He recognized some faces from Seckina, a notable team who had apparently done very well in the previous competition but hadn¡¯t made it past the 4th place. Over 50 teams passed the preliminary examination. Three to four people comprised each team. Anything below that was considered an unnecessary handicap.

    Apparently, the 2nd place team from last year was also returning to try to claim a top spot. Either they didn¡¯t receive any magnificent offers last year, or they had their mind set on something better. Something like being sponsored to attend the Barnum Academy of Excellence. Hunter still did not know what was so special about the Academy, and he didn¡¯t really care. The academy was only a secondary consideration after receiving a commitment from Oberon Enterprises. He assumed that they¡¯ll only sponsor you if you commit, in writing, to joining them after graduating.

    Hunter would prefer to see what kind of cash equivalence they might hand out. It would be a win for each party. Someone who wants the sponsorship could receive it. This allows Hunter to live comfortably as he explores future options or builds a new client base, his Global Youth Artisan Competition win being a significant qualification. Maybe he¡¯ll create his own business, using synergies to gain a competitive advantage. He¡¯ll attract brilliant minds, fostering innovation and advancement.

    He preferred leaving the world to that option. Failing that, he would maximize his impact on Sanctuary.

    Yeah. Screw the corporations. He¡¯d make his own.

    He laughed at himself.

    As if he¡¯d want all that work. Having to deal with the sociopaths who run all the other successful corporations would be soul-killing.

    No thanks.

    After drinking his coffee, he read the letter and saw that there were two mores items inside the envelope, which contained a certificate which declared Hunter had passed the preliminaries, as well as a letter vouching for Hunter¡¯s identity.

    Hunter realized he didn¡¯t have an ID for his real identity. All he had was the fake ID that declared him as Jonathan Esper. He silently whispered his thanks to Joyce for being so conscientious. If he couldn¡¯t prove who he was, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to actually register. Feeling like he¡¯d just dodged a bullet he didn¡¯t even know was coming, he took a shower and left the hotel. As he could partially see the stadium from his hotel window, he knew which direction to go. There were surprisingly few people around at this time, and the Stadium felt especially deserted. He was reminded of the crowded rec centre where he took the preliminary exams. Inside, however, it was surprisingly quiet.

    Hunter entered the stadium. There were very few people present, some staff who smiled and at him as he entered. He couldn¡¯t find the registration area. Luckily, someone nearby pointed out a huge banner with a giant arrow pointing to it¡ªa banner Hunter had completely overlooked. -The arrow lead to another arrow, which lead to another, and Hunter found himself inside a large room filled with dozens of people. The other teams, it seemed. A rough count put the amount of people in the low 100¡¯s, which meant that just under half of the competing contestants were present. The rest would have already registered or would show up later in the day. Hunter also noticed that there were a few people in suits to the side of the room, observing proceedings and taking notes.

    Whatever their function was, Hunter couldn¡¯t tell.

    Hunter got a few curious looks when he entered, but mostly everyone seemed to be mind their own business. He could hear a few conversations, some in languages he didn¡¯t understand. These people must have travelled overnight, quite like himself. Or perhaps some had taken their preliminary tests earlier.

    Hunter studied the room. Most of the teams were staying to one side of the room, while another team was at the front, where he assumed they were being registered. What he saw next made him feel like a hundred pound stone had coalesced in his gut.

    Next to the registering team was a small affinity scanner, hooked up to a screen that was large enough for its contents to be legible across the room. Whatever logic caused them to think that the measured affinities would be anyone¡¯s business apart from the team and the person recording it, Hunter couldn¡¯t deduce it. Perhaps it had something to do with the suited individuals he¡¯d noticed earlier. Each member of the team took a turn at the small machine.

    ¡°Larissa Vanderbeldt, Affinity: 18.¡±

    The suits all took notes. A small bit of discussion broke out amongst the observing teams.

    ¡°Joy Medelken, Affinity: 20.¡±

    That final score impressed Hunter. 18 was a good score for someone their age, slightly higher than average. He guessed these youths were around the same age as he was, within the range of 16 to 19, so an affinity 20 would measure within the 90th percentile worldwide. The suits took notes with a few raised eyebrows. The teams made a few impressed sounds, and there were a few scoffs and sneers as well.

    ¡°Tony Demore, Affinity: 18.¡±

    ¡°Julia Emerosa, Affinity: 17.¡±

    All respectable scores. Hunter realized he had been bouncing his right leg. He kept his heel firmly planted against the ground, but then he realized his hands were shaking. The room felt hot. He was sweating.

    He would have to go in front of these people soon.

    The next team was called up.

    Their measurements ranged from 15 to 19. The team after that scored similarly, with one person having an affinity of 21. With a proud look on his face, the young man with such high affinity watched the audience after his score announcement. He graced the suits with a smile and a small bow.

    The young man¡¯s name was David Nettle. Hunter hadn¡¯t heard of him before. Not that he expected he should have. What was his deal? A high affinity would mean something if you were in a martial arts or strength competition. And that was only true if you trained regularly to take advantage of the increase in strength and endurance.

    But in an artisan competition, it made little a difference. At least, not beyond the obvious increase in the time and volume of etherium that you could use to test your construct. Without regular testing, something could go incredibly wrong. It was like debugging some software, except the result was mostly permanent if the artisan didn¡¯t have specialized tools and plenty of time.

    It wouldn¡¯t help with theory, nor would it help with creativity and problem solving. Joyce had said that those would be the focus for the last two rounds of the competition. The thought brought some comfort to Hunter, as he knew that whatever these people might think of him and his affinity, his value would be clear by the time the competition came to a close.

    Soon enough, it was his turn to register himself. When the registration staff called out if there were any remaining teams present that wished to register, Hunter stood. He gained a lot of attention. People had noticed him sitting alone as all the present teams had gone through the registration process. Those same people looked at him with surprise as he approached the registration table alone. He heard some laughter from the teams, and even the suits were whispering amongst themselves. Some snickered, others looked at him skeptically, but were prepared to write whatever information they were looking to glean from the event.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your team?¡± the man standing at the registration desk asked. Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡±

    The man shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, handing Hunter a sheet of paper he filled out. It only took him a minute, and he then handed over his proof of passing the preliminaries, as well as the letter from Joyce vouching for his identity. When the man saw the letter, he frowned and told Hunter he¡¯d be right back. He left and came back a minute later and looked at Hunter in a way that Hunter couldn¡¯t parse; something between confusion and curiosity, but whatever he was thinking, he was professional enough to keep to himself.

    ¡°The letter was enough to verify you. Step over to the device, please, Mr. Koar.¡±

    Hunter did so, gripping the drawstone. He felt the etherium flowing through him into the machine.

    He knew what the machine was doing. His father had once shown him the prototype of a version he¡¯d built for the Council, improving an even older design. This machine still had some hallmarks of his father¡¯s contributions to the craft, even after having gone through a few iterations over the years, growing smaller and more streamlined.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t had his affinity measured in over 6 years.

    The machine beeped. The man looked at the result and frowned. Hunter braced himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Koar. The machine appears to be broken. One second.¡±

    Hunter could have corrected the man, but he didn¡¯t. The machine was reset, and people started talking, wondering what was taking so long. Hunter knew as well as anyone that the technology was both accurate and reliable.

    The man finished resetting the machine, and Hunter gripped the Drawstone again.

    The machine beeped, and Hunter sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s accurate,¡± Hunter said, glancing at the screen., the result surprised him as much as it shamed him.

    Apparently, the rest of the room was just as surprised as he was.

 Chapter 7

    Jimmy almost spat out his coffee when he saw the tall young man approach the registration desk.

    Technically, Jimmy wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, this area was meant for media officials as well as various corporate interests to assemble and observe the team registrations. The whole affinity test was a show for the people standing and sitting around Jimmy. He was as incognito as he could manage to be. He¡¯d been losing a lot of weight recently, which he was quite proud of. He was taking notes along with everyone else. He looked the part, and played the part well enough to pass muster. The badge was totally fake, but he¡¯d had enough connections in the city to get him through. They knew that Jimmy had friends in high places, and that meant that they wanted Jimmy as a friend. People would be willing to stretch the rules a bit for him, and Jimmy wasn¡¯t above taking advantage of that.

    The reason why Jimmy had gone to such lengths to get himself here was simple: early intel meant he¡¯d know who to bet on ahead of time. Payouts for these competitions could be quite lucrative. He¡¯d been enjoying the show so far. Some of these kids were cocky, and that meant there would be drama, and drama usually meant more interest. More interest meant more bets, and more bets meant more money. Jimmy liked money, and he knew exactly where to be in order to gauge where the wind was blowing.

    It wasn¡¯t anything like a sure thing, and he was probably breaking a law or two by being there, but Jimmy didn¡¯t really care. He was still only retired part-time. When he wasn¡¯t doing an official job, he liked to explore. He liked to learn, and finding fun ways to lose or gain lots of money. So it was natural he¡¯d found his way here.

    He hadn¡¯t even noticed the kid walk in, which was rare for him. He was usually pretty observant, but he¡¯d chalk it down to not having seen the kid in years. But the way he hunched as he walked, the appearance of being malnourished, his skin practically stretching over what little muscle the boy had¡ª skin and bones, as they say. He almost wanted to believe it wasn¡¯t him, but then he¡¯d taken the affinity test, and they¡¯d called his name out for the world to hear.

    ¡°Hunter Koar, Affinity: 5¡±

    ¡°Well, screw me sideways,¡± Jimmy whispered, earning a few odd looks from his surrounding ¡®colleagues¡¯. He threw up his hands in apology, muttering a ¡®sorry¡¯.

    Did Trey know about this? He¡¯d gone to some length to eliminate the trail of Hunter Koar to the rest of the world.

    How¡¯d he get past the preliminaries without anyone being the wiser? Someone had to have known, right?

    His curiosity was burning, and he knew how to get the answers. He left the room and took out his mobile phone. He had Trey¡¯s number memorized, but rarely used it. Trey Oberon was an incredibly busy man. You didn¡¯t call Trey, Trey called you, and there was usually a very good reason as to why he did it. Council Seats don¡¯t have much time for meaningless small talk and catching up.

    But there were exceptions for interrupting a Council Seats¡¯ busy schedule.

    He finished dialing, and waited. Trey didn¡¯t pick up, so he called again. At this point, Trey would know it was Jimmy. No one else had the balls to call Trey twice in a row if he didn¡¯t pick up the first time.

    ¡°You¡¯re interrupting my family time,¡± Trey said, his tone tone leaving very little room to misunderstand just how he felt about the intrusion.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Jimmy. You¡¯re not gonna believe who I just saw¡­¡±

    <hr>

    As soon as he was registered, and confirmed where he needed to be tomorrow morning, Hunter left. But before he could, someone called his name.

    David Nettle was tall for his age, but not as tall as Hunter. But he had a solid, athletic build, long blonde hair that appeared to flair out slightly like wings, and blue eyes. His team followed behind him. Hunter debated if he should ignore them and leave, but he figured he¡¯d hear them out, not that he expected anything good to come of this.

    His instinct was confirmed immediately.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve taking a name like that,¡± David said. Hunter fought to keep his reactions under the surface.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Hunters responded, mostly out of reflex, and he cringed. He was keen to leave. Nothing good would come of this conversation. He¡¯d sketched its trajectory

    Insult his father.

    ¡°Gideon Koar may have been a psycho, but he was a competent psycho,¡± David said. Hunter frowned. Was that half of an insult? If this was a test, he might get a half mark.

    Next would come the fallacy.

    ¡°If you were his son, you wouldn¡¯t have such a low affinity. As soon as I saw you, I knew you were the charity case that had been registered this year. I don¡¯t even know how you have the guts to stand here, still. Not only that, but after what Gideon Koar did, you still have the gall to keep that name?¡±

    Hunter started balling his fists, but what would he do?

    Fight them? Even he could, he wouldn¡¯t want to. He couldn¡¯t afford to be disqualified. As soon as the thought appeared, he tilted his head. Maybe what they were saying wasn¡¯t personal. It stung like hell, but he¡¯s sure that¡¯s what they were counting on. They could eliminate some competition before the first round had already begun. Whether it was a team of one, or a team of 4, a team was a team. And besides what did they have to lose? A fake Hunter Koar, with an affinity of 5, from their point of view there was no way Hunter had a chance to make it very far in this competition.

    Of course, there¡¯s always the possibility that they were just a bunch of assholes, but these were supposed to be a group of pretty smart people. You didn¡¯t pass that preliminary test if you didn¡¯t have a brain to work with. A smart asshole would try and kill two birds with one stone. And Hunter kind of agreed with David, sort of. He didn¡¯t know why he was still standing here.

    One of David¡¯s teammates joined the assault.

    ¡°What, were your parents fanboying Gideon when they named you? Isn¡¯t that adorable?¡± He laughed like a hyena. David snorted, and the other two teammates either smiled or laughed as well.

    He wanted to take their words personally, but now that he¡¯d seen it, he couldn¡¯t unsee it. This was strategic. It barely made the words any less impactful, but the impact shifted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow,¡± Hunter said, relieved that he was able to keep his voice even. He did his best to square his shoulders and keep his chin up as he left them. He was used to slouching, keeping his posture erect was usually quite taxing for him after more than a few minutes. He wouldn¡¯t give them the satisfaction they were looking for, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see their reaction when he ended up winning this damned competition.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°My, my,¡± someone drawled from behind as soon as Hunter had left the room. The voice belonged to an older man. Hunter wasn¡¯t interested in another round of drama, so he kept walking.

    ¡°You know,¡± the man said, keeping pace behind Hunter, ¡°when I dropped you off in Seckina, I was pretty damn sure I wouldn¡¯t have any business associated with the Koar''s for the rest of my life.¡±

    Hunter stopped walking, and turned to get a look at the man that was following him.

    ¡°Jimmy?¡± Hunter asked. He¡¯d never forgotten the man¡¯s name. He remembered standing in front of the law enforcement branch, with the mildly obese man in a suit telling him he¡¯d take him away from the hell he¡¯d been thrown into. But after a while, he realized that all of life was hell. Some people just suffered to a different degree than others.

    The man took off his hat, but then rubbed his hand over his bald head and frowned.

    Hunter almost didn¡¯t recognize him, not at first.

    ¡°Well, I suppose it would be hard to recognize me. I¡¯m not aiming to make much of an impact while I''m here. But yeah, its me, kid. Surprise!¡± Jimmy said, flaring his hands.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Hunter asked, lowing his voice.

    Jimmy barked out a laugh as he approached, patting Hunters shoulder.

    ¡°Wow, look at you,¡± Jimmy said, looking up at Hunter, ¡°you¡¯re practically a giant. Gideon was never this tall.¡±

    His levity dropped a bit, then.

    ¡°As to why I''m here, let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve got some personal business I''m attending to. My question is, why in the world are you here?¡±

    Hunter was about to answer, but Jimmy waved his hand.

    ¡°Hold that thought. Any conversation worth having, is worth having over a nice breakfast. Come, there¡¯s a great restaurant just down the block. They¡¯ve usually got a corner booth available that¡¯s perfect for this sort of thing.¡±

    Hunter shrugged and followed. So far, today had been a rollercoaster. Jimmy was the last person he was ever expecting to see.

    He said as much once they¡¯d reached the restaurant and sat in a private corner booth.

    ¡°Feeling¡¯s mutual, kid. So, spill the beans. What made you decide to sabotage all the hard work my boss put in to hiding your presence?¡± Jimmy asked, his smile seemed to harden, not quite reaching his eyes.

    Hunter¡¯s jaw clenched. It was going to be another hard conversation, then.

    Jimmy laughed again, leaning over to pat Hunter shoulder, a bit harder than he had earlier.

    ¡°Come on, relax, kid. I¡¯m kidding. The fake ID we gave you was all me, took 20 minutes to call up my guy and it was all done by the end of the day. The house was out of the boss¡¯s own pocket, though, not that he minded. He¡¯s got deep pockets.¡±

    ¡°Who is your boss?¡± Hunter asked. It was one of the most pressing questions on his mind. He¡¯d wondered for years.

    Jimmy chewed his steak, considering Hunters question.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an open secret at this point. And I called the boss after I realized you were here,¡± he said, cutting into his steak again, ¡°The head honcho himself. The big cheese.¡±

    Hunter felt simultaneously weary and thrilled. It confirmed his theory, only he''d never gone so far as to imagine that the Council Seat himself had intervened.

    ¡°You mean--¡± Hunter said, but Jimmy held up a finger to his lips.

    ¡°It might be an open secret, but its still somewhat of a secret. Keep your voice down. Yes," his voice dropped down a raspy whisper, ¡°Trey Oberon is my boss, at least when I''m not retired.¡±

    Hunter waited for Jimmy to elaborate.

    ¡°Its a long story,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°and you didn¡¯t answer my question. What are you doing here, kid?¡±

    Hunter considered how to answer. He didn¡¯t trust Jimmy, but he had no reason to think that he had any ill will towards him.

    ¡°This was my best option. I accidentally revealed my real name during the preliminary test, and it turned out to be the only reason that I was able to pass.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why you were there in the first place,¡± Jimmy said.

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°There was this gang, the 32nd Street Comics. They gave me the choice to join them. Today would be the day I was supposed to give them my answer. I suppose that¡¯s exactly what I did.¡±

    Jimmy leaned back in his seat, nodding his head. His smile was gone, but his eyes were filled with sympathy.

    ¡°I had no idea it was that kind of neighborhood. Sorry, Hunter.¡±

    Hunter could hear the guilt in Jimmy¡¯s voice. Hunter didn¡¯t blame Jimmy for the choice of neighborhood, though.

    ¡°As far as I''m aware, the Comics didn¡¯t pop up a couple of years after you dropped me off. You couldn¡¯t have known, neither could your boss. Apparently, it had been a pretty nice neighborhood before they showed up.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t taken long for all the park monuments to be covered in graffiti. They¡¯d also managed to aggravate other gangs. You could hear gunshots, some nights. They would be the only thing that broke Hunter¡¯s focus while he was working. Its why he liked to spend most of his days inside. He only ever started to leave the house more in the brief period that the Comics felt that his little cul-de-sac was worth their direct presence. They¡¯d moved into a couple of the houses nearby, and the parties they threw could last all night, well into the next day. Hunter was always good at minding his own business. But neighbors would talk, of threats to children, to pets, if word was to get out that anyone notified the cops about the Comics activity. Hunter didn¡¯t have anyone else around that the Comics could threaten. That had only made the risk feel more personal to him.

    Every day since then it felt like the walls were closing in. Even after Joyce passed him through the preliminary test, the pressure continued to build, but at least the Comics were no longer his problem to deal with. A silence stretched between them for a minute. Jimmy was either deep in thought, or really enjoying his steak.

    He didn¡¯t know how busy Jimmy was today, so he figured he should get as much information as he can.

    ¡°You said that the Council Seat was on his way? Did you tell him I was here?¡± Hunter asked, nervous about having to meet the man.

    ¡°On his way to the competition,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°not the restaurant.¡±

    Hunter felt some relief.

    ¡°Oh, he does want to meet with you though. See, I didn¡¯t know about the gang when I told him I saw you at registration table. So he¡¯s probably about as curious as I was, if not more, about why you would be showing up to the Global Youth Artisan Competition. He would figure, quite like I did, that you would have a very good reason to feel confident enough to join under your real name.¡±

    Hunter felt a slight sense of apprehension settle over him.

    Of course.

    He was Gideon Koar¡¯s son. The infamous, visionary Gideon Koar. Etherium luminary, and genius artisan.

    The man who the Council had envied enough to destroy, and that man¡¯s living legacy had just announced himself to the world.

    Maybe, if he was Trey Oberon, he¡¯d be a curious as to why such a youth would have the balls to show himself, after having airlifted him about of a pool full of ravenous sharks.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Hunter whispered.

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not like you couldn¡¯t have known. You might not have inherited your fathers affinity, but from what I understand, you inherited some of his brains.¡±

    Hunter nodded. Of course he¡¯d known, but he hadn¡¯t really understood. Up until now it had seemed abstract. The threat of the Comics far outweighed the threat of the Council Seats, and now that the gang wasn¡¯t a threat, a more powerful gang could be learning about his presence here at any minute.

    Hunter felt a headache forming.

    Joyce said that he was safe. As long as he was in this competition, Oberon would be invested in his potential. Maybe, there was another opportunity forming here. If it wasn¡¯t a panel of indifferent judges, but Trey Oberon himself that he needed to impress, maybe the nature of this competition could have just shifted.

    Jimmy observed Hunter as he thought, electing to stay silent.

    ¡°How many people know that Trey¡¯s on his way to the competition?¡±

    Jimmy smiled.

    ¡°I think I know where you¡¯re going with this, and the answer is not many. He usually has a flair for drama¡ª don¡¯t tell him I told you that,¡± Jimmy said, pointing a finger directly Hunter. Hunter smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Anyways, he¡¯ll have them announce his presence at the final round. That¡¯s my bet, anyways,¡± Jimmy said.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just guessing?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jimmy shrugged, ¡°but it¡¯s an educated guess. Council Seats are like cats, they live their busy lives by their own rules. Plans lain years in advance can change on a dime, so you never know.¡±

    Hunter considered that.

    Whether Trey Oberon announced himself or not, if Hunter could prove himself to be a valuable asset, he might be able to grab some benefits from Oberon Enterprises without having to win.

    Not that he was going to aim for anything less than the top spot.

    David Nettle¡¯s annoyingly symmetrical face flashed through his mind. He imagined the look of confusion and fury when his team was eliminated, and Hunter went on to win the whole damn thing.

    ¡°If I''m thinking what you¡¯re thinking, I''ve got to say that the boss isn¡¯t an easy man to impress,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°At this point he¡¯s seen it all, really. You¡¯re gonna have to pull out the stops in order to gain his attention beyond¡ª well, quite frankly, beyond the mild annoyance you¡¯ve just made for him.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Given the fact that you¡¯re not breaking out in a sweat, I''m assuming that you¡¯ve actually got some stops to pull?¡± Jimmy asked.

    Hunter was about to answer out of reflex, but he caught himself.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± Hunter said. Jimmy seemed like a decent person, but he was still employed by a Council Seat.

    Hunter revised his gameplan.

 Chapter 8

    He¡¯d already resolved to pull out his synergies to win this competition, just enough to impress the judges. But if he wanted to impress Trey Oberon, maybe he¡¯d have to show that he had even more up cards up his sleeve.

    He wasn¡¯t too worried about introducing new synergies to the market. He was certain the Oberon artisans would analyze and copy anything he submitted. But it would take some time before they proliferated through the market. And he was willing to bet that he¡¯d only need to use a fraction of what he¡¯d been discovering over the last few years to get through the competition. The promise of more would be enough to earn Trey¡¯s interest.

    He felt a lot more confident about his odds of success now that the conditions of success had just expanded.

    He might even gain a contract with Oberon Enterprises that was in his favour. A full lab, as many assistants as he wanted, an endless supply of batteries, and full creative freedom seemed less far-fetched than it had just a few hours ago.

    All that, and a direct line to high-level Oberon staff, who he would have to ingratiate himself to, but it would be worth it if he could walk across unexplored worlds.

    ¡°You¡¯re funny, kid. I like you,¡± Jimmy said, toasting the wine he ordered with his steak.

    It¡¯s 9am, Hunter thought, who drinks wine at 9am?

    They parted ways soon after, but before they did, Jimmy had one more word of warning for him. He affirmed Hunter would be safe while competing, but Trey was no longer invested in Hunter¡¯s future. All that meant to Hunter was that he would have to convince Trey that he¡¯d be worth an investment. His low affinity and awful preliminary test score wouldn¡¯t work well in his favour. Winning a round or two wouldn¡¯t do much to impress him, either.

    Jimmy would do what he could, but once word got out that Hunter was competing, the rest of the council would find out. They would hear that Gideon Koar¡¯s son was attending, which could reignite old ambitions. The Council might view demonstrations of synergy as a part of a hidden legacy they hadn¡¯t been able to get their hands on.

    It wasn¡¯t, but would the Council know that? Of course not.

    Hunter made his way back to his suite, thinking about what might have changed for him after his conversation with Jimmy. He wanted to plan further, but there was too much he didn¡¯t know. He figured he could pass the first round using none of his refined glyphs, but he would stretch the use of syntax a bit in order to gain a minor advantage.

    How much he revealed in the next two rounds would depend on what he was up against, and he couldn¡¯t see any way around having to use his synergies. If he was going to compete against teams of 3 or 4 people, all of whom had affinity ratings that were almost 4 times higher than his, the brainpower and speed with which they could work with was something that he wouldn¡¯t be able to compete against.

    Synergies were the only way. His prized possessions would have a time to shine, but it wasn¡¯t the way he¡¯d envisioned it. He thanked himself for his foresight, which led him to bring his third arm. It wasn¡¯t much, but it would be the deciding factor in finishing some key components in the competition to come.

    Before the competition, he considered improving the arm; however, brainstorming, designing, and crafting it would take too long. He was content with it, though. He¡¯d made it just about two years ago and had grown accustomed to it the way it was. But it was a project he was interested in pursuing at a later date, after he¡¯d won this competition.

    He wondered if he could create something for people who didn¡¯t have his handicap. What would the arm be like if it assisted a normal artisan? He imagined he could add glyphs to help with heavier workloads, as well as hire someone to design some electrical systems that could help carve out popular glyphs and channel patterns. He could also have a custom arm for himself, coded to assist with his synergies.

    Personal computers had been around for a few years, and Hunter had always wanted to grab one for himself. He¡¯d browsed for one once, and one of the most expensive ones he¡¯d seen was over 6000 credits. But the things he could do with 10 megabytes of hard disk memory, 60 kilobytes of ram, and a 16-bit processor were staggering. The amount of complex calculations that computer could do was mind-blowing to consider.

    He could even code his synergy tables into it, making planning and designing much faster. Although he¡¯d heard of advancements in computation technology, improving specs without a larger computer was unimaginable to him. He just didn¡¯t know enough about the field to understand what kind of tech wizardry was going on in those R&D departments involved in making these masterpieces of the modern age. There were rumours of tablet computers being released to corporate fleets. He¡¯d heard that they were small enough to fit into a backpack. They were more advanced than the laptop computers were.

    Hunter decided that it was prudent to be content with what he had for now. His third arm was a wooden contraption that he could attach to a bench and hold his tools, or the construct, in place. Freehand soldering caused his hand to tremble, which could be detrimental to the final product. When he was redesigning or upgrading a construct, the ability to use his hands to move the construct while the arm held the drawstone-solder was a lifesaver. This allowed his final work to rival or even surpass the precision of other artisans.

    This would also allow the battery to be positioned out of the way, keeping the attached wires vertical, providing more freedom of movement, and he¡¯d be able to work with trickier angles than he could without the arms. Joyce had said that they wouldn¡¯t just judge the creativity and output of a construct, the ¡®expert touch¡¯ she mentioned would imply that they would look for clean work, which meant the third arm was an absolute necessity.

    He was going to catch some attention, bringing it in with him, but that was always going to be the case. Word would have gotten around by now about David Nettle and his team¡¯s conversation. Whether they realized he was truly Gideon Koar¡¯s son would be irrelevant. Anyone with the name Koar would draw attention to themselves in a competition like this.

    He thought back to his affinity result. How incredibly bittersweet. His affinity had finally risen, and it had only taken over a decade to make him slightly more suited to artisanry than the average toddler.

    Five.

    Pathetic, yet encouraging.

    It was one of those symbols his father was always so fond of. Most would see it as a curse, and Hunter would agree.

    But today, ¡®five¡¯ didn¡¯t just mean weakness, it meant growth.

    It meant having more of a chance than he thought he had the day before.

    So he would carry in his wooden arm, his batteries, and his custom tools, with his head held as high as he could for as long as he could.

    <hr>

    Hunter had heard the phrase famous last words before, but he¡¯d always considered himself beyond it.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Carrying the arm, the batteries, and the custom tools had been challenging. Keeping his head held high was proving to be impossible. He had to stop every 30 or 40 yards to take a break. By the time he had made it to the stadium, he was sweating. He¡¯d asked for help once he made it to the stadium, since at that point he¡¯d realized that his goal of projecting confidence was going to have to wait. He¡¯d have to ask if he could leave his stuff at the stadium overnight. Who he¡¯d ask, he did not know. He¡¯d figure it out.

    If not, then he would only have to worry about carrying this stuff around for today and tomorrow. It was a slight comfort.

    The stadium was much more active than it had been the day before. Not as packed as it would have been if there were a sporting event going on, but the amount of people was still intimidating to him. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d seen more than a couple of hundred people in the same place all at once. It wondered how that might affect how he performed. Was there such a thing as performance anxiety when creating constructs?

    He¡¯d never been in front of a large crowd, save the gathered teams he¡¯d had to endure being humiliated in front of the day before. There had also been his last day he¡¯d attended school, which had mirrored the previous day, only without all of his closest ¡®friends¡¯ looking at him like he had just grown three more eyes and sprouted gills. The sense of rejection, of betrayal, and utter loneliness was something that Hunter had never encountered before.

    It was easy to ignore at this point, and he barely noticed it after he¡¯d left the registration room. Jimmy had proven a sufficient distraction. Hunter felt better that Jimmy was around, watching the competition. The assurance that Trey Oberon would watch how the competition unfolded had done a lot of soothe Hunter¡¯s anxieties about how this would all turn out. His fate felt less uncertain, even if the specific direction it would take after the competition was still to be decided, so Hunter was going to go all out. His future was worth the effort.

    Whatever Oberon or the rest of the world gained from the work he revealed today, they were welcome to it. It would be the cost he¡¯d pay to secure his dreams. And there would always be more synergies, Hunter imagined. He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but he sensed he was just starting scratching the surface of what etherium offered.

    As he was escorted to the assembly point for all the contestants, his excitement kept his mood high. He had imagined a turf-covered stadium, but they¡¯d removed it for the day, carpeting the concrete instead. Only half the arena was visible, so he couldn¡¯t tell if the entire floor was carpeted.

    They led Hunter to his own workbench. He ignored the looks all the other teams were giving him.

    The middle position in the bunch made him more visible to the other teams, but less visible to the elevated crowd. The gathered spectators only seemed to take up a quarter of the seats, the closest of which were situated just above the entrance where Hunter had emerged from.

    Hunter took the time to set up his arm, and a messenger came to his workbench with a bag full of charged etherium batteries. Hunter sighed in relief. He¡¯d wondered if they¡¯d remembered. He¡¯d thought about asking someone along the way, but he figured that the few that he¡¯d brought himself would be more than enough for the first round. A test of the fundamentals wouldn¡¯t be too ether-demanding, at least while he assembled the construct. As long as the construct demanded nothing over an affinity of 10, he was absolute confidence in advancing without making waves. Anymore than 10 and he¡¯d have to take risks.

    The organizers soon assembled all the teams. Hunter was still drawing gazes. David Nettle¡¯s team was sneering and laughing as they¡¯d passed each other, and another team near them had studied the object of their ridicule. Hunter could hear David informing them about his name and affinity. Hunter had caught a few looks from them, which varied from curiosity to mild disdain. Not that it mattered. If other teams recognized him from the affinity test, they ignored him or gave him the same looks he¡¯d seen from David¡¯s group¡ªlooks that intensified after the event staff had delivered the batteries and he¡¯d attached the arm to his workbench.

    ¡°Hey, are you even allowed to use that?¡± Someone from the team nearest him asked. Hunter ignored them.

    There wasn¡¯t much else he needed to do in order to set up. The announcement of the round¡¯s criteria would determine his next steps. They would hand out relevant materials just prior. All he had to do was wait.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me. Do they know that you¡¯re using unapproved tools for the competition?¡±

    Hunter shook his head. He was getting annoyed.

    ¡°They¡¯re approved,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see,¡± the guys said, flagging a nearby attendant and pointing to Hunter, ¡°Hey, I think he¡¯s using unapproved tools.¡±

    She approached Hunter¡¯s workbench, and Hunter explained the situation. She checked the list in her hand, referencing his workbench number and nodding again.

    ¡°It¡¯s all been approved,¡± she said to the other team. Hunter didn¡¯t bother watching their reactions.

    He silently thanked Joyce and the competitions organizers for letting their staff know about his situation. He imagined it would be a painful process explaining himself to everyone who raised a complaint.

    A voice cut through the soft sea of voices as the teams were discussing amongst themselves.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 10th annual Global Youth Artisan Competition, held in our great capital. We at Oberon Enterprise have fostered a deep passion for etherium. We¡¯ve long prided ourselves on the advancements we have contributed to the field. Today, we celebrate the spirit of all the young men and women who showcase that same passion to you now as they all compete for the coveted grand prize: a full team sponsorship to the Barnum Academy of Excellence, and 100 000 credits ¡ª a small investment towards a bright future for the victors who emerge today,¡± the announcer said.

    Her voice was rich and upbeat. He would have sworn it was pre-recorded if she wasn¡¯t standing up on a small stage just ahead of the assembled teams.

    She addressed the crowd, rather than the teams, but she held everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°As you all know, the competition will comprise three rounds. The initial round will challenge teams to build an ether-battery from scratch, testing their fundamental knowledge. They will determine the design specifics, which must accommodate a construct needing an affinity between 15 and 20. We will stress test the battery to determine its maximum capacity and output, so make sure it¡¯s built to last!¡±

    Hunter groaned, but after some rapid thinking, he realized it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. In comparison to what he had anticipated, ether batteries were rather basic. And considering that it was just a battery, and not an entire construct, he¡¯d have a bit more freedom in how he approached the project.

    A construct with an affinity requirement of 15 and a battery that could output an affinity equivalent of 15 were two different things. It wouldn¡¯t be his first time designing a battery. Some batteries he owned were ones he¡¯d upgraded with a few new features, but this time he¡¯d be able to create one from scratch, which would mean it would work even better than the ones he¡¯d modified, a couple of which were here with him today.

    ¡°The attendants will now hand out your materials. You will have a maximum of 3 hours to design and assemble your batteries. Contestants, your current workbenches are the Oberon Standard Workbench which we use in our own facilities. It comes equipped with all the tools you will need to machine the parts of your batteries. You can pull out the handles on the left and right side of the bench.¡±

    Hunter pulled out the drawers, surprised by how heavy they were for him. Most people wouldn¡¯t have much trouble, but Hunter had to grunt a bit to get them open. He whistled when he saw their contents. A miniature lathe, a small hydraulic press, and a few precision machining tools for cutting and sanding materials were all provided on either side of the bench. Fortunately, Hunter had attached his arm to the backside of the workbench¡¯s desk, so he didn¡¯t have to move it to accommodate the machinery.

    He did wonder how they¡¯d moved these benches in here. They must have had them driven in and placed with a bunch of ether-assisted tech. He knew that the Council¡¯s security forces had power suits that could help the user lift heavy objects. He wondered if they had industrial versions of those, or maybe an ether-assisted forklift.

    Hunter had still wanted to get his hands on one of those. He¡¯d yet to study the Lift glyph in depth, although he¡¯d discovered his own variations of the Force and Reinforce glyphs during his research. Synergizing those glyphs with an improved network might not be as efficient as it would be to replace both of them with a single new glyph, however, and he wondered how the Lift glyph affected the rest of the network¡¯s syntax.

    A problem for another day, he mused, getting his tools ready and doing a last inspection of the machines attached to his desk. He would need to get his hands on one of these. Another item for his list, right after the personal computer. The teams discussed their plan for 20 minutes while a small army of attendants distributed all the materials.

    Hunter examined what he received. He didn¡¯t make any additional requests. He had enough base materials for his plans.

    ¡°Teams,¡± the announcer spoke once all the teams had received their share, ¡°the first round of the competition starts now. Good luck!¡±

    Hunter closed his eyes, took a deep breath, reviewed his plan.

    He smiled.

    He excelled at this. Screw knowledge tests. This was his home. He had little experience with these machining tools, but he knew how to operate them. They were all electronic, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of getting exhausted from having to power them himself.

    Opening his eyes, he exhaled and got to work.

 Chapter 9

    They¡¯d hung an enormous electronic clock behind the stage, counting down from 3 hours. He didn¡¯t spend more than a few seconds getting himself prepared for what he needed to do. The next few hours were going to be a grind.

    He took stock of the materials given. Thin iron plates will form the chassis. A hollow bronze brick provides the channels. Wood and plastic are for the contestants to use as they see fit.

    Ether batteries were simple. A trained hand could assemble one in 10 minutes flat ¡ª given they had all the parts made and ready in front of them. Batteries could come in many shapes and sizes, but Hunter wasn¡¯t planning on being fancy. A simple brick-shaped construct would do the trick. He¡¯d lose some style points, but hoped improved battery function and a clean network schematic would impress the judge enough to advance him.

    A basic battery performed the function of keeping the etherium flowing in a loop until it found a ground. With a battery, the ground was always an activated drawstone. For Hunter, only a split-second activation of the drawstone was required while the battery remains attached and activated. It was why a human element was necessary to use a construct. Etherium would only flow into, or through, a drawstone that a human was touching. Researchers long ago found that the ether continued to flow through a construct from the battery even after they released the activating drawstone.

    Once ether flowed, it wouldn¡¯t stop until it ran out or someone cut off its source. That was why there were different affinity ratings for different constructs. If your affinity was too low, you would have too much etherium drawn from you at once. No one had proven it, but many assumed the body had channels for ether to flow though, directly affecting the body.

    A body that wasn¡¯t acclimated to ether, and unable to bear a sudden increase in the amount of etherium flowing through it, could be strained to unhealthy degrees. Overuse of ether often caused profound exhaustion, as if the body had been under immense pressure, sapping all strength.

    Hunter was always careful when he was working longer hours. Too much etherium exposure would render him unconscious, unable to move very much for a few days. It took time to train the body enough to support more etherium. This was how AR would rise ¡ª the more you channel etherium through the body, the more etherium the body can handle.

    But Hunter was a rare specimen. To ask Hunter to design and create a construct with an affinity requirement of 15 might seem unfair¡ªbut Hunter knew how to overcome his limitations. He¡¯d been doing it for years.

    He knew beyond any doubt that he could meet the minimum specifications of this round. His planned modifications to the battery¡¯s basic design included multiple output options to not only measure, but change the AR equivalence. He hoped that would be enough to define him as a solid contender for the rest of the competition, so long as the final two rounds provided reasonable challenges.

    Hunter knew it would get Trey Oberon¡¯s attention. But would it impress him?

    If he wanted to impress him, he would need to go the extra mile, but he had a way of doing that without introducing synergies.

    The extraneous design elements force him to create a smaller, more efficient battery. A swirling design of etched channels and Link glyphs took most of the internal space of a battery up. These batteries¡¯ basic design remained unchanged for decades; only the number of etched channels improved. Machines were now designed to create very fine channels, etched close together. The elusive nature of etherium meant that a precise means of measuring etheric volume had yet to be discovered. A drawstone, though, could contain far more etherium than many ground drawstone threads, even though the underlying principle remained consistent. Despite appearances, even simple batteries could hold a significant etheric charge.

    The biggest challenge was outputting the stored etherium. In order to stop it all from releasing at once, artisans had to design a way to restrict the flow of etherium. Someone had discovered that another partial glyph, like the Link glyph his father had discovered and popularized, appeared to slow the flow of ether. It was called Channel Resistance, which was usually shortened to Res. The more Res glyphs you networked into your construct, the slower the etherium would flow, but only until it met another glyph.

    There was also a hard limit on the amount of Res glyphs that you could use, and the way the glyph performed was unreliable. It would work with some constructs, but not others. No one understood the mechanism well. Hunter, however, had his own idea about it, one that his synergy theory seemed to explain.

    People hypothesized about synergies, or so Hunter thought. However, lacking his sensitivity to etherium, they worked blindly, unable to confirm or deny their theories.

    Sometimes he wondered why he, of all people, felt what he felt. But he¡¯d yet to find any proof to back up the idea that he¡¯d inherited a mutation. The only person he¡¯d be able to ask was his dad, so he was out of luck. He also wondered if whatever was behind his sensitivity was behind his affinity handicap.

    There was no way of finding out, at least not yet. One day he¡¯d understand it, and maybe even fix his handicap.

    As Hunter thought, his hands had been busy. He didn¡¯t know how long the judges would test the battery, so decided to err on the side of safety and plan for indefinite use. That meant it would need to hold a charge for as long as possible. Which meant more channels.

    This would be the most tedious part of the build.

    He sketched a plan using a secret technique. Instead of spirals connecting to glyphs, he used a crosshatch pattern on the copper brick. He¡¯d made one out of wood before, but it was a much simpler project. Channels carved in wood could become uneven because of the woods¡¯ grain, and this project demanded nothing short of perfection.

    The material wasn¡¯t as important as the channels. Having a copper brick was both a challenge and a boon. The difficulty of correcting mistakes and the longer etching time were drawbacks, but the benefits included a more robust, durable product and the recyclability of the material.

    He connected his crosshatched channels to a few Link glyphs, preparing material to hold the Res glyphs for later installation.

    He planned to attach the Res glyphs to a series of pull-release latches. He had a quick, familiar design in mind, but it wasn¡¯t very durable. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t fiddle with the switches excessively; otherwise, his extra effort would be wasted if some glyphs misaligned.

    Aligning the crosshatch output with the final link glyph was the most time-consuming step. He had to check numerous intersections to ensure proper etherium conduction. The crosshatch would allow for the etherium to flow a lot more freely, and it would distribute itself much more efficiently than it would in a normal battery. Etherium was kind of like water, in that way. It would fill whatever container it was poured into.

    Using this crosshatch would bypass the need for extraneous materials. Most people thought that more spiral channels you made, the longer the etheric charge would last ¡ª but Hunter discovered you didn¡¯t need to cycle the etherium at all. At least, not directly. It would create its own cycle if you gave it an environment with enough free movement. The few link glyphs he¡¯d placed strategically would act like whirlpools, which would pull etherium in and then spit it back out without altering its charge.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    He had to add at least four glyphs to ensure that all the etherium stored in the crosshatch channels would move. Etherium that wasn¡¯t in motion through a channel would dissipate. No one knew why, and Hunter didn¡¯t know either. Whether it was a natural property of etherium, or a consequence of using drawstones as a medium of conducting etherium, was unknown.

    A few quick tests assured him that his design worked. The crosshatch channels and the glyphs didn¡¯t take too long to carve. He cut thin rods from the wood. These would act as guides, attached to the longest sides of his 10x5 inch chassis. So that it would be easier to line up the copper brick and the etched channels with the Res glyphs he was etching into the latches. The switches he would soon install on the side of the chassis would allow the battery¡¯s user to toggle through the different output settings.

    Hunter paused and slapped himself on the side of the head. He can¡¯t believe he¡¯d been so shortsighted.

    Why go through the trouble of setting up a series of binary switches when a sliding switch could do the job more easily? Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t too far into the design. He could use the latches he¡¯d just created, but now he would just have to line them along the inner wall of the chassis. He had already installed material guides in the chassis. He could carve along these to channel the etherium to the Res Glyphs and then to the output nodes.

    He took off one wall of the batteries¡¯ case, made the changes he imagined, and lined up the latches. A series of plastic strips of various lengths dragged the latches into place as the slider moved; he had attached the latches to these strips. Using a latch-like design made it a bit more difficult for the pieces to move once they were in place, which made the construct feel much more professional. It would take a small bit of effort to move the slider back, but it wouldn¡¯t damage the latches too much. As long as they weren¡¯t constantly spamming the slider side to side, it should stand up to whatever they throw at it during the assessment period.

    He assembled the latches vertically. Once one was in place, the slider would pull the next latch into place. This way, the user would always be in precise control of the batterie¡¯s internal resistance.

    He looked up at the clock. One hour remaining.

    The battery was done, the sliding switch was done, all he had to do now was test his work. He thanked himself once again for bringing the third arm and changed out the battery that he¡¯d been using. He attached the new battery at various points along the network, then he tested the latches.

    It worked. He machined and installed the battery¡¯s input and output sockets along the case, then tested the battery one more time from both ends. It still worked.

    He glanced back at the clock. 10 more minutes.

    He assembled it all together as carefully as he could. His hands were shaking, and he felt like he could sleep for a few good hours. Constantly activating the batteries drained him, but at this point it was nothing he wasn¡¯t used to.

    He dreaded what the next day would bring. There would be two rounds tomorrow, and he hoped he had enough stamina to get through them both.

    He was proud of his final product. If he had more time and AR, he¡¯d have loved to use a cylinder ¡ª the shape that Oberon typically used for its last few generations of ether batteries. But designing around a cylinder would have been incredibly tedious and time consuming. The crosshatch would have worked, but carving it on a rounded surface differed from a flat surface like the small copper brick. It would have been a lot more difficult to design a switch for it as well. Not impossible, but he would want a lot more time to plan and create that sort of thing.

    It would have looked better, though. Apparently, that¡¯s worth points. As the clock counted down the final few minutes, he saw that most of the other teams were done. The team nearest him, the one that had tried to get him disqualified, had created a sphere.

    Which seemed silly, but he would not judge. They had people here who would do that for him.

    Hunter was proud of his work. It was a simple, if challenging round. He only hoped that it would be enough to impress the judges.

    He studied the attitudes of the surrounding teams. Most seemed happy with how things turned out. Despite having more manpower than him, they¡¯d all taken about the same time that he had.

    He was surprised by the crowd¡¯s unchanging size. They were probably family and friends, following these teams to Oberon¡¯s domain from all around the world.

    The clock struck zero, and a buzzer sounded.

    ¡°Contestants, your time is up. An attendant will soon arrive to collect your battery. If there is anything that you want the judges to know about your submission, you can tell the attendant and they¡¯ll write it down. We will announce the results at 4 p.m., and will also post them near the stadium entrance if you miss the in-person announcement. For those of you not selected to advance, Oberon Enterprises thanks you for participating in this year¡¯s Global Youth Artisan Competition! All disqualified participants may remain for the rest of the competition to cheer on all the remaining teams. I congratulate those selected for round two and look forward to seeing you here tomorrow!¡±

    The battery he¡¯d made suddenly seemed so small, for all the weight of his destiny he was placing upon it.

    As the attendants filtered through the stadium, Hunter took the chance to peak at more of his opponents¡¯ batteries. Some seemed similar to his, encased in either a cubic or rectangular chassis. Others appeared utterly open and exposed ¡ª a bold choice, but Hunter would bet that it was incompetence, rather than confidence. However, the professional etiquette training of all attendants was apparently evident; none showed disapproval.

    Other teams showed no such restraint. The derision Hunter was enjoying earlier was now directed elsewhere, in all directions.

    An attendant showed up to take Hunter¡¯s entry, and he briefed her on his design choices. She nodded, exposing not a shred of an opinion about his entry. A couple of teams noticed his battery and pointed at it, discussing amongst themselves. Hunter didn¡¯t think too much of it. They were doing it with every entry that passed by.

    Hunter was confident that there would be very few teams who had a similar product to his, functionally speaking. The crosshatch was his own invention, a blend of his father¡¯s past experiments and his own years of research.

    The spiral channels in a typical battery created a situation where the ether could only flow in one direction once it met the Res glyph. The sudden bottleneck would always lead to some dissipation. A crosshatch allowed the ether to find new avenues to flow through when it encountered the Res glyphs. Less dissipation, more efficient design, better product.

    His stomach growled. On his way back to the hotel, he would need to buy some food. From his initial 95 credits, he still had about 80 left.

    He left the stadium with the other teams. As he exited the stadium lobby and breathed in the fresh capital air, a young man he recognized from the competition stopped him.

    ¡°Hunter, right?¡±

    Hunter considered ignoring them. His body screamed for rest; sleep was the only thing he craved. He needed a coffee, or a nap. But the young man¡¯s posture didn¡¯t seem confrontational. Hunter crossed his fingers, hoping that this conversation wouldn¡¯t take long.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Hunter said.

    The young man scratched the back of his head and grinned.

    ¡°Sorry about how other teams were treating you, but we come in peace, promise,¡± he said. Hunter felt tense. He took a deep breath and relaxed.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. It¡¯s been a long day already,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Me and the guys were about to grab something to eat. You want to come join us?¡± the young man asked.

    ¡°Sure, I was gonna grab some coffee anyway,¡± Hunter said after considering it for a second. He needed more information about the competition and thought that these people might help him with that. Besides, if these they ended up proving difficult to get along with, he could just leave.

    ¡°Great!¡± the young man said, holding out his hand for Hunter to shake. ¡°I¡¯m Jeremy.¡±

    ¡°Hunter. Koar,¡± Hunter said, shaking the offered hand.

    ¡°Yeah, we heard,¡± someone else, Hunter presumed, it was one of Jeremy¡¯s teammates said as three others gathered around.

    ¡°Nicole,¡± one of them stepped forward to introduce herself. She was shorter than average and had glasses that looked like they could see into another galaxy.

    Jeremey gestured to the rest of the team.

    ¡°This is Stephan,¡± he said, pointing to someone who was about as tall as Hunter. Stephan nodded with a smile, ¡°and Rodney.¡±

    Rodney had his arms crossed and looked at Hunter with skepticism. He offered a curt nod and looked away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally,¡± Nicole said. ¡°he¡¯s like that with everyone until he gets to know them.¡±

    ¡°You know the type, brilliant enough that they can¡¯t understand why normal people aren¡¯t able to keep up with them,¡± Stephan said, earning a scowl from Rodney.

    Hunter frowned, but nodded.

    He didn¡¯t know the type, and wasn¡¯t sure that he and Rodney were going to get along.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Hunter said, ¡°are we getting coffee?¡±

    Nicole nodded enthusiastically.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°They have a lot of great places around here, but there¡¯s one specifically that¡¯s a bit of a hole in the wall and easy to miss¡ª but they¡¯ve got all sorts of stuff,¡± she said, leading the way.

    Hunter followed, feeling like every step was a labor worthy of being written as a historical epic. The team chatted amongst themselves as they walked, and Hunter tried to listen. So far, none of them had shown any sign of the arrogance he had expected to see from the rest of the teams. He wondered why they¡¯d invited him to come along with them.

    Hunter realized that if he wasn¡¯t so exhausted, he might even feel flattered, or incredibly suspicious. But whenever he got this way, anything other than a bland neutrality took a supreme effort of will¡ª an effort that didn¡¯t seem warranted at the moment.

    They reached the cafe. Nicole was right, if he wasn¡¯t looking for it, he¡¯d have missed it. But it was busy inside. A few other teams he recognized were seated around the cafe. Some gave the team and Hunter a double-take when they realized he was with them, making comments and laughing. If it bothered Jeremy and the crew, they didn¡¯t show it.

    They talked a bit about their expectations. They said they were shooting for four stars, but you could never really know what to expect from the judges. Hunter asked them what they meant by four stars. They seemed surprised to hear the question, but humored him by answering.

    ¡°Each judge will give a star if they believe your work deserves a pass. There are 7 judges, so 7 stars is the maximum. Its hard to please them all, everyone¡¯s got their own idea about what constitutes a worthy submission. Most teams squeak through the first round with 4 stars. 5 to 7 stars gets increasingly more rare¡ª only one or two teams receive 7 star scores, and 3 or 4 will receive 6 stars. Those handful of teams are typically the ones with the highest chance of making it to the end if they don¡¯t screw up royally in the second round.

    ¡°So how do you think you did?¡± Jeremy asked Hunter once they all sat down around a small table. Hunter sipped his coffee, and delighted in the creamy, sugary concoction. Rodney had watched him pile in the sugar with horror, looking at Hunter like he¡¯d just thrown an egg at a nun.

    Hunter loved coffee, but he couldn¡¯t stand the taste of the stuff¡ª yet couldn¡¯t argue with its effectiveness. He¡¯d grown to rely on it, and if he couldn¡¯t live without it then he was going to live with it on his own terms, and enjoy it.

    It was one of the few areas of his life he felt he had full control over, and damnit, he was going to indulge in it as much as he could.

    ¡°Of course I can¡¯t be sure, but I like my odds,¡± Hunter answered.

    Rodney raised an eyebrow, but declined to offer whatever was on his mind to the rest of the team.

    ¡°It was just a battery. Four pairs of hands made for pretty quick work,¡± Nicole said, flexing her arms.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t our first time making a battery, we build a bunch for our school back in Lum,¡± Jeremy told Hunter.

    ¡°You¡¯re all from Lumina?¡± Hunter asked. One of his least favorite of the Council Seats. Not that he held it against these guys.

    ¡°Born and raised, except for me,¡± Nicole said.

    ¡°The rest of us grew up together. Rodney¡¯s a couple of years younger than the rest of us but was able to skip a couple of grades. He joined our club as soon as he could. Nicole came from the Smith domain a year later. We¡¯ve been competing in various local competitions ever since.¡±

    Hunter had always wondered what it would be like to join a club.

    ¡°You say you¡¯re confident in your submission for the first round?¡± Rodney asked, apparently still thinking about what Hunter had said.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m skeptical,¡± Rodney said, crossing his arms again.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Hunter said, losing all interest in the conversation.

    ¡°It took two of us to machine the parts, and the other two took an hour to carve all the ether channels. I can¡¯t imagine you were able to get all of that work done on your own,¡± Rodney said, his voice raising slightly.

    Hunter shrugged.

    He wanted to tell Rodney that it wasn¡¯t any of his business how he designed and created his submission, but he was too tired to start an argument, he was also enjoying their company for the most part.

    ¡°He probably cheated,¡± someone said, from directly behind Hunter. Hunter closed his eyes, he recognized the voice. David Nettle.

    Hunter stood and thanked the team for the coffee, but this whole situation was not worth the effort. He had no patience for any drama at the moment.

    ¡°Not gonna speak up for yourself? Guilty conscience?¡± David asked, his team blocked the way out of the cafe. Hunter noticed a few of the staff looking at them curiously.

    ¡°Come on, Hunter. Admit it, there¡¯s no way someone with an affinity rating of five could even hope to complete the first round of the competition on their own. What do you even plan to accomplish here, anyways?¡± David asked. His team nodded, as if they were all dying to know.

    ¡°Why is it any of your business?¡± Hunter asked, each word felt like it carried a ten pound weight.

    He¡¯d believed that their issue with him had been purely strategic. Maybe he¡¯d overestimated them.

    Maybe they really were just a bunch of jerks with hyperinflated egos.

    ¡°Leave him alone. What¡¯s your problem?¡± Jeremy asked, his team gathering behind Hunter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Go drink your coffees,¡± one of David¡¯s team members waved Jeremy off.

    Rodney seemed to take that personally.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have even the most miniscule trace of a right to wave that disease-ridden paw towards my friends. You talk to us like that again, I will make it my life¡¯s mission to capsize your career before it begins. I will humiliate you. Do you understand me? Do you think I''m joking? Jeremy, tell him I''m not joking. Tell him about¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªRelax, Rod,¡± Jeremy said. David was about to say something but Jeremy held up a finger, ¡°Shut up.¡±

    David¡¯s eyes seemed to inflame, almost bursting forth from their sockets. His face went red.

    ¡°Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know who my father is? I swear, you won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªEnough! Get out of my cafe before I call ¡®enforcement!¡± A loud, bassey voice echoed off the cafe¡¯s walls. Everyone went quiet. A portly man wearing an apron with the word ¡®manager¡¯ printed on it was pointed towards the door.

    David looked at the manager like he¡¯d just spit in his food, but he said nothing as he turned and started to leave. He paused and looked back at Hunter and Jeremy¡¯s team.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over,¡± David said, storming away with the rest of his team giving them looks which Hunter was sure were meant to be menacing. Maybe at another time they would be.

    But he was even more tired now than he was even a few minutes ago.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Hunter said to the team as they followed David¡¯s team out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, you can¡¯t reason with people like him,¡± Nicole said, ¡°total narcissist.¡±

    ¡°You said the same thing about me,¡± Rodney scoffed.

    ¡°Was I wrong?¡±

    He shot her a disdainful look.

    ¡°I rest my case,¡± she said.

    Jeremy sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°We saw how the other teams were treating you. I guess we just wanted you to know that you we aren¡¯t all assholes, we don¡¯t really care what name you were born with. Even if you are the son of Gideon Koar, I¡¯d say that just means you have an advantage that we don¡¯t. Low AR or not,¡± he said.

    Hunter considered his words.

    They didn¡¯t have to stand up for him back there, and its not like he was going to argue. Being Gideon Koar''s¡¯ son came with sorts of advantages in the realm of ether artisanship.

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± he said. And he did, even through the near-apathetic fugue he was currently feeling, ¡°if we all make it through the second round, let¡¯s do this again. Maybe somewhere a bit less popular?¡±

    He looked at Nicole. She shrugged.

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one good spot around town.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Jeremey said.

    Hunter nodded.

    They parted ways after Hunter admitted that he was absolutely exhausted and he doubted the coffee was going to help. He imagined he might miss announcement of the first rounds results, so he¡¯ll probably see Jeremy and the team tomorrow if they all passed the round.

    He didn¡¯t remember making it back to the suite, or getting into bed, but when he woke up he felt a lot better, if still a bit tired.

    He thought over the first round of the competition, and admitted that he might have a problem. That first round had exhausted him. Granted, he had already been tired from lugging around all of his stuff. The competition staff had been kind enough to let him store all of his supplies at the stadium overnight in a private locker.

    But tomorrow would have two rounds, almost back to back. He needed a way to stay awake, and energized, if he was going to win.

    He figured that what he¡¯d done with the first round wouldn¡¯t be enough to set hunter apart very much from the rest of the competition. Sure, the crosshatch channels were probably a novel innovation in the judges eyes, and the slider switch wasn¡¯t exactly unheard of but might be unique amongst the rest of the submissions.

    Although, Hunter couldn¡¯t be quite sure of that. These were teams¡ª more hands to craft more components. Maybe most of the other teams had done something similar. He hadn¡¯t really had the energy or interest to discuss his submission with Jeremy and the crew.

    Maybe they¡¯ll get time to talk more enthusiastically tomorrow, if he could keep his energy up.

    Now that he was feeling a bit better, he figured it was time to go and see if he¡¯d made the cut.

    He showered but wore the same clothes as he was wearing earlier. He only had one more set of clothes for the next day, and he figured he wouldn¡¯t be out for long. He checked the time¡ª the results had been announced a couple of hours ago. But the stadium should be open to the public for another couple of hours at least.

    The sun was starting to set over the Oberon Capital city, and he felt strange. Back in Seckina he¡¯d either be home, or would have been on his way home by now. He never felt comfortable taking his chances with the Comics or any of their rival gangs skulking about. Low visibility would also mean that he could trip and break a bone, and bruise half of his body.

    He was sure that the Oberon Capital must have had its own crime problems, but from what he¡¯d heard throughout his life, this was one of the safest cities to live in. And this city was bright, lights were everywhere¡ª streetlights, shops, apartment buildings, advertisements at bus stops.

    He could feel the life of this city, something that Seckina didn¡¯t have. He could see it in the faces of the smiling families who walked together, in the wagging tails of their dogs, in the faces of passing businessmen and delivery drivers, who all appeared to be on their way somewhere, but totally unconcerned about their safety.

    Compared to Seckina, the capital city felt vibrant, and pulsing with life. Even the homeless were smiling, not that there were many homeless. Hunter passed one by on his way to the stadium, and he figured he could spare a credit. He dropped it into the empty coffee cup the man was holding out. The homeless man touched his hand to his chest and bowed his head. As hunter went on his way, the man yelled to him, ¡°Fortune favors the brave!¡±

    Then go be brave, he thought, chuckling to himself. Anyone who remained homeless either chose to be that way or would never be able to support themselves. He didn¡¯t mind giving a credit if he could, but their were plenty of corporate programs that offered housing and food in exchange for cheap labor, with some savings and incentive programs. If this guy wasn¡¯t there, then it could also be the case that he had a couple of problems that no one wanted to deal with¡ª like shouting empty platitudes at strangers.

    Not that he was going to judge the man. Hunter felt like he was walking a very risky path that could very well see him end up in a situation that wasn¡¯t much better than the homeless guy.

    Fortune favors the brave. Hopefully he¡¯s right. If what Hunter was doing wasn¡¯t brave, then he didn¡¯t know what was.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t sure how much bravery was going to help him here. He¡¯d been brave when he¡¯d signed up for the preliminary test, but he¡¯d failed that, only making it here based on Joyce¡¯s intervention and recommendation.

    But when Hunter thought about it, it hadn¡¯t really been bravery that had led him to that test. It had been desperation.

    He wanted to feel confident, but as he got closer to the stadium, he felt like it was getting harder to justify his initial certainty about his odds. How could he know what the other teams were capable of? As far as he knew, he¡¯d totally miscalculated, designing something outside the bounds of what the judges were looking for. What if they thought his submission was too complicated? What if they took away stars because he¡¯d overreached, or taken a nonstandard route?

    Joyce had said that the first round was about assessing fundamentals, but he¡¯d gone a completely different direction than the typical fundamentals that he would expect to be taught. Rodney was apparently some genius, and he had hadn¡¯t shown any sign that he considered a simpler channel design pattern to be possible. If he had, then he probably wouldn¡¯t have had so much trouble believing that Hunter was capable of finishing the round on his own.

    Hunter suddenly felt his chest tighten.

    Would that mean that they¡¯d take away stars for using synergies? What had Joyce meant by an experts touch? Did that mean innovation would be rewarded, if it wasn¡¯t a familiar design?

    The area outside the stadium was pretty busy for this time of day. No one recognized him though and he sighed in relief. The last thing he needed right now was for some dickheads to start pestering him about how much his presence bothered them.

    He entered the stadium, and looked around for the display with the results from the first round. The more he thought about the other teams, the less he wanted to risk getting seen by them.

    There was a large board on the far wall. He approached it, and saw columns listing names, next to a number of stars.

    So this was it.

    If he passed, he would have another opportunity to carve out a bright future for himself. The head of Oberon Enterprises would be paying attention.

    If he failed, that attention would mean nothing. His future would go in a direction which might involve decades of cheap labor while he saved every credit he could in order to afford his own home, and a few sweet luxuries.

    A life similar to what he¡¯d been living for years, if he thought about it. But Hunter wanted and needed something more for himself.

    He was the son of Gideon Koar. He wad destined for greatness.

    Steeling himself with his greatest source of pride, he examine the board.

    There were four columns.

    The first column only had a dozen teams on it, all having earned 4 stars. Hunter didn¡¯t see his name listed.

    There were only six 5-star results. Again, Hunter didn¡¯t see his name, but he recognized Jeremy, Nicole, Stephan, and Rodney. They¡¯d done better than they¡¯d hoped.

    He felt nervous.

    He didn¡¯t see his name in the two teams listed in the 6-star column, but he did see David Nettle¡¯s name listed with the rest of his team.

    He held his breath as he looked at the final column.

    ¡°Hunter Koar, 7 Stars¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± He shouted, pumping his fists above his head. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling. He¡¯d gained a few looks from the passing staff and a few others¡ª some despondent looking families that Hunter hadn¡¯t noticed when he¡¯d walked in.

    He almost felt bad for them, but screw it, he was happy. But now that he knew he¡¯d made it, he felt even better than he had from his nap.

    Hunter studied the board again. The other team that had one were composed of names he hadn¡¯t seen before. Jonathan Berrymoore, Tilda Burner, and Philipe Golbrune. Maybe these would be his fiercest competition, aside from the other two teams who¡¯d earned 6 stars.

    Now that he thought about it, he had heard of them before. They¡¯d been mentioned in the news report he heard when he¡¯d heard a couple of days ago. They¡¯d won second place last year.

    The number of teams had been dramatically reduced. Apparently, any score below 4 stars was considered a disqualification. From 50 to 22¡ª over half of the teams had been eliminated in the first round.

    7 stars. All the tension from the last few days felt like they¡¯d bled out of him, replaced with a sense of something warmer, more expansive. It was a unanimous pass.

    His gamble had paid off. Suddenly, he felt much more confident about the next round.

    ¡°See if you can wrap your head around that, Rodney,¡± Hunter muttered as he left the stadium. he wanted to celebrate, but he decided not to.

    Tomorrow was going to be a very long day, and he needed all the rest he could get.

 Chapter 11

    The crowd thinned since the first round, but not as much as Hunter expected, given that over half the teams were eliminated.

    Perhaps some of those teams had stayed to watch competition, or older, professional artisans from the city had come to watch. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to think that to most people wouldn¡¯t be interested until after the first round.

    ¡°Contestants, welcome to Round 2 of the Global Youth Artisan Competition! The last round tested your fundamentals, and some of you offered the judges a surprise! Congratulations to our two 7-Star winners for impressing every one of our judges. We can¡¯t wait to see what you have in store for us next,¡± the announcer was back, and she was as enthusiastic as ever. Her upbeat attitude cleared away Hunter¡¯s nerves and inspired a round of murmuring. Hunter received some looks from the surrounding teams. Where there was once skepticism and clear disdain, there was now curiosity and respect.

    Who would have thought that a single evening was all it would take for such a dramatic turnaround?

    Hunter had yet to see David Nettle. He wondered what they¡¯d done when they saw his name up there, with a full score.

    He smiled at the thought.

    ¡°Today is a big day! 22 teams made it through the first round, and only 5 will make it to the third to compete for the grand prize,¡± the announcer said.

    Her words pulled Hunter away from his thoughts.

    Those were steep odds.

    ¡°This year¡¯s second round will be a test of Force! One of the most powerful and widely used glyphs ¡ª yet one of the most difficult to understand and master. Using the Force glyph has wounded and killed many aspiring artisans over the decades since its discovery ¡ª but its mastery is essential. Wherever your career takes you, the Force glyph will be a constant companion. Although its use is simple, the ways to approach it are manifold. Today, we will test your familiarity with this glyph.¡±

    Hunter saw some of the surrounding teams shrugging and laughing, much of the pressure melting away.

    The force glyph could be dangerous, but anyone who¡¯s had enough experience with it in low AR constructs ¡ª a limitation all the contestants would have been working with as their AR¡¯s were still low relative to a grown adult ¡ª would feel that this round would be far too easy.

    Even Hunter felt skeptical. He would have more of a challenge than the rest of the gathered teams, but it would be much easier than he¡¯d expected the round to be. He wouldn¡¯t even have to reveal too much of his synergy knowledge in order to gain an advantage.

    ¡°Unlike the last round, we will only judge your submission after a public demonstration of your construct. This means that the judging portion will be shorter, and you¡¯ll have more time allotted to you for planning, designing, and crafting your submissions,¡± she said.

    Someone raised a large curtain behind the announcer, revealing a machine that Hunter recognized. It was a large, horizontal weight scale. It would measure the force exerted by the construct in pounds ¡ª or so he assumed.

    The more he had time to think about it, the more this round made sense. The Force glyph may be well known to all the contestants, but that just meant that they¡¯d need to push themselves to create something a bit more unique ¡ª to stretch their knowledge to the fullest in order to distinguish their design from someone else.

    ¡°We will measure not only your construct¡¯s force output but also factor its final affinity requirement into your final score. The judges will also grade your craftsmanship with a star system similar to yesterday¡¯s round. You will all use an output plate of the same dimensions. You will receive the materials and a small piece of paper showing the maximum dimensions of your final submission. Attendants?¡±

    At her beckon, the attendants filtered through the 22 teams, wheeling in the gathered materials behind them. They¡¯d brought in Hunters¡¯ tools on one of those earlier in the morning when he¡¯d arrived to set up his workstation.

    They were giving the contestants a lot more material to work with for this round, which made sense. Force constructs were easy in principle, but they could become very complex.

    The paper, including size limitations, specified that teams had free use of any number of supporting glyphs, but each team received identical material amounts. There would be no substitutions for this round.

    Hunter was seeing the wisdom in making the second round centred on Force constructs. It was a simple concept, but each team would force themselves to think outside of the box to leverage every ounce of efficiency that they could. The teams wouldn¡¯t show creativity in the product¡¯s type, but in its production method. The Force glyph was only good for one thing. This wasn¡¯t just a test of fundamentals, it was a test of experience.

    Hunter felt like heaven had given him a gift. The contest¡¯s organizers wouldn¡¯t have had any way to know that this was right up ally. There were practically begging him to pass through to the final round.

    ¡°Contestants, are you ready? You have five hours, starting now!¡±

    The large clock just behind the stage started its countdown.

    Five hours. Plenty of time.

    He took some time to centre himself. He could hear the other teams discussing their strategy. Only murmurs and enthusiastic rebuttals reached him; he couldn¡¯t distinguish specifics. Despite the chaos of the hubbub, Hunter could predict most of their strategies.

    There were quite a few considerations to be mindful of when you were designing a construct. Glyph size, glyph placement, and the amount of glyphs you had networked together. A glyph on its own was one thing ¡ª a bigger glyph would have a stronger effect, and size corresponded to affinity requirement. Networked glyphs would have the combined AR requirement of the glyphs, as well as the combined total AR requirement of the Link sub-glyphs as well. Many glyphs would also have one or two supporting glyphs ¡ª any more than that would inflate the AR requirement.

    But sometimes, you couldn¡¯t escape glyph-spam. Hunter considered the ships he had seen high in the sky, transitioning through the strange barrier that kept this world contained ¡ª an experience that Hunter always wanted to experience firsthand. Those ships weighed many tonnes, and the amount of glyphs and sub glyphs that would have been required to lift them would demand a complex network that must have demanded an AR requirement in the thousands. Each ship had teams of individuals with high-AR, whose job it was to keep those systems running at all times with the help of an ocean of ether batteries.

    Hunter realized his thoughts were about to drift way off course, so he brought his attention back to the project at hand.

    It was an interesting project, and it provided some interesting problems to solve. He imagined that most teams would balance the AR requirement for their constructs by using a large Force glyph on the output plate, but it wouldn¡¯t be the most efficient path. People knew the Force glyph as a direct-output glyph. The ¡®force¡¯ would emit from the glyph itself.

    You could use support glyphs to enhance the strength of the Force glyph, which would add to the affinity requirement, but when done right could add a significant multiplier to the desired output.

    Hunter thought about how he would judge this competition. If he were in charge, he would divide the force output from the construct by the AR requirement. The higher the result, the higher the score.

    So, obviously, the idea was to output the most force with the lowest affinity requirement. Hunter was salivating at the thought.

    It was like this round had been tailormade for him.

    The study of synergies was all about efficiency ¡ª more output for less cost. He was born for this competition.

    He sorted through all the Force constructs he¡¯d seen in his life and thought about what would be the most appropriate. Most of the channels would converge on a single Force Glyph at the centre ¡ª the star of the show. He would copy others and carve a large Force glyph onto the output plate, but his work would differ in the glyph¡¯s connections.

    Amplify would increase the effect of the glyph. Hunter considered Reinforce another direct-output glyph, but he could also use its effect. Hunter discovered it synergized very well with some other glyphs in the right proportions. The etherium¡¯s charge would also amplify the desire, though less than Amplify would. He could also achieve a similar effect by changing the syntax; adding Reinforce to a separate network, and then leading the etherium down a channel that connected it to the Amplify glyph. It wasn¡¯t a direct use of synergies; it was more like a novel twist on an old concept which was informed by his sensitivity.

    He would bet good money that none of the other teams knew about this little trick. Some might end up stumbling upon it by accident. It wouldn¡¯t be hard, it would just take a nonstandard design syntax. It didn¡¯t take a genius to place the reinforce glyph before the amplify glyph, the amplify glyph would have a greater-than-intended effect on the Force glyph. In fact, he¡¯d further bet that if anyone can come close to his score, it¡¯s because they leverage this trick.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    He thought about it some more and realized that he couldn¡¯t count on this effect on its own to win him the round. All it would take is one observant artisan among the gathered teams to have noticed this effect at some other point in their life. Most people would never use reinforce as anything other than a direct-output glyph.

    It was hard to gauge the risk, so he¡¯d err on the side of caution.

    As he thought, he amended his design. He would have to add the Reinforce glyph to the output plate. The design could serve two functions: proximity would reinforce the Force glyph, and the hidden Amplify glyph behind the plate would amplify output. It would barely influence the Force glyph, but he would milk every ounce of efficiency he could out of this construct.

    He wasn¡¯t content to leave it at that.

    He¡¯d experimented with many combinations of glyphs over the years and had made his fair share of mistakes. Some of those mistakes led to unexpected discoveries. Hunter had once almost destroyed one of his clients¡¯ most expensive constructs by trying to improve it. The synergies he¡¯d added had converted one of his support glyphs, Speed, into a direct-output glyph. It was the strangest thing, and Hunter had almost missed the mistake, but his sixth sense caught onto it just before it tore the construct apart.

    If he¡¯d been slower in disconnecting the ether battery, he¡¯d have lost that client. He ended up ghosting Hunter after a while anyway, and Hunter never found out why. However, he¡¯d never forgotten what happened in that day. He discovered that the direct-output did not lessen the effects of the support element of the glyph. When used correctly, he could target it towards the Amplify and Reinforce-charged etherium flowing towards the Force glyph. This would saturate the Force glyph with more etherium in less time. There were only so many channels that he could carve, and only so many glyphs for those channels to connect.

    In the interest of style, AR efficiency, and output efficiency, he could use the Speed glyph to increase the speed of etherium flow within the channels he¡¯d carve into the construct, but only where it counted. It would do multiple jobs at once, increasing the efficiency of the Force glyph by a considerable amount, but he wanted it to affect the force glyph only.

    He would need to add it to the plate as well, but it worked a bit differently than the other two direct-outputs he was using. Speed acted more like a field, and it was something that Hunter didn¡¯t quite understand yet. It was one of the few effects he¡¯d encountered that he could sense, but not understand.

    He saw it as something of summon the etherium itself. An invitation to look deeper and innovate. Force was similar ¡ª its output a field of directed something-or-other that caused the objects within it to be propelled away from the glyph. That something, Hunter knew, was etherium exhibiting a new desire, a fresh charge. What that meant, about what went on underneath the surface, he couldn¡¯t say.

    Etherium was just a word ¡ª the substance itself was still just as mysterious to him as it was for others. He just had an advantage that they didn¡¯t.

    Etherium violated what was understood about laws of physics. The Force field emitted by the Force glyph didn¡¯t affect the mass of an object. The field emitted by the Force glyph would move any stationary object, as if a force had acted upon it.

    Speed amplifies Force¡¯s effects, but increases the network¡¯s affinity requirement after glyph conversion.

    Reworking his design to optimize the converted Speed glyph took only a few minutes. He then distributed its functionality throughout the network, needing only a couple of extra support glyphs. The extra work was worthwhile.

    He suspected ¡ª though this was pure guesswork, that it acted something like the Amplify glyph ¡ª a similar desire. If glyphs could be organized into family trees, perhaps Amplify and Speed share a common ancestor.

    He laughed at the idea. He couldn¡¯t understand how glyphs were organized. Amplify did what it did and Speed did what it did.

    It didn¡¯t speed up time, or entropy, nor did it increase momentum.

    It was etherium, not physics. Mysterious as always.

    Hunter didn¡¯t understand why Speed acted the way it did when he attached it to certain synergy networks. The charge almost seemed hidden from Hunter; its desire lay concealed beneath a mystery Hunter had yet to solve. It was one of the rare times when he would feel like any other artisan ¡ª frustrated at the futility of trying to understand how it all worked.

    Why these glyphs? Why these shapes, in these combinations? Was it a language made by the universe? Was it discovered, or created? Who could create such a thing?

    Researchers discovered the first glyphs a few centuries ago in Asutnahem ruins. It was unknown if they originated from the Asutnahem, or if the glyphs were a relic from an even earlier, unrecorded age.

    Hunter shook his head and focused on the work.

    He was proud of the Speed glyph¡¯s addition to the network. Anything that was caught in the Speed field would move faster, and he hoped that any oxygen and dust caught in the field would inflate the force measurement.

    It wasn¡¯t cheating. He hadn¡¯t ready any rule that prevented it and doubted that anyone here would catch onto what he was up to.

    He took one final assessment of his draft.

    Reduce the size of the Force glyph. Position the Speed glyph near the Force glyph to enhance its effect, while keeping it far enough away to avoid interfering with the Reinforce glyph.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t used this specific combination before, but he knew the effect that Reinforce had on Force as a support glyph. It was something he¡¯d used many times before. The combination produced an unusual etheric desire, different from a normal Force rune¡¯s emission, but it shouldn¡¯t conflict with the Speed-charged ether; it wouldn¡¯t cause inefficiencies.

    But he¡¯d never used the Speed glyph in tandem with a Reinforce glyph, let alone a modified Reinforce glyph.

    Better safe than sorry, he¡¯d heard someone say once upon a time. He couldn¡¯t remember who.

    But then Hunter felt an urge rise from his gut.

    He almost gave into it. It was tempting. What if the Speed glyph improved the Reinforce Glyph as well? He didn¡¯t see any reason it wouldn¡¯t. But even if it improved it, it might have a chance of inflating the AR requirement.

    If the stakes weren¡¯t so high, he¡¯d give into this urge. He believed that his current plan would be enough to make it to the top 5, if he didn¡¯t place first.

    Hunter looked at the clock. Four hours and thirty minutes left.

    He took out a sketch pad and played with a few ideas. Spacing would be important, and the syntax would look ludicrous. In order to create the most clean design, he would need to add a Link glyph that was almost completely arbitrary. So he scrapped that design and went with the second best.

    He considered his design again and second guessed some of his design choices. If he scrapped the Speed glyph, increased the Force glyph size, and reduced the Reinforce glyph size, he could reduce the AR requirement. That design would only require an AR of 14, maybe 16, max.

    Three small support glyphs and three link glyphs were required for the modified Speed glyph. Alternatively, a smaller Amplify glyph would reduce the AR requirement by approximately 4.

    He was struck by a sudden burst of inspiration. Using crosshatch channels for the supporting the Speed glyph would reduce the AR requirement by 4. However, this method would decrease glyph efficiency. A decrease in efficiency, he calculated, would mean about 2 more AR added to the affinity requirement. Still, that 2 AR could be the difference between 1st place and 2nd place. Or even more important, 5th place and 6th.

    He justified the substitution only because the support glyphs were nearly identical, charging etherium similarly. This similarity only mattered when interfacing with the Speed glyph. In any other situation, he wouldn¡¯t dream of substituting a Link Glyph with an intersecting series of channels.

    It would earn him some style points. That, along with the unique syntax and glyph combinations ¡ª his design would go a long way for earning stars from the judges. The only thing that mattered now was the exact Force output, as well as the final Affinity requirement.

    He would take a bit of a risk with this design, but he was confident in his odds for success. It would work, and it would make an impact.

    He glanced at the clock.

    Four hours left. The surrounding teams were already machining their parts and etch the channels into the materials.

    He needed to work quickly. However, his confidence and the potential reward spurred him on.

    It took three hours for Hunter to machine all the parts he needed. Manufacturing first, then developing his channels as he progressed, was his preference. He created all the most complex parts first, as well as the parts with the hardest angles to work with. He left the output plate until the end.

    With half an hour to go, he assembled the last pieces of his construct.

    Although he had attempted to make the result look as symmetrical as possible, but there was only so much he could do on his own.

    There was a small nook for a drawstone to be slotted into, which he called the user end. The user end extended nearly twelve inches to reach the output plate¡¯s edges. He called this the business end, carving a large Force glyph¡ªa circular design with swirling, symmetrical patterns¡ªinto it. The top right-hand corner of the plate held the Speed glyph, and the Reinforce glyph occupied a significant portion of the bottom left-hand corner.

    Channels snaked around the plate and into the construct¡¯s interior. Inside, they formed a neat system, intersecting at crosshatches or glyph-linked networks.

    Hunter had to take some liberties with the material, using wood when he could ¡ª carving along the grain to get the most out of the material. It was only ever used to lead the channels towards the glyphs, which he had carved using more solid materials.

    The user end had taken the most time to get right, but he¡¯d created, modified, and broken more of those than he would care to count over the years. Creating them was a breeze, but achieving perfection required a skilled touch.

    He¡¯d drained quite a few batteries over the last few hours, and had finished the charge of one of his older batteries in order to gauge the AR requirement of the device. He let the construct run for about half a minute, and it didn¡¯t appear to break, so he decided it was done. The estimate affinity rating measured between 22 to 24.

    There was no use worrying about how it would perform. It worked. It created a strong propulsive effect when he used a piece of paper to find the edge of the Force field, confirming that it was outputting the way he wanted it to. The Speed glyph added an interesting effect to the paper, exaggerating the way it flapped back whenever it touched the field, creating a soft slapping sound.

    He guessed that the air generated the sound in the room, accelerated when it hit the field. The next workbench was too far away to tell if he was creating much of a breeze, and Hunter didn¡¯t care to test it himself. To avoid trouble, he held onto the paper. He couldn¡¯t afford a disqualification at this point. He¡¯d come too far.

    But if he¡¯d said he wasn¡¯t tempted, he would be lying.

    He let the construct run for half a minute, closing his eyes and sensing for any sudden changes in the what he was sensing. Closing his eyes brought with it a feeling of comfort, and he realized that he really wanted to sleep.

    He hadn¡¯t even realized how drained he was, but he had been so engaged with the work that it didn¡¯t bother him.

    When nothing seemed amiss within the construct, he deactivated the construct and smiled.

    Hunter followed a whim and used the third arm to lift the construct, etching his signature along the bottom.

    He needed a break. This construct required a lot of testing, especially when he needed to verify that the crosshatch channels worked like he had hoped. He was exhausted, though less so than after the first round¡¯s hotel-to-stadium move, which had been surprisingly strenuous.

    Tired as he may be, he was proud of his work. He considered it a piece of art ¡ª although it may not be as impressive as the other teams. It had challenged him, and he¡¯d risen to the challenge. It was almost an experiment in itself, and barring the pending results from the coming assessment, he considered it a success.

    There were still 20 minutes on the clock, and Hunter sat down, lean against his workbench, and rest his eyes. It was too loud to sleep, but sometimes, just closing his eyes for a while was enough to trick his body into thinking it had just gotten some rest.

 Chapter 12

    The timer counted down the last few seconds. The buzzer rang, and the announcer walked back on stage. Most teams appeared to finish ahead of time, like Hunter, and they considered each other their rivals designs. Most designs looked alike, although some appeared more box-like than Hunter¡¯s, a horizontal pyramid modified to include a small platform at its apex for the user¡¯s drawstone.

    He didn¡¯t see any open-air designs like he had in the previous round. He saw that all the designs appeared clean and professional ¡ª although he knew that appearances could be deceiving regarding construction quality. Hunter had considered making a cube, but figured that something a bit more like a pyramid would be more visually interesting, and it saved him from having to use all the material. He figured it would go some way to improve the score the judges gave him, and it also satisfied his sense of professionalism. For the last few years, he¡¯s had to learn how to do with more with less.

    It was always challenging, but the challenge was paying off.

    There wasn¡¯t much that Hunter could do in terms of aesthetics. Some teams had created some unique designs. Rounded edges and twisting corners were features that surprised Hunter; he didn¡¯t know they were possible with the materials. Their artistic skill impressed him, and if their etherium skills matched it, they¡¯d score high.

    The announcer¡¯s voice cut through the noise of the murmuring spectators and chattering teams.

    ¡°The first phase of the second round is now over! As expected, this round tested how you would approach an old problem. Experts and amateurs are distinguished by their utilization of the Force glyph, even though it¡¯s well known. The judges can¡¯t wait to see your submissions, so without further ado, let¡¯s begin the second phase of the round! If you look at the top right-hand side of your work-benches, you¡¯ll see a number taped to the corner. When that number is called, it will be your turn to present your submission for appraisal. Are you excited? I am! Let¡¯s get started! Would team #1 approach the assessment device?¡±

    Hunter checked the corner of his desk. He¡¯d noticed the number before, but had thought little of it. He would be the 14th in line for assessment.

    The crowd clapped as the team brought their construct around the stage. They set it up on a small pedestal that stood a few feet away from the scale.

    The team was told to step away from the device, as the announcer would activate it herself. On one side of the machine, the team watched. On the other side of the machine, the seven judges assembled ¡ª at least Hunter assumed they were the judges.

    The announcer held a drawstone up to the device. From where he stood, he couldn¡¯t discern the device¡¯s construction details.

    ¡°Force output: 89 pounds,¡± the announcer said, after the device had been active for a few seconds. The judges approached and asked someone from the team to open the construct for them to see the inside. One of them took out a tool and poked at the device.

    ¡°AR requirement: 32,¡± the announcer said. Hunter¡¯s eyebrows rose. He¡¯s seen devices to test the AR requirement of constructs. He had a couple in various states of disrepair at his old house in Seckina. But he had seen nothing like the device they were using, which could be held in one hand. It must be a newer model.

    Over the next few minutes, the judges took turns inspecting the device. The team came forward and answered questions the judges had.

    ¡°5 Stars!¡± The announcer declared. The crowd clapped, ¡°for a total score of 13.9¡±

    Hunter noticed a display above the stadium that he hadn¡¯t seen before. The screen printed a few letters and numbers, recording the teams¡¯ score at the top.

    TM 1: 13.9

    The other teams didn¡¯t seem impressed.

    He imagined that many teams could have output a lot more with a lower AR requirement. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to beat.

    Indeed, the second team seemed to do much better.

    ¡°Force Output: 95 pounds.¡±

    ¡°AR Requirement: 30.¡±

    ¡°5 Stars! Total score: 15.8!¡±

    TM 2: 15.8

    TM 1: 13.9

    6 more teams went up, one scoring as low as 10, with another scoring as high as 20. Jeremy¡¯s team had scored a respectable 18. The central walkway¡¯s proximity to Hunter¡¯s table allowed him to see the nervous faces of all the teams as they approached the stage before moving around it. Nicole gave him a thumbs up, Jeremy gave him a friendly smile and a wave. He caught a look from Rodney that he hadn¡¯t known how to parse¡ª a mixture of bafflement and curiosity. Maybe neither of those. Stephan just nodded at him.

    Team 9 was one that Hunter recognized. David Nettle and his goons strutted their way towards the machine. David looked at Hunter with nothing short of his usual disdain ¡ª despite how he¡¯d performed in the last round. The rest of his team seemed to ignore Hunter.

    The construct wasn¡¯t the most artful that Hunter had seen so far, but he was loath to admit that it didn¡¯t look bad. He prayed to whichever god listened that they got the lowest score in the round.

    They were far too confident.

    To Hunter¡¯s dismay, their score was impressive.

    ¡°Force Output: 110 pounds! Wow,¡± the announcer said. David gave a small bow, and his team laughed at his theatrics. The judges crowded their construct, and David opened it up for them.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°AR requirement: 28!¡± A few appreciative sounds from the surrounding teams met the announcement.

    ¡°Judges score¡­ 6 Stars! For a total score of 23.5!¡±

    The crowd gave a loud round of applause for that. There were some scattered cheers as well. Apparently, David and his team had fans.

    If nothing else, the young man was charismatic. Hunter would give him that.

    On their way back to their workbench, David barely glanced at Hunter with anything more than a smirk.

    TM 9: 23.5

    TM 5: 20

    TM 3: 18.8

    TM 7: 18

    TM 8: 17.7

    TM 4: 16.6

    TM 2: 15.8

    TM 1: 13.9

    TM 6: 10

    The next team was another that Hunter recognized. The other team that shared his 7 Star result from the previous round. There¡¯s was one of the more beautiful pieces that Hunter had seen, and their confidence wasn¡¯t quite like David¡¯s team had been. Where David¡¯s team had been about projecting something, this team just didn¡¯t seem worried. They strolled along, their movements relaxed and unconcerned.

    They weren¡¯t arrogant; just convinced that they had nothing to worry about. Hunter¡¯s interest piqued¡ªhopefully, their results would act as something of a palate cleanser. David Nettle¡¯s attitude had left Hunter feeling sour.

    Sure enough, after a few minutes, the judges announced their results.

    ¡°Force Output: 120 pounds!¡±

    Hunter whistled to himself. Impressive.

    ¡°AR Requirement: 30.¡±

    ¡°Judges score: 7 Stars! For 28 points!¡±

    The applause from the crowd was louder than any that he¡¯d heard so far, with many more cheers than David¡¯s team had enjoyed. Hunter clapped as well. The highest score yet ¡ª one that might be hard to beat.

    Hunter thought that he would beat them, but he didn¡¯t know.

    The next 3 teams didn¡¯t score nearly as well, the highest beating out Jeremy¡¯s team with 19 points.

    Then, it was Hunter¡¯s turn.

    The construct was too heavy for him to lift on his own, so he waved over an assistant to help him. Although: The applause was greater than anticipated, it paled in comparison to that given David and Jonathan Berrymoore¡¯s team.

    The closer he got to the device, the more nervous he became. The nerves felt completely irrational. He had felt fine a moment ago. He considered his experience with crowds and concluded that he was getting something like stage fright.

    He gulped. His palms were sweating. He wiped them on his pants, then realized that everyone had seen him do that. They would all know that he was nervous. He stuck out like a sore thumb, all sweat and anxiety.

    He did his best to focus on the moment. It was all he could do. He had nothing to worry about, right? He was good at this stuff.

    Three was nothing to worry about.

    Don¡¯t worry about the crowd, he thought, don¡¯t worry about the teams, or the announcer, or the judges, focus on the fact that you¡¯ve made it this far, and that the construct works.

    He followed the attendant to the device. The attendant placed the device on the pedestal, and Hunter hooked it into place. Having secured the device, he waved the announcer over and stepped back.

    Hunter couldn¡¯t see the small screen on the scale from where he stood. He held his breath as the announcer raised the microphone to her lips.

    ¡°Force Output: 142 pounds!¡±

    Hunter sighed in relief.

    If he was honest, it was weaker than he had hoped, but it was still the highest output by a longshot. But they weren¡¯t done.

    The judges approached the construct, and Hunter came to them when they beckoned. He opened up the constructs casing from the top ¡ª the only part of the construct that didn¡¯t have any channels running through it.

    ¡°There it is again, Janet. That crisscrossing pattern. Genius work, by the way,¡± one judge said to Hunter. The man¡¯s eyes were bright and enthusiastic. The rest of the judges were looking at Hunter with interest.

    ¡°Thank you. That means a lot coming from such an accomplished individual like yourself,¡± Hunter said, surprised by the flattery that had just left his lips. He did not know who this guy was, but it felt like the right thing to say. The man snorted, and another judge placed the AR probe inside of his construct.

    He took the chance to study the instrument, but he couldn¡¯t infer much about how it worked before it beeped. The judge looked at the display with raised eyebrows, showing it to the other judges. They all seemed impressed, nodding at Hunter encouragingly.

    That must be good news.

    They showed the small display to the announcer.

    ¡°AR Requirement: 23!¡±

    Hunter smiled. He could have sworn he heard a few gasps from the other teams. Maybe he was imagining it.

    The judges asked him questions about the design, and Hunter did his best to answer what he could. Some questions came close to being uncomfortable. He told them partial truths; he¡¯d been experimenting with nonstandard network syntax since as long as he could remember, it always seemed like a fun puzzle to him. He further explained that the crosshatch channels were a serendipitous discovery, which he¡¯d subtly improved through years of experimentation.

    Not entirely a lie, but not entirely truthful, either. It seemed to satisfy the judge¡¯s curiosity. He did his best to explain the function of the altered glyphs ¡ª telling them to be careful with how they handled their study of the construct. The judges took some time to confer amongst themselves. By this point, Hunter wasn¡¯t feeling nervous. He could see the results on the judges¡¯ faces. They¡¯d all been excited to see observe his work.

    A couple of them admitted they didn¡¯t want to believe that it could work as well as it did ¡ª but they couldn¡¯t argue with the results. They kept the construct active for a full minute while they talked in order to test the construct¡¯s reliability.

    They spoke to the announcer when they were ready.

    ¡°Judges score: 7 Stars! For a final score of 43.2!¡±

    This got the reaction from the crowd that Hunter had been secretly hoping for. An attendant came to carry off his submission. As he walked back to his workbench, he let the elation from the crowd pass through him. He was really enjoying this.

    He checked the leaderboard after he calmed down.

    TM 14: 43.2

    TM 10: 28

    TM 9: 23.5

    TM 5: 20

    TM 12: 19

    TM 3: 18.8

    TM 7: 18

    TM 8: 17.7

    TM 13: 17

    TM 4: 16.6

    TM 2: 15.8

    TM 11: 14

    TM 1: 13.9

    TM 6: 10

    He took a page out of David¡¯s book ¡ª in fact; he looked directly at David and his team, right near the back of the workspace where everyone was watching from, and bowed.

    David¡¯s face went beet red, but there was no scorn in his expression.

    Maybe some resentment. Maybe even hate.

    But the arrogance was gone.

    He saw Nicole staring at him, slack jawed. Other teams were discussing him as well ¡ª not a single look of dismissal or arrogance to be seen.

    Hunter felt giddy. All the exhaustion felt like it left him. He felt like he could dance. He didn¡¯t, but he laughed a bit. He couldn¡¯t help it.

    He¡¯d been dreaming of a moment like this for years. Ever since he was young, ever since that last day of school when everyone he¡¯d thought he was close to treated him like he was some sort of freak.

    His eyes were watering. The tears made it too blurry to see the team that had been called up after him.

    He¡¯d done it again. He¡¯d proven what he was capable of ¡ª not just to himself, but the rest of the world.

    Why had he ever doubted himself?

    Just under 50 minutes later, officials announced all the teams¡¯ results. No one had come close to beating Hunters¡¯ score.

    Round two was his.

    Is that enough for you, Oberon? Hunter thought, Is that enough to secure my future, or do you need to see more?

    Hunter knew that as soon as he calmed down, the exhaustion would feel more intense.

    But he had one more round to get through.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy ¡ª but he had risen to every challenge that faced him so far. What was one more?

 Chapter 13

    The organizers brought the top 5 teams onstage, and the losing teams¡¯ collective disappointment washed over them. The announcer congratulated Hunter and the other four teams, informing them that the next round would start in 2 and a half hours.

    17 disappointed teams left the stadium, while Hunter and the others stayed behind for the next 30 minutes to answer questions from journalists who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

    Hunter wanted to find a way out of speaking with them, but there was no avoiding it. Having taken the top spot of the second round, he had a lot of attention centred on him. It felt suffocating. He was worried about saying something wrong.

    When everyone had been further away during the testing phase for his force construct, he¡¯d been nervous, but it was manageable. Hunter felt like he was forced to tread a tightrope across a cavern as the journalists pestered him with endless questions. The flasing lights from their cameras were like the tittering of insects. Each click came with the certain knowledge that his image would be broadcast across the world.

    Winds buffeted him from all sides. Vertigo took over. He needed to get out of that room.

    His only concern was locating a caffeine fix or a quiet spot for a nap.

    ¡°Hunter, are you really the son of Gideon Koar?¡±

    Hunter turned away from the journalist and asked the attendant nearest him to help him leave. The camera flashes increased in frequency. The attendant looked confused, flapping her mouth like a fish out of water, but he gave her the most desperate look he could. He must have gained some pity, because she made a call. The assembled journalists protested indignantly. A path opened as two large men, enjoying their task, pushed the crowd apart. With the way cleared, he hurried away from the press room and headed towards the stadium¡¯s exit.

    The stadium¡¯s lobby was full. Most of the losing teams were there or just outside the building, chatting with families. Hunter was surprised and unhappy by the apologies he received from many people for actions over the past couple of days.

    They seemed so small to him. Like children in bigger bodies.

    He may have been tired. Or maybe his dismissal of their apologies was simply irrational. Either way, he wanted nothing to do with them. Was it bad form to ignore their apologies? Perhaps.

    Were he not so exhausted, he could feel furious. Now he felt like nothing but their own mirror image. They had dismissed him for no reason, following the opinions of the crowd. None of them had taken the time to get to know him, to understand the potential he had.

    He felt a deep unease about their obliviousness. They were drones, followers of the herd. He wanted nothing to do with them.

    Other teams came to shake his hand, congratulating him on his performance so far, and it felt way too similar to being surrounded by a bunch of ambitious journalists.

    Some wanted to chat with him about his battery or his Force construct. He told him he was busy and wanted some time to himself before the next round. Most understood his need for time alone; however, some were disappointed, and some were offended¡ªbut why should he care about their opinions on how he spent the next few hours? What was it with these people? What gave them the gall to feel they had any claim over his time?

    Then he realized.

    He saw them comparing themselves, not only to him, but to the surrounding teams. Comparing, giving sideways glances to their friends and others around them, always assessing. Many of them wore high-quality clothing and groomed themselves well. They spoke like they¡¯d had expensive educations ¡ª they had that accent, the tilt of the head, the particular words they used. These were a bunch of wealthy brats who were used to having their egos inflated because of who their parents were and how much money they¡¯d been born into. They all had an expanding network of acquaintances whom they can draw upon for favours, business advantages, and career leaps.

    He was just another resource for them now. Another pawn on their boards ¡ª and it wasn¡¯t like they were trying to hide it, either. How do they all tolerate each other? Again, he felt like automatons surrounded him ¡ª a small sea of self serving, pretentious machines.

    Stepping outside, he saw Jeremy¡¯s team chatting amongst themselves. He wondered how they took their elimination and considered leaving them alone. He knew that he¡¯d want to avoid them if their positions were reversed.

    Before he could leave and find a cafe, Stephan noticed him and told the team. Nicole beamed and waved him over. They were all smiling as he met them ¡ª save Rodney, who seemed to find a sudden interest in the concrete underfoot. Jeremy patted Hunter on the back and offered his congratulations. Nicole seemed to be excited about Hunter¡¯s placement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did so well! You should have seen David Nettle¡¯s face when they announced your results. It was so funny. And when you bowed! He went red!¡± she said, unable to hold back laughter. Rodney started smiling a bit as well.

    ¡°It felt good to see him humbled like that. There¡¯s people like him at every competition we¡¯ve been to,¡± Jeremy said.

    ¡°Look at me. My AR is higher than yours. That must mean I am a superior specimen. Behold your king, peasants,¡± Stephan said, doing his best impression of David Nettle, sticking his nose up in the air with his arms crossed.

    Hunter laughed with them. He was glad that he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. It felt good to let some of the tension bleed away.

    ¡°We were gonna grab something to eat. Wanna come?¡± Nicole asked. Hunter nodded. He felt a lot better than he had the previous day. He checked his watch. There was still over an hour and a half before the next round.

    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t go too far out of the way, sure,¡± Hunter said. They talked as they walked. Hunter got to know the team better. Rodney seemed like he had something he wanted to say, but elected to remain silent.

    They chose a restaurant near where Jimmy had taken him a couple of days ago. It was busy. Most families had the day off on Sunday and there were plenty of people out to lunch.

    Someone led them to a rounded booth. As they all sat down and started browsing the menu, Rodney took the chance to speak up.

    ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± he asked.

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°Could you be more specific?¡± Hunter asked. He decided to match Rodney¡¯s discourtesy with a dose of his own.

    ¡°7 stars, both rounds,¡± Rodney said, his eyes unflinching as they bored into Hunters. ¡°The highest score by over 10 points, while solo? I still can¡¯t figure it out. How did you do it?¡±

    Hunter studied Rodney¡¯s face. He searched for something like an accusation, some sign that he was just like the rest of the pricks he¡¯d been having to deal with. But although Rodney had a certain intensity to him, the dismissal he¡¯d noticed the other day wasn¡¯t there anymore. He wasn¡¯t apologizing or trying to gain some favour. All Hunter saw on Rodney¡¯s face was a sincere desire to solve a problem.

    Hunter could relate to that feeling. He imagined being in Rodney¡¯s shoes and knew that he would feel the same. He¡¯d want to do whatever it took, to sit however long he needed to in front of however many books, and do however many experiments it took to figure something out.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit, I¡¯m kind of curious too,¡± Jeremy said, ¡°It¡¯s awesome that you¡¯ve been doing so well, but you¡¯ve got to understand that from our perspective, its hard to believe even for us ¡ª and we were there.¡±

    Hunter considered his words. They only confirmed what he¡¯d expected when he signed up to take the preliminary test, at least to a degree. But if he was honest, what he¡¯d expected was a bit more intrigue and corporate sabotage. Maybe he¡¯d read too many novels.

    He didn¡¯t trust the team. However, he had experience deflecting questions, so he¡¯d give them a vague response to satisfy their curiosity. Another point in their benefit is that they weren¡¯t nosey journalists, instead they were among the few people who had treated him with respect over the last few days.

    ¡°Gideon Koar was my dad,¡± Hunter said, waiting to see how they¡¯d react. It was less unbelievable than his performance in the competition so far. They all had similar reactions to this revelation; a casual nod, a shrug of the shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had this handicap ¡ª my AR,¡± he said, ¡°but etherium has always been my core passion.¡±

    Nicole snickered.

    Jeremy gave her a look that seemed like a warning.

    ¡°What did I say?¡± Hunter asked, confused by the reaction.

    Jeremy¡¯s look intensified. Nicole ignored him.

    ¡°You said core passion,¡± she said, snickering again, ¡°like Koar passion.¡±

    Hunter was stunned.

    His reaction seemed to amuse her even more, and her snicker graduated into a full-on giggling laughter.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°I deeply apologize. She¡¯s hopeless, the poor thing,¡± Jeremy said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Nicole¡¯s merriment was undaunted. She continued to giggle to herself as Jeremy suffered.

    Was she like this the previous day, and he had just been too tired to notice?

    Hunter continued with his point.

    ¡°Anyway, my dad always encouraged me to continue studying constructs. By the time I was 8, I was building my own. A few years later, after he died, I had to support myself ¡ª constructs kept my fridge full and a roof over my head. But I had to adapt. I had to learn how to approach the craft differently. I had to learn to do it my way,¡± he said. He wondered if that would be enough to satisfy them.

    Rodney shook his head.

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s only half the story,¡± he said, ¡°I could accept that you took a unique approach to the battery, and that it would be enough to impress the judges ¡ª not that I could imagine how your approach differed from ours or anyone else¡¯s. But that doesn¡¯t explain how you could create such a powerful and efficient Force construct,¡± Rodney said.

    The intensity of his demeanour might have held some envy. It might have held some regret, but what Hunter saw was that Rodney¡¯s intensity was mostly a result of his excitement.

    He knew Hunter knew something. And he wanted to know, too.

    He could tell him the truth, at least what he suspected. It wasn¡¯t rare for high-AR individuals to develop mutations, mutations that they sometimes passed on to their children. It could be an unnatural increase in strength, speed, endurance, or even a change in skin colour. A famous example was an elderly man who had reached an AR of over 100, and his skin turned a light shade of blue, and he could adjust the temperature of his skin by amounts that would be difficult for human beings to survive prolonged exposure too, and he could do it for days at a time.

    Such mutations were rare ¡ª even among high-AR individuals. The highest known AR is 120, and as far as Hunter recalls, he had shown no signs of having developed a mutation.

    He suspected his father had a similar mutation. He hadn¡¯t known what his AR had been by the time he¡¯d died, but if Hunter¡¯s suspicion was correct, then he inherited the sensitivity after it manifested in his father.

    Hunter figured that although he might not trust them, he did liked these guys, and Rodney seemed like something of a kindred spirit, in a way.

    ¡°Any of you got a pen and paper?¡± he asked the team. Stephen nodded and grabbed his backpack, taking out a pad of paper and a pencil. Hunter took it and started drawing.

    ¡°I¡¯m betting you made three key choices when you designed your construct. I assume you prioritized the Force glyph in your AR budget. Did you use two small, spaced Amplify glyphs near the output plate, with at least one Reinforced?¡±

    Nicole nodded and pursed her lips. He¡¯d never taken the time to explain his thoughts about constructs before. Most of his notes were his own personal brand of chicken scratch, and the rest of the logic was in his head, where it was safe.

    He spoke slowly as he considered his words.

    ¡°I placed my Reinforce glyph on the plate, but it was one of the first glyphs in my network syntax.¡± He paused, seeing if they were following. Jeremy looked confused. Stephan seemed as stoic as usual, but Rodney was nodding enthusiastically.

    ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken,¡± Hunter said, ¡°David Nettle and Jonathan Berrymoore¡¯s teams also used this syntax modification, although with their own adjustments. My guess is that Jonathan¡¯s team created a design that was a lot more streamlined than David¡¯s. How you place and size your glyphs could make or break your place on the leaderboard. I also bet that Jonathan¡¯s team did something similar in how they placed their Reinforce glyph ¡ª rather than just having it earlier in the syntax, they might have had it right at the beginning, like mine.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that having Reinforce as part of the initializing syntax makes it act as an amplifier?¡± Rodney asked.

    Hunter nodded. Before he could continue, Rodney snapped his fingers.

    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that having it on the output plate would have reinforced the Force glyph through proximity. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve never heard of proximal effects outside of theory,¡± Rodney said, his excitement making his words rush out. ¡°But if you say you¡¯ve proven it...¡±

    He thought before continuing, ¡°But I¡¯m not seeing how that would have much of an effect on either AR efficiency or output. ¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t, you¡¯re right. But some of the other support glyphs I used would have had a destabilizing effect on the Force glyph. The subtle effect that Reinforce had in proximity to the Force glyph allowed for greater output without the glyph destabilizing or the causing the constructs¡¯ efficiency to drop.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re gonna keep those specific support glyphs to yourself, I take it?¡± Nicole asked with a smirk.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Hunter asked.

    Nicole shrugged and conceded his point.

    He could tell he¡¯d given the team a lot of think about. Especially Rodney. He seemed content with the answer so far, but Hunter knew he wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied until he got the full breakdown.

    Too bad for Rodney.

    Hunter was uncertain about the future. If he shared anymore, he might one day discover that his work was being used by one of the companies which had taken his home away from him. Reverse engineering is inevitable; any company releasing a new product couldn¡¯t do much about that except for enforcing their patents. Hunter had heard that the patent battles could take years and weren¡¯t always worth the money it took to either prosecute or defend.

    Another variable for corporations to strategize over. How exhausting.

    It wasn¡¯t like Hunter had never used his synergistic glyph networks before. Whenever he wanted to impress a client or assumed of his work being observed by another artisan, he would use some of his own research to improve a construct.

    But those were exceptional circumstances. Hunter was content to repair things to their original function. There were other ways to improve the quality of a construct without giving away his prized knowledge.

    Hunter wanted his work released to the world on his own terms when he was ready. He wanted total control over how his tech was distributed.

    Although, he had to admit that the respect he saw in the eyes of the team was something he could get used to.

    <hr>

    The top 5 teams were back in the stadium. They walked out one by one in the order of their ranking from the previous round to a long period of applause from the gathered spectators. As Hunter entered, he was surprised to see that there weren¡¯t any workbenches. Instead, there was a large, open-faced room that was full of machines and gadgets of various sizes. The room was elevated, built upon the stage the announcer had used for the previous two rounds.

    The teams were told to line up, facing the spectators with their backs towards the open-faced room.

    Hunter had a bad feeling about this final round. An attendant pulled him aside just before he entered. He was told he could only use two custom tools this round, not the full set. The third arm was a given, otherwise the disadvantage would be unbridgeable.

    He selected his multi-node tool, which simplified attaching multiple batteries. This also significantly reduced battery attachment and detachment time during construct testing.

    Those were his two greatest disadvantages during this competition, and those two tools had been his lifeline. The rest of his tools were still important, as they helped with channel carving. He brought stencils for frequently used or technically challenging glyphs. His shaky hands made intricate work difficult, but he could manage it without it in a pinch.

    Would it be enough to win him the competition? He had to believe it would be.

    He¡¯d done well enough so far, and he wasn¡¯t about to doubt how far he could push himself.

    The other teams seemed confident. Jonathan Berrymoore and his team stood proudly as they faced the audience. David Nettle¡¯s team appeared more subdued, but no less confident. None of the assembled teams appeared to hold any doubts regarding the outcome of this round. They all knew that they had what it took to win.

    The first and second round were important ¡ª but they were only a means to make it here. The final placement will be determined by combining scores from all three rounds, with the final round contributing the most points.

    Hunter knew that much, but wasn¡¯t sure how the judges broke down each round¡¯s score. But he¡¯d find out in a few hours.

    ¡°Welcome, everybody, to the final round of the 10th annual Global Youth Artisan Competition. Our top 5 teams have distinguished themselves as some of the most exceptional artisans of their generation. We have high hopes for you all, and are looking forward to seeing how you¡¯ll meet the challenge that¡¯s been prepared for you. Behind you is a room full of constructs in various states of repair and disrepair. You can salvage some, but not others. To finish this challenge, you must repair the wireless network hub at the back of the room. You must decide which constructs to recycle and which are necessary to support the hub¡¯s core functions.¡±

    It was then that Hunter despaired.

    During this round, his disadvantages would be the most pronounced. The last two rounds had worked for him because it tested a team¡¯s knowledge about the craft. This was a round designed to push a team to its limit, and Hunter didn¡¯t have a team to lean on.

    ¡°You will have 2 hours to complete the round. The team¡¯s time to completion and their creative use of the provided tools and resources will decide their score. You will also have your work appraised by our panel of esteemed judges. Teams, are you ready?¡±

    Hunter nodded. He didn¡¯t feel ready, but did that matter at this point? He wasn¡¯t looking forward to sticking around for a 10 hours, though. Especially if this round was going to be as taxing as he imagined it would be.

    ¡°Hunter Koar, you scored the highest during the previous round, so you may opt to either go first or second. What do you prefer?¡± the announcer asked.

    Hunter didn¡¯t take too long to think about it. He needed information and a game plan. Observing other teams might not guarantee his success, but it will help him be more efficient.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait,¡± he said.

    ¡°Excellent. Jonathan Berrymoore, Tilda Burner, and Philip Golbrune, you¡¯re up! Good luck, contestants!¡±

    The team entered the room and discussed their strategy as the round began and the three-hour countdown started.

    Hunter had eaten a small meal and had drank a large coffee. He also brought one with him ¡ª after getting approval from the competition staff. The logic was that if he spilled coffee over his work, that was on him, and so it was his own risk to take.

    He sipped his coffee as he watched the team get to work. They spread throughout the room, taking an inventory of what was there. Hunter recognized some constructs over the 30 yards that separated him and the room. There wasn¡¯t any actual logic or theme that he could distinguish. He¡¯d seen similar constructs at Mrs. Margarets, he¡¯d seen some of them in artisan workshops that he¡¯d visited, he¡¯d even seen some at fast-food establishments.

    He had some ideas about how this round was meant to be approached. It seemed almost like a puzzle. Jonathan¡¯s team was figuring it out as well.

    ¡°You can¡¯t win this round, you know that, right?¡±

    Hunter almost cringed when he heard David¡¯s voice. Every time David had talked to him over the last couple of days, he approached from behind with the same hostile, whining tone.

    ¡°Do you have a problem with approaching people like a normal person?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°I have a problem with arrogant, self-entitled brats,¡± David said. Hunter decided not to retort. It wasn¡¯t worth the effort. If David had the self awareness necessary to appreciate Hunter¡¯s most obvious response, then Hunter¡¯s response wouldn¡¯t be necessary.

    David would ignore any mention of his hypocrisy. And Hunter didn¡¯t care either way. David had intimidated him when they¡¯d first met. But Hunter wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. He¡¯d proven that he deserved to be here.

    ¡°Although,¡± David said, filling the silence when Hunter didn¡¯t take the bait, ¡°you have proven that you have a right to be arrogant. Two top scores, it¡¯s impressive. And all alone, too.¡±

    Hunter almost couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. He looked at David and studied him.

    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± Hunter asked.

    David snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it doesn¡¯t matter how you feel, what you think your odds are. You can¡¯t win this round. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already realized it.¡±

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ll guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±

    David had said all he¡¯d wanted to and walked back to his team. But before he got too far, he paused and looked back.

    ¡°You know, I used to admire Gideon Koar. Hearing what he did to those innocent people, it taught me something,¡± he said, staring off into the distance, ¡°such a shame. Should we be worried about you as well, Hunter?¡±

    Hunter had done an outstanding job of staying calm in front of this jerk all weekend. He¡¯d kept himself focused, refusing to let him get inside his head.

    But this time, the words had struck home. A fire rose in Hunter¡¯s chest, and reached his throat, and fury animated his tongue as he whispered.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±

 Chapter 14

    It was interesting, Hunter would think in hindsight, how many emotions you could feel at once. Grief, despair, apathy, and fury, all balled up in Hunter¡¯s body. He wanted to run away, back to his suite, sit on his bed and wait for this cocktail of pain to bleed away into a memory. He wished to become absorbed in his research and creation, focused only on the next channel, curve, battery test, or flash of inspiration.

    His only wish was to drift along with the shifting song of desire that etherium sung to him.

    As he watched David walk back to his team, Hunter felt certain that David was right. There was no way he was going to win this round. He had the AR of a toddler and the physical strength of someone half his age. He faced this challenge tired, burned out, and with a quarter of the manpower of other teams.

    Hunter had already lost, and the third round had barely even begun.

    But if David thought his words would be enough to make Hunter quit, he was wrong.

    Hunter knew his father was innocent of the crime they accused him of, but he¡¯d be lying if he said his father wasn¡¯t strange. Hunter had inherited his obsession towards constructs from him, after all. When his father had set his mind to something, nothing would stop him from achieving it. It was a stubborn streak that Hunter revelled in, one legacy that his father has passed onto him.

    They could take his family¡¯s money, their home, their land, and all of their possessions. But they couldn¡¯t take the blood that pumped through his heart, the Koar family blood that carried the spark of his father¡¯s greatness within him. It was a spark that Hunter would stop at nothing to nurture until it took root within himself as well.

    He took a deep breath to calm himself. It didn¡¯t work, but it helped him shift his focus back to Jonathan¡¯s team.

    They¡¯d made a lot of progress while he was ruminating. Jonathan was studying the inside of the network hub. Hunter believed he¡¯d have an advantage; he understood the construction of wireless etherium network hubs. There were a few different versions, but they were all based on his father¡¯s original design.

    Hunter believed he would also be able to analyze the various constructs scattered across the room quickly. His work over the last few years had helped him refine both his eyes for detail and his ability to rapidly diagnose and solve problems.

    It would still be an overwhelming amount of work to get through this round, but the more Hunter thought about it, the more he could feel his sense of confidence return.

    He excelled at this. He could do this.

    Jonathan¡¯s team completed the challenge in just under an hour and a half. When they activated the network hub, they all cheered and gave each other high-fives.

    ¡°Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 33 seconds,¡± the announcer said, after the judges walked through the room and assessed the team¡¯s work, ¡°Total time left, 32.45 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Completion score: 15.¡±

    ¡°Judges score: 5 stars. The total score for your team this round is 247.45.¡±

    Hunter tried to deduce how they were calculating the score.

    If they converted the time remaining into points, added that to the completion score, and multiplied that by the judges¡¯ score, he estimated that it would match the team¡¯s final score for the round. He assumed that the judge¡¯s score always acted as a multiplier.

    Hunter had studied the team as they worked, understanding the logic of the challenge. Hunter was going to rely on his creativity more than he ever had before. The non-binary nature of the challenge comforted him. That he could earn points meant he could be strategic with how he approached it.

    Jonathan¡¯s team left the hub room; they then drew a curtain across the room¡¯s open end. Attendants entered the room through the curtain, carrying a new batch of constructs and parts. Hunter realized they were different from the ones the other team had used.

    Clever. That way, proceeding teams couldn¡¯t use the advantage that came from watching the other teams before them. Within a few minutes, they raised the curtain, and it was the Hunters¡¯ turn.

    The announcer called him forward. Hunter steeled himself and walked up to the room, ready to work. He let the spectators and observing teams fade from his attention.

    They gave him a minute to set up before the countdown started. Instead of a workbench, he had to make use of what was available.

    ¡°Are you ready? The countdown starts¡­now!¡± the announcer said.

    Hunter sacrificed a few seconds to chug the rest of his coffee. It should kick in over the course of the round. He walked to the network hub and undid the front panel. He recognized the model straight away. Fourth generation, with some silly additions that seemed hard-wired ¡ª not just added for the sake of the artisan competition.

    Hunter scoffed and shook his head. There was a small logo printed on the right-hand wall of the construct.

    LockeMark Industries. Typical. Why improve on what was already a great product when you could make it worse? Typical corporate council corporation with their predictable, ass-backwards, nonsensical anti-logic. He wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less.

    He took a minute to study the alterations the company had made and realized that he could gain points just by taking them out. This wouldn¡¯t take too long, and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time that Hunter improved a constructs performance by ¡®ruining¡¯ a considerable portion of it.

    Tracing most unwanted channels to their origins took only a couple of minutes; he then severed them, eliminating a third of the construct¡¯s glyphs. He made a mental list of potential improvements he could make, noting the parts he would need to activate the construct as well. There were a few ways he could do it, but it would depend on what was available to him.

    He spent the next 20 minutes looking through the provided parts and constructs. He separated them, and ended up with 5 which he deemed unsalvageable, 3 which he deemed salvageable, and 2 which appeared to work fine. Then he had a lightbulb moment and realized that some parts he rendered obsolete within the wireless network hub could fix not only the salvageable ones, but he might even make a new construct with the parts leftover.

    The problem was what he had expected from the start of the round. It was far too much work for him. So he focused on what he thought would bring him the most points. He gambled on the distribution of completion points. He would cannibalize one of the functional constructs, using some of his synergies to transform an unsalvageable construct into something different.

    Its original form was a portable oven you could bring camping, or if you were staying somewhere off-grid. Hunter had converted it into a portable refrigerator. He took out a still-useful component of the oven and installed it into the network hub.

    After what felt like an hour, Hunter was feeling the pressure. His steps felt heavier. It was an effort to crouch and stand ¡ª he had poor endurance and physical strength to begin with. His previous round had drained him, and the constant cycle of activating, assessing, disassembling, testing, and reassembling the constructs took its toll. A few times he had to stop and breathe quick, deep breaths to oxygenate his body. The coffee wasn¡¯t having as much of an effect as he¡¯d hoped.

    Time felt flexible to Hunter. He had to estimate how much time had passed based on how much work he¡¯d done, and comparing that to his initial assessment and expectations when he¡¯d first analyzed the room.

    There were two more parts he needed to install into the network hub, which he found between two more of the salvageable constructs ¡ª a vacuum cleaner and a large, boxy flashlight. Next, he repaired the flashlight after taking apart a third usable structure. He relegated the vacuum cleaner to the table he had assigned to the unsalvageable constructs.

    There was another part floating around which he could install into the network hub, which would boost its output for a small decease in efficiency, which might count as creative bonus points. But Hunter couldn¡¯t be sure.

    At this point, he figured he had about 45 minutes remaining. He had a plan to fix the fully functional construct which he¡¯d gutted at the beginning, but he didn¡¯t know if he had enough time. In the end, he went with the network hub, hoping that it would bring him more points.

    Each second he spent fixing the network hub felt like it stretched onwards, and he expected to hear the buzzer sound to signal that he¡¯d run out of time. He felt relief when he attached the final battery to the network hub and activated it, signalling that he was done.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The judges approached the room and observed the mess that Hunter had made. Some of them appeared less than impressed, but Hunter didn¡¯t mind. He was just glad that he¡¯d been able to finish the round on time.

    The countdown clock was right above the room, and he couldn¡¯t see its face from where he stood.

    ¡°Cutting it quite close,¡± he heard one say as they passed him by.

    How close had he cut it?

    ¡°I must admit,¡± another one judge said as he picked through the constructs that Hunter had modified, ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your capacity to think outside of the box.¡±

    Hunter smiled. Based on the judge¡¯s expression, he wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to take it as a compliment. He had taken some creative liberties. Distinguishing what was useable and what wasn¡¯t was simple. In the end, there were many more unsalvageable constructs and parts piled together than there were useable ones. And all the useable ones had become patchwork conglomerations that functioned well but would lose points for aesthetics.

    Then it came time to announce the results.

    ¡°Time to completion: 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 32 seconds. Total time left: 28 seconds.¡±

    The announcer conferred with the judges.

    ¡°Completion score: 19.¡±

    ¡°Judges score: 2 stars. For a total score of 94.¡±

    Hunter sighed. Less than half of what Jonathan¡¯s team scored ¡ª but if he was honest with himself, it was better than he¡¯d expected.

    He was tired to the bone, but there were still 3 teams left in the round. Hunter could have napped, but he asked an attendant for another coffee after leaving the stage.

    The attendant seemed concerned. They left and returned a few minutes later with a paper cup, rejoining Hunter near the other teams who were observing David Nettle and his team assess the parts.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t very interested in watching them. He found a seat and did his best to stay awake. Just over an hour later, the judges announced the team¡¯s score.

    ¡°Team three, your total time to completion was 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 44 seconds. Your remaining time was 44.2 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Completion score: 12,¡±

    ¡°Judges score: 5 stars, for a total score of 281,¡±

    Hunter clapped with the other teams and smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. He felt bitter, but that bitterness was frail before the exhaustion. In a way, he felt grateful for how tired he was. David gave Hunter a mock bow as he passed. If he was bothered by Hunter¡¯s total nonreaction, he didn¡¯t show it.

    The fourth and fifth teams completed their rounds over the next 3 and a half hours. Scoring 270, and 235.92 points, respectively.

    Hunter glanced at the scoreboard behind the countdown clock.

    TM 3: 281

    TM 4: 270

    TM 1: 247.45

    TM 5: 235.92

    TM 2: 94

    Hunter closed his eyes. He almost wished sleep would take him, and he¡¯d wake up back in his hotel suite, relieved that this had all just been a bad dream.

    But he reminded himself that the competition wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ¡°Teams! What an incredible display of talent, knowledge, and communication. Before we assess the final scores for the competition, Oberon Enterprises would like to thank you all for attending and for pushing yourself and proving the potential of the next generation. The future looks bright with all of you working so hard to improve yourselves, and the world, with your craft. We will take a brief break, and in 20 minutes we will all reconvene to announce the final results of the competition, and this year¡¯s grand prize winner!¡±

    ¡°20 minutes,¡± Hunter muttered to himself. He had finished the coffee the attendant had given him long ago. He felt no more awake than he had after his round was over. But he hadn¡¯t fallen asleep yet, so it must have done something.

    The teams left the stadium, and Hunter found a washroom and splashed cold water on his face.

    He studied himself in the mirror. There were deep, dark bags under his eyes. He felt like he weighed about twice as much as usual. His joints and muscles felt sore. This whole competition had been a feat of endurance, like Hunter had never known. The other teams were probably feeling it too, although to a much lesser degree.

    When he felt ready, he dragged himself back to the stadium and found his spot on the stage where two other teams were waiting.

    ¡°Told you,¡± David said as Hunter walked by him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± Hunter said. He heard one of David¡¯s team mutter ¡®94.¡¯ The rest of the team snickered amongst themselves. Birds of a feather flock together, they say.

    Soon, the final two teams appeared. As the announcer took the stage and stood before the 5 teams, she spoke to the spectators, who were still filtering in. Standing before the stage was a gathering crowd of what Hunter could only guess were reporters and journalists, each carrying photo cameras and bigger cameras for what might even be a live broadcast.

    ¡°In my hand, I have the total calculated score for the top 5 team¡¯s performances during the competition, but before they¡¯re announced, I would like to thank our audience for attending, as well as all our sponsors for making this event possible. A special thanks to Oberon Enterprises¡¯ esteemed Council partners, whose continued contribution to this annual competition paves the way for a bright future for everyone,¡± the announcer said to a polite round of applause from the assembled crowd, as well as the teams.

    He noticed Jimmy in the assembled journalists, and he gave Hunter a wink and a thumbs up.

    Was that encouragement? A bit late for that. But maybe it meant something else.

    Trey Oberon was watching, after all. Hunter had expected him to set up a meeting after the first round. He¡¯d kept a lookout for him, to see if he could spot him with the judges, or in the spectators, or even watching from the side.

    So far, he had seen nothing. He knew the man¡¯s face ¡ª who didn¡¯t these days? The media spread it far and wide. Hunter had seen him during news broadcasts, advertisements, newspaper articles, and billboards. The life of a Council Seat was busy and widely publicized.

    Hunter didn¡¯t take the lack of news personally. In fact, he was relieved. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to meeting with Trey Oberon ¡ª if there was going to be a meeting at all. But maybe Jimmy¡¯s thumbs-up meant it was coming.

    Hunter tried to tell himself that no matter what, his performance during the competition would be enough to gain some attention, both positive and negative. He¡¯d avoided being disqualified, and he knew that he¡¯d done better than anyone else could with not just one, but two handicaps. His low AR, and his lack of a supporting team.

    He would have options for his future, and that¡¯s what he¡¯d joined this competition to ensure.

    Before the first explorers manned the first out-world ships, and realized that the sky wasn¡¯t real, there were theories about singularities, way out in deep space. They called them black holes, with gravitational pulls so intense that not even light could escape. The future felt like one of those; a singularity ¡ª and the results were the event horizon.

    The future was unknowable. He would have to take it as it comes.

    ¡°Now, for the event we¡¯ve been waiting for,¡± the announcer said, ¡°to hand out the awards for this year''s competition, please welcome to the stage, Mrs. Idra Verillion, head assistant for Trey Oberon.¡±

    A middle-aged woman stepped up to the stage wearing a black dress with a grey blazer. She had brown hair and warm eyes that didn¡¯t fit Hunter¡¯s view of high-level corporate executives. But she wasn¡¯t really an executive, was she? What was the job of the head assistant to a council seat?

    The teams all seemed to be impressed and surprised to see her. Hunter clapped, feigning the same enthusiasm as the other teams.

    ¡°Without further ado, the results,¡± the announcer said, and the gathering crowd quieted down.

    ¡°People considered this team the underdog this year, but they established themselves as a genuine contender after the first round, earning 7 stars from our judges. As a multiplier for the total score earned during the second and third rounds, they earned a final score of 960.4! In 5th place, Hunter Koar!¡±

    Idra Verillion approached Hunter with a beaming smile and a blue medal, which she hung around his neck, handing him a bunch of flowers, neatly twined together. The flashing lights from the camera left afterimages in his vision, and he did his best to offer the most genuine-looking smile he could.

    Try as he might, he could summon no emotion to back it up. He felt numb.

    5th place wasn¡¯t what he had aimed for. Had his performance in the first two rounds really only deemed him worthy of 5th place?

    But it was done. There was no disputing the score. He had to accept his fate.

    ¡°In fourth place, with a final score of 1535.53¡­¡±

    He almost couldn¡¯t believe that his final score had been so far below the rest of the teams.

    Hunter tuned out the surrounding noise. He never learned the names of the teams in fourth and third place. It didn¡¯t matter to him at this point.

    By the time they reached the final two teams, it was between David¡¯s team and Jonathan¡¯s.

    Hunter wished he could place money on the result. He¡¯d put every meager credit he had to his name on Jonathan¡¯s team. Their performance had been outstanding.

    ¡°In second place, they scored 6 stars in the first round...¡±

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°... with a final score of 1827, David Nettle, Justin Gunner, Hilary Tonley, and Pepper Silva!¡±

    Hunter nodded to himself. He wondered what the payout would have been for that bet. Although it stung to lose to David and his team, there was some relief, knowing that they didn¡¯t win the grand prize. Mrs. Verillion handed them their silver medals.

    ¡°And finally, the grand prize winner of this year¡¯s Global Youth Artisan Competition, I present the team that won first place with a final score of 1928.15, Jonathan Berrymoore, Philip Golbrune, and Tilda Burner! Congratulations on having earned 4 sponsorships to the exclusive and prestigious Barnum Academy of Excellence, as well as 100 000 credits!¡±

    The team hugged each other, each cheering in celebration. This year, they returned with a renewed sense of competence, driven by their belief in their own potential. And they¡¯d done it. They¡¯d won, even though the competition had been much fiercer, and the prizes much more valuable.

    ¡°And with that, we conclude this year¡¯s event. Thank you all for coming, and a special thanks to all our contestants, who are visiting from all over the world to take part. We hope to see some of you at next year¡¯s competition, hosted by the Eastern Shield!¡±

    The teams exited the stage. Journalists and reporters surrounded the winners looking for interviews.

    Hunter wanted to leave, but before he could, Mrs. Verillion caught him by the shoulder.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, congratulations on attaining 5th place. It¡¯s an impressive result,¡± she said. Hunter wanted to thank her and leave, but she continued.

    ¡°My boss, Mr. Trey Oberon, has expressed an interest in having a meeting with you. He¡¯s busy today, but he¡¯s scheduled a large block of time for tomorrow afternoon. Is that acceptable to you?¡±

    So, there it was. The invitation he¡¯d been waiting for and dreading. At least it wasn¡¯t until the next day.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± was all Hunter had the energy to say. Mrs. Verillion smiled.

    ¡°Perfect. Someone will come to pick you up at noon. Don¡¯t worry, we know where you¡¯re staying,¡± she said, and then considered her words as Hunter¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°That didn¡¯t come out quite right. Joyce Collingwood informed us of where she had set up your accommodations. This is embarrassing. I can be so careless with my words!¡±

    Hunter smiled and excused himself.

    He was too tired to eat, but after he considered staying behind to wait and see if he could spot them, he decided that had no confidence in being able to stay awake for much longer. His hotel suite was calling his name.

    He stumbled his way to the hotel and fell onto his bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 Chapter 15

    Hunter hadn¡¯t known what to expect. Maybe an SUV, like the one Joyce had sent to pick him up from Seckina, or something a bit more incognito and mainstream, which you would see hundreds of while driving through the Oberon Capital. What Hunter hadn¡¯t expected, although he thought he should have, was a Kellese ¡ª a construct-dominant car designed by a company called Kreig with high-society clients in mind, built for people who have plenty of credits and affinity to spare.

    As far as Hunter knew, Kreig had been around since the beginning of the automotive industry, and their shift towards incorporating constructs in their products had been revolutionary. They¡¯d maintained something of a monopoly on the luxury end of their niche; not lucrative enough to afford a Seat at the Council, but enough to net them worldwide recognition. Hunter would bet that most Council Seats had one or two stored away in a garage somewhere.

    Hunter wondered how the mind of such an individual worked. What was Trey¡¯s intention? Was this a message to Hunter?

    For once in his life, Hunter didn¡¯t mind the idea of having his psychology toyed with by a super-rich monarch. Next to getting himself inside of a ship bound outworld, this car was the second best thing.

    His driver¡¯s name was Barry. He had introduced himself with a smile and a tip of his hat. They enjoyed a short and awkward elevator ride together and Berry led Hunter out the back of the building. When Hunter had seen the Kellese parked by the back entrance of the hotel, his heart had skipped a beat. People considered it a symbol of power for a reason. The Kellese¡¯s design, unlike typical automotive designs which prioritize right angles and practicality, mimics a predator poised to strike, capable of lightning-fast acceleration.

    Kreig went far off the beaten path with how they designed their cars. He¡¯d heard people say that the Kellese were an eyesore, but Hunter couldn¡¯t disagree more.

    Barry opened a door for Hunter, and Hunter stepped into a level of luxury he hadn¡¯t enjoyed in many, many years. The thought almost brought back a pang of grief, but he pushed it away before it could ruin such a sweet moment. Barry entered the driver¡¯s seat and put his hands on the wheel, and at his touch, the car came to life. He could hear the etherium sing, he could feel the desires rise and fall as it flowed from glyph to glyph, accelerating here, decelerating there, amplified here, reinforced there, he could hear the subtle songs of Fire and Ice glyphs, he could hear a whirring chorus from the front of the car, underneath the hood. It was angelic.

    But it was also inefficient. He could sense some subtle, familiar distortions. When the etherium desired to soar, it was made to bare weight. When it wanted to scream at the top of its lungs, it was made to whisper. He could feel that at certain points, the etherium would disappear, kind of like how eyes had a blind spot. It felt the same with the etherium. Hunter would need to verify it himself, but it would seem that Kreig had been experimenting with using Drawstone shards instead of Link glyphs. It was an old method ¡ª expensive. Drawstones were cheap, but cutting a drawstone with precision was an expensive process, and it demanded a high AR cost. Based on feel alone, Hunter would say that the AR requirement of this ride was over 50 at the very least, and might even go as high as the 60s.

    The process of using shards instead of link glyphs had been a brief episode in the history of constructs and networks ¡ª lasting a handful of years before his father introduced Link. He wondered why they were using shards, given the inefficiency. A Link glyph would suffice. But then he remembered they hadn¡¯t designed these products for consumers concerned about cost and effectiveness. He¡¯d heard stories of how wealthy clients preferred form over function ¡ª especially wealthy clients with high ARs. He¡¯d heard that Krieg¡¯s core customer base came from the Pacific Shield. Most of the Pacific Shield¡¯s core business was security; retired or active military families, having trained their AR like they would any muscle.

    Barry impressed Hunter. He showed no sign of strain or exhaustion from keeping the car running for a long time.

    Hunter bore witness to a beautiful view, along with one of the most scenic countryside¡¯s that Hunter had ever seen. In the distance, he could see the great Hook mountain growing closer. Hook was a small mountain that the Oberon¡¯s called home for more than a century.

    It took an hour after having reached the countryside to make it to the Oberon¡¯s estate. Barry must have had an AR in the high 60s at least. Maybe even higher. Hunter would have placed his age somewhere around the late 40s. That wasn¡¯t a bad score. People¡¯s AR plateaued as approach their 40th year. It was only those who train frequently with drawstones, or have a high natural affinity, who will experience growth into their later years, and who also benefited from an increased longevity. On average, a person with an AR over 50 lived at least 10 years longer than average. Those with ARs over 100 have lived as long as 140 years.

    Hunter had never been to the mountains, and he enjoyed the novel scenery. Eventually the thin, winding road flanked by forest gave way and up to a manicured lawn that seemed endless. The lawn must have run for half a mile on both sides. He wondered whose job it was to maintain it. How well would the Oberon family pay that worker? The lawn was trimmed along the edge closest to the road, with an assortment of trees which had been shaped as they¡¯d grown. Their trunks twisted in spirals, their branches arcing in symmetry, creating something of a sparse canopy, coloured red, yellow, and orange as autumn rose in summer¡¯s retreat.

    Just before the Oberon mansion, the road bifurcated around a floral arrangement that appeared to resemble a crest ¡ª a family crest, too complex for Hunter to give much thought to. And who else would it belong to? As they passed the crest, the mansion itself appeared. A study in sleek design ¡ª old fashioned gravitas meeting modernity ¡ª it was a squat building, only 3 storeys total. An arrowhead shape pierced the sky at the front of the house; two large columns flanked the front door.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Barry disengaged the car ¡ª the etherium continuing to flow after Barry had taken his hands off the wheel. It was fascinating. Hunter wanted to take the car apart and understand every inch of its design. He wondered if they used small batteries to siphon a small charge, which would slowly discharge over the next few hours. The car would deactivate over seconds as the glyph networks demanded and devoured the etherium held in the batteries¡¯ grasp.

    After leaving the Kellese behind, Barry led Hunter to the front door of the Estate. Mrs. Verilion appeared to be expecting them, opening the door before they could knock. She wore a bright smile and waved Hunter in.

    ¡°Thanks for the smooth ride, Barry! Such a beautiful car,¡± Hunter said, still getting over the high of having been inside such an artisanal masterpiece.

    ¡°Always a pleasure to drive someone who has an eye for true beauty, Mr. Koar,¡± Barry bowed, and then left to bring the car to wherever it called home.

    ¡°Welcome to the Oberon family estate, Mr. Koar. You seemed to have enjoyed the ride over, which I¡¯m proud to hear. Mr. Oberon thought you¡¯d appreciate the Kellese more than most. He is just concluding some business and will be ready to receive you shortly. Come on in, have you eaten?¡± Mrs. Verilion asked, moving before Hunter could answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± Hunter said. He had never pushed himself like he had over the last couple of days. The morning coffee had done a little to tide over his appetite, but it returned with a vengeance during the drive. She led him to a small waiting room for what he assumed to be Trey Oberon¡¯s home office. He sat across from a large wooden double door with intricate chrome handles; one of the more modern additions to the mansion, Hunter assumed. A wall that appeared to be solid rock framed it. Whether or not it was a facade, Hunter couldn¡¯t tell. He figured the Council Seat could afford to have a rock wall installed inside his house, if for no other reason than the fact that it looked badass.

    Hunter realized he was feeling very impressed by Trey Oberon so far. He wondered if this had been his intention when he sent a driver in a Kellese to pick him up. Hunter wouldn¡¯t put it past a Council Seat to know how to knead at people¡¯s emotions for their own advantage.

    Hunter calmed himself down with a deep breath. With the upset from his ranking yesterday, maybe he was just looking for a reason to ride a positive emotion for all it was worth.

    Had Trey Oberon been counting on that?

    He shuddered at the thought. If he was overthinking it, it might serve him well. Trey Oberon was a bureaucrat at the highest level of society. He couldn¡¯t know if he was being paranoid, or practical and realistic in his assessment. Trey Oberon led one of the most successful mega-corporations in the world. The other Council Seats have all proven themselves to be mercurial, cold, and hungry for whatever scrap of advantage they could get.

    There was no reason to believe that Oberon Enterprises would be any different, he assumed. This would be a meeting that would require every ounce of brainpower Hunter could summon. He would not allow himself to be taken advantage of. His future would depend on it.

    He wasn¡¯t delusional. He knew he couldn¡¯t outwit a career politician. But he would have to try. Who knows? Maybe he¡¯d surprise himself.

    Despite all his assumptions, Hunter did not know what to expect from the meeting itself. He doubted that Trey Oberon would have had Hunter driven all the way over to his family estate just to shake his hand and congratulate him on placing 5th in the competition. He hoped this meeting was going to function more like a job interview.

    He huffed at the thought. If he¡¯d have told himself a month ago that he would be unironically considering working for a corporation, whether it was on his own terms or chained to a desk, Hunter would have thought that the Comics had tainted his water supply with a particularly potent hallucinogen.

    It wouldn¡¯t have occurred to him, even in his worse nightmare. But Hunter realized that when it came down to the wire, he could make choices he wouldn¡¯t otherwise contemplate. He hated admitting it, but he was long past the point of turning his nose at the prospect of continually having to impress, kiss ass, and ingratiate himself to a hierarchy if he had even the barest sliver of a chance of getting off of Sanctuary.

    What would the trajectory of his life look like when he walked back through those two large wooden doors?

    Mrs. Verilion returned with a couple of sandwiches, saying that her morning had been busy as well and that she hadn¡¯t had time to eat yet. He made a comment about Trey being a demanding boss, and she laughed, but then corrected him.

    ¡°I knew what the job was when Mr. Oberon brought me on. As far as bosses go, I¡¯ve seen a lot worse. I¡¯ve had colleagues call me during mental breakdowns, hiding in bathrooms where their boss couldn¡¯t find them. It takes a certain person to be a Council Seat, and many of them don¡¯t understand why everyone around them can¡¯t work 18-hour days, 7 days a week like they can,¡± she said.

    ¡°And you¡¯re saying that Mr. Oberon is different?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°In some ways, he¡¯s the same, of course. He¡¯s running a seated corporation without a board of executives to pass all the big decisions off to,¡± she said, ¡°you can¡¯t get around the workload and the stress that comes with it, but he¡¯s self aware of how his capabilities, and the capabilities of the people he works with can vary. He tries to be fair when he can.¡±

    She took a bite of her sandwich, and Hunter took the chance to eat his own. He anticipated a culinary experience on par with his luxurious transport.

    But it was just a normal sandwich. It was a tasty sandwich, but Hunter had tasted a thousand like it before. Honestly, he¡¯d have preferred a bit more mustard.

    Mrs. Verilion checked her watch.

    ¡°He should finish in about 5 minutes; is there anything else I can get you while you wait?¡±

    ¡°Is there a washroom around here?¡± he asked. She nodded and pointed him to a door down the hallway.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all, then I¡¯ll see you when your meeting has concluded,¡± she said, smiling as she left.

    The next 5 minutes felt like 10.

    Hunter quickly ate the rest of his sandwich and sighed, wishing he¡¯d also asked for coffee. He¡¯d had a small one earlier in the morning, just before Barry picked him up, but the toll that the competition had taken had affected him more than he¡¯d expected. Something inside him had been strained past the breaking point. He¡¯d only felt it a few times in his life, and it had only ever been to a fraction of the degree compared to what he was feeling now.

    His mind was functioning fine, but something deep within him ¡ª it was the only way Hunter knew how to describe it ¡ª felt like it was signaling for nourishment. That went away after a day of rest, but this was louder than it had ever been before. Loud enough that Hunter could almost notice the strangeness of it. It didn¡¯t feel physical ¡ª although he felt drowsy; it felt more like a subtle inefficiency in a construct.

 Chapter 16

    That would typically be an invitation to investigate. Was it a matter of not getting enough etherium? Was it a matter of the etherium¡¯s desire or charge? And when he knew that, he could then go about troubleshooting the best way to address it. But Hunter didn¡¯t know how to start addressing what he was feeling. He knew it had to do with his affinity, and the process of how the body became a conduit of etherium when it came in contact with a drawstone. Beyond that, he felt like he was in the dark. There was no way to figure it out, at least not now. Maybe one day, he¡¯d have a clearer answer.

    The large wooden doors leading to Trey Oberon¡¯s office cracked open. Hunter felt nervous. The first thing he noticed about the man who stepped out of the office was an incredible suit. His father had always loved suits and had tried to stoke Hunter¡¯s interest in them as well. Hunter never cared much ¡ª but he learned enough to tell a good suit from a great suit. The man was shorter than Hunter, which was nothing new to him. His peppered hair was receding, and he had a scruffy, short grey beard which appeared simultaneously ungroomed and strategically contained. He gave Hunter a brilliant, thousand-watt smile, which caused the skin around his eyes to crinkle. He put his hands on his hips and leaned back a bit, taking Hunter in.

    ¡°You must be Hunter,¡± he said, the smile on his face unwavering. Hunter didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Mr. Oberon?¡± He asked. Of course, it was him. Who else would it be? The exhaustion he¡¯d been feeling must have been deeper than he thought ¡ª his neurons were short-circuiting.

    ¡°In the flesh!¡± Trey Oberon said, pushing the door open slightly and gesturing for Hunter to lead the way. ¡°After you, come take a seat.¡±

    Hunter stepped into the office. It was bigger than the hotel suite he¡¯d been staying in.

    The roof appeared to be taller than the rest of the mansion, and Hunter figured it could just as well be the case. Despite its size, it felt cozy. It was homey, yet ornate. Big leather couches ringed a large, solid wooden coffee table. Bookshelves lined the walls, flanking the couches on both sides, stretching almost the entire length of the office except for the final third. At the point where the bookshelves ended, two shallow steps elevated the rest of the room, centred by a very modern-looking desk made of steel and glass. Trey passed Hunter and took his spot behind the desk, where he sat on a modest swivel seat. As he sat, he spun himself in the chair to face the large windows that showcased an incredible view.

    He could see the mountain¡¯s descent, and in the distance, he could make out the capital city.

    An earthy, smokey scent filled the air. The aroma of coffee made him want to ask if any had been brewed. However, he wasn¡¯t sure of the proper etiquette.

    ¡°So?¡± Trey Oberon said, spreading his arms wide as he looked back towards Hunter. ¡°What do you think, gorgeous, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Hunter said.

    Trey was about to say something, but then he appeared to change his mind.

    ¡°Sit down, young man. Relax. I trust that Idra already asked, but is there anything I can get you? Water? Coffee? Right, you¡¯re a coffee guy. I remember watching you chug that 20 oz. Before starting the final round,¡± he said with a sharp laugh.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure, some coffee would be great,¡± Hunter said, feeling surprised. Was this the monarch of the Oberon domain, offering to make him a cup of coffee? Is this how the script was supposed to go?

    ¡°Perfect, I just had some make a short while ago. You wouldn¡¯t believe how tedious morning meetings can be. Maybe one day you will, and if so, you have my condolences,¡± he said, his voice grim. He left his chair and walked back towards the leather sofas ¡ª which was quite the walk, considering how big the office was. Hunter got out of the chair and saw that there was a small table behind one sofa, which he hadn¡¯t seen. There was an ornate coffee press, some cups, and what looked like cream and sugar. Trey¡¯s face scrunched up, and he waved at Hunter, showing that he should sit back down.

    ¡°What kind of host would I be if I made you get up to get your own coffee? What do you take?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°In your coffee. What do you take? Cream, sugar?¡± Trey asked, raising his voice rising slightly as he neared the table, which must have been 20 yards away from the desk.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Hunter said, cursing himself. He¡¯s spoken too quietly. Then, raising his voice a bit, he said, ¡°Yeah, maybe three of each?¡±

    He felt strange, sitting in the armchair and looking out at the view while one of the most powerful people in the world was making him a cup of coffee.

    Was he still asleep? Maybe he¡¯d collapsed mid-round and was now comatose, stuck in a dream world.

    He pinched himself to make sure.

    Trey returned with the coffees.

    ¡°Your dad liked it black, you know,¡± Trey said as Hunter took a sip. He almost spit it out after hearing Trey¡¯s casual comment.

    ¡°You knew my dad?¡± Hunter asked, careful not to choke on the warm liquid. It was perfect, better than perfect, even. Do rich people have better sugar than poor people? It didn¡¯t taste like an alternative sweetener. It was definitely sugar, but it was just better than any other sugar he¡¯d ever had.

    ¡°Knew him? We practically spent most of our teenage years together, and then a good decade or so afterwards. Back then, I had more money than I knew what to do with, and he had more ideas than he knew what to do with. So, we started a few businesses.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°As teenagers?¡± Hunter asked. He¡¯d never heard this from his father before. He felt like that would be a significant piece of information.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say they were great businesses, but some lessons I learned in those early days are things that have helped me keep this corporation seated for the last couple of decades. New worlds, new physics, the rising accessibility of constructs, you know? The entire landscape of business and governance is changing. And it wasn¡¯t just business lessons I learned during those days either,¡± Trey said, his eyes defocusing, seeming to get lost in some nostalgic dream.

    Hunter was curious to hear more. Now that he thought about it, his father had never been too open about his past, and Hunter had never felt the need to ask.

    ¡°But those are stories for another time. Where were we? Right,¡± he said, smirking, ¡°Your dad was almost religious about how he took his coffee. I gave him one like mine once, and I take more cream and sugar than you do. He spit it out, onto an incredibly expensive carpet, mind you,¡± Trey laughed, ¡°¡®That¡¯s not coffee, that¡¯s candy,¡¯ he said to me. Can you believe that?¡±

    Hunter laughed too. It sounded exactly like something his dad would say.

    ¡°I loved that rug,¡± Trey said. ¡°I¡¯ve still got it somewhere, I think. Anyway, yeah, me and your dad were tight.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea,¡± Hunter said. ¡°He never mentioned you, but to be fair, he never mentioned much about his past at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising,¡± Trey said. ¡°After your mother died, he changed. Which ¡ª fair enough, you know? And then he had you to take care of as well, and his company. And he always loved to research, always tinkering. By the time he passed away, he and I hadn¡¯t talked for years.¡±

    Trey sighed, and there was a pause in their conversation as each of them considered their thoughts.

    Hunter had never known his mother. He didn¡¯t really feel attached to her, but the subject of his father¡¯s death always soured his mood.

    ¡°So, Jimmy told me he met with you and briefed you on the basics, but Jimmy¡¯s knowledge was only sufficient for the job he was hired for. The first reason I brought you here was to answer questions you might have, and I expect you might have a few,¡± Trey said, spreading his hands wide. ¡°I¡¯m an open book. Ask me anything. Within reason, obviously.¡±

    Hunter did have questions. But the questions he most wanted to ask could burn bridges before they were built. Obviously, he suspected that his father¡¯s death was a conspiracy. He knew his father would never hurt innocent people. They planted the evidence. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t ask Trey Oberon if he had a hand in that, could he?

    He felt tempted. There was a long simmering rage building once more. It rose from just below his chest, threatening to force itself up through his tongue.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you help me?¡± he asked after he took a second to pull his anger away to a safe distance.

    Trey nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

    ¡°As I said, your father and I go back. Before we went on to live our own lives, we were great friends. Those years were valuable to me. I learned a lot about humility and loyalty from that man, and I learned about people ¡ª people who weren¡¯t born as privileged as I was. Your father and I helped them whenever we could. One reason why most of the businesses we started ended up failing was because we were far too charitable. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it was always your father who pulled me over the red line. If I¡¯d had my way, the businesses would have succeeded,¡± he said, looking wistful again, smiling at the memories.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be half the man I¡¯d be now if your dad hadn¡¯t persuaded me to make so many misguided financial decisions,¡± he said with a chuckle, but it seemed forced. ¡°So, when I caught wind that some of my colleagues on the Council had invoked certain emergency policies regarding their acquisition of your family¡¯s estate, I felt compelled to act. You were the child of one of the best friends I¡¯d ever had. How could I not?¡±

    It occurred to Hunter that all he had was Trey¡¯s word about the relationship he had with his father. He squinted his eyes as he thought. Then he almost slapped himself.

    He hadn¡¯t been thinking.

    This was a Council Seat. Why had he been so tempted to just take his word at face value?

    Mrs. Verilion had said that Trey was different, as far as Council Seats go, and why did he believe her?

    Did he believe her? He felt tempted to.

    Why?

    Because she was friendly, Hunter¡¯s guard fell. Now he was feeling the same way with Trey Oberon. He¡¯d need to be more careful going forward. However, he realized he needed to exercise rational judgement as well. What if there was truth to Trey¡¯s words? He needed a way to verify it.

    ¡°I wonder if you have anything from those days, something of my fathers. You people ¡ª I mean, the Council ¡ª took everything from me,¡± Hunter said, choking out the words. He almost regretted the way they came out, but there was a burning feeling in his solar plexus he couldn¡¯t ignore. It was a familiar rage, mixed with a grief that he¡¯d never known how to deal with.

    Trey considered him for a second.

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s another question you want to ask me,¡± Trey said, considering Hunter. ¡°You know, your father had a bit of a rebellious streak. Never trusted the Council. And you know, I can¡¯t say I blame him.¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t trust himself to speak. Trey took his silence as an invitation to continue.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you knew that,¡± Trey said. Hunter nodded.

    It was true. His father thought very little of the council corporations, including Oberon Enterprises. Although, if he thought about it, maybe he could say that Oberon never received the same vitriol from his father that the other corporations did.

    ¡°So I suspect the real question you want to ask me is, ¡®why the hell should I believe a word you¡¯re telling me?¡¯ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not feral dog. I won¡¯t bite, Hunter. Tell me what¡¯s on your mind. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Hunter took a deep breath.

    Well, he asked for it.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know if I can trust you,¡± Hunter said, feeling like he needed to force out the words. Every syllable felt like a risk.

    ¡°Over the years, I¡¯ve thought about what you might want from me. I wondered why you¡¯d set me up with a house and a fake ID, and then seem to forget that I ever existed.¡±

    ¡°And, any theories?¡± Trey asked. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, settling in to listen, seeming genuinely curious about Hunter¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d have to be pretty high on the corporate ladder, so I figured it was a game. Maybe you thought that I, being Gideon Koars¡¯ son, might know a thing or two about my father¡¯s research and work that you didn¡¯t want your competition getting their hands on.¡±

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°A compelling theory. But why wouldn¡¯t I have contacted you in order to gain that information myself? After all, I had years with which I could have built a connection with you. I could have extracted what you know.¡±

    Hunter frowned. He¡¯d realized the same thing. As the years went on, and no one came to cash in on whatever credit they figured Hunter owed them for getting him away from the interest of the people who wanted him, he stopped thinking about it too much. He had other, more immediate concerns to deal with.

    ¡°What about the accusations? If you knew my father, you¡¯d know that he never would have done the things the Council accused him of. What was your role in that?¡± Hunter asked.

    Trey shook his head.

    ¡°That was something that confused me for a long, long time. I had harboured similar suspicions about my colleagues. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they¡¯d have pulled something like that. But I looked, Hunter,¡± He said, his tone lowering and his voice growing quieter. His whole demeanour changed. He sagged a bit.

    ¡°I investigated for years. So many rounds of questions, interrogations, fact checking. Over and over, retreading the same ground, checking for any sign of a contradiction or an inconsistency that could point me toward a conspiracy. I found nothing.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Hunter shook his head. Either Trey was lying, or he missed something.

    ¡°I get it,¡± Trey said, reading something in Hunter¡¯s expression and grinning. ¡°Really, I do. You asked me how you can trust me. Here.¡±

    He pointed to a small picture frame on his desk. He turned it around so that Hunter could see it. It was a picture of Trey and his father, when they were both much younger. They were both holding a necklace. Hunter recognized his fathers, and Trey¡¯s was similar. Trey let go of the frame and reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out the same necklace.

    ¡°You can probably guess, but we modelled them after Asutnahem phrases. As far as we could tell, they aren¡¯t glyphs, and we only have a rough translation, but it was enough for us to want to take with us. Mine means either ¡®self knowledge,¡¯ or ¡®seeing beneath the surface¡¯ depending on who you ask. His necklace meant either ¡®truth¡¯ or ¡®power¡¯, again, depending on who you ask. To us, the uncertainty was what made them so meaningful,¡± he said. He took the necklace off and studied it with a fond look.

    ¡°We¡¯d had a good year. Miserable for business, but we¡¯d made a lot of friends, and discovered a lot about ourselves. The necklaces were your father¡¯s idea. We were drunk, and he said something about the mysteries of the world meaning different things depending on your point of view. It was one of the most profound things I¡¯d ever heard. He always was a bit more inclined towards philosophy than I was, and it was a meaningful trophy of our time together. That was something that he and I both understood. Symbols, and a shared vision. I¡¯ve kept the necklace with me ever since.¡±

    Hunter studied the picture in the frame. It was his father. He seemed so young. There was a lightness and humour in his eyes that Hunter had never seen there before. His father¡¯s eyes had always seemed either sad, focused, or manically impassioned whenever he was around him. His father had his arm around Trey¡¯s shoulder in the picture. Both of them were smiling.

    ¡°Did you ever find the necklace?¡± Hunter asked. He¡¯d held it once, his father¡¯s necklace. It was one of his first memories. Trey shook his head.

    ¡°No. I always assumed it was lost in the explosion. I¡¯m sorry, Hunter. If I¡¯d found it, I would have had it delivered to you as soon as I could.¡±

    Hunter sighed away the faint trace of hope that had bloomed for a beautiful moment.

    ¡°What about the briefcase?¡± Hunter asked, suddenly remembering the final unanswered question he had about his time in Seckina.

    Trey raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Briefcase?¡± He asked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have someone leave a briefcase at my door?¡± Hunter asked.

    Trey seemed confused.

    ¡°Apart from the ID and the house, I don¡¯t recall having sent you anything. Something from a neighbour, perhaps? What did the briefcase look like? What was inside it?¡±

    Hunter shrugged. Trey didn¡¯t seem to know. Hunter followed his gut and bent the truth a bit. Trey didn¡¯t have to know everything.

    ¡°It was nothing. I¡¯d just always wondered who¡¯d left it there.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Trey said, his eyes narrowed. Then he shrugged, ¡°anymore questions?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? About my father, about all of this?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°Why wait until now?¡±

    Trey sighed and considered his hands for a moment.

    ¡°A man in my position expects a certain visibility. I can only maintain a certain level of privacy without significant expense. However, even then, there¡¯s a risk of detection. To prevent the Council from learning of my involvement, I had to get you out of sight. I¡¯m not proud of this, but we Council Seats hold a certain understanding of how we conduct business with each other. They¡¯d offered me the option to take part in the confiscation of your father¡¯s estate, you understand? I declined, but that refusal came with implications. Are you following me?¡± Trey asked.

    Hunter shook his head. Trey pursed his lips.

    ¡°Three Council Seats split your family¡¯s estate amongst themselves. Invoking emergency policies, the three council members immediately claimed your family¡¯s estate. That includes, in their view, any information you had about your father, and any of the work he might have left behind after his passing. The moment I took you away from them, I was directly interfering in their business,¡± Trey explained.

    That was enough for Hunter to understand the implication. If they caught wind that Trey had hidden Hunter, he¡¯d be at odds with the rest of the Council.

    ¡°So it would have made your relationship with the rest of the Council difficult.¡±

    Trey snorted.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on behind scenes that the public will never know about, but I think it¡¯s enough to say that the relationship between the Council Seats is already difficult. In fact,¡± he paused, ¡°never mind. That¡¯s not anything you need to worry about. You¡¯ve had enough on your plate, haven¡¯t you? And I realize I haven¡¯t answered your question. The rest of the answer is that, to be quite honest ¡ª and I hope you¡¯ll forgive me, I had no idea what to do with you.¡±

    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t what Hunter had expected to hear. That¡¯s it?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know what to do with me?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Trey said, ¡°I know. It¡¯s not a brilliant answer. I had people check up on you twice, and you seemed like you were working to support yourself. You were still outwardly identifying as Jonathan, and I figured that you¡¯d started moving on with your life.¡±

    Hunter wanted to throw something at him.

    ¡°Moving on with my life,¡± Hunter repeated. He almost couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. The great political game, the pressure of being a pawn, a piece on a board, the paranoia he¡¯d suffered for years ¡ª and it was all just a misunderstanding? A snap judgement? A convenient delusion?Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Hunter realized he was shaking his head as he thought. Trey raised a hand to forestall any objection to what he¡¯d said.

    ¡°Your reaction is valid. I understand. This all brings me to the second reason I brought you here today,¡± Trey said, standing up from his seat and turning to take in the view behind him.

    ¡°Jimmy told me a bit about what you went through while you were living there. I heard about the gang ¡ª I¡¯m sorry about that, too. I should have taken more of an interest in what was going on around that neighbourhood. I dropped the ball, and I¡¯d like to make it up to you.¡±

    Again, Hunter didn¡¯t trust himself to speak, so he let Trey continue.

    ¡°Jimmy¡¯s telling me you¡¯d signed up for the competition under your real name shocked me. I¡¯d never forgotten about you, but over the years I¡¯d found reasons to expect that you could take care of yourself. Naturally, I had other priorities.¡±

    Hunter wished he didn¡¯t understand where Trey was coming from. He wanted to disagree with Trey, and say that a man with his resources can and should do better. But couldn¡¯t he relate to Trey? Basic survival needs¡ªfood, rent, and work¡ªconsumed his attention, leaving no room for worries about the Council, conspiracies, or gang violence. He understood that there was only so much that a person could focus on at once.

    Hunter wanted to be mad at Trey, but he found he couldn¡¯t be. At least, not completely. He felt annoyed by his wasted time spent being paranoid and angry at nothing. But there was a whisper at the back of his mind ¡ª what would he have done differently if he wasn¡¯t worried? His drive, use of sensitivity, and interest in etherium might not have been as strong without a world to hide from or a dark fate to overcome.

    ¡°Announcing yourself to the world has raised a problem,¡± Trey said, interrupting Hunter¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve received memos from all the interested parties inquiring about your identity and status. Of course, I¡¯ve held off from answering them over the last few days, but I expect that soon those inquiries will be nowhere near as polite as they have been. So we are on a very strict timetable to find and deploy a solution. I¡¯ve thought of one, of course, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.¡±

    He turned away from the view as he spoke, glancing at Hunter.

    ¡°I doubt you were unaware of the dangers of revealing yourself, so what changed, and what do you want?¡±

    Hunter took a few seconds to think about what he wanted to say. The entire conversation had felt overwhelming. He needed a second to remember why he was here, and what led him here. He almost laughed when he considered that choice he¡¯d made a few days prior. It already felt like it was a month ago.

    ¡°It was an accident, during the preliminary test,¡± he said, thinking back to that critical moment when he faced the choice of continuing on, or running away. ¡°As I handed in the test, I realized I¡¯d written my real name instead of my fake name. I had considered the consequences, but I was tired of being Jonathan. I figured joining the competition as Hunter would be worth whatever problems arose ¡ª better than being forced to join the Comics,¡± Hunter said.

    He¡¯d spent considerable time planning this conversation, anticipating the man¡¯s needs, and strategizing how to influence his vision for the future. He had to sell this vision to a man who wanted for nothing.

    But so far, Trey had defied Hunter¡¯s expectations. Hunter felt like his expectations were constantly off the mark over the last few days, but that was a problem for another time.

    ¡°I think I did pretty well in the competition. Well enough to prove that I¡¯d be an asset,¡± he said, not sure how to word what he was thinking. He wanted to leverage his potential for an optimal contract. That had been his goal with this meeting, more so than finding answers.

    He took another moment to consider what he¡¯d learned during this conversation, and what it meant. His father¡¯s innocence was a matter of great concern to him. He didn¡¯t care about what Trey¡¯s investigation turned up. As far as he knew, that was still the case. An absence of evidence is not evidence of an absence. The lack of visible evidence doesn¡¯t prove a conspiracy didn¡¯t exist. Trey¡¯s answer about why he¡¯d kept him in the dark for all the years he¡¯d lived in Seckina felt anticlimactic, but seemed pretty reasonable. He understood where Trey was coming from, and Hunter took it for what it was:

    A peace offering, a sign of vulnerability. The image he¡¯d built up in his mind of Trey had been one of an intimidating figure. A Council Seat, a king who manipulated a thousand strings a day, controlling the fate of his corporation¡¯s domain, and the fates of all of those who lived their lives within it. And maybe that was still true.

    However, that he¡¯d had been left alone all those years because Trey had felt¡ªwhat, awkward about the situation? It felt so shallow compared to what he¡¯d expected. On one hand, it turned out that Trey was just a human being after all.

    He had been transparent about that, and was now apologizing for it.

    Hunter didn¡¯t like the fact that he wanted to trust Trey Oberon. He wanted to see him as nothing more than a means to an end, a tool of his own ambition.

    In a way, he almost wished that Trey would see him the same way. It would have been so much easier. Now, he had to sit here and consider the fact that maybe Trey wasn¡¯t a cold, calculating monarch. Maybe Mrs. Verilion was right about Trey differing from the rest of the Council Seats.

    Hunter considered Trey¡¯s question.

    What did he want? The answer was obvious; he hadn¡¯t been planning on revealing his endgame, but why not? Since Trey had been so open with Hunter, maybe he could expedite the process for Hunter.

    ¡°I want to leave Sanctuary,¡± he said.

    ¡°Outworld?¡± Trey exclaimed, his eyes wide. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was expecting.¡±

    Trey rubbed his chin as he thought. Hunter took that as a good sign. He wasn¡¯t rejecting the prospect outright.

    ¡°Do you know what it takes to get a spot on a ship?¡± Trey asked. Hunter shook his head. Trey seemed to have a thought, one that pleased him. He smiled.

    ¡°It takes accreditation. It takes a high level of accreditation for a company to assume liability for your presence on their ships. Ships are expensive, as is operating them. Letting anyone aboard a ship means taking a risk ¡ª it means making an investment,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter nodded, deflating. So he might have his wish granted all at once.

    But ¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not hearing ¡®no¡¯,¡± Hunter said, still hopeful. Trey laughed.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Look, the reason I mentioned the attention your success garnered during the competition wasn¡¯t to make you feel you owed me something ¡ª it¡¯s so that you understand the position that you and I are in. I think we can make a deal here, a compromise.¡±

    He had Hunter¡¯s full attention.

    ¡°Placing 5th during the Youth Artisan competition isn¡¯t a big deal. But you did it alone, with an AR of 5. Now, that is a big deal. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not lost on you,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Of course not. Joyce was right to give you a chance. I gave her a promotion, by the way, so her bet paid off,¡± Trey said. ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid. You¡¯ve got to be smart to pull off the performance you made. I had some of my people analyze and explain to me your submissions and your results. You impressed a lot of very capable artisans, Hunter. Apparently, the crisscross channels you used on the batteries are something revolutionary. Some of your design choices, and these aren¡¯t my words, ¡®shouldn¡¯t work as well as they do, yet somehow they do.¡¯¡±

    Hunter felt like he¡¯d heard similar words before, in a similar meeting, where it felt like his fate was being decided by forces outside of his control.

    Trey crossed his hands and placed them on his desk, smiling at Hunter.

    ¡°I would be derelict of my duties as a leader of the Oberon Enterprises¡¯ domain to let such a rising star slip away. This is an opportunity, might I add, that is made necessary by your choice to announce your identity to the world.¡±

    Hunter asked the obvious question.

    ¡°What kind of opportunity?¡±

    ¡°The opportunity to foster and protect an incredible young talent. And that¡¯s just from my point of view as a businessman. As your father was one of my oldest friends, and as I feel I owe you a debt. So, it is my personal duty, and honour, to offer the possibility of extending the Oberon¡¯s name to you. I know it¡¯s a big deal, but there is a pragmatic element to it,¡± Trey said, studying Hunter¡¯s reaction. ¡°You know what I¡¯m offering you, right?¡±

    Hunter¡¯s confusion must have shown on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m offering to extend to you not only the benefit of the protection that comes from joining this corporation, but the protection and privilege inherent in being a part of the family that owns the corporation.¡±

 Chapter 18

    ¡°What?¡± He asked, as it was the only word, the only thought in his mind, apart from, ¡°Why?¡±

    His mind caught up with the conversation; Trey said it was to grant both protection and privilege. He¡¯d said that he felt he owed Hunter a debt. But was it this big of a debt? Did Hunter even want this?

    ¡°There are some pragmatic elements which I¡¯m taking into consideration here,¡± Trey said, holding up a finger. ¡°First; if it weren¡¯t for the Council¡¯s interest in you, I¡¯d have offered this from the very start. You¡¯re the closest thing I¡¯ve ever had to a godson. That your father was the best friend is something I¡¯ve been trying to sell you on for this entire conversation. He helped shape me, and therefore the company that I run.¡±

    He held up two fingers.

    ¡°Second; this is the most simple solution for both of us. The family gains a talented artisan, and you gain both the protection and the opportunities that you deserve. But my position can sometimes make the most simple solutions into the most dangerous and impractical. Now that you¡¯ve proven yourself as a remarkable potential asset, the corporation would be justified in bringing you on board.¡±

    He held up a third finger.

    ¡±Third; once you¡¯re part of this family, it would allow me to extend the second part of my offer, which aligns with your goal.¡±

    Hunter was on the edge of his seat.

    ¡°The grand prize of the competition was the Oberon Corporations¡¯ official sponsorship to Barnum Academy of Excellence. Corporations get a few sponsorship options each year. The more powerful the corporation, the more sponsorship spots they earn. How much do you understand about the Barnum Academy of Excellence?¡±

    ¡°Not a lot,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I know it¡¯s supposed to be one of the best schools in the world.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on the right track,¡± Trey said with a nod. ¡°If not in quality of education, it is the considered the most valuable for the sheer prestige of attending. Most of the previous Council Seats have graduated from, or have a board stacked full of, Barnum alumna. Barnum has a grading system similar to other schools, but they award degrees of Excellence for those who distinguish themselves during their studies. These degrees mean a mark of prestige for whichever corporation or family has sponsored the recipient. The amount of Excellence-recipients a corporation has is an indicator of not only their current status, but their future potential ¡ª which is more than a shallow measure, I assure you.¡±

    He took another sip of coffee. Hunter followed suit ¡ª not that he needed it anymore. The entire conversation had been an emotional rollercoaster, and instead of exhaustion, he was feeling electrified.

    ¡°A perennial series of petty competitions has engaged every corporation and council member since the council began. The measure of Excellence is one way of gauging how we compare to our rivals. And, Hunter, there are always more pissing tests.¡±

    Trey sighed and paused for a moment.

    ¡°An emerging market or a new twist on an old one, greater feats of engineering, establishing more outworld outposts, the list goes on. In the last few generations, Oberon Enterprises has had to change itself in order to adapt to the new world and ensure that our stream flies further than all the rest.¡±

    He grabbed another picture on his desk, turning it so that Hunter could see. An old man, grey-haired, with an easy-going smile.

    ¡°My father. Much to my grandfather¡¯s dismay, father found the most success in the corporation''s security department. He thrived in the military. Upon inheriting leadership of the company, he restructured it, giving himself sole decision-making authority. He believed that a board and a man can make similar decisions given the same intelligence resources. What mattered most were the people who executed those decisions,¡± Trey said, the topic seeming to fill him with passion.

    ¡°What matters most is a shared vision and a willingness to not just follow, but execute orders to the best of one¡¯s ability. The threat of consequences for breeching their contract isn¡¯t enough to keep an employee loyal. To thrive in this brave new world, you must appeal to both current and future employees and their families. Desirability is key to survival. That means you need to provide security, vision, and a means to achieve that vision. They need to believe in me, and the company as an extension of me.¡±

    Hunter understood.

    ¡°And by filling your ranks with Excellence-recipients, you gain more marks of prestige, and your employees gain some certainty that the company has a bright future ahead,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Not just the company, but themselves as well,¡± Trey corrected. Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Securing their own future,¡± he said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Trey said, ¡°so a company needs to spend their sponsorship slots wisely. There are only so many degrees of Excellence handed out every year, and the competition is fierce. That¡¯s why we offered the winning team the opportunity to enrol at Barnum. It would mean a much brighter future for themselves, and they would each have a chance of earning Excellence for the corporation. Their acceptance will fill all the corporation¡¯s sponsorship slots.¡±

    He paused for a few seconds, and Hunter assumed it was purely for dramatic effect.

    ¡°However, they don¡¯t only offer sponsorship slots to corporations,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Hunter said, as he realized the implication, ¡°you mentioned that both corporations and families receive sponsorship slots.¡±

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°How many sponsorship slots are available for a family?¡± Hunter asked, wondering if his intuition about where the conversation was heading was correct.

    His hands were still shaking. It was just excitement, it was anxiety.

    ¡°Families only get one per year,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Hunter said. ¡°What about your daughter? Isn¡¯t she some sort of prodigy? Why wouldn¡¯t you offer it to her?¡±

    Trey nodded, a proud smile on his face.

    ¡°Indeed, she is a prodigy, in a sense. Her AR has just passed the mid 40s. She¡¯s proven to be quite adept with martial arts, and her academic performance has been phenomenal.¡±

    If Hunter remembered correctly, she¡¯d be around his age, give or take a year. Hunter was 16 this year. Even gifted individuals would only reach 40 AR in their mid-20s.

    Hunter whistled.

    Trey seemed amused at Hunter¡¯s response. ¡°Barnum extended her a personal sponsorship, so the Oberon family¡¯s sponsorship slot is still available. We can¡¯t give it to just anyone. They have to be a member of the Oberon family.¡±

    ¡°And so you want me to go,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Trey said, ¡°I will be honoured to have you alongside my daughter, representing the Oberon family. Oh,¡± Trey said, his smile growing even wider. ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    He took another sip of his coffee.

    ¡°If you perform well, I will fund and supply your own personal workshop and lab. The company will employ you, but you will have very minor obligations to the company in return. If you perform so well as to earn Excellence, I will select you for outworld training and give you a spot on the ship or outworld destination of your choice. How does that sound?¡±

    Hunter¡¯s hands shook. He fought the urge to accept the offer immediately.

    ¡°What about the results of my research, and things that I invent?¡± Hunter asked. Trey nodded.

    ¡°Reasonable concerns, of course. What would be the use of having such a mind as yours if we didn¡¯t full use it? You will have access to any research project that you find interesting ¡ª but the results will be owned by the company. However, anything you develop outside of those obligations will, of course, be yours to do with as you wish. I only ask that if you ever decide to share your private work with the public, that you¡¯ll consider the family and the company first. We would offer you a more generous deal than you¡¯d get anywhere else, guaranteed.¡±

    Hunter nodded. He could accept that. In fact, the whole thing seemed to benefit him. It was almost too good to be true.

    Despite all the reasons he¡¯d initially found to distrust Trey, he needed to face the facts.

    Yes, Trey was a businessman.

    But he was also being transparent about it.

    He promised Hunter complete privacy. If Hunter had secrets, he didn¡¯t have to share them, and a generous deal awaited him if he decided to reveal what he knew.

    But what was to hold Trey to his end of the deal? Even as he considered the question, Hunter wondered if he was being fair to the man.

    Could he afford not to take this risk? Every risk he¡¯d taken recently seemed to pay off in unexpected ways. Attaching the Oberon''s name to his own was to everyone¡¯s benefit. He¡¯d be tying his fate to Oberon Enterprises, but he was being given a tremendous amount of freedom. It was a better deal than he¡¯d expected.

    To twist Trey¡¯s own phrase, he would be remiss in his duties to himself if he let this opportunity pass him by. It was the perfect solution to his problems, as far as he could see. And if it wasn¡¯t perfect, it was as close as he would get.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Hunter said, holding out his hand. With a big grin, Trey took the hand and shook it.

    ¡°Excellent! Welcome to the family,¡± Trey said. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡±

    <hr>

    Hunter Oberon Koar.

    He¡¯d never had a middle name before.

    He was still and always will be, Hunter Koar. At first, he thought that maybe the Koar name should come before Oberon. But keeping his first and last name the same felt more appropriate to him. Trey agreed to his request to honour his last name.

    So long as he carried the Oberon''s name, its placement didn¡¯t matter.

    They signed and submitted the official paperwork proving his inclusion in the family. For most, the process would take a few days for the corporate machine to process such a registration. But a council seat didn¡¯t have to wait for approval. By the time his new bodyguard dropped him off at the hotel, Mrs. Verilion called to inform him that she had officially filed the paperwork.

    It was done.

    One of the world¡¯s most powerful families had adopted him as an heir to their fortune.

    This wasn¡¯t even close to what he¡¯d expected when he¡¯d first signed up for the preliminary test in Seckina. For a moment, he wondered if this constituted a betrayal of himself or his father. But he reasoned it wasn¡¯t. This was pure business¡ªa mutual scratching of backs. Being an Oberon was a means to an end.

    He only owed them his hard work. In return, he¡¯d receive academy enrollment, social elevation, and limitless future prospects.

    It was an incredible deal.

    He¡¯d returned to the hotel suite to gather his belongings, humming to himself. Being assigned a bodyguard was something he was still coming to terms with. The constant presence felt simultaneously reassuring and constricting. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he enjoyed his privacy now that he had to sacrifice it for the sake of safety.

    It was still dawning on him, just what becoming an Oberon meant.

    He almost regretted accepting Trey¡¯s offer, because he knew soon he would be the centre of more attention that he¡¯d ever wanted. He¡¯d had a certain level of visibility when he was younger, before his father died ¡ª the infamous Gideon Koar was a household name. So he knew what to expect.

    Hunter had a sister now. He wondered what she was like. The best-case scenario was that she had inherited Trey¡¯s more personable qualities. The worst-case scenario was that she was a typical rich brat who cared about nothing more than what you could do for her, specifically for her image and personal ambitions. In which case, he would find every excuse to ignore her and get on with his life. He hoped that they¡¯d get along; she would be an invaluable ally at Barnum if he was right about the people he¡¯d been attending the academy with.

    He hoped that having the Oberon name attached to his own would go a long way in warding off the negative attention he¡¯d grown used to from the silver-spoon-fed.

    Hunter would move into the Oberon mansion until the term at Barnum started in a couple of weeks. He requested a workbench installation in his room, but someone informed him he didn¡¯t need permission. An elderly gentleman named Stewart, who managed the Oberon mansion staff, introduced himself to him. Hunter need only inform Stewart about anything he would need at the house, and it would be Stewart¡¯s job to ensure that Hunter received it.

    So he informed Stewart that he would need the workbench, as well as a steady supply of etherium batteries and easy access to a battery charger. Hunter almost expected Stewart to wince and protest at some point, but the man nodded and told Hunter to give him a few days to complete his task. In the meantime, Hunter would stay in a guest-room.

    With nothing else to do, Hunter decided he might as well move what meager belongings he¡¯d left at the hotel over to the estate. As Hunter was packing his things back at the hotel, he realized that he¡¯d never visited the museum. Instead of regretting it, he exercised some of his newfound freedom and informed his new bodyguard of their pending trip.

    The bodyguard¡¯s name was Syler, ¡®but my friends¡¯ call me Sly,¡¯ he¡¯d said. Although Hunter was uncertain about how to feel about having a bodyguard around, he already liked Sly on a personal level. Sly was bald and appeared to be in his late 20s or early thirties. He was clean shaven and had grey eyes. Even ithough at that moment the totality of his job was to guard the door of Hunter¡¯s hotel suite, Sly maintained a focus and discipline that Hunter admired. The man was sharp and took his task seriously.

    Sly only nodded when Hunter told him they were going to visit the museum, and he brought Hunter down to their assigned car. It wasn¡¯t anything as impressive as a Kellese, but still Hunter savoured the fact that he had a personal car and a personal driver. They could have walked, as it wasn¡¯t too far away, but Sly told him that driving was not only faster, but far safer.

    Although he would have anonymity for the next few days, soon the Oberon family would announce their newest member. He wanted Hunter to get used to doing things a bit differently than normal.

    Hunter had noticed an increase in the amount of law enforcement agents walking the streets, not just outside of the hotel, but by the museum as well. He¡¯d asked Sly if he¡¯d told anyone they were going to the museum, but Sly shook his head. Hunter noticed police cars every few blocks.

    Why was he seeing so many today?

    ¡°It was the attack a few days ago,¡± Sly said after making a call to a friend. Sly¡¯s voice had a raspy quality ¡ª an undercurrent of smoke, as if he was forcing each word out. ¡°Abolitionists set off a car bomb, and claimed that the Council Capital will no longer be safe, yada-yada. If they ever attacked anything but targets of opportunity in the most under-guarded territories, maybe we¡¯d have something to worry about. The increased law enforcement is there for the public¡¯s sake, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Was anyone hurt?¡± Hunter asked. Sly nodded.

    ¡°A few dead, a few wounded, and most of them were the abolitionists themselves. These terrorists have shown only a mild concern for their own lives. If another attack occurs, the best-case scenario is that we contain the damage.¡±

    Sly¡¯s tone, when mentioning the damage, was so nonchalant it was as if he was discussing the weather. Hunter suddenly wondered if visiting the museum was the right choice.

    ¡°Should we go back to the hotel?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s your call, boss.¡±

    Hunter considered the problem. He still wanted to visit the museum, just to see it one more time. Barnum was an entire continent away. It would be a while before he¡¯d be able to come back here. He decided he¡¯d compromise.

    The abolitionists wouldn¡¯t attack twice in the same day, especially after announcing their threat. They required time to guarantee their next assault would succeed. It seemed logical to presume that the museum would be secure, particularly given the heightened law enforcement presence.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d still like to check the museum out. Just for a little while.¡±

    Sly nodded. If he disapproved of Hunter¡¯s choice, he didn¡¯t show it.

    Hunter felt that this visit to the museum was important. Seeing his father and Trey holding their necklaces in that photograph, it birthed a strong desire to see the ancient past the same way his father had seen it. He wasn¡¯t interested in ancient history, but Trey¡¯s description of the necklaces intrigued him.

    Power, a glimpse beneath the surface. That was his relationship with etherium, wasn¡¯t it? He felt etherium in a way that no one else did. It was an ability which was unique to himself. He¡¯d been called a genius, but he wasn¡¯t smarter than anyone else was. He just had a way of feeling into something that others couldn¡¯t.

    Why? Why him? It was a question that didn¡¯t seem to have an answer.

    Self knowledge. Truth. Hunter wondered if the Asutnahem knew something that he hadn¡¯t. Maybe his father¡¯s interest in the ancient people¡¯s hadn¡¯t just been academic.

    Maybe Hunter wouldn¡¯t just find a deeper connection with his departed father, but with himself as well.

 Chapter 19

    They arrived at the museum, a small complex of buildings devoted to specific eras and themes. Sly guided him through the front entrance of the main building and talked to the staff at the front desk. Apparently, the Archaeological section near the museum¡¯s centre displayed the Asutnahem relics.

    ¡°I only need 15 minutes,¡± Hunter said. Sly nodded and triggered his wrist watch.

    ¡°15 minutes,¡± his bodyguard agreed.

    Hunter recognized the building. Although he¡¯d forgotten the museum¡¯s layout, he still felt a hit of nostalgia as he remembered his father bringing him there years ago. Two giant mythological creatures carved out of stone flanked the entranceway. They had the bodies of men but with lions¡¯ heads. They held spears in one hand and placed the other on their chests. Hunter read the information on the small stand just beside the right-hand statue.

    Scholars know little about these figures, but presume them to be an idealized form of a warrior. The marking on the back of the hand covering their chest signifies ¡®peace,¡¯ while the other hand, wielding the spear, symbolizes the balance of peace and forceful defence.

    Hunter observed the rest of the small building. It was a showroom, maybe 1000 square feet. The biggest displays were around the walls, so Hunter started there. He had little time to explore everything.

    He walked right up to the display he remembered the most. It was a painting of a man attempting to pull up a net which stretched down to the ocean¡¯s depths, having captured great, terrifying creatures. He stood on a small sailing boat, and Hunter recognized the symbol on the boat¡¯s mast. It was the same as Trey¡¯s necklace.

    Glimpsing beneath the surface.

    ¡°Or self knowledge, depending on who you asked,¡± he muttered. He read the display¡¯s description.

    This painting is the second in a four-part series. Like most Asutnahem relics, scholars are unsure of their exact age, or how the ancient Asutnahem had kept them preserved for such a long time. Scholars believe the painting illustrates the pursuit of wisdom and the folly of the human mind. All four paintings feature the figure, whom scholars have dubbed The Journeyer.

    Hunter observed the next display.

    The 3rd painting in a series of 4, detailing The Journeyer¡¯s tale. His time at sea has left him stranded. Behind him is a resplendent kingdom, whose gates are closed, and whose guardians stand with their spears ready. They look at The Journeyer with hostility. He stands upon the shore, observing his distorted reflection on the ocean¡¯s surface. Despite the danger lurking behind him, a serene calmness radiated from his face.

    Hunter studied the figure of The Journeyer. The design on his shirt seemed familiar, and after a minute, he realized that it almost looked like the Link sub-glyph.

    Very interesting, Hunter thought to himself. He was seeing why his father might have developed such an obsession with these paintings and the people who created them. The symbol he had noticed on the lion-men at the entrance¡ªthe symbol of peace¡ªwas visible high above The Journeyer and his kingdom. Hunter wondered what it all meant. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the time to figure it all out. The time limit he¡¯d set for himself felt like it was the practical thing to do ¡ª it eased his mind and Syl¡¯s. But he¡¯d be lying if he said he didn¡¯t wish he could stand here for a while, and contemplate.

    Maybe this is what his dad had felt all those years ago. Hunter felt the paintings held a wonderful depth ¡ª meanings that could unfold and synergize the same way etherium could. He felt the same pull to understand and investigate that he did when he was creating constructs, and feeling the pulsing songs of etherium. He closed his eyes and considered the feeling.

    What he was feeling wasn¡¯t emotional. It wasn¡¯t just curiosity, there was something else. He couldn¡¯t place it, but the feeling was something deeper.

    ¡°6 minutes,¡± Sly said. Hunter opened his eyes and moved on.

    The display informed him about the final painting of the series, yet there was one more painting next to it.

    Although this is the 4th and final chapter of The Journeyer¡¯s tale, we displayed the paintings as they were found. Scholars believe the next painting to be the series¡¯ first, but that someone placed it last for poetic effect. This final chapter depicts the Journeyer having reached an ascended phase, symbolized by his light clothing. He extends his hands, projecting a symbol whose meaning is still unknown, but, given the story¡¯s theme, we assume it represents ¡°completion.¡±

    With only a few minutes to spare, he contemplated the last display. It showed the Journeyer as a child: his hair was the same, his eyes were the same colour, and he wore the same sandals he had as an adult. He stood upon a precipice, leading into dark and unknown depths. A woman stood across from him, and a chasm stretches between them. She¡¯s held out her hand, inviting him to cross the gap. Hunter then notices that The Journeyer is holding a hammer, and some nails, and there are wooden boards and a rope beside him.

    Was he going to build a bridge?

    Behind The Journeyer is a raging inferno, within which was painted a symbol. He hadn¡¯t seen it before ¡ª unsurprising given his lack of interest in the Asutnahem until now. Hunter read the painting''s description.

    Scholars consider this a tale of heroism; they believe the flame symbolizes a force that compels the hero to answer his destiny¡¯s call, as represented by the woman inviting him from across the chasm. If the hero refuses the call, the flame will take him. But by accepting the call, he risks falling into dark uncertain depths. The symbol in the flame has had many names over the years, but scholars almost unanimously believe that it means revelation.

    Hunter felt like he could relate to the Journeyer. He saw Sly glance at his watch, but just before he could say anything, a few loud pops echoed from outside. A high-pitched siren sounded throughout the museum¡¯s campus. It hurt Hunter¡¯s ears, and before he could ask what was going on, Sly grabbed Hunter and reached under his own jacket, pulling out a firearm.

    ¡°Those were gunshots,¡± Sly said. The words felt like they sapped the warmth out of Hunter. He didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Hunter asked. Instead of answering, Sly pulled Hunter along with him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Sly led Hunter to the back exit of the building, which had a large warning written in red, informing them that using the door would activate an alarm. His gun partially concealed by his jacket, Sly opened the door. After a quick glance outside, he cursed and shut the door. Then he led Hunter towards the front of the Archaeological building, pausing only to see if there was anyone around before continuing outside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sly said, pulling Hunter towards the main building. Hunter hadn¡¯t been sure which direction he¡¯d heard the gunshots coming from. How did Sly know they weren¡¯t walking right towards the attackers?

    Hunter felt every single absent point of his AR. If only he weren¡¯t weak, maybe he¡¯d feel more confident defending himself. But what would he use? He didn¡¯t have a gun, so would he fight off his armed attackers with a stick?

    Sly yanked him out of his train of thought. Hunter let out an involuntary grunt. Sly glanced at him and whispered an apology.

    ¡°I saw some masked men with guns in the next building over. I¡¯m hoping they¡¯re all contained to the south of the campus, but we¡¯ll need to be careful and quiet until we¡¯re back in the car. Just follow me, do what I say, and we¡¯ll be fine. Okay?¡± Sly asked. Hunter nodded.

    What else was he supposed to do? He¡¯d have to trust Sly to do his job.

    The sliding door to the main museum building revealed a corridor that stretched to the left and right. Hunter noticed the alarm was off and briefly entertained the thought that it might be a positive sign, only to have his hopes dashed by a shout and another gunshot.

    ¡°This way,¡± Sly guided him to the left, avoiding the gunshot. He added, ¡°Stay behind me. Use me as cover if we cross a hallway, but keep up.¡± We need to keep moving.¡±

    Hunter nodded again.

    They crossed a few hallways, Sly guarding Hunter¡¯s body with his own. They studied one of the museum¡¯s layout maps, with a small circle that said you are here. Sly decided against the main entrance to the nearby museum; it was too risky. Instead, they plotted a course to an employee exit.

    They were about to cross another hallway when someone spotted them.

    ¡°Stay right there!¡± someone yelled as they were passing another hallway intersection. Hunter froze, and Sly cursed, standing between Hunter and the gunman. Hunter could barely see him past Sly¡¯s bulk. The man wore a facemask and was aiming a rifle at them as he walked towards them.

    ¡°Get on your fucking knees. Don¡¯t move a muscle. Drop the gun and push it away from you.¡±

    Hunter had a sudden flashback to his last interaction with the Comics, and he bit his tongue before he could say something stupid. He followed Sly¡¯s lead and got to his knees.

    ¡°Put your hands up, do not move. I will kill you,¡± the man said as he got closer. Hunter and Sly both raised their hands after Sly put his gun on the ground.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Hunter whispered.

    ¡°Just do as he says,¡± Sly said, his voice low, ¡°If you see me move, lie on the ground. Be as still as possible until I say otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up. I won¡¯t warn you again,¡± the man said.

    The man was just a few feet in front of them now. Someone else yelled down the hallway. Another armed man, but his gun was hanging off his strap. He had one hand in his pocket and the other on a mobile phone. As soon as the man closest to them turned to see what his friend wanted, Sly moved.

    As he took down the man, he used one hand to push the gun toward the ceiling. He punched the man¡¯s face and the plastic mask he wore broke. He wrenched the gun away. Aiming at the second man, who was just drawing his own weapon, he fired three shots.

    Hunter had remembered a moment from when he was a child, when one of his friends threw a ball at him. He was struck below the chest. The air rushed from his lungs; and he¡¯d made this strained sound as he gasped for breath. The man made the same sound after the first shot, and then he gurgled as the second shot tore through his throat. The third shot seemed to hit one of his hands holding the rifle, and he dropped it as his body collapsed.

    Sly hit the man he¡¯d just tackled with the butt of the rifle. While the man was stunned, Sly stood and shot the man in the head. Hunter couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the two dead men. He had never seen someone die before. Was he supposed to be feeling regret or guilt? Maybe disgust?

    All he felt was relief. Hunter was glad it was them, and not him.

    Sly looked at Hunter with disapproval on his face. He picked up his own gun and placed it back in its holster under his jacket.

    ¡°I thought I told you to get as low as possible,¡± he said, pulling Hunter off of his knees and aiming the rifle back down the hallway. ¡°Come on, we need to get out of here.¡±

    Another hallway led them further, with shouts echoing behind. More hallways, and they saw people running into a room. Sly¡¯s rifle was the first thing they saw.

    ¡°We¡¯re the good guys,¡± Hunter said, raising his hands.

    Sly tsked and raised his hands as well, but didn¡¯t drop the gun.

    Their pursuers were getting closer. Footsteps and shouting echoed down the corridor. The odd gunshot rang out.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. You guys stay quiet.¡± Sly said, pointing at the people who still didn¡¯t quite know what to make of Hunter and the bodyguard. Sly pulled Hunter along, but Hunter wondered if that was the best decision.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stay with them?¡± Hunter asked as Sly dragged him further down the corridor, checking behind them, looking left and right.

    Sly shook his head.

    ¡°They¡¯re like fish in a barrel,¡± he said, ¡°and most of them will be too stressed to see that. The last thing you want to be caught in is a crowd, especially when the enemy doesn¡¯t seem to have any inhibitions about using their weapons.¡±

    ¡°So, where do we go?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out. I still think our best bet is one of the employee exits. We should be close to one now.¡±

    They heard more gunshots behind them and frightened screams.

    ¡°We need to get more distance between us and them,¡± Sly said, walking faster, his hand holding Hunter''s shirt in a death grip. Hunter did his best to keep up, but couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was being dragged.

    They found one of the employee exits. Unfortunately, it was being guarded by more masked men. They traced their way and took another route. Hoping that there might be one more exit along the side of the building they were on.

    The next sign they saw told them they were getting closer to the front entrance.

    ¡°Should we risk it?¡± Hunter asked. Sly shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather find a room to barricade ourselves in and wait this out. I guarantee law enforcement will have the museum surrounded by now. They might even have a ship overhead.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t they stormed the place?¡± Hunter asked.

    They will assess the threat level to ensure innocent people avoid the crossfire, which is precisely what the terrorists hope for. They will attempt to negotiate their release, using hostages as leverage.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that they don¡¯t care about losing their lives?¡±

    Sly shrugged.

    ¡°It appears that way, but human minds can be volatile in situations like this. Your motivations can change without you even realizing it. Most of them might believe they¡¯re willing to die for their cause, but when it comes down to it, survival instinct is a hell of a thing.¡±

    Maybe he was right, Hunter thought. Maybe they¡¯ll be taking hostages. He¡¯d seen how fast his own mind could change when his future was on the line.

    ¡°The people we left behind,¡± Hunter said, thinking out loud, but Sly interrupted him.

    ¡°Right. We can hope that most of them will be safe. At least for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Where can we hide, though?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere,¡± a voice said from behind them, ¡°drop the gun, and get on your knees. Hands behind your heads.¡±

    Hunter felt himself constrict. The room suddenly felt hot, and he was having trouble breathing. He realized he was panicking, but he focused on doing what he was told. Sly had closed his eyes and sighed, dropping the gun and getting on his knees.

    It was a woman who had spoken to them.

    ¡°Now, my men are going to pat you both down. You will not make any sudden movements. There are many more of us here and only two of you.¡±

    Hunter nodded. His mouth was dry and his tongue felt 3 sizes too big. He didn¡¯t trust himself to speak.

    Two men came and patted them both down. They were rough, and Hunter felt his shoulder slide out of its socket for a second as they lifted him up.

    They took Sly¡¯s handgun out from under his jacket. The woman huffed when she saw it.

    ¡°Armed in Oberon territory. What are you, law enforcement?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Sly said, ¡°you should let us go if you don¡¯t want trouble with the guys outside.¡±

    ¡°A group of padded-up fascists don¡¯t scare me,¡± she said with a sneer. ¡°You belong to me now, lawman.¡±

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Bring them to the others,¡± she ordered. They lifted Sly off the ground and shoved them both forward. The men forced them to a room full of displays near the building¡¯s centre. There were a couple dozen people present, families and staff from the museum, all scattered around the room.

    Hunter and Sly found a space to sit together on the far side of the room.

    Anyone in the room who spoke too loudly received threats. The guards removed a father from the room after he ignored their warning. His child was crying after them. The mother tried to calm the child down. They took the man around the corner, and there was a gunshot. The guards returned, but the man didn¡¯t.

    Hunter¡¯s hands shook and he couldn¡¯t seem to get enough air into his lungs. Sly was looking around the room. He didn¡¯t seem afraid, just focused.

    ¡°Deep breaths, Hunter,¡± Sly whispered, ¡°You¡¯re going to get out of this. Alright?¡±

    Hunter nodded, taking deep breaths until he felt his racing heartbeat slow.

    ¡°What makes you so certain?¡± One of the other hostages asked.

    Sly frowned and twitched his head, beckoning for the guy to come closer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan,¡± Sly said, then he hesitated. ¡°Sort of.¡±

    ¡°A plan?¡± the other man scoffed. ¡°What, do you think we should just rush them all at once?¡±

    Sly shook his head. Some others were noticing their exchange.

    ¡°Keep your voice down. No, that¡¯s not my plan. I¡¯ve been through situations like this before, and against much more capable foes. Compared to them, these guys are amateurs. Look around the room. What do you see?¡±

    Hunter and the man scanned the room.

    ¡°I see Force constructs,¡± Hunter said. Sly glanced at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was referring to, but now that you mention it, you¡¯re right. Good thinking Hunter. What else do you notice?¡±

    ¡°The Guards don¡¯t like coming in here,¡± the man said.

    Sly nodded.

    ¡°And the point I¡¯m making is connected to that. Why don¡¯t they spend much time inside the room?¡±

    Now that Sly had asked, the answer seemed obvious. Hunter remembered the woman¡¯s words after she¡¯d captured them.

    He¡¯d never gotten a look at her, but he¡¯d bet money that she was the boss.

    ¡°There¡¯s more of us than there are of them,¡± Hunter said, and the more he spoke, the more excited he grew. ¡°Hypothetically, if we rushed them all at once, we¡¯d be able to take their weapons. That would be two down, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to afford many more losses. Right? You said it yourself; law enforcement has this building surrounded.¡±

    For a moment, it had felt like the terrorists were an unstoppable force ¡ª a monster without flaw. But Sly had been thinking along another line altogether this whole time. What else was he seeing that Hunter wasn¡¯t? This new bodyguard fascinated him. He said he¡¯d been in situations like this before, but when?

    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Sly reminded Hunter. The guards were looking inside the room now.

    They waited in silence until it was safe to speak again.

    ¡°At the very least, we can assume that there¡¯s enough of to count as a potential threat. They¡¯re not just threatening our lives, they¡¯re protecting their own. As long as they think we¡¯re too scared to act, they won¡¯t be too afraid of us. Which means they¡¯ll need to continue to establish their dominance over us.¡±

    Hunter did his best to avoid looking at the woman who¡¯d just lost her husband and the child who had just lost their father.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your plan?¡± the man beside them asked.

    ¡°Well, the original plan involved a distraction. If we can get their attention elsewhere, we might be able to get past the guards, and once we¡¯re armed we can fight our way to an exit.¡±

    ¡°What kind of distraction? And how would we do it? We¡¯re all trapped in here, and they have all the guns.¡±

    Sly looked at Hunter.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you come in, Hunter. You¡¯re supposed to be a wiz-kid with etherium. You figure you can throw something together?¡±

    Hunter studied the room. He could feel the construct attached to the display behind him. He pushed his hand against the glass, and sure enough, he met resistance when his hand was about an inch away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about a distraction,¡± Hunter answered, looking around the rooms. These must be some of the more expensive items in the museum. There might be force constructs all around them, which meant enough parts to create a powerful effect. He wondered how big of a battery they were running to power them, and how they were keeping it charged. They probably switched it out with a new one every morning before opening.

    ¡°I could try to create a force field powerful enough to keep them out of here. The problem is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªfinding the time and space to create it,¡± Sly finished for him.

    Hunter nodded. He noticed a door hidden behind a small potted tree and a styrofoam rock prop. He could barely make out a sign on it, as the lighting in the corners was dim. When he realized what it was, he smiled.

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s a maintenance room. If one of these constructs acts up, you¡¯ll want to have quick access to spare parts in order to repair it. If you can get me in there, I bet it¡¯ll have almost everything I need.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what I¡¯d hoped, but we can still use this to our advantage. So long as I can guarantee your safety, I¡¯ll agree to whatever plan we come up with,¡± Sly said.

    The man they¡¯d been talking with seemed excited, but worried.

    ¡°How will we get you in there?¡± he asked.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Got any ideas?¡± Sly said, glancing at Hunter.

    Before Hunter could answer, they heard a minor explosion somewhere in the building, causing the walls and displays to shake. For a moment, the guards¡¯ attention was away from the room''s only entrance and exit as they shouted at each other. One of them was on a phone. Hunter assumed he was calling the boss to see what was happening.

    ¡°Now, Hunter,¡± Sly said, lifting him up. They made it to the maintenance room. The man stood too, asking what they needed him to do. Sly looked at Hunter.

    If Hunter could use the constructs that were currently used for protecting the artifacts from theft, it would make his job a lot easier, and a lot less physically taxing. But he didn¡¯t have the time to walk a bunch of laymen through the process of disassembling a Force construct while they were active.

    Hunter shook his head towards Sly, showing that he couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    ¡°Just try to keep people calm,¡± Sly said. The man looked at Sly like he¡¯d just chosen him to swim across the ocean.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know these people, but fine, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he said.

    The door was unlocked ¡ª which was a relief. Hunter couldn¡¯t have been sure when he pointed it out. There were constructs in various states of assembly and repair. Hunter guessed that someone was here when the alarm activated and, in their haste to leave, forgot to lock the door.

    He hoped they made it out.

    There were a dozen batteries with varying charges lining the walls, and scattered across the workbenches.

    For the second time in a couple of days, Hunter thought through what he knew about Force constructs.

    Force fields demand a lot more etherium than Hunter could supply. Creating one powerful enough to keep them safe from rifles would take more etherium than Sly could supply.

    ¡°Sly, what¡¯s your AR?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°48,¡± Sly said.

    Hunter pursed his lips. Together they could supply about 53 AR worth of etherium, but it would need more than that. To stop a storm of bullets? Maybe more than twice that much. He could reduce that by around 10 per cent, but either way it would take 3 or 4 people to keep it active.

    ¡°How much time do I have?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Assume you¡¯re already out of time.¡±

    Hunter wanted to laugh. This was a ridiculous situation to be in. He wished they¡¯d asked the rest of the hostages if any of them were artisans. He could use another set of hands.

    He studied the constructs that were in the process of being built or repaired around him. Some were useful, but many were useless to him at the moment. He had a flashback to the final round of the competition. He wondered if he¡¯d have done any better during the final round if losing meant the death of himself and over a couple dozen others.

    The biggest difference between this, and the competition, is that he would not lose points for shoddy work. He would need to take a lot of shortcuts in order to get a device together in the next few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need your help,¡± Hunter said. He didn¡¯t have the third arm with him, nor did he have the time to configure his workspace to suit his handicap. Hunter directed Sly to hold a few batteries and also had him activate them in bursts. Then he realized he was being stupid; Sly didn¡¯t have Hunter¡¯s handicap, and Hunter could take full advantage of that. He had Sly activate the constructs while he was working.

    The difference between using batteries to create a construct, and having someone stand by with a high affinity, was night and day. He could work almost three times as fast.

    Hunter had worked with shaped Force constructs before, but only ever in the role of maintenance and very basic repairs. Shaping force fields was hard, even for him. It came with a bunch of proprietary knowledge about efficient network placement and specific glyphs. Lucky for him, this was the most basic of shaped force fields. It was a flat field meant to project only an inch or two in front of a pane of glass. If this was a construct meant to create a curved field, Hunter was sure he could feel his way around the network in order to comprehend it eventually, but he would want at least a full day for that.

    During the second round of the competition, all they had to do was project a force field. They didn¡¯t have to manipulate how that field manifested. This was different ¡ª and Hunter felt a bit out of his depth. Shaped fields were about a decade old, but it had never been relevant for him to learn how to manufacture them. Fortunately for him, he had the unique capacity of being able to learn new glyphs on the spot, and his previous experience with this type of construct, would make help him speed up the process.

    Another small advantage was that someone had already installed most of the shaping functions. Three of the constructs were ready to go before he even started working, so he focused the entire build around them. It only took him a couple of minutes to put everything together.

    Then he had an idea, and it would take less than an extra minute to configure the parts he needed to make the adjustments. He told Sly about the addition he was making, and Sly agreed it would be worth the extra time. Hunter added a few link glyphs, and made some very rough channel attachments, using extra-fine drawstone-threaded wires. These were expensive to produce, and Hunter wasn¡¯t using them to their greatest effect, but for once in his life he didn¡¯t care about efficiency. This time, he wasn¡¯t trying to prove a point or satisfy his own pride.

    There were lives at stake, including his own. The anxiety was causing his hands to tremble still, but he was used to that ¡ª his hands always shook a bit when he was working.

    The gunmen quieted the crowded hostages by the time Hunter finished. Sly opened the maintenance-room door as quietly as he could. They exited it and squatted behind the small tree and the fake rock that occluded most of the door from the display room''s entrance.

    It was a dark corner, and they hoped it would be enough to keep them hidden until they found an opportunity to place the construct.

    They caught the attention of the man who¡¯d volunteered to talk to the hostages. Hunter told him about the construct and the need for multiple volunteers to keep it active. The man started asking around to see if anyone wanted to help.

    Before they parted ways, he told them that his name was John.

    A steady staccato of gunshots rang out in the distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s the police! They¡¯re coming to save us!¡± someone yelled. Hunter saw Sly shake his head.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. The abolitionists are already desperate. We don¡¯t have a lot of time. Get ready to move.¡±

    Another minor explosion rocked the building, and the walls of the display room shook once more. Sly and Hunter used the guards¡¯ brief distraction to leave cover and move along the side of the room. Over the next minute, they slowly made their way towards the front of the crowd. Hunter told Sly what he would need to do in order to set the constructs up. He¡¯d even etched a 1, 2, and 3 on each of the main parts so that Sly would know which order to set them up in.

    A few hostages caught their attention. They nodded to him and Sly. He guessed these were the volunteers who would keep the construct active once it was placed.

    Hunter was certain the construct would work, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee it would hold out long enough for law enforcement to arrive. If the fight between law enforcement and the abolitionists stretched for more than an hour, then they would be out of luck.

    Sly held the disassembled construct in his hands. The construct comprised three thin, wide bars to be set up end to end. Hunter interrupted the channels leading to what he assumed were the glyphs which were placed to limit the force field¡¯s intensity. Once the construct was fully activated, much more etherium would run through the later sequence of glyphs than they could handle unless its only for a short period of time. To maintain some stability he added a Reinforce glyph to the output plates. He didn¡¯t have any time to debug each connection in the network. The idea that something would go horribly wrong was like an annoying itch, constantly resurfacing even though he tried to ignore it.

    The construct was the best he could come up with in the time he¡¯d had. It wouldn¡¯t stop any bullets fired from close range, but it would slow them down enough to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be able to cause any fatal damage. It should do a good job of keeping people out, though.

    Hunter noticed beads of sweat forming along Sly¡¯s temples. Sly took off his overcoat, revealing a dark-grey dress shirt with a brown-leather holster strapped across his torso. The empty holster felt conspicuous to Hunter. But he figured they were past the point of having to worry about what the abolitionists would think.

    Hunter watched Sly click the bars together, preparing to activate them all at once. He nodded to the volunteers. The rest of the hostages realized there was something going on. One guard seemed to notice the growing agitation, and was about to say something, but a shout down the hallway grabbed his attention.

    Sly sprung into action, crossing the intervening yards between himself and the entrance in a second. The volunteers were quick to follow. The guards were already reacting, pointing their guns at them. One of them had their facemask removed. Hunter watched his face transition from an expression of panic to one of fury as he pulled the trigger.

    The construct activated a split second later. Sly grunted and stiffened, but he remained focused on his job.

 Chapter 21

    Sly stayed crouched in front of the construct, showing no outward signs that he was hit. The volunteers reached him a split second later, as a small storm of bullets entered the thin shaped forcefield, the field itself becoming more visible with each hand that touched one of the drawstone which had been roughly mounted to the construct. The forcefield was rippling, especially around the points where the bullets impacted it, the trajectory of the slowed rounds changing as they passed through the constructs area of effect.

    Most of the rounds hit the small team manning the construct, but they¡¯d been robbed of most of their velocity and Hunter was relieved to note that they seemed to bounce off the volunteers bodies.

    ¡°Cover your eyes with your free hands,¡± Sly yelled, his voice raspier than normal. Hunter nodded. That was smart. Just because the bullets couldn¡¯t penetrate skin, didn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t a hazard.

    Hunter approached the construct. He wanted to keep an eye on it, and prepare to disengage the safety of their surprise gift. He was careful to cover his eyes, but left enough of a gap with his fingers to watch the abolitionists do their best to try and overwhelm the construct with brute force. Most of them were gathering, coming into view from both sides of the hallway leading to the hostages, which meant more guns and bullets peppering the volunteers.

    When they realized that their guns weren¡¯t proving effective, they tried to push past the shaped field themselves. Some tried to find gaps along the edges of the field where they could aim their weapons through, and Hunter felt a moment of dread. He suddenly saw the face of the volunteers and Sly, bloodied and staring at him with gazes of accusation.

    Why hadn¡¯t he thought about the width of the entrance? Would the force field be big enough?

    He sighed in relief when the guards probes proved ineffective. Hunter was feeling that most of his survival was coming down to sheer luck, he couldn¡¯t believe how careless he¡¯d been.

    But this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been careless today, was it? He could have avoided this whole situation if he¡¯d just done the smart thing and finish packing back at the hotel. Hunter glanced at Sly, and saw a wet, dark streak running down his shirt. His eyes traced the streak to a spot just below the armpit of the arm he was using to shield his eyes.

    Sly was watching him as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Hunter. How¡¯s the construct holding up?¡±

    Hunter forced his attention back to the construct. He was having trouble feeling it the way he usually could; he felt overwhelmed with all of the anxiety and adrenaline pumping through his blood. The forcefield was powerful enough to distort the soundwaves travelling through it, and the shouting of the terrorists seemed muffled. He closed his eyes, deciding to trust his work, believing that he was safe enough to relax and focus, if only for a brief second.

    It didn¡¯t take long, merely a moment to exhale and close his eyes was enough of a split-second distraction from the situation that he could start to get a sense of how the construct was working.

    He frowned.

    It was working, but it was starting to show some worrying signs. That being said, he couldn¡¯t say how long it would hold up for. It would hold for a little while, but whether that meant 10 minutes, or 40, he couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°How long can we rely on this for?¡± one of the volunteers asked, as if reading his mind. Hunter wished he could give him a solid answer, and he felt embarrassed by the fact that he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hunter said. He could feel a few potential points of failure in the construct lighting up as he spoke, any one of which could cause a fatal cascade, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it won¡¯t hold indefinitely.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± another of them asked.

    ¡°We wait,¡± Sly said, ¡°Hunter, are you ready to use the contingency?¡±

    Hunter nodded, double checking that all the battery connections were ready, and triple checking them just to be safe. Now that he had time, he noted over a dozen small mistakes he¡¯d made in his rush to make the construct. He tried to etch each and every single one into his mind. He tried to be fair with himself, but when his life was on the line, it felt like every mistake was a potential loss of an innocent life due to his own incompetence.

    Sly sighed, and winced.

    ¡°Does anyone here know how to treat a gunshot wound?¡± Hunter asked the rest of the people in the room.

    ¡°Never mind that,¡± Sly said, raising his voice. ¡°Everyone, there is a small room behind the styrofoam rock. I want you all to get inside and barricade the door with whatever you can find. That means you as well, Hunter.¡±

    ¡°No, you need me for the contingency,¡± Hunter said, shaking his head¡ª half in protest and half because he couldn¡¯t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Part of him was screaming to take the excuse to run and hide. But he couldn¡¯t just leave Sly and the others here.

    But what could he possibly do to help them? His AR wasn¡¯t high enough to take over any of their positions. And a selfish little voice in the back of his mind was telling him that Sly was more than capable of managing the contingency himself.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    It seemed that Sly and the little voice were in agreement.

    ¡°How hard can it be? I just need to remove one of these little rods, right?¡± he asked, nodding his head towards one of the small pin-like rods Hunter had used to keep the battery¡¯s etherium buffers in place.

    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re hurt¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªthen I''ll get someone else to do it,¡± Sly said, his voice lowering. He seemed to be getting tired, and incredibly annoyed.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Hunter heard someone say as they put a hand on his shoulder, it was the mother of the screaming child from earlier, whose dad was probably dead around the corner. Her eyes were red, and mascara ran down her cheeks, but she looked at him with a genuine warmth.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough to help us. You need to trust that it¡¯ll all work out,¡± she said. Hunter could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth. Was she delusional?

    ¡°Hunter, go!¡± Sly snapped, ¡°I swear I will let go of this construct and drag you there myself. Is that what you want?¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Hunter relented. He allowed the woman to help him stand, the bruising from earlier was really starting to affect him now that their lives weren¡¯t in immediate danger, ¡°You better be alive when we come back out.¡±

    The woman brought him to the room, which was already almost completely filled. As the door closed, he saw a sly smile on his bodyguards face.

    Maybe that¡¯s why his friends¡¯ called him that.

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯ve survived worse than this, kid,¡± Sly said as he contemplated the growing group of abolitionists on the other side of the forcefield. Now that he was sure that Hunter wouldn¡¯t die from the hail of bullets that would inevitably meet them once the construct failed, he felt himself relax a bit. The wound under his arm was starting to annoy him, but he had a small moment of relative peace.

    It was important to notice those moments and appreciate them when you could.

    A change in the abolitionists posture attracted his attention. All of the terrorists were starting to straighten there backs. A few were even saluting, and making way for a someone that he recognized. It was the lady who¡¯d taken his gun.

    She walked up to the forcefield and sneered as she pressed at it. She shot at him and the volunteers a few times with his pistol. He gave her the most bored and disinterested look he could as the bullets flew around them.

    He wouldn¡¯t even care if he lost an eye to his bitch. He¡¯d even smile at her if she managed it. In fact, why wait?

    He flashed the most brilliant, full-toothed smile he could manage.

    This, he thought to himself as she started to pull the trigger faster, until the magazine was empty, is what separates you from the pros. Lack of discipline, letting anger get the better of you and showing all of your guys just how unreliable you are.

    As soon as he heard the gunshots and explosions, he knew that their time would be limited. Given what he knew about these terrorists, they would probably fight to the death, twisting their survival instinct into a twisted idea of honor. But before they did that, at least one of them would turn their aggression and resentment onto the hostages.

    He¡¯d seen it happen before. There wasn¡¯t much in the way of human depravity that Sly hadn¡¯t either witnessed first hand, or had been sent to bring a swift and sudden end to. He wished he¡¯d had someone like Hunter on his team back then. Probably would have saved a lot of lives if he could puzzle together shield constructs out of spare parts.

    He¡¯d had some doubts about the construct being able to hold up this long, given the limited amount of time that Hunter had to craft it but Sly had to admit that he was surprised by the kid¡¯s ingenuity. The construct had saved their asses so far, but t this point it didn¡¯t matter how long the construct lasted. Oberon security forces were undoubtedly picking their way through the rest of these guys. Or else, this chick wouldn¡¯t be here trying to fight a forcefield that had proven incredibly effective over the last couple of minutes.

    Their motives at this point were one of two, as far as he could tell. Kill all the hostages in a final act of rebellion against their inevitable death, a final exercise of whatever power they think they have, or use the hostages as a buffer while they make their final stand.

    They obviously hadn¡¯t thought through their plan. These people had no idea how to use hostages effectively. He hadn¡¯t been sure at first, but their in competencies ran just as reliably as well-maintained clockwork.

    Sure, he¡¯d been caught twice, but they¡¯d also been severely adept at letting themselves get distracted. So far, he¡¯d been relying on that to survive and protect his charge. He probably won¡¯t be able to get away with it again, but it spoke of an even deeper problem in these guys¡¯ organization. They weren¡¯t prepared to handle the unexpected. They were undisciplined.

    He considered the contingency which Hunter had installed into the forcefield¡¯s emitter. So far, he had been underestimated. That was his advantage. He had one last card to play, but he wasn¡¯t sure when he should play it. If he were her¡ª the one waving around his gun like some hotshot, giving what he could only assume to be desperate, half-assed orders to her crew of brain-dead ¡®freedom fighters¡¯¡ª he¡¯d have used the hostages to negotiate their escape.

    And by negotiate, he¡¯d have used them as body shields, leaving behind some of his guys to make it seem like they were going to stick around and offer resistance, while he and the most useful of his underlings snuck away. Oberon would have the sky covered by a ship or two, and the museum would be surrounded, so that would leave something like a sewer system, or dressing up as a survivor who barricaded themselves in another room, so utterly thankful for the big and strong law enforcement men who came and saved them.

    Were they winging it? It seemed to be all or nothing when it came to them. They hadn¡¯t thought ahead. They probably saw a symbolic target in the museum, a shared history which the abolitionists had grown to despise. It had probably been a split-second decision made by the higher-ups, and he imagined they¡¯d all congratulated themselves on the sheer tactical brilliance of attacking a domain¡¯s historical aggregate.

    He could admit that it wasn¡¯t a terrible target, but they were clearly the wrong people for the job.

    There was nothing more frustrating and insulting than sufficiently motivated amateurs.

    But what they lacked in discipline, experience, and foresight, they made up for in danger. Although he could predict their actions, and play their inexperience against them to an extent, these guys were not to be underestimated. An animal backed up against the wall was not one you wanted to fight against without preparation or numbers.

    And he¡¯d just told his own numerical advantage to barricade themselves in a room, not that he regretted it the choice, and he didn¡¯t have much in the way of preparation except for the forcefield, and one final contingency built into it that would ruin the construct, but would provide an opportunity to do something special.

    At least, that was the hope. On the other hand, this could all continue to go very, very wrong and he would die a painful death at the hands a gang of unruly children.

 Chapter 22

    He didn¡¯t know what opportunity he was looking for, but he¡¯d know it when he saw it. That, or he would have to create the opportunity himself. He called this strategy ¡®going with the flow.¡¯ And it was only to be enacted when you were staring down a real or metaphorical barrel.

    Fuck it, he thought, just another day at the office.

    The fake smile he was beaming towards the woman turned genuine. He hated going with the flow, but he¡¯d by lying if he said that there was anything more exciting. Then she smiled back, and the excitement diminished.

    That couldn¡¯t be good.

    He felt a thump through the floor. Then another one, and another one. A figure dressed in thick padding and holding one of the biggest guns he¡¯d ever seen walked into view. Twin barrels, a sleeve of bullets trailing off its side and into a large sack he carried over his shoulder. It was the same gun you¡¯d see mounted on a truck, or set up to guard valuable infrastructure in a war zone. He¡¯d seen guns just like that one tear through vehicles.

    You don¡¯t want to be a soft, fleshy person when they point the mean end of that thing at you.

    He wondered, how does a group of untrained revolutionaries get their hands on that kind of toy? It¡¯s not like they sold them at grocery stores. He knew what that meant, and he didn¡¯t like the implication. The abolitionists had backing.

    Sly¡¯s smile disappeared. He cleared his throat and considered the three other volunteers. The sight of the new guy rattled them, but they were all holding steady, a look of defiance on their faces. Syler was the furthest to the left, and he traded spots with the guy to his right.

    ¡°Alright guys, when I say ¡®now,¡¯ you¡¯re going to dive yourself behind the wall closest to you. Clear?¡± he asked.

    They all looked at him with some uncertainty, but nodded anyway.

    ¡°When the construct fails, I¡¯m going to pull this pin out, and we¡¯re all going to want to be out of the way when that happens.¡±

    ¡°As long as everyone else can survive for a little while longer, I¡¯ll do anything,¡± said the guy who he just swapped places with. Syler nodded.

    They were honourable men. He would have been proud to have deployed alongside them if they were in the Guard.

    ¡°No matter what happens, you guys have shown the type of courage that bards would sing of a millennium ago. If we all survive this, drinks are on me,¡± he said.

    He got some smiles out of them. Good.

    The big man pushed at the force field. Sly noticed a small distortion around his hand. He cursed.

    That was a personal shield. Oberon Enterprises had experimented with a few prototypes. Competing corporations were reportedly more advanced, but none had announced release plans, as far as he knew.

    The implications were getting worse. Something smelled very rotten.

    A machine gun, a personal shield, and the boss lady didn¡¯t have one of her own. So that meant they were saving this guy for a last stand, a way to inflict the most amount of damage they could for as long as possible. Amateurs could be smart, sometimes. And having such a simple goal meant that their win condition became flexible. The reason they¡¯d come to the museum was to cause damage ¡ª enough damage to tell the Council that nothing was sacred to the abolitionists. Everything was a target.

    So they had a plan, after all.

    Syler sighed. He hated idealists on the battlefield. They made for the worst kind of enemy. Once they got all worked up, you couldn¡¯t reason with them.

    The guy got a nod from his boss, and the gun spooled up, its twin-barrels spinning faster and faster.

    Then the storm hit. Sly had to cover his eyes again. This time, the bullets struck the force field with greater power. However, they didn¡¯t penetrate his skin enough to inflict serious harm.

    Maybe they could hold out for a bit, he thought.

    Then one bullet hit his clavicle, and he felt it break. He revised his assessment.

    The force field construct was radiating heat. He could feel it on the skin of his hands even from a foot away. Hunter had told him that this would be one of the potential signs of immanent failure.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered. The pain from a broken collarbone wasn¡¯t easy to ignore, and he had to force his mind away from it. Despite years of training, instinctual panic was a bitch to deal with. It got easier, but it got no more comfortable to work through.

    ¡°Now!¡± he yelled, first finding and then pulling out the small rods that kept the batteries¡¯ flow of etherium slow and contained. Removing them would be like removing the dam which held back a large river.

    As soon as he pulled it, he dived, tackling the guy to his left and pulling them both to safety.

    There was a split second where nothing happened. The sound of the machine gun was unmuffled. Bullets flew through the room, tearing through the force field covering the displays along the back wall. He felt a moment of regret, certain the contingency had failed, but then he heard an explosion. An expanding wall of displaced air violently lifted and threw him to the side.

    The sounds of chaos and short-lived screams were silenced. He felt his body picked up and thrown a few meters, impacting the displays to his left. The man¡¯s body, the one he¡¯d tackled, pressed against his own, and he felt the air leave his lungs.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    As dazed as he was, he kept his focus, glancing across the room to see if the other two guys were alright. Although hurt, they were moving. So was the guy who he¡¯d acted as a cushion for.

    He wanted to ask the man who he¡¯d acted a cushion for if he was alright, but he wasn¡¯t able to speak yet. So he tapped the man on the shoulder, and the man groaned. He figured that was as positive a sign he would get. He stood and hugged the wall, peaking out of the room to assess the damage the situation.

    A giant hole appeared in the wall the construct was pointing toward, opposite the room¡¯s entrance. 15 yards away, the juggernaut was lying on the ground, struggling to get up. The force launched his boss even further, twisting her arms and legs at an unnatural angle.

    Sly grinned at the sight.

    The blast, or whatever it was, had caught most of the terrorists by surprise, throwing many of them at least a meter away. There were over a dozen of them, and none of them were moving much. Syler whistled at Hunter¡¯s handiwork. He remembered an adage about how a hammer can build a house or kill a man. He bet the constructs¡¯ designers imagined no one would use them like this.

    One volunteer joined him, assessing the damage and picking up one of the closest guns he could find.

    ¡°Gotta make sure they won¡¯t get back up, right?¡± the man said, his voice quivering. Syler assumed that the guy had never felt so much adrenaline in his life.

    ¡°You ever shot one of those before?¡± he asked. The sheer concussive force that would come from being caught in such a powerful force field knocked most of them out. But it might be prudent to make sure their defeated enemy wouldn¡¯t be getting back up for another round.

    He took a few seconds to consider their options. Sly wanted to avoid turning these guys into killers if he could. But if they wanted to defend themselves, he had no problem with that.

    The man shook his head in response to the question.

    ¡°Keep your finger off the trigger, and the barrel pointed down. Be ready to fire if any of them look like they still want to fight,¡± Sly said. He glanced at the surrounding carnage again, ¡°and collect a couple more rifles for the other guys, just in case.¡±

    He saw his pistol a few meters away. Limping, he picked up the gun and moved toward the armoured juggernaut, who was picking himself up. He kicked the man as hard as he could, forcing him back to the ground. Apparently, the blast from their construct was enough to disrupt whatever had powered the personal shield.

    Speaking of which¡­

    ¡°Who gave you the shield?¡± Syler asked.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± was the response.

    ¡°You¡¯re not my type,¡± Syler said, nodding to himself. He hadn¡¯t expected a straight answer, anyway.

    Syler considered his options again. He was exhausted and his head felt light. The room had a subtle spin to it, which meant that he had a concussion, as well as a worrying amount of blood loss. He didn¡¯t have the energy or the patience to fight this guy. The boss looked like she was having trouble breathing. She was gazing up at the ceiling, mumbling. The next step seemed pretty clear. The simplest move would be to kill them, but it would also be the most short-sighted.

    He¡¯d have to budget the rest of his energy until the security forces arrived¡ªwhether they were law enforcement or the domain guard, he didn¡¯t care. They¡¯d be here soon, and shit could still go sideways in a matter of seconds. He didn¡¯t know how many more abolitionists were in the museum.

    They would want to slow down any potential enemies, and the only way he could do that would be by taking the boss. He decided he¡¯d give the abolitionists a lesson in effective hostage-taking. A professional courtesy. He smirked as he started walking towards the brute. He tore off the man¡¯s helmet, hit the man in the head as hard as he could with the butt of his pistol.

    The man didn¡¯t collapse, but he remained dazed. Syler hit him again and got the desired result as the big guy fell into a deep sleep.

    ¡°Sweet dreams,¡± Syler said.

    He limped towards the woman and started dragging her back. The mangling of her broken limbs caused her to moan. She was heavy, that or the blood loss had made him weak.

    ¡°Hey, can you help me out?¡± he asked the volunteers. The other three had armed themselves and were watching the injured and unconscious abolitionists scattered around the room¡¯s entrance. They hurried to help him, pulling her all the way back towards the maintenance room, and knocked on the door.

    Convincing them to open the door took longer than he liked, as did removing the barricade of heavy boxes they¡¯d set up on their side. He didn¡¯t blame them for their caution.

    The small crowd that greeted them were clearly relieved to see that they¡¯d survived. The volunteers dragged the boss-woman into a corner and monitored her. Sly found Hunter, who was working away at another construct with some help.

    ¡°What was that going to be?¡± Syler asked Hunter, who looked like he was going to cry when he saw the Syler was alright.

    ¡°Another contingency,¡± Hunter muttered, his focus on the construct he was fiddling with. ¡°Are we safe?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± Sly said, ¡°is that the same contingency as the last one?¡±

    Hunter shrugged. The kid looked like he was about to fall asleep. Sly grunted as he got closer to the kid, pulling the young man¡¯s hands away from the potential disaster he was assembling.

    ¡°We should be okay. Why don¡¯t you take a rest?¡± Syler asked. Hunter nodded and dropped his tools.

    He stood beside the kid, holding one hand against the bullet wound. The broken collarbone felt like it was grinding with every movement, but he grit his teeth and projected as much confidence as he could. He figured any reinforcements would have shown up already. He didn¡¯t let his guard down, though. Minute after minute passed. He heard no more gunshots or explosions, so he figured their discovery was only a matter of time.

    A few minutes later, there was a banging on the door.

    ¡°Anyone in there?¡±

    The people inside had grown agitated as they waited. Sly didn¡¯t bother trying to calm them once they heard the voice. He barely had the energy to keep himself standing. Crowd control would be up to the security force.

    ¡°This is Oberon Security. Open the door.¡±

    Syler thought he recognized the voice. He almost laughed when he heard it. Someone helped him over to the door.

    ¡°Is that you Joe?¡± Syler yelled.

    ¡°What? Who is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m opening the door,¡± Syler said, both to his friend on the other side and the gathered people. ¡°It¡¯s safe. Hey, Joe, careful with that hair-trigger. We¡¯ve got a VIP in here.¡±

    He opened the door.

    There were a dozen men on the other side, all with weapons drawn but lowered. As soon as they saw Syler and the rest of the survivors, they all relaxed a bit.

    ¡°That you, Sly?¡± the closest of the security forces asked. Tactical gear covered him, but the voice was the same as it had been years ago; ¡°I thought you were allergic to museums.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re thinking of libraries,¡± Syler answered, letting himself feel some relief. He could feel his eyes forcing themselves closed, but he reminded himself that he still had a job to do. He almost collapsed, but caught himself against someone nearby. One of the security forces came to help them.

    Syler forced himself to point to Hunter, who was at the back of the crowd being thanked by a few of the ex-hostages.

    ¡°The skinny one, tall. He¡¯s the newest Oberon kid. Make sure he stays safe, Joe.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t see it, but he was sure that the news would be shocking to his old friend. The information was probably still filtering through the relevant channels before it hit the mainstream.

    ¡°You got it, sir,¡± he said, pointing at the unconscious woman with mangled limbs they¡¯d shoved into the corner beside the barricade. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Trouble,¡± Syler said, fighting the exhaustion, ¡°they have backing. Find out who.¡±

    Joe called for a medic as Syler slumped again. As his eyes closed, he an unexpected but welcome sense of contentment rose in him.

    He¡¯d done his job, and the kid had done alright as well.

 Chapter 23

    Apparently, Sly had a few friends in Oberon¡¯s security force, not one of whom appeared to be low in the chain of command, and Hunter wasn''t quite sure what to make of them. They appeared to be assessing him, and were all quite friendly¡ª much more personable than he would expect from a bunch of career warriors. He''d asked to see Sly, but apparently he''d been unconscious since he collapsed during the rescue. In the meantime, once the medical responders looked Hunter over and declared that he was in one piece, he was picked up by a new armed escort, composed of 5 mean-looking dudes who told him that they had orders to help him finish moving his stuff from the hotel suite to the estate.

    Hunter had totally forgotten about the hotel. He felt like he had too much to process from the last few hours. In the span of 5 days he¡¯d left his home of years, placed 5th in a global competition, been adopted into one of the most powerful families in the world, and had almost been killed multiple times by a bunch of psychos. The security forces had been prepared to lay siege to the museum for a few hours at least, but the explosions that they''d heard had been set off by the abolitionists, leading the assembled Guard force to accelerate their timeline for taking action. The terrorists destroyed several Council-themed displays and a few of the ancient relics surrounding those displays were now lost to history.

    In the fight to secure the museum, the tale of the Journeyer was almost completely destroyed. Two of the paintings were gone forever. The other two were on various states of destruction and would take a long time to restore.

    Hunter regretted the loss, but was glad that he''d been able to see it while it was still whole¡ª to start to see it almost like his dad had, years ago. It had felt like a bridge through time.

    It wasn¡¯t like they were the only Asutnahem artifacts in the world. He would take the time to see more of them one day. Who knows, maybe the Barnum Academy had an elective dedicated to ancient history.

    Hunters¡¯ new bodyguards drove him back to the hotel in an armored squad van, which had enough room to carry the meager belongings he''d brought with him over to the mansion. One of his bodyguards got a call from Mrs. Verillion on the way. She told him that they were all glad to hear that he was alright, and she asked if Hunter needed anything from his old home in Seckina. The Comics hadn''t taken his absence with grace, having invaded the place while he''d been gone. There were threats spray painted around the inside and outside of the house, but his old workbench and some of his tools appeared relatively unharmed

    He told her that he''d take the tools. He imagined that if the new room that Stewart was working on was up to Oberon Enterprises¡¯ standard, he''d hardly even miss his old set up.

    They spent the night at the hotel, the bodyguards had managed to grab the suite across from Hunters, and took turns watching his door. Not that he cared. It took him less than four minutes to put everything he''d brought with him near the door, and then he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

    When he arrived at the mansion the next day, he was surprised to find Mrs. Verilion waiting for him.

    ¡°I thought you were all the way out in Seckina,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°I have a small army of staff to do all of that for me,¡± she said, ¡°my job for the day is to ensure you get settled in without any more issues. But before that, I''m to escort you to meet with Mr. Oberon and Ms. Aera.¡±

    Hunter had a premonition about his time as an Oberon. He imagined that life would be busy, both before and beyond his coming time at the academy. He was prepared to make the sacrifice, though. Gone were the days of being able to spend 8 hours utterly transfixed by an especially curious set of glyph synergies and their combinations or implications. At least, for the most part.

    If there was one thing that Hunter was starting to learn¡ª something from his first time meeting Stewart, was that no matter how busy the next chapter of his life would be, he had a certain amount of power and freedom as an Oberon with which he could shape certain aspects of his life, or at least he hoped.

    Synergies were his ticket to his dreams, and he would be damned before he let life take that advantage away from him.

    Hunter had expected Mrs. Verillion to bring him to Trey¡¯s office, but instead she led him down a few long hallways, which led to a large room¡ª which Hunter could only refer to as a living room given his lack of experience with the thousand subtleties of luxury lifestyles. Where Trey¡¯s office held a view that exposed the entire stretch of land from the mountain to the capital city, this room was much more humble, featuring what appeared to be a 30 foot pane of glass separating the room from the forest which surrounded the home.

    Trey and Aera were standing by a very large, puffy sofa. Another identical sofa sat parallel to it. A large television stood guard before the imposing window, playing some financial news broadcast. Stock tickers scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

    ¡°Hunter! I¡¯d have asked Syler what possessed you to make a trip to the museum yesterday of all days, but he is still unconscious from all the excitement,¡± Trey said, barking a short laugh, ¡°You can tell us all about it. Have you met my daughter yet? I suppose she¡¯s your adopted sister now. Aera, meet Hunter. Hunter, Aera.¡±

    Aera was just as striking in real life as she¡¯d been in all the photos he¡¯d seen of her on the news. She was tall, not as tall as Hunter of course, but tall enough to catch attention, and she had the build of an athlete. Trey had said she had an AR of, what, 40? 30? Such a high AR at such a young age would imply an incredible potential for athleticism that they would have been foolish not to take full advantage of.

    Hunter was jealous. She was basically walking history, a world-record holder and she would surely break more records in the future. Who knows how high her AR will reach? What will might they discover about affinity through her development?

    She had platinum-blonde hair, cut short but evenly. It contrasted the more popular hairstyles Hunter had seen. It was almost like something out of a science fiction comic book.

    He smiled and nodded at her, holding out his hand for her to shake. Her face remained impassive as she reached out and shook it once. She had a hard look in her eye, as if she was doing her best to control herself. Hunter wouldn¡¯t consider himself an expert in reading people, but she didn''t seem too pleased to be around him.

    ¡°Excellent. Both of you will have plenty of time to get to know each other in the coming days and years,¡± Trey said. ¡°Hunter, before you fill us in on everything that happened yesterday, I¡¯d like to go over the plan I''ve set up for you two. Come and sit.¡±

    Trey sat down on one of the sofas. Aera sat beside him, and Hunter felt that it would be awkward if he sat on the same couch so he placed himself on the couch across from them. As he sat, he felt like he fell for a full minute before meeting resistance, and even then, it was almost like he was being cradled by a cloud.

    He must have looked as impressed as he felt.

    ¡°I always love seeing peoples expressions when they sit on these,¡± Trey said, patting the armrest beside him, ¡°They¡¯ve been with the family for over a century. Couldn¡¯t tell you where they came from, though.¡±

    ¡°I can honestly say I''ve never felt anything like it,¡± Hunter said. It was exactly what he would expect in the house of the leader of a Council Corporation. In fact, comfortable furniture was the least of what he¡¯d expect.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    A steward appeared from the hallway, holding a tray of snacks and beverages. Trey rolled up his sleeves and started to eat as soon as the trays were placed in front of them.

    ¡°Dig in, guys. I haven¡¯t eaten all day, so this is breakfast and lunch for me,¡± Trey said between bites, ¡°My ex-wife, Aera¡¯s mother, lectured me endlessly about eating a bunch of pastries for my first meal of the day. I justify it to myself by limiting such indulgence to a couple of times a week.¡±

    After finishing, he wiped his hands on one of the thick napkins, the kind you¡¯d expect to find in a fine restaurant, and pulled over a small folder. He skimmed the contents for a moment and then nodded.

    ¡°The plan! Alright, you two, listen up,¡± Trey said, clearing his throat.

    ¡°Hunter, I''ve had your school transcripts found¡ª and I was shocked to see that they only seem to record your attendance for the first few years of your elementary education. I did a bit more digging and found a comment which noted that the day after your fathers¡¯ death, you stopped attending school altogether.

    Your absence past that point is understandable, but in order to succeed at Barnum, we¡¯ll need to do our best to rectify the gaps in your education. Including your ether and construct knowledge base. Ah-ah, I know,¡± Trey said, forestalling Hunters¡¯ impending interruption, ¡°but I''ll remind you of your performance during the preliminary examination. You would not have attended the competition if it weren¡¯t for Ms. Collingwood. Although your written answers were delightful, you¡¯ll find that Barnum will require your utmost in all academic dimensions. Understood?¡±

    Hunter understood, but he didn¡¯t like it. Names, dates and events were boring. Who cared about who, what, where, and when? All that mattered was how the construct performed.

    Aera seemed incredibly unimpressed by her fathers announcement. She considered Hunter with a frown, and Hunter felt himself tense up.

    Well, he had wondered what she was like. He figured he could already see how this was going to go. The scorn, then, would go both ways.

    He fixed his attention on Trey. If this was how she was going to be, then she wouldn¡¯t matter. He figured he could find plenty of reasons to avoid being around her. The mansion was a big place, and for the next couple of weeks he can spend as much time alone in his room as possible.

    ¡°To that end, over the next few weeks we will have you conduct a crash course on all the areas of knowledge you will need to know before you attend the academy. We¡¯ve hired an excellent teacher who you¡¯ll be spending about 7 hours a day with. Obviously, over a half decade worth of education won¡¯t be satisfied within the span of weeks, but we¡¯ll cover as much as we need to in order to get you on the right foot when your courses at Barnum begin. These classes will be supplemented by daily tutoring sessions with Aera,¡± he said, to the surprise of Hunter and Aera both, ¡°who will also be teaching you the basics of self defense, as martial arts is a part of Barnum¡¯s mandatory curriculum. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°When do we begin?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow. We¡¯ll give Hunter the day to settle in and prepare himself.¡±

    Aera nodded and stood.

    ¡°Will that be all?¡± She asked.

    Trey rose an eyebrow, and they seemed to share some sort of unspoken conversation.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be all,¡± he said. Aera walked out of the room, her pace implying an eagerness to be anywhere else but in that room.

    ¡°She¡¯s a very busy young woman. How about you, Hunter?¡± Trey asked once she¡¯d left, ¡°Any questions?¡±

    ¡°My AR deficiency has influenced my bone and muscle growth. I¡¯m a lot weaker than most my age, I''m not sure if I¡¯ll be well suited for martial arts.¡±

    Trey frowned.

    ¡°Of course, despite your impressive performance during the competition, you were working with quite the handicap. I hadn¡¯t realized it also effected you physically, which is an oversight I shouldn¡¯t have made. You have my apologies, however, I still believe it will be in your best interest to learn how to defend yourself. Surely your time at the museum has convinced you of something along that line as well.¡±

    He remembered how pathetic and powerless he¡¯d felt the previous day.

    What if part of the reason he hadn¡¯t grown stronger was because he¡¯d never really tried?

    ¡°Maybe its worth a try,¡± Hunter said with a sigh.

    ¡°That attitude will get you far in life, Hunter. Now that that¡¯s all out of the way, why don¡¯t you fill me in on what happened yesterday? Its too bad Aera isn¡¯t here to listen, but that¡¯s her loss, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hunter shrugged, not wanting to state what he was thinking about the man¡¯s daughter, figuring that it was best to keep things civil.

    He took a deep breath before starting. He still felt uncertain about the whole experience, some parts were all a blur. The whole thing felt so surreal. He¡¯d survived a terrorist attack. He had helped save lives.

    There was a strong inner voice that criticized that thought.

    What if making the construct put them all in more danger than they would have been in otherwise? What if, instead of helping, he¡¯d made things worse, somehow? What if the destruction that the Force explosion had caused had been totally unnecessary?

    There was no way for him to know. Plenty of people had told him that his quick thinking helped innocent people live, but did it? He kept his doubts to himself as he told Trey what he remembered from the incident. Trey seemed impressed, and smiled when Hunter told him how much of an impression Sly had made on him.

    ¡°Syler was one of the youngest members of the Oberon Guard to ever be brought into our special operations division, and even at such a young age he¡¯s already one of the most decorated officers I have had the honor of employing. But after dozens of successful operations, he decided he wanted to try something a bit quieter. His assignment to you was meant to be relatively low-key compared to what he¡¯s used to.¡±

    ¡°Low key, huh?¡± Hunter laughed.

    ¡°Yeah, but to be fair, even the life of an Oberon isn¡¯t normally as exciting as it has been for you over the last couple of days,¡± Trey said, and then he sighed.

    ¡°You know, Hunter, i¡¯m aware of how much you¡¯ve been going through over the last little while. And I wouldn¡¯t have put so much work on your plate if I didn¡¯t think it was all necessary, you know that right?¡±

    Honestly, Hunter had been kind of pissed when Trey told him that he¡¯d need to spend the next couple of weeks studying. And tutoring sessions with Aera would probably turn out to be just as unpleasant as he was imagining they would.

    But he¡¯d agreed to achieve a degree of Excellence at the academy. He knew it was necessary, he just didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°I get it,¡± Hunter said, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hunter. Now, i¡¯ll leave you to spend the rest of the day however you wish, on the condition that you don¡¯t stray too far from the estate. After yesterday, we¡¯ll be playing it safe,¡± Trey said, standing up to leave, ¡°Just ask any of the house staff to show you around if you get lost. This house can be a bit of a labyrinth if you aren''t used to it.¡±

    Hunter thanked him, and enjoyed the solitude of the room for a few minutes before he set out to find his assigned room. As far as he knew, this would be the only time in the next few weeks when he¡¯d be able to do what he wanted, and he planned to make full use of that.

    Stewart appeared just as he was leaving, and he informed Hunter that the alterations to his room had all been finished ahead of time. He escorted Hunter to his new room, and Hunter was immediately in love with it. It was incredibly spacious. The workbench was similar to the one he¡¯d been using during the competition. The bed was massive, almost three times the size as Hunters¡¯ old one in Seckina. True to form, the room featured a large window with a similar view to the one that he¡¯d seen in Trey¡¯s office.

    The room was like something out of a dream, or a high-end real estate magazine. He had a full walk in closet and ensuite washroom that put the hotel¡¯s to shame. He had his own jacuzzi tub, a double sink nested in a marble countertop. The shower was massive and Hunter was relieved that he wouldn¡¯t have to hunch over to clean his hair.

    ¡°I trust you¡¯re satisfied, sir?¡± Stewart asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Hunter said. He remembered the room back in his old house, on the Koar estate. It wasn¡¯t even nearly as great as this one. But what that room had lacked in size and sheer luxury, it made up for in being cozy and private.

    Luckily, the big window had sliding blinds that Hunter was quick to close. He would spend the next few hours focused on work, and nothing else.

    He¡¯d earned it.

    Stewart dismissed himself as Hunter settled in, unpacking what little belongings he had and sitting at the desk. He installed the third arm, and hung the rest of his tools on the small tool-board attached to his wall. He checked the drawers of the workstation and was disappointed to find that the machine tools that he¡¯d had in the competition weren¡¯t installed on this one, which made sense. He figured he wouldn¡¯t need them, anyways. Most of his work from here on out would be weighted towards research.

    He reviewed his mental table of synergies, and decided that now would be a good time to record them. Then a small and quiet voice told him that he couldn¡¯t afford to risk anyone finding it, especially here. Those thoughts had been present back in Seckina too. The neighborhood hadn¡¯t been safe, and he¡¯d listened to that paranoid part of himself because it was pragmatic to do so. Who knew what the Comics were capable of?

    Now, he felt worried that Trey¡¯s would have people watching him, waiting for any sign that he¡¯d produced something the company could use. Maybe the paranoia wasn¡¯t serving him very well in this situation. Maybe he was thinking too much.

    But maybe he wasn¡¯t, and that possibility was enough to convince him to continue to keep his research locked deeply inside his own mind.

 Chapter 24

    Thinking about locking ideas away brought his attention to the briefcase. He had put it under the bed, figuring he¡¯d probably forget about it for a while, but just then he realized that he actually had some new ideas for unlocking it. He also realized that the only parts he had to experiment with were some of the batteries he¡¯d originally taken with him. There were some basic parts stashed away that he could use, but he could wait a few minutes to plan out exactly what he wanted to do.

    He wanted to sketch out the idea for a cylindrical ether battery that incorporated both his crosshatch pattern and a way to vary its output. He also had some notes he wanted to take about Force constructs that he¡¯d thought of during the competition, and when he was at the museum. There was a lot of interesting things in that maintenance room, but it was the personal shield he¡¯d heard the Oberon Guard confiscated which had grabbed his interest. It was such an interesting idea. A shield he could carry with him, one that would cover his body.

    How the hell would he even go about designing it? Would the field be shaped? Would you have multiple shaped force fields surrounding the individual? How did you account for how their body moved? The only thing he could think of was that whoever was behind the design at access to glyphs he didn¡¯t know about yet, glyphs that had a strange and very useful effect on forcefields.

    There was currently no way to alter the shape of a forcefield while a construct was active¡ª not that Hunter knew of, and he was pretty sure that such a development would be huge news, unless it was at the bleeding edge of etherium research, in which case it made perfect sense that it would be kept as secret as possible.

    Not that it would matter anymore. Trey probably had a research team combing over the tech at that very moment.

    He refocused before the unsolved mystery became too much of a lasting distraction.

    He sat on his bed with the briefcase, and tried to remember all he could from the tale of the Journeyer. He deeply regretted the fact that he hadn¡¯t brought a camera to take his own pictures of the paintings. He was sure he could find some photos if he searched around some libraries. Maybe Trey could help him with that. He almost wished that he had some way to access some publicly available database on demand. It would make his work so much easier.

    He figured that would be a huge undertaking though. What company would want to carry the financial burden of installing all that infrastructure? It was kind of ridiculous notion, a utopian fantasy. An interconnected network of information, freely available to anyone who wanted to use it

    He laughed at himself. What a silly idea. But who knows? Maybe one day someone would invent something like that, as hard as it was to believe. Wouldn¡¯t the ancient Asutnahem think similarly of being able to fly in ships, and leave the world behind them?

    He fiddled with the keypad, running his fingers along the alphabet. He had no idea how many characters the passcode would require. There was no option for numbers. He¡¯d tried his name, his fathers name, the name of his deceased mother, the month he was born, the city he was born, the names of various glyphs. The list went on, and on. At this point, it was nothing more than a game to him. He never really expected to open the briefcase. All the obvious words had been used, and there were a lot of languages in the world. Finding the right word would be like finding a needle in a very large haystack.

    He wasn¡¯t sure he cared to find the needle.

    The contents of the briefcase were a mystery¡ª he''d guessed that they might be books, or some cash. He''d softly shaken the briefcase once, and those were the only guess he could come up with.

    At first, he¡¯d felt a burning desire to discover what was inside, but over time he¡¯d grown at peace with the ignorance. Coming up with ever-stranger ideas about its contents was almost as much of a game as trying to guess the right word.

    The first word he remembered encountering in the Asutnahem exhibition was their symbol for peace. He used the corresponding keys on the lock to type it in. No reaction.

    He thought about the statue, and he remembered a mention of the Asutnahem symbol for balance.

    The briefcase remained locked.

    He made his way through the various paintings, trying various synonymous for self, knowledge, power, truth, discovery, hostility, reflection, eyes, and even tried peace again just in case he spelled it wrong the first time.

    Nothing. The briefcase stayed stubbornly shut.

    Then he tried ¡®invitation.¡¯ Still nothing. Flame also didn¡¯t cause the briefcase to open.

    He remembered the final symbol he¡¯d noticed, the symbol for revelation. Hunter sighed, getting tired of the game.

    He typed it in, and the keypad beeped.

    The briefcase clicked open.

    Hunter froze. For a moment he had no thoughts, he didn¡¯t even breathe. The mansion seemed dead quiet.

    He¡¯d done it.

    He slowly opened the briefcase, hardly believing what was happening. The briefcase was filled with small books. Journals, all bound together in groups. The very first one he saw, which was a single journal on top of all the rest, had a simple title.

    For Hunter.

    Hunter had just remembered to breathe, but all of a sudden his breath caught, his throat tightened.

    He was nervous.

    That was his fathers handwriting. He hadn¡¯t seen it for years.

    But who had brought left the briefcase in front of his home in the first place? Who had gained access to his fathers stuff?Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    If it wasn¡¯t Trey, could it have been Jimmy? He probably would have said something, right? Unless this was all part of a conspiracy, which he genuinely couldn¡¯t discount the possibility of.

    But he was smart enough to know that paranoia was paranoia¡ª just because he couldn¡¯t discount the possibility, didn¡¯t mean he had to believe it entirely. So far, Trey had proven himself to be reliable.

    So he took a deep breath and carefully picked up the journal.

    He opened it to the first page.

    ¡°My dear son, if you¡¯re reading this, it means that I''m gone. My demise is not a surprise to me, and I''ve hired some reliable people to deliver these to you if I¡¯m not around to do so myself.¡±

    Tears hit the pages, and the ink started to run. Hunter wiped his eyes and tried to still his shaking hands.

    He¡¯d wanted nothing more than to talk with his father one more time, to be able to say goodbye, to tell him how much he loved him. To tell him that no matter what anyone said, he still believed in him.

    This wasn¡¯t quite the same, but it felt so close. He felt like his father was there with him, in that room.

    He continued reading.

    Ever since you were born, you struggled. I had hoped that your physical handicap would resolve itself as you got older, but it never did. But despite your handicap, you were always so intelligent and driven to learn and create. You remind me of myself when I was young. So curious, so bright eyed and ambitious. When I saw in you the same spark of sensitivity to etherium that I have, I knew that you were destined to walk a similar path. I knew you would come to see depths and possibilities in etherium and constructs that no one else can.

    But your affinity never rose. Your sadness when your first Affinity Rating results came back broke my heart. But I had hoped that with time, your rating would naturally rise. You¡¯re my son after all, and my Affinity has risen to heights I hadn¡¯t imagined were possible. I was so sure that you would eventually blossom.

    Yet your AR remained infantile, but your intellect and your will to create never faltered. I love that about you, Hunter. I¡¯m so proud of you¡­

    ..but I couldn¡¯t stand to see you suffer. I resolved to discover a way to help you. No matter what. You might wonder why i¡¯ve been so absent from your life. You might resent me for my distance, but it wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t value you, it¡¯s not because I loved you less than my work. You were the reason why I worked so hard. You inspired me to go deeper than I ever have before.

    Hunter remembered the day his father promised him to find a way to help him increase his AR. He was so ashamed of himself back then, a lot more than he was now. When he was younger, he hadn¡¯t known that there was a way forward. He had almost lost hope.

    His fathers promise had been a balm, it soothed his fears and let him focus on his interests. Soon after, he would start to see his father a lot less frequently. He would spend days, weeks, and sometimes months in his lab. Hunter grew used to the isolation, and the assistants his father had used as a proxy to keep Hunters life organized, but he never blamed his father. If anyone understood, it was Hunter. They were the same.

    Etherium called to them, and spoke to them in a way that it didn¡¯t speak to anyone else.

    ¡°..maybe I went too deep. Maybe i¡¯ve seen too much. It¡¯s my deepest pleasure to pass these journals on to you Hunter, because they not only detail my work, my theories, my plans, they also reveal the method I''ve developed to dramatically accelerated the growth of Affinity in an individual¡­¡±

    Hunter was speechless. He¡¯d actually managed to do it?

    But it was impossible, right? Hunter given up that dream so many years ago, even before his father had died.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have any reason to believe that you will have any problems with practicing the method, which I''ve named the Etheric Arts¡ª In fact, the only problem I think you¡¯ll have with the Arts is the choices I made in order to develop them¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to read any further. He started to set the journal down, but then he felt a sudden urge to continue.

    He couldn¡¯t stop. He had to know, no matter what it meant.

    No matter how he¡¯d feel about it.

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s in these few fleeing moments of clarity that I can see what I''ve done, who I''ve become, and I sometimes regret the decisions that have led me here. But its too late to change the past, my hands are already stained in blood. My obsession seems to drive me beyond reason at times. All those lives taken, yet the faint sense of regret never lasts for long. I¡¯m sorry, Hunter, this isn¡¯t how I wanted you to find out. If I had my way, you never would have learned about this. But you have to understand, in order to see you live your life to the fullest, I would do anything, I would stop at nothing¡­¡±

    He regretted ever having gone to that museum. He regretted ever wanting to feel close to his father, he regretted the curiosity that had driven him to keep trying to guess the right passcode to this cursed briefcase.

    He wanted to throw the journal across the room. But he felt so utterly weak. He didn¡¯t bother wiping away the tears, he didn¡¯t try to avoid the pain in this chest, or the burning in his throat. He couldn¡¯t have.

    All of a sudden he could do anything but sit there and cry.

    He¡¯d been wrong.

    His father hadn¡¯t been who he had thought he was. For all those years after his fathers death, to everyone who¡¯d ever said anything ill about Gideon Koar, Hunter had defended him. He¡¯d defended a murderer.

    After a few minutes, he started to calm down. Hunter couldn¡¯t help but feel like he wanted to know more. He needed something, anything, to justify what his father had done. Nothing ever could, and he felt like an idiot for searching, but maybe he was an idiot.

    After all, everyone else had seemed to accept the obvious about his father. Why hadn¡¯t he?

    Another episode of grief threatened to rise, but he pushed it aside as best he could.

    He flipped to the next page of the journal. What followed appeared to be the insane scribblings of a madman.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll spare you the details of what I had to do in order to develop these methods. They aren¡¯t relevant. The sacrifices I made were necessary. A few deaths in exchange for countless lives? For your life? Maybe its a consequence of the man I''ve become, but it¡¯s a trade that I have made in a heartbeat. I didn¡¯t hesitate to do what I had to do. I hope you¡¯ll understand¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I saw something once I passed the first internal threshold. There is a darkness somewhere out there Hunter. Beyond the world. I can feel it within me, now. What is the power of an ant before the combined might of the Council? Take that contrast and amplify it a hundred thousand fold. That is the darkness we face, that is the horror I am trying to save us from. We are as ants, we are as dust in a vast cosmic wind, and believe me: we will be swept away. It will be the end of everything, Hunter. The end of the world. The end of time. I¡¯ve seen it. You have to believe me¡­¡±

    Hunters life had never been at risk. Had his father really thought that he was actually saving lives by killing?

    ¡°¡­but maybe you won¡¯t. I understand how this sounds. What matters is that the Etheric Arts work. The year I decided to commit myself to this task, my AR was 102. I was among the 99th percentile of humanity¡­¡±

    Hunter had always guessed about what his father¡¯s AR was. He¡¯d never been open about it before.

    Now he knew, and he found that he hard trouble caring. So what? What good was all of that Affinity, if it belonged to a mad man?

    ¡°As of this morning, my AR now measures in at 283. Do you see now why I¡¯ve taken these steps, Hunter?¡±

    ¡°283,¡± Hunter whispered. It couldn¡¯t be possible. His father was a lunatic, delusional. He ought to close the journal, burn the rest of them, and forget he ever saw them.

    But, he knew he couldn''t. Not yet.

    Yes, his father was clearly out of his mind, having spiraled down a moral and psychological hellhole.

    But what if?

    What if he wasn¡¯t wrong about what he¡¯d done? What if his father wasn¡¯t delusional about this?

    He shook his head.

    It didn¡¯t matter. What his father had done was wrong. It wasn¡¯t worth the possibility. What if the Arts required someone else as a sacrifice?

    He closed the journal, put it back in the briefcase, and hid it under his bed.

    He¡¯d figure out what to do with it before he left for the academy.

 Chapter 25

    Hunter laid on the mat, afraid to get back up. A predator stalked him, every twitch of his body tracked, assessed, and ready to be leveraged against him. His body had never fully recovered from the day at the museum. He¡¯d been carrying a minor exhaustion since the competition, and he wished he could take a few days to rest in bed. The stewards could bring him everything he neededAlas, the sessions with Aera had started, and to Hunter, she was a storm. She was fury incarnate. The psychic weight of her dreadful cognizance was akin staring down the barrel of a 10-ton war machine.

    Hunter didn¡¯t feel the need to prove himself. He¡¯d come with his mind set on just getting through the session, and maybe learning a thing or two about himself and the world he was about to dive into. And he had learned something, even if it was just how much of a beating he could safely endure.

    The session started how he always imagined a class in martial arts would start. Stretching, a small warm-up which left him feeling like he¡¯d already had a full workout, and that¡¯s when Aera started to complain to him about his inadequacies.

    ¡°You need more endurance, we¡¯ll focus on that.¡±

    Then they practiced punches, kicks, and blocking for a few minutes each, stopping when Hunter was clearly getting too fatigued to continue.

    ¡°You definitely need more endurance.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough.¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you exercised?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember,¡± he¡¯d said between a couple of heaving breaths.

    ¡°Never learned how to fight?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Never,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know how to take a hit?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been something of a pacifist,¡± he¡¯d said, ¡°I¡¯ve broken more of my own bones than I care to count. I¡¯m a bit more fragile than most, so I try to avoid fights.¡±

    Aera sighed.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Hunter then learned how to fall. Again, and again.

    She¡¯d positioned a crash-mat for him to practice with, and he experienced all the unique ways that a body could be thrown through the air. She was careful not to tear his arms out their sockets, but he¡¯d felt like they¡¯d come close a few times. He¡¯d raised an objection, of course. His logic was simple, if he¡¯s too injured to train, they would have to delay more of these wonderful sessions until he recovered.

    Aera shook her head, saying that they would proceed on the assumption that his fragility was on account of never having taken measures to become stronger. Hunter had been incredibly skeptical, and as the ¡®training¡¯ went on, he¡¯d realized with ever more regretful clarity that Aera wasn¡¯t interested in making him stronger. She only appeared interested in punishing him. He¡¯d ask her what her deal was, but he was afraid he already knew. She was being forced to spend her precious time with the son of a killer, with a dreadfully low AR and an equally fragile body to match it. She was used to hanging out with celebrities, politician¡¯s children, and probably following her father around to high-level corporate board meetings, learning how the movers of the world made the world move.

    Impressive people were her baseline. Hunter fell far short of that ideal, and he knew it. But he wasn¡¯t here to try and appease her, or impress her. He was here because her father had made him a deal that he¡¯d be stupid to refuse. As he laid on the mat, feeling like every inch of his body from the skin to the depths of his bones had been disassembled and put together in a more painful combination, he considered just how committed he was to holding up his end of that deal.

    If this was how the next couple of weeks were going to progress, he wondered if he¡¯d be able to retain his motivation.

    The academic stuff was easy. Boring, but compared to this, it was like heaven. He had no problem (beyond the obvious) with looking at textbooks for hours on end, memorizing useless information to the best of his ability. Unlike Aera, his other teacher actually seemed like he wanted to be there. Although, he had been unimpressed with Hunters attention span. And in his defense, his mind was distracted at the best of times. But after reading his fathers journals, he found it even harder to focus. He did his best to forget about them, but he¡¯d find himself thinking about them soon after. That was different while he was here, though.

    The pain and exhaustion was enough of a distraction. It would almost be pleasant if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was being subjected a psycho¡¯s temper tantrum. The stoic distance he¡¯d seen in her before seemed to morph while he got to know her a bit better. Where he once saw disinterest, he now saw hostility. In fact, it was almost worse than hostility. It was more like an malevolent curiosity.

    It was almost like she was trying to gauge the extreme limits of what he could endure, questing for the exact amount of torment she could inflict in the hour and a half they were scheduled to meet for.

    Every day.

    And now, all he could think about was how just a single day with Aera was already far too much.

    ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± Aera said, out of the blue. Hunter strained to glance at the clock at the entrance of small studio building which was detached from the main Oberon compound. Still technically part of the estate, but about a 10 minute walk from the mansion.

    There was still 40 minutes left in their session.

    ¡°See you tomorrow. Don¡¯t be late.¡±

    Hunter groaned.

    Aera grabbed a duffel bag she¡¯d brought with her, and left. Hunter tried to sit up, but he couldn¡¯t. His abdomen complained, completely unable to support his bid to move.

    So, with great effort, he slowly rolled off of the crash mat, barely catching himself as he finally got off the mat and onto his hands and knees. He pushed himself back until he was sitting upright on his legs.

    He swore he could close his eyes and fall asleep, right there. But the crashmat was a poor substitute for his incredible bed and he refused to spend a minute more than was necessary in this torture dungeon. Hunter slowly stood, his muscles protesting the strain. He stumbled his way to the door, but remembered that he¡¯d brought his own bag as well, stumbling over to it and fetching his water bottle. He attacked it with the desperation of a man who had just survived a trek through a desert. The relief was almost enough to make him collapse, but he held strong.

    Hunter was proud of himself for making it through the crucible. He hadn¡¯t let the demoness break his spirit. In fact, after reading his fathers journals, he¡¯d felt consistently frustrated throughout the day, and his time with Aera had seemed to drain the stress out of him.

    Who knew that being a combat dummy could be so therapeutic? However, just because the edge of anger he¡¯d been feeling was gone, doesn¡¯t mean the sense of disappointment, shame, and grief had left with it.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    In fact, the more he thought about it, the worse he felt. But he was tired enough that he felt it all at a distance, enough of a distance to keep him moving and focused on placing one foot in front of the other, out of the studio, and down the dirt road leading back to the mansion.

    It was still light out, and although it hurt to move, and the autumn wind felt frigid against his sweat-soaked clothes, he had to admit that the mountain was beautiful.

    ¡°There¡¯s probably worse places to have your life turned upside down,¡± he said. A flock of birds flew overhead, crows from the sound of it. He imagined that their squawking was like a chorus of laughter.

    ¡°At least the birds enjoy having me around.¡±

    <hr>

    He¡¯d had no trouble falling asleep that night. Nor the nights following. Waking up sore became routine, and going to bed feeling like he had developed a new layer of bruising over his old one had proven to be a challenge, but he also found it to be encouraging.

    It was the oddest thing.

    The more he was abused, the more he realized that he could keep going.

    His strength wasn¡¯t improving, nor was his endurance. Every fall hurt more than the last, and his limbs were constantly on the edge of being torn or broken. Maybe he was being dramatic, but he was genuinely surprised that he was able to show up day after day. After a week went by, he felt that he was starting to feel something change. He could throw a few more punches, a few more kicks, and take a little bit more punishment. Aera¡¯s blows would get a bit more forceful, and the sessions would last a little bit longer.

    Not enough to appease her wrath, but enough for Hunter to realize that maybe she¡¯d been right. Maybe a lot of his physical weakness had come from not trying to become stronger. He¡¯d heard a word for something like that¡ª was it conditional apathy? Learned apathy? He¡¯d never felt the motivation to improve his physique, to try and grow stronger, to learn how to properly punch, kick, fall, and be hit. Why would he?

    He was fragile.

    Or at least, he was supposed to be.

    But what if he didn¡¯t have to be?

    What if he didn¡¯t have to be limited, held back, disadvantaged, handicapped?

    After the longest tutoring session yet, Hunter found himself back in his room, sitting on his bed, but he wasn¡¯t falling asleep. He couldn¡¯t, as his mind finally had enough energy to remember everything it was worrying about over the last little while.

    He was thinking about his fathers journals.

    Having a higher AR could solve everything for him. His physique would probably improve. He would be able to learn more, and do more. He would be faster, stronger, and have more energy. And if his AR would just keep rising the more he practiced, would there be a limit to how strong he could get?

    What would he be capable of his his AR was in the 200¡¯s? What if he could go higher?

    300 AR? What would he be capable of doing if his AR was almost three times higher than the highest recorded?

    At Aera¡¯s rate of development, she might one day hold the new world record. She would officially have the highest known AR in history.

    But unofficially, would she ever come close to what his father had claimed to have accomplished?

    The possibility was staggering, and the implications were only now starting to take root. This could change everything. This could change the world.

    If the measurement of one¡¯s AR dictated their level of health, strength, and longevity, what had his father been capable of before he died?

    The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. What if those questions were answered, and the answers were written in the journals sitting right under his bed?

    He shook his head.

    It wasn¡¯t worth it. The cost of those journals contents were too high.

    But, what if he didn¡¯t practice the method? What if, instead, he just read them with the intention to understand?

    He closed his eyes, and took a breath. He wanted to go to sleep. He wanted anything other than to think about his father right now.

    Or, at least he should, right?

    He got out of bed, pulled out the briefcase, and then sat back on the bed.

    It¡¯s not too late, he told himself. I can just push it right over the edge, back onto the floor, and go to sleep.

    But he already knew that he wouldn¡¯t. He pulled the briefcase closer, and unclipped the latches on its side, and opened it.

    There was a knock on the door. Hunter froze, and then sighed. He closed the briefcase, and put it back on the ground beside his bed.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked, raising his voice so he could be heard from the other side of the door.

    The door opened slightly.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but the parts you¡¯ve requested have all arrived.¡±

    Hunter blinked. He completely forgot he¡¯d ordered parts. He glanced at the workbench in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Yeah, you can bring them in,¡± he said. Stewart opened the door all the way and a couple of his staff helped him carry the parts in. He directed them to leave them by the workstation. They were done in less than a minute. Stewart wished him a good night, and then left.

    Hunter snickered.

    He considered the briefcase again, but he was starting to feel that sweet pull to the dream world. Maybe it really was best if he just left it, and never opened it again.

    That night, Hunter dreamt that he was running through a dark forest. Beautiful, bioluminescent flowers would captivate him, drawing him close. And always, just before he could reach out and touch them, the ground beneath him would give out, and he would fall.

    <hr>

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to do, I guess,¡± Aera sighed as their final session concluded. Hunter heaved in deep breaths, unconcerned with the wheezing whine he made when he breathed it all out. Sweat pulled beneath him as he leaned over, clutching the ends of his shorts just above bony knees.

    He¡¯d learned that Aera rarely seemed to listen to him when he spoke. She was always dead-set on her own agenda¡ª namely, making Hunters life a living hell for the short time they saw each other.

    The final few days he¡¯d learned that it was best to stay quiet, and do what he was told to the best of the ability. When she was inevitably disappointed with his progress and decided to express that with violence in the form of ¡®coaching¡¯, he would do his best to remain conscious, and keep his body as intact as possible.

    He had bruises all over, and he¡¯d felt pain like never before, but it was finally over.

    ¡°You think this is bad?¡± She asked, somehow knowing exactly what he was thinking, ¡°Barnum will be worse. I¡¯ve done what I can to prepare you, but you¡¯re on your own from now on.¡±

    She grabbed her duffel, and walked towards the entrance. This time, instead of just leaving, she looked back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what dad was thinking when he brought you in Hunter, but do your best not to make our family look like a joke.¡±

    If he expected the words not to sting, he was wrong.

    ¡°Will you get over it?¡± he asked. He regretted it as soon as he said it. Last thing he needed was to turn the disapproving psycho into an angry psycho.

    In for a penny, he thought, ready for her to tell him just how little she thinks of him.

    But instead, she just glanced at him with the same stoic indifference, and left. Hunter couldn¡¯t tell if that was better or worse than a direct response. Maybe the lack of a response was a direct response.

    His sigh was loud and tinged with annoyance. He grabbed his bag, grateful that the small bit of strength he¡¯d gained over the last three weeks had allowed him to only feel a slight wobble in his legs as he hefted the bag over his shoulder. What was once a slow shuffle home was now a mere labored walk.

    He¡¯d done it. Trey had been right, he really just needed to force himself to get stronger. He could take Aera¡¯s punishment longer than he could a few weeks ago, and he was still in one piece. She had pushed him, day after day and it was almost like she knew the condition of his body well enough to know the perfect time to crank up the pain and suffering she could inflict by another notch.

    It¡¯s like she had found the perfect balance of punishing him for intruding on her life, and actually helping him. Although, if she was at all pleased with his progress, she had declined to tell him. But Hunter felt that although they never really spoke to each other, save for her instructions during the session, he was really starting to get to know his new ¡®sister.¡¯

    She had pride in spades. She¡¯d been given a job to complete, and she did it. Hunter was under no illusions about his ability to fight. He was still incredibly weak compared to most his age, but now he knew that in a controlled setting, he could take a hit.

    And Barnum would probably be nothing but controlled settings. He figured that if the rich and powerful were sending their kids away from home, they¡¯d want them to be as safe as possible. So, the academy would probably go the extra mile to ensure that sparring was done fairly. Hunter knew he would never win a fight in his life, but he would do his best to lose with dignity.

    Besides, his focus wasn¡¯t on earning Excellence in the martial arts. His gameplan was simple, and predictable. He would earn his Excellence with constructs. He would do his best to pass the academic courses, which shouldn¡¯t be too hard. He felt that he was slowly but surely catching up to others his age. The coursework had been cherrypicked¡ª only the most important information from each year would be covered over the course of a day or two. Hunter had found some of the subjects fun, especially math. There was a beauty and reliability to the subject-- a predictability and completeness that he wasn''t able to find in artisanship. The latter craft was far too young compared to math, which had been around for thousands of years.

    He considered the progress he made in the last few weeks, and decided that all told, he was allowed to feel some pride at how far he''d come and what he''d allowed himself to have.

 Chapter 26

    He hadn¡¯t looked at the briefcase even once since he¡¯d almost given into the temptation of reading through its contents, a couple of weeks ago. He figured that he was getting stronger, he was learning more, and that was enough for him. He was starting to realize he could forge his own path forward. He would not step in his fathers footsteps. The only thing they would have in common is etherium, constructs, and a last name.

    Yet, he still couldn¡¯t find it within himself to get rid of the briefcase.

    Even if he couldn¡¯t even stand the thought of his father anymore, it was all that remained of Gideon Koar. His last will and testimony, in a sense. Could he just throw that away? Maybe he would keep the briefcase around as a reminder, a symbol. What that symbol represented, he didn¡¯t know. Maybe it meant being careful about who you trust, and who you admire. Who is he willing to defend, and why?

    He wondered if he was lying to himself. Maybe, deep down, he actually wanted to read those journals. It was a temptation he¡¯d have to watch. It would be far too easy to give into it¡ª especially when he considered his lacking AR to be one of his biggest flaws. Instead of bringing it to Barnum, he could leave it here, under his bed. Maybe someone would find it and open it, reading its dreadful contents. Maybe Oberon Enterprises would find in it a treasure-trove of knowledge, just as he secretly expected Trey had wanted all along.

    All they¡¯d be doing is showing him more of what he already knows. The world he was stepping into was one where there would be no one that he could trust. Everyone is going to have an agenda.

    It¡¯ll be like a whole school full of David Nettles.

    He only needed to survive that sort of environment for three years. Three years of studying, crafting constructs, and getting the shit kicked out of him, in exchange for the rest of his life. Worse case scenario, he holds the Oberon name and makes a decent life for himself. Best case scenario, he¡¯ll be on a ship headed outworld in order to explore the universe.

    Either way, he wins.

    Since his studying and tutoring sessions were finally done, he would have the next two days to himself. He planned on finally getting around to designing and creating the improved battery, and experiment with shaped forcefields. He would lose track of time, barely sleep, and then wake up from his manic fugue-state, already halfway to the academy.

    It was going to be great.

    Stewart found him later that afternoon, and informed him that Trey was requesting his presence for dinner that evening. Hunter affirmed that he¡¯d be present, and looked forward to trying on some of the new clothes that Stewart had bought for him after taking his measurements. Hunter had decided that if he had access to money, he might as well spend it. And why not spend it on looking good?

    Stewart had asked him what he had in mind, and Hunter told him to get whatever he thought would be best. The old steward snorted and accepted the request. To Hunters pleasant surprise, the current fashion seemed to be leaning towards the old-fashioned. He looked like an aristocrat from a century ago with his gold-trimmed vest which he wore atop an intricately stitched dress shirt.

    His dress pants and shoes were more of a modern style, and the whole assemblage reminded him of the mansion itself¡ª a mix of old and new. He had a few such suits, and Stewart assured him that the combination had a quality to it that transcended the various trends of fashion, which is what brought Trey to incorporate it wherever he could.

    Hunter was grateful he hadn¡¯t been in charge of selecting his own wardrobe. He wouldn¡¯t have done half as good of a job.

    Hunter decided to caffeinate before dinner, unless he wanted to run the risk of falling asleep mid-meal. The last few weeks had drained him to a point that a single night of good sleep couldn¡¯t quite fix. He felt that it would take time to get back to normal, whatever that meant these days.

    The dinner itself was held relatively early, which Hunter appreciated. It meant that he¡¯d probably have time to play at this workstation for a couple of hours before bed.

    The dining room Trey had selected was closer to the center of the mansion, and lacked the grand views that he had come to expect. What it lacked in windows, it made up for in an impressive amount of portraits adorning a significant fraction of the wall space in the room. A large, ornate chandelier hung from above, its glow bathing the room in a yellow glow¡ª or at least it appeared so. If he were to guess, it was an effect of the intricate golden designs painted between the portraits scattering the light. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, but it was definitely taking him a second to adjust to the atmosphere the effect created.

    Hunter was showed to his seat, sitting across from Aera. Trey was at the head of the table to their right. Hunter was glad to see that he wasn¡¯t overdressed. Trey acknowledged his appearance with a nod.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally growing into your new role,¡± Trey said, as the house staff began to enter the room with dome-lidded trays. Aera made a polite sound of agreement. They both took their napkins and placed them on their laps. Hunter followed suit, having grown used to the ritual. He didn¡¯t understand why they wouldn¡¯t just use them like normal people did. He figured it was another eccentric habit of the social elite.

    Trey reaching for food was the sign that Aera and Hunter could follow suit and fill their own plates. Hunter was starving, so he didn¡¯t mind piling on as much food as he could handle, and a bit more that he would end up taking to snack on throughout the rest of the evening. Aera looked that the pile of food he¡¯d made for himself and muttered something, but Hunter couldn¡¯t make it out. Neither could Trey.

    ¡°What was that, love?¡± Trey asked Aera.

    ¡°I said he¡¯s worked up quite an appetite,¡± said Aera, without missing a beat.

    Hunter almost snorted, but he kept his composure as best he could, hiding his intense frustration by a taking a large bite out of a croissant.

    ¡°He sure has!¡± Trey said with a customary exuberance that Hunter didn¡¯t know how to source. Was he naturally this energetic and passionate about mundane things?The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Hunter, Aera was just telling me about the progress you¡¯ve made. Despite your doubts, it looks like you¡¯ve come a long way in a short three weeks. I hear that you have also performed adequately during your academic catch-up,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter shrugged. He wondered how exactly Aera illustrated their tutoring sessions to her father. He imagined there was quite a bit of protest on her part, about the necessity of their meetings. Indeed, the look on Aera¡¯s face as Trey spoke seemed to imply that he was leaving out a few things.

    Hunter felt tempted to outright to tell him what he really felt about his time with Aera, but he¡¯d already committed to trying to keep his relationship with his patron as cordial as possible.

    ¡°She said that? Thanks, Aera,¡± Hunter said, turning to Trey, ¡°She has such a busy schedule, we never had time to talk after the sessions. I¡¯m curious about what she thinks about my progress.¡±

    Trey waves his hand at Aera, an invitation to speak.

    ¡°Hunter showed remarkable fortitude. I¡¯m impressed by his persistence and commitment to improve.¡± she said. She even seemed to mean it.

    If she was making any subtle insults, he couldn¡¯t find them. It doesn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t there. He could almost justify thinking she was saying that he was really good at taking a beating.

    ¡°All credit goes to the coach,¡± Hunter laughed, ¡°She knew just how far to push me.¡±

    Aera raised an eyebrow in response, probably wondering whether she should take his comment at face value.

    ¡°I knew you two would get along,¡± Trey smiled before taking another bite. They were all silent for a while. Maybe Trey didn¡¯t realize just how awkward this dinner was becoming.

    ¡°You know,¡± Trey said, ¡°I¡¯m so impressed by how this little experiment has gone, that I''m tempted to make it a regular thing.¡±

    Hunter froze while cutting into some steak. Aera slowly faced her father. Neither spoke.

    Trey seemed oblivious to their reactions, his eyes captivated by the operation he was performing on his own plate.

    ¡°Yeah, the more I think about it , the more it appeals to me. I see no disadvantage of having you both bond further, and Hunter, you¡¯ve clearly benefited from your time under Aera¡¯s tutelage. I mean,¡± Trey flexed, but he was still holding a fork, and a piece of meat fell on the floor. He didn¡¯t seem to notice. He used the fork to point at Hunter, ¡°You seem to have put on a couple of pounds of solid muscle mass. How do you feel?¡±

    Sore, Hunter wanted to say, but he paused and thought about his answer. Trey was exaggerating. Hunter saw himself in the mirror every day¡ª he was as match-stick thin as ever. Except for a few points, especially in his legs, and maybe his abs, where he could swear that he saw a small bit of growth or increase in definition.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed some improvements¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°And do you think you¡¯re ready for the Academy?¡± Trey asked.

    No, Hunter thought.

    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± he said. Trey nodded, satisfied with the answer. They finished their meal, with Trey asking a few questions about their plans for the next couple of days before they leave for the Pacific Shield.

    ¡°I had some ideas during the competition that I''ve been wanting to play around with,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Oh? Care to share? I did tell you about how well Hunter did at the competition, didn¡¯t I?¡± Trey asked Aera.

    ¡°You did, yes,¡± she said.

    Trey turned to Hunter, waiting for him to elaborate. Hunter didn¡¯t really want to, but it would feel weird if he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I wanted to try a new battery design, and I''m interested in learning as much as I can about shaped forcefields.¡±

    Aera cleared her throat.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Trey asked her, ¡°Something to say?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Aera said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Trey turned back to Hunter.

    ¡°I used to love listening to your father ramble on and on about his ideas. I never understood much beyond the absolute basics, which didn¡¯t account for much. But a man driven by a vision, by passion, by devotion, that is something worth being around. It¡¯s like a fire, and you can¡¯t help being lit up as well. Passion is contagious, Hunter,¡± Trey said, his voice growing quite sharp near the end.

    Hunter marvelled at the man¡¯s ability to work himself into a fervor. It was almost like a rage, yet it was nothing like anger. His eyes seemed to hold the flame he was talking about.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that,¡± Hunter said. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to respond to the sudden intensity Trey displayed. He belatedly realized trey had mentioned his father. Trey seemed to genuinely treasure the memories they had shared.

    He almost wanted to tell him about the journals.

    Almost, but not quite. It would be a bad idea for many reasons. First of which was the fact that he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to so drastically transform this man¡¯s view of his oldest friend.

    The second, was the still silent but faint possibility that Hunters usefulness to the man would cease once he got his hands on all of Gideon Koar¡¯s remaining work. Hunter needed his value to remain in perceived potential, a potential for Trey to continue to invest in, so that it would be actualized to Oberon Enterprises¡¯, and the Oberon family¡¯s, highest interest.

    On the other hand, he¡¯d love to see Aera¡¯s face when he told her he had in his possession a potential method of accelerating the growth of AR, but the cost wouldn¡¯t be worth the prize. Even if it did promise to revolutionize the way people lived.

    The increase in longevity alone would be enough to change society forever. The increase in strength would help people take full advantage of that longevity. That was all based on the condition that the method itself didn¡¯t require some depraved sacrifice of human life. Who knows what depths his father sunk to in order to fulfill this obsession?

    Hunter shook his head. He had suddenly lost what remained of his appetite. He waited for the other two to finish, and Trey finally dismissed them. Hunter almost got lost trying to find his way back to his room, having never visited this part of the mansion before. A steward pointed him in the right direction.

    Sunset was still about an hour away, when he returned to his room. He sat on his bed and thought about what was to come, and what he¡¯d gone through over the last little while.

    He was honestly surprised he hadn¡¯t quit. There were a few times over the last few weeks where he¡¯d felt tempted. Aera was almost too much to handle, and cramming years worth of education day after day had taken a mental toll as well.

    Not to mention he was having nightmares about the museum. He¡¯d asked about getting in touch with Sly, but apparently he was taking a vacation.

    More had happened to Hunter in the last month than he¡¯d been through in the last decade, and he didn¡¯t know how he was holding it together. If he had to point to any single source, it was a stubborn unwillingness to deviate from the path he¡¯d set himself on. He recognized the stubbornness, but it was almost like he was charging head-on into uncertainty, and that the circumstances just kept reinforcing that momentum.

    He kept telling himself that he¡¯d made it so far in such a short amount of time, he might as well keep going. He¡¯d survived so far, so maybe he¡¯d make it through the next few years just fine.

    There was also the possibility that he wasn¡¯t holding it together at all, and that he¡¯d already snapped. Maybe he was one more tutoring session away from turning homicidal.

    After all, it had happened to his father. What¡¯s to stop it from happening to him as well?

    He had a flashback to the final round of the competition. David Nettle had asked him if they needed to worry about Hunter turning out to be like his father.

    Hunter remembered what he¡¯d said out of complete reflex. He remembered the intent behind it, that he¡¯d only been joking.

    I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.

    But what if there was something else, under the joke? What if a part of him really wanted to hurt David, and the people like him, who had decided to make his life harder than it needed to be?

    That¡¯s when he realized that he hadn¡¯t been completely honest with himself up to this point.

    It wasn¡¯t just the price his father had forced others to pay in order to complete his work which made Hunter feel so averse to indulging in what his father had left behind for him, it was the fact that Hunter didn¡¯t know what practicing the Internal Arts would do to himself. What if it caused him to become like his father?

    What if the Internal Arts was the reason his father became so twisted?

 Chapter 27

    A man of Trey¡¯s occupation could often find themselves growing tired of their offices. It was a high-stress job. There was a lot of pressure that came with being at the top of the hierarchy. Trey didn¡¯t mind the pressure, he¡¯d been dealing with it in one way or another for his whole life. He pulled the sweet, earthy smoke from a cigar he¡¯d been enjoying over the last half hour. He blew it out in a ring, and watched it expand as it travelled towards the window. He watched it dissipate against the grey autumn sky.

    He loved that trick. He smiled to himself as he put away the papers he had been skimming. He heard a knock at the front of the office. Mrs. Verilian¡¯s signature double tap. Was it that time already? He loved his daughter¡ª the life of a Council Seat was busy and making time to be present with her was challenging, but it was a challenge he didn¡¯t avoid. It was important to him that he was present in her life.

    But she was the scion of a great family. She was a future record holder, a tremendous athlete, an incredibly intelligent young woman, and she knew it. On their own merits, those weren''t so bad. What gave him pause was the fact that she was a teenager. And like many her age, she believed she knew better than those who raised them.

    It was a particularly difficult age to navigate as a parent, because he knew that she would one day be an adult, tackling with regrets and habits she¡¯d fostered as in these years which would set the foundation for the rest of her life.

    Still, his heart, having trended towards growing colder in recent years always warmed a significant degree when he was able to spend time with her. So he stood and made for the large double doors to meet with his favorite guest. Opening the doors, Mrs. Verilion stepped to the side, revealing the frowning form of his daughter.

    He beamed at her. She was the spitting image of her mother. A bit more athletic, a bit more arrogant. But she has the same inquisitive focus, it gave her a fierce look and one day when she was leading a meeting with a dozen ambitious subordinates, all jockeying for position and distracting her with their pet projects and opinions, such a gaze would cut through their dreams like a hot knife through butter.

    But until then, all it did was serve as a means to glare her disapproval.

    Teenagers.

    He wanted to laugh, but that would come later. He knew why she was here, and he had a strategy in mind for dealing with her complaints. Laughing would lighten the tone of this conversation a bit too much. He had a point to make, and he knew exactly how to make it. His daughter had learned much from him, but there was a gap which nothing but experience could fill. She might be bright, but compared to him she was nothing but a predictable child.

    ¡°Aera, so good to see you. Come in, come in,¡± he said. Mrs. Verilion raised an eyebrow at him, her silent way of asking if her presence would be required. He shook his head. She smiled politely and closed the doors behind them as they Trey led his daughter to sit on the sofas.

    ¡°Coffee?¡± he asked, pouring himself a cup. Aera shook her head.

    ¡°More for me,¡± Trey said. Four sugar cubes, and enough cream to make the purest of clouds connipt in envy. He sat opposite his daughter and sipped the heavenly beverage, sighing in bliss.

    ¡°So,¡± Trey said after waiting for the warm feeling in his chest to settle. He realized he¡¯d left his cigar on his desk by the window, ¡°You¡¯re here about the tutoring sessions.¡±

    Aera rolled her eyes. He smirked.

    Should he go get the cigar?

    ¡°Am I so predictable?¡± she asked in an exaggerated, dramatic tone.

    ¡°Frankly, yes,¡± Trey said, ¡°You know I raised you, right?¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± she said, which he assumed was teenage-speak for asking him what his point was.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind,¡± Trey said, deciding that he was rich enough to just light a whole new cigar altogether.

    She crossed her arms and frowned.

    ¡°I get why you brought him in. I already told you I thought it was a mistake, and nothing he¡¯s done over the last few weeks has changed the way I feel. The benefit he can bring us pales in comparison to the damage he can do to our image, our legacy. For heaven¡¯s sake, he¡¯s the son of Gideon Koar ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Careful.¡±

    Aera winced. She¡¯d have heard that tone before, in board room meetings, when he¡¯d be sitting face to face with powerful men who would like nothing more than to see his family and company forgotten by history. Its the kind of tone he used when he was ordering a man¡¯s life to be ruined.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aera said, seeming to choose her words a bit more cautiously, ¡°all i¡¯m saying is that at best, it¡¯s not a good look. And at worst, well, you¡¯re the one whose always going on about how important our reputation is to the companie''s future, especially now.¡±

    Trey pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn¡¯t like being the bad guy. He liked to think that his daughter was wise beyond her years. Many lessons he¡¯d had to learn over the years had been painful, and he always hoped to spare his daughter the same pain. It was the kind of pain that came with regret, from mistakes made out of sheer naive ignorance.

    But Aera was a very proud young woman. He¡¯d raised her that way¡ª because it would serve her. A weak willed heiress will not inherit the family¡¯s fortune or position. She needed that pride. She needed every ounce of emotional advantage she could get in order to fight the battles she was going to have to fight, one day.

    But there was still that gap. Experience and maturity came with learning about certain realities. And this was as good a time as any for her to start learning.

    He once more considered his strategy for addressing this. Bridging this divide would be important for both Aera and Hunter. Bringing Hunter into the family was no small thing. Despite what his daughter may think in her episode of frustration, the family name meant a lot to him¡ª but reputation was always a fickle thing. Sometimes you had to learn that the only way forward is to take steps backwards. Reputation ultimately served the family, not the other way around.

    If a temporary hit in reputation meant the family would benefit, then reputation be damned.

    That had been his first consideration, and it made the stakes of this conversation¡ª and what he assumed would be a few similar conversation in the coming months and years¡ª very clear. Hunter and Aera would have to learn to trust each other, and work together.

    The life of a Council Seat was filled with more gambles than he¡¯d prefer, but it came with the territory-- it was business.. And the woman his daughter would grow into was also his business. The company could not afford a spineless leader, nor could it afford for her to grow into an ignorant, immature narcissist. His job was to find the balance between reinforcing her confidence, and kicking out the foundations of her arrogance¡ª or at least corroding those foundations, letting life take on the role of the teacher she¡¯d need in order for her to become the woman the company and family would need in turn.

    It wasn¡¯t up to him to change her mind. Trey preferred to influence someone over the long run. It all starts with a seed, and it was one that he¡¯d already planted, it just needed a bit of watering.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s more important than reputation?¡± he asked.

    She shrugged and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, her annoyance and frustration manifesting as a tension in her voice, ¡°what¡¯s more important than reputation?¡±

    He took another sip of coffee, and after he placed his cup on the table he leaned forward, sure to slowly enunciate every sound, tapping his finger against the table to emphasize every syllable.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°In-teg-rit-y.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s exaclty what i¡¯m trying to¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, not the integrity of our image. Aera, you really are quite a brilliant young woman, but there¡¯s so much you don¡¯t know. How much have I told you about my time with Gideon Koar?,¡± he asked, using the same tone of voice she¡¯s used to disrespect the man¡¯s name.

    ¡°You¡¯ve only told me that you two started a few businesses together when you were younger, and that you became good friends.¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°To be more accurate, he saved my life, and then we became good friends.¡±

    Aera¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He hid his smile, letting the small warmth of victory he felt when a plan started to come together. The bait had been taken, and it was time for phase two.

    He laughed, and enjoyed another sip of his coffee.

    ¡°What I mean is that I was quite the hothead when I was younger. I thought that, because I had money, because my father was seated on the council, that I was practically invincible. Sound familiar?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Aera muttered.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Trey said with a smirk, ¡°I had taken advantage of the good will of some of the less fortunate in our society. I¡¯d hired them to work in a warehouse, and thought it would be a brilliant idea to cut their already meager pay in half. I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I was who I was, they were who they were, it would be their privilege to serve me for any amount of money, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Aera¡¯s frown deepened. By now, she¡¯d be making the connection with the character he was illustrating and many of the young men and women she likely made associations with.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you,¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s who I was encouraged to be, when I was your age,¡± Trey said, ¡°and those men and women, whose pride I had trampled over¡ªwhose lives were already difficult enough as it was and were made more so by myself and my youthful narcissism¡ª had decided to take my fate into their hands. They demanded I pay them what they were owed, and when I refused, they beat me,¡± he said.

    He still felt the fear from that day, over four decades ago. He took a breath to steady himself.

    ¡°Gideon stopped them. He¡¯d been hired before¡ª dirt cheap, he needed the money to pay his way through school. He would come by once a week, maintain our constructs, fix what was broken, that sort of thing. Well, that day happened to be the day he was scheduled to visit. It wasn¡¯t like I''d treated him anymore fairly than I had the others, but for some reason he decide to pull them off of me, and convince them to leave me alone. I still don¡¯t remember what he said, all I remember was the feeling of relief from being saved.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get what this has to do with with me and Hunter,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°Children these days, always so impatient. I¡¯m telling you I was almost beaten to death,¡± Trey sighed, exasperated by his daughter¡¯s behavior over the last few days, ¡°and to your point; i¡¯m getting to that.¡±

    He took another sip of coffee, realizing he¡¯d almost drank it all already and pouted. He stood to grab some more, talking as he walked.

    ¡°He hailed me a cab, and we found our way to a hospital. This was before cellphones, and the landline in the warehouse hadn¡¯t been working, so he held me up and kept me warm while I shook from remnant adrenaline and more pain than I had ever felt before. I was furious, Aera. I was talking about getting revenge. I could have had them all killed,¡± he said, sighing. He wasn¡¯t proud of who he¡¯d been back then.

    ¡°Gideon explained their point of view to me. I didn¡¯t really get it, but it made some sense in an abstract way. I¡¯d miscalculated how much they needed the work, and what they¡¯d be willing to tolerate from me. The way he explained it, he made me realize that the only person I had to blame was myself. To be honest, I¡¯d never taken the time to consider who the people I''d employed were, the kind of lives they lived, and what a cut in pay would mean for them. Most of them were supporting children and wives, and there weren¡¯t a lot of jobs to go around during those days. Such pay cuts weren¡¯t uncommon, and they¡¯d had enough. Similar sentiments had been brewing all over the domain¡ª and others.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, he then went the extra mile and opened your eyes to the world of the less fortunate, awakening your heart to a new way of seeing the world?¡± Aera rolled her eyes again, exaggerating her disinterest and looking at the surrounding books with a board look.

    ¡°Another unfortunate quality of youth is the terrible habit of trivializing matters which are far from trivial. You mistake your immature attitudes for wisdom. Yes, he helped me see the world in a new way. He introduced me to other brilliant people, children and adults, and and others who weren¡¯t so brilliant but had the kind of passion that would keep them working for days on end in order to better the lives of the people they loved. They worked harder than people I grew up around and some of them weren¡¯t even a quarter my age. And you know what?¡± he asked, pausing to make sure his daughter was paying attention.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked with a sigh. Trey figured she was tired of being lectured to, but she needed to hear this.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to do any of that. Ask yourself, if you were him, what would you have done?¡±

    Aera was about to respond, but the look in his eye was gave her pause. She knew better than to push his buttons when he got like this.

    She tilted her head, considering the question. Then she shrugged.

    ¡°I guess I would have pulled them off of you as well, but I''m not sure I''d have stuck around after getting you to a hospital.¡±

    Trey shook his hand, indicating that he thought she was on the right track.

    ¡°If you were them, if you¡¯d grown up in the same circumstance, and tended to hate the rich and powerful as much as they were tempted to, then you wouldn¡¯t have stopped them.¡±

    ¡°So what? You¡¯re saying Gideon didn¡¯t hate you for being rich?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he most certainly did,¡± Trey laughed, ¡°If there was one thing Gideon despised, it was the rich¡ª especially the offspring of the rich. But he was the kind of man who was willing to put that aside if it meant he could change a life. Do you understand how rare that is? No, don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll answer for you: No. You don¡¯t. You couldn¡¯t possibly, because you¡¯re far too young and inexperienced to begin to understand just how important it is that most people are not only unable, but unwilling to do so,¡± Trey said, letting the frustration he was feeling about his daughters¡¯ behavior rise to the surface.

    He could see his reflection in the glass covering a rather nice painting he¡¯d bought years ago. His face had been growing red as his temper rose a few degrees.

    Good, he thought. Maybe it¡¯ll help sell the point.

    He sat back down, exaggerating the acts of calming himself down. A deep breath in, holding it for a second, and a deep breath out. He lit the cigar he''d taken out earlier, and took a long drag, savoring the flavor before blowing it out softly.

    ¡°Not only did Gideon Koar save my life, he saved me from the man I would have become if I had not learned just how lost I was to my own ego. Yes, we started businesses, most of which failed. And yes, we became great friends along the way. But the lessons we both learned, the impact that we made, ripple through the world to this day. We taught skills to people who never would have had the opportunity to learn them otherwise, which allowed them to transform their communities. They started businesses which have gone to make millions, even billions of credits. We helped transform countless lives, all because Gideon decided to give me a chance, a chance which-- by all appearances-- he had no reason to think would bare any sort of fruit, and came at a considerable cost to his own reputation,¡± he said, practically spitting out the last word.

    Trey sighed, satisfied that he¡¯d said what he needed to say. Aera was looking at him with open skepticism, but she wasn¡¯t protesting his words out loud.

    He¡¯d done what he could to steer her in the right direction. He¡¯d have to trust that life would show her the truth of what he¡¯d said. And now that he¡¯d said it, she¡¯d be more open to learning a lesson that had almost killed him.

    Although she clearly wasn¡¯t happy with the way the meeting turned out, she seemed to accept that she wouldn¡¯t be changing his mind. Trey told her she was free to go about her business, and she thanked him for seeing her. If nothing else, she knew how to appear polite.

    He suspected that not only would she have a thing or two to learn from Hunter, but maybe Hunter could learn a thing or two from her as well. He knew how his daughter could be, and he imagined that she hadn¡¯t made it easy for the young man. But Hunter had seemed genuinely proud of himself for having made it through the last few weeks, and Trey was relieved that his own gamble had paid off. He was eager to see just how far Hunter would go during his time at the Academy¡ª if he could rise above the challenges that he¡¯d be presented with.

    He knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, though. The children of his peers often lived without much in the way of consequences¡ª they were like ravenous wolves to those who they saw as lesser beings. After all, he''d been just like them once upon a time.

    Barnum would be a crucible for the children. He would have to trust that Hunters sheer stubborn tenacity, and the loyalty that he himself had instilled in Aera would be enough to bond them together¡ª and he had a suspicion that such a bond would be nigh unbreakable once it began to set.

    Hunter would always be a Koar, and Trey wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. But Hunter was now an Oberon as well.

    That would mean more than wealth, power, and status ever could. Since it was Trey¡¯s turn to steer his family¡¯s future, he would ensure that being an Oberon would mean having integrity. And if Hunter had the potential to be anything like his father, then Trey would rest assured that the boy would fit in with the family line just fine.

    Aera would come around, in time. He just knew it.

    Fathers knew these things.

    He took another drag of his cigar, and then remembered that he¡¯d made himself another coffee. He chuckled as he drank it. It was still warm.

    It was the small things that always got him through the day.

    He stood and stared out the large window of his office, considering the gray sky, sipping the coffee and reviewing his plans¡ª many of which he wondered if they would ever see completion.

    There were troubling undercurrents rippling through the Council strata. Whispers of chaos that might require a very drastic action on his part¡ª one which he¡¯d already started to prepare for. Large movements of money and personnel. New ships being constructed at new, hidden shipyards, built with the family¡¯s private resources¡ª resources the company had no access to, or ways of tracking if he was careful enough.

    The light of the phantom sun was fading. Soon, the dark would swallow up the sky, the mountains, and the valleys.

    Yet the moon would cast silver linings upon the clouds, showing all those who care to see that even before dawn breaks, there is light.

 Chapter 28

    Just as Hunter had predicted, the weekend flew by in what felt like a matter of hours. He hadn¡¯t had a time to really immerse himself in his work after the competition, and he was surprised to find just how deeply he could lose himself in it without the pressures of having to work, or having to worry about the Comics showing up at his door with a potentially fatal ultimatum.

    He¡¯d had fun, and he felt like he¡¯d learned quite a bit. Shaped forcefields were complex, and difficult, but he was starting to understand the theory a bit more intimately. He was still quite a ways away from being able to produce one himself¡ª years away. But he was optimistic that it was just a matter of time. His synergies would advance, his experience would grow, and he would continue to innovate in ways no one else could.

    It was what he was good at, and he¡¯d be damned if he didn¡¯t juice that for every ounce it was worth while he was at the academy.

    He could already feel himself on that ship, leaving the world and its dramas behind. It was just one degree of Excellence away.

    Hunter soon forgot about the academy. He forgot about Aera, Trey, the competition, and the museum. He forgot about his dream of leaving the world, and and making a name for himself beyond it. All that existed for him was the strange song that etherium sung, its shifting desires, and how to best make use of them.

    It was Stewart who had pulled him out of his fugue. Hunter had barely slept over the last few days¡ª caffeine and sheer passion, curiosity, and twice as much frustration kept his unwavering focus on his work. He hadn¡¯t heard the man knock, or enter the room, or walk across it to tap him on the shoulder.

    If the man was at all disturbed by the pale, bloodshot eyes that met him, he showed no sign of it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come to inform you that you will be leaving for the Pacific Shield in just over an hour,¡± Stewart said, glancing around the room, ¡°would you like some assistance with packing?¡±

    Hunter shook his head, painfully tearing his mind away from the complex matrix of networks he¡¯d been so comfortably lost in for the last who-knows-how-long.

    ¡°I should be fine,¡± Hunter said. Stewart nodded, and informed him that Trey had requested to see both him and Aera just before they departed, and that Stewart and his staff would pack away all of their luggage into the van that would take them to the airport. Hunter agreed, and spent the next few minutes gathering everything he would need.

    As he packed, he was informed that he would be given his own private accommodations at the Academy, warranted by his status as an Oberon. He would have private laundry, so he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about packing more than he would need in a week or two.

    Hunter brought all of his new fancy clothes, and some of the simple shirts and pants that Stewart had supplied him with after upgrading his wardrobe. He wouldn¡¯t need to be all dressed up all the time, and it would be nice to have something more casual to wear when he was just at home, which he imagined he would spend most of his time when he wasn¡¯t attending courses.

    Hunter was nervous about having to leave, but he was also excited. If he¡¯d proven anything to himself over the last month, it was that he could do anything he set his mind to. The academy would probably be nothing like the competition. His life wouldn¡¯t be in danger, and apart from having to take a beating a couple times a week during the mandatory martial arts classes, Hunter was confident that his life at Barnum would be a breeze.

    He met with Trey and Aera in the same room they¡¯d received him in almost a month ago. Trey had some finger foods prepped, and Hunter attacked them with vigor. He hadn¡¯t realized how hungry he¡¯d gotten. When was the last time he¡¯d eaten?

    ¡°Aera and I had a nice chat last night, and she¡¯s quiet eager to get back to the tutoring sessions. We¡¯ve also decided that it would be in both of your interest to addend a period of artisan tutoring in turn.¡±

    Hunter paused, mid-bite. Did he hear that right?

    ¡°You mean, you want me to tutor Aera?¡±

    ¡°To learn is to teach, to teach is to learn. I expect you¡¯ll find the experience to be quite enriching, both of you.¡±

    Aera seemed to share Hunter¡¯s utter lack of enthusiasm at the prospect.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hunter asked, unable to help himself.

    ¡°Call it intuition. It¡¯ll be great, trust me!¡± Trey said, his unconditional enthusiasm and encouragement causing Hunter to involuntarily smile. He shook his head.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll just have to trust you then,¡± Hunter said. He didn¡¯t believe a word that came out of his mouth, but what was he going to do about it? It sounded like Trey had already made up his mind. Besides, maybe Hunter would be able to show Aera that just because he wasn¡¯t as strong as her, that didn¡¯t mean he was useless.

    Trey fished out a piece of paper from his pocket and read it out loud for them.

    ¡°Now, a few rules I''d like you both to take account of before you leave. 1) You will be supplied with a very small allowance every month to pay for necessities which aren¡¯t provided by the school. Beyond this allowance, the family¡¯s money will be out of reach for both of you unless its an emergency. 2) You will both continue to attend the tutoring sessions regularly, the only exception being immanent school projects or extra-curricular events which demand your evening¡¯s time. 3) You will each earn at least a single degree of Excellence, any extra earned will be rewarded quite similarly to our initial agreements. Last but not least, rule 4) You will have each others backs,¡± Trey said, folding the piece of paper and putting it back in his pocket. Hunter didn¡¯t see Aera¡¯s reaction, but Trey gave her her a look which might mean that she was having some strong thoughts about those rules.

    Hunter was interested in hearing what Aera had been promised for earning Excellence. Wasn¡¯t she already heiress to one of the most powerful organizations in the world? What more could she ask for?

    And how was Hunter supposed to have Aera¡¯s back?

    Despite his doubt, he agreed to Trey¡¯s rules. Before they left, Trey gave Hunter a small box. Hunter opened it up and saw a black onyx signet ring, with the Oberon family crest etched in gold. His name was also etched along the edge of the ring.

    ¡°Rings like these have been passing around the family for generations. They serve as both a gift, and a reminder. You have the authority and privilege of an Oberon, but you also have the responsibility that comes with it,¡± Trey said, his voice solemn, but his smile was still genuine.

    Hunter tried to put it on his finger, but it wasn¡¯t thick enough to secure the ring in place. Trey asked an attendant to find a thin, chain-link necklace. He threaded it through the ring and told Hunter to wear it as a necklace instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you carry it with you. Who knows, maybe one day you¡¯ll grow into it?¡± Trey said. Then he wished them good luck and bid them farewell.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Hunter was pleasantly surprised to find Barry waiting for them at the front of the house. To Hunters delight, he led them both to the Kellese. He said that their luggage was being sent ahead of them, and that if the timing worked out, they would find it waiting for them inside their new accommodations.

    Hunter was excited, and found that the sheer pleasure of riding in the Kellese, and the being able to travel in an airplane for the first time in his life was outshining the brooding shadow beside him. Aera was her usual, quiet self as Barry drove them down the mountain, through the city, and to the capital airport. Hunter was wondering if he should expect a sea of reporters to meet them there. Whenever he saw the Oberon family out in public, news would show them trailed by a long line of flashing cameras and curious pedestrians.

    He was almost disappointed to find the airport to be relatively calm-- not that he had any idea of how busy airports typically got. People pooled all around them. Talking, reading, lining up for tickets. It didn¡¯t take long for them to be recognized. And despite Hunters¡¯ tendency to shy away from attention, he felt slightly mollified. Although he probably couldn¡¯t take the credit as being the source of the steadily increasing attention they were receiving.

    Aera stood out¡ª her signature hair and athletic build would be eye catching enough to attract attention, but her face was probably more popular and recognizable than her fathers. He could tell that they recognized him as well, now that news of the newest member of the Oberon family had filtered out to the public.

    The son of the infamous Gideon Koar, now a part of the historic Oberon family, and third in line to inherit the role of monarch. It still didn¡¯t feel real to him. It made him something of a prince, but he hadn¡¯t really given that thought any weight over the last few weeks. He didn¡¯t know how to how to contextualize it, or what it meant for him. So, he didn¡¯t lose much sleep worrying about it all. Hunter wasn¡¯t interested in world-shaping wealth. He didn¡¯t need it, his interests were simple and straightforward, and he was happy for that. Great influence tended to bring out the worst in people.

    Maybe he, of all people, needed to avoid that sort of ambition. He didn¡¯t know what it would do to him, down the line. It might turn him into the kind of person who could justify just about anything.

    Hunter and Aera were led to a private hanger, where a small plane was waiting for them. Hunter couldn¡¯t feel any charged etherium running through it, so his interest in the plane itself was minimal. The specifics of its aerodynamics, lift, and thrust were subjects that were lost on him. As far as he was concerned, the Kellese was a thousand times more interesting. He¡¯d actually managed to get his hand on some printouts of the networks schematics for the vehicle. He¡¯d learned quite a bit from studying them, but neither Trey nor Barry were comfortable with Hunter taking the car apart to study it in person.

    From the schematics, he¡¯d found a lot to be impressed by. He¡¯d also found quite a bit that he knew he could improve. He figured he could knock down the AR requirement by at least 15 points, and could probably improve its performance quite a bit as well.

    Maybe.

    There was quite a bit about the vehicle he still didn¡¯t know. What the schematics didn¡¯t tell him were what the design philosophy behind the vehicle was, what their intention was, and what his alterations would do to negatively effect whatever ideal balance they¡¯d managed to achieve.

    It¡¯s not something he would have thought about before had he not been forced to study what he¡¯d missed in school over the last few years. Hunter was excited to learn more, and maybe one day he¡¯d be able to sit down with the people at Kreig and learn about how the history and process they went through to create such a masterpiece.

    Excitement blossomed in his chest. He was an Oberon now¡ª not a nobody kid who fancied himself an industry pioneer. Maybe this is the kind of thing that kept people attached to wealth and status. The opportunities it offered were second to none. He¡¯d pass on the head honcho¡¯s seat, but Hunter could get used to this sort of life; where crafting dreams was as real as eating tomorrow¡¯s dinner.

    A month ago, a meeting with the designers of a Kellese was something that felt like a wisp o fa dream, a fantasy, an ephemeral lie meant to trigger him into despairing about his barren future. The sudden inversion in circumstance felt like a perversion of the natural order.

    He almost laughed, but Aera was beside him. Even in his high spirits, he felt like he was always walking on eggshells around her. So he contained himself.

    They sat in opposite ends of the private plane, which Hunter was fine with. Soon, the plane drove itself onto the runway, and Hunter got to experience his first liftoff. It was exhilarating, and frightening.

    The world seemed to expand beneath them. Soon they were higher than the mountains, sailing through clouds. He imagined that this might be what it was like to be on a ship headed outworld. What would it be like, to keep going higher and higher? Eventually they would reach the terminus of the sky, where the world transitioned into the strange space between worlds¡ª where the cosmos painted in the sky would end, and the true space beyond would begin. He¡¯d heard it described like a sea of mist, which seemed both real and virtual. The mist would pass through the ship, through the crews body, yet it didn¡¯t cause any harm. The ship would then emerge into a vast blackness, with soft grey-white suns speckled throughout. Each sun would be another world, another contained realm which appeared to have a vast, yet unreachable cosmos beyond.

    Hunter was glad he wasn¡¯t around when the first ships sailed beyond the virtual sky. He didn¡¯t want to be one of the men and women whose livelihood was based on teaching about the galaxy they used to think that they lived in, and the universe of galaxy¡¯s surrounding them. But it made him wonder:

    Why?

    What did it mean, that the sky had an end?

    Hunter shook his head. That wasn''t the kind of question he would ever find the answer to. It was more practical for him to stay focused on more practical matters. Just because the sky they¡¯d known wasn¡¯t real, didn¡¯t mean that there wasn¡¯t a life to be lived beyond the world they called their home, beyond Sanctuary.

    The plane leveled out, and Hunter marveled at the view. The world still appeared to curve, with a horizon which constantly seemed to generate new details. More land, more sea, more trees, more buildings, more people. They flew past ships at varying altitudes, and Hunter took time to study each one that came close enough. They belonged to many different companies, some were Council Seats, some weren¡¯t. He even saw a few Oberon vessels as well, coming in from outworld destinations, either picking up cargo or dropping it off. Soon they would leave again, headed to a realm far from here. An entirely different, self contained world.

    He sighed.

    Eventually, the novelty of the view wore off. It was still beautiful, but there was only so much he could see before his mind naturally lost interest. It was what it was.

    It took them 10 hours to reach the Pacific Shield. Hunter caught up on some sleep during the time, and woke up to a world blanketed in night. A city was below them, lights and streets seemed to weave and cross like bioluminscent veins, reaching across the land.

    Over time, the city grew closer and closer. It was so odd, seeing the tops of skyscrapers beneath him.

    A flight attendant informed him that they would be landing in Costa Benne in about 20 minutes. Hunter stretched and ate a small snack which had been left for him while he¡¯d been snoozing.

    Costa Benne.

    It was supposed to be a beautiful place, and he regretted that they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay and admire it. He¡¯d never been to another continent, and had always imagined what it would be like to visit the more scenic parts of the Pacific Shield. Costa Benne would not be their final destination, however. After the plane landed, and once Hunter and Aera had disembarked, they met with another driver who said they¡¯d arrive at the Academy after a two and a half hour drive. Hunter asked them if they could grab some coffee and dinner along the way. To his surprise, Aera seconded his request.

    Was this progress?

    He glanced at her. She was staring out the window.

    Probably not.

    Wait a minute, Hunter thought, who cares?

    The driver, Alain, took them to a small family-run restaraunt where they had a small meal which Hunter had never had before. A small, flat, bread-like disc they called a ¡®tortee-ah¡¯, with had some pork, pickled red onions and carrots, and pineapple. It was delicious, a blend of salty, spicey, sour, and sweet which had blown his mind. Aera seemed annoyed by his reaction, and Alain had laughed. He told Alain that it was like nothing he¡¯d ever had before.

    Gideon had always cooked food which, compared to what he''d gotten used to at the Oberon estate, was incredibly simple and bland. Potatoes, meets, gravy''s, vegetables, those were what he''d come to expect before the Council had come and taken it all away. From then it was noodles, rice, potatoes, and even chicken if he was flush with cash. It turns out there was a whole world of flavor out here, and he hadn''t even known.

    Alain was overjoyed that he could introduce Hunter to authentic pacific cuisine. Hunter swore he would never go back to eating bland foods again. Their visit to the restaurant was all he could think about for a while. They found some cheap coffee on the way, and by the time he drank it, he managed to pull his mind to more practical matters.

    Namely, what exactly he wanted to teach Aera about constructs, and how he was going to do so without feeling like he was trying to feed a starving lion who wanted nothing more than to bite his head off.

 Chapter 29

    The Academy was just as grand as he¡¯d imagined. The main building was huge, and its architecture made it like a living historical artifact. The Illaic peoples had left behind a legacy of epic architecture which Hunter had always enjoyed. Grand pillars, open spaces, rounded angles. Barnum had been founded centuries ago. The modern era was all skyscrapers, concrete, steel, and glass. The founders of the academy must have found the architecture of the Illiac Empire to be something worth championing.

    The grounds that surrounded the main building, and the campus meant to support it, were all modernized. However, they were muted compared to the historical marvel that Hunter was excited to step foot in¡ª a marvel inspired by similar marvels built thousands of years ago.

    Great granite pillars supported intricate stone carvings. Symbolic stories, mythical figures, and he was sure there were plenty metaphors for improving ones self, and growing into a mature and responsible adult. What surprised him the most about the building was that the majority of its area was taken up by a park¡ª a large field which the building surrounded like an open-sky atrium. Statues, walkways, fountains, and benches were artfully arranged throughout the vast intermedia. The storied budling surrounding it had windows looking over the large space.

    Much of the campus was taken up by areas assigned to specific departments which were where their courses would take place. The main building served as more of a gathering place and the rooms looking over the park were typically used by the various clubs students and faculty organized. Hunter and Aera had arrived just after the school opened for the day, and they were led to a small office where their registration would be officially completed. They both presented their ID¡¯s, Hunter¡¯s having been updated during his time at the mansion. Hunter also presented his proof of sponsorship from the Oberon family, and Aera presented the invitation the academy had sent her.

    The academy also required an AR test. On the bright side, the test was private. The construct they were using to measure it was something new for Hunter. He assumed it functioned the same, but it was was much smaller, able to be held in one hand and totally light enough that even he could carry it around without much trouble. He¡¯d never seen something like it before. How had they made it so compact? He¡¯d have to try and get his hands on one sometime soon and uncover its secrets.

    The secretary taking the test seemed surprised by both of their scores¡ª and for different reasons. Hunter ignored the burning feeling in his face as he considered how low his result was compared to Aera¡¯s. He ignored the shame to the best of his ability, not willing to let Aera see any form of weakness.

    He was frustrated with his relationship with Aera as of late. His sudden insecurity around her was an unwelcome disparity to the indifference he wished to mirror back towards her. If she were David Nettle, Hunter would just focus on what he needed to do, doing his best to ignore the scorn. But lately, he¡¯d found himself trying prove himself to her. Just the previous night, he had caught himself trying to see her in a more positive light.

    He had been thinking things like: maybe her method of teaching hadn¡¯t been as malevolent as he¡¯d thought, and maybe she¡¯d really just wanted to help him get stronger. Maybe pushing him to the outermost limits that he could bare hadn¡¯t been akin to a predator playing with its food, but more like a blacksmith trying to cleanse the impurities from metal.

    Maybe Trey¡¯s optimism was starting to rub off on him.

    He¡¯d have to do something about that. He remembered how utterly unrelenting she was during their sessions. He remembered every cold, borderline hostile glance. He remembered the way she made him feel, and he suspected the way she was purposely trying to make him feel.

    Completely weak, unworthy, and pathetic.

    It was like a splash of cold water, how the memories woke him up. His embarrassment from the AR test didn¡¯t abate, but his consideration of Trey¡¯s daughter did. As far as he was concerned, any future interaction was purely business. He would teach her what she needed learn about constructs, and she would teach him what he needed to know about defending himself. He would put up with her abuse, because he knew that it would make him stronger. The ''coaching'' sessions had turned out to be a blessing in disguise¡ª maybe teaching her would turn out the same way. The thought made the prospect of having to spend more time with her an easier pill to swallow.

    After the test, they were both shown to their individual accommodations. They would both live in the same apartment building. The first 7 floors were dedicated to shared student dorms, and the top 4 floors would be for single-occupancy accommodations. Hunter¡¯s room was on the 10th floor, and Aera¡¯s was on the 11th.

    His apartment was the third suite down the hall, and he assumed that there were probably a half dozen more apartments on his floor. He was given his key and left alone to unpack and settle in. Hunter opened the door and found that the apartment was incredibly lacking after having stayed in the epitome of opulence for the last month, but it was his own space. It was nicer than his house in Seckina, and more spacious than the hotel he¡¯d stayed in during the competition. There was a full-sized kitchen, living room, and he was pleased with the size of the bedroom, with ample space to store all the stuff he was sure he would accumulate over the next few years.

    The room also had a decent view. There were mountains in the distance, and enough greenery to to avoid feeling like he was floating above a sea of concrete. He could actually see himself liking it there. The living room came complete with a small table, a couch, and a television. On the table was a list of all the courses he would be taking, the days of the week he¡¯d be taking them, and the time he¡¯d be expected to attend.

    There were surprisingly few classes. All of his academic courses would take up Monday and Tuesday. His Wednesday''s would be free, and his Thursdays and Fridays would be taken up by Intermediate Construct Artisanship, Foundations of Martial Arts, and the History elective he¡¯d signed up for. Fortunately, the martial arts class was scheduled after the history class, and the Construct class seemed to take up a full four hours on Fridays.

    He was relieved to see that he would have weekends free. He assumed that all the free time they were given would be for various projects, homework, and whatever jobs the students would take to support themselves.

    Hunter would try and get by on the allowance that Trey was affording him. He wondered if it would be enough to buy one of those testing devices they used to measure his AR. It wasn¡¯t like he needed much money for food, all of the campus¡¯s housing buildings came complete with a large cafeteria that provided food that was supposed to be both nutritious and relatively cheap. There were also plenty of small businesses catering to other needs the students might have, and many of them offered discounts subsidized by the academy.

    The allowance that Trey was offering would probably cover everything Hunter needed for a while, and he planned to put away a small amount each month to invest in his own interests.

    He found all of his luggage in his room. Hunter started organizing the luggage, and almost swore when he saw that the estate staff had packed his fathers briefcase in with the rest of his stuff. He hadn¡¯t touched it after pushing off his bed the night that he¡¯d considered reading through the journals. A small note was taped to the briefcase. It was signed by Stewart.

    I hadn''t been sure sure whether whether or not you had intended to pack this with the rest of what you intend to bring to the academy, given limited time you had to gather your things, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Please forgive any potential inconvenience.

    Hunter sighed after reading the note. He understood that Stewart was only doing his job, and it wasn''t like there wasn''t like there was nothing he could do about it. Hunter took the briefcase, still completely motivated to never delve into its contents, and placed it in the corner of his new closet. He placed the rest of the suitcases and boxes in front of it so that he would never have to see it for the next three years. If he couldn¡¯t leave it behind, at the very least least he wouldn¡¯t have to think about it.

    Out of sight, out of mind.

    He has a full day before classes started, and he decided he¡¯d use the following day to figure out where his classes would be held. He¡¯d heard nightmare stories about students showing up to the wrong rooms and lecture halls, or getting lost. He wanted to avoid that.

    He felt that he needed to make a good impression on the faculty. It might go a long way to helping him achieve his goals here.

    <hr>

    Aera tapped her finger on the table in annoyance and winced. Every time Jason Chan opened his mouth, she would feel a wave of annoyance which threatened to burn this bridge she¡¯d been carefully cultivating for years.

    The voice on the other side of the line was reedy and cracking.

    ¡°So, have you put any more thought into my offer?¡± the young man said. Jason was an old acquaintance. He¡¯d always been a bit shady, but having friends in low places could be useful. It was a lesson she¡¯d learned well from her father, and she¡¯d found that the advice had born enough fruit that she would always take the time to foster her connection with those among her peers which were a bit more morally gray.

    They were the same age, and as he was the scion of a particularly influential family in the LockeMark Domain, he¡¯d been sponsored to attend the academy the same year she was.

    That he was useful was the only reason she was taking his call. But recently, Jason Chan had amassed some very unfortunate rumors about himself. The kind of rumors that Aera would typically consider enough of an excuse to cut all ties with him. Unfortunately, she was dealing with the reality that she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid him while she was at Barnum. Just because she found him and his lot to be something of a stain on society, it wasn¡¯t a stain she had the power to personally rub out. So if she couldn¡¯t get rid of them, she might as well take advantage of them.

    There were aspects to Academy life that weren¡¯t advertised, aspects that could spell a whole host of ruined careers and lawsuits, the kind of thing that people paid good money to keep quiet. Jason¡¯s family, and his associates, had found their niche is organizing and facilitating the unseen currents in Barnum¡¯s shadow. The Council and their subordinate company''s and family''s had a certain understanding about the expected code of conduct their scions and hopefuls would follow while they attended Barnum¡ª and its part of what made the academy so alluring to the established powers of the world. Even before the Council was founded, Barnum as considered the peak among institutions dedicated to fostering the leaders of tomorrow¡ª and not just for the coveted degrees of Excellence which could define one¡¯s life trajectory.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Those were mere trappings¡ª a company had many ways to scout and foster talent. A company¡¯s foundation was built on hard work and devotion. But for someone like Aera, and those of her social tier, the degrees were no more than another form of social currency. It was secondary consideration for their enrollment, as far as their parents were concerned. The primary reason was that the world¡¯s powers had fostered within the boundaries of the academy¡¯s campus a microcosm of the world stage. It was here that their aspiring and ambitious youths would have their first taste of competition against their rival interests.

    Every year, there was a struggle for dominance and prestige among the upper class attending the academy. However, this came with a condition. The moment you entered the campus, you were no longer allowed the protection of a personal security force. This meant that you had to face the consequences of your actions yourself. However, given the Chan¡¯s unique position, they had financial (and emotional) influence over much of the campuses businesses¡ª and Aera suspected the faculty as well. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t avoid dealing with them and refusing to do so would make her appear weak. She wouldn¡¯t be able to bully her way to dominance on campus, and with Jason this was especially so.

    His influence while he was at Barnum made him a hard man to refuse. That wouldn¡¯t stop her from stalling for as long as she could, however. Her father had told her that dealing with these kinds of people was like walking a tight-rope, but sometimes it couldn¡¯t be avoided. Not just for the sake of reputation, but the necessity of securing one¡¯s position in society. Turning a blind eye to the nefarious dimension of her culture would only create a blind spot she couldn¡¯t defend herself, or her family, from.

    Family which now included one Hunter Oberon Koar. She sneered.

    ¡°Aera, you there?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, unable to stop the annoyance from bleeding through into her voice, ¡°and my answer is the same. If I change my mind, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask,¡± Jason said, in what Aera assumed was meant to be a smooth and reassuring tone. Instead, it came across as creepy; ill intent was oozing like pus from a festering wound behind a mask of familiarity and friendship.

    There was something of the flavor of intuition in her judgement of his tone. She''d have to remember to keep her guard up around Jason Chan.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot on my schedule, Jason. Our talks are always a pleasure, but if there¡¯s nothing else?¡± She said, knowing he¡¯d take the hint to hang up.

    ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯ll be seeing you,¡± Jason said. She sighed after she heard the line shut with a click.

    Aera shivered, feeling like she suddenly needed a very long shower. That kid got worse by the year, and more dangerous, if the rumors are to be believed. And it was easy to believe them, Jason didn¡¯t hide the fact that he had no consideration for right and wrong. He was a sociopath, a smart sociopath. Opportunistic, but fair enough for the sake of his business reputation. His behavior would reflect poorly upon his family¡ª so if he committed to grievous a crime, he was sure to make sure that there was very little in the way of evidence to prove his involvement.

    He would treat you fairly at first, if he sensed an ounce of weakness from you he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to milk it for all it was worth. It had happened before. Jason had respect for her status, and the considerable resources that she and her father could move against a family like his if he were to ever cross the line with her.

    But her father had drilled the value of verifying facts for as long as she could remember. And since she didn¡¯t have much in the way of resources with which to verify or debunk the rumors surrounding Jason, she decided that she would go with her gut and take a cautious approach.

    Which, she had to remind herself, was not a weak approach. In all ways, she would project her power and status. She would be the leader of the Oberon family in the future, and by her hand the council seat would remain theirs, as it had for generations. So there was no room for weakness, both in image or action. Which brought her back to her new brother.

    The newest Oberon heir, not that she took the title seriously. Hunter was weak like Jason was mercurial.

    But he wasn¡¯t completely weak, she reminded herself. He had a strong will, and that had surprised her. She had expected him to fold after the first session. But he¡¯d continued, and he had shown some progress, though not nearly enough to convince her that he was worth anything remotely close to the privilege that her father had given him.

    Integrity, her father had said. In-teg-rit-y, enunciating every syllable. She¡¯d done her best not to flinch during his lecture. And she¡¯d be lying if she said that his words¡ª and the dramatic flair he was prone to deliver them with, hadn¡¯t given her something to think about.

    What would she have done, if she¡¯d been one of the workers who he¡¯d tried to screw over? Would she have stepped in to help, or to hurt the man who was trying to take away her livelihood, her means to support herself and the people she cherished?

    The more she thought about it, the less she liked the answer.

    What she¡¯d found over the weekend, ruminating over the lecture, was that she couldn¡¯t justify the actions of Gideon Koar when he saved her father, because she couldn¡¯t see herself in them.

    She¡¯d have let him be beaten. It wasn¡¯t what she wanted to believe about herself, but it was true. If she wasn¡¯t an Oberon, and the person who was compensating her for her hard work decided that her labor was worth less than an already-meager sum?

    She could see herself being totally indifferent to what happened to the man, and that was the best case scenario.

    If she was pissed off? Desperate?

    She stared out the window of her 11th floor apartment. It was a downgrade from what she was used to, but it had its charms. The view wasn¡¯t bad. And it was spacious.

    She leaned back in her couch, and stared at the ceiling.

    Her father wanted her to give Hunter a chance. If she was right, his lecture was meant to show her that she had a blind spot. Although her heart was in the right place, there was something she wasn¡¯t seeing clearly.

    She respected her father. She didn¡¯t always like him, and that was probably a good thing. She learned a lot about commitment from him.

    What if he¡¯d spoiled her more? What if she¡¯d gotten her way when she shouldn¡¯t have?

    Now that lesson she could see. She was grateful that he¡¯d shown her how to stay true to her vision, to her goals, and to persist no matter what. It had gotten her as far as she had. Sure, she had her advantages, but advantages were only a multiplier for the effort you put in. In order to run a Council Corporation, advantages would only get you so far. But without advantages, effort just meant running against the stream.

    If Hunter was going to be a part of the family, he would need to understand that. And he¡¯d already shown an ability to commit and persist, even when things got incredibly difficult.

    She could grudgingly respect that. It¡¯s not like her distaste for him was personal. Her problem with him wasn¡¯t about him, it was about the family. As he was, he was a blight on the Oberon name. He was a ticking time bomb, and she would have to clean up whatever mess he made of their reputation. She just hoped it wouldn¡¯t distract her too much from her own goals.

    She had her own Excellence to achieve, her own vision for her future. She needed the currency in exchange for leverage. It was one of her father¡¯s lessons for her.

    She decided that she would give Hunter Koar a chance, but she would not relent in her standards. He would either grow from the pressure and turn into someone worthy of her family¡¯s name, or he would quit. If he quit, then at the very least he would be out of the way.

    Either way, the family wins.

    <hr>

    ¡°Is the queen bitch gonna come?¡± pipsqueak asked, using the term that Jason reserved for the Oberon princess. Sometimes Jason could grow sick of the puppy¡¯s transparent attempts to ingratiate himself, but he was very obedient.

    So Jason laughed. It was like a little treat. Good boy.

    He¡¯d been stoking the pup¡¯s hatred for the Oberon¡¯s for a while. Of course he knew that playing with fire could be dangerous, but Aera had been something of an obsession of his for a few years now. The higher she rose, the more arrogant she grew, and the more he wanted to tear her down. The Oberon¡¯s were so sure of themselves, but he¡¯d heard whispers¡ª rumors of discontent. Some say they¡¯ve been overplaying their hand, that Trey had overextended himself.

    His guard was starting to slip.

    Oberon; the family, and the company, were vulnerable. At least, that was his impression. And some of the more influential people in his family seemed to agree, given some of the plays¡¯ they¡¯d been making recently.

    So Jason has been biding his time with Aera. He knew what she thought of him, it was as clear as day. It pissed him off, but the fury was intoxicating, and he cultivated it quietly. It motivated him like nothing else. The idea of taking down not only Aera, but the entire fucking family? It turned him on.

    Pippen Visgold, all the bloody Visgolds, had a bone to pick with Oberon. Pippen himself was like an animal, one who was easy to manipulate for someone like Jason. He¡¯d practically isolated the boy, and managed to make him convince himself that Jason was his only real friend. The only person who he could trust.

    It was a risky play, but all that effort in exchange for his own little weapon? A guided missile he could point at the Oberon''s at just the right time? It was too good a deal to pass up.

    The Chan¡¯s had weaved their web throughout Barnum for generations. Outside of this place, Aera was too protected to move against directly. Even here, he would need to be careful. The daughter of Council Seat is is no ordinary prey. But his family¡¯s hard work had paid off. Barnum belonged to the Chans. Not on paper, but if you know, you know.

    What separated Jason from most spiders was that his web was weaved with people¡ª people who responded to rewards, and punishment. Simple self preservation could encourage people to do things they normally wouldn¡¯t. Even if that meant setting them against a future ¡®monarch¡¯.

    The Queen Bitch.

    And whatever this Hunter Oberon Koar was supposed to be.

    Jason had his dominos in hand, and they were just about ready to be put into place. He would just needed to set them up, and find the right hand to give them just the slightest nudge¡­

    It occurred to him that such a hand was sitting beside him, right now. A hand with an itch to pick a bone or two with any Oberon he could find. Before, there was only two. Now there was three, and the third was steeped in mystery. Jason didn''t like mysteries.

    He made a quick calculation involving a dozen social variables. He rejected the conclusion, and approached it from a new angle, and nodded at the result.

    ¡°She¡¯ll come,¡± he said, ¡°what have you learned about the other one?¡±

    ¡°Hunter?¡± pipsqueak asked. Jason had fetched pipsqueak to gather information, and just as ever, pipsqueak was all too eager to play, ¡°An artisan, with an embarrassingly low AR. He seems emaciated and frail, like he could shatter at the lightest touch. You never know with Oberon¡¯s though. They¡¯re a treacherous bunch.¡±

    Jason hummed in thought. He knew a few artisans enrolling in Barnum this year. His family¡¯s investigation into the Oberon corporation¡¯s sponsored students had revealed that one of them were in some desperate financial straits. The Chan¡¯s had already extended a generous offer to help her out. The poor thing had no idea what they were about sign themselves up for.

    That wasn¡¯t his problem though, only his profit.

    Regarding the newest heir, he made a mental note to introduce himself in person at some point. Another Oberon would mean another potential avenue of business. Or another variable to leverage at just the right moment.

    The spider had a web to weave. He always welcomed the addition of another thread to pull.

    ¡°I want you to find out what he¡¯s made of,¡± Jason said. Pipsqueak was nearly feral at the best of times, and the excitement that Jason saw in his eye as he sent him off was a reminder to keep the lad in control.

    ¡°Pippen,¡± Jason said, and the pup looked at its master with questioning eyes¡ª eager to please and be praised, ¡°I must emphasize the importance of discretion. Don¡¯t let anyone make a connection that leads back to us, alright?¡±

    Pippen nodded, and Jason waved him off to have his fun.

    He doubted whether this was the right choice. But the opportunity was too tempting to pass up. Pippen had done a good job so far, and probably had enough experience by now to know just how far to push the Oberon lad.

    He understood that acting against the Oberon¡¯s was a risky play, but Jason needed more information. He doubted anyone would have the courage to act so brazenly so early in the game, but they didn¡¯t know what he knew, and what the Chan¡¯s knew, about what was coming.

    Pippen was smart, and Jason trusted him to do the job right, even with the barely contained rage he¡¯d helped the puppy foster over the years.

    There would always be loyal dogs, you just had to know how to train them. Using Pippen as a sacrifice would, at the very least, satisfy the itch Jason had been feeling for years. Pricking at Aera¡¯s ego was worth it.

    Jason lit a joint, blowing the large cloud of smoke out the window, feeling like his smile could reach both of his ears.

    The academy would have its challenges. Aera was not easy prey. But that just meant he would be all the more motivated to see her on her knees.

    Before him, a grand campus stretched onwards. Others would see a glorious institution¡ª historied, prestigious, and excellent.

    To Jason, it was the world¡¯s biggest playground.

 Chapter 30

    It had been a long time since Hunter had worn a backpack to class. The walk across the campus was idyllic. It was a warm, sunny autumn day. The streets and sidewalks were packed with students and academy faculty, hurrying about their morning. Despite the exclusivity of the academy, there were still thousands of students there at any given time. Many were sitting on benches, or hanging out in small groups in some of the park-like alleyways which made up the small town that the campus composed. It all felt so utterly foreign to Hunter. A backpack full of books, on his way to learn? At school? It may have been less than a decade since he had last attended a class¡ª not counting his time at the Oberon estate¡ª but the last time he''d been a student may as well have been a lifetime ago.

    Hunter was seeing coffee cups in hands, and realized that he¡¯d forgotten to buy a coffee press for himself. He would have to find out where he could find a cafe close to home. He debated buying a coffee on the way, but he figured he¡¯s just rough it out until classes were over for the day. The academic courses were situated closest to the ¡®soul¡¯, the epic historical monument which Hunter had enjoyed when he and Aera had registered their attendance. It was only a few minutes'' walk away, and he relished the idea of relaxing there between classes.

    His first class was a consequence of his new life, having been insisted upon by Trey. He assured himself that it was nothing but a formality, but Leadership Psychology 101 felt like a big symbolic step that Hunter was reluctant to take. He knew that being an Oberon came with huge potential responsibilities, but surely Trey didn''t expect him to actually step into those responsibilities?

    There was an upside; that if he were to ever lead a team of artisans in research and development, perhaps a course like this would be a boon. He''d seen how various teams would sink or swim based on their ability to stay coordinated and focused during the global youth artisan competition. If nothing else, Hunter expected to get some insight into how people like Trey and Aera thought.

    He''d charted the course to the lecture hall the previous day, but still managed to make a couple of wrong turns. The abundance of people seemed to paint the streets and alleys in a new light, but there were certain landmarks which Hunter used to guide himself.

    Hunter made it to the hall with 10 minutes to spare before the class. Half of the seats were already taken up. He found a row that was mostly empty of occupants towards the outer edge of the room. It felt safer to sit away from the center, further from all the attention and activity. A few of the students watched him as he came in. Some were just curious about who else was taking the class, but others appeared to recognize him, pointing him out to a friend or two and making comments. Some appeared outright hostile, others sneered in contempt¡ª nothing Hunter hadn''t expected. There were a few more who seemed to look at him in anticipation.

    One reaction in particular stood out. A rather handsome young man, with a confident air who was laughing with his friends. He was the kind of person that stood out in a crowd, hard to miss. The kind of person who appeared affable and approachable, a heartbreaker if Hunter had ever seen one.

    A member of his group pointed Hunter out, and the look on the young man''s face when turned from friendly and casual to completely focused and, Hunter couldn''t find any other way to describe it, hungry. Hunter got a feeling in his gut that he hadn''t felt since Seckina, when he''d have to walk past a group of Comics who stalked the entrance of his home like hyenas. It was as if the young man had just spotted his prey.

    Within a second, the predatory look was gone, replaced by the affable smile he''d worn just a moment ago. He turned back to his friends, said something, and they all laughed.

    Hunter noticed that he wasn¡¯t the only one receiving such looks. Two or three times there were commotions that didn¡¯t just catch his attention, but most of the gathering students. To Hunter, it seemed like a bold move. First day of class, throwing insults across a room? Once or twice, specific corporations or family name¡¯s were mentioned. Hunter recognized the name Smith and LockeMark being tossed around.

    At 8am sharp, a side door at the front of the lecture hall opened and a thinly built man walked in. He wore a pearlescent dress shirt and brown dress pants. His peppered hair was cut short, but neat. His face was composed of sharp angles¡ª the poster boy for Corpos everywhere.

    Hunter grimaced, realizing that he was in a drone factory, and these were going to be his peers.

    He tried to comfort himself, affirming to himself that he didn¡¯t need to worry about that. All he needed to do was get a high enough grade to stay enrolled. The only Excellence degree he was focused on was in Artisanship. If anyone here saw him as a threat, he¡¯d do his best to dissuade them. He had no skin in this game.

    They could have all of the academic Excellence degrees for all he cared. And there wasn¡¯t any guarantee that anyone present would get one at all. They were awarded to people who distinguish themselves above and beyond their peers in a certain field¡ª in the various fields of academia, artisanship, martial arts, and other elective fields.

    The professor approached the middle of the white board at the front of the hall, and wrote his name.

    ¡°Professor Bellamy. Rule number one, my name is not ¡®bro,¡¯ it¡¯s not ¡®bud.¡¯ I understand that many of you might be somebody, or most likely the child of somebody. But that doesn¡¯t matter here¡ª¡±

    Hunter heard a barely-suppressed snicker from whoever was seated behind him. If the professor heard, it apparently didn¡¯t bother him.

    ¡°¡ªAs long as we are on this campus, I am Professor Bellamy, and you will refer to me as such. I will accept Mr. Bellamy as well. There is no other option. Now,¡± Mr. Bellamy said, pulling out a large tome and placing it at the desk at the front of the hall. He leaned over the table.

    ¡°What is Leadership Psychology?¡± he asked the class.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking us?¡± someone called out, Hunter couldn¡¯t see who.

    ¡°Rule number two,¡± Mr. Bellamy said, ¡°you will raise your hand before speaking, unless otherwise instructed. And to answer your question, yes. I¡¯m asking you,¡± he said, pointing at someone in particular. Hunter assumed it was whoever had unknowingly broken rule number two.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°No answer? Well now, that is telling me something. How many of you, show of hands, have any idea why you¡¯re here?¡± the professor asked. Out of the hundreds of hands in the room, only a couple dozen were raised.

    Mr. Bellamy nodded.

    ¡°For those of you who know, welcome to class. For those of you who don¡¯t, we¡¯ll both hope that you¡¯re not wasting your time. I promise you, the moment it seems like we are, I will be having a chat with you in private about your future in my class. The only people I want to be here, are the ones who want to be here. That¡¯s rule number three: I expect nothing but your best effort. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m heartless, if you have a very, very good excuse as to why some of your work may not be up to standard, I will forgive you. Fair warning, the amount of times that has happened in my ten years at this academy can be counted on one hand,¡± he said.

    ¡°With all of that out of the way, welcome to Leadership Psychology. The answer I was looking for is¡ª you¡¯ll want to write this down¡± he said, following his own advice and uncapping a marker underneath the whiteboard and writing as he spoke, ¡°the understanding of self and other with the intent to inspire optimal performance.¡±

    For a man that oozed the death of personality that seems to come from corporate life, Mr. Bellamy had a very commanding presence. Hunter wrote it down.

    ¡°What exactly that means will be different for some of you. Any of you who find yourself in a leadership roll will find yourself faced with many obstacles, but the biggest ones will not come from the outside world. Who are you working with? What do they want? Let me tell you, it better be what you want. A lot of that can be filtered through the hiring process, but many of you will be working with people who inherited their positions, or are being tracked to other departments, staying in yours while they gain some requisite experience. You might be one such individual yourself. Any idea about what that means? Yes, in the blue shirt,¡± he said, pointing to a student who put up his hand.

    ¡°Does it mean we need to learn how to treat people fairly?¡± the student asked, ¡°being mindful of where they¡¯re coming from and where they¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Where they¡¯re going? No. Where they¡¯re coming from, maybe. Fairness is relative, and its a tool. Sometimes, being an effective leader means being unfair. Especially when you get higher up the chain, and your decisions can effect more people,¡± Professor Bellamy said. That wasn¡¯t exactly what Hunter had expected to hear.

    But, then again, should he be surprised that the premier school of Corporate excellence was teaching that fairness is relative?

    ¡°I know some of you bleeding hearts are going to be finding yourselves disagreeing with me¡ª I don¡¯t care. My career is public knowledge, look me up. I was a company flipper. I would buy broken, hemorrhaging, failing businesses and turn them into successes. I flipped 40 companies, five of which are worth billions each, and another dozen which are worth hundreds of millions. Believe it or not, I''m not teaching this stuff for the money. Why am I telling you this?¡±

    He scanned the hall. A few hands went up, but he ignored them.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you because I need you to know that what I¡¯m teaching is what works. I¡¯m going to be teaching you how the world works, through the lens of how people work, why people work, and how to get them to work more effectively. My hope is that you¡¯ll take what you learn here over the next year, and apply it not only to yourself, but your friends and your families¡ª where applicable, I''m quite aware of some of the names I¡¯ve got on my attendance list. Some of your family¡¯s are doing just fine,¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°Alright. The rest of this class is to give you an overview of what you¡¯ll be learning. We¡¯ll probably get you out of here 30 minutes early, there¡¯s really not that much to go over. How¡¯s that sound?¡±

    A small round of clapping and soft cheers broke out, with Hunter joining in, but it soon died out when we saw the cheerless smile on Mr. Bellamy¡¯s face.

    ¡°You all just broke rule 2. You get one warning,¡± he said, holding up a single finger to the class to emphasize his point.

    Hunter realized a couple of things in that moment.

    The first was obvious; he''d been baited.

    The second was that that wasn¡¯t the first time that the class had been baited.

    This guy was good.

    Hunter was starting to like this Professor. He didn¡¯t just talk the talk.

    Mr. Bellamy turned to face the whiteboard and started writing down the various modules he¡¯d be going over during the next year. He¡¯d been right, it didn¡¯t take too long at all, and Hunter left the lecture hall feeling refreshed. That was nothing like the classes he remembered. Having to see the same teacher day after day, week after week, month after month. Stuck in the same desk around the same people. He¡¯d heard that high school was supposed to be a bit different, but he never went, so this was still new and interesting.

    With plenty of time before his next class, Hunter decided that he might be able to sneak in a coffee after all. He asked a passing student where the nearest cafe was, and they told him to keep heading west. Hunter didn¡¯t know west from east, but he headed in the direction the man pointed until he found a building with the world ¡®cafe¡¯ on it. He headed in, pleased to find that there wasn¡¯t a large line up. He ordered the largest coffee on the menu, and started shoveling in the sugar.

    The door to the cafe opened, and a small bell above the door rang to let the barista know that they had a new customer. It caught Hunters attention, and he suddenly felt a sense of impending drama. He felt like he was in that cafe back in the Oberon Capital, and David Nettle had just shown up. Hunter sighed as he poured in his cream. The young man went to order a coffee, and Hunter felt that maybe there wouldn¡¯t be any drama after all. As Hunter started to leave, the young man called out to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re Hunter, right?¡±

    He silently asked himself, and any deity which may have been listening to his inner monologue, why trouble seemed to follow him around so much. And why cafe¡¯s?

    Hang on, he thought, had he literally been followed? This could spell a very unfortunate start to the year¡ª especially if this was a sign of how the rest of the year was going to go.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said, ¡°look, I''d love to talk but I''m busy¡ª¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to introduce myself,¡± the young man said, holding out his hand for Hunter to shake, ¡°the name¡¯s Pippen. Pippen Visgold.¡±

    He¡¯d said his last name as if Hunter were supposed to recognize it. It did ring a bell, but he couldn¡¯t place where he¡¯d heard it before.

    ¡°Hunter,¡± Hunter said, shaking the hand, ¡°Koar¡ª

    ¡°¡ªOberon Koar, if I''m to understand correctly. What an upgrade, eh?¡± Pippen asked, his handshake firming into something a bit like a vice grip. The young man¡¯s eyes had a hard look in them¡ª that focused, intense gaze that seemed like he was a starving man staring at an incredibly tempting meal. Hunter cleared his throat.

    He already hated Pippen.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Hunter said, trying to pull his hand free, but Pippen¡¯s hand wouldn¡¯t budge, ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got to go.¡±

    Suddenly, Pippen released his hand, and laughed, slapping Hunter on the back¡ª and Hunter knew it was going to leave a bruise.

    ¡°You seem like a fun guy to be around, Hunter,¡± Pippen said, turning to leave, his voice light, as if he hadn¡¯t just temporarily shifted into a psycho, ¡°I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    Hunter had been feeling good. Professor Bellamy seemed great, and for the first time since ever, Hunter was looking forward to being at school.

    But there was always someone around who wanted to shit on his parade¡ª and it was never because of Hunter himself. It always had to do with his name. If it wasn¡¯t because of his father, now it would be because of the Oberon''s.

    He left the cafe, wondering if all of this was worth it. But he recognized where those thoughts were going and decided to nip them in the bud.

    Those kind of thoughts weren¡¯t going to earn him Excellence. He wasn¡¯t a vulnerable child anymore, he wasn¡¯t fending for himself. Now, he was an Oberon. That meant something. David Nettle wouldn¡¯t have bothered and Oberon¡ª but this Pippen Visgold did. That meant something as well.

    And Hunter couldn¡¯t figure out how he was supposed to deal with that. Who were the Visgolds?

    He¡¯d have to ask Aera at their evening session.

 Interlude; Professor Jackson

    ¡°Have you had time to consider my proposal?¡± Professor Jackson asked.

    Meredna Abercromby headed the department, and her approval would be the only way he could amend the course. She sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arbutus¡ª¡± Meredna said, and Professor Jackson winced at the mispronunciation. They always said ¡®byew-tus¡¯ or ¡®but-us¡¯.

    ¡°Boot-is,¡± he interrupted.

    Meredna raised an eyebrow, but conceded.

    ¡°Right, my mistake. I¡¯m sorry, but you know how that my hands are tied. The paper you want to base this new curriculum on hasn¡¯t even been peer reviewed. You haven¡¯t gotten it published in any significant journal¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªbecause they¡¯re all blind,¡± Professor Jackson interrupted again. He winced, this time at himself. It was a bad habit, but he couldn¡¯t help it.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    They were blind. They couldn¡¯t see the obvious. And once he¡¯d connected it all, it was obvious. He¡¯d be lying if he didn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t vanity that pushed him to so fervently demand that his work be recognized, but it could change everything they thought they knew about ancient history. The Asutnahem KNEW!

    ¡°Be that as it may¡± Meredna said, gesturing for him to calm down, ¡°there¡¯s nothing I can do. You¡¯ve been hired to teach the syllabus as it is, which you agreed to when you accepted the job offer. I¡¯m sure your research has fascinating implications¡ª

    Professor Jackson stopped listening. He¡¯d heard all he needed to. Besides, she¡¯s practically just admitted to not having read the paper in question. If she had, she¡¯d be singing a very different tune.

    He¡¯d tried to convince her for months. If she hadn¡¯t read it yet, she wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°I see,¡± Professor Jackson said, his mind already many thousand years away, ¡°Thank you for taking the time to see me. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±

    He exited Meredna¡¯s office, and decided he¡¯d enjoy a walk through the soul. Some fresh air would clear his mind. Classes didn¡¯t start for another day, and he was as prepared as he needed to be, so he¡¯d spend the rest of the day focusing on expanding his work.

    If he was right, and he was right, then history was about to change. And by all that is good, he swore that he would be leading the charge into a new era of understanding the peoples that came before them.

 Chapter 31

    Aera sighed. Her voice echoed through the small multi-purpose room they¡¯d scheduled for their evening tutoring sessions.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, the Visgolds are nothing if not aggressive,¡± Aera said. Hunter was taken off guard. That was the first sentence she¡¯d ever spoke to him that wasn¡¯t outright hostile or condescending.

    ¡°They¡¯re a LockeMark family. Old, powerful, and influential, typically considered an extension of the Locke family itself¡ª but most people won¡¯t know about that. It lets them keep a degree of separation between themselves and the Visgolds, who end up responsible for doing a lot of the corporations¡¯ dirty work,¡± Aera said as they switched to the next stretch in their warm up routine, ¡°I¡¯ve met Pippen before, and some of the people he, well, associates with.¡±

    They finished the stretch, and Hunter waited to see if she¡¯d say anything more. When nothing was forthcoming, he wondered if she was waiting for him to say something.

    ¡°So what do I do?¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s something wrong with him. He seemed to have it out for me,¡± Hunter said. Aera laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Oberon, now. There¡¯s millions of people who have it out for you for that fact alone. It¡¯s something you¡¯re going to have to get used to, Hunter. Now, you ready?¡± She asked, getting ready to start their drills.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. She tilted her head as she considered him. It was weird. Had something changed between them in the last couple of days? Was she finally backing off?

    ¡°Look, Barnum¡¯s not just about earning Excellence, it¡¯s about proving yourself. Not just to the school, but to your peers, your family, and your company. Think of it like a proving ground, a controlled microcosm for the world stage. You understand that LockeMark and Oberon have feuded before, right? I¡¯m not just talking bidding wars, I¡¯m talking actual battlefields.¡±

    Hunter couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.

    ¡°Battlefields? Like, actual wars? No way, I would have heard something¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThe amount you haven¡¯t heard could fill a library, Hunter. The Seats might present a unified front, but behind the scenes, the men and women shaking hands at the televised conferences can be ordering each others people killed by the dozens. Sure, its not often, but it does happen.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I need to be prepared for more Pippen Visgolds to appear,¡± Hunter said, after taking a second to digest what he¡¯d just heard.

    He¡¯d heard rumors, conspiracy theories. But then he considered why corporations had such well armed security departments in the first place. He¡¯d not thought very much about why Sly had been so well decorated.

    ¡°I feel like I have a lot to catch up on,¡± Hunter said, preparing to start practicing his jabs.

    Aera declined to comment any further, and Hunters training began. 50 minutes later, exhausted and hurting, it was his turn to tutor her.

    But not before wondering how different these sessions would have gone had he been stronger. He tried to ignore that line of thinking, but he was feeling a bit vulnerable now. When he was just supposed to outperform a few snobs in an artisanship class, he felt assured. In fact, as long as avoided people like Pippen, he didn''t feel like he had much to worry about. As far as he was concerned, his biggest obstacles were going to be time management, and trying to actually deliver some value to Aera when it was his turn to tutor.

    It was just as awkward as he''d thought. They¡¯d spent most of the time figuring out what Aera did and didn¡¯t know, and he had to admit that she knew all the basics pretty well.

    Not nearly as well as he did, he thought, but then again, who did?

    When he¡¯d considered how to approach the session, he realized that he didn¡¯t actually need to have much in the way of a gameplay. He figured he¡¯d just ask her what she wanted to know, and they¡¯d work their way towards that.

    ¡°I aim to earn a degree of Excellence,¡± she¡¯d said¡ª and Hunter couldn¡¯t help it, he laughed. Her frown spoke of future punishments, and Hunter relented, but what more did he have to fear from her?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that won¡¯t be possible,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Aera asked, her tone casual, yet one of her hands were balled into a fist. Hunter held up both hands in surrender.

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible because that¡¯s where I''m earning my degree of excellence,¡± he said. Aera gave him a skeptical look.

    ¡°Look, I understand your deal with my father, but this isn¡¯t some yearly competition, this is Barnum. The best of the best are coming here, you¡¯ll find that you¡¯re up against some very formidable and competitive minds.¡±

    Hunter couldn''t believe what he was hearing. She was skeptical about how he''d perform, but what was she thinking artisanship was? A matter of grit and determination? In front of Hunters advantage in this domain, that meant very little.

    She thought he was out of his league.

    She was even being polite. She was telling him that she didn¡¯t think he stood much of a chance, but she was only trying to infer it.

    She had no idea. Sometimes, Hunter mused, ignorance can be forgiven. She didn¡¯t know what he could do.

    ¡°How much did Trey tell you about my results from the competition?¡±

    Aera shrugged.

    ¡°He said that you distinguished yourself, for someone with such a low AR. And the fact that you¡¯re the son of his old friend meant that you might have potential as a future Artisan,¡± Aera said, frowning¡ª but it wasn¡¯t a threatening frown like before. She was telling the truth, as far as he could tell.

    A sense of giddiness welled up in his chest and he felt like he had a million things to say.

    Did this explain why she had been so reluctant to accept Hunters presence? Trey had undersold his performance?

    On paper, maybe it did seem kind of lackluster. But if she was out of the loop, if she wasn¡¯t an artisan, then she wouldn¡¯t know any better. Hunter had placed fifth in a competition. Sure, even he was slightly disappointed with his result, but that was more because of the fact that he lost to David Nettle and his team of baboons who screeched and hollered whenever he opened his mouth.

    And, sure, maybe he¡¯d expected to win the whole thing going into it, but he¡¯d had a lot to learn about humility over that weekend. And it was enough that he took Aera¡¯s words seriously. The people he was going to be competing with for that degree of Excellence weren¡¯t to be trivialized. These were highly educated, and accomplished young men and women, at least for the most part. People like Jonathan Berrymoore and his team, who Hunter was sure he¡¯d run into during his time here. They¡¯d be studying in the same area. It was bound to happen.

    Fortunately, he¡¯d never had any trouble with them during the competition, so he remained open minded towards them.

    ¡°How interested are you in hearing about how severely your father undersold my performance?¡±

    ¡°Words are far less persuasive than actions. Had you placed first, then I would be interested in what you might have to say.¡±

    ¡°Then I''ll tell you this much, there¡¯s not a person our age who can compare to me in the knowledge about artisanship. Sure, my AR might be lacking, and sure, my father was a renowned artisan. But I¡¯ve proven myself in my own right. Your father seems like a pretty smart guy, do you really think he¡¯d give me this sponsorship if he thought I had mere potential?

    She didn¡¯t like his tone, apparently. He figured that he¡¯d end it there, in the interest of self preservation.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re both tired,¡± Hunter said, ¡°consider what I''ve said. But I''m not going to take it back: that Excellence is mine. It doesn¡¯t matter what I, or anyone teaches you. You won¡¯t catch up to me, because you can¡¯t. I was at a severe disadvantage during the completion and I still outperformed 90 percent of the competition by myself, with a fraction of any of their AR''s, and completely exhausted.¡±

    He left first that evening, feeling like it was a day stuffed full of significant firsts. It was his first real conversation with Aera, he¡¯d had his first classes, his first encounter with Pippen Visgold; and Hunter Hunter was going to make it his personal mission to ensure that it was his last. But it was also his first time realizing that he hadn¡¯t only assumed a mantle of privilege and responsibility with his new name. He¡¯d also inherited deep grudges and rivalries which had lasted for generations. He had unknowingly stepped into a battlefield that he wasn¡¯t prepared to fight in.

    He considered Aera¡¯s new attitude towards him. He didn¡¯t know what had changed, but maybe it was a sign that he wouldn¡¯t be completely alone in surviving the fights ahead. Maybe Aera was taking her fathers last-but-not-least rule to heart.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He would have to count on her to have his back.

    The multipurpose room was a ten-minute walk from the apartment. Hunter figured that he¡¯d have time to make it home, shower, and have some dinner before going to sleep.

    Fate had other plans.

    Shortly after leaving, he realized he was being followed. There weren¡¯t many people out, and the ones who he thought were following him would take all the same turns that he did. He¡¯d hoped that he was just being paranoid, but then some more people stepped in front of him from an alleyway, and pulled him to the side.

    ¡°Sit,¡± they said.

    ¡°Let me go¡ª¡±

    They shoved Hunter down into a bench. Hunter saw the people who¡¯d been following him come around the corner, smiling. He didn¡¯t recognize any of them. One of the stood watch at the end of the alley, and another was doing the same at the other end. He saw one or two people walking by, doing their best to ignore whatever was going on.

    So this was how it was going to be, was it?

    ¡°Can we please not do this? I just want to get home,¡± Hunter said, knowing as he spoke that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.

    One of the group, a man wearing a mask, slapped Hunter in the face.

    It hurt. He¡¯d felt numb from Aera¡¯s training, but his body had time to interject its opinion about the poor treatment it had been receiving that evening. Every movement of his body was met with protestation.

    ¡°Remember, we can¡¯t hurt him too bad,¡± the man said, stepping back.

    The slap hurt, but it only joined the chorus of pain which was present everywhere else.

    Another one stepped forward and slapped Hunter where his friend had, and laughed. The rest of the gang laughed with him, and then they all joined in, taking turns slapping, until they started getting bored.

    One of them punched him in the gut. He felt that old familiar feeling of the air leaving his lungs, and he gasped for breath. They all kept laughing. Hunter fell off the bench, unable to control himself as his body curled up. They stopped taking turns, all punching and kicking, laughing and hollering.

    ¡°He¡¯s so weak!¡±

    ¡°Did you see how he just curled up like that?¡±

    ¡°Oberon''s standards are slipping if this is the trash they''re bringing into the family.¡±

    Hunter had never been beaten before. Not like this. He could feel his bones breaking. He still couldn¡¯t breathe.

    He wondered if he was going to die, as they beat him. He could taste blood in his mouth. He felt dizzy. He wanted to scream for help, but he still couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Then they relented, and left.

    Hunter blinked, and he was being carried. There were voices. He blinked again, and he was in a bright room. A woman stood over him, talking to someone. Then Aera was there as well. She was angry.

    He wanted to flinch, and get away. He didn¡¯t want to deal with an angry Aera.

    He couldn¡¯t move, but at least there wasn¡¯t any pain.

    But at least he was alive. He wondered where the gang had gone. It had only been a few moments. Had Aera seen them? They couldn¡¯t have gotten far.

    Then Hunter slept. It could have been for a moment, it could have been for days. He woke up with the most intense headache he¡¯d ever had. Easily ten times more intense than anything he¡¯d felt during the competition. The sight that met him as he opened his eyes was horrific. His whole body was wrapped in a cast.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± he whispered, ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    Then he remembered the attack, which had felt like it had only happened a second ago. He could still hear them laughing, and insulting him.

    They were right, he really was weak. He wasn¡¯t meant to be here. If this was what Aera had meant, if this was the kind of attention that came with being an Oberon, then he wouldn¡¯t survive. It hadn¡¯t even been a full day, and he was already like this? What state would he be in after a month?

    Would he even be alive after a year?

    A nurse came in and saw that he was awake, and asked him some questions. He told her his name, where he thought he was, the year, and the name of his father. She informed him that he was at the hospital, located just beyond the the Academy¡¯s campus.

    She called for a doctor to come to talk to him.

    He didn¡¯t have any good news.

    ¡°3 broke ribs, your right arm is broken in 2 different places. A broken collarbone, a broken shin, and your skull has a couple hairline fractures,¡± he''d said.

    So that explained the pain. He wasn¡¯t surprised that the damage had been so bad.

    Most people might come away from that in much better shape. But Hunter felt certain that he¡¯d nearly died. It was something he¡¯d been avoiding his whole life. The Comics were the closest he¡¯d gotten, and felt like he¡¯d escaped them by the skin of his teeth. It was almost like the universe had it out for him, where he managed to avoid his cosmic punishment in one domain, it brought it to him in another.

    But what had he done to deserve this?

    ¡°Who?¡± Hunter asked. It was all he could manage. It hurt to talk.

    The doctor sighed.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. There will be a detective arriving here, soon. They¡¯re going to ask you questions, and it¡¯ll be their job to determine that. I¡¯ll let you get some rest now, Hunter. I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions, but they can wait. I¡¯ll inform your sister, she¡¯s been asking about you every day.¡±

    Sister? He thought, considering the strange word. Then he remembered.

    Right, Aera.

    She¡¯d been asking about him? Every day? That didn¡¯t sound like her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Hunter said. The doc smiled and nodded.

    There was a small television in the corner of the room, it was playing cartoons. He never really liked cartoons, but he was grateful for the distraction.

    <hr>

    Aera paced her room, thinking. She¡¯d decided she¡¯d skip her next class¡ª she was three months ahead of everyone else, so she wasn¡¯t worried about missing anything important.

    Hunter was an Oberon. They might have their differences, he might be stubborn and naive and be aiming way above what he¡¯s capable of, but they shared a name. That made an attack on him an attack on her.

    Someone had fucked up.

    This never should have happened.

    Someone was being careless, at best. At worst, they were making a declaration of war.

    Aera would be acting on the latter assumption. Her fury would settle for no less. She would scorch the earth.

    People didn¡¯t know about Hunters frailty. They were probably trying to make a statement¡ª a bold statement. Too bold. To jump straight to violence out of the gate? Aera had been studying the unofficial histories of Barnum, at her fathers behest. He told her that there would be a pecking order, and she would be at the top of it. That meant it was up to her to help keep the peace, without trampling over the ambitions of those under her influence.

    But this was an attack on Oberon. Fuck peace.

    There was always a shadow side to things, and at Barnum this was especially true. You couldn¡¯t bring the gathered interest of the worlds¡¯ greatest powers together without sacrificing power of your own, and Barnum appeared to make this sacrifice willingly for the sake of prestige. The children who attend this place had a lot of influence, but they had to be careful. It was in everyone¡¯s interest to keep this little game¡ª this microcosm of global power¡ª running. That meant that they needed to stay civilized. At least for the most part.

    The drama was usually more controlled. Sometimes things got out of control, but they took time to get out of control.

    The stakes had been escalated too early.

    There was the possibility that his had been a random act of violence, but thinking that way felt useless to her. The odds were pointing to this being targeted. Hunter was a relatively unknown variable, and the powers that be would have wanted to probe at him, find out who he was, and how he would respond. This is how the game was played¡ª measured actions, with an aversion to excess risk.

    Thus, her conclusion that someone fucked up. They¡¯d overestimated Hunter, and now they would have to pay the price. This would set the tone for the rest of their time at the academy¡ª or at least the rest of her time.

    A counter-statement would need to be made, not with words, but with actions.

    No one fucks with the Oberons. Not if they want a bright and healthy future.

    So she had taken most of the day off to come up with a plan. It wasn¡¯t as much time as she¡¯d like, and she didn¡¯t know enough to take any concrete action.

    That was frustrating.

    Hunter had nearly been killed on Academy grounds. Her father was furious and had started to devote resources to his own investigation, but he would have about as much luck as she was having. He¡¯d threatened to have Hunter brought back to the Oberon domain, but she¡¯d calmed him down, and convinced him to wait for Hunter to decide if that¡¯s what he wants. As loathed as she was to admit it, she and Hunter shared some things in common, chief among which appeared to be a refusal to quit once they¡¯d set their minds to something. She¡¯d been ruminating over the way he¡¯d spoken up to her at their session, and she was reluctant to admit that she was impressed.

    She¡¯d thought¡ª even hoped¡ª that Hunter would prove to be mediocre at best, that his skills as an artisan, though sufficient to make it to the top 5 of a global competition, would prove insufficient to give him any hope of attaining the coveted degree of Excellence.

    She¡¯d wanted to dismiss his entire rant from the session last night. But she''d caught herself, and considered what he¡¯d said.

    He was right, her father wasn¡¯t a fool, and although her father could make some impulsive decisions, they were usually measured to a degree sufficient enough to avoid significant loss.

    What¡¯s more, is that when he knows he¡¯s taking a risk, he¡¯s quick to admit it. So far, he¡¯d been resolute in his decision with Hunter. As far as she was concerned, her father already saw Hunter as one of them¡ª whether she or Hunter agreed with that assessment or not.

    She considered what she knew, and admitted that it¡¯s possible she¡¯d been selling Hunter short. Her emotions had clouded her judgement. She¡¯d been too prideful to see it. She¡¯d lost her integrity in the pursuit of what could very well have been nothing but her own childish immaturity. That¡¯s not to say she was now Hunters biggest fan, but she was more open to seeing him as an asset, instead of a burden, and that just gave her more fuel to burn the hot fury she¡¯d been stoking all day.

    To attack Hunter was to attack her, and to attack her was to attack her father.

    What frustrated her was that there were too many variables. She did have one lead, though. He¡¯d mentioned Pippen Visgold.

    Pippen was one of Jason¡¯s friends. That bothered her. The implications only spiraled downwards in severity. Confronting Pippen would do nothing¡ª not unless it was part of a bigger play. Whether he had a part in Hunters¡¯ condition or not, she needed to approach this carefully. She needed evidence, and a solid plan.

    She needed to get even. Someone skipped the foreplay and pulled out the big guns. Aera wasn¡¯t afraid of violence, but she knew that there was a time and a place for it. And she would be damned sure that there would be a time and a place for it. Her ancestors never shied away from battle. It was time to teach the world that she was nothing if not a daughter of the Oberon.

    She rang Jason¡¯s number.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got Jason,¡± he said.

    ¡°Its me,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°Aera, darling. Good to hear your voice. You know, I was just thinking about how disappointed everyone was that you couldn¡¯t attend our little club. You wouldn¡¯t happened to have changed your mind about that in the last day or two, would you?¡±

    Aera almost threw up, but she composed herself.

    ¡°Actually, I have. When did you say the next club meeting would be?¡±

    She could feel Jason¡¯s creepy smile over the line.

    ¡°What a coincidence, we¡¯re going to have another one tonight, actually. Everyone will be so pleased to hear that you¡¯ll be participating in¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªNo, not participating. I¡¯ll just be there to watch. And make some money, of course.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jason said, the disappointment in his voice was almost genuine, ¡°Well, it would have been great to see the great Aera Oberon show off in person. But nevertheless your presence is welcome. As far as money making opportunities go,¡± Jason paused, and Aera wanted to roll her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±

    He gave her an address, a password, and a time to show up at.

    She hung up first.

    She wanted to throw the phone across the room.

    She couldn''t believe she walked past that damned alleyway on her way home. She¡¯d walked right past Hunter, and he must have been lying there, unconscious. She hadn¡¯t even noticed.

    Her phone rang. She briefly considered whether she should answer it. It could be Jason, and that would be regrettable.

    She answered it anyways. It was a nurse.

    Hunter was awake. She was out the door in seconds.

    She needed to know what he knew.

    No one fucks with the Oberons.

 Chapter 32

    Hunter started to have strange memories of his time in the hospital room, memories that felt real, but could have been. He figured that what he was experiencing were the symptoms of a severe head injury. He almost jumped out of his skin when the walls started to melt away, revealing a vast, black empty space, a blackness that gave into grey and white shifting forms, forms that filled in with color¡ª no single shape ever reaching complete definition before it shifted again, almost finding solidity, identity, before it was gone, and replaced by something else¡ª but not quite.

    Always changing. Changing, changing, changing.

    If he¡¯d had been there for a minute, a day, or a year, he couldn¡¯t tell. The variations in this space appeared endless.

    Except for one figure, one lone figure standing in the distance, facing Hunter. Hunter found that his body appeared completely healed. He tried walking, and then running towards the figure. For a while, it worked. The figure got closer, and closer, the space between them changing, filling in with new details. A walkway, a road, a forest path, a mountain, a river, they were standing on an ocean, they were standing on a rock in the void of space, they were in a field of grass.

    Every step was a new world. The closer he got to the figure, the more he realized that there was something behind him. A vast, dark shape. An opening mouth, full of razor sharp teeth. It dwarfed the man.

    He was familiar to Hunter, but Hunter couldn¡¯t quite place where he knew him from. The man smiled at Hunter.

    ¡°Humble beginnings. He was right, it¡¯s a shapeless shape, but a shape nevertheless,¡± he chuckled and smiled, turning towards the vast maw which saught to devour him and walked into it without hesitation.

    Hunter awoke once more to the hospital room, but he must have still been delirious, since he could hear the man¡¯s voice echo through the room, still eerily familiar.

    ¡°Be not afraid.¡±

    There was a knock at the door, and it opened. It was Aera.

    ¡°Am I still dreaming?¡± he asked, not really looking forward to the prospect of seeing Aera grow a few more eyes, and claws. Although it would probably wouldn¡¯t change the way he felt about her.

    As far as he was concerned, her claws were sharper than any nightmare his mind could conjure. He could see something in her eye¡ª a flame like the one her father was so proud of, yet hers was less passion and more like pure, focused fury.

    ¡°Tell me what you know.¡±

    ¡°Great to see you too, sister,¡± he said, laughing at the word. How ridiculous did that sound? The look on her face was priceless.

    She must not have liked that word. It must have short-circuited her hardware. He savored the small moment of victory.

    She was speechless. It took her a second to reboot, but when she did, she repeated the command.

    ¡°Tell me what you know, Hunter.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he said, feeling like the room was starting to spin. Maybe the walls would start melting again. It was kind of creepy when they did that, but it was also kind of cool.

    ¡°Who attacked you? What do you remember? Faces, voices, names, what were they wearing? Did they say anything to you? Was it Pippen?¡±

    ¡°Fuuuuuuuck Pippen. I don¡¯t like that guy, scary dude, like a predator¡± Hunter said, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden, ¡°I think I''m gonna take a nap.¡±

    ¡°Just give me something Hunter,¡± she said. It almost sounded like she was pleading.

    ¡°I¡¯m too weak. They said so. I¡¯m no Oberon. ¡®Too weak for an Oberon,¡¯ they said. They¡¯re right. But they don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll show them. I¡¯ll show you, Aera. You don¡¯t know, none of you do. I¡¯ll show you,¡± he said forcing out each word, but each syllable seemed to be harder to speak than the last. By the end, he was pushing out the barest of whispers.

    Then he was too tired to say anything else. Maybe he was on drugs. They do that at hospitals, right? He¡¯d never done drugs before. But that would be irresponsible of them. His head hurt.

    Then he was dreaming again.

    Over the next month, Hunter made a full recovery. They¡¯d transferred Hunter to an advanced recovery room¡ª which Oberon had directly supplied with proprietary, bleeding edge constructs constructs devoted to sustaining a something called a ¡®healing field¡¯¡ª a name that was incredibly vague. How the field actually worked, no one knew. He asked how they even made a construct out of something they didn¡¯t understand, and they¡¯d said something about discovering a complete network diagram somewhere.

    Hunter was incredibly unsatisfied with that answer. One does not just stumble upon a complete network diagram. He took some solace in the fact that it appeared that it was the Oberon corporation which had stumbled upon it, which meant that in a way, Hunter would have a way to access it in the future.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Trey had visited Hunter a few times, asking him if he wanted to leave the academy. Hunters first reflex was to say yes. But he¡¯d asked Trey what it would mean for him.

    ¡°Goodwill keeps my company glued together in tough times, Hunter. If you had a degree of Excellence, it would be easy to convince my captain¡¯s to let you on board their ship¡ª otherwise I would have to force you upon them. Whether you are a benefit to them or not, that would start to pose a problem. I let our Captain¡¯s run their ships as they wish, so long as they follow our established protocols. I only interfere in emergencies¡ª goodwill, see? Trust. Integrity. I could still get you a spot in an outworld training program, but I''d be taking that spot away from someone else who might deserve it just as much as you do. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll sign the papers.¡±

    He¡¯d seen that Trey had meant it, too.

    So Hunter refused. He had to imagine what it would have been like to be that young man or woman who was about to take the the next step towards their own dreams, only to be told that the Council Seat had used his authority to cancel that dream for the sake of an heir.

    Hunter wouldn¡¯t be able to look himself in the mirror if he¡¯d accepted. Besides, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why he wanted to stay at Barnum.

    He had one avenue to explore before he would decide to quit.

    The rest of the time in that room was spent either studying for his classes, or studying the sensations he got from the strange construct.

    And he had no idea what he was feeling, it was the strangest thing. He¡¯d loved to have gotten underneath the bed to see the construct with his own eyes. What he could see was the dozens of batteries they had been using at any given time to keep the construct operational. And these weren¡¯t consumer brand batteries, there were industrial grade. At the rate they were changing them, Hunter assumed the constructs being used to sustain this strange effect must measure in at an AR requirement of at least 150.

    They told him that he was a prime candidate for the treatment. Not only could his family afford it, but Hunters unique constitution meant that the field didn¡¯t have much to heal.

    What was healing him? What does ¡®heal¡¯ even mean in this context? How does the field know that he is in a state to be healed? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. It was about as nonsensical and vague as this texts he read about vital force as a corollary of affinity for, and exposure to, etherium.

    But then again, what about etherium did make sense? Sure, Hunter could feel that it had depths that no one else seemed to be aware of, but that didn¡¯t mean he knew what etherium was. As far as he knew, a healing field was just scratching away at the dust that lined the very edge of the surface of possibilities that etherium was capable of.

    He made a note to himself to research these types of constructs when he had the time. He hadn¡¯t even heard of it before he woke up in it. He didn¡¯t even really feel like there was a field, not physically. Apart from sensing the strange etheric charge pulsing around him, he could have sworn he was on a normal bed in a normal room, filled with strange devices that he could almost pretend he didn¡¯t recognize.

    While he recovered, Aera had come to ask him more questions. He barely remembered her previous visit¡ª and he only remembered it because of the strange hallucination he¡¯d had just before she arrived. He¡¯d puzzled over its meaning, and thought he understood what it meant to convey.

    The shifting world¡ª that had been his life over the last couple of months, hadn¡¯t it? And the figure that stood in the middle of it all. He was pretty sure it was him. If he remembered the face correctly, it almost looked like his father, but it wasn¡¯t. Because it almost looked like himself. It was like an idealized version of himself¡ª without the frailty. Without the weakness.

    And he could make an educated guess as to what that hideous mouth had symbolized, and what it meant to walk into it without hesitation.

    It was a decision he knew he¡¯d have to make. Because he knew that he wasn¡¯t going to quit.

    He was scared. He felt like he was surrounded by sharks, and they were circling, having smelled blood in the water. But he¡¯d been scared before, and all it had done was focus him.

    The same way it was focusing him now.

    It made the choice easier to make¡ª the same way it had been before. A consideration of ethics seemed to come secondary to survival.

    He could quit. It was a genuine option, but one that he knew he wasn¡¯t going to take. He¡¯d suffered through the Comics, the competition, and Aera¡¯s bullshit. He¡¯d finally found a way to a future he¡¯d been dreaming of for years, and he¡¯d be damned if he just gave it all up. There was only one way forward. And even if it ended up swallowing him whole, he knew that he¡¯d already made the choice.

    Law enforcement had come, and asked him questions, and he¡¯d told them something similar to what he¡¯d told Aera-- only this time with much more lucidity. He mentioned Pippen Visgold, but couldn¡¯t give them anything else. They¡¯d been back a couple of times, but Hunter really couldn¡¯t remember much more.

    The smell of certain colognes, flashes of tattoos, maybe a scar or two. He remembered the mask that one of them had worn. That was all.

    They stopped coming.

    Trey had hired someone to help Hunter catch up on his school work. He would get tired at first after about an hour, but he was healing fast. By the end of the first week of catching up, he could focus for 6 hours at a stretch. Luckily, he could gloss over the Artisan coursework. It was all stuff he was mostly familiar with¡ª the few exceptions had captured most of his interest. His knowledge of glyphs and network syntax was robust, but there was always something new to consider. New angles on old concepts, small iterations to age-old solutions, some which Hunter had already discovered himself.

    The few times Hunter was genuinely surprised to learn something new were the highlights of his time in the hospital.

    The day he was finally released, he was escorted to his apartment. Along the way, he remembered to buy a coffee press and a few pounds of a medium roast from a grocery store near the hospital.

    He made himself a fresh pot, and set it on the living room table. He walked into his bedroom, and then towards the closet. He pulled out a few boxes, revealing the briefcase he was searching for. He placed it on the table beside the coffee press, and typed in the passcode. The briefcase clicked open.

    It was all exactly as he¡¯d left it.

    For Hunter, he saw, printed on the face of the topmost journal.

    Pippen, and he was sure it had to be Pippen who was behind the attack, could not be allowed to hurt him again. Hunter would not just earn a degree of Excellence, he would prove to the world that he was no rabbit to be hunted and skinned for their amusement.

    With shaking hands, he opened the journal once more, and read. This time, he wouldn¡¯t stop until he knew everything his father had discovered. If the practice turned out to confirm his fears, and he had to pay an unethical toll in order to advance, he would turn it all over to Trey. Oberon Enterprises could decide what to do with it.

    But if not, then Hunter would devote himself to the method. He would get stronger.

    He would show them all what he was capable of.

 Chapter 33, Part 1

    Aera winced as Jeffrey Tiller¡¯s head hit the dirt floor, his arms stiffening as his brain sent out confused signals to his body. That would be a concussion. The impact knocked him out cold.

    An unsurprising result, seeing as how Jason had rigged the match.

    She¡¯d watched Jeffrey¡¯s opponent before the fight began. Aera thought it was important to gauge the odds before putting her money on someone. She¡¯d lost track of him for a while, but he¡¯d bumped into her on accident as the evening proceeded. He seemed oblivious to whoever was around him, but it had gotten her attention.

    At that moment, she decided she¡¯d bet on Jeffrey. But the young man who¡¯d bumped into her then talked to one of Jason¡¯s associates, someone who Aera had met before. He was easy to recognize. His face and body were like a mix between a toad and a bulldog.

    The opponent handed him a wad of cash. The associate then went into the fighter¡¯s changing rooms under the guise of dropping off some towels. He came out a few seconds later and nodded at Jason.

    She¡¯d caught the entire exchange by accident. No one else seemed to notice.

    Jason Chan had rigged the fight and hadn¡¯t bothered to tell anyone. In fact, she bet that only the small circle of people he seemed closest to would have received notification of Jeffrey¡¯s impending demise.

    She could never prove what she¡¯d seen, but the revelation of fixed fights could drive a wedge between Jason and his clientele. No one likes to be cheated, especially this crowd ¡ª not unless they had a way in on the con.

    Jeffrey had been the favoured contender. His odds of winning the match were good. Aera exercised due diligence, and bet on his opponent. The outcome was no surprise. Halfway through the fight, Jeffrey appeared distracted and tired, letting his opponent, Renfrew Bastille, land a few too many hits.

    Renfrew had been smart about it too, making the win seem convincing. To most onlookers, Jeffrey would have appeared to underestimate his opponent, and wasn¡¯t taking the fight as seriously as Renfrew was. Renfrew let Jeffrey land a few sloppy hits, and then went in for the knockout.

    This whole thing had been a lesson to Aera. Renfrew presented himself as shy, bumbling, and na?ve. Who would have thought that beneath the mask, there was a calculating, ruthless wolf?

    It was another example of how appearances could be misleading. At this rate, she might develop a complex.

    Aera collected her winnings, having earned about 600 credits after betting 100 on Renfrew. She smiled.

    It had been a good day. After a month of investigating Barnum¡¯s underground scene, she was almost certain that Pippen Visgold was behind the attack on Hunter, and a few hundred credits richer for her trouble. She had considered asking Jason about it, but figured she would need to be more subtle with her approach.

    She¡¯d save the idea of undermining Jason¡¯s relationships for another day. Today, she¡¯d enact the first phase of a play, one which would smoke out the truth of who was truly behind Hunter¡¯s attack. She didn¡¯t plan on getting all the answers today ¡ª in fact; she knew enough to satisfy her goals in the short term.

    Today was nothing but a demonstration. A message not only to the culprit, but to those who were watching, to those who were delusional enough to believe that the Oberons were open-season.

    Her actions today wouldn¡¯t just send a message to the scions playing the game of high society at Barnum, it would present a certain someone with an ultimatum.

    It had taken her most of a month to find witnesses to the attack, and they described certain individuals that Aera spent a lot of time trying to track down. Most of them were people who had already been at Barnum for at least a year.

    LockeMark, or a company associated with them, sponsored most of them. None of them had talked at first, even after she got rough with them. She wondered what inspired such loyalty towards their patron.

    Apparently, it was fear.

    She received a call from one of them a few days after. His name was Joseph, and he asked for asylum in Oberon¡¯s domain if he talked. Apparently, Pippen could be quite the cruel young master. The Visgold child had threatened not just Joseph, but Jospeh¡¯s entire family. They were a middle-class bunch, and the Visgolds had been tormenting them for some time after catching them in a bondage contract. The Visgolds would forgive the debts, but the family would belong to them. It was quite like how the Visgolds leashed by the Locke¡¯s, exempt of the freedom and prestige.

    It was legal slavery.

    People rarely used such contracts anymore, but the Visgolds seemed all too willing to keep such traditions alive.

    Joseph told her he¡¯d been gifted enough to grab the Visgolds attention. The Visgolds were focusing their sights on the Chan¡¯s family project at Barnum. They were using Pippen¡¯s friendship with Jason to get in on the action. Joseph¡¯s job was to stay enrolled, and be at Pippen¡¯s beck and call. His full time job outside of studies was getting access to drugs, convincing girls to party with them, and showing up with a gang of others whenever Pippen felt like he wanted to get his hands dirty, like he had with Hunter.

    It confirmed that Pippen had been present that day. He¡¯d wanted to watch the chaos unfold. It was a golden opportunity to take a shot at the Oberons¡¯, who¡¯d been a curse on the Visgold family for decades.

    Apparently, what Pippen had found about the newest addition to the Oberon¡¯s lineage had convinced him that Hunter was the perfect target for his aggression. What the snitch couldn¡¯t confirm was whether Jason had encouraged Pippen¡¯s attack. All Joseph had said was that Pippen didn¡¯t want Hunter hurt too badly.

    So her estimation had proven correct. They hadn¡¯t known about Hunters¡¯ weak constitution. But in this case, ignorance was no valid justification for their actions.

    The family could move to their domain, but only if Joseph served time in an Oberon internment facility. This was agreed upon after Aera spoke with her father. Oberon would impose a reasonable financial debt on them. But this debt wouldn¡¯t hinder their advancement within the company, nor would its terms be altered.

    Despite their involvement in the assault, Oberon sympathized with the young man and his family¡¯s hardship. Oberon understands ties to family, and Aera found that her father¡¯s disinterest in punishing Joseph¡¯s loved ones to be wise, if not frustrating.

    But her father''s choice maintained the family¡¯s integrity, as well as that of the corporation. She¡¯d prefer that the world know the fury which Oberon could bring forth. Her father was thinking ahead. His decision would make the consequence of cooperating with Oberon''s investigators easier to stomach. While offering information wouldn¡¯t balance out the scales of justice, granting amnesty to families in desperate situations, who weren¡¯t involved in their children¡¯s choices, would be an acceptable deal.

    The rest, who were there out of ambition or cold-blooded excitement, Aera would have her way with once her investigations concluded. Every perpetrator they found was being put under the microscope, as were their family and closest associates.

    Over a month of club meetings had revealed to Aera that Pippen was Jason¡¯s bitch, and Pippen didn¡¯t even see it. Jason had mind-fucked Pippen so deeply that it would be impressive ¡ª if it weren¡¯t so disturbing.

    It became more apparent to her that Jason was much more dangerous than she¡¯d thought. The rumours she¡¯d been hearing may have more truth than she¡¯d wanted to believe.

    However, just because Pippen was Jason¡¯s lapdog, didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t have the motivation to act alone. The Visgolds had more than enough enmity with the Oberon¡¯s to account for Pippen¡¯s behaviour.

    That being the case, she still needed to gauge how complicit Jason was in the attack. If it turned out that he hadn¡¯t been pulling the strings behind the scenes, she would still punish him. It would be a lesson regarding how ruthless an Oberon could be, as well as teaching him to keep his subordinates on a tighter leash.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    If he was behind it, she would ruin him and his family to whatever degree she could. Her father might be lenient, but right now, she wanted to be the bad cop. She had her father¡¯s approval, to an extent. He was no stranger to the way the game was played, and the drama at Barnum would usually stay contained to Barnum, save whatever enmities and partnerships one cultivated during their time at the academy.

    But now, Trey was allocating company resources in order to answer the Visgolds call to war, whether they were aware of Pippen¡¯s actions or not. A powerful statement needed to be made, and Trey had been looking for an excuse to make one for a long time.

    But he could be surgical when he needed to be, which was another lesson he wanted her to learn. The Chans wielded their power precariously, despite their extensive connections. Depending on her discovery, either LockeMark and Oberon Enterprises would go to war again, or the Oberons would systematically erase the Chans¡¯ power base and replace it with one loyal to them.

    There would always be another Chan family. They may have carved out an interesting piece of the pie that Barnum represents, but they were overestimating their value to the Council family¡¯s if they¡¯re letting Jason make such drastic plays so early into the game.

    Hunter had agreed to stay at the school, which meant that Trey was going to let her handle things. The police would back off a bit on his order. She would have some freedom in how she proceeded.

    This was not just about revenge; it was a test ¡ª a challenge to help mould her. The actions she took in response to the attack on her family will stay with her forever, and they would tell the world what kind of woman she was going to be.

    All parties concerned would know that the Oberon¡¯s star will not be falling once her father gives up his position to her. If she has her way, the Oberon''s name will rise to stand head and shoulders above all others. It wasn¡¯t just her ambition; it was her fathers, as well. Time would tell if Hunter would ever come to share their vision.

    Before that day came, she would refuse to entertain calling him her brother. He would have to earn that right ¡ª not for her, but for the family she loves. He is to her as the Visgolds are to the Locke¡¯s. A useful extension.

    And up to this point, calling him useful would overstate his impact. But she had a duty to protecting Oberon''s name, and she would see that duty executed.

    <hr>

    Pippen was sitting near Jason, enthusiastic about the outcome of the match. Jason had a bored look on his face, but he cheered up once he saw Aera watching them. He waved her over with a beaming smile, quite like how a hungry lion would smile as a small mouse crossed its path.

    ¡°Aera! Quite the upset, isn¡¯t it? We were all so sure that Jeffrey would have this one in the bag!¡±

    ¡°I bet on Renfrew¡± Aera said. Jason¡¯s eyebrows rose. She was breathing slow, and deep. She needed to stay calm.

    ¡°Oh? A warrior¡¯s intuition?¡± Jason asked. She was watching Pippen out of the corner of his eye. He appeared disinterested in the conversation. In fact, he seemed to look everywhere where Aera wasn¡¯t.

    Since Pippen was already here, she might as well get the plan rolling.

    ¡°Sure, something like that,¡± she said, turning her full attention to Pippen. ¡°Hey, Visgold. I heard you like to fight.¡±

    Pippen shrugged, eyes squinting. Was he wondering if she knew about his role in the attack? Was Jason wondering how to control the damage?

    ¡°I¡¯ve sparred once in a while,¡± Pippen said, raising his chin at her. Was it defiance?

    I¡¯m not scared of you, Oberon.

    ¡°You ever think about participating?¡± She asked, tilting her head towards the dirt ring that the club used for its fights.

    Jason¡¯s eyebrows rose. There was no way he didn¡¯t know about what Pippen had done. If Jason was behind it, then she couldn¡¯t quite fathom what his motives would be for attacking her family. Whether or not he was involved, he had to know that the outcome would put him in her crosshairs.

    That meant that either he was waiting for Aera to make a move before offering Pippen¡¯s head on a platter, or he had in fact bitten off more than he could chew, and was too uncertain about how to proceed. He was facing a crisis, and if Aera made it seem like she was coming for him, he might do something rash.

    She would rather delay that, but she couldn¡¯t delay making a statement.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m just waiting for the right opponent,¡± Pippen said, his eyes seeming to light up. She now had his full attention.

    ¡°The Visgolds always did pride themselves on their martial prowess. Didn¡¯t the LockeMark¡¯s give you access to the same tutors they hired for their children? Not as good as the masters my father hired from around the world, but I¡¯m sure you must be better than average in a fight,¡± she said.

    Her words seemed to touch a raw nerve. His excitement turned to anger in a split second. He stood and stalked towards her. Jason called for him to sit down, but Pippen either didn¡¯t hear him or had slipped from the master''s leash.

    ¡°You Oberons, always thinking you¡¯re better than us. You think the Locke¡¯s are afraid of you, that you can just offend the Visgolds without retaliation?¡±

    ¡°Pippen, be very careful¡ª¡± Jason warned, but Aera interrupted him.

    ¡°The Visgolds are worthless to the Lockes. You know that, right? My family has played with your family for generations. You make yourselves into such an easy target¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the Queen Bitch we all know and love. I will end you, Oberon. And your family!¡±

    No wonder Jason could so thoroughly wrap Pippen around his finger. He was an animal, all reaction and no regard.

    She saw Pippen¡¯s punch from a mile away, and she dodged it just enough that it glanced at her cheek. She made a show of stumbling back a step, as if it had made more of an impact than it did. It wasn¡¯t difficult to summon some anger in response.

    Pippen had always been a hothead. The Visgolds were always easy to aggro ¡ª this one particularly so.

    She spat on the ground.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t just let that go,¡± she said, turning to Jason, who seemed like a deer in headlights. He was sweating and gawking. She could imagine he was seeing his life flash before his eyes, but he summoned his wits and nodded at her words.

    ¡°Pippen,¡± Jason said, his tone catching Pippen¡¯s attention, ¡°Calm yourself.¡±

    Pippen seemed conflicted with the command, but his loyalty to his master appeared to win out. He forced himself back to his seat.

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Jason asked her. He must be realizing that there was only one path forward now. Pippen would turn into the latest in a long line of pawns he would have had to sacrifice for his own self interest.

    ¡°I believe that Pippen and I have some differences to resolve. I have time tonight, so why not now?¡±

    Jason nodded, ¡°What do you think, Pippen?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you squeal, Oberon.¡±

    Jason nodded again, calling for one of his henchmen to clear the ring.

    An announcer¡¯s voice echoed through the area. A surprise fight between the Visgold heir and the Oberon heir. Excited voices erupted from the crowd, dozens of wealthy scions having gathered to watch the festivities. They¡¯d all heard about Hunter Oberon Koar, the attack, and were all waiting to see how Aera would respond.

    She was sure that they all knew she had a history with martial arts, and her AR was prodigious. She had the physical strength and stamina to match it.

    To be honest, this stunt had been a gambippen hadn¡¯t been so easy to enrage, he might have considered exactly who he was threatening.

    Pippen¡¯s temper: was it caused by Jason¡¯s meddling? If Jason had been manipulating him since elementary school, she¡¯d vastly underestimated his capabilities.

    It would be impressive, but not enough to intimidate her. In fact, it would make the next step even easier. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing the truth yet. However, Jason had just agreed to let Aera get even with his subordinate. If nothing else, she¡¯d make a show of assuming Jason¡¯s innocence in the matter, but she wouldn¡¯t stop investigating until she knew for sure.

    The fighters had a couple of minutes to prepare themselves. Then they stepped into the ring, facing each other. The look Pippen gave her would be chilling, if she wasn¡¯t so confident in the outcome.

    She briefly wondered how many broken bones had Hunter ended up with? She recalled a broken rib and a broken arm. A collarbone, too.

    Pippen charged her the second the match started, probably hoping to overwhelm her with brute strength. He was strong. Men, on average, were much stronger than women. Even with the physical strength advantage from her AR, she might only be marginally stronger than him now, assuming they aren¡¯t evenly matched.

    But her training had been superior. She sidestepped his charge at the last second, deciding to put him to the test. Then she faked a sweep, which he stumbled out of the way of. She followed up with a few jabs, but he skilfully dodged and blocked them. She kicked at his knee, but he tanked it, and with a victorious snarl, he tried to grab her foot.

    It wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d expected, but she could work with that.

    She let him take her foot, and she used his hand as leverage as she twisted her body, kicking at his head with her free foot. He let go of her foot and tried to block. The kick was strong enough to push him back a step.

    She landed on her now freed leg and twisted as she crouched, kicking at him again with all the force she could muster. The kick connected with his left knee.

    It buckled, and Pippen cried out in pain.

    They would call the match in a second. Her next few moves would need to be quick.

    She tackled Pippen to the ground and smiled as the back of his head hit the dirt with a satisfying thud. Then she punched at his collarbone and his ribs until she felt them crack. The collarbone was easy. The ribs took a few blows.

    There wouldn¡¯t be enough time to break his arm, so she compromised.

    One final blow flattened his nose like a rotten tomato. Jason¡¯s men pulled her off of him, otherwise she would have continued. She spit on him before they could drag out of the ring.

    The spectators were aghast. Whatever they¡¯d expected from her, that hadn¡¯t been it.

    She smiled. They¡¯d all received her message. Most of them would never be in a position where their actions would risk the wrath of Oberon befalling themselves or their family¡¯s, but word would get around.

    She saw quite a few disappointed faces as well. They¡¯d made the wrong bet.

    She gave Jason one last look, one he wasn¡¯t expecting. The split second before his face shifted to a warm goodbye, she¡¯d glimpsed the rage underneath. That rage wasn¡¯t directed towards Pippen.

    And it wasn¡¯t a loud rage. It was cold, quiet, and focused. She had recognized the look because she¡¯d seen it a thousand times. The corporate world, especially at the highest level, was full of resentments, ambitions, and masks of cordiality. She¡¯d long learned to recognize it. Though she wasn¡¯t as adept as her father in reading people¡¯s ambitions at a glance, she was catching up.

    Aera figured she¡¯d just received all the confirmation she needed. Despite the facade, Jason was not Aera¡¯s friend.

    The question was, did that make her his enemy?

    And what was he going to do about it?

 Chapter 33, Part 2.

    Hunter sighed in relief after he read the last few words in the first journal his father left him.

    The first few lines of the method for practicing the internal arts was a preface, telling Hunter not to worry about having to do anything unspeakable. It was almost like his father had been self aware enough to know that Hunter would probably be disgusted by what he¡¯d done, but decided to proceed anyways. It was disturbing to think about¡ª what kind of distorted mind had his father been left with after all was said and done?

    The next line was there to assure him that it was not the internal arts which had left him in such a mental state, either. Which begged the question, what happened to his father? Had he always been capable of killing in cold blood, and Hunter had just been too naive to see it? But Trey believed that his father had been a good man as well, at least at one time in his life.

    Hunter let those thoughts drift from his mind as he focused on the method for the arts. It was difficult to piece it together. His father often diverted along tangents regarding theory and hypothesis. It was all fascinating, if he ignored how his father had gone about testing some of those theories. And he found that sometimes he could ignore it, and get lost in the information itself. The internal arts functioned on a principle which slightly deviated from the mainstream view of etherium¡ª how it flows through the body, and into a drawstone. The most common theory is that its the drawstone itself which pulls the etherium from outside the body, through the body¡¯s channels, and then into the drawstone, which can then be guided along network channels into glyphs, which makes up a construct.

    But his father discovered a small, but critical detail. The Drawstone doesn¡¯t pull in etherium from outside the body at all. Drawstone¡¯s only activate once they¡¯re connected to a human because its the human that provides the catalyst. He detailed how drawstones appear to act something like natural Link glyphs¡ª a concept already familiar to him, as before his father came along and developed the sublgyph, drawstones were cut into shards, and these shards were used to direct the flow of etherium between glyphs in a network. But a link sub-glyph could only direct etherium, it couldn¡¯t ¡®activate,¡¯ or catalyze the movement of etherium on its own.

    Once he discovered this, he started to pay attention to what was actually happening at the point of contact with etherium. He said that it was his innate sensitivity to etherium which allowed him discover how etherium only entered the body after more etherium has left. His investigations revealed a network of channels in himself and others, networks which all behaved in similar ways. The channels in the human body were like a vacuum for etherium, hungry for their fill, and appeared to tolerate etherium¡¯s absence quite poorly. These networks of channels grew as an individual aged and used drawstones, allowing more etherium to not only be stored, but move through the body. He described the network as appearing like criss-crossing veins, which led to another tangent about an alternative network channel design which utilized a similar pattern.

    Hunter had been using his fathers ill-gotten work longer that he¡¯d realized. Because it was very clear that he hadn¡¯t just been studying his own body when he was researching the nature of these channels. So by the time Hunter had discovered the journals, and decided not to read them, it had been too late.

    His father said that he found that he could, with great focus and mental effort, manipulate these channels.

    The first step was to discover them, to trace the origin (which he called the point of entry into the body) and the destination (the point where the body connects to a drawstone, typically a hand but it could be any part of the body, hypothetically. He also said that the channels were odd. They were present in the body, but he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint where. Only that they could be felt, and manipulated.

    He also told Hunter that the hyperspatial nature of the body¡¯s channels was something that didn¡¯t appear to be a pragmatic area of research¡ª it was better to focus strictly on the manipulation of the channels themselves. To that end, he detailed exercises to help Hunter build his focus, and develop an experiential understanding of his channel network. He also told Hunter what he expected his son to find, which was his theory about the nature of Hunters AR deficiency.

    There is a period in youth where AR naturally rises¡ª the network of channels in the body grows organically, but no network appears to be the same. Some are more compact, others are more sparsely lain. Too compact of a network restricts the flow of etherium just as one that is too sparse would. The guidance of etherium requires a balance of allowing for its chaotic nature to flow as it will, but along intended lines. Too compact of a network means that the etherium is suppressed, it ends up getting backed up on itself, and rebounds right back out of the body. Too sparse of a network means that the etherium¡¯s chaotic nature is given too much space to flow unguided.

    His father said that the networks act somewhat like a shallow riverbed, but the etherium that flows through it can easily overflow, and dissipate without guidance to get it to the drawstone. According to his father¡¯s theory, something caused Hunter¡¯s natural etheric development to halt. He assumed it had something to do with their mutual sensitivity, which he believed was much stronger in his son than in himself. His best guess was the loss of his mother created an strong psychological reaction in Hunter, and the trauma had the accidental effect of suppressing his development.

    However, he believed that once he consciously came in contact with his etherium channels, he would probably find that they would go through a period of rapid growth, and he recommended that Hunter wait for a while before he starts manipulating them too drastically, at least until their natural growth begins to stagnate, as it might cause some inefficiencies later on.

    What he didn¡¯t say, however, was that there would be any damage. In fact, he said that channels don¡¯t act like normal biological structures. Like muscles, they can develop and atrophy, but damaging a network after its been established won¡¯t have too much of a negative impact on the physical body.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Once the networks were found, and understood, they could then be manipulated. His father had come up with three methods to do this.

    Contracting the channels, expanding the channels, and deepening the channels which he named, respectively: Pinch, Pull, and Hold, with a fourth method that he wrote was to only be attempted once the first three were mastered.

    His father wrote that each method took him many months to master. There would be a slight increase in AR as he gained more mastery over his channels, but the real jumps came with being able to master the final technique, not only forming channels consciously, but encouraging the development of already-existing channels. This came about by being able to pinch certain points in the network, and pull at the ¡®walls¡¯ of the channel in between those two points, and then suddenly allowing an influx of etherium into it. This trains the channels flexibility, allowing them to hold more etherium over time.

    In short, Hunter would be able to cycle the etherium along his network in a path that he chose, reinforcing that path as the dominant one it should take in the future. He could use the natural dissipation of etherium as it overflowed from a channel to help pave new channels, but he figured that reading too much into that would be like an average child trying to understand advanced calculus. He needed to work his way up to it.

    Once he¡¯d read through the journal, he came up with a training plan. He would spend an hour every morning training his focus, and increasing his awareness of his channels. From there, he would see what happened. Either his AR would naturally begin to grow, or he would have to start the process himself.

    Either way, Hunter was excited to finally have a tentative cure for his curse. With this, he might finally be able to stand above his peers without worry. He would never have to be at the mercy of a world that had proven to be nothing but cruel and cold to the likes of him. He figured he might as well use the rest of the day to practice, and so he leaned back in his couch and started to bring his attention to his breath, like his father had recommended. Every time he got distracted, he would bring his focus back to his breath.

    It was tedious, and he was surprised by how bad he was at it. But his father had said that it was all part of the process. It would take time, and he¡¯d make progress a lot faster than he¡¯d fear.

    The reassurance had felt like the father that he¡¯d always believed Gideon Koar to be. Supportive, encouraging, and reliable.

    It clashed with the image of the man who the world had come to know him by. Which Hunter had now come to know him by. The child in Hunter felt relieved that his father had looked out for him, but the man Hunter was becoming was disgusted, and felt like the feeling of comfort was a betrayal¡ª a justification of the lives taken.

    He shook his head. He had committed to this, he had decided that he would follow through, no matter what.

    It didn¡¯t matter what his father had done, not anymore. Gideon Koar was gone, and he couldn¡¯t hurt anyone else. Hunter couldn¡¯t take back the pain his father had caused, but he might as well use the legacy he¡¯d left behind. Hunter didn¡¯t owe the world anything. It wasn¡¯t up to him to balance the actions his fathers had taken.

    At this point, he figured the world owed him.

    He was surprised to find that the training took him over two hours to finish. By the time he was done, he had just enough time to eat dinner and finish the rest of the homework he¡¯d accumulated over his time at the hospital.

    Tomorrow he¡¯d be back to class.

    The day would start with martial arts, and end with History.

    Hopefully, the latter would be a palate cleanser for what was sure to be a very uncomfortable start.

    <hr>

    Jason loved the analogy of comparing Pippen to a dog. And his dog was in a very poor state.

    But if he¡¯d had a real dog who¡¯d just put up such a miserable display, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to put it down. He¡¯d known Aera was strong and capable, but Jason had invested much of the small amount of wealth afforded to him by his family in order to foster Pippen¡¯s more ruthless instincts.

    He¡¯d put him up against worse odds that Aera was supposed to present. Pippen was strong, mean, and had sent his fair share of young men to hospitals over the years¡ª mostly at Jason¡¯s discretion.

    But he''d overstepped with Hunter.

    Jason was willing to see that as his own mistake. He had turned Pippen into a very focused young man, but that focus seemed to take on a very inflexible trend. The dog knew how to hunt and play fetch, but perhaps Jason had leaned Pippen into his baser instincts a bit too much. He hadn¡¯t realized that Hunter was more frail than he looked. He¡¯d recognized the possibility of Aera taking a move this early in the game as a personal invitation, but he¡¯d hoped that Pippen would be a bit more discrete with how he approached the situation.

    He hadn¡¯t expected the dog to lead the attack himself with so little forethought. He¡¯d taught him better. It made him wonder if Pippen had ever followed his instructions in the past, to attack at from a distance. At the end of the day, it was the smarter play, even if getting close and personal would be more satisfying.

    And that answered the question, didn¡¯t it? Pippen¡¯s personality had become all about satisfying the animal in him. Jason was surprised by his own lack of foresight in this matter.

    But what was done was done.

    Jason had made the only move available to him. He had to sacrifice the pipsqeak for his own survival. Aera was forcing his hand.

    That¡¯s what he told himself.

    And he liked the thought. It made him mad, not just angry, but it gave him that hint of instability he¡¯d grown to enjoy. It made him willing to do things other¡¯s wouldn¡¯t. It made him ambitious.

    Aera was the perfect whetstone for his ascension. When the Oberon¡¯s were removed, the Chan¡¯s would rise to take their place.

    But he needed some help. Pippen¡¯s overreach might have put things a bit outside of Jason¡¯s ability to handle.

    He decided to call in some support.

    He dialed a number, and waited for the line to connect.

    ¡°Edith Chan.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, mum.¡±

    ¡°Jason, dear. How are you?¡±

    ¡°I may have made a small miscalculation.¡±

    His mother was silent for a second. She was very clear about the sort of circumstance which would justify her intervention. She¡¯d warned him many times.

    ¡°Would this have anything to do with all the drama surrounding the Oberons?¡±

    He hesitated to admit it. It was difficult for him to ask for help in the first place.

    ¡°It would,¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°I see,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll make some inquiries, but it will take some time. Be prepared for my call.¡±

    She hung up, and Jason signed once more. Getting his mother involved was always unpleasant. She would never let him live it down. But he¡¯d learned a lot from her, about people, about how to make people do what he wanted.

    In a way, it could be said that the Chan family was acting according to his mothers unifying vision. The Chan¡¯s had always been ambitions, but before Edith Chan was born, they were skittish and squirrely-- content with the scraps they could snatch from high society. Edith had decided she¡¯d wanted more.

    She¡¯d raised Jason to want the same thing.

    At this point, whatever happened next was out of Jason¡¯s hands. His mother would come up with a plan. She always knew what to do.

    He just had to wait, and then do what he was told, and then he would come out on top. Barnum would still be his. Such was his faith in his family.

 Chapter 34

    Hunter was pleased to find that the history department was actually situated in the soul of the campus. Although their guide had been mostly correct when he¡¯d shown Hunter and Aera the sightseeing tour when they¡¯d first arrived at Barnum, he¡¯d neglected to mention that there were classes held in some of those rooms.

    Unfortunately, the Foundations of Martial Arts class was located a bit further away, and had gone exactly how he¡¯d assumed. News of his attack had apparently made the rounds over the last month. He¡¯d received a lot of attention when he showed up, which was something he was growing used to. The reactions ran the usual gamut, from pity, to curiosity, to scorn. Even the the instructor¡ª a man named Immanuel who refused to be called a professor¡ª was skeptical about Hunters presence, especially after he¡¯d run Hunter through a fitness test, something he should have gone through had he been able to attend the class from the beginning.

    His time with Aera had done wonders for his endurance, but he was still far from adequate enough to keep up with everyone else.

    When it was clear Hunter was done, the instructor let him sit to the side for the rest of the class. He ignored the looks he got from everyone, including Instructor Immanuel, and instead of lamenting over his poor physique he used that time to practice some of focusing techniques. He figured if he wanted to make the most progress he could in the shortest period of time, he needed to take advantage of any free time he had. The focusing exercises didn¡¯t require hours and hours¡ª although it was better to dive into deeper states of focus over those longer periods, but even 15 minutes would be enough to help with easing the transition into a focused state, at the very least.

    He found that when he went deep enough, time seemed to melt away. Even the short session he did during the class felt like mere minutes before the class was dismissed. Hunter¡¯s next class wouldn¡¯t start for an hour, so he had time to go and get changed before grabbing a snack and a coffee. Then he was on his way to the soul.

    It made sense, he figured, that the most historically dense place on campus would be where history was taught. He¡¯d spent some time looking into his teacher, but couldn¡¯t find much about the man aside from his name, and a short mention about a successful career in archaeology and translating ancient languages, especially Asutnahem. Having seen that, Hunter felt that he¡¯d made the right choice with taking his elective. His interest in the Asutnahem went beyond his previous desire to feel closer to his father. Now it was more personal. The Asutnahem had a lot of mystery surrounding them, and Hunter¡¯s intuition told him that those mysteries were worth the time it would take to wrap his head around.

    Not just for the potential to discover ancient glyphs. The tale of the Journeyer had struck a chord in him, ever since he had seen it. It was like it planted as seed in him, that slowly took root and began to sprout. He saw a lot of himself in the Journeyer, and he figured that many would see a reflection of the events in their lives. Making do with what you have in order to cross a great gap of uncertainty; It spoke of the human soul, and challenges which human beings encounter, and the inner strength that it cultivates. He wondered what else the Asutnahem had in store for him.

    Everything that had happened to him so far seemed to point in in the direction of finding strength, which was like the woman inviting the Journeyer across the chasm. Hunters tools to cross that chasm were his fathers journals. He¡¯d realized that he was in the process of discovering something about himself, something that was slightly unnerving but nevertheless appeared to be working for him.

    He wasn¡¯t who he thought he was.

    In fact, he was both better and worse than he thought he was. His tenacity had brought him pride, yet the flexibility of his integrity had given him pause. He wondered if he were the kind of men to constantly bend to circumstances. So far, he¡¯d betrayed his old ideals and not only joined a corporation, but a Council family. Granted, Trey didn¡¯t cut quite the same figure of the greedy executives he always used to imagine, but the fact remained.

    It was the same with the journals, and with the Internal Arts. What surprised Hunter the most is that the guilt felt skin deep. When he really questioned himself, and confronted the idea that what he was doing might be the wrong choice, he found that didn¡¯t regret his choices.

    Actually, that wasn¡¯t true. His choices had brought him face to face with Aera. So there was some regret.

    ¡°Good morning, class. Good to see you all again, and it looks like we have a new face!¡± Professor Jackson broke Hunter out of his contemplation as he walked into the classroom. He had a large, over-stuffed satchel filled with what Hunter could only guess were tomes of great wisdom. The man was short, chubby, and had tufts of long grey hair shooting out from under a green trilby hat. He wore a tweed jacket, a thick pair of blue jeans. This man was exactly what Hunter had been imagining when he¡¯d first heard about the history professor.

    He looked like a man who would teach history. You could see it, even if you were to encounter him randomly on the street. You would just know that the man had devoted his life to studying the past.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Hunter started to say, but Professor Jackson held up a hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me. Let me see,¡± he said, running his finger down a list, ¡°Ah, Mr. Hunter Oberon Koar. Well then Mr. Koar, welcome to my class¡ª such as it is. Now, where were we? Last class I believe we were talking about the 4th Illaic dynasty, correct?¡±

    The class shared confused looks with each other. Professor Jackson frowned.

    ¡°No? That must be next class, then. Can someone remind me what we covered, last time?¡±

    A young man at the front of the class raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Professor Jackson invited him to speak.

    ¡°We were talking about the Asutnahem influence of early Illaic symbolism.¡±

    If lightbulbs really did go off in peoples heads when they had a moment of epiphany, Hunter imagined that Professor Jacksons head must be filled with a dozen of them, at least.

    ¡°Then I was about to introduce you to my favorite area of research, one near and dear to my heart. Do any of you know what I did in my past life? Before becoming an esteemed professor of history, that is. Anyone?¡±

    Hunter raised his hand.

    ¡°Mr. Koar¡±

    ¡°I read that you were an archaeologist and translator.¡±

    ¡°Among other things, but you¡¯re mostly correct. You see how the two go hand in hand, yes? Good. I¡¯ve spent a considerable portion of my life immersed in ancient languages, studying not only meaning, but how meaning evolved throughout the ages. And I''ve discovered some very wonderful things. Oh, I should stop there, before I get in trouble.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The man had a look in his eye that gave Hunter the impression that he had no intention on stopping himself from saying whatever he was planning on saying.

    ¡°Ah, who cares. If anyone asks, tell them I started to digress and that I warned you all sufficiently that what I¡¯m about to tell you is far from the consensus. In fact, I tried to have this information included in the syllabus, but alas, the world doesn¡¯t appear ready for what I have to share,¡± Professor Jackson sighed.

    He picked up some chalk and started to jot down a word on the chalkboard behind him, and in his enthusiasm the chalk slipped from his hand and split as it hit the floor, but the man¡¯s passion was untouched.

    ¡°What does that say?¡± He asked the class.

    ¡°Sanctuary,¡± someone called out.

    ¡°Sanctuary! Yes, our home, no? Sanctuary, safety, home. It makes sense that our ancestors, and having made homes in caves, and who had braved untamed wilds¡ª clawing their way up through the food chain¡ª would come to find great solace in the place they called ¡®home.¡¯ These homes would multiply, combine, and migrate, culminating in great empires throughout history.

    By my colleagues estimation, the Asutnahem were little better than bronze-age cultural savages. Oh, they had some degree of etheric knowledge, and their symbolic lineages and arts are quite matured compared to some later civilizations, but make no mistake! They were far less sophisticated than we are. At least, that¡¯s what my colleagues would have you believe,¡± he said, underlining the word on the board.

    ¡°Sanctuary, where does the name come from? It came from the ancient Illaic word for the world which we inhabit, which we have traced back through the ancient Mideni Kingdoms, whose word for homeland, or country, eventually made its way to the Illaic peoples, whose literature and social dramas we so enjoy today. But before all of that, my contemporaries would have you believe that such a word evolved from the Asutnahem word for safe haven, or home. Do we agree?¡±

    He asked the class, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to understand that the question was rhetorical.

    ¡°Perhaps. There is good reason to believe it, but my studies have revealed another possibility altogether. The Asutnahem are quite a puzzle, are they not? Want to know something? A very dirty little secret which many of my colleagues would refuse to admit I assure you. The Asutnahem language, as we know it, is full of holes. Deep, dark holes that could recontextualize everything we think we know about them. For instance,¡± the professor picked up some more chalk and started sketching out a series of lines and curves on the board behind him.

    ¡°Who recognizes it? None of you? Right, its a bit advanced and you wouldn¡¯t have seen it until your 3rd year of studies. This is a line from an Asutnahem scroll which, depending on who you ask, is either a verse from an epic-length poem, a record of real estate, a reference to a blanket, or a pronouncement of an Asutnahem priest.

    ¡®Folded over the land which we lay down our heads¡¯, is the supposed meaning of this phrase. It¡¯s an approximate translation and you will find many others who disagree to varying degrees. But most will say, its accurate enough,¡± he said, though his voice was mocking.

    ¡°And guess what? They¡¯re wrong. Even the ones who disagree are wrong. Everyone is so, so, so wrong. Look. See these lines here? The Asutnahem language evolved over millennia¡ª yes, they were around for a long, long time. These lines disappeared over time,¡± his voice rose to a higher pitch as he spoke, and he circled certain dashes and curves in the text he''d written on the board.

    ¡°We can track linguistic drift throughout Asutnahem history. What a word means now is not necessarily what it will mean a century or two from now, let alone 9 centuries. Understand? So how are we supposed to expect this line here,¡± he circled the words he had written, and then punctuated the action by underlining it, ¡°to mean the same thing to the nth generation of descendants of the individual who wrote it? Its absolutely absurd. Take any religion in modern times¡ª how many interpretations are their of the exact same text? How many translatations, and disagreements on translations, do we have to deal with? Future historians are going to have an absolute mess on their hands trying to track that particular memetic genealogy, mark my words,¡± he said, scratching his head and considering the chalkboard once more.

    ¡°Anyways, where was I?¡± he mumbled to himself, and then he struck a victorious finger up into the air, ¡°Right, I¡¯ve spent the last few years using this phrase as a marker, an ¡®anchor¡¯, if you will. I¡¯ve traced the genealogy of these words as far backwards and forwards as I can, and the entire phrase can be condensed into two words in our current language.

    "The line contains two points of interest. See here, ¡®the land which we lay down our heads,¡¯ and that this land is being ¡®folded over¡¯. Yet, this line is complete. Complete? You ask. Yes, complete, as in the idea conveyed is implied to contain all it needs in order to transmit a full packet of meaning to the intended recipient.

    "My studies have seen various versions of ¡®folded over¡¯, bubbling up all over the Asutnahem timeline. Recently, an archaeological dig uncovered what is believed to be an old Asutnahem recipe book. It took a couple of years to translate most of it, but the context that this phrase appears within implies that ¡®folded over¡¯ originally meant¡ª and this book was written within the same linguistic era as the document that our anchor was written in¡ª it originally meant ¡®enclosed,¡¯ or ¡®contained.¡¯

    "So. This changes the entire phrase, does it not? Now what we have is, ¡®Contained¡¯ and, ¡®the land which we lay down our heads. So, what? A bedroom? Perhaps a house? Yes, it would certainly seem so. But I was not content with that answer. I had a gut feeling, you see? Pay attention to those,¡± the professor paused his lecture, staring each of them in the eye, ¡°very important. Damn the consequences, go with your gut.¡±

    ¡°Where was I? Land which we lay down, right. I was going to say that, believe it or not, laying down our heads has nothing to do with the original translation¡ª or I suppose it does, but its peripherally related. This one was more complex, and I''ll save you from the long, messy road that I had to travel to get to where I¡¯ve gotten now. But I suppose I can give you the cliff notes. The ¡®laying down of heads¡¯ is an Illaic phrase, a poetic statement that gained popularity throughout their culture quite rapidly.

    ¡°Much of the work they did in translating history was sloppy, which was hardly their fault, there were many pressures influencing that¡ª but I digress. We now have enough information to understand that the ¡®laying down of heads¡¯ they believed they found in the Asutnahem language came from a late-Asutnahem text which described the passage of time, from dawn till dusk¡ª which I¡¯ve found correlates to an entire preserved body of work describing a very strange cosmology.

    ¡°What is ''contained'', what is the phrase saying is ''contained''? It is the land which we lay down our heads, but this land is presented in a greater context, one which the Asutnahem descendants used to describe not just the land, but the passing of time as marked by the sun. The land, the sun, the stars. The development of ecosystems, the process of change. The world! The world! Or, more specifically, and this is a very important nuance, a world. The world implies a singular, specific world. But ¡®a¡¯ world implies one among others. If I¡¯m right, and I do believe that I am, then this phrase means: ¡®a contained world¡¯.¡±

    He paused. The implication was sinking in.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying they knew?¡± Hunter asked, his head spinning at the revelation. But how could they? They wouldn¡¯t have had any way of leaving the world.

    ¡°They knew!¡± the professor said.

    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± one of the students said. The professor laughed.

    ¡°Then prove me wrong,¡± the professor shrugged, ¡°you can¡¯t, obviously. You¡¯re all young and have no idea about any of this. But my colleagues have yet to give me any evidence which can contradict my discovery. Until they do, I will continue to believe that at the very least, the Asutnahem had an understanding of our world that we are only recently beginning to catch up to.¡±

    The professor checked his watch.

    ¡°We still have quite a bit of time left, and we should probably get you all back on track. Thank you all for entertaining my little rant. Now, Illaic symbolism, was it? Right¡­¡±

    Hunter couldn¡¯t believe his luck. He had attended this class out of all the others¡ª just in time to hear one of the most incredible digressions he¡¯d ever heard. The rest of the class passed by in a blur, Hunters mind constantly returning to Professor Jacksons¡¯ speech.

    The Asutnahem knew? It was an incredible claim, one that Hunter would want to have verified as soon as possible. But who could he talk to about this?

    He¡¯d be disappointed if this turned out to an elaborate crackpot theory. But the implications¡ª did the Asutnahem have a presence beyond their world? If not, how did they discover that the world had an edge, that it was ¡®contained?¡¯

    Trey would probably be interested in the professor¡¯s work. Maybe he¡¯d know someone who could verify the claims.

 Chapter 35

    Hunter had been practicing for a week, the professor¡¯s digression having been forgotten in a haze of ideas about synergies, and anxiety about his evening sessions with Aera. But his own practice with focusing had been going well. He¡¯d been making steady progress, and found himself eager for each day¡¯s practice session.

    Breathe in, breathe out. Quiet the mind.

    He put his attention on the body, then the sounds he could hear, and he closed his eyes and noticed the effortless darkness where once there was light.

    Breathe in, effortless, breathe out, effortless.

    Hunter continued the cycle of breathing, finding his body relaxing on its own. He¡¯d never truly understood what it was like to truly relax before starting these exercises his father had shared with him. He wrote that he had learned him from a priest, during a brief time when he¡¯d dabbled with religion, and found them to be instrumental in learning how to quiet the mind.

    The key was to let it quiet itself. Keep your attention diffuse, focus softly on the inhale, the pause, the exhale, the pause. Notice thoughts as objects in their own space, separate from the breath, seperate from the body. It took a bit of practice, and he¡¯d kept reacting to thoughts at first, thinking that¡¯s what his father had meant by ¡®noticing¡¯ them. But then he¡¯d realized that with the right balance of alertness and relaxation, ¡®noticing¡¯ happened naturally.

    Hunter felt that this alone was worth reading the journals for.

    He realized he was distracted, and brought his attention back to his body. Then the sounds, then the effortless dark, then the cycling breath.

    The stopwatch went off, and he breathed out once more before slowly opening his eyes, feeling refreshed, but he also felt a bit drowsy. Sometimes, during these hour-long afternoon sessions, he would doze off to sleep.

    He¡¯d bought the stopwatch the first day he¡¯d woken up and realize he¡¯d slept for 4 hours. Something about falling asleep after having been in a deep state of focus would cause him to have incredibly vivid dreams. Sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t fall asleep, but he would experience memories which would have a dream-like distance to them. Not anything significant¡ª so far, only the most mundane visions of his past would replay for him. Finding a cool rock, staring at the ceiling back at the old Koar estate, the first time he broke an egg yolk while trying to cook for himself.

    Sometimes, he would suddenly have an exciting creative insight into synergies, or understanding a problem he¡¯d run into while doing homework for his classes.

    And while he was in a deeply focused state¡ª no visions, no dreams, totally present and alert, he would begin to feel incredible. It could last for seconds, or multiple minutes. His father had called these moments ¡®Jhanas,¡¯ and said that although they were pleasant, they were not the goal and it was important to learn how to remain focused, even in the presence of such heightened pleasant sensations.

    Hunter stood from the couch and grabbed another cup of coffee. He felt that soon, his focus would be strong enough to start focusing inwards on the presence of his ether channels. He¡¯d been doing this practice for a week, about ?th of the time his father had recommended he should before attempting any insight training, but Hunter felt that his ability to focus was progressing quite rapidly.

    Staying concentrated wasn¡¯t a problem. He¡¯d sought deeper concentration to work with in Seckina, pushing more and more attention into client jobs and research. Not only as an escape from the outside world, but the ability to stay focused on work for 10 hours at a stretch helped him survive.

    With a coffee in hand, Hunter left his home, walking to the Etheric Arts department which he was grateful to find was located only a few blocks away. He battled himself along the way, remembering that the more coffee he drank on the way, the less he would have when he got there. Rationing his supply was essential to a productive work day.

    Although, as he thought about it, he felt that it was entirely possible that a building dedicated to the fostering and advancement of artisans would probably be stocked full of coffee machines, so its not like he¡¯d run out.

    But was he really willing to settle for less than the best? His short time at the Oberon estate had changed his relationship to coffee. On Stewarts recommendation, he sampled a few coffees without any cream or sugar, getting an idea of how different beans tasted, how the region they were grown in effected the taste, and then trying them each with various amount of cream and sugar.

    He found that lighter roasts were easier to drink black than the dark blends, but the darker blends were tastier with cream and sugar. It reminded him of his conversation with Trey, when Trey was telling him his dad had very strong opinions about how coffee should be drank.

    He was right, it was like a candy, and even more addictive. But in Hunters view, with the right bean, cream and sugar enhanced the coffee experience completely. It was a whole new drink.

    Hunter had brought along his third arm, and locked the rest of his custom tools in a locker that he¡¯d been assigned when he¡¯d been officially registered for the Artisanship course. Aside from the locker, they would be able to reserve a workstation for up to 3 hours a day outside of class time. It wasn¡¯t much time, in Hunters opinion, but he¡¯d take what he could get. The workstations were segregated, so Hunter could work in privacy.

    As part of the hefty enrollment fee for the course, the students were given almost total access to a warehouse full of materials. Like the workstations themselves, there was a limit. But it would serve Hunters needs. Today he was researching more Force-related synergies. He¡¯d had a hit of inspiration earlier, and wanted to test out his thoughts.

    Hunter found that it was much easier to get into the groove after practicing with his focus for the last week. The three hours passed by in a flash, and Hunter felt a bit of disappointment. His intitial hyptothesis hadn¡¯t panned out, but it had opened up more interesting questions that he was itching to pursue.

    He needed to find a way to get a workstation in his room. Having to purposefully cut his research short felt a subtle form of torture, but he wasn¡¯t like the rest of the students here. Most people would find the three hours to be more than enough for small projects, typically associated with class-work.

    Hunter had been given a make-up assignment for all the missed projects. He was given free reign to demonstrate a working knowledge of the subject fields which had been covered over the last month. The class had done a project a week for the time he¡¯d been in the hospital, and Hunter had taken half a day to plan and prepare the perfect construct to impress his teacher.

    Why exceed expectations, when you could set a new standard? Hunter needed to earn an Excellence degree, and merely proving that he was up to speed with the rest of his peers wouldn¡¯t get him any closer to that. The syllabus showed that they¡¯d soon be covering wireless etherium networks. They¡¯d briefly covered the Force glyph, with the promise of a more advanced dive into the field later in their second year, while the weeks before that were spent covering fundamentals that most of them knew already.

    Hunter decided to fuse what he knew about wireless networks and Force glyphs. He used a few tricks to gain more efficiency, but he didn¡¯t want to come out of the gate swinging synergies left and right. Like the global youth artisan competition, they would need to be used strategically. There were many ambitious people at the school, and he¡¯d already seen just how dirty some people were willing to play to further their agenda.

    One of the journals in the briefcase was devoted to all the neat tricks and shortcuts his father had discovered during his long career. Nothing like his synergies, of course, and they were probably standard at a certain level of Artisanship, but they would serve Hunter nonetheless.

    Before the competition, and before observing the kind of people he was sharing his class with, Hunter had prided himself on being some unique etheric genius. But he had utterly discounted the natural genius that had preceded him. Others may not have his sensitivity, but that doesn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t have the same drive. Passion was passion, as Trey would probably agree.

    Aera hadn¡¯t been wrong. His peers were the best of the best for their age group, and probably beyond. The class itself was even smaller than his history class. There were only about a dozen Artisans in his class, and there weren¡¯t many other classes for their year. In Hunters estimation, he would be up against about 100 students, all striving for Excellence.

    He let his first project be a demonstration of his talent, his potential, and his drive.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    His final product was a two-part shield device. It wasn¡¯t portable, and it was pretty short ranged, but Hunter was working with limited tools. He figured that the limitations would be dramatically outweighed by the novelty. He was sure that the technology existed, but Hunter felt like he¡¯d broken new ground for himself, and was hitting far above his age group. It was a prototype, and he was sure that with more time to plan and craft, along with some better materials, he could improve the product by a significant degree, and that was before he started adding synergies to it.

    The shield had an AR requirement of 19. He¡¯d confirmed it by asking a few of the students who were present in the workshop to help him gauge it. He imagined that he could probably increase it to about 30, and then decrease it by another 5 or 6 points with a syntax which featured some of his secret sauce.

    He figured he might actually be onto something. He would need to talk to Trey about getting in front of some Oberon Artisans, and see if they agreed with the tech¡¯s potential.

    He¡¯d gotten full marks plus a bonus, but would still considered to be behind the rest of the class. Hunter would need to push himself to catch up, but he wasn¡¯t anticipating any obstacles in the future. The end of year project would be a group project, and that would constitute 20 percent of his final grade.

    Hunter would need to get full marks on every assignment to come at the very least, in order to ensure that he was considered an Excellence candidate. The degree of Excellence wouldn¡¯t be announced until the completion of studies, after the third year.

    As he walked home, and prepared for his evening tutoring session with Aera, he wondered what his life would look like by then. His life had changed so dramatically in just a mere couple of months.

    Will it be him who earns that degree of Excellence, or will he have become someone else entirely, someone who he¡¯d hardly recognize?

    <hr>

    Aera considered the walking skeleton as it heaved on the crashmat.

    ¡°It¡¯s not time for a break yet, get up,¡± Aera said, watching Hunters reaction for any sign of protest. Anything more than a second¡¯s hesitation to start getting up, any sign that he was losing motivation. But despite his clear exhaustion, he pushed himself up without so much as a complaint.

    Not that she was expecting any, at this point. Any vocal resistance to her style of training had fallen away during their first weeks together. Since then, he¡¯d quietly shown up and did as he was told.

    And slowly, very slowly, over time, he would progress. The length of time the sessions took had increased from around half an hour, to just over an hour. The first few days after his recovery had been rough, but his endurance had bounced back pretty quickly.

    They started the drill again. This time, she planned to throw him off a bit.

    ¡°How are you finding your classes?¡± she asked, waiting for the pause. He froze for a second, considering her question, realizing too late that it was a trap. By the time he was reacting, she had a foot in his stomach, and shoved him back towards the crashmat.

    She didn¡¯t take any pleasure in it. It was how she imagined it would be to spar with a child. There was no challenge, no stakes. Hunter seemed frustrated, both with her and himself. She didn¡¯t let his attitude bother her. She wondered if he¡¯d be able to channel the frustration into progress.

    He got up from the mat without her prompting, and they went again. Block the jab, then the hook, then the uppercut, then the front kick.

    ¡°They¡¯re going good,¡± he said, blocking a roundhouse. She smirked. Looks like his attitude wasn¡¯t as bad she thought it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be throwing in some more surprises, watch out for them,¡± she warned as they started the next drill. Hunter nodded, even as she began.

    Jab.

    ¡°Making any friends?¡± she asked, as he blocked the jab. It was a bit sloppy. He was getting tired, but she could tell he was trying not to let it show. He didn¡¯t visibly react to her question, staying focused on the routine.

    Hook, uppercut, front kick.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said, his eyes going wide as he managed to dodge out of the way of the jab she threw out. He¡¯d thrown himself off balance but managed to catch himself before falling over.

    She could follow up and punish the mistake, but she let him have his small victory. It was important to balance reward and punishment.

    He got back into position, and they went again.

    This time, she started with the hook. It caught him by surprise, his first reaction being to block for a jab, and then panicking when he realized it wasn¡¯t going to work.

    She pulled back a bit on the impact, but he still winced.

    Sometimes, she felt bad for having to put him through this. But she never let it get to her. It was good for him. Since he was strong enough to persist with the training, she would do her job and toughen him up. He would never be a good fighter, he just wasn¡¯t strong enough. But he¡¯d proven that he can get stronger, and survive more.

    She wondered if their month of training had been the difference between life and death. It was all the more motivation not to take it easy on him. She glanced at the time, just over an hour. Hunter was clearly tired, but he was still standing, and still seemed to have some juice left in him.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing better, Hunter,¡± she said, ¡°a couple of months ago you¡¯d be twitching in a puddle of sweat by now.¡±

    He seemed taken off guard by her compliment. An opening, like any other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head. You¡¯re doing better, but you¡¯ve got a long way to go.¡±

    Hunter nodded, but the usual grief she¡¯d expected to see in his body language didn¡¯t appear. This time, he just nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Thanks, Aera,¡± he said.

    For all her talk about teaching him to keep his guard up, she felt her own slip.

    That was the first time he¡¯d thanked her.

    It felt weird. She¡¯d expect to feel nothing much at all, but she was surprised to find herself feeling vindicated. What was that about?

    She¡¯d take some time to understand it later. Now, it was her turn to learn. They both took some time to stretch and cool off after the workout, and then made their way to the apartment building. After the attack, they both decided it would be best if she walked back with him.

    It would be easier if Barnum allowed students to have bodyguards on the campus, but some old rule which had been established when they realized that the uber-rich children would be playing political games on their campus dictated that they were to remain unguarded.

    Typically, one would think that their parents wouldn¡¯t agree to that. And most didn¡¯t, at least until they understood that if they wanted to teach their children how to play real world power games, they would have to teach them real world consequences.

    Most years, it would be fine. Violence was rare, and only happened to a few.

    But this year was clearly different. Not enough had happened to justify any rules being lifted, but Aera had heard that not only her father, but other parents were starting to grow concerned over the sorts of games their children were playing away from home.

    Her father was also acting strangely. He was clearly trying to honor her independence, but he¡¯d been more insistent about her being careful then she¡¯d expected. Something was bothering him, and it wasn¡¯t just what happened to Hunter.

    So, in the spirit of being careful, she was escorting the dweeb herself. They decided that there was no reason why they couldn¡¯t eat while Hunter taught her about constructs. She¡¯d come to realize that he was something of an endless font of information on the subject, and although he struggled with articulating that knowledge, he was getting better at it.

    She was learning a lot, and realizing just how big of a gap she would need to cross in order to catch up to him. In fact, she was starting to rethink her goal.

    Her deal with her father was that she¡¯d only needed to earn two degrees of excellence, then he would immediately begin fast-tracking her for a board-level placement. If she didn¡¯t, she would have to start much lower and although inheriting her fathers position was inevitable, she wanted more authority as fast as possible.

    She needed to start building her network within the company. It would make the eventual handover much more efficient, and while her father was in power, it would allow her to be of more assistance.

    She had no desire to take the company from her father, she truly cared about the company and at the moment her father was the best man to lead it, in her opinion. Sure, she might be biased, but he was probably the greatest man she knew. She felt incredibly fortunate to be his daughter, and would take every opportunity she could to learn from him.

    Even if it meant learning how to deflate her own ego.

    The more time she spent with Hunter, the more she¡¯d started to value what he might be able to bring to the family, or the company at the very least. She believed she was starting to see the potential that her father believed he held. It had been abstract before, and she hadn¡¯t even been certain that he could sustain the workload.

    Especially after having suffered two significant attacks, one from the abolitionists, and again from Pippen. Yet, as soon as he was able to, he would get right back to the grind, more driven than ever.

    She wondered if it was healthy, but so far she hadn¡¯t seen any signs that the obstacles had been anything but empowering.

    They finished their session, and Aera felt like it had been a good day. There hadn¡¯t been any movement in her investigation into Jason, but she wasn¡¯t expecting any for a while. All she could do was wait and see.

    If he went on the assault, she would take it as evidence of guilt. If he didn¡¯t, she would continue to wait and see.

    The majority of her time had been spent planning for different scenarios. She would constantly evaluate her vulnerabilities, and would take steps to ensure that she was covered. If she couldn¡¯t cover herself, she¡¯d find a way to mitigate the damage, enough to make a counterplay.

    It was surprising how combat could be extrapolated to all kinds of things, and if there was one thing Aera understood, it was combat.

    But Jason was crafty. The social field was more difficult to fight on, the variables were exponentially more complex, but that was just a matter of experience. Just like Aera had trained her whole life to fight, Jason had been training his whole life to manipulate.

    He was ambitious, too. She was beginning to think he was too ambitious. His relationship with the Visgold kid made her wonder what his family had planned. There was no way the relationship was an accident.

    A family like his kept close track of their children''s associations, cutting away those that didn¡¯t serve the family as a whole.

    Something fishy was going on, and Aera wasn¡¯t sure it was entirely up to her to find out. Her father was running his own investigations, which were heavily informed by her impressions.

    As soon as he found anything of note, he would let her know. But she had a feeling that something big was going down. She couldn¡¯t quite explain why, it was a gut instinct. It made her nervous, but she knew how to handle nerves. She would play it as safe as possible, but her sense of caution was warring with her sense of justice.

    At the moment, the only thing she was focused on was their image. But now that she¡¯d shown that she had some fight in her, she might as well go all in.

    She smiled. How would Jason react if she called him with an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse?

    To her surprise, Jason called first.

 Chapter 36

    Hunter unboxed the package which he¡¯d found outside his door and smiled as the little personal affinity recorder slid out onto his living room table. He held it in his hand. There was a small sheet of paper with instructions, which consisted of an illustrated finger manipulating a small on/off switch along the side of the device.

    Hunter toggled the device on, and held it in his hand. He felt the etherium move through him, and the device beeped.

    It still showed 5. He shrugged, not expecting much of a change. Learning how to focus and relax wasn¡¯t the method, it was just the prerequisite. Hopefully, his session today would bear the fruit he¡¯d been anticipating over the week and a half of training he¡¯d been committing to.

    It was still a lot earlier than his father had recommended, but Hunter could was able to accomplish what he needed in order to start directing his focus inwards, whatever that meant.

    Today, he would begin the process of discovering his etheric channels.

    He took out a notebook and recorded the date on the first page, and wrote down the result which he¡¯d received from the device. He set down his pen, and started to get himself into a focused state of mind.

    He relaxed, and let his mind settle over the course of 20 minutes. Then he started to bring his attention to his breath, following it as long as he could, noticing the space of thoughts so as not to get caught up in them.

    Inhale, and exhale. Again and again, over, and over. Then the sequence of breaths gave way to a single breath as time seemed to melt away, then a single inhale, then a single exhale, until it was just the moment, and the movement.

    His stopwatch softly chimed. Hunter slowly opened his eyes. He picked up the small drawstone he¡¯d brought with him, lying just beside the affinity device. It was about the size of a large pebble, maybe half an inch at its widest. It would allow him to use it for longer, searching for the flow of ether.

    The first step his father recommended was finding the place where the etherium left the channels and entered the drawstone, then he would be able to slowly trace them out.He could feel the etherium in the drawstone, in its default state, undistorted by a glyph. He could feel it begin to dissipate from the drawstone, but lost track of the feeling shortly after it wafted away, a millimeter or so from the edge of the stone itself.

    Hunter brought his attention back to the tactile sense of the stone in his hand, analyzing the space around that sensation, looking for a sense of etherium leaving his body.

    He got sidetracked by doubts for a moment. What if he didn¡¯t actually have channels? What if this whole exercise was pointless because he was somehow uniquely disqualified from practicing it? Then he realized that they were just thoughts, and he brought his attention back to where he needed it to be.

    The stopwatch beeped. Hunter frowned. That had been an hour? He put the drawstone down, measured his AR, and recorded the result in the notebook.

    Still 5.

    The possibility of making no progress had been significant, but he still felt disappointed. He¡¯d hoped that he would have more of an advantage in this exercise than his father had. Maybe he could bypass the month it took his father to discover his own channels, and reduce it down to a single session. After all, even his father had said that Hunters sensitivity was likely stronger than his own.

    Hunter boiled some water, already having put the coffee grinds into the press. He decided to leave the notebook, AR device, and drawstone on the table. It felt appropriate to start making that the spot for practice. He could always move them out of the way if he had homework.

    Hunter had two classes that day, martial arts and artisanship. A small part of him briefly demanded to skip the martial arts class, but he shook his head. Something was telling him that the class was worth it, even if at the moment it felt more like an exercise in humiliation. But over the last couple of weeks, Hunter had noticed improvements. The worst of the embarrassment came just after he¡¯d recovered from his injuries.

    Since then, he could run longer, do more pushups and sit-ups, and get through all the hundreds of repetitions of drills that the instructor demanded of them. Aera agreed to skip her portion of their nightly tutoring on the days he had this class, as he would find it difficult to get through the whole thing, having already been worn out from the morning class.

    Speaking of the sessions, he was happy to find that Aera seemed willing to talk to him more. He was starting to realize that her harsh approach¡ª while having an element of malevolence at first, appeared to be a genuine attempt to help him.

    It had taken this long to realize it, but she wasn¡¯t a mean-spirited person. She was just incredibly driven, and cared deeply about her father, and their family legacy. She had lost her mother when she was younger, much like Hunter had. Unlike Hunter, Aera actually remembered her mother, and her father had played a more active part in her life than his had.

    Despite Hunters distance to his father over the last few years of his life, hadn¡¯t he been his fathers biggest fan? What if his father had been more present?

    Maybe he would feel the same way Aera had, if their roles were reversed.

    As Hunter reached the change-room that attached to the studio his class would be held at, he found himself feeling like being an Oberon wasn¡¯t so bad. Trey had been nothing but supportive in the short time he¡¯d known him, and hadn¡¯t treated him at all like a mere business partner.

    He didn¡¯t like Aera, but he felt like he was starting to see her as more than just a necessary evil. In fact, sometimes he even felt himself looking forward to their evening sessions. He was getting noticeably stronger, and he had a lot to learn from her. And if she continued to warm up to him, maybe he could do the same. Maybe one day they could even be friends.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    <hr>

    Hunter finished his 8th pushup and nearly collapsed just as he was about to finish the 9th. He lay with his cheek against the blue-matted classroom floor.

    It was an improvement, at least. He could barely do 3 when he first started training with Aera.

    ¡°Alright, class! You know what time it is!¡±

    Hunter groaned. He¡¯d watched as instructor Immanuel had set his chair before the rectangular outline at the center of the studio. It meant they¡¯d be sparring. Hunter got up and joined the rest of the class as they started to congregate around

    ¡°Sparring! Gather around. You know the rules, slackers go first,¡± the instructor grinned at Hunter. One of his classmates patted him consolingly on the back. Hunter hadn¡¯t been expecting that, but he appreciated it. He glanced at the young man, he believed his name was Clark. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was one of the more visibly fit people in the class, and Hunter didn¡¯t remember having any reason to take issue with him.

    Hunter gave him a nod as he stepped up to spar.

    ¡°Emelia!¡± the instructor called out. A short and thin blonde-haired girl stood up from her spot, while her friends snickered around her. Despite her stature, Hunter felt intimidated. She might have been a slacker, but it wasn¡¯t because she was lazy.

    Truthfully, she didn¡¯t belong in this class. She belonged in the more advanced one. She was incredibly skilled, and had taken down boys in the class who were twice her size and bodyweight. Clark included.

    She looked at him with disinterest as she stepped into the ring. She gave him a bow, and Hunter returned it. They both bowed to the instructor, and he waved his hand, signaling for them to be ready. They both raised their guards, and waited for the instructor to signal for them to start.

    Hunter remembered his last few sessions with Aera. She¡¯d been constantly reminding him to relax, and watch his opponent. He was glad he¡¯d been training his focus lately, as it was proving to be useful in other areas of his life.

    He breathed in, and out, and let the space between him and Emelia be the only thing that held any meaningful existence to him. He relaxed his shoulders, dipped his head slightly, and prepared himself for whatever came.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do 2 out of 3. Go!¡± the instructor called. Emelia launched her self at him, kicking towards his shin. He quickly backstepped, careful not to take his eyes off of her. She moved her hands and her hips in a way that made him think she was going to go for another kick, aimed high. But she wasn¡¯t leaning back nearly enough to support it. She would probably kick low, hoping to catch him off guard.

    His guess was confirmed a moment later, she swept her foot once more at his shin, and Hunter sidestepped, prepared to jab at her chest to score a point.

    Then she fell, pivoting on her knee and kicking her other leg back, catching Hunter off balance. He started to fall, and remembered his thousands of drills with Aera. He lifted himself up as fast as he could as the instructor called out Emelia¡¯s point.

    Hunter sighed, frustrated. He¡¯d almost had her. He¡¯d yet to win a single sparring match, and he doubted that he¡¯d win this one, but scoring a point of Emelia would be huge for him.

    They set themselves back up for the next round.

    He relaxed, and focused. An odd thought occurred to him; up until now, he¡¯d never considered making the first move. What did that mean? It meant that someone like Emilia would know that he wouldn¡¯t make the first move. What if, this time, he did?

    Wouldn¡¯t he need a plan? A lightning-flash of thoughts flew by, he barely understood what his mind was suggesting, but he decided to follow the gist of it.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Hunter and Emelia both stepped towards each other. Emelia frowned and paused. He kicked towards her stomach, and she blocked it, the force of the block taking Hunter by surprise, but not enough to distract him. He stepped back, expecting a counter, and Emelia launched herself after him. Another kick to the shin, which missed him by an inch, a roundhouse to his side which he stepped into, once more catching Emelia off guard.

    He grabbed around her leg, and with his other hand he grabbed the lapel of her gi. He hooked a leg behind hers and pushed her back, following her down. She seemed stun by the move, and Hunter was too, but his focus exercises had paid off when he realized he had an opening. He jabbed towards her chest, and she didn¡¯t react until it was too late.

    ¡°Point, Hunter! There you go! I¡¯ve been waiting for you to grow a pair!¡± instructor Immanuel said. Hunter was beaming from ear to ear as he got off Emelia and helped her up. She shook her head.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that again, Oberon,¡± she said, but Hunter didn¡¯t hear any hostility in her voice. If anything, she seemed amused, if not a bit frustrated. He supposed he would be too, if he¡¯d been taken off guard by the weakest kid in the class.

    It was the first point Hunter had scored in this class.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Hunter tried to focus, but Emelia was already after him. He backpaddled, trying to come up with another split-second plan, but she was much faster than him. He realized he couldn¡¯t let her have too much of an advantage, and decided to hold his ground with a couple of feet of ring left to spare. The second he stepped out of bounds, it would be his loss.

    What if he won? All he would have to do score a single hit.

    She threw a hook, and he blocked just like Aera had trained him, following up with an uppercut to her ribs, but she suddenly spun, grabbing the arm Hunter had just used to block and pulling him off balance.

    If he were bigger, and stronger, he probably wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. But despite his height, he probably weighed just as much as she did, and she had a lot more experience with fighting guys who were bigger than her. With hunter off balance, she ducked under his arm and pushed him, forcing him to fall out of bounds.

    ¡°The round goes to Emilia. Great initiative, Hunter! Alright, who¡¯s next?¡±

    Hunter lost, but he felt like he¡¯d won a small victory during that fight. Emilia helped him up and gave him a strong pat on the arm.

    ¡°Never seen you fight back before, Oberon. But don¡¯t be too excited about beating a girl half your size,¡± she said. Hunter suddenly felt a lot less proud of himself.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Clark said as Hunter sat back down, ¡°progress is progress. True, she¡¯s a shrimp, but she¡¯s a powerful shrimp. Hell, she¡¯s thrown me on my ass more than once. Take the victory.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Clark,¡± Hunter said, still not sure about where the sudden friendliness was coming from. Maybe he noticed Hunters awkwardness, because he declined to say anything more, merely giving Hunter another nod of encouragement.

    Hunter allowed himself the opportunity to feel some sense of achievement. Sure, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. He hadn¡¯t won the match, and he was still pretty weak compared to the rest of the class, but a win was a win.

    If he could score one point, he could score more. He just had to use his mind.

    Again, Aera¡¯s wisdom was starting to bear fruit. By breaking Hunters concentration, she was forcing him to approach his concentration in a new way. With his fathers exercises, he was realizing that relaxing and concentrating didn¡¯t have to oppose each other, and when the balance was right, there was room for thought. It was natural, a state of flow that Hunter knew intimately but had never taken the time to consciously cultivate until he read the journals.

    Without Aera, and without the exercises, he doubted he¡¯d have have been able to come up with or act on a plan in a split second like he had during that fight. Hunter wondered that if he were to get in a fight with a random street thug, like one of the Comics back in Seckina, maybe he¡¯d actually be able to hold his own, at least long enough to call for help.

    It wasn¡¯t much, but suddenly Hunter felt like he was finally leaving his old life behind him.

 Chapter 37

    History class passed without much excitement, much to Hunters disappointment. He had hoped for the professor to launch himself into another fascinating, impassioned speech. The lecture was still interesting, but Hunter wanted to hear more about these ancient Asutnahem. He decided that he¡¯d take some time to visit the professor one day after class, and see if he could pick the man¡¯s brain.

    He also remembered to mention him to Trey at some point. He¡¯s sure they would both have a fascinating conversation, and if they could somehow verify the professors claims, maybe the professor would find a powerful new patron to support his work.

    Hunter felt like it was a fantasy scenario, but becoming a part of one of the most powerful family¡¯s in the world would have seemed like that a mere few months ago.

    Who was he to say what was in the realm of possibility or not?

    Hunter spent the rest of the day between homework, training focus, and then tutoring Aera. He told her about his small success during the martial arts class, and she seemed utterly unimpressed until he mentioned it was against Emilia.

    ¡°Emilia Beaugard?¡± She asked. Hunter shrugged, he didn¡¯t know her last name.

    ¡°Short, blonde, thin, but surprisingly strong?¡± She asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± Hunter said, still still feeling the legacy of two falls she¡¯d inflicted on him that morning.

    Aera raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°She¡¯s good. You said you took her by surprise?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I would have done if I were you, too. Good job, Hunter. You¡¯re learning how to fight.¡±

    Another genuine, positive sentiment from the queen of cold. The world really was changing. Maybe he should check oustide, he might find a few pigs flying merrily through the sky.

    Aera pulled out her notebook, where she was had written a problem she¡¯d been struggling with from her Artisan class. Hunter took as his queue to start teaching, or tutoring, or whatever this was supposed to be.

    ¡°I know that the Link subglyph is a more efficient choice for a network than a drawstone shard, which is why its invention was so revolutionary. But why is it the most efficient choice? What does a subglyph do that a shard doesn¡¯t?¡±

    That one was easy.

    ¡°The subglyph simply diverts etherium without effecting its charge. A drawstone can not only have a subtle influence on the charge, but they¡¯re mainly meant for drawing in neutral etherium. A lot of the charge that runs through a drawstone shard is lost, dissipating from the drawstone itself. Not only that, but it pulls more etherium through the network than would need to be there otherwise. Imagine using a waterpump to divert the flow of liquid in a pipe, when all you need to do is attach a new pipe in a different direction. And not only that, but the waterpump actually diverts half of the water from where you want it to go, leaving you with half of what you want on one end, and more than what you need on the other. More expensive to run, with less output then needed. The only way to get your desired output is to increase the amount you take in, which means more expensive constructs.¡±

    ¡°Then why use a Link at all? Why not just run more channels through the network?¡± Aera asked, and then she slapped herself on the head.

    Right, it was a silly question on the surface, but this was actually a learning opportunity.

    ¡°I want you to tell me the answer to your question, but I want to try and look at it a bit more deeply,¡± Hunter said, trying to be subtle about how he approached the topic. He was learning that simply delivering information to Aera was the quickest way to bore her. It was a lot better to ask her questions, it seemed to engage her mind more deeply.

    Aera considered the answer, and responded slowly as she wrapped her mind around what she knew.

    ¡°Without the Link, there¡¯s no way to attach more glyphs into a construct apart from drawstone shards . We would be limited to a single glyph per construct,¡± she said. Hunter nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

    ¡°Channels wouldn¡¯t do the job because Link is the only way to merge two glyph outputs, either increasing the effect of similar glyphs or creating a new effect from two disimilar glyphs¡± she said, ¡°but I don¡¯t understand what you mean by looking at it more deeply. Do you mean questioning why the subglyph works at all?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    Aera shrugged.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she said. Hunter laughed.

    ¡°Me neither. In fact, no one does,¡± he said.

    In fact, his father had a few ideas, but she didn¡¯t need to know that. Not yet.

    ¡°All we have are some facts that we can work with, with no apparent answer. Drawstones pull in etherium through our bodies, and into constructs,¡± he said, making sure he wasn¡¯t revealing anything she wouldn¡¯t be learning about in her class, ¡°we also make construct channels out of finely curshed drawstones. What seperates a channel, from a shard? No one knows. All we know is that at some critical point of accumulating density¡ªand the point is different for different charges of etherium¡ª the etherium decides to react to a drawstone differntly than it would were it just lain in a thin line.¡±

    Aera frowned.

    ¡°How can you be content with that? It feels like a pretty huge gap in our collective knowledge.¡±

    Hunter nodded, ¡°True, it can be frustrating, but etherium isn¡¯t like physics. We aren¡¯t sure where one rule ends and the next one begins. In fact, many wonder if there are any rules with etherium at all. Some think that their are definite rules, but that they¡¯re just hidden. Others think etherium might have an intelligence to it, and that it''s rules are more like choices or whims.¡±

    It was Hunters¡¯ own theory, actually. It paralleled a few others, but Hunter was able to verify it in a way that no one else could. Etherium was intelligent, cognizant at some fundamental level. He couldn¡¯t explain any deeper than that yet, but he was sure that one day, he would be able to see those depths just like he could now see the surface.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    The rest of their session passed with him answering more mundane artisanship questions, and overall Aera seemed content with how the evening progressed. Hunter went up to his apartment, and had one final session with the drawstone. He was still disappointed with the result, having made no progress in discovering his own channels, or having his AR increase by even a single point.

    But he was still committed. His fathers journals told him that it would take time to get a feel for the channels, but that his mind naturally knew where to go, he just needed to give it time to get there, especially if he¡¯d been subconsciously suppressing his growth for so long.

    That night, Hunter dreamt of building a bridge over a river. He saw himself in the river, floating by, struggling to stay above the waters surface. He watched with curiosity as the stream dragged him away. When his other self had disappeared over the horizon, Hunter continued with his work.

    <hr>

    Hunter cursed as the screwdriver rolled off the worktable, clattering on the ground and bouncing under the divided wall into the occupied workspace next to his. He briefly considered whether he should give up his research for the day, but laughed at himself a moment later. Of course he wouldn¡¯t.

    He was being a little baby. What were they going to do, be angry at him? Even if they were, who cares?

    He left his little cubicle space and walked over to the next one. The door was slightly ajar, but he knocked anyways.

    ¡°Hey, dropped my screwdriver. You mind grabbing it for me?¡±

    ¡°Grab it yourself,¡± came the answering voice. He shrugged and opened the door. A girl was sat before the worktable, her back turned to hunter, hunched over the table like he typically would be. In Hunters case it was from the fact that he had always had to stoop a bit otherwise he felt like he was too far away from whatever he was focused on. In her case, she it was just sloppy posture.

    He saw the screwdriver on the floor just beside her table, so he stooped over to grab it.

    ¡°Wait a minute, I know you,¡± the girl said. Her voice was rich¡ª it had a hoarse quality to it. He¡¯d heard it before, and when he glanced at her he realized that he recognized her as well, ¡°Hunter Koar, right? I¡¯m Tilda, Tilda Burner.¡±

    She stood from the bench and held out her hand. She seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to see him. He shook her hand, feeling awkward and not quite knowing what to say. The last time he¡¯d seen her, she¡¯d been with Jeremy Berrymoore and her other teammate, who¡¯s name was slipping Hunters mind at the moment.

    He¡¯d always felt quite bittersweet about the trio who had won the competition. On one hand, he¡¯d imagined it would be him who stole first prize. On the other hand, the fact that David Nettle didn¡¯t win made living in this world a tiny bit more bareable.

    ¡°Yeah, I recognize you. I¡¯m Hunter, ¡± he said, realizing that she would obviously know that, considering that she¡¯d just said his name, ¡°which you know, obviously. Sorry. I mean, i¡¯m not sorry, but¡ª uh¡ª¡±

    The small workspace was suddenly 20 degrees hotter. He needed to leave.

    He was still shaking her hand. It had been at least 4 seconds. 5. 6.

    He let it go like it had shocked him. Tilda stared at him, maybe trying to make sense of whatever had gotten into him.

    Had he ever felt more embarrased in his life? He wondered why he was suddenly acting so strange.

    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna get back to work, sorry for bothering you,¡± he said, turning to leave.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m not gonna bite,¡± she said, laughing softly, ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, do you mind looking at this problem for me? I¡¯m supposed to be pretty good at this stuff but right now i¡¯m feeling completely lost.¡±

    Hunter felt like if he stayed in that room for a second longer his shirt will have soaked completely through with sweat.

    Did he remember to put deoderant on? He usually doesn¡¯t speak with people when he¡¯s here.

    But surely he remembered, right? He figured it would be weird if he checked.

    Despite his discomfort, he nodded. He¡¯d help her with the problem and then leave, and try to avoid ever speaking with her again.

    ¡°Great,¡± she said, ¡°you made quite an impression on us at the competition, you know. The rest of the team, I mean¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice to hear,¡± he said, not really sure how to take the compliment, ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    He glanced at the project she¡¯d been tinkering with. It looked like she¡¯d been prototyping, he saw an open circuit laid out across the desk, different parts of the network were in various states of repair and disrepair. It took him a second to analyze the syntax, and saw a few problem spots that she¡¯d either missed or was in the process of addressing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wracking my brain for an hour trying to find out where the I went wrong with the design, but I just can¡¯t figure it out,¡± she said, frustration clear in her voice. She pointed at one part of the prototype towards the far end of the table.

    ¡°That¡¯s where its supposed to emit heat, and i¡¯m trying to¡ª

    ¡°¡ªshape it with Speed? Interesting,¡± Hunter said, taking another glimpse at the network as he started to understand the logic behind it. It was no small feat, if she could get it to work. He was sure he¡¯d heard of similar products before, but like his two-part shield, it would be a way to prove that she was a serious candidate for Excellence. This was advanced stuff.

    He could see a couple of problems with her design, though. Some of them were just a question of efficiency, but there were a couple of spots where he could see that the etherium was being severely bottlenecked, not just as a matter of inefficiency, but total miscalculation of the charge. Several glyphs prior to the bottleneck she¡¯d run the etherium through Reinforce, which caused a cascade of subtle changes in the etherium as it was channeled from glyph to glyph. By the time she needed it to zig, it would only want to zag, and the rest of the final portion of the network was suffering for it, barely outputting anything, and what it did output fell far short of her desired effect.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you could see it so quickly,¡± she said, moving her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, ¡°not that I should expect anything less.¡±

    Hunter cleared his throat, and pointed to the Reinforce glyph he¡¯d noticed earlier.

    ¡°I see why you placed that there, but I think you should place it up here instead,¡± he said, pointing towards the end of the network, ¡°and if you remove the Amplify glyph altogether¡ª

    ¡°¡ªthen my emitter would only out put a quarter of what i¡¯d intended,¡± she said, looking between the construct and Hunter with skepticism.

    ¡°True, but what if we slowed the etherium down, just before the speed field was created?¡±

    She thought about it for a second, and then snapped her fingers and looked at him with excitement.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you want me to move up the reinforce glyph! The etherium would build up, but once it reaches the emitter plate, it won¡¯t matter anymore. It will be less effective than i¡¯d hoped, by about a third, but it¡¯ll work. That¡¯s brilliant,¡± she said, pulling a notepad out of nowhere and jotting down Hunters suggestions.

    Hunter felt like the room was starting to cool down to a normal temperature.

    ¡°You know,¡± he said, swallowing his nerves, ¡°I have a few more ideas, if you¡¯re interested?¡±

    She glanced at him over her notepad, and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take any advice you can give me,¡± she said. Her cheeks dimpled when she smiled.

    Hunter thought that she was kind of cute. She had a round face, and her brown hair curled but had a bounce to it that seemed to match her personality. Her blue eyes almost seemed to sparkle.

    The next hour and a half seemed to melt away, and he felt a sense of disappointment when it was time for them to leave. She seemed to find his suggestions about her work to be fascinating, and would always have a thousand questions that Hunter found himself having fun answering. Unlike Aera, all of Tilda¡¯s questions were interesting and challening. She¡¯d been working with constructs for years and might be just as passionate about them as he was.

    Once they left the Artisan department, Hunter glanced at his watch and started to plan the rest of his evening before his session with Aera.

    ¡°Man, I always end up working up an appetite when I¡¯m in there,¡± Tilda said. Hunter nodded, not sure why that was any of his business, but not wanting to seem impolite.

    ¡°Sure, I get that. That¡¯s why I usually bring a snack,¡± Hunter said.

    She winced. Had he said something wrong? Then it dawned on him.

    He felt himself start to heat up again.

    ¡°Do, uh, do you..¡±

    She looked at him expectantly.

    ¡°Do you want to get¡ª I mean, so do you want to find an eat¡ª I mean a place? Like, to eat?¡±

    Hunter wanted to die. He¡¯d never been in so much pain¡ª not even after waking up in the hospital after being nearly beaten to death.

    Was it a side effect of his focus exercises? Maybe his concussion hadn¡¯t fully healed, maybe Aera had made it worse during their tutoring sessions, maybe¡ª

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± Tilda sighed, ¡°come on, I''ve been wanting to try this diner near the soul for like a month.¡±

    Hunter followed, still unsure how he¡¯d gotten himself into this situation, but utterly powerless to resist the flow of fate.

 Chapter 38

    They walked through the soul. A couple of classes must have just ended because it was busy, despite the wide-open green space. It was getting colder, and Hunter reckoned that the snow would come any day now. Yet the cold weather didn¡¯t seem to affect the spirits of the students who appeared so cheerful to be there. Hunter got a few looks, and he wondered whether they were from potential enemies, or merely curious onlookers.

    Despite his earlier awkwardness, Tilda seemed adept at defusing nerves. They talked about their mutual interest in constructs and etherium. It made the walk interesting, and helped to distract him from the crowds.

    Hunter could remember a few details from the attack, as the weeks went by. Tattoo¡¯s that curled down wrists, onto hands. Bracelets, and rings. One of them had worn boots with the word ¡°CODY¡± written across one side with what Hunter could only assume was a felt pen.

    Aera had told him to let him know if he remembered anything. So far, he¡¯d been reluctant to tell her. He couldn¡¯t be sure why, exactly.

    All he knew was that the prospect of telling her made him nervous.

    The same kind of nerves he felt when he was in a crowd, and people were looking at him, recognizing him from somewhere. Maybe it was from a news broadcast when his identity as an Oberon was announced to the world. Maybe it was when their friends pointed out that he was the guy who¡¯d gotten beaten half to death during the first week of classes.

    It was not the same kind of nervous he felt when he was around Tilda, though. Hunter couldn¡¯t remember ever having felt as flustered as she seemed to make him feel. Except for when they were talking about constructs. There were several times when he wondered if he might be talking too much, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.

    Sailor¡¯s Diner was a quaint little place, reminding him of an early-century aesthetic¡ª before they¡¯d breached the edge of the world and discovered that the sky they thought they knew wasn¡¯t real. It was also before Force Glyphs became common¡ª most constructs were still barely considered useful beyond party tricks and lighting the homes of the wealthy. Back then, they¡¯d imagined that they¡¯d be able to reach the stars by strapping a metal hull to a missile, shooting explorers out into space to explore the stars¡ª which they¡¯d assumed would be orbited by planets and moons. As far as Hunter was aware, an attempt was never made, but the imagery had been popular in comic books and literature.

    Hunter was kind of glad that it had been a generation which had been used to experiencing rapid change¡ª his fathers generation, who saw an incredible expansion of human potential through electronics and computer technology. He presumed it made the pill, that their entire cosmology was wrong, easier to swallow. He and Tilda found themselves a small booth to sit at. Tilda seemed excited to be there, taking in the diner as if she were actually stepping into the past. A waitress came to greet them and took their orders. Hunter ordered a coffee and a sandwich with some fries, and Tilda ordered a strawberry milkshake alongside some fish and chips.

    Hunter sipped the coffee when it came, testing it. He grimaced, and started shoveling in sugar. Tilda raised an eyebrow when she saw how much he was adding.

    ¡°To each their own,¡± Tilda said with a smirk. She closed her eyes in bliss as she sipped her milkshake through a straw.

    Hunter regretted not getting one of his own, but the coffee would serve a purpose¡ª keeping him fueled through the session with Aera.

    ¡°So,¡± Tilda said as their food was delivered to them, and Hunter was surprised by how quick the service was, ¡°what else do you do in your spare time, when you¡¯re not dropping screwdrivers?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Hunter coughed up some of the coffee he was sipping, but thankfully none of it left his mouth..

    When he wasn¡¯t getting his ass kicked by his adopted sister, he would be researching potentially world-changing subjects, like synergies; which could increase the efficiency of a large portion of mass-market constructs by a non-insignificant amount, rendering them more accessible to more people, which would probably cause an exponential increase in not only the amount of artisans in the world but the profit margins for businesses everywhere.

    He was delving into revolutionary theories about AR acceleration and the body¡¯s connection to etherium, which could push their species into a quality of life and physical capacity that Hunter wasn¡¯t even sure he could imagine. Apart from that, he was refining his focus to states he¡¯d never thought possible, after having only recently been inducted into one of the four most powerful family¡¯s in the world¡ª and was now targeted by people he¡¯s never met, and might never meet, for reasons he might never know about.

    ¡°Oh, you know. Normal, everyday stuff, I guess,¡± Hunter shrugged.

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°And by normal, every day student stuff, you mean ¡®I research constructs all day, every day,¡¯¡± she said, dropping her voice in a mocking tone, but Hunter didn¡¯t hear any hostility.

    Hunter sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t spent as much time researching as I''d like to. My apartment isn¡¯t set up quite like the Artisan department. I¡¯ve been wanting to find some equipment I can bring back home to convert my table into something a bit more useful, but I haven¡¯t been having much luck.¡±

    ¡°You get your own apartment?¡± Tilda asked, her eyes going wide, ¡°Of course, figures. You¡¯re an Oberon now.¡±

    She laughed and leaned back into her seat. She sighed and considered Hunter with a contemplative gaze.

    ¡°You know, I always thought that if the final round had been any different, you probably could have won,¡± she said, looking out the window, here eyes seeing something a thousand miles away.

    Hunter smiled bitterly.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I get for entering on my own,¡± he said.

    ¡°With an AR of 5,¡± Tilda said, somehow managing to whisper and shout at the same time, ¡°getting fifth place on your own is a feat worth marking down in the history books as far as I¡¯m concerned. Doing it with both hands practically tied behind your back? Its no wonder you managed to grab the attention of the Oberon¡¯s.¡±

    Hunter was silent for a moment. Hearing it from someone else¡ª someone who wasn¡¯t himself, or Trey, felt kind of good.

    It felt vindicating.

    He nodded as she spoke.

    ¡°You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that,¡± he said. She smiled and rested her chin on her hands.

    ¡°You may not have gotten first place, but you got the best prize,¡± she said. Hunter wanted to agree.

    But he was starting to question whether that was true. It was one thing being demonized because of his father. It wasn¡¯t like that stigma had gone away, it had just been outshone by his new middle name. Say what you want about the Comics, their negative attention only came out of Hunters talents with constructs. If they¡¯d known he was a Koar? Who knows how they would have treated him.

    In the end, he figured that none of that was any of her business. Their time together had been nice so far. He felt like it would be a shame add a sour note to it.

    ¡°It has its advantages,¡± he said, doing his best to offer a genuine smile. It seemed to do the trick.

    They both finished their meals, and the time came for them to leave. Life around Barnum kept both of them quite busy, apparently. As they were saying their goodbye¡¯s and turning to head their separate ways, Hunter was overcome with one of those irresistible urges he¡¯d grown to both love and hate.

    ¡°Hey, Tilda,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She asked, turning back to face him.

    ¡°It was nice spending time with you,¡± he said, suddenly nervous about asking, but pushed the nerves away and focused on the feeling he¡¯d had just a second ago, ¡°Do you want to maybe do this again sometime? Like, maybe next week?¡±

    She smiled. She really was kind of cute.

    ¡°Same time?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, that works for me,¡± he said, feeling his cheeks start to heat up.

    She smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Me too,¡± she said.

    As Hunter walked back home, he considered all that had happened to him at Barnum so far.

    Up until today, it had felt either unbearably hostile, or boring and uneventful. But today the worlds seemed colored in a different shade.

    Despite the grey sky, draping the world in a monochrome palette, Hunter felt that everything seemed a bit more colorful. The grass, the concrete, even the benches seemed more vibrant.

    Hunter was feeling pretty good.

    He smiled and nodded at a patrolling guard, who nodded back but kept his eyes on the street ahead of him, alert for trouble.

    Maybe Academy life wouldn¡¯t be so bad Afterall.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Again,¡± Aera sighed. He¡¯d been way too distracted over the last hour.

    And far too cheerful.

    He¡¯d shown some focus halfway through the session, when she mentioned they were going to practice grappling. He¡¯d mentioned that he¡¯d been having trouble with that during his class, and she knew that they¡¯d have to get around to it eventually. Grappling wasn¡¯t all about brute strength, sometimes it was about using what little strength you could leverage in just the right place.

    But she could tell that his heart wasn¡¯t in the training today. He was elsewhere. So she¡¯d decided that they¡¯d just practice movements for the rest of her portion. A bit of conditioning and strength training never hurt anyone. Until he twisted his wrist the wrong way, during a move that really shouldn¡¯t have been possible to mess up. And yet, his cheer didn¡¯t seem to fade. She could usually read his frustration¡ª even over the last few weeks. She¡¯d noticed his ability to focus and be present during the session had leveled up, but even then, there was always a sense that he was disappointed with his lack of ability to keep up with her, or match her strength.

    Not that he was alone in that regard, she was stronger than the average fully grown man. But to Hunter, she was just another example to showcase a deficiency he¡¯d been dealing with his whole life. It it wasn''t like she wanted to try and assuage whatever complex he¡¯d fostered in that time, as it seemed to be pushing him in the right direction. Eventually she¡¯d recommend him a therapist, or something to help him deal with that. She didn¡¯t consider it her job to manage his emotions.

    Besides, up until today, he seemed to be doing okay. But something must have happened in the last 24 hours that had left a positive impact on him. Her bet was that it was a girl.

    That wasn''t necessarily a problem, if it remained casual. But if it started to get serious, she would need to have a talk with him about significant emotional connections. She¡¯d ask her people to find out what they could. It might be a bit of a breach of privacy, but she could never be too careful these days. He would understand.

    Or he wouldn¡¯t, which would be his problem, and not hers.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done,¡± she said, and Hunter collapsed from the plank position he¡¯d manage to hold for a whole 20 seconds.

    No improvement since the last time, but she wasn¡¯t expecting much to change day to day.

    They both walked back to their apartment building and washed up, meeting in the cafeteria with their notebooks. This time she brought a small construct she¡¯d been assembling in her spare time, hoping to get Hunters take on it.

    He seemed to open up a lot more during his portion of the sessions. Given his mood, he was probably going to address the elephant in the room, and she wanted to get to work before he had a chance to inquire.

    Unfortunately, when Hunter had a burning curiosity, he could be even faster than her.

    ¡°So, about the black eye,¡± he said, staring at the newest feature of her face, a swelling of skin colored various shades of red and purple.

    ¡°Fell pretty bad this morning,¡± she said, pushing the construct in front of him, ¡°tell me what you think of this.¡±

    He stared at the construct, and then back at her eye.

    ¡°Did you fall face first onto a bowling pin?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. Construct. Look. Now,¡± she said, practically gritting her teeth.

    Hunter sighed and examined the construct, which was a series of glyphs etched into a block of wood.

    It was the first one she¡¯d made without referencing a guide, and she was rather proud of it.

    ¡°Did you find it in a kindergarten class? I¡¯m not sure what you want me to say,¡± he said, looking at the block with a confused expression.

    She was tempted to snatch it back from him, and walk away.

    ¡°I mean, it works?¡± he said, his voice still uncertain. She sighed.

    ¡°Room for improvement?¡± she asked him, really wishing that these session weren¡¯t necessary. She could always find another tutor.

    But the unfortunate fact of the matter is that they probably wouldn¡¯t be as good as Hunter was.

    Hunters eyebrows rose, considering the block in a new light.

    ¡°You made this?¡± he mumbled, making that look that he always did when he had something he wanted to say but didn¡¯t want her to know. His lips would purse, and his eyebrows would furrow slightly. It was almost contemplative, until he tilted his chin down. That was the clear giveaway, like he was forcing himself not to speak.

    ¡°Well you¡¯ve got the fundamentals down, but today I want to walk you through a better way of routing the channels. And I personally would have made a few different choices in terms of glyph placement, which we can talk about as well. For a beginner project, I''d give it a pass,¡± he said, handing it back to her and pulling out some pads of paper.

    ¡°Out of 10,¡± she said. She wanted to hear what he really thought. He should know her better by now.

    She wasn¡¯t going to be content with such a vague answer like that, especially when he was lying through his teeth.

    Apparently, he understood her tone.

    ¡°Maybe a 5?¡± he said carefully, gauging her reaction. She wanted to slap him, but settled with a glower.

    ¡°Okay, I''d give it a 4. It¡¯s not great, but its good progress. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this a couple of weeks ago, right?¡±

    She nodded, taking the block back.

    Any pride she felt in it had been replaced by derision towards the offending object. She¡¯d have to do better.

    She would do better.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then,¡± she said. Hunter nodded, understanding that she wasn¡¯t in the mood to waste time.

    After the session, when she got home and studied the small network schematic that Hunter had sketched out while he guided her through everything she could do to improve, she had to admit, his work was just better. Cleaner, more efficient, and it looked like something an expert had designed.

    She read over the notes twice, memorizing as much as she could, and then moved onto the next item of her evening.

    She called her new business partner.

    <hr>

    Pipsqueak groaned, the meds insufficient to quell his pain. Jason pursed his lips and considered the state of his most trusted subordinate. Or, more accurately, used to be his most trusted subordinate. The intervening days since his incapacitation had given Jason some time to investigate Pippen''s habits when he was sent off his leash.

    Jason was not impressed. In fact he was very disappointed.

    Pippen had been a bad dog.

    But Jason had appearances to keep up. To the world, he was Pippen''s best friend, and Pippen his. The Visgolds were quick to jump at the chance to build a bridge to the Chan¡¯s, who had proven quite resourceful in a few significant and influential stages across the world, Barnum only being one of them.

    And the Chan¡¯s were only too happy to allow the Visgolds the chance to extend their prestigious olive branch to the Chan¡¯s, who had used it as a more of springboard than a branch. The Locke¡¯s were gated by the Visgolds, a gate that was closed to many but the select few who the Locke family took an interest in.

    Funny thing about gates and locks, as far as the Chan family was concerned, they were considered more suggestions than physical¡ª or metaphorical¡ª obstacles. A family like the Locke¡¯s were always interested in expanding their powerbase, and keeping valued subordinate families like the Visgolds in check. To that end they have built a fruitful partnership with the Chans, who have done their utmost to go above and beyond for the Council family.

    As far as Jason was concerned, the usefulness of the entire Visgold family had run its course, but his mother had other plans. The time would soon come for the Locke family to demote the Visgolds, who¡¯s role has become nothing more than a glorified guard dog, who soaked up all the power the Locke¡¯s fed them, but didn¡¯t do much in return.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The Visgolds had grown complacent¡ª a complacency which did not compliment their ambition. The Chans had ambition in spades, and were quite willing to do the dirty work which that ambition demanded.

    Even if it meant keeping up appearances for just a little while longer. Soon, his hands would be clean of the pipsqueak and his kin, and none too soon. He imagined that his relationship with Pippen was much like the Locke¡¯s relationship with Pippen''s family, always cleaning up after the Visgolds enthusiastic service for their masters.

    Jason scowled. He¡¯d spent enough time in this hospital room, enough to satisfy social standards. It was time for him to do literally anything else.

    His phone rang as he left the room, and he answered it with relish.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got Jason. Please tell you¡¯re about to invite me to a party.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Aera.¡±

    Jason sighed. There would be no party, but at least there may be some entertainment.

    ¡°My dear, its so good to hear your voice. My friend Pippen is still in a very sorry state and my grief can hardly be contained. Please, I beg you, deliver me some balm for my sorrow,¡± Jason said, straining his voice with dramatic flare.

    It might have been a bit too sarcastic, but he was a slight bit beyond the point of caring. If Aera had any evidence linking him to Pippen''s attack on her brother, she would have already acted on it.

    Which was fine with him. Although he was playing it safe, his mothers plan was already in effect. Soon after Aera had demonstrated her resolve in the ring, Jason had been suddenly inspired with the brilliant idea of bringing her back for a high stakes match against not one, but two opponents. It had been the main event of the evening, with a few warm up fights from some up and coming contestants.

    Then, the next week, she not only fought against two people, they were two heavyweight champions. She hadn¡¯t escaped without bruises. It had been thrilling to watch.

    And profitable, for both of them.

    She was nothing if not confident, and he would milk that for everything he could in the coming weeks, before it was time for the grand finale.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do three,¡± she said¡ª her voice lifeless and deadpan as ever. He wondered if Trey hadn¡¯t had her surgically altered at birth, increasing her AR and intelligence at the cost of a personality. Or maybe they¡¯d made a pact with some ancient demon, who had taken her soul in exchange for power.

    He snickered at the thought.

    How many of the rich and famous would partake in such a thing if it existed? He wondered how far his mothers ambitions would stretch if she could call in supernatural help at the cost of one of her children?

    ¡°Not four?¡± he asked, with the faintest hope that she¡¯d actually agree. Who knew with her?

    She actually took a second to consider.

    ¡°Let¡¯s draw out the suspense. I can even make it look like three is a challenge.¡±

    Ah, were she not who she was, and were he not who he was, he might have fallen deeply in love with this girl. As it were, the thought of her made him sick to his stomach and he would like nothing more than to see her smeared across the pavement like an insect.

    Alas, patience was a virtue, as they say. Jason wasn¡¯t sure he had patience, but he had something close enough.

    Total self interest. There were credits to be made.

    ¡°Three it is. Will I have the pleasure of seeing you before the club meeting next week?¡± he asked, already sure and deeply thankful for the answer.

    ¡°If only I had the time, but you know how it is,¡± she said. Jason nodded.

    He did know how it is. There were schemes to scheme. Politics to politick. Excellence to strive for. Not that it would matter, in her case.

    ¡°Do let me know if your schedule clears up,¡± he said, and he wondered if she could feel his smile from the other end of the line. His charm seemed to have quite the lasting and satisfying effect on her.

    Satisfying to himself, anyway.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, hanging up the phone not a second after the last syllable left her lips.

    Jason took a slow, deep breath. The season had transitioned smoothly, and the cold air was sharp in nostrils and his throat.

    ¡°Refreshing,¡± he whispered, as he left in the direction of his home. He had some more calls to make. Aera was not his only prey whose movements he was carefully tracking as they waddled through his web. His ambitions extended far beyond the short role she served in his grand play.

    Most spiders would be content to sit, and wait for their prey to come to them. But Jason tended to enjoy the chase. The safer the bugs felt, the more at home, the easier it was for him to gobble them up.

    <hr>

    Hunter sat cross-legged on his couch, slowly breathing in and out.

    He had yet to attain any significant degree of focus for more than a few seconds. At first he thought that maybe his time with Tilda had left a deeper impression then he¡¯d initially thought. Even Aera could tell that he was distracted.

    His mind would wander back to their conversations every chance that it could. Nothing he did could seem to stop it. Hunter was starting to wonder if he had a crush.

    He¡¯d never had a crush before.

    He sighed and opened his eyes, leaning back into his couch and staring at the ceiling.

    No, something else was bothering him.

    It wasn¡¯t just whatever he was feeling about Tilda, he felt that there was a deeper sense of frustration, something that he couldn¡¯t quite understand. Whatever it was, it was making any attempt to focus into a pointless exercise.

    It was like a tension in his gut, and his jaws, and his head.

    He felt so tense. Moreso than usual.

    He got up and grabbed himself a glass of water. He spent the last hour before bed reviewing his homework. Math, some science, and some brainstorming for a history essay which would be due in a few days. The math was easy, and the science stuff was interesting. Chemistry felt a little bit like artisanship, but without the mystery. He wondered if chemistry was the fate that awaited etherium¡ª once all its mysteries and depths had been thoroughly plotted and a rigorous working theory regarding its nature had been refined over enough generations.

    He imagined someone teaching a century from now, looking at a network of glyphs that made up something like the healing bed that Hunter had been so fortunate to enjoy with a look of disinterest. Ah, yes, they¡¯d say, my 5 year old assembled one of those just the other day in his kindergarten class.

    Maybe the price of progress was all of one¡¯s efforts being rendered inconsequential before the march of efficiency and convenience. It was the destiny of future children to look back and marvel at how difficult it was for people in Hunters generation to travel from place to place.

    In automobiles? And aircraft? You couldn¡¯t just teleport to wherever you wanted to go? You couldn¡¯t directly command the ether to fly you to wherever you wanted to go?

    He felt a pang of jealousy for the brats of history¡¯s future.

    He finished his homework, and got ready for bed. However, Hunter didn¡¯t feel his sense of frustration dissipate. If anything, laying down to relax only made him feel worse. He felt his limbs shake, as adrenaline started to pump through his body.

    Suddenly his chest tightened, and he felt with every fiber of his being that his life was in danger.

    He gripped his chest, panting, as his eyes scanned the room. Every shadow was checked once, twice, sometimes three times. He listened intently, for any sign of an intruder. He could neither hear, nor see any sign that anyone was in his room, yet the feeling remained. He got out of bed, but the feeling only intensified. He couldn¡¯t control himself, as he collapsed on the floor beside his bed, feeling the most vulnerable he had ever felt, utterly helpless and exposed to certain death.

    He gripped his legs to his chest. No matter how hard and fast he breathed, it was never enough. Tears streamed down his cheeks. What was happening to him?

    It took time for him to calm down, but the tension remained. His nerves felt like they were plugged in to an electric outlet.

    He realized he wouldn¡¯t be sleeping that night, but it was fine. His mind rebelled at the thought that it was fine, but he reminded himself that his classes were over for the week. He could afford a day without sleep.

    It would hardly be his first sleepless night.

    And besides, what else was coffee for if not nights like this?

    He had a bunch of his fathers journals he could read to pass the time. He also had a bunch of network schematics he was working on in lieu of not having a spot in his apartment where he could actually build them. His fathers notes about his own work outside of the Internal Arts were always fascinating to read. Great insights would be delivered so plainly, which only made sense, given that most of the notes had been recorded for his own personal reference.

    It was only the first few Journals that Hunter had read which appeared to be written for another party¡ª namely Hunter, or anyone Hunter decided to share them with. He hadn¡¯t read much beyond those. There was a lot to go through, but try as he might to keep reading, his heart wasn¡¯t in it.

    He felt like there was something important he should be doing, something he needed to figure out.

    He felt like his apartment was suffocating him, and yet being anywhere else felt worse. Where else would he go?

    For a walk?

    There were guards out, patrolling the streets and alleyways. If anything happened, he could just call for help.

    But what if they didn¡¯t make it in time?

    Was he really afraid of getting attacked again? The idea rang true.

    Why now? Despite the anger and pain from the attack, Hunter had felt fine. He¡¯d felt fine after the attack at the museum as well, the most significant emotional change he could point to was a a stronger drive to focus on his work and his future.

    Hunter groaned. He¡¯d had to deal with one obstacle after another, life always seemed to have some brand new way of toying with him.

    He¡¯d gone his whole life without significant anxiety. Seckina had been stressful, but this was different. He¡¯d never felt so helpless, before. The fear had never been so intense and paralyzing.

    What was he supposed to do?

    He had no interest in doing anything, and was too high-strung to fall asleep.

    So he closed his eyes, and started breathing.

    Focus came surprisingly fast. Maybe the panic attack had burned through some energy. Like storm clearing the air of pollutants.

    And then he went deeper. And deeper. And then he felt it again.

    His life was in danger. Hunter gasped for air and the focus dissipated, he clutched his chest and heaved. The panic didn¡¯t last as long as last time, but it had felt so much more real, if that was even possible.

    What the hell was this emotion doing inside of him? Had it been there all along?

    Did the process of focusing and relaxing expose it?

    He opened his fathers first journal, and flipped through it a few times to find the portion where he talks about the methods of developing the Internal Arts. He skimmed to the part where his father introduces the focusing exercises.

    There it was, he¡¯d dismissed it before, having been totally unaware of any deeper meaning the words might have held, but now it was plain to see.

    A note of caution, these practices can and will expose things about yourself that you may not have been aware of; certain opinions, perceptions, and emotions that you are not yet conscious of or have pushed below the surface. I wish there were an easy way to defuse these things, but their appearance can be quite jarring, and in my experience the best way to deal with them is deeper exposure. Try not to resist, just relax and feel your way through them.

    Hunter felt exasperated. There was no way he¡¯d be able to sit through that kind of experience again. Nothing he¡¯d ever felt had come close to it. It was so raw, so loud.

    Can I afford to avoid it? He asked himself.

    The answer was clear.

    No. He had to face it. But who in their right mind would want to face that, willingly?

    A strong, stubborn urge rose up in his chest. Stronger than he¡¯d ever felt it before.

    Fuck it. He was going to conquer this thing.

 Chapter 40

    It had taken him an hour before he felt calm enough to attempt another deep dive into his mind. It took him another hour to finally let go of trying to replicate his previous experience. The moment he decided that he didn¡¯t have to conquer whatever deep emotions were afflicting him today, he started to slip into deeper states of focus as if they were waiting for him. The next thing he knew he was riding the edge of his breath, and his mind grew evermore still.

    Then he was somewhere else.

    Hunter opened his eyes, and found himself in a dark cave, a eerie blue glow surrounded him, exposing a ground with vines that seemed to cross the ground like veins.

    Despite the darkness of the environment, he felt safe here. It was filthy, and he could hear strange insects chittering in the dark the caves unlit corners, watching him. But within the confines of this place, he knew that he was in no danger.

    The cave shook, and Hunter seemed to understand what it meant. He despaired, knowing that his sanctuary was about to be exposed to an unstoppable enemy.

    The top of the cave was torn, and a beautiful but terrifying night sky lit by a billion stars, exposed the silhouettes of a multitude of hulking figures. Their eyes were like planets, their fingers spanning the interstellar depths. Some were like wolves, some were like men, others like spiders. These great cosmic beasts considered him with a primal malevolence.

    Hunter knew that this was the end of him. Before them, there was no where to run or hide. He was trapped, and these beasts were hungry.

    They shook him out of his cage and Hunter fell. There was no ground to catch him, so he fell further and further, faster and faster. The beasts chased him, howling in the delight of the hunt. Hunter knew that in a moment, they would catch him, and he would know no more.

    A sweet humming voice met his ears, and his fall began to slow. Light and warmth surrounded him for a second, but the beasts howled and the humming faded. He could still hear it, but its protection was gone.

    But Hunter no longer fell.

    His body was still, and he couldn¡¯t move. He watched the beasts stalk closer, and they started to melt together into one form, constantly shifting, never deciding on a final shape, but settling on the vague outline of a wolf, uncertain forms streaming behind it like smoke. The smoke drifted in the shape of a thousand faces, contorting in agony. Vistas of flame and blood were born where the wolf stepped.

    The despair grew deeper and deeper. His mind screamed, and yet his body could not escape. As the beast drew near, and Hunter saw an inexplicable hatred in its eyes, Hunters heart felt like it would tear from his own chest in a bid to relieve itself of the strain of fear that gripped him.

    ¡°You think a cave will hide you from me?¡± the dark god growled, its voice ripping through Hunter like barbed wire. Hunter wailed and sobbed, powerless to stop the pain. He lamented his foolish desire to free of himself¡ª his determination had brought him here to this nightmare that didn¡¯t end. It was a nightmare that felt more real than anything he¡¯d ever experienced.

    ¡°Look at you, child,¡± it said, circling his unmoving body, taking great pleasure in the waves of torment that assault him, ¡°powerless.¡±

    The wolf¡¯s head was suddenly directly in front of him, staring him in the eyes.

    ¡°Say it,¡± it whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m powerless,¡± Hunter said, tears streaming from his face. Before this great beast, he was too weak to fight back. He only wished for the pain to end, and he would do anything to hasten it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been weak,¡± the wolf said, ¡°and that makes you pathetic.¡±

    Hunter tried to nod but his muscles didn¡¯t seem to receive the signal.

    ¡°That¡¯s why your friends left you,¡± the wolf whispered, ¡°that¡¯s why everyone started to hate you. They knew you¡¯d never be as strong as them.¡±

    Hunter had no more energy left for tears. The wolf was right. He remembered the looks on the faces of his friends as the display showed his results. He remembered how much it hurt, year after year, seeing everyone growing stronger, living their lives unburdened by the frailty which afflicted him.

    ¡°You deserve to be alone. Even your own father kept his distance, so embarrassed by his son that he was driven mad. He killed people to cure you of your disease, so that he wouldn¡¯t have to be the father of a cripple,¡± the wolf laughed.

    The beast was right.

    Hunter had completely forgotten this feeling. He¡¯d forgotten how much it hurt to be him. How had he forgotten?

    He remembered that after his dad had died, all he could focus on was survival. After a while, he found that it was easier not to think about it. Day after day, he strove to improve himself. To work harder, to know more, to be better. The more he worked, the further away the pain seemed.

    Why was he fighting so hard?

    Wasn¡¯t he just hiding from what he¡¯d always known to be true?

    Hunter could never be the person he wanted to be. His own body had stolen that possibility from him.

    But that was bullshit.

    Hunter laughed. All of a sudden, all of his despair seemed ridiculous. He couldn¡¯t even tell what had shifted, but now he was seeing the fear, the guilt, the shame, all of the pain he¡¯d fostered and hidden from for so long as if it were all at a distance. He still felt every shred of it, but it seemed like an unnecessary affliction.

    It was silly.

    Why should he give the thinnest quivering sliver of a fuck about what others think of him? So he¡¯s physically weak, so what? In the last few months, he¡¯s been pushed harder than he¡¯d ever thought he could be pushed. He faced challenges that most of the people who have ever judged, or mocked him, wouldn¡¯t be able to face, and every time Hunter emerged better.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    He was better now than he¡¯d ever been before. He was stronger, smarter, more ambitious, and he was pretty sure he was going to ask Tilda Burner to be his girlfriend.

    Hunter was more proud of himself than he¡¯d ever been before. He¡¯d never felt more confident and capable.

    He understood what had been bothering him, the last couple of days. He understood the panic that had gripped him that night.

    This monster had no power over him. As soon as he realized that, he understood what this whole thing was. He knew what had been bothering him over the last couple of days. He understood the panic that had gripped him that night.

    ¡°I get it,¡± he said, as his body was suddenly free to move. He stretched, savoring the sensation of having agency over himself.

    The beast spoke accusingly, tauntingly. It chased, and threatened, and promised death. But wasn¡¯t that exactly what fear did? If all of his negative emotions could take up a form, and present itself to him, how it would it look? What would it say?

    Would fear give him a hug and tell him that everything was alright? He laughed.

    It was him. The beast, the giant scary wolf monster from the depths of the nightmare realms was a manifestation of his own unprocessed feelings.

    The beast roared, feeling threatened by Hunters freedom. It lunged at him, trying to tear at him with its claws, but they melted as they got near him, dissipating into thin air.

    The beast saw its claw disappear, and Hunter recognized helplessness in its reaction. It¡¯s eyes widened and it stared at Hunter, whimpering.

    He felt tempted to mock the beast, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. As he studied the animal, and looked into its giant eyes, he saw his memories reflected back at him. Every one of them a reminder of why he was alone, why he felt so bad to be who he was. He saw every reason he¡¯d had to be afraid of the world, afraid of being seen, afraid of being known.

    He could see memories of being beaten by Pippen, and being taken hostage by terrorists. He saw memories of every rejection, every dismissal. As the memories flashed by, the beast whimpered once more and curled up on itself, but they shared the same mind. It could hide its face, but it was him.

    He could no longer hide from himself.

    He remembered being interrogated as a child, his father being accused and his refusal to listen. He remembered his fathers funeral, he saw his father growing more distant. He saw himself being shunned for the first time, and remembered the feelings of betrayal and confusion. He saw it all, and knew that this was the heart of the beast. As the memories moved, the beast cowered and shivered like a frightened child.

    Hunter saw his mother dying. He felt everything he¡¯d felt as a very young boy, feelings he hadn¡¯t ever felt before. A sense of utter confusion¡ª that something so comforting and good could suddenly disappear and never come back. It had changed something in him, effecting him so deeply that he¡¯d barely realized it.

    This had all been living inside of him, as him, since he was barely old enough to walk on his own. The more he saw the beast, the more he understood the frightening figure in front of him, the more the figure in front of him shifted. Soon, the monster was replaced by a reflection of himself from years ago.

    He was tall for his age. So thin that you¡¯d think he might be malnourished. His posture was awkward, and he seemed so lost. His eyes were constantly searching for something, and he didn¡¯t even seem to realize it.

    He heard the humming again, and the lost gaze seemed to light up. The young boy¡¯s eyes shot towards the direction of the soft, comforting voice.

    The humming grew to encompass them both. It started to swell all around him and within him. It surged up in a feeling of elation, like Hunter had just discovered the most incredibly treasure in the universe.

    His mother appeared. He recognized her. She smiled at the young version of himself, picking him up. Hunter could feel the child¡¯s joy, having finally found what it had lost.

    It was Hunters own joy. He collapsed to his knees, tears streaming from his face. The nightmare around him rapidly dissipated, and he came back to reality, sitting in his sofa at Barnum.

    Just like that, it was over. The vision of his mother was gone, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    He felt happy, he felt sad. He felt a thousand things at once, more than he¡¯d ever felt before.

    He finally remembered his mothers voice, her face more than a vague recollection. The face he¡¯d seen in that vision had been hers. It was so clear.

    These focus exercises were no joke. His father had utterly understated the potential side effects.

    It took him a few minutes before he felt like he was ready to move on from what had just happened to him. He felt like he¡¯d just uncovered and confronted something important.

    He remembered what his father had written about his theory regarding the origin of Hunters deficiency. On a whim he grabbed the small device on the side of the table and activated it.

    It beeped, and he read the small display.

    6.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hunter said, jumping from the couch. He looked at the display again to make sure he hadn¡¯t misread.

    It still said 6.

    He hadn¡¯t even managed to catch a glimpse of of etherium channels, and his AR was already rising. But then he questioned if that was true. What if had glimpsed his channels, but hadn¡¯t realized it at the time?

    When the cave he¡¯d been in had been exposed, he felt like he was staring into the depths of something that inspired both fear and beauty.

    The fear came from the pain, from the monster inside of him. But what about the beauty?

    Hunter was far too excited to sleep, so he made himself some coffee and decided to continue exploring. After drinking the coffee and reviewing his fathers notes again, he built up another state of deep focus.

    It was like a hot knife cutting through butter. The focus came quickly, and it was stronger than ever.

    When he was ready, he picked up the small drawstone on the table and brought his attention to it. He noticed the sensation of the stone in his palm. He felt the etherium inside of it, and how it started to slowly dissipate. He paid more attention to his hand, to the skin. His attention flickered for a second, distracted by a sound outside of the building.

    But as his attention moved away from his hand, he noticed that a subtle sensation disappeared, one which he hadn¡¯t even been aware of feeling.

    He brought his attention back to his hand, and the sensation returned. He had trouble putting it into words, but it was almost like he could feel something flowing from deep within himself, and this flow was focused on his hand, at the point where the drawstone met his skin.

    It was like the flow was simultaneously within, yet beyond his hand. Utterly free from the shell of the skin, yet free to act within it¡ª but it wasn¡¯t outside of him. It was within his consciousness

    The more Hunter studied the feeling, the more he realized what the flowing feeling was.

    He compared it to the etherium in the drawstone, and realized that what he was feeling was what etherium felt like before it was charged by a drawstone. He hadn¡¯t even realized that drawstones could alter, or impart a charge. Sure enough, the more he studied the contrasting feeling, the more he could see how the ¡®neutral¡¯ etherium in the drawstone could be recontextualized as having more of a desire than the etherium he was feeling within himself.

    The feeling was so vague, and it was difficult to keep his attention in it. Even though he knew it was there, he would suddenly forget about it and his mind attention would drift to his thoughts, or other sensations in his body. It was like forgetting the fact that you were breathing because it tends to happen automatically.

    Eventually, he managed to stabilize his attention on this subtle feeling. He dropped the drawstone, and the feeling of flow continued for a split second before stopping.

    This had to be it. He was feeling the etherium being pulled into his body after the drawstone was no longer activated, stopping when his channels were full.

    He could finally start practicing the Internal Arts. He wanted to dive right back into it, but after an honest inquiry into how he was feeling, he knew that he needed a break. He imagined a day when he could practice all day, every day, but he still needed to work his way up to that. Hunter now felt the real possibility¡ª the certainty, that he was cured.

    He would never be weak again. Hunter would forge himself into something that before, he could only dream of. But first, he needed to get some sleep. Looking at the cups of coffee he¡¯d devoured over the last few hours, he knew that that wouldn¡¯t be coming until at least mid-day tomorrow, and he couldn¡¯t miss tomorrows session with Aera.

 Chapter 41

    Trey considered the latest report from his daughter, and compared it to the report from his people inside the schools¡¯ faculty.

    Pippen Visgold had been taken care of, but she hadn¡¯t been sure about whether there was a hand pulling Pippen''s strings¡ª could it have been this Jason Chan she wrote about, or perhaps the Locke¡¯s? Or maybe the Visgolds were making a play?

    Barnum would be the place to do it, but everyone knew that there were certain procedures in place. Escalation had to be measured, or else everyone might be drawn into an all out brawl over teenage drama.

    Unless they were using that drama to strike debilitating blows against himself, or the people he cared about.

    Trey knew all about what happened at Barnum. He knew how the faculty often turned a blind eye towards the after-hours business of the high-society youths they¡¯ve been charged to guide. Of course, it wasn¡¯t up to the Barnum faculty to raise those children.

    That was up to the parents. And Trey knew how such children were raised¡ª often the same way he was. They were trained from birth to be ruthless and decisive, the greatest friend to whoever was useful, the worst enemy to those who proved to be obstacles.

    Not many had the heart or stomach for it. Trey had, and he¡¯d relished in his talent for making money at the expense of those who mattered little to him.

    So he knew how to think like them¡ª the children and their parents, both. At least when it came to the chosen who were selected to attend Barnum, and the ambitious weavers of the social fabric who sent them.

    He¡¯d taken the time to investigate the Chans. He¡¯d been aware of them before, but hadn¡¯t realized that they¡¯d been so ambitious as to reach for the Visgold¡¯s seat beside the Locke¡¯s. It was somewhat devious at first, and was only recently beginning to escalate to the point where the Visgolds were waking up to the fact that they had competition, for the first time in a very long time.

    Trey sat before two men, both of them among his most trusted analysts and advisors. They¡¯d taken the time to read the reports that Trey just finished viewing. Dean was an athletic man dressed in a blue blazer and matching dress pants. McKay was the other, sporting a greying buzz-cut and about about 15 years Dean¡¯s senior.

    ¡°Thoughts, gentlemen?¡± He asked, lighting a cigar and leaning back in his seat, preparing for a rather long strategy session.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear to me that the Locke¡¯s are going to move through the Chan¡¯s. They¡¯ve been protesting our outworld expansion rate for years¡ª citing anti-monopoly clauses¡¯ in the Council¡¯s founding constitution,¡± Dean said.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± Trey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was a long-standing debate, and of course it was a load of bull. The council Corporations were monopolies. They owned all the business that happened in their domain, or almost all of the business. They had final say over every transaction, not that they cared to abuse that power.

    In fact, Trey had started to secretly contemplate the wisdom of total power. What was its use? Security? It was a good argument. It benefited himself, his family, and as long as they could remain honorable the people in his domain wouldn¡¯t have to worry about an unfair abuse of power. But he couldn¡¯t predict that honor would run true for his bloodline forever.

    He wondered if his ancestors had struggled with these same thoughts when they were in power.

    ¡°The Chan¡¯s are ruthless. I think we may need to move pre-emptively,¡± McKay offered, ¡°They¡¯re beginning to make off-world inquiries, outright acquiring some smaller trading businesses, and we all know what that means.¡±

    ¡°Care to enlighten us?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Chan¡¯s,¡± McKay said, spreading his hands as if the answer was obvious, ¡°Smuggling is one of their most profitable businesses. The last thing we need is for the drug trade to make it outworld. I say we increase our security presence on all of our outposts, and regularly patrol the most likely routes that Chan¡¯s could use to undermine our domain, both within Sanctuary and without.¡±

    To Trey¡¯s surprise, Dean was nodding as McKay spoke. He gave Dean a glance, and Dean shrugged in response.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I''m usually the first to counter McKay¡¯s more aggressive ideas, but this time he might be onto something. I¡¯ve heard rumors¡ª some substantiated, some not¡ª and all I''ve got is a bunch of hearsay, but the trend is a bit troubling.¡±

    Trey had heard similar rumors, if he was reading Dean¡¯s tone correctly.

    ¡°Before you mention them, I¡¯m aware of the meetings between the various Council Seats, and the join military exercises. What you might not know is that coincidentally, during one of those exercises, one of our black sites in the Locke¡¯s domain went radio silent.¡±

    McKay frowned.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of this,¡± he said. And he was right to be troubled, being in charge of a considerable portion of the Oberon Security Force.

    ¡°I was keeping it close to my chest, as I had some things I needed to verify. Shortly before this meeting, both of you were cleared to hear the news. Boy¡¯s, I¡¯ve got something big I¡¯d like to share with you.¡±

    Trey stood and walked down to the front of his office to grab some coffee. He offered them some, and Dean declined. McKay asked for some, black. He remembered to bring his cigar, this time. He was careful not to get any ash in the coffee¡¯s.

    He served out McKay¡¯s and started to sip his own between buffs of his cigar. It wasn¡¯t a great combination, but he would need all the stimulus he could to stay optimistic. He was about to make a big play.

    ¡°In light of the trend of escalating aggression in recent years, especially towards our domain and holdings both in and out of Sanctuary, I''ve been silently creating some contingency procedures should the worst case scenario come about.¡±

    ¡°Worst case scenario?¡± Dean asked, and McKay mirrored his concerned look.

    ¡°The Council appears to be gearing up to introduce a new member into its ranks, but in order to do so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Another one has to go,¡± McKay said, his eyes widening, understanding what Trey was implying.

    ¡°No one can doubt the strides that our company had made in the last couple of decades, and the Council has always been troubled by our lack of cooperation in certain matters that violate our sense of ethics. To that end, we have countered their protests with our own¡ª tariffs, taxes on businesses based in foreign domains, and driving ourselves to become as self sufficient as possible, which has recently reached a critical threshold, one that allows me to officially prepare the final phase of our contingency,¡± Trey said, standing before the men, leaning slightly to open a drawer on the side of his table. He picked out a rather large folder, practically bursting at the seems with documents. He dropped the folder on the table, which landed with a satisfying thud. It was the product of hours of research and organization, painstakingly tracing potential causes and effects, moving certain people and resources into positions where they would prove the most effective.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He hated to admit it, but the likelihood of having to enact this plan he¡¯d been hatching for years was increasing day by day. It was time to bring more people in, people with enough authority to start preparing.

    There was still a non-insignificant chance that it could be averted, but he knew the Council. The prospect of unseating the Oberon''s and installing a puppet faction which they all had a stake in controlling would be way too good of an opportunity for them to ignore.

    ¡°I present to you Operation: Exodus. A play for the relocation of as many Oberon resources as possible in the event of a joint-operation against us. That includes industrial capacity, security forces, employees from both within and without sanctuary, as well as their family¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°But where could we possibly go? If such an attack happened, we would need to move incredibly fast, faster than we can move. The scale of this would be utterly ridiculous, I''m not sure its even possible,¡± Dean said. McKay elected to remain silent.

    They knew that Trey tended to take risks, but he was not a foolish man. McKay considered Trey with a contemplative gaze, waiting for him to elaborate.

    ¡°20 years ago, a scout vessel of ours disappeared, far from Sanctuary. It was one of the longest scout missions in our short history of exploring the interareal space. After having been presumed lost for 2 years, they returned. They encountered a strange astral phenomenon, something that seemed to launch them very far away. In the intervening we¡¯ve called this phenomena the Corridor, as it appears to lead to a location far, far away. Farther than the rest of the Council will be able to reach for generations.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s to stop them from finding this shortcut?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Trey smiled, ¡°but the ship that made the journey was the Cloud, and it has an advantage in traversing this Corridor that other ships won¡¯t be able to match for a long, long time.¡±

    ¡°The shield,¡± McKay said, understanding dawning with a sly smile.

    ¡°The Cloud? You mean the flagship? What about it''s shield? I know that shield constructs have been advancing at a considerable pace, but what sets the Cloud¡¯s apart from others?¡± Dean asked.

    ¡°The Merciful Cloud started as a scout ship, which was tasked to explore deeper into inter-realm space than anyone had gone before. During their travels, they encountered ruins from an ancient civilization, one that appeared remarkably similar to one we all know.¡±

    ¡°The Asutnahem,¡± McKay said, and Dean appeared like a fish out of water, his jaw opening and closing, as he wanted to protest the information he was hearing, yet couldn¡¯t dismiss the authority and reasoning faculties of the men he was talking with.

    ¡°Our Asutnahem?¡±

    ¡°The very same,¡± Trey said, smiling. His reaction had been similar, ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to find there, but what we did find has proven utterly invaluable. We decided to rebrand the Merciful Cloud, adding several tonnes to its mass¡ª graduating from a scout vessel to something more like a streamlined destroyer. It can go blow for blow with anything any other Council Seats can field, and what¡¯s more is that they won¡¯t be able to scratch the Merciful Cloud in return.¡±

    ¡°The shield you mentioned,¡± Dean said, putting the pieces together, ¡°which was found in the Asutnahem ruins, outworld. I think i¡¯ve caught up now. Using this shield, they were able to traverse this Corridor that was discovered, which catapulted them deeper into Interrealmal space¡ª although i¡¯ve yet to hear how deep it sent them, exactly¡ª far enough that you would feel safe establishing, what, a new domain?¡±

    Trey smiled and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you both to an outpost we¡¯ve been establishing on the far side of this corridor, give or take a month of travel. We call it Skyhold, and it could very well prove to be our new home for a very long time.¡±

    <hr>

    Hunter waddled out of the apartment building into the dimly lit day. Pulling an all-nighter would typically have a very small impact. He¡¯d grown used to them over the years, but after what he¡¯d experienced just a few hours ago had effected him deeply. He felt simultaneously exhuasted and invigorated. The combination made him feel a bit floaty.

    His mind was quieter, his body was far more relaxed. And he felt like he was seeing the world a bit differently. There was space around his thoughts that wasn¡¯t there before¡ª he could see how he would jump to conclusions almost reflexively about the people around him. Most of the people here were born rich, and that always meant to Hunter that they were bad people. Spoiled, inexperienced, and immature, were some of the more polite ways he had to label them.

    Today he saw the same, but there was room to see more. They might be all those things and more, but they were like him. They were just people, doing what they had to in order to live the life they wanted to live.

    Which, he realized, would have been informed by whatever they¡¯ve experienced in their lives, their ambitions fueled by fear and beauty, just like his had. It made him wonder just what he would be like if he¡¯d been born with everything he wanted.

    Would getting out of Sanctuary seem so alluring? What if he¡¯d been born to ambitious parents, who saw the company as the whole world, and dreamed of improving their family¡¯s station through ascending the corporate ranks?

    Would he feel stifled, or focused on making that dream a reality?

    What if they¡¯d treated him lovingly, and he saw them as ideals to strive towards. Wouldn¡¯t their dreams be his dreams? Wouldn¡¯t he want what they wanted?

    What if they¡¯d treated him as if he was a problem that needed to be solved, an asset to be molded to accomplish their will? Wouldn¡¯t he feel an even deeper motivation to prove himself? Maybe not to them, maybe he¡¯d grow to resent him.

    But that feeling of being unworthy would remain. Maybe a lot of people felt the same way he did¡ª like something was wrong with them, and they needed to prove that they were worthy of existing, they needed to strive to move mountains just to feel safe. They were just people. And they were as flawed as he was. Pippen''s arrogant sneer flashed through his mind. It didn¡¯t mean he had to like these people, but he felt like he had the possibility of understanding them a bit more deeply, now.

    Hunter enjoyed his early morning walk. It felt enlightening and refreshing. His mind stilled as he walked, and his attention expanded to take in everything¡ª every sound, every feeling, every sight. It took them all in and left very little room for judgement. All there was, was sensation. Color, sound, taste, feeling. It all breathed, moving in and out of his consciousness with utter ease. He smiled as he walked, feeling a deep peace that he had never felt before while being out around people. For the first time since he could remember, the tension he¡¯d felt around others was gone. He didn¡¯t feel like he belonged, he didn¡¯t feel like he didn¡¯t belong, he was just there, and he felt great.

    Despite having drank a few cups of coffee over the last few hours, he was feeling more drowsy as the minutes wore on. He decided to make his way back home. He finally got some sleep, and woke up just in time to have a snack before his session with Aera.

    The feeling of peace he¡¯d enjoyed during his walk had started to abate, but it was still there. He could feel it more like a background presence, but those old reflexive judgements were starting to emerge. He felt a bit disappointed, he would have loved for the peace to stay forever, but his intuition told him that it would be back one day. He just had to continue learning how to relax even more deeply, and to focus for longer.

    He had to focus on who he wanted to be, and learn how to see how he had seen during the walk. He had to remember that there was more to the world than what he thought and felt, because up until now, most of his actions were informed by nothing the painful memories of his childhood. As the peace abated, and his normal thoughts and feelings returned, he couldn''t help but feel that he needed to find out who he was beyond the person he¡¯d become.

    Who would he be once his AR was higher than everyone else''s, and his research was revolutionizing the world?

    Who would he be when he was exploring new worlds, discovering strange new sights, sounds, and tastes?

    Would he be a child in a man¡¯s body, running from a phantom, or would he be powerful and present, living as vibrantly as he could? Maybe, the person he was today couldn¡¯t be that person he always imagined being.

    Those were his thoughts as he entered the rec center, and made his way to the room where Aera would be holding her portion of their sessions.

 Chapter 42

    Halfway through the training, Hunter realized he¡¯d never gotten Tilda¡¯s number. He¡¯d need to correct that as soon as possible. He was punished for being distracted, as Aera¡¯s fist connected with his chest. She pulled back at the last second, so he didn¡¯t get the wind knocked out of him, but it still hurt.

    ¡°Focus, Hunter.¡±

    He attacked the pad with as much force as he could muster, which wasn¡¯t much, but she was pleased by his renewed effort. He pushed himself until each punch became a labor. She could almost feel his focus, as he disregarded everything but the pad she was holding, and summoning the effort for the next hit. Afterwards they moved to kicks, and by the time they finished those, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be getting any more out of him for the night, so they decided to call it quits.

    They both sat on the floor, waiting for Hunter to cool off before he dried himself and got changed. She waited until his breath was more even before inquiring into his personal affairs.

    ¡°So, tell me about this new distraction you¡¯ve been having. What¡¯s her name?¡± She asked. Hunter hadn¡¯t been ready for the question, based on the surprised look. He seemed almost embarrased at first, but managed to catch himself and laugh it off.

    ¡°The team that one the Youth Artisan Competition, there was a girl with them. The whole team got a sponsorship to the academy, and I met her the other day at the Artisan Department.¡±

    ¡°Something Burner, right? Tilly?¡±

    ¡°Tilda,¡± Hunter said, squeezing his waterbottle and catching the stream with practiced ease. He¡¯d been working on that one for a while. It had taken him a few sessions before he could gauge where is own mouth was, and another few before he could consistently hit the target without getting water in his eye.

    ¡°Right, Tilda Burner. I remember her. A bit of a firecracker, from what I saw. Look Hunter, i¡¯m happy you¡¯ve made a new friend, but there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about.¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t seem to like where this conversation was headed, but he kept his thoughts to himself and listened, which she appreciated.

    ¡°Being an Oberon means that we need to be a bit more careful about who let in to our circle, understand?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Hunter said, ¡°but she¡¯s one of us, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, but sometimes that doesn¡¯t mean much as you think it does, especially at Barnum.¡±

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°She¡¯s not a Visgold, and she¡¯s been nothing but kind to me so far. I don¡¯t really see the issue,¡± he said. She could see the protest in his posture, as tired as he was. She tried to see it from his perspective.

    Despite the attack, he still seemed incredibly naive towards the motivations of the people around him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got more to worry about than the Visgolds, more than i¡¯ve told you about. There¡¯s a lot going on behind the scenes. I¡¯ve been able to handle it all so far, and there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about yet, but I just need you to be careful. Sound her out a bit before you decide to trust her completely, alright?¡±

    Tilda Burner, Aera thought, had already been vetted by a team of analysts. But that was before she entered Barnum. Aera would give her name to the investigators that were helping her comb into the lives of everyone she¡¯d met so far. Tilda would be watched. If she did anything that even hinted that she had an ulterior motive for getting close to Hunter¡ª which, of course she did, even if she didn¡¯t recognize it¡ª she would cut the relationship off.

    Hunter wouldn¡¯t like it, but maybe he¡¯d come around to it after she¡¯d presented him with the evidence.

    He might have a stubborn streak, but he¡¯d seemed pretty reasonable and open to change up to this point. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be as bad as she predicted, but that was only in the case that Tilda Burner turned out to be something more than what she was presenting to Hunter.

    Hunter shook his head, but he didn¡¯t protest her suggestion.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be careful. But I think you¡¯re being paranoid,¡± Hunter said. Aera shrugged.

    ¡°After seeing what i¡¯ve seen, you¡¯d be paranoid too.¡±

    Hunter tilted his head, as if an interesting thought occurred to him, and he was about to say something but then he seemed to think better of it and let it go. She wouldn¡¯t pry. She didn¡¯t really care, anyways. As long as he was willing to do what he was told, she¡¯d let him think what he wanted.

    Once the session was over, Hunter got changed, and they both left for the apartment building. His portion of the session went smoothly, with neither of them having much to say outside of the contents of what they were working on. Once more, she left the session with a lot to consider, but feeling content that she was making good progress. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t be recognized as an Excellence candidate this year, but who knew what the future held? There were still two years of academy life left, and she would push herself to learn as much as she could.

    She had full faith in her capabilities¡ª nothing can stop her when she set her mind to something.

    After the session, she returned to her apartment and got to planning. She had a whole network of contacts to call, and a lot of information to catch up on. It was going to be a long night, but it would be worth it.

    Jason Chan must fancy himself as some kind of master of the shadows, but he was underestimating how many resources a sufficiently motivated Oberon could move. She¡¯d already started to discover some very interesting things about what Mr. Chan was getting up to in his spare time, and had started to take action based on what she learned.

    So far, most of her measurements about the man had been taken passively, save for her retaliatory display with Pippen, who was due to be released from the hospital any day now. Now it was time to start taking a more active approach. Aera needed to light a fire under Jasons ass, to see just how far he was willing to go against her.

    She would put him in a difficult situation, and his response would decide his fate.

    <hr>

    Jason smiled as he counted the wad of cash in his hand. There were 50 bills, each worth 100 credits each; a profitable evening.

    He¡¯d started with about twice the amount he had now, and half of it ended up going to his new friends in the campus security department. He¡¯d greased his way to having full access to a nice stretch of the campus for uninterrupted business.

    They would look the other way every second day, and let Jason¡¯s people sell their goods without interruption. At this point, Jason was sure he was fueling over half of the campus¡¯s party culture on his own¡ª and his family only knew about 30 percent of the operation. The other 70 percent he kept secret. He¡¯d reveal it in time, and present it as a surprise gift for the family, a legacy to prove his devotion to their goal, and his worthiness as a recipient of the Chan family¡¯s growing power and resource base.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    In the meantime, all that extra profit was his to use as he desired. And he had a couple of plans in place, targeted around some of his favorite people.

    He smiled as he returned home. His maids left as he entered, having done their best to keep his room clean. They both smiled and bowed as they passed him.

    They were students who owed him, and had seen first hand how he handled debts that weren¡¯t paid in a timely manner. Neither of them could afford to pay back the debt on their own, so he offered a deal in return for writing half of the debt off. Keep his place clean, and make it look like he still had his assigned roommates, and in return, they wouldn¡¯t have to be made an example of while they paid back what they owed him.

    It was a win/win, and the money they owed wouldn¡¯t amount to much anyways. It was the principle that mattered. What you did was just as important as how you did it. Even if that meant you were a complete beginner, making something utterly horrendous. If you approached it with the intention to learn and improve, doing your best at every step along the way, then you had nothing to be ashamed of. It was important to measure the gain, and only be peripherally aware of the gap. Knowing there was room to improve was different than focusing on just how far you had to go. One step in front of the other, that was all that mattered.

    Patience was a virtue that Jason Chan was keen on cultivating. It had proven to be not only necessary, but optimal. He had a whole host of enemies to tear down¡ª most of them didn¡¯t even realize that he had set his sights on them. Most of them wouldn¡¯t, even as their lives crumbled around them and their careers were ruined, and their loved ones and associates turned their backs on them, and Jason stepped in to fill the void that they would leave, they would have no idea that he was the one to blame for their misfortune.

    Jason smiled.

    Some people enjoyed the vibility, and the glory. He¡¯d been tempted by it once, but he realized that the shadows presented an alluring advantage. He could move more freely, and cause a greater effect. Even if people were aware of who he was, if he played his cards right, his movements would stay hidden, his motives would remain shrouded in a veil of uncertainty.

    His phone rang.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got Chan,¡± he said, making his tone as upbeat as possible, hoping to infect whoever was on the other end of the line with his good mood.

    ¡°Boss, i¡¯ve got some bad news. Campus security found out about our deal with some of their guys. They¡¯ve started detaining people. Some of them are are talking.¡±

    Jason stilled. He breathed in slowly, doing his best to remain calm.

    ¡°Come over to my place, you can fill me in on the details once you¡¯re here,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, Boss.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and make sure you have everything. I want every detail, I want to know how they found out, and who snitched after the fact. Everything,¡± Jason said.

    He could hear the man gulp on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Yes, Boss. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±

    Jason knew he was being unfair, but his underling¡¯s knew that the price of delivering bad news was only beaten by the price of not being the one to deliver him the news that he needed to hear.

    He justified it as a way to motivate his people to excel for him.

    But Jason knew better about the kind of man he was. He just liked to hurt people, and there was nothing wrong with that, in his view. It was their own fault for not being in a position of power over him.

    Not that any of them would want to be in a position of power over him. They knew that that would only make them a target, and who would want to be Jason¡¯s target?

    His underling appeared at his front door, head bowed as he entered. They went straight to the kettle to prepare some tea for them both. Jason waited patiently, and was pleasantly surprised by the snack that the man had brought with him. Jason smiled at the clever little man. Would the gesture appease Jason?

    Not likely. He had little tolerance for failure, and his business here was potentially threatened.

    Not that he was entirely worried about that, he had the perfect fall guy in place. Jason would be able to rebuild from the ashes of what once was, in the worst case scenario.

    ¡°So? Brief me,¡± Jason said, savouring the uncertainy in the man¡¯s eyes. He was a third year student, a couple of years older than Jason himself. His family had thorougly woven their web around him.

    He was practically owned by them, unofficially. Officially he was a free student, sponsored by the Smith Transport Corporation. He would have had a bright future, had Jason not found him. The young man had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was now under the Chan family¡¯s control.

    Sucks to suck.

    ¡°It took some digging, but it¡¯s clear that campus security was tipped off by Aera Oberon personally.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Jason sighed, ¡°and how did you find that out?¡±

    ¡°I asked the secretary, who owed me a favor, and knew that he¡¯d be interfering in Chan family business by refusing to cooperate.¡±

    Jason leaned back in his seat, crossing a leg as he sipped the tea. It was weak.

    The man had failed in his attempt to appease Jason.

    ¡°Good work,¡± Jason said, picking up his mobile phone and making a call. As soon as the man he¡¯d called answered, Jason said ¡°come,¡± and hung up.

    He brought his attention back to the young man in his apartment.

    ¡°And who snitched? What¡¯s the damage?¡±

    The man gulped.

    ¡°It''s bad. They found a few of our stashes, and are taking more of our people into custody as we speak. They¡¯ve called in law enforcement.¡±

    Jason waved his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big problem. I can afford the financial loss. I want a list of names, you understand? Everyone who talked. Don¡¯t leave a single. Person. Out. Okay?¡±

    The man nodded, standing to leave and do what he was told, but Jason stopped him.

    ¡°Did I give you permission to leave?¡±

    ¡°But, sir,¡± the man said, smiling to show that he was eager to do Jason¡¯s bidding, ¡°I must get to work immediately. Time is of the essence.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Jason said. There was a knock on the door, and he stood to open the door. The man who walked in made his underling pale.

    ¡°Once your punishment has concluded, you will get to work. In the meantime, I have a few calls to make,¡± Jason said, smiling at the man who just entered and patting him on the shoulder, ¡°Have fun. Don¡¯t break him, he¡¯s merely the messenger. I¡¯ll have more entertainment for you by the end of the night.¡±

    The man grunted.

    Jason left him to his devices.

    There would be no screaming, no evidence that anything untoward was happening in the suite he just left, but one man would be leaving with a feeling of relief for his pent up aggression and malevolent urges. The other would leave with some bruising, maybe some scars, and an unforgettable reminder that Jason was not a man that he would want to disappoint.

    It would serve as a lesson.

    And entertainment.

    He called his mother.

    ¡°Edith,¡± She answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ve some bad news, mother.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Jason. You know how much I love cleaning up your messes. Tell me, what have you done now?¡±

    Jason closed his eyes and bit his tongue. Defending himself would prove fruitless. He told her what he¡¯s just learned, and the actions he was taking in order to address it. Then he told her who they suspected was behind their sudden loss of business.

    His mother cursed.

    ¡°They¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to them. The Locke family has blessed our ascension, and we will soon make our move. You need only to be patient for a small while longer, son.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±

    She hung up, and Jason was left feeling comforted by the conversation. He would have some work ahead of him, making sure that he wasn¡¯t implicated. He would need alibi¡¯s, and would need to give the law enforcement people someone who they can charge and arrest for the influx of illicit substances into the most prestigious academic institution in the world.

    He made a call to one of the guards he had stationed outside of Pippen¡¯s hospital room. The young man would soon be released, and was looking forward to resuming his life on campus.

    Unfortunately, Jason had other plans for him.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. You still have the packages I gave you? Good. Put one in his room, and the rest in his apartment. Yes, now. Very good, let me know when you¡¯re done,¡± he said, concluding the call.

    It was going to be a long night, but the downfall of his closest friend would at least prove itself to be somewhat amusing.

    Pippen would know Jason had betrayed him, and would be tempted to talk, and whatnot. But most of the evidence would imply that he had a personal grudge against the Chan¡¯s, and that he had been sent by his family to slowly sabotage Jason Chan, ruining his future to destabilize the Chan¡¯s position, ultimately influencing their relationship with the Locke¡¯s. By the time the evidence was all planted, it would just be a matter of influencing the course of whatever investigation was brewing. A rumor here, a confession there. Standard operating procedure.

    Despite the circumstances, Jason felt his optimistic mood returning. Business would continue, and he would build it back up. The club was growing, and most of the faculty who were aware of the proceedings were agreeing to look the other way. They didn¡¯t want to get involved in the games of the social elite, even if it did mean that students were being severely injured on a regular basis.

    The Chan¡¯s influence would continue to grow, and Jason would be able to rest assured that his future with the family was secure.

 Chapter 43

    ¡°Get him, Hunter!¡± Clark yelled from the side of the ring. Hunter ducked a hook, and stepped back, anticipating Rick¡¯s follow-up kick and lunging forward to take advantage of his opponents momentary opening. He collapse rick¡¯s leg at the knee and swept his other leg out from under him.

    ¡°The match goes to Hunter!¡± Instructor Immanuel said, clapping his hands, ¡°outstanding work, Koar!¡±

    Hunter helped Rick up, and the young man scowled, but accepted the hand.

    ¡°Good fight!¡± Hunter said, but Rick just shook his head and murmured something under his breath. Hunter glanced at Clark and pumped his fist. Clark mirrored the gesture.

    Ricks¡¯ bad attitude wasn¡¯t Hunters problem. He tried to play off the win as if it were no big deal, but the shit-eating grin on Hunters face betrayed his effort. He resisted the urge to look back in Rick¡¯s direction, the poor guy was upset enough as it was.

    Rick had taken the first point, and Hunter had expected the match to go poorly, but he found that over the last few days, his body was able to keep up with his mind. He wasn¡¯t as worried about not being able to land a good hit, or counter his opponents strength. In the last 6 days his AR had risen¡ª at least one point for reach day, but recently it started to accelerate.

    The only problem was that whatever skills he¡¯d drilled over the last few months were needing to be relearned. He wasn¡¯t used to the body he was growing into.

    Seeing the number 16 on the AR recorder felt like something out of a dream, to him. It was over 3 times higher than what it had been when he started, and it hadn¡¯t even been that long. But as his AR rose, his body started to change. He was hungrier, thirstier, and felt like he had an excess of energy that made it necessary to avoid coffee for the first time in his life.

    Thank the heavens for decaf. There was a time when Hunter thought that decaf coffee was ridiculous, and it wasn¡¯t until he was faced with the prospect of having to go without coffee at all that the non-caffeinated version suddenly made sense. Coffee was part of his routine at this point, and seemed to have transformed into something of a psychological trigger.

    ¡°How you feeling Hunter? Ready for the next one?¡± the instructor asked him. Hunter nodded. They were playing Winner Stays. This was the first time Hunter had ever won a round of sparring, and he didn¡¯t feel the least bit tired. He was ready for whatever came next.

    ¡°Emelia, you¡¯re up!¡±

    Hunter frowned.

    He was ready for anything except for Emelia.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Feels good,¡± Hunter said, ¡°it¡¯s been a long time coming.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for having to ruin your fun,¡± she said.

    ¡°Go!¡± the Instructor said, announcing the start of the fight before Hunter could respond.

    Emelia launched herself at him, and she was fast. He stepped aside from the chopping kick at the last second, barely able to catch his balance before he saw the fist hit his chest.

    ¡°Point for Emelia, back to your positions.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t had much time to process what just happened. Had she always been that fast? He did his best to remember the brief encounter, and decided that the key problem was that he hadn¡¯t been fully focused. He¡¯d been distracted.

    He shook himself out of it and focused on the fight, just before the instructor called the start of the next round.

    She had apparently decided to take this round a bit more passively, waiting for Hunter to take the initiative, which he didn¡¯t really like. He slowly closed the distance, watching for any tension in her body, any sign that she would suddenly change her mind and attack.

    When he was within three feet, she threw out a punch which Hunter blocked with ease, and he kept his eyes peeled for any follow up. She was keeping her posture tight, not letting herself create an opening for him to take advantage of as far as her upper body went, but her lower body was still game.

    The idea that she was anticipating his train of thought couldn¡¯t be dismissed, but he couldn¡¯t think of an alternative.

    He wondered how strong he was compared to her, now.

    He dropped his posture a bit, leaning forward slightly, trying to reduce the size difference between them. He sent out a few testing jabs in response to hers, and aimed a kick at her thigh, which she avoided, stepping in way to close for comfort. Hunter braced himself for her to try and sweep him off his feet, and sent out a desperate undercut towards her stomach.

    It hit, and lucky for him, it hit at an angle that the instructor could see.

    ¡°Point for Hunter! You¡¯re getting sloppy, Emelia!¡±

    Emelia growled in frustration.

    ¡°I would have had you,¡± she said, as she went back to her starting position. What could Hunter say? All he could do was take the small victory he¡¯d been given.

    Could he do it again?

    Suddenly, the prospect of winning his second round in a row against Emelia wasn¡¯t just a slim possibility.

    He would just have to be smarter than her, and that meant either one of two things. Beating her at her own game, or refusing to play the game altogether.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    They both approached each other. Her loss had apparently been enough of an excuse for her to take this match a bit more seriously. He saw a focus in her that usually wasn¡¯t there, and he knew that his chances of winning appeared to decrease by a significant degree.

    Hunter decided to mirror her starting strategy. He kicked out, but instead of trying to dodge it she blocked it and backstepped just enough to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t be in range to follow up with something else.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He did the smart thing and waited to see how she responded. She spun and threw out a back-kick, somehow launching herself towards him fast enough that the kick actually took him by surprise, even if he saw the wind up. He backpedaled, but knew that it was a mistake because he¡¯d just given her an opportunity to build momentum. So he started to move forward again, hoping to take her by surprise and score another undercut to her stomach. But she had spun away from him, and was reaching for his arm. He knew what that meant, having a sudden flashback to their previous fight. Hunter jumped stepped back, pulling his arm as fast as he could. She grinned when she saw that he knew what she was up to.

    Despite her casual attitude, her intensity increased a notch. She swept her foot out suddenly, and Hunter expected a kick but then she spun, kicking her foot back towards him and then lunged at him, leaning slightly away from him enough that her body was nearly horizontal with the ground, and spinning in the air. Hunter was mesmerized for a second, having never seen this before, but it was almost like he could hear Aera¡¯s voice telling him to stay focused

    She completed a full spin in the air and then kicked as she landed, which looked like it would hit him in the shoulder, so he pushed himself to the side, away from the edge of the ring.

    Hunter stumbled, suddenly. He watched in what felt like slow-motion as Emelia landed, and seeing that he¡¯d repositioned, pivoted on the foot she¡¯d landed on and kicked towards him with the other. Had he been an inch further from her, it wouldn¡¯t have hit.

    Alas, it hit with enough force to do the work that gravity had been struggling to do itself, and hunter was knocked onto his back.

    ¡°The match goes to Emelia! For future reference, this is not a gymnastics class, those are held tomorrow, and I don¡¯t run them. Impressive, though,¡± the Inspector said while inspecting a nail, his voice was utterly flat.

    He looked up at Hunter.

    ¡°Nice try, kid. Next up is Johnny!¡±

    ¡°Good fight,¡± Emelia called as she went to her starting position and Hunter left. He suddenly felt a bit like he imagined Rick had, but he decided not to be a poor sport about the loss. After all, he had won a fight today, and scored a point on her.

    ¡°Good fight,¡± he replied.

    ¡°No one expected her to go ninja mode on you. You can barely blame yourself for that loss,¡± Clark said as Hunter sat down beside him, keeping his voice low so that the inspector wouldn¡¯t call him out for disrupting the match.

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that people could even do that. It was all a blur.¡±

    Emelia had done something he¡¯d never seen before and he¡¯d lost because he wasn¡¯t prepared. Next time, he¡¯d have a way to respond. He¡¯d talk to Aera about it when he had a chance. They wouldn¡¯t have martial arts training tonight, but he could bring it up during their session tomorrow.

    ¡°Listen, Hunter. You¡¯ve been doing really good so far,¡± Clark said, his tone getting a bit deeper.

    ¡°Oh, thanks man,¡± Hunter said, not expecting the sudden praise.

    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve noticed the difference in you since you¡¯ve started. I don¡¯t think anyone else has been pushing themselves as hard as you have. I personally think it''s admirable, and that¡¯s what I look for in the people I want to spend my time around.¡±

    Hunter just smiled and patted Clark on the shoulder.

    ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it,¡± Hunter said, uncertain about how he was supposed to act when he was being complimented. It seemed like a glaring blind spot in his social repertoire. Did people write books on social etiquette? Maybe he could find some help at the library.

    Clark seemed to pick up on Hunters awkwardness and shook his head with a smile.

    ¡°Look, I''m telling you this because me and a few others who share a similar outlook on life are gonna be hanging out this evening. I think you¡¯d get along with them, there might be an opportunity for you to make some great connections. You interested?¡±

    Hunter¡¯s first instinct was to say no, but he hesitated.

    Who did he want to be? He didn¡¯t need to be afraid of people anymore. He¡¯d just won his first fight¡ª sure it was under controlled conditions, but so what?

    Clark had said that the people at the gathering would be people who admired hard work¡ª maybe he would find that they were kind of like him, all devoted to some sort of excellence.

    It could be fun.

    It could be incredibly awkward, but should he deny himself the opportunity to find out for himself?

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, still feeling like he was going a bit too far out of his comfort zone than he wanted to be, ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Just let me know when and where. But if its past 7pm I won¡¯t be able to make it.¡±

    Aera would be pissed if he canceled. She seemed to find a lot of value in Hunters advice regarding her budding interest in constructs and etherium. Although he could tell her heart wasn¡¯t really in it. Her interest seemed to be more in the realm of brute-forcing her way into being the best. He¡¯d spoken his mind on the matter, and she was still just as devoted as ever to wasting her time, but that wasn¡¯t any of his business. His end of the deal was to show up and answer questions.

    ¡°No problem, we typically get together around 4:30 or 5. Give me your number after class and I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Hunter agreed. Once class was over, he gave his number to Clark and went home. On his way, he realized he had forgotten to give Mrs. Verilion a call to tell her about trying to set up a meeting between Trey and Professor Jackson. As soon as he got home, he dialed her number.

    ¡°Hello, Hunter! How are things at Barnum?¡± Mrs. Verilion asked as soon as she picked up.

    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± Hunter asked, feeling like it was going to be a day of surprises. His AR had hit 16, he¡¯d won a fight, been invited out to attend a meeting with like minded individuals, and now there were magical ways to tell who was calling you?

    ¡°New tech that Oberon is launching next month. A much smaller phone with a little display that can show pre-programmed numbers and names you¡¯ve attached to them. Neat, huh? It¡¯s small enough to fit in your pocket,¡± she said, and Hunter wondered if she¡¯d done some time in sales at some point in her career.

    ¡°Do I get one of those?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get one mailed to you a few days before they hit stores.¡±

    It was a day for surprises indeed, Hunter thought.

    ¡°Is it etherium based?¡± He asked, wondering if he¡¯d get to study some new network schematics. Oberon never officially grabbed a piece of his fathers wireless etherium network that was built around the world, but that didn¡¯t mean Oberon couldn¡¯t make their own.

    ¡°Heavens, no. Much more mundane, but its still impressive. I was skeptical at first, but then they showed me the final product and how it flips open and closed, and I was hooked.¡±

    Hunter felt like he needed to get this brand new, top of the line technology as soon as possible. He¡¯d never cared much about studying electronics, but that didn¡¯t mean he thought that any tech outside of constructs were dull.

    ¡°The reason why I called was because I wanted to know if Trey had ever heard of a man named Dr. Arbutus Jackson?¡± Hunter asked. He was holding the professors card in his hands, which he¡¯d snagged after his last class with the man.

    ¡°Boot-is.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Hunter asked, wondering if she¡¯d been talking to someone else.

    ¡°It¡¯s pronounced Ar-boot-is, and yes, Mr. Oberon is well acquainted with the man. In fact, he¡¯s become the majority sponsor of the professors work, especially after he finished his most recent paper. I¡¯ve heard some whispers about bringing him into the company on a full-time basis, but you didn¡¯t hear that from me,¡± she said. And Hunter was suddenly intrigued.

    ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s Oberon Enterprise¡¯s interest in ancient history?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Trey about that personally, I''m afraid,¡± Mrs. Verilion said, ¡°he doesn¡¯t keep me in the loop with certain things.¡±

    For some reason, Hunter doubted that.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, how many people are walking around with the newest generation of mobile phones a month in advance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been great to hear from you, Hunter, but I''m afraid I''m quite busy today. Do make some time to give Mr. Oberon a call, he loves to hear from you both personally. Have a great day,¡± she said, hanging up the phone.

    ¡°Thought so,¡± Hunter said to no one in particular. The mystery of the Asutnahem got deeper and deeper. The professor had said that the Asutnahem knew about the edge of the world, and he wondered if that¡¯s what his last paper had been about.

    What was Trey¡¯s interest in that? Had they found something that confirmed the professors theory? Was it a profitable discovery, or something that Trey was willing to invest heavily into in order to scratch an itch?

    Hunter was itching to find out too, but he knew that if there was anyone more busy than Mrs. Verilion, it was Trey Oberon. He¡¯d call him later that night to find out what was going on.

 Chapter 44

    He watched Tilda sauder in the final channels on their second prototype, and he double checked her work. She didn¡¯t seem to mind having him confirm her quality, in fact she seemed to respect his dedication to the art.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. It was just a prototype, the final product would be a lot more refined.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the most complex channel-work I''ve ever done,¡± she said, having actually broken a sweat from the tension she¡¯d been under while concentrating. Hunter nodded and declined to comment. Sometimes, especially times like these, he would be tempted to say something that would seem to diminish the value she brought to their partnership. If he said that the work she¡¯d done was actually pretty basic compared to what he was used to doing, it would seem a bit arrogant. And maybe a little bit toxic.

    Besides, she was proud of herself. If she was happy, he was happy.

    ¡°Want to take a break?¡± He asked, ¡°we¡¯ve been at this for hours and I''m starving.¡±

    She looked at him as if he¡¯d just managed to divide by zero.

    ¡°You? Hungry?¡± She pinched herself, ¡°Nope, I''m not dreaming.¡±

    It occurred to him that she was being sarcastic.

    ¡°Ha-ha.¡±

    ¡°Can you wait until we¡¯re finished here? I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing if it all works together, and I won¡¯t be able to eat in peace while I''m in such a tremendous state of suspense,¡± she said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Hunter said, silently consoling his aggrieved stomach, ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a big dinner, though.¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re paying,¡± she teased.

    ¡°When have I ever so much as implied that I was anything other than a gentleman?¡± Hunter asked, grasping his wounded heart.

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see,¡± Tilda said, holding her chin as she contemplated, ¡°well, actually there are a few times. There was that time when¡ª¡±

    ¡°So how about getting these tests started, hey?¡± Hunter said as he started to line up the plates on the workbench. Tilda rolled her eyes but eagerly bounced off the chair and grabbed the other pieces of their prototype armor. They placed one piece on the table, and Tilda attached it to a drawstone. She activated the construct, and Hunter felt into the flow of etherium through the network. He was still reluctant to tell Tilda about his sensitivity, and his research. He sometimes wondered if she¡¯d figure it out on her own, as he didn¡¯t really take many precautions in order to hide it.

    But he really didn¡¯t need to hide it. The fact is, there were no fancy gestures required in order to feel what he felt. He just felt it, as long as he was close enough. As far as she was aware, he could just be staring at the construct intently, hoping that it all worked out the way they wanted it to.

    He marveled at the detail he could make out in the etheric flow through the network. Ever since he¡¯d started to trace out his channels, and watched them as they started to grow and develop on their own, his sensitivity to etherium as it flowed through networks seemed to have amplified by a small amount. He could feel more minute details in the etheric flow, and was feeling some novel sensations he¡¯d never felt before, or at least never really appreciated on their own.

    He hadn¡¯t taken too much time to dive into his new and improved sensitivity¡ª mostly because he hadn¡¯t had the time. Between school, Tilda, Aera, and the focus training which he had promised himself to do every day, his personal research had taken a backseat¡ª way, way in the back.

    He knew that uncovering what these new sensations were, and what they meant, would be a long-term projects. It had taken him years to come up with what¡¯ he¡¯d already developed, and he knew that this work would be something he expanded on for the rest of his life.

    ¡°Looks good,¡± Hunter said, ¡°You want to do the honors?¡±

    She smiled, picking up a hammer and pounding at the exposed plastic plate with all the force she could muster.

    It barely left a scratch.

    ¡°Looks like it works,¡± he said, picking up the armor to examine it further. The thin forcefield projected from the plate removed all chance of creating friction with the plates exposed surface, so he had to pick it up from behind.

    ¡°Moment of truth,¡± Tilda said, as she brought forth the next plate. They carefully connected them, the plastic plates clicking together as if they¡¯d been magnetized.

    Hunter felt the etherium flowing through them both. They¡¯d successfully created a modular construct network. Not exactly revolutionary, but there weren¡¯t many people doing what they¡¯d just done. Hunter had to make a show of testing the network, as if he didn¡¯t already know that the etherium was flowing through it just as they¡¯d intended it to.

    ¡°My turn,¡± he said, setting the construct down and hammering away at the newly attached plate. The worst he could do to it was leave a slight dent, as the etherium had to support twice the amount of glyphs that it had previously.

    Someone with a much higher AR and some battery supplementation could probably wear a whole suit covered in these plates.

    ¡°Let¡¯s turn on the wireless transmitter,¡± Hunter said, activating the first prototype he¡¯d made, which had been modified to support an expanded network of plates.

    He felt a small upwelling of pleasure as he activated such a powerful construct with minimal assistance from a battery to supplement the flow of etherium when he wasn¡¯t touching the drawstone. The final product would be much more demanding, as reinforcing metal was much more intensive than reinforcing plastic, and they would need to scale to cover a whole person, and potentially more than that.

    The construct activated, the etherium flowed, and Tilda reported the successful transmission once the first prototype plate was successfully attached to the others.

    They both cheered and hugged each other. Tilda was much more enthusiastic and practically jumped up an down.

    They disassembled the plates and packed up the prototypes. Tilda asked if she could keep them at her place, and Hunter didn¡¯t see a reason why she couldn¡¯t. They agreed to let him keep the original prototype, and she could take the newest version. He figured she would want to fiddle with it, and maybe see if she could make some improvements. They already had all of the plans for the prototypes reprinted, one copy for each of them. Even if she ended up making a mistake, they¡¯d be able to rebuild any part of the network in a small time.

    They left the workshop and took a detour around the soul in order to grab some good coffee on the way to Sailor¡¯s Diner. After making it to the diner, Tilda laughed as Hunter ordered two portions of fish and chips for dinner. He shrugged and looked at her like she was the weird one for not getting two portions for her own dinner.

    ¡°To each their own,¡± she said.

    He made sure to remember to order a milkshake. Chocolate, of course. Strawberry was fine, but the chocolate seemed to compliment the dark, decaffeinated coffee in such a wonderful way.

    ¡°Hey, Hunter. How much do you figure we can sell this tech for?¡± She asked, patting the large travel case they packed the prototypes into.

    Hunter honestly had no idea.

    ¡°Well, I imagine we could use more high-quality materials and sell a transmitter with a bundle of plates for 2 or 300 credits, with bulk orders on plates costing a bit less¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI mean, the tech itself. The whole thing, the plans, everything,¡± she asked.

    It was an interesting question.

    ¡°I mean, this could be a huge business. Its relatively cheap compared to other armor options, both in cost and in AR requirement. We could get thousands of orders, maybe more, a year,¡± Hunter said, his pulse quickening as he started to do the math, ¡°We could leverage some of my family¡¯s network to advertise and distribute, meaning we wouldn¡¯t even have to worry about slowly ramping business up. We could be talking about millions of credits a year, if we get enough interest.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Hunter realized that if they really decided to make a business out of this, it could start to expand more than he¡¯d anticipated. Thankfully, he wouldn¡¯t have to do all the admin work on his own. Trey would worry about getting the right people for the job.

    In a way, it would be the proof of a future return of investment, an assurance that Trey had made the right choice in bringing him into the fold. Aera would be happy too, as he¡¯d finally start contributing to the company¡ª and ultimately to the family she loves.

    Tilda¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Not just a million, but millions, plural?¡±

    ¡°Potentially,¡± Hunter said, hating to dim her enthusiasm, ¡°potentially millions. It might not be that successful at all, who knows?¡±

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s a lot of potential,¡± she said, staring at the suitcase in a new light, ¡°I knew it would probably be a lot, but that¡¯s more than I expected.¡±

    Her eyes moved as she talked, she seemed to be deep in thought. There food arrived, and Hunter dug in. He was almost done his first portion of fries when he realized that Tilda had barely moved¡ª she hadn¡¯t even realized the food was in front of her.

    ¡°Your milkshake is gonna melt,¡± he said, and Tilda practically jumped.

    ¡°Credit for your thoughts?¡± He asked. She rarely seemed to drift off like that.

    He was pretty sure he knew what she was thinking about. It was a lot of money, and he had to remind himself that money like that wasn¡¯t even a big deal for the people he was now associated with. Although he was sure that if his assessment of the technology was correct, Trey might be interested in investing. Who knows, with access to even better materials and more time to develop, the tech could improve by leaps and bounds. Hunter felt tempted to improve it with synergies, making it more accessible to more people. He wondered how it would work with the new personal shields he¡¯d heard about, with their strange ability to shape a forcefield across a dynamic, moving surface.

    ¡°Nothing, just thinking of what life could be like with that kind of money,¡± she said, ¡°It would really help my family out.¡±

    Hunter really loved that about Tilda. At the prospect of earning life-changing amounts of money, her first thoughts were about how to take care of her loved-ones.

    He smiled at her, and she caught it and smiled back at him. They enjoyed each others gaze for a moment before Hunter felt his cheeks start to warm up a bit.

    In his opinion, she had the most beautiful eyes in the world.

    After dinner, they walked to Hunters apartment. They stood outside for a second, neither of them seemed eager to leave. Hunter was gripped by a sudden urge, and he leaned forward and kissed her. She accepted the kiss, leaning into him and gently pulling him a bit closer by his shirt collar. Hunter had never kissed a girl before. He felt his heartbeat accelerate rapidly with a rapidly expanding intensity of excitement and warmth.

    He always wondered what it would be like to feel another pair of lips against his. It felt good, it felt intimate. It felt like a deeper connection to her, something he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been craving until that very moment.

    She let go first, and she met his gaze with a shy smile. She seemed just as flustered as he was.

    He felt like he should say something. Anything. Something deep, something that would tell her just how incredibly profound this experience had been for him.

    ¡°W-Wow, you¡¯re awesome,¡± he said, feeling himself heat up with every syllable that left his mouth, knowing that the beauty he¡¯d wished to share with her had derailed the moment he¡¯d opened his mouth.

    Why did he get this way around her?

    ¡°I¡¯m awesome?¡± Tilda laughed, ¡°really? Shucks, thanks Hunter. You¡¯re pretty rad as well.¡±

    If he could dig a hole and hide in it forever, he would.

    ¡°I just, I needed to say something¡ª I didn¡¯t know what I could possibly say¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s alright, Hunter. Its cute,¡± she said, but then she hesitated. Her cheer seemed to fade a bit.

    ¡°But..¡± he said, prompting her to continue. She tugged at he sleeve and kept her eyes downcast.

    ¡°But, I''m not really sure I want the same thing you do,¡± She shook her head, as she heard her own words, ¡°I mean I do, but my life has gotten a bit crazy recently and it¡¯s not something I can even think about right now. Maybe once everything¡¯s calmed down?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, the elation he¡¯d been feeling suddenly started to leave him. A small pit started to grow in his gut, ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re being forced into something you¡¯re not ready for.¡±

    He wondered if that was the mature thing to say.

    She sighed.

    ¡°Thanks, Hunter. I¡¯m sorry. I like you, I think that¡¯s obvious,¡± she shook her head and bit her lip, ¡°It¡¯s just not a good time.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I understand,¡± Hunter lied, ¡°If you want to talk about whatever¡¯s going on, you know you can call me anytime.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said softly, ¡°thanks, Hunter.¡±

    Hunter suddenly felt a distance between them now, one that hadn¡¯t been there before, but maybe it always had and he just hadn¡¯t seen it. Maybe he was imagining it.

    It wasn¡¯t any of his business, though. He had his own secrets, and he was glad that she was willing to be honest with him.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t a complete rejection. She¡¯d kissed him back.

    Maybe he could count that as a small victory, one of the many he¡¯d achieved, recently.

    They both left each other for the evening, and Hunter prepared to meet with Clark and his friends. It was just past 5pm and he expected to receive the call at any moment. He figured that meeting new people would be a nice distraction from the rollercoaster of a day he¡¯d been having.

    Sure enough, a few minutes later, Clark called him. He gave him an address and said that he could come over any time.

    <hr>

    They were meeting at a bar across campus. It took Hunter about 20 minutes to walk there, and he was surprised to find that the whole place appeared to be deserted but for the bartender, and a small group of people seated around a round table, eating food and drinking beers. Clark saw him walk in and waved him over with a smile.

    ¡°Hunter! Welcome, come meet everyone. Everyone, this is the guy I was telling you about,¡±

    The small group of people all welcomed Hunter with friendly smiles. Clark started to introduce their names.

    ¡°We are the Society of Future Leaders. To my right, is Luther. Sponsored by Smith transports, and he¡¯s here to earn Excellence in wrestling. Beside him is Berry Falan, one of the most polite nerds you¡¯ll ever talk to,¡± Clark said.

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Berry said, laughing. Hunter smiled at the banter.

    ¡°Next up is Joey ¡®T-Bone¡¯ Porter, an entrepreneurial sort with a few successful business back in the LockeMark domain. Then we¡¯ve got Jason Chan, who you may have heard of?¡± Clark asked, and Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°Pleasure, Hunter. I look forward to getting to know you,¡± Jason said, bowing his head slightly with a smile and extending his hand. Hunter shook the offered hand.

    ¡°And last but not least, Joffrey Loomus. He¡¯s here on a personal invitation from Barnum,¡± Clark said. Joffrey winked and Hunter and gave him a nod.

    ¡°Each and every one of these gentleman have proven themselves to be excellent individuals, who strive to make themselves into their own ideal, sparing no cost or effort. Is that something you can relate to?¡± Clark said, raising his voice for what Hunter felt was supposed to be some sort of initiation ritual.

    ¡°Yeah, I can relate to that,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°I have personally seen Hunter¡¯s growth in martial arts. He¡¯s no champion, yet, but out of everyone in my class, he¡¯s shown the most improvement and focus. I also hear he¡¯s quite the whiz when it comes to constructs,¡± Clark said, raising his eyebrow towards Hunter, and Hunter got the impression that it was meant more like question.

    Well, he¡¯s always prided himself on his ability with etherium, and there was no reason to start being humble now. The rest of the group gave him their attention.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been studying and building constructs for as long as I can remember. After my dad died, I had to make a living somehow, and no one would hire me. So my only option was to leverage the only field of expertise I''d cultivated, which was etherium.¡±

    ¡°I imagine it wasn¡¯t easy,¡± one of them said. If Hunter remembered correctly, his name was Jason. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear more about that, but it can wait. We were just finishing our meal. We¡¯ll talk afterwards.¡±

    Hunter shrugged. He had an hour and a half to kill before his meeting with Aera, so he figured he could stay around and chat for a bit.

    The group was interesting. They all took turns talking about their progress, and some of the obstacles they¡¯d been dealing with along the way¡ª both in the way of their goals, and mental hurdles they¡¯ve had to overcome. To Hunter it all felt a bit introductory, as if they were retreading old ground for the benefit of Hunter.

    But something felt a bit off about the whole thing. Whenever Jason spoke, everyone would seem to pay him extra attention, as if every word he said was something important, whereas everyone else treated each other as if they were simply good friends out to a meal.

    But towards Jason, it was how Hunter imagined he¡¯d feel if he¡¯d been invited for a dinner with Trey before he¡¯d even heard of the global youth artisan competition. Jason Chan appeared to be something of a shot caller, or the leader of the group.

    It was an interesting dynamic. Who was this young man, and why was he so respected by his peers? Hunter found himself looking forward to their conversation. After everyone had eaten, Jason stood and motioned Hunter to follow him. He led him to the back of the bar, and Hunter was surprised when the Bartender let him through.

    ¡°I actually do a lot of business here,¡± Jason said as he led Hunter up some stairs and into a small office, ¡°I don¡¯t own the place, but the owner and I have a close business partnership. More specifically, the partnership is between him and my family, but the difference is semantics.¡±

    Jason sat down and poured himself a drink. He offered Hunter one, but Hunter declined. It would mess with his ability to focus after his session with Aera. Jason shrugged and put the bottle away. He sipped his drink and sighed in satisfaction.

    ¡°I must confess Hunter, I''m actually well aware of who you are,¡± Jason said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for any pretense.¡±

    Tension blossomed in Hunters chest. His entire focus converged on Jason.

    He studied the young man before him, searching for any sign of danger, but all he could see was that Jason seemed relaxed, with an easygoing smile, waiting patiently for Hunter to respond.

    ¡°Sure, my name¡¯s probably gone around campus after what happened at the beginning of the year,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Yes, that unfortunate little incident,¡± Jason said, as he leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually what I want to talk to you about. I owe you an apology.¡±

 Chapter 45

    Alarm bells were sounding through Hunters mind. He suddenly felt a bit cold, and yet he could feel his palms sweating, and his mouth was dry.

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked, trying to keep his breathing even.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jason said as he seemed to study Hunter intently, ¡°Pippen and I were old friends. His family and mine have done business together for quite a while. In fact, you could say that Pippen was something of a subordinate of mine."

    Hunter felt stunned. Was this a trap? Was he in danger?

    "And I must admit that I feel somewhat responsible for what happened,¡± Jason said, frowning as he spoke, ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized the kind of man that Pippen was, and I think that there were some obvious signs which, in hindsight, I had either missed or ignored due to our history.¡±

    Jason leaned forward in his chair.

    ¡°If I had known who I was really dealing with, I would have been able to divert him from taking such rash action against you. I¡¯ve known for a while how deeply he feels that the Visgolds have been a victim of the Oberon¡¯s for generations. Not that I''m laying the blame on you, understand,¡± Jason said, holding up both palms to forestall any objection that Hunter might have to his words.

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Pippen works for you, but you didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d had any intention to attack me?¡± Hunter said, trying to hide the shaking he felt in his hands. His voice threatened to quiver.

    Hunter was having trouble parsing out what he was feeling. Fear mixed with rage, and grief. He felt like taking all of his anger out on Jason, for not having stopped his friend from nearly killing him.

    But it wasn¡¯t Jason¡¯s fault, if he was telling the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that Pippen worked for me, but no longer does. After I discovered his involvement in your attack, I cut ties with him. Of course, your sister was quick to accuse him, and made a very public example out of him. But he was my friend, you understand? I know how that sounds, but if it was your friend, wouldn¡¯t you give them the benefit of the doubt?¡±

    Hunter considered his words. He¡¯d honestly never been in that situation before.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Look, Hunter, I''m not exactly a saint. Ask anyone who knows me. I deal in the more morally grey areas of society¡ª and I''ve done my fair share of shady things in my life. But after Pippen attacked you, Aera seemed to declare war on everyone that Pippen''s ever known, including myself.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you brought me here,¡± Hunter said, ¡°this is about Aera.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about both you and Aera. It¡¯s about the Visgolds and the Oberon, it¡¯s about Aera and me. Its about all of us. The thing is that despite the fact that Pippen acted on his own¡ª and you don¡¯t need to take my word for it. Ask the officers in charge of the investigation. In fact i¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be contacting you shortly with their findings. Pippen had you in his sights since the moment he saw you, because he felt that he needed to strike back at the Oberon family on behalf of his own,¡± Jason said, practically out of breath as he finished explaining.

    Hunter frowned.

    He hadn¡¯t heard anything about that.

    ¡°Your sister is under the impression that I was somehow involved, and has started to take action against not only me, but my businesses. And I have to tell you that it¡¯s not just my business, it¡¯s my family¡¯s business as well. Do you understand?¡± He paused and tilted his head.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t come out right, I''m not threatening you. I just want you to know what being successful here at Barnum really means to me. My family is counting on my ability to run things smoothly here, and I feel like I''m being unjustly targeted by your sister for something that I had no part in,¡± Jason said, spreading his palms as he plead his case.

    ¡°So, you want me to talk to her, or something?¡± Hunter asked. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could change Aera¡¯s mind about anything.

    Jason scoffed.

    ¡°Aera is a stubborn little creature. Once she¡¯s set her sights on someone, she¡¯s like a hound after a bone,¡± Jason said, practically spitting out the words, and Hunter heard venom in his voice. Jason sighed and deflated, his anger seeming to leave him as fast as it had appeared.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I''m sure I''ll remain a target of hers for the near future. However, I¡¯m not without defense and will act in turn. But!¡± He said, sticking up a finger, as if he expected Hunter to interject but wanted to get a word in before that.

    ¡°But, I just wanted to let you know that I have no interest in fanning the flames anymore than they already have been. I may be at war with your sister, but I''m not at war with you. I¡¯ve done my homework on you, Hunter. You appear to be rather independent, and open minded,¡± Jason said, reaching into his jacket¡¯s inner pocket and pulling out a business card. He handed it to Hunter.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying earlier, I feel like I owe you, and a mere apology isn¡¯t enough for what happened to you. There are services I can render you, but I have a feeling that party enhancers and illicit merchandise aren¡¯t really up your alley¡ª am I correct?¡±

    Hunter frowned.

    ¡°Yeah, not really my thing,¡± he said. Jason nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I expected, but you never know. What I had in mind was more in the form of protection.¡±

    Hunter found himself intrigued.

    ¡°You mean like, weapons?¡±

    Jason laughed.

    ¡°Of course not, that would be highly illegal, and much more risky than anything I''d be willing to play with during my time here. I have aspirations after all, no I was thinking more along the lines of some bodyguards,¡± Jason said, smiling at Hunter.

    ¡°The school wouldn¡¯t allow it,¡± Hunter said, never mind the fact that bodyguards from his sisters rival didn¡¯t seem like a great idea. At the very least it could jeopardize his relationship with Trey, if he ever found out.

    ¡°The school wouldn¡¯t have to know. Your guards would be other students, and as far as the faculty are concerned, you¡¯re all just good friends who like to walk together between classes,¡± Jason said.

    Hunter considered the offer, but he still felt like it was too much of a risk.

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, Jason, but i¡¯m not really interested. You said it yourself, you and Aera aren¡¯t seeing eye to eye. I don¡¯t think doing business with you would be very appropriate.¡±

    Jason nodded, his smile didn¡¯t even twitch.

    ¡°The offer remains open. Keep the card, and let me know if you ever need anything. It¡¯s really the least I can do after what you¡¯ve been through.¡±

    Hunter stared at the card skeptically. Something about this still didn¡¯t feel right.

    ¡°You don¡¯t appear convinced of my authenticity,¡± Jason said, sighing.

    Hunter considered denying it, but maybe Jason could convince him otherwise.

    ¡°I think that its strange that you would invite your rival¡¯s sibling to a private meeting, no matter what your history is with Pippen. Not that I think your apology isn¡¯t genuine, but the offer¡ª bodyguards¡ª it just seems a bit,¡± Hunter tried to think of a way to put it politely.

    ¡°Sketchy,¡± Jason said, saying what Hunter wouldn¡¯t. When Hunter didn¡¯t immediately correct him, Jason laughed.

    ¡°I can understand why you¡¯d think that. But it¡¯s not like I''m not getting anything out of the deal. The fact that you''re an Oberon, and Clark¡¯s recommendation, are both sufficient reasons for me to be interested in establishing a business relationship with you. You¡¯ve got the potential to be a future leader, after all. In fact, as an Oberon, I''m sure that in your case it¡¯s more than just potential. Am I wrong?¡±

    Hunter shrugged. He still didn¡¯t really understand what his role would be at Oberon Enterprises. He had ideas, a feeling of freedom, but nothing would really take shape until after his time at Barnum was over. Either he achieved Excellence and was headed to further his education in preparation to leave Sanctuary behind him, or he would take on a full-time research and development role, so to speak.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you¡¯re not,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Then I would say that a social network is a type of currency, and that I am not suffering a loss by offering you my services for free,¡± Jason explained, ¡°Of course, it would be on the condition that you remain out of this business between Aera and I. It¡¯s an apology, a treatise of peace, and a good business deal, all in one.¡±

    What Jason said made a lot of sense, and all of the nerves that Hunter had felt since the conversation started had mostly melted away. He found himself liking Jason Chan, he seemed honest, despite the kind of business he was involved in. The word that seemed to stand out to Hunter was honor. Jason seemed honorable, the same way Trey seemed to be. Smart, focused, and humble.

    Still, accepting the offer outright might risk invoking Aera''s ire. He''d been enjoying the budding warmth that seemed to be growing between them. Not a feeling of deep friendship, but the ice had been thawing. He liked the idea of the both of them becoming actual friends, rather than associates who merely tolerated each other.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "I''ll think about it," Hunter said.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Jason said, standing with Hunter and leading him out the door. But before they left, Jason seemed to be struck by a thought.

    ¡°There is one more thing, I have other business partners. People who aren¡¯t as¡­ restrained as I am. Aera¡¯s actions have hit their businesses as much, if not more, than they¡¯ve hit mine. I¡¯ve talked to everyone, and told them that there would be consequences for involving you in any scheme to punish Aera, but I can¡¯t control their every move.¡±

    Hunter was starting to resent Aera¡¯s stubborn determination. He¡¯d known that she was willing to fight for her pride, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯d taken it too far. At least she was thinking ahead when she gave him the taser, and he hoped that she¡¯d prepared some defense for herself as well. Maybe she¡¯d agree to wear some of his new armor. He also had an idea about adding some interesting force-field attachments to the armor, inspired by his handiwork back at the museum.

    He thanked Jason for the warning, who nodded as if it was merely a polite courtesy. They both emerged from behind the bar and rejoined the rest of the group. Hunter checked the time and realized he would need to leave in order to get ready for his tutoring session with Aera.

    Clark told him that they usually meet up at different places around campus about once or twice a month, and he¡¯d let him know when the next one was planned. Hunter left, feeling uncertain about his meeting with Jason. But his personal network just expanded to include some people who Hunter admired, and like Jason had said, their potential influence could prove to be invaluable in the future. Hunter considered the group, and whether he felt like he belonged there or not. He¡¯d never envisioned himself to be a leader. A pioneer, sure. Or a pathfinder. Did that qualify him as a member of the Society of Future Leaders?

    He wondered if he¡¯d get some sort of ring if he ever decided to join. Or maybe a badge.

    But those connections felt insignificant in light of what Jason had revealed to him about what simmering beneath the campus¡¯s surface. The weak attempt to improve his own mood was like a wave crashing against the side of a high cliff. It seemed that Aera had upset a lot of people, people who could prove to be very dangerous.

    What if one of Jason''s business partners decided that they needed to use him to send Aera a message?

    What if Aera had bitten off more than she could chew?

    Hunter hurried home, watching every alley that he passed. He would need to talk to Aera about his conversation.

    It was time that she came clean and told him about everything that was going on.

    Hunter felt some relief as he walked through the lobby of the apartment building. It was a quiet evening. He took the elevator up to his floor, and finally felt himself calming down.

    As he neared his apartment, his heart froze. The door to his apartment was wide open, having been kicked in. Hunter wished he¡¯d remembered to bring his taser with him as he slowly walked towards the entryway, trying not to make a sound. He stopped just outside, and listening for any signs that someone was in there.

    He couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    He stepped into the suite and felt the all the hair on his body rise. The small kitchen had been torn apart, drawers thrown to the ground, cutlery everywhere. His coffee press was broken, the microwave was smashed and in pieces. There appeared to be no reason for the destruction¡ª just violence for the sake of it.

    The ruin continued into his living room. His table had been broken in half, and the small television was on its side, the glass screen having shattered into pieces over the floor. The journal with his focus results had been torn, pieces of paper littering the floor. His heart skipped a beat, and he rushed into the closet of his room. His clothes had been thrown throughout the room, and some seemed to be missing entirely, no doubt taken by whoever had done this.

    He felt a surge of relief as he spotted his fathers suitcase behind the small boxes he¡¯d used to hide it.

    Hunter saw a folded piece of paper on his bed. His hand shook as he reached for it, and opened it.

    You¡¯ve fucked with the wrong people, Oberon.

    Hunter swore.

    He was once again being punished for something he¡¯d had no business in¡ª again, baring the Oberon name felt like a curse.

    Of course, his cell phone had been trashed with the rest of his belongings. Oddly enough, the bed appeared completely undisturbed. It had been left the same as it was when he¡¯d left the apartment this morning.

    Hunter was glad he hadn¡¯t been here when this happened. He searched his apartment and couldn¡¯t find the taser.

    Frustration at the invasion of his sanctuary was to understate how he felt. He pushed back the tears as best he could. His chest burned, and he resisted the urge to punch the wall.

    It wouldn¡¯t help.

    He stifled back the sob which threatened to erupt from his throat.

    For the first time in weeks, Hunter felt utterly overwhelmed. He had no idea how to clean up this mess, he couldn¡¯t call anyone, he didn¡¯t know who to trust except for Aera¡ª and he was completely unwilling to talk to her.

    She should have been more careful. She shouldn¡¯t have antagonized these people, whoever they were.

    But how could he avoid talking to her? She¡¯d find out about this even if he didn¡¯t say anything¡ª but what would she do if he told her about it now? Wouldn¡¯t she just respond in kind, making another example out of someone, like Jason had said she¡¯d done with Pippen?

    She would just make things worse.

    Hunter could not rely on Aera. He needed to take more steps to keep himself safe. This is exactly what Jason had talked about, and he hadn¡¯t realized that the potential danger that he¡¯d been warned about was so imminent.

    Hunter left his apartment, and took the elevator to the lobby. There was a phone down there that he could use. He took the card out of his pocket, and dialed Jasons number. It rang for a while, and Hunter wasn¡¯t sure if Jason would pick up, but eventually he did.

    The line clicked open.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got Chan.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I see,¡± Jason said into his phone, trying not to let the excitement overwhelm his voice. His chair swiveled around in a slow circle in the center of his office. Not fast enough to make him dizzy, but enough to keep his mind occupied from the tedium of having to pretend to be a good person.

    The Society of Future Leaders had adjourned shortly after Hunter left. Jason had been strategic in having the meeting be held at one of his bars. He wanted the space and privacy to execute this little plan he¡¯d been thinking about for a week.

    Clark had been eager to inform the Society about his newest friend, and Jason hadn¡¯t expected the opening. But with Jason¡¯s blessing, Clark happily gave Hunter the invitation.

    It was the perfect opportunity to finally sound Hunter out for himself. Was he a lion, or a kitten? How much had Aera told him about her arch rival?

    Was Hunter Koar a prey animal for Jason to use as he wished, or would a finer touch be needed?

    Their meeting had proven to be very enlightening, and surprisingly convenient. Everything seemed to be working in Jason¡¯s favor; Hunters naivety, Tilda Burner¡¯s desperation, Aera¡¯s stubborn pride she no doubt inherited from her father.

    The mewling Oberon had been a much easier target than he¡¯d anticipated. Surely a mind so focused and prone to suspicion would have been harder to sway. But Jason had calculated correctly.

    Hunter was conflicted as any other animal. He¡¯d been looking for an excuse to mistrust people, and yet desperately desired to place his trust somewhere. Jason was all too happy to give him both. The Faultline was already there, and if Jason wanted to start to break the new Oberon unit apart, he just needed a sufficiently powerful wedge to open the crack a bit further.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected my associates to retaliate so quickly, either. This is concerning. I¡¯ll make some discrete investigations, but I can only think of a couple of people who would be so brazen.¡±

    "Thanks, man," Hunter said, and the distress in his voice was still evident though he appeared to think he was able to hide it.

    ¡°Have you told your sister, yet?¡± Jason asked, optimistic about the answer.

    ¡°Not yet¡ª i¡¯m not sure she¡¯d take it well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jason said, his pleasure evident as a breath of relief, ¡°I think that¡¯s wise. She¡¯ll be more open to hearing about it if you present it to her along with the culprit, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah that sounds like it would help settle her nerves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you agree Hunter. Now, I wouldn¡¯t be comfortable with letting you remain unprotected over the next little while. I¡¯ll have a couple of guys sent over to watch your place. I¡¯ll call Clark, he¡¯ll probably be willing to let you crash at his dorm for a bit. His roommate is away for a little while from what I understand, so there¡¯s a free bed,¡± Jason said.

    ¡°I owe you one," Hunter said, the relief in his voice was starting to become more evident. Jason smiled.

    ¡°Not at all, consider this an extension of my apology. I¡¯ll figure out who was behind this, and I won¡¯t rest until I do. You have my word,¡± Jason said, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about getting a new phone. I¡¯ll have one brought to you soon.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI know, but I want to. It would be tiresome to relay any news through Clark, right?¡±

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess I can see that. Thanks again. I¡¯ve got a meeting with Aera soon, so I''ve got to go.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Hunter. Remember what we talked about. The less she knows right now, the better,¡± Jason warned.

    Hunter agreed, and hung up, probably feeling much more safe and content to rely on his new, trustworthy friend, Jason Fuckin'' Chan.

    He laughed. It was a deep, genuine release from his gut. Hunter was a naive child¡ª he had no idea the danger he was in. He was utterly unprepared for the viper''s nest he''d haplessly wandered into.

    Beside Jason was a briefcase containing a certain construct prototype and its network schematics. He patted it, wondering what he¡¯d done to deserve such a wave of fortune. Tilda Burner had been all too willing to hand it over to help pay off her debt. She¡¯d begged him to take it, saying it could be worth millions of credits. He¡¯d called his mother to see if she¡¯d be willing to accept the offer in exchange for Burner¡¯s family to be let off the hook. His mother accepted, on the condition that they would only release Tilda¡¯s family from bondage once the aftermath of the coming chaos had died down.

    With a promise of future freedom in exchange for betraying her friend, Jason had successfully taken candy from a baby.

    Please don''t tell Hunter, she''d whispered, barely able to handle her inner conflict. Delicious.

    At this point, he was just playing with them.

    He had his suspicions that Aera was starting to suspect that he was much more ambitious, and dangerous, than he let on. His family had informed him that Oberon¡¯s intelligence people had been making inquiries into the Visgolds and the Locke¡¯s, and had discovered the Chan family¡¯s ascent through the social strata. Yet, the Oberon¡¯s appeared to have a glaring weakness. None of them seemed to communicate with each other when it counted. It was his own family¡¯s greatest strength, and surely a Council Seat would have figured that out a while ago. The whole ship needs to work together-- everyone needed to row in the same direction.

    There weren¡¯t many Oberon¡¯s, and each of them were just as stubborn as the last. Hunter was no exception, even though he lacked the connection to his new family by blood. If Aera had been more forthcoming with Hunter, then they¡¯d have probably been able to avoid this whole situation in the first place. Really, its their own fault.

    He dialed Clark¡¯s number.

    ¡°Our friend Hunter is in trouble and needs a safe place to rest for a few days. If I recall correctly, your roommate is out of town for the near future?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if Hunter needs a bed i¡¯ve got no problem with him staying here for a bit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear. I admire that about you Clark, always willing to help a friend in need,¡± Jason said.

    ¡°Hey, the feeling is mutual!¡±

    ¡°Of course, oh, and I¡¯ll be sending a few people with him. They¡¯ll be hanging around your apartment for a few days but you won¡¯t need to let them inside or anything. They¡¯re just their to scare off anyone with ill intent. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°I feel safer already!¡± Clark said, and Jason felt eternally grateful for the sheep¡¯s innocent little mind.

    ¡°Good. Thanks again, Clark.¡±

    ¡°No problem, i¡¯ll get the room ready,¡± Clark said, and Jason hung up.

    It was at times like this that Jason wished he were a poet. He lit the extinguished joint he¡¯d been smoking just prior to Hunters call.

    Sometimes he wondered if there really was a god, or some divine force which drove the movements of the world. It was a times like these where everything seemed to go perfectly, more perfectly than he could anticipate. He had not only found a weak spot in the Oberon¡¯s armor, but had managed to open it even wider. He¡¯d need to call his mother, she¡¯d be pleased with the work he¡¯d done.

    Perhaps this was the opening they¡¯d been looking for. Maybe the timeline could be accelerated.

    Jason almost shuddered in anticipation. He wouldn¡¯t need to wait until the end of the year to see Aera begging in him on her knees to spare her and her family.

    Victory was so close he could taste it.

 Chapter 46

    ¡°Hunter, we need to talk,¡± Aera said as soon as he sat down at the table. He¡¯d seen her stewing in the corner of the cafeteria, ¡°Why weren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡±

    Hunter almost told her the truth. It was so close to slipping out of his mouth that he cleared his throat, giving himself time to think of an excuse.

    ¡°I lost it,¡± he said, ¡°I know, its dumb. I¡¯ve been walking around campus all day looking for it but unfortunately, no luck.¡±

    ¡°Did you lose it before, or after your meeting with Jason Chan?¡± Aera asked. Hunter got a glimpse of the old Aera, the one he¡¯d known from the beginning.

    She''d been watching him? The thought made him feel a bit claustrophobic.

    ¡°I know how it looks, but you need to believe me when I say that I had no idea who Jason was before that meeting. My friend Clark invited me, he said he had a few friends he wanted me to meet. They have a group, called the Society for Future Leaders,¡± Hunter said, and Aera snorted.

    ¡°I bet every single one of those Future Leaders were there at Jason¡¯s order. I¡¯ll look into them, but don¡¯t be surprised if I find they¡¯re all on his payroll.¡±

    Hunter was going to disagree, but he remembered how the group had behaved around Jason. After the meeting, he¡¯d chalked it up to them having a lot of respect for the kind of man that Jason is, and the weight that someone who appears to have dangerous, high level connections seems to carry when they speak.

    ¡°Even if they were, Jason talked to me. He told me about the drama between you two¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªDrama? Is that what he called it?¡± Aera asked, her tone genuinely curious, yet something about the way she¡¯d said it felt like he needed to speak very carefully. He didn¡¯t want her to start making trouble again.

    ¡°I might be paraphrasing a bit. But, Aera, he said that he doesn¡¯t want to fight with you, but that he will defend himself if he has to. He even told me that he had no intention of dragging me into your fight¡ª not that it stopped my apartment from being¡ª¡± Hunter shut himself up as soon as he realized what he was saying.

    Aera had her full attention on him.

    ¡°Finish what you were just about to say,¡± she said.

    He opened his mouth to say something, but his brain was stalling. Nothing came out.

    ¡°Hunter, what happened?¡±

    He¡¯d fucked up. He was tired, his mind still still felt like it was in chaos, and he had barely been paying attention to what he was saying. Aera wouldn¡¯t let it go and Hunter felt like maybe it was best to come clean after all. Maybe Aera would listen to reason.

    ¡°Before I do, you need to listen to me,¡± Hunter said, and Aera slapped the table and pointed a finger at him.

    ¡°You need to listen to me. Jason isn¡¯t just dangerous, he¡¯s clever. Lying is as natural to him as walking and breathing is to us. You don''t know what I know Hunter, you haven¡¯t been dealing with what I have for the last few months.¡±

    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± he asked, unable to stop himself, ¡°and don¡¯t say you¡¯re just trying to keep me safe. How has that worked out for me so far? While I was at the meeting with Jason, someone kicked down the door to my apartment and trashed the place,¡± he said, reaching into his pocket and taking out the note he found on his bed.

    Aera read the note and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before reading the note again. She met Hunters gaze, and she seemed concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hunter,¡± she said, ¡°you¡¯re right. But I have been trying to keep you safe, but only because you¡¯re not ready to the kind of game that¡¯s being played here.¡±

    She held her hand up, and Hunter breathed out the words that were on his tongue.

    ¡°I know you have a lot to say, but I need to know more about what¡¯s going on. What else did Jason tell you? I need to know everything. I promise I won¡¯t act on what I hear without consulting you first, alright?¡±

    Hunter felt the wind leave his sails.

    This is what he¡¯d wanted, right? To be let in on the process? To have a say in how their actions would affect him in the future?

    ¡°Okay,¡± Hunter said, ¡°then I¡¯ll start by saying that I called Jason after I saw what happened to my apartment.¡±

    Hunter filled her in on the conversation that he had with Jason Chan, from the meeting that Clark had invited him to, to the offer of protection, and then finally to helping Hunter come up with a plan.

    ¡°So he pinned it on Pippen?¡± Aera mused, ¡°so much for a life-long friendship. I think I know what¡¯s going on, but there¡¯s a few pieces that aren¡¯t making sense to me. I need to make some calls, but first we need to sort out what¡¯s going on between you and me. I know you want to trust Jason, and you skeptical about trusting me. I get that, but if I can prove to you that you shouldn¡¯t trust Jason, will you agree to cut off all contact with him?¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t have a problem with that, but he had one condition.

    ¡°Only if you agree to let me know everything else that¡¯s been going on. I feel like mi in the dark here, Aera.¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°Before today, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed. But I guess you deserve some clarity. Besides, I have a very bad feeling about all of this. Jason has been acting incredibly brazenly from the start, and he shouldn¡¯t be. I need to call dad, he might know something that we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why would Trey care about what¡¯s going on here at Barnum?¡± Hunter asked, then he realized the answer was obvious. He¡¯d been in the hospital before the first day of classes was over, so of course Trey would be concerned.

    His investment was at risk.

    Maybe Hunter wasn¡¯t being fair to the man, and maybe he was genuinely concerned for Hunter safety, but if he was honest with himself, he didn¡¯t really know Trey very well, did he?

    Neither did he know Aera as much as he¡¯d like to. Although their relationship may have warmed up slightly over the last few months, a bit of honest self reflection revealed that there wasn''t much she''d done to earn his unconditional trust.

    ¡°After the year started off the way it did, he decided to keep a closer eye on things¡ª but even if that hadn¡¯t happened, I would still need to keep him in the loop. He wanted me to keep you updated as well, but I assured him I could take care of things. And, any other year, I probably would have. But things seem different this year, and I have no idea why,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s almost like the Chan¡¯s don¡¯t fear retaliation¡ª and from what I¡¯ve come to understand, the Chan¡¯s aren¡¯t stupid.¡±

    It was almost like she was connecting the dots as she spoke them. Her eyes widened as the implications dawned on her. Hunter still felt like he was totally lost.

    ¡°The Chan¡¯s, you¡¯re referring to Jason¡¯s family.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Small time players, but I suspect they¡¯ve been making a play to cozy up to the Visgolds given Jason''s relationship to Pippen¡ª which makes his betrayal of Pippen somewhat unexpected, yet if i¡¯m right about what¡¯s going on behind the scenes, then maybe it isn¡¯t so unexpected after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost me,¡± Hunter said, ¡°Why are you so sure that Jason betrayed Pippen, and how is that connected to the Visgolds and the Chan¡¯s? It sounds like you¡¯re grasping at straws, Aera. You do see that, right?¡±

    ¡°I know, I understand how this must all sound to you,¡± Aera said, pinching the bridge of her nose and leaning back. She stared at the ceiling for a second, and then nodded to herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call dad now. I¡¯m just about due to update him about what¡¯s been going on here, anyways. I need time to gather some evidence to prove to you that Jason is untrustworthy, but I¡¯m sure that dad can provide you with more context. He might be able to help me understand what¡¯s been going on as well.¡±

    Hunter checked his wristwatch. They had an hour left in their session, then he¡¯d have to go meet up with Clark. He considered what Jason had asked him, about not revealing anything, and realized that he didn¡¯t regret telling Aera¡ª even if it had been entirely accidental.

    The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she was right. Why should he trust Jason, more than anyone else?

    He¡¯d just met the guy. Why was he so tempted to want to trust him? He suddenly felt gross, like someone had wormed their way into his mind and shifted his perceptions without him knowing.

    If Aera was right, then Jason really was dangerous, more than he let on. And if it turned out that she wasn¡¯t right, then maybe he could actually convince her to back off a bit. It all depended on what Trey knew.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s call Trey,¡± he said. One way or another, it was time for some clarity.

    <hr>

    Trey was in his office in the capital. He¡¯d been finding it hard to sleep lately¡ª there was too much work to be done. A folder containing the latest news on Operation: Exodus lay sprawled on top of his desk. The necessity for the project was growing more apparent by the day. The rest of the Council was starting to distance themselves from him. Not overtly, but in subtle ways which were starting to slowly escalate. They were going to force him to take a stance against them.

    He wanted to be ready for that, when the time came. They would have some accusation, he would deny it, they would double down, and so would he.

    Then the gloves would come off. He worried about the kids. He had faith in his daughters ability to handle things, but the timing might prove to be a bit more than she could handle. The more he discovered about the Chan¡¯s, the less he liked. The Locke¡¯s were preparing to wash their hands of the Visgolds entirely. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be any of his business, but the Chan¡¯s ambition, and the interference of their son at the academy had made him wonder if his initial assessment had been accurate. He and his people had come to a few unsettling conclusions, one of which was driving the progress of Operation: Exodus like nothing else.

    Self preservation. Not just of his family, but as much of the company as he could take with him.

    Idra opened the door to his office, carrying his phone. It was odd seeing the small device. It almost felt wrong, he was used to the awkward, bulky design they¡¯d been using for years.

    But progress sometimes meant being uncomfortable for a while. He would adapt to the pace.

    ¡°It¡¯s Aera, and Hunter.¡±

    ¡°This late? I hope everything¡¯s okay,¡± he said, taking the phone and putting it on speaker. He gestured for Idra to leave.

    ¡°Hey, kids.¡±

    ¡°Hey, dad,¡± Aera said, ¡°we¡¯ve got some trouble.¡±

    ¡°Straight to business eh? Not going to ask me how my day¡¯s gone?¡±

    She sighed, and Trey laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. What¡¯s going on over there?¡±

    Aera explained, and Hunter filled in where he could. Aera told him about her theory, about something big going on behind the scenes that is making the Chan¡¯s feel more boldly about how they act towards the Oberons. Trey rubbed his face.

    He needed a cigar, but he didn¡¯t have any on him. Instead, he pressed a button on the side of his desk, the one that would let Idra know that he wanted a coffee. He always meant to have a little station in this office devoted to it like he did at home, but alas, business usually distracted him far too much to let that be a priority.

    ¡°You there, dad?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Sure, yeah, hun. Just ordered some coffee,¡± Trey said, ¡°And yeah, I¡¯ve got a thing or two to say about the situation. First off, Hunter, no one can blame you for how you reacted. You were looking out for Aera by not wanting her to overreact when we heard about your apartment. Now, before we go any further, how do you feel? Are you both safe? Do you want to come home?¡±

    He expected Hunter to say yes.

    There was a pause. The coffee arrived, he sipped it.

    Perfect. He nodded at Idra in thanks, and she left.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hunter said, ¡°I¡¯d feel safer if I knew what was going on.¡±

    Trey raised an eyebrow.

    Yeah, we¡¯ll see, he thought.

    ¡°So the Visgolds are out," he said, "the Locke family has been shutting off the Visgolds access to their resources over the last year. Can you guess who the majority of those resources have been shunted off towards?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Chan¡¯s,¡± Aera said, her tone deadpan.

    ¡°Bingo. Interesting, eh?¡±

    ¡°That is interesting,¡± Aera said, ¡°but it wouldn¡¯t explain why Jason is acting the way he is. A family subordinate to a council seat might have more protection, but not enough to hide them from the kind of resources we could move agains them for going too far, and so far it seems like Jason¡¯s been only too willing to go that extra mile.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s acting the way you think he is,¡± Hunter interjected.

    Trey tsked. The kid can¡¯t be blamed for his naivety, but even Trey found it a bit annoying.

    ¡°The Chan¡¯s are acting like a well oiled machine. They¡¯re all moving to the same beat, which appears to be set by their matriarch, Jason¡¯s mother,¡± he said. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. There¡¯s a lot I haven¡¯t been telling you about what¡¯s going on behind the scenes, but the news isn¡¯t good.¡±

    He questioned the temptation to tell them everything. Then he thought better of it. He would tell them enough to keep them glued together. The Oberon¡¯s could not be allowed to break apart under the influence of the Chan¡¯s. Trey needed them to watch each others backs, now more than ever. He would attempt to dissuade his colleagues one more time. If they didn¡¯t play ball, he would pull the kids out of the Academy, and they would commence the Exodus.

    ¡°I have good evidence to prove that the Chan¡¯s are making a play for a Council Seat. There are multiple other Seat¡¯s backing them. That¡¯s all I can tell you for now. I can let the severity of their actions speak to their confidence in their bid for ascendancy working out in their favor.¡±

    Aera swore.

    ¡°I taught you better than that,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Sorry, dad. But what you''re saying would explain a lot¡ª especially the influence that the Chan¡¯s seem to have over the campus. Half of the campus¡¯s businesses belong to them. I¡¯m sure they have most of the faculty in their pocket, if not all of them.¡±

    Trey chuckled. A certain bearded academic came to mind.

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Trey said, ¡°How are you finding your history lessons, Hunter?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh,¡± Hunter fumbled, seeming to be caught off guard by the upbrupt change of subject, ¡°good. Professor Jackson is awesome.¡±

    ¡°Did he tell you about his theory? About the Asutnahem?¡±

    ¡°That they knew about the edge of the world? Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It gets more exciting, I assure you, but you¡¯ll have to wait so that I can show you what I mean in person. Listen, both of you. The moment things seem like they¡¯re about to escalate again, you call me, and I¡¯ll send a team to get you out of there,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± Aera said, and Trey¡¯s heart ached when he heard the worry in her voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good, Aera. But we¡¯ve been through worse,¡± he said, not certain about the truth in his words.

    ¡°Right,¡± she said. Aera had faith in him, and he wouldn¡¯t betray that faith. Part of him was screaming at himself, telling him to get them both out of that spiders web at that very moment.

    But he had to play his cards right. This was a game of chicken. The moment he started to act, the Council would pounce. They would be getting resources in place, in case of a war. He would appear to be cautiously optimistic about convincing them otherwise, and he would make a genuine effort to do so.

    If there didn¡¯t need to be any bloodshed, he would try his best to avoid it.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be needing a new phone, Hunter. Expect one tomorrow. Are you still planning to stay at your friend¡¯s place?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hunter said, ¡°i¡¯m not sure about that anymore.¡±

    ¡°Aera, are you okay with Hunter sleeping on your couch for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± she said, but her reply was way too quick to be genuine. He smiled.

    ¡°Thanks, Aera. And Aera, I would recommend ceasing your business with the Chan child. From this point on, we can¡¯t count on them to honor the rules.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, her tone the same as before. He frowned.

    ¡°Aera¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t worry about me, dad. We¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    ¡°Promise me.¡±

    She paused, and then sighed.

    ¡°I promise to cut off my business with Jason.¡±

    ¡°Good. Thank you. Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°thanks for letting us know about what¡¯s going on in the world.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sweetheart. Hunter, be careful, alright? I¡¯ve already got a team stationed near the campus. You say the word, and you''ll be out of there. But let that be a last resort. Solving your problems for yourself will make you a stronger man. You need to be able to trust your own strength. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Then I wish you both a good night.¡±

    They said their farewells, and he waited for them to hang up.

    He sipped his coffee.

    He definitely wasn¡¯t going to be getting any sleep that night. He considered the plans for Project Exodus once more, and then decided to make a call.

    The company, and the family, might need the full services of a certain professor if they were going to proceed with the project.

    They would need all the guidance they could get, if they were going to not only survive, but thrive in the world that was to come.

 Chapter 47

    The next few days passed peacefully. Hunter went about his business as usual, only without seeing much of Tilda. He¡¯d given her a call, and she¡¯d said that something had come up with her family, and that she¡¯d be away from the school for a while. If someone were to ask him how he felt about not having to spend time with Tilda, he¡¯d say that at the moment, it was for the best. He didn¡¯t feel like his life was stable, and that there was something like a guillotine hanging above his head wherever he went.

    Campus security had found out about his apartment, and had reported that the security footage from the lobby had seemed to be mysteriously absent. Not doctored, but gone. Someone had taken it, so they had no way of finding out who was responsible. There were no witnesses coming forward, either.

    Aera said she¡¯d try and get another taser for him, but he¡¯d refused. Hunter was ready to take his safety into his own hands. After his classes, he would spend as much time in the workshop as possible, even outright buying other people¡¯s sessions. He¡¯d spent 500 credits a day over the last few days for some extra time, and so far it had paid off.

    Hunter was finishing up his final project for the day. While he¡¯d been working with Tilda, and simplifying what he knew about forcefields, a few key ideas he¡¯d been thinking about separately snapped together.

    The first idea had been about effectively creating a force-field that expanded rapidly, and then shut off. Instead of using it as a wall of defense, what if he actually engineered a force explosion, like what had happened at the museum? He stretched his creativity to the max to find a solution, and he¡¯d managed to come up with something that worked. It would need a little bit of battery assistance as the AR requirement was about 15 points higher than he could currently supply, but at his current rate of growth, that would only take about a week.

    At which point, he would just remove the battery and use it manually.

    What¡¯s better was that he¡¯d managed to interface it with the wireless transmitter for the network prototype he¡¯d kept. With a bit of extra power, he could supply both the enhanced armor plates and the what Hunter was calling his F.P.E.

    He nodded with satisfaction at the device he was holding. It had a handle, which had two rods which would arc upwards from both the handles ends, connecting it to an emission plate. It was the most compact device Hunter had ever designed, and he¡¯d made four of them.

    One set for him, and one for Aera. Hers were even more compact than his, since she wouldn¡¯t need any batteries.

    Hunter¡¯s next plan was to make a small suit of armor based on the principles that he and Tilda had worked on, but he was worried about the timeline. He might not be able to finish it before things started to escalate, and he¡¯d rather have a surefire way to defend himself, which meant that the F.P.E¡¯s took priority. In place of a suit of armor, his next project would be the second-best idea. A large shield which utilized the same principle as the F.P.E¡¯s, as well as the forcefield-enhancement and reinforcing design that he and Tilda had designed. It would be the best of both, combined into one.

    It was 6pm when he was done at the Artisan department, and the sun had already set. Hunter¡¯s strength had continued to increase over the last few days, and so had his appetite. He considered grabbing a bite to eat, but decided that given all that he¡¯d learned recently, he¡¯d probably just go home. The Artisan Department was in what he considered a safer part of the campus. It was a relatively straight walk back to the apartment building, as it was down a main street which was well lit and busy at this time of the evening.

    But he still didn¡¯t want to take any chances. Even with his new weapons, he would rather be home safe then forced to test his odds against another group of attackers.

    All thoughts about going home in peace fizzled away as soon as he saw Jason Chan come around the corner at an intersection with a group of men. They appeared to be deep in discussion as they walked, and Jason''s¡¯ eyes lit up as he saw Hunter.

    ¡°Hunter! What a surprise. Are you hungry? My friends and I were about to grab some dinner, if you¡¯d like to join us.¡±

    After calling Clark and telling him about the arrangement he¡¯d made with Aera, Hunter was worried about what Jason¡¯s reaction would be. But he¡¯d never called to find out. As far as Hunter was concerned, the less he had to deal with Jason, the more he was assured he wouldn¡¯t get caught up in the crossfire between him and Aera. Although, now that he was more aware about what was going on behind the scenes, he wasn¡¯t sure that he could say that he wasn¡¯t involved. He was implicated on the side that opposed the Chan¡¯s, whether he wanted to be or not.

    ¡°Sorry, Jason. I¡¯ve got some homework, so I should be getting home,¡± Hunter said, hoping that Jason would leave him alone.

    Jason nodded.

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t I walk you to the apartment?¡± He asked. Hunter felt his hands start to sweat. He reached into his pocket where one of his F.P.E¡¯s was waiting to be used.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I wouldn¡¯t want to keep you all from your dinners,¡± Hunter said.

    Jason¡¯s smile appeared strained for a second, and Hunter felt like he saw something in Jason¡¯s eyes which he hadn¡¯t noticed before. A blankness, a cold disregard of everything he observed.

    Was he imagining it, based on what he¡¯d heard from Trey and Aera? But as soon as he saw it, Jason¡¯s friendly smile was back in full, his eyes full of cheer.

    ¡°It¡¯s no imposition. We¡¯ll keep you safe until you get to your apartment,¡± Jason said, and then tsk¡¯d, softly patting himself on the forehead, ¡°I mean your sisters apartment, my apologies.¡±

    Before Hunter could reject any further, Jason was already walking ahead, and his friends were waiting behind, giving Hunter option but to follow Jason.

    He gulped.

    Jason slowed his pace until Hunter caught up. He breathed a deep breath of cold air, and made a satisfied sound as he exhaled.

    ¡°I love this time of year,¡± Jason said, ¡°don¡¯t you? I feel like the chill brings a stillness to the air. It feels a bit like being home.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re from up north?¡± Hunter asked. Weren¡¯t the Chan¡¯s from the LockeMark domain? That whole region was tropical, from what he understood.

    ¡°No, no. More like, empty of warmth. Cold in another way,¡± Jason said, quietly. He was silent for a while, and Hunter took the time to try and covertly dry his palms.

    ¡°Anyways, the reason why I''m so insistent on speaking with you today, Hunter, is that I need to know what you told your sister about me.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s anxiety returned, and he didn¡¯t hide from it. He didn¡¯t want to end up like he¡¯d been when he first started practicing the Internal Arts. Instead, he let himself feel what he was feeling, and reminded himself of the stakes. Jason Chan was dangerous¡ª no matter his intentions towards Hunter. And Hunter was no longer the helpless weakling he¡¯d been at the beginning of the school year.

    He and Aera had discussed what to say if Jason ever confronted him. He racked his mind, trying to remember the specifics.

    The primary goal was to keep Jason in the dark about what they had planned, which was easy, because Hunter didn¡¯t think that they had a plan. Aera had promised him that she wouldn¡¯t act without consulting him first.

    ¡°She found out that we met during the Society meeting. I told her what you told me, and I tried to change her mind. She told me to be more careful in the future, and that I couldn¡¯t trust you,¡± Hunter said, summoning the courage to glance at Jason, to see how he reacted.

    He didn¡¯t react. In fact, his complete lack of reaction felt more alarming than anything he could have imagined.

    There was no disappointment, no anger, there was nothing.

    ¡°I see,¡± Jason said, and the silence between them stretched for a solid minute.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you had your reasons. I¡¯ll be seeing you Hunter, stay safe,¡± Jason said, walking back the way they came. His friends, or Hunter suspected they were guards, made way for Jason to pass through and then followed him.

    Hunter was left alone, feeling both relieved, and suspicious. Yet he had nothing to do with the nervous energy, no thoughts to attach to the emotion, so he did his best to let it go. Hunter felt the guillotine above him shudder. He felt that the string which held it aloft might snap at any moment.

    Fortunately, he made it home safely. He wanted to tell Aera about his strange meeting with Jason but she wasn¡¯t home. She had left him a note on the kitchen counter.

    Hunter, got some business to attend to. Gonna end things with Jason tonight, and some loose ends to cut off. Don¡¯t worry, I should be safe.

    Despite her assurance, Hunter couldn¡¯t help but worry. She was facing Jason alone?

    Was that safe?

    But then, what had Hunter expected? That she¡¯d bring him along? She had no idea what he¡¯d been working on, or about his AR. She knew he was getting stronger, faster, and could train longer, but was that enough for her to know she could rely on him?

    Hunter tried to calm himself down enough to focus, but the focus wouldn¡¯t come. He kept thinking about Aera.

    He wondered if he should be calling Trey.

    When midnight struck, Hunter heard a knock at the door.

    He frowned. Aera wouldn¡¯t knock. Maybe it was one of her friends? He was about to answer it, but then the door suddenly shuddered as something large hit it.

    Hunter froze. It was happening, and it was happening now. He ran back to the living room table, and picked up the F.P.E devices. He started to walk towards the door again. Whoever was on the other side couldn¡¯t be given any time to plan an attack when they saw him, he needed to make the first move.

    He silently thanked Instructor Immanuel for making him spar against Emelia.

    The door shuddered again, and he saw the tip of a boot break through near the door handle. Gripped by a sudden urge, Hunter got closer to the door.

    He suddenly felt that this situation was like the museum all over again. Trapped in a room, with a hallways full of bad guys waiting for him. Except this time, Sly wasn¡¯t here to protect him and save the day.

    And the biggest difference was that Hunter wasn¡¯t helpless. He reached towards the door, pointing the plate¡¯s of the F.P.E¡¯s towards the door, and and thumbed the activation trigger.

    There was no recoil, no light show, and no sound to signal the rapid emergence of and disappearance of the field of force with would have expanded outwards in the blink of an eye. But what it lacked in presence, it made up for in effect.

    The door to the apartment flew off its hinges with the force of a tornado, slamming backwards into a group of people wearing balaclavas. He stepped out into the hallway, assessing the damage. He counted 5 people.

    He hadn¡¯t expected the devices to be that powerful. He¡¯d honestly just hoped to take them by surprise. He considered the devices in his hand, admiring them with a newfound appreciation. He had outdone himself.

    All of a sudden, 5 versus 1 didn¡¯t seem like such terrible odds. Hunter had grown to enjoy fighting. However, he was conscious of his limitations.

    He wasn¡¯t Aera, he wasn¡¯t Emelia, he wasn¡¯t a warrior.

    But he was pissed off, and tired of being scared.

    The group got back to their feet, and watched Hunter warily. One of them was grabbing at their arm, cursing to themselves. He recognized them. Not by their face, which was covered, but by the pair of boots with the word ¡°CODY¡± written on them.

    Hunter had been looking forward to this day.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Cody. Good to see you,¡± Hunter said, stretching his arms to both sides and triggering the devices again. He wouldn¡¯t get too many more uses out of his devices before he¡¯d be powering them himself, and that could exhaust him pretty rapidly if he wasn¡¯t careful, but he figured he should be able to end this before that became a problem.

    The pulse knocked back the people closest to him on either side, and he took the moment to attack while they were disoriented. The two to his right were the most effected, while the three to his left seemed like they were hyping themselves up to attack him.

    He charged at them.

    The one closest tried running away, but he bumped into the guy behind him, who swore and pushed him back towards Hunter, whose fist connected with his face. As the man dropped to the floor, Hunter followed through pointing his fist at the next attacker and triggering the device again.

    The second guy flew back a few feet, and the third was already running. Someone grabbed Hunter from behind, and he knocked his head back, feeling a crunch as the back of his head met the attackers nose. The attacker swore but didn¡¯t let go. Hunter felt one of his legs kicked out from behind his knee, and he fell. The man didn¡¯t seem prepared for the effect of his own attack, and he appeared to be pulled off balance slightly. Hunter pushed himself back as hard as he could and the attacker stumbled, losing control and letting Hunter go.

    Hunter spun and activated the F.P.E at the man¡¯s legs. He hadn''t centered his aim right, but the edge of the area of effect was all that Hunter needed to do damage to his assailant. He winced as he saw the man¡¯s leg snap back at an unnatural angle, and the man cried out in pain as he somersaulted through the air.

    Hunter had an opportunity to use the device again, but he knew it would be overkill. The guy wouldn¡¯t be walking for a long time.

    ¡®Cody¡¯ was standing again, having watched his friend be tossed around by eldritch forces of nature which Hunter summoned from the constructs on his hand. He stepped backwards as Hunter walked towards him. He held his hands out in front of him.

    ¡°P-Please, I''m sorry, let me go,¡± the man said. Hunter slowed down, but didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Is your name actually Cody?¡± Hunter asked. The man tilted his head slightly.

    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m George, Cody¡¯s my brothers name,¡± he said, then he looked down at his boots.

    ¡°Oh,¡± George said, and then he flew backwards as Hunter activated both of his devices simultaneously.

    He wouldn¡¯t laugh at the man¡¯s misfortune, nor would he call him weak. Hunter would not let himself become the kind of person that had attacked him all those months ago.

    But he¡¯d be lying if he said that it didn¡¯t feel good to watch as George was launched through the air, most likely unconscious from the blast. It was payback the abuse which he and his friends had been so eager to inflict on Hunter . George turned into something like a ragdoll as he rolled across the ground. He was still breathing, so Hunter decided not to worry.

    Four groaning men lay sprawled across the top floor of the apartment building. Hunter felt slightly drained, but hardly to the point where he needed a rest.

    He inspected the devices in his hands. They were still in good condition, but he could feel that there were some places where the network was having some trouble. Forcefields were still a bit difficult for him to work with, especially like this. But he was already thinking of ways to improve them.

    He called campus security. They were already aware that he was staying at his sisters place, and the fact that the men were all in balaclavas bode poorly for their innocence in this exchange.

    The security guards asked him questions for a while, and told him to wait while law enforcement was called.

    Hunter couldn¡¯t wait. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Aera. There was no way the timing of this attack was a coincidence, and he can only assume how their meeting had gone based on what happened here. He decided that he had to find out what happened.

    He called Clark.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Clark, I need some information.¡±

    ¡°Shit, Hunter. You sound pretty upset. What happened? Are you alright?¡±

    Hunter breathed for a few seconds. As far as he knew, Clark was one of Jason¡¯s guys. He needed to consider his words carefully.

    ¡°I was wondering if anything big is happening on campus today? Not any of the official events, maybe something a bit more under the radar,¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s the weekly club thing¡ª which I''m surprised you haven¡¯t been told about yet. Oh yeah, don¡¯t tell anyone about it, okay?¡±

    Club? He thought.

    ¡°What kind of club?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s this gathering that Jason runs. Most of the big names are down there¡ª all the council''s sponsored youths. Your sister has been making a name for herself, they call her the Queen of the ring. Like, the fighting ring.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s eyes widened.

    What the fuck was Aera doing in her spare time?

    Fighting in a club organized by Jason Chan? He shook his head, the dots weren¡¯t connecting. Wasn¡¯t that the last place she would want to be?

    ¡°Any idea where this club is being held?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You need to be invited but Jason knows you, so I''m sure it won¡¯t be a problem. It doesn¡¯t start for another half hour or so. It¡¯s held underneath the bar where we held the Society meeting. I¡¯ll meet you outside and bring you in,¡± Clark said. Hunter thanked him and hung up.

    His nerves felt like lines of fire flaring through his chest and arms. Hunter needed to confront Jason, and he bet that Jason wouldn¡¯t take too kindly to that. Hunter left the apartment with both sets of F.P.E¡¯s, the two he couldn¡¯t fit in his pants pockets he wore on his hands, tucking his hands into his jacket pocket.

    The bar was busy, with a line out the door. Clark saw him approach and waved him into an alleyway behind the bar. Hunters guard was up.

    He didn¡¯t trust Clark.

    But his paranoia was for naught. Clark led him to a set of stairs leading down to the bar¡¯s basement. Clark nodded at the burly man guarding the entrance.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Friend of mine and Jason''s,¡± Clark said.

    ¡°Never seen him before,¡± the guard said, eyeing Hunter skeptically.

    ¡°You want to explain to Jason why his buddy was barred from participating in the festivities?¡± Clark asked, his voice holding a hint of warning. The big guard seemed to pale slightly, opening the door and waving them in.

    ¡°Put in a good word for me,¡± the guard told them as they entered. Clark snorted.

    ¡°That was Jerry. Good guy, most of the time. I guess Jason pays him for being careful, so no hard feelings, right?¡±

    Hunter shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. He felt like he was surrounded by potential threats. Every glance his way was another potential vector of harm.

    He remembered the sight of bodies flying as he unleashed primal forces of nature towards the last attackers who tried to mess with him. It gave him a sense of confidence that he was desperate for. It didn¡¯t calm him much, but it helped him regain his focus.

    He scanned the basement. It was less like a basement, and more like an entire establishment in and of itself, bigger even than the bar and restaurant upstairs.

    The room was tiered. At one end was a spectating area, and surrounding the rest of the top and tier all the way down to the penultimate tier were tables filled with patrons, with food, beer, and all of them shouting in pleasure or disappointment at the fight below.

    The sight filled Hunter with a sense of cold dread. His breath caught in his throat.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Clark whispered, turning to Hunter, ¡°I swear, I had no idea¡ª¡±

    Hunter leapt towards the ring, throwing off his jacket.

 Chapter 48

    She should have expected it, in hindsight. In fact, she had suspected it, but she had stubbornly persisted with the belief that although Jason Chan was bold enough to act against Hunter, he would have had more respect for her as a very present danger.

    Aera might be stubborn, but she could admit when she was wrong.

    She ducked a punch, countering with a fist to the man¡¯s gut. He wheezed and keeled over. She patted his back as she moved onto the next idiot.

    7 down, maybe a dozen or so more to go.

    She eyed the one in the back, some strange, plated armor strapped across his chest. He held a baton, and so did the few men who were standing in front of him. They were making this out to be gauntlet. And Aera didn¡¯t like her odds. She was strong, but the first round had been more than she¡¯d expected.

    She could see Jason smiling from the stands, a gleam in his eye. He was enjoying this more than anyone else. How long had he been planning something like this?

    She hadn¡¯t even gotten through the front door of Jason¡¯s office at the bar upstairs when someone had injected her with something. She¡¯d knocked the fucker out, but not before they¡¯d dosed her with enough of whatever it was to knock her out in turn. She¡¯d awoken in the dressing room the fighters used before entering the ring, and had a feeling that she¡¯d be up against something like this.

    The door had been locked for an hour before she heard an announcement. She could barely make out the sound of cheering as Jason Chan¡¯s voice rang through the establishment.

    ¡°..Witness the downfall of the house of Oberon. I present to you, Aera¡ª Queen of the ring!¡±

    The doors to the changing room opened, and she walked down the hallway.

    She wasn¡¯t one to flinch from a challenge. Jason wanted to see her downfall? She would tare the scummy little parasite to shreds before the entire audience. She¡¯d fight her way through the ring, through his guards, through the audience if she had to. She would chase him across campus, and then she would murder the little shit.

    Then she stepped into the ring, and saw what seemed to her small army waiting for her to arrive¡ª and didn¡¯t even have time to calculate how she was going to survive before the start of the fight was announced.

    Two guys rushed her, and she danced through them. Two men, two hits, two lights out for the next few hours. The third faked a punch, then another, and she wondered what the hell his deal was when she was pushed from behind, and then the boot of the guy in front of her met her gut.

    She hadn¡¯t let him get away with that without losing his ability to walk. The guy behind her didn¡¯t fare much better either.

    She glanced again at Jason, and saw that he was distracted by a conversation with a familiar young woman. She cursed. Hunter would not be happy when he heard about what Tilda Burner was getting up to in her spare time.

    She brought her focus back to the fight, dodged another fist, then repositioned when two more guys seemed to materialize on both sides. She was far too distracted, and whatever they¡¯d tranquilized her with must have still been in her system. She was never this sloppy.

    She needed to gain some distance, and come up with something like a plan. She still had barely any idea of what she was up against. Again they charged her and she did her best to keep her distance. She wondered why they weren¡¯t all rushing her at once.

    The answer was obvious, this was a show, and they wanted to tire her out before delivering the final blow. Would it be Jason himself to delivered it? A symbolic gesture from the Chan¡¯s to Trey Oberon?

    Her pulse pounded throughout her body, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. She was mad, and she was hyped. She hadn¡¯t had a good fight for a very long time.

    She decided to go all out. She¡¯d just been forced to have a multi-hour nap. She had some energy to spare.

    She reversed course and charged the three men, dodging to the right and punching the closest one in the kidneys. It took a second for the pain to kick in, but he wouldn¡¯t be a problem for a bit. The next one to approach left his crotch wide open, and she accepted the invitation, kneeing him in the face after he bent over in agony.

    The third stepped back, and Aera chased him down. She raised a fist, and he tripped over himself. She turned back to the the man who she¡¯d hit first, who seemed to be debating the wisdom of continuing to fight her, but he was surrounded by a thousand vectors of scorn. He glanced at Jason, and he looked at Aera regretfully, understanding that he wasn¡¯t going to enjoy what came next, but unable to do anything but accept it.

    It was amusing for her to watch him resolve himself over a split second as he charged her again. She could hear more coming from behind her, and she estimated that they would all meet at approximately the same time. That made the next move obvious. She met the charge of the man before her, and pivoted behind him, pushing him towards one of the newest wave of attackers.

    The next one had a baton, and she dodged it as he heart skipped a beat. So, Jason had dropped the pretense of a fair fight¡ª obviously, given the odds set against her. But this was no longer about business, this was definitely a statement.

    He was now above his own rules.

    She grabbed the baton as the man swung it again, and wrenched it from his grasp, smashing his temple, hitting his solar plexus with the baton¡¯s butt end and doing the same to his temple.

    Lights out. She assessed the damage she¡¯d caused to the other two. The one she¡¯d tossed to intercept his companion had tripped over his friend, and was getting to his feet. His friend, on the other hand, appeared enraged. He was big, and probably hoped that his ape-like reaction would intimidate her.

    Men, she scoffed.

    He attempted to grab her with both hands, and she ducked way into his reach, kicking out one knee, pulling back one of his arms as she stepped to the side extending it so that his elbow was facing the ceiling. Then, while holding his wrist, she smashed down on the elbow with all the force she could muster. There was a satisfying snapping sound and the man cried out in agony.

    She had no sympathy for the brute.

    She¡¯d not seen the next attacker, as his fist met the back of her head. She frowned, and rubbed her head as she considered the man. She recognized him, one of Emelia¡¯s entourage. She glanced around the club, and saw her near Jason, with the rest of her friends. Her intelligence hadn¡¯t said anything about Jason and Emelia having much of a relationship.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    It had said that Emelia had a mercurial side, acting on behalf of aggrieved students to send some physical messages once in a while. She was small, unassuming, and bubbly, therefore the perfect agent for a surprise attack.

    She winked at Aera, but she could see Emelia¡¯s discomfort as clear as day. She might be morally flexible, but she even she was uncomfortable with Jason¡¯s display. Still, she¡¯d chosen the wrong side, whether it was in ignorance or not.

    When Aera fought her way up there, Emelia would learn her lesson, just like everyone else.

    He attacked, she countered, he wheezed, she patted him on the back.

    She was starting to warm up, now. But she also knew that soon, Jason would grow worried that his plan might not work out. That¡¯s when he would tell them all to fight her at once.

    She prepared herself for the next wave, which was already upon her.

    Looks like her prediction was right, Jason had grown tired of his underlings embarrassing him. They swarmed her in a wave of fists, kicks, and thrown bodies. She danced, dodged, blocked, weaved. Flesh met flesh, hers to others and others to hers.

    She danced around them as best she could, not letting them surround her anymore than necessary, but there was only so much she could do, especially against the one with the armor. He seemed content to wait for an opening, and Aera didn¡¯t want to give him one. He always kept at least one or two men between him and her.

    She wanted to finish him before he had a chance to finish her, but she couldn¡¯t find the right opening.

    And she was pretty sure one of her hands was half broken. She couldn¡¯t close it anymore, which meant that her options were even more limited.

    She barely made out a familiar scream behind her, and most of her attackers seemed surprised by the interruption.

    Then one of them went flying overhead. They were all distracted, especially the armored brute. She saw her chance, and took it. The two big plates meant that body shots were out, and he was wearing a helmet as well, but that just only meant she¡¯d be able to do something she¡¯d been wanting to do ever since she first saw it in the movies. She extended two fingers towards his eyes, and thrust out with all the the force she could muster.

    It might have been too much force, and she gagged at the result.

    She never wanted to do anything like that ever again. Her attack spurred a new sense of urgency into the surrounding mob, half of which had split off from attacking her.

    She sighed in relief. That just left four for her to finish up, and whoever had jumped in to help her could deal with the rest.

    She heard more screams, and her attackers paused again. Someone else flew past her.

    What the hell was going on?

    She didn¡¯t have time to find out. She knocked out another one of her attackers, and tripped another. The other two tried to grab her, and she swore when they succeeded.

    She realized that she was exhausted.

    That stupid drug must have been effecting her more than she realized.

    While one struggled to hold her in place, the other rounded up for a finishing punch. She kicked the moron in the nuts, and he was knocked over when one of his friends from the other group flew into him. She stomped on the foot of the guy who was holding her, and he yelped and let go. She elbowed him in the ribs, turned, and and headbutt him in the nose.

    She kicked him in the groin too, and spit on him as he was forced to kneel from the pain.

    One more kick to his head was probably enough to knock him out. She didn¡¯t take the time to find out, turning towards the chaos on the other side of the ring.

    ¡°Hunter?¡±

    What the fuck was he doing here?

    He punched out towards his two last attackers, and they both flew back a few feet, landing awkwardly, their limbs bending at unnatural angles.

    She winced.

    How had he done that? Hunter saw her and breathed a sigh of relief. He reached into his pockets and pulled out devices which mirrored the ones that she only now noticed he was wearing. He walked over to her and handed them over.

    ¡°Thumb this little button when you want them to go flying, but make sure they¡¯re close enough,¡± he said, heaving between breaths. He looked at the devastation around her, pausing at the big man with the armor whose eyes she¡¯d destroyed. He was on his knees, grasping around him, sobbing and asking for someone to help.

    She felt pity for the man. Maybe she¡¯d gone too far?

    Her attention was caught by movement at the top tier, above the heads of the crowd, some of whom gawked in disbelief as the result, others cheered at the top of their lungs.

    Jason was making a run for it.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let him get away with this,¡± Aera snarled. She expected Hunter to protest, but he was staring grimly at the armor.

    ¡°Hunter, let¡¯s go,¡± she said, pointing towards Jason and his group.

    He managed to wrestle his gaze from the armor, and he saw fury in his eyes. His eyes followed her finger, and he laughed as he saw Tilda Burner trying to leave with Jason.

    He sighed, and Aera could see the deep disappointment in his features, and she watched as grief cycled through him.

    Confusion, disappointment, anger, and then he shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here,¡± he said.

    They both started running their way out of the arena, jumping the small fence that separated the ring from the bottom tier. She made her way for the stairs that lead up towards the entrance.

    Jason¡¯s group hadn¡¯t left yet, as they were fighting a crowd whose attention was transfixed by the two fighters on an intercept course. Jason grew more desperate, outright pushing people out the way, some of whom were thrown down entire tiers.

    Aera was exhausted, but nothing energized her like the sight of Jason running in fear. He shouted at his men, and they turned to her, ready for a fight.

    ¡°Get out the way if you don¡¯t want to get hurt,¡± Aera yelled at the surrounding crowd as she approached the top tier, Hunter following close behind.

    She decided to test out this new toy.

    She thumbed the trigger as soon as she reached the first man-sized obstacle, and he was blasted back as if he¡¯d been hit by a truck. Aera laughed at the sight, admiring the device that Hunter had handed her. Too bad her other hand was all mangled up, she¡¯d have loved to see what two could do if she used them both at once.

    She grinned at the next guy in her way, and he pretended to trip on himself, falling to the side. She shook her head in amusement. She didn''t meet much more resistance on her way to Jason, who was nearing the entrance. Aera jumped onto tables and over heads as she ran towards him.

    The door to the club basement slammed shut as she reached it, and she heard it lock from the other side. She cursed. Hunter was heaving as he caught up to her.

    ¡°On three,¡± he said, aiming both of his fists towards the door, and Aera grinned as she caught on. She aimed hers as well.

    ¡°Three, two, one.¡±

    They triggered their devices, and Aera expected the metal door to go flying, but was disappointed when it merely slammed open.

    It must have been built pretty well. She didn¡¯t know much about doors, but hoped that whoever had designed this place had been well imbursed for their effort.

    They heard a groan down the alleyway, and she saw Jerry half submerged in a pile of trash.

    ¡°Sorry, Jerry,¡± she said as she and Hunter passed him. Jerry was alright, just doing his job. She¡¯d investigated most of Jason¡¯s employees, and was surprised to find that although he was one of the most intimidating guys in Jason¡¯s employ, the man was practically a teddy bear who was just paying his way through school. Hopefully he¡¯d be alright.

    They exited the alleyway, and looked both ways. There was no sign of Jason.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably in his office,¡± she said, glancing at Hunter. He didn¡¯t look so good.

    ¡°You alright?¡± she asked. He nodded, but she could tell that he was exhausted.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve been through worse,¡± he said.

    She wasn¡¯t confident in his answer. He looked like he was in worse shape than she was.

    Not literally, of course. She was pretty sure she¡¯d need to visit a hospital after they were done here. The world kept tilting sideways, and she had to keep correcting it. She couldn¡¯t even feel her right hand anymore, and it hurt to breathe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± he said, taking the lead and cutting through the line of people waiting to get into the bar.

    They got some concerned glances as they passed people, some even trying to stop them ask them if they needed help. Aera gave them the most threatening look she could, while Hunter told them that it was best if they went elsewhere for the evening. Some people threatened to call campus security and law enforcement, and she was pleased when Hunter laughed at them.

    The meek kitten was growing into a promising little lion.

 Chapter 49

    Hunter breathed deep, energizing himself as much as he could as he and Aera pushed their way through the crowded bar. The bartender protested when they pushed their way behind the bar, and took the stairs up to Jason¡¯s office.

    The door was blocked. Hunter looked to Aera, and she raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of juice left in me,¡± he said, ¡°you can do the honors.¡±

    She didn¡¯t hesitate to trigger the device, and the thin wooden door exploded backwards in a hail of splinters. Bottles of alcohol and soda¡¯s were sent flying, and Hunter cringed, hoping no one got hit by any glass.

    He followed Aera through the open doorway and up the stairs. They heard shouting coming from the office. Someone peaked down the stairs from the office and shouted a warning at them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them through,¡± they heard Jason yell, ¡°Stop them at all costs, I don¡¯t care if you kill them. First one to finish them can have anything they want, just get rid of them!¡±

    The stairway was thin, barely enough room for Aera and Hunter to walk side by side, but with one of her hands broken she didn¡¯t mind hunching a bit to give Hunter room.

    She sighed as she prepared to hold back whatever came next, but was surprised when Hunter stopped her and stepped forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot,¡± she said, pulling him back gently, ¡°this will require a bit more finesse than you¡¯re used to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve only got one hand,¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t about to let her take on whoever was about to charge out of that office. She¡¯d been hurt enough.

    ¡°It¡¯s all I¡¯ll need,¡± she said, smiling at him, ¡°trust me.¡±

    The smile was genuine, he realized. She fully expected to be able to hold them back. Hunter shrugged, ready to give one last trigger to his F.P.E. if she needed the help¡ª and if he could ensure that they wouldn¡¯t end up buried under and avalanche of angry minions.

    Then they came, and Hunter was underwhelmed. He counted six men, but assumed there were more in the office itself, as quite a few had left with Jason, Tilda among them. His hand squeezed the construct.

    He can¡¯t believe he¡¯d been so stupid. He¡¯d actually believed that she was into him. He thanked whatever good sense he had in him that he hadn¡¯t told her anything important, because there were times when he was tempted, when he felt like he could trust her with anything, and wanted her to know everything about him.

    He¡¯d honestly thought that Aera¡¯s warning was nothing but paranoia born from a lifetime of being around a bunch of scheming, high-level corporate drones.

    And right to the end, he¡¯d held out hope that that Jason wasn¡¯t the person that she¡¯d made him out to be, but she¡¯d been right. She was right to try and shield him, she was right about being careful with Tilda, and she was right about the kind of man that Jason was.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t ready for the den of vipers he¡¯d fallen into. But he considered this to be a lesson learned.

    He needed to know who his ally¡¯s were, and he needed to trust them.

    Aera met the first challenger as they rushed down the stairs, a dagger in one hand and a baton in the other. They lunged at Aera, and Hunter was ready to intervene but Aera moved faster than both of them, grabbing the man¡¯s arm and pulling it over her left shoulder, which she dislocated. She wrapped her arm with the broken hand around the man¡¯s neck and squeezed.

    He was bigger than her, but she was stronger. With her good arm, she aimed the F.P.E. at the others as they came down towards them. The man in her grasp struggled to escape, struggled to breathe, and his friends could only watch.

    ¡°Anyone gets too close, I end him,¡± Aera said, pulling the man up by his neck and taking a step. The man grunted in discomfort and Hunter saw his face turning deep red, and then purple.

    ¡°Aera you¡¯re going to kill him,¡± Hunter whispered.

    She didn¡¯t react.

    She stepped forward again, and the men ahead of them hesitated, and then slowly stepped back. Hunter almost laughed. She eased up the pressure on the man¡¯s throat a bit and Hunter heard him gasp for breath.

    ¡°One wrong move and you¡¯re dead,¡± Aera said to him, and Hunter saw the man nod frantically, ¡°Step forward when I tell you to, slowly.¡±

    They made their way up the stairs.

    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± Jason yelled, approaching the stairs himself. He saw the situation and cursed.

    ¡°Fucking incompetent,¡± he said, and he reached behind himself. Hunter swore when he saw the gun, so did Aera.

    She let go of the man, and Hunter triggered his F.P.E just before he heard the first shots being fired.

    The pull of etherium almost rendered him unconscious. He was barely holding on at this point, and he knew he¡¯d probably be useless from here on out, but he needed Aera to know that he wasn¡¯t going to give up.

    Jason¡¯s men were screaming, confused about how to respond as their own boss had killed those who accidentally got in the way of his shots as their friend came flying at them from the other side. Aera took advantage of the chaos and activated her F.P.E, pushing the large men back, not letting Jason get a clear shot on them. Hunter saw Jason drop the gun one he was out of ammo and he retreated further into the office. Aera didn¡¯t want to give him a chance to find another weapon, so she rushed forward, activating the F.P.E. in rapid succession. Hunter winced.

    He hadn¡¯t built them to be used so frequently. He wanted to warn her about that, but he could barely summon the energy to speak. All of a sudden, the stairs seemed like they went on forever.

    He felt the familiar pull of sleep, the exhaustion was too much this time. He¡¯d pushed himself further than he ever had before. Further than he could have pushed himself before.

    He heard someone scream, it wasn¡¯t Jason. Suddenly, his exhaustion felt muted as he resolved to push himself up the steps.

    He saw Aera¡¯s back to him as he pushed past the entry way into the office. She was holding her fist out towards Jason, who had grabbed ahold of Tilda, a knife to her throat.

    ¡°You know I won¡¯t even hesitate to do it,¡± Jason said, his voice like a harsh whisper. It reminded Hunter of a snake. Hunter stumbled forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take another step, Hunter,¡± Jason said, and Hunter heard the edge of mania creeping into his voice ¡°you¡¯ve yet to see what I''m capable of when I''m in a bad mood.¡±

    ¡°Let her go,¡± Hunter said, each word feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jason said, tilting his head as if the thought was strange and novel, ¡°I suppose I could do that. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?¡±

    He pulled the knife tighter against her throat.

    "Please don''t kill me," Tilda whimpered.

    ¡°Here¡¯s what I propose,¡± Jason said, ¡°You let me go, I take her with me, and we all go our separate ways. How does that sound?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Tilda sobbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hunter,¡± she said, ¡°I had no choice. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Jason snarled.

    Hunter didn¡¯t know what to do.

    He¡¯d never felt so conflicted in his life.

    He hated Tilda for betraying him, but he couldn¡¯t let her die.

    ¡°Aera, what do we do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you say, Aera? Do we have a deal?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t let him take me,¡± Tilda said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    A sound distracted them, from the doorway. Hunter saw one of the men who had attacked them stumble his way through. He held a knife in his hand, and pointed it to Jason as he limped forward.

    ¡°We trusted you, you deranged son of a bitch. I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Jason¡¯s eyes widened as his employee charged at him.

    ¡°Now!¡± Aera yelled, and Tilda collapsed, pulling herself down as fast a she could while Jason was distracted. Aera charged past the big man, triggering her T.D.E. and sending him flying to the side. He wheezed as he hit the wall. Tilda scrambled out of the way as Aera¡¯s fist connected with Jason¡¯s temple.

    Jason stumbled back, and Hunter rushed to cover Tilda.

    Aera hit Jason again. And again.

    And again.

    Jason groaned, and Hunter was surprised the man was still conscious.

    ¡°Anyone you want me to call?¡± Aera asked as she searched his body, pulling out his cellphone and looking through his contacts.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me,¡± Jason wheezed, ¡°Your family won¡¯t survive the aftermath.¡±

    ¡°You think we give a shit about the Chans, or the Locke¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t, but the rest of the Council does. If you kill me, the rest of the Council will have all the excuse they¡¯ll need to act against your wretched family. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe you should kill me,¡± Jason said, laughing maniacally, ¡°But even if you don¡¯t, you can¡¯t stop what¡¯s coming.¡±

    Aera tapped her lip, appearing to contemplate Jason¡¯s words.

    ¡°Hunter, can we leave? I don¡¯t want to be here anymore,¡± Tilda whispered. Now that he knew she¡¯d be safe, he waved for her to leave.

    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked. She reached out for his hand. He pulled it away, refusing to look at her.

    ¡°Go,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hunter¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just go,¡± he said, leaving her alone to stand beside Aera. He heard Tilda¡¯s footsteps as she left, and her muffled sobbing faded as she made her way down the stairs.

    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Aera asked Jason, ¡°You¡¯re you.¡±

    Jason smiled in response. His face was mangled, he was missing teeth, and he coughed up some blood when he accidentally inhaled some.

    ¡°Fuck you, Oberon.¡±

    Aera frowned. She looked at Hunter, and back to Jason.

    ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll be taking this,¡± she said, pocketing the phone, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Hunter.¡±

    Hunter followed Aera out, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to overtake him.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never be safe anymore, Aera. Your family will be hunted to the ends of Sanctuary. Soon, your whole domain will belong to me and mine, and I''ll be there on the day we find you. I''ll make you my own little¡ª¡±

    Aera shut the door behind them, muffling whatever Jason was about to say. Hunter was surprised the door had survived the conflict.

    ¡°Did you call dad?¡± Aera asked. Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°Totally forgot.¡±

    She laughed.

    ¡°Dumbass.¡±

    They were silent as they climbed down the stairs.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Aera said. Hunter wasn¡¯t sure she heard her.

    He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°For coming to help me,¡± she clarified, ¡°For staying till the end.

    Hunter grinned.

    ¡°What are brothers for?¡± he asked. She coughed as she laughed, clutching at her ribs.

    They must have presented an interesting sight as they borrowed the bar¡¯s phone to call Trey. He was worried, and promised that the team would be on their way as soon as possible.

    ¡°Where can I tell the team to collect you?¡± Trey asked. Hunter glanced outside, and saw the campus security was starting to enter, clearing people out, their eyes narrowing as they spotted Hunter and Aera, the latter of which was bloody and battered.

    ¡°Campus security,¡± she said.

    They had to hang up, as the security personnel guided them out of the bar. He listened as the patrons told the campus security about how the two of them to forced their way behind the bar, and blew up the door leading to the bars¡¯ office, where they were about to find Jason Chan in a bloody mess along with some dead and battered employees.

    Not that Hunter was worried.

    It had occurred to him earlier, what the value of having such a powerful name. It meant that when it came to him, the law was a bit more flexible.

    Besides, whatever investigation occurred would uncover the truth that Jason was the one to fire the shots.

    He must have fallen asleep on the way to the headquarters for campus security, and he didn¡¯t have to wait long once he¡¯d woken up in a small cell for a team of heavily armed men and women to barge into the cell and check to see if he was okay. They escorted the exhausted Hunter out of the building, and into a large truck, where he¡¯d found Aera who they¡¯d intercepted just before she''d been taken to the nearest hospital.

    Aera assured them that she could wait to receive treatment, but after the team called Trey, he told them to have a doctor look her over before they brought them back to the Oberon domain. Before they left the campus, Hunter suddenly remembered his father¡¯s briefcase, and demanded that they turn around and return to the apartment building. He threatened to leave the moving truck when they refused, and they relented.

    They reached the hospital which Hunter had been confined for a month, and they wanted to hold Aera there for a few days, but the team refused. Trey called them again, and told them that they needed to return to the Oberon domain as soon as possible. So, with Aera in bandages and holding a small supply of painkillers, they left the hospital and drove for a few hours to the nearest airport, where a small plane waited for them¡ª the best transportation they could organize with such short notice.

    Hunter held the briefcase on his lap, and Aera was asleep at his side, her head resting on his shoulder. He watched as the Pacific Shield domain shrunk far below him, a city turning into rivers of lights, which joined even more neon rivulets connecting city¡¯s and towns like neurons in a two dimensional brain.

    He sighed, both relieved and disappointed.

    Relieved to be out of the shark tank, and disappointed that he¡¯d never have the chance to receive that degree of Excellence he¡¯d been working so hard towards.

    <hr>

    Jason finished sharing the news. His mother was silent for a long, agonizing moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing,¡± she said, her voice had lost all the warmth she¡¯d greeted him with after taking his call.

    ¡°I miscalculated,¡± Jason sighed, wincing slightly and coughing. ¡°I had thought the Koar sibling to be weak and skittish. He was just as likely to cave in on himself with the kinds of odds that he was up against.¡±

    He wiped some more blood from his face, and then grabbed a new cloth as the other was already fully used up.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised they let you live,¡± his mother laughed, ¡°you wouldn¡¯t have done the same for them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not like us,¡± Jason said.

    ¡°No, no they¡¯re not. And that¡¯s exactly why we are superior.¡±

    Jason nodded, and winced as his fingers probed a bit too close to a bruise.

    ¡°Fret not, son. This is exactly the ammunition we need to get the other Council Seats to make their move. All of the assets are already in place, they¡¯ve just been waiting for the perfect moment to dethrone Trey Oberon.¡±

    Jason¡¯s pulse quickened. He¡¯d thought it would take more, but as he thought about it, his mothers words made sense.

    ¡°The investigation will take time,¡± he said, connecting the dots, ¡°precious time.¡±

    He could imagine that his mother¡¯s grin mirrored his own.

    ¡°Time for us to spin the narrative we need. My poor son, meeting nothing but hostility and accusation from the beginning of the year from the scion of a house which has been nothing but arrogant and greedy. And then, she had the nerve to barge into your place of business, kill your men, and beat you senseless. What savage violence she wrought, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother. I¡¯m aggrieved. Life is so unfair, why me?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± his mother chuckled, ¡°it¡¯s only fair that we take what is theirs in return.¡±

    ¡°May justice run its course, I''m sure the good guys will win.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I''m quite sure,¡± she agreed, ¡°you¡¯ve always been my favorite, you know.¡±

    Jason nearly gagged.

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°But you will need to earn back my trust after this fumble. I¡¯m always having to clean up after you, Jason. If you¡¯re not careful, I''ll have to send one of your brothers to take over. You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He shuddered. She would pinch him, when he was young. Then, she''d grew bored. When he was old enough to handle it, she moved on to the belt. Then, she had her bodyguards act in her stead.

    He was older, now. Stronger.

    He didn¡¯t want to consider what the price of his next failure might be. There were rumors, of one of his older brothers. He¡¯d failed quite miserably, and had gone missing. This had happened before Jason was born.

    They never found his brother. But they say that his mother was the last person to ever see him.

    She did not tolerate failure kindly. She didn¡¯t tolerate failure at all. Compared to her, Jason was a saint.

    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± he said, trying his hardest to keep his voice even.

    ¡°Good. Keep your eyes on the television. I¡¯m sure things on the world stage are about to get quite interesting.¡±

    She hung up, and Jason was left feeling both victorious, and terrified.

    He would need to be more careful with how he acted in the future. This whole thing began because he had felt emboldened against the Oberon''s¡ª and trusted a feral dog to do the work of a snake. A test became a tribulation, and his mother had to organize his salvation.

    And still, he pushed the edges of what was being asked of him. He hadn¡¯t needed to make an example out of Aera, but once his mother had assured him of her confidence in the plan¡ª in the Oberon¡¯s downfall, he¡¯d felt invincible.

    He still did. Aera had held back, she hadn¡¯t finished him off. He knew she¡¯d wanted to, he saw it in her eyes. The cold rage, he¡¯d been nothing but an insect to her in that moment.

    It was her consideration of her brother that had stopped her, and Jason felt himself grateful for Hunters presence that day.

    He snickered as he thought about it. In a way, his miscalculation of Hunter Oberon Koar had ended up saving his life.

    In the future he would be much more careful about how he acted. Even when he held the upper hand, when he held all the advantages, he would step carefully. He could not afford to mess up again.

    It was not wise to risk his mother''s wrath.

 Chapter 50

    ¡°You¡¯re sure there¡¯s no other option?¡± Trey asked. The voice on the other end of the line sighed.

    ¡°I wish there was, old friend. But you know how the rest of the Council gets once they¡¯ve decided on a course of action.¡±

    Trey snorted.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°For what its worth, I¡¯m sorry. I tried to protest, but they¡¯ve already made up their mind. there¡¯s a lot of momentum behind this¡ª more than you¡¯d expect had this all been a sudden decision. I think this was planned,¡± his friend said.

    ¡°Of course it was planned. I¡¯m just glad I had some advance warning. Thanks, by the way.¡±

    ¡°You know you can count on me.

    ¡°I do,¡± Trey considered whether he should bring his friend along, but the truth was, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he could trust the man. Not when the lives of Aera, Hunter, and everything he could lose was hanging in the balance.

    And that trust was the deciding factor in who they¡¯d be bringing with them.

    ¡°I do,¡± he repeated, ¡°and I''ve requestioned a piece of work from one of your favorite artists on your behalf, for all the years you¡¯ve helped me.¡±

    ¡°Surely not Sinclair,¡± his friend asked, shocked by the revelation.

    ¡°The very same,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have! This is too much! Where am I going to put it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy.¡±

    ¡°And this on the announcement of your retirement! This isn¡¯t right Trey. You should be upset! You should be angry. Are you going to fight back?¡±

    There it was.

    His answer would be reported back to the Council.

    All of the security forces have already been recalled, ready to embark on ships heading outworld. Most were already on their way to distant outposts, having been suddenly reassigned¡ª their family¡¯s immigrating with them for a long-term deployment outworld.

    The Oberon domain would offer no resistance.

    ¡°When does the order take effect?¡±

    ¡°24 hours. That was all I could buy you.¡±

    It was better than he thought.

    ¡°No, there won¡¯t be a fight, as long as they hold to that 24 hour window.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± his friend said, ¡°well, that¡¯s relieving to hear. Should I expect to receive your family during the holidays? I¡¯m sure Lilah would love to catch up with Aera.¡±

    ¡°Not this year,¡± Trey said, ¡°I believe the family is due for a very long vacation.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± his friend bellowed, ¡°I bet! You haven¡¯t stopped working since you took over for your father. I¡¯ve got to say¡ª you¡¯ve always impressed me more than the rest of our colleagues. Anyways, I''m sure you¡¯ll be busy for the next few hours. I¡¯ll let you take care of business. Call me when everything has calmed down,¡± his friend said.

    ¡°Will do, take care, my friend.¡±

    Trey hung up. He took one last puff of his cigar, leaving the stub on the table. Then he thought better of it and threw it in the trash, wiping the ash off the table and into the ash tray.

    He sighed. His assistant stood to his side, a concerned look on her face. She¡¯d been following all the developments as he had, and was quite aware of how severe their situation was.

    ¡°Idra, call your husband,¡± he said, his voice calm but tired, ¡°I¡¯ll call the board and ready Merciful Cloud for departure, then I''ll collect the kids. It¡¯s time to leave.¡±

    ¡°Exodus?¡± Idra whispered.

    Trey nodded, and started to call the board members who he¡¯d trusted with the project, and a few more who were strategically left out, but he could still trust enough to bring along with him. There were some whose expertise and competence would serve them well, but had habits and personality¡¯s that could undermine his authority in the coming years.

    He needed a loyal team to help him. Now more than ever, it was time to exercise his power as the Oberon monarch, a privilege he didn¡¯t take lightly, but was more than willing to use when necessary.

    Idra wasted no time on her part, and started dialing. They¡¯d discussed all the necessary steps, hoping for at least another few weeks before they¡¯d have to make this choice¡ª but they''d been prepared to make it at a moments notice. She¡¯d already spoken with her family about what they were preparing for, and they would be ready to leave as soon as she said so.

    The Chan¡¯s had managed to turn their child¡¯s mistake into just the catalyst they¡¯d needed to accelerate the timeline for their ascension.

    However, Trey was was grateful that Jason Chan had made so many mistakes in the way he handled Aera and Hunter. If he hadn¡¯t, Trey wouldn¡¯t have been inspired to keep an eye on the dynamics at play around Barnum this year, he wouldn¡¯t have caught on to the Chan¡¯s ambitions, and the plan to have his family removed.

    He was also grateful for the foresight he¡¯d had in planning Operation: Exodus in the first place. Everything seemed to come together to see that the Oberon Corporation had an escape route¡ª a way to survive the coming storm. Soon, the Oberon domain would be a hive of activity. They wouldn¡¯t be able to bring everyone along¡ª it would be impossible. But they had plenty of out-world assets which would be able to relocate now that they''d had time to plan.

    They would be all gone, stripped bare by the time the Council came to claim them.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, a thought occurring to him once he¡¯d made all the necessary calls, ¡°make sure the professor is on board one of the ships as well. He¡¯s already agreed to leave the academy at a moment¡¯s notice. Send small craft to extract him from Barnum. He¡¯ll be packed already.¡±

    Idra nodded and called the professor, and organized a team to extract him. Trey took a few prized possession from his office, stuffing them into a bag. He brought his favorite coffee cup, and a few books which held sentimental value. His staff at the mansion would be packing away a few memento¡¯s as well. All of the one¡¯s who he¡¯d had investigated, and passed muster, would be leaving with him, all of their family¡¯s accompanying them.

    It would be the biggest fleet movement in the world¡¯s history. Within an a few hours, the sky would belong to the Oberon corporation, and their vast firepower would be covering the escape of all the personnel they could gather.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He took one last, fond glance at the home office which had served his family for generations.

    He closed the door behind him, shifting his mind from the past to the future.

    It was time to build a new legacy, somewhere far from Sanctuary, far enough that the Council wouldn¡¯t find them for a long, long time.

    Oberon would not die here¡ª they would rebuild. And they would thrive.

    He called Aera, and then Hunter, and told them to get ready to leave.

    <hr>

    The change had come so sudden. A couple of days after they¡¯d returned to the Oberon estate, Hunter was deeply relaxed, in a state of intense focus as he traced out the newest etheric channels which had been forming over the last week.

    He¡¯d worried that his over-expenditure of etherium had strained him too far, and that it would have had an averse effect on his channels. But it turned out it actually had a beneficial effect. There were quite a few new growths in response to the strain. It appeared the mechanism behind the rapid growth of his channels was highly adaptive. His channels hadn¡¯t expanded any more than usual, but they felt more intense. There was more etherium flowing through them than before.

    Is AR had gone up again. He¡¯d started a new journal to record his progress.

    5:50pm

    Start AR: 25

    End AR: 26

    At this rate, he would be hitting 30 AR in a few days.

    However, he realized it was too early to celebrate. New phenomena meant unknown variables, and when it came to his growth, there was only so much of the unknown that Hunter was willing to tolerate. To that end, he decided that he would try to limit the intensity of his ether expenditure for the near future as he grew to understand what had happened.

    He¡¯d missed the first call from Trey, having been very deep into his practice. But he was there for the second one.

    Hunter was shocked, when Trey told him to get ready to leave.

    They were leaving?

    Everyone was leaving?

    He told him he¡¯d explain everything when they met up later, in the meantime he was meant to pack his essentials. They would apparently be going on a very long trip. Hunter wondered how far they would be travelling, and why, and he remembered what Trey had said to them before their last day at Barnum.

    The council was squeezing them out.

    If he was right, then this was serious. Where the hell would they go? It wasn¡¯t like the Council wanted to hunt them down, was it?

    Then he considered who was behind the whole plot, and knew that it was entirely possible that their lives could be in danger.

    Hunter didn¡¯t take long to pack. He knew what he could live with, and what he could live without. He didn¡¯t need his third arm anymore, so he left it behind. It was hung up on his tool rack as a reminder.

    He thought about it from a symbolic perspective, and then decided to bring it anyways. It was important to remember what he was capable of, how he could adapt to circumstances when the circumstances didn¡¯t seem to want to adapt to him. Just because his biggest impediment had been solved, didn¡¯t mean that he could take it easy. He was the kind of person who persevered, and he wouldn¡¯t let himself forget it.

    He¡¯d packed some of his favorite clothes, his fathers journals, as well as his own journals and schematics for future projects. He considered the luxurious, comfortable bed that he¡¯d come to enjoy, but figured he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it with him.

    Nor would he be able to take the view, which was unfortunate, but perhaps one day he¡¯d find something better.

    Hunter took inventory of what he had, which wasn¡¯t much, seeing if there was anything else he wanted to take with him. Then he remembered his favorite coffee blends which the kitchen always stocked in excess. He made a call, and sighed in relief when they told him that Trey had already had their entire supply shipped out to wherever they were going. When he asked if they knew where that shipment was headed, they told him that they were just as clueless as he was.

    Trey was keeping this close to his chest. He wondered what the man had planned.

    With only the faintest hint of regret, he turned off the light to the room and closed the door. He went to the front of the house, where he found Barry and Aera packing bags and trinkets into the Kellese.

    She offered to take Hunters luggage and place it in the trunk. Barry wasn¡¯t having it, pointing at her cast, and then shaking his finger at her, taking Hunters luggae from him except for the briefcase which he refused to let anyone else touch.

    ¡°Thank the universe we¡¯re taking the Kellese,¡± Hunter said as they both sat in the backseats.

    Aera smiled and shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a car,¡± she said.

    ¡°iTs JuSt A cAr,¡± Hunter mocked.

    ¡°Grow up,¡± she sighed. Then held up a finger when he was about to repeat his performance, a look of warning on her face.

    He¡¯d seen her almost choke out a man twice her size, he¡¯d take the warning. Barry got in the drivers seat, but waited to start the car.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Hunter asked.

    The front door to the mansion opened and Trey stepped out, holding a travel mug which Hunter was sure he knew was full of their local light-roast.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your stuff?¡± Aera asked as Trey entered the passenger side seat, and Barry activated the car.

    ¡°Sent it on ahead,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°And where exactly is ¡®ahead¡¯?¡± Hunter asked, still feeling apprehensive about the sudden move.

    Trey smiled and looked back at Hunter, his suit jacket and tie bunched up a bit under his chin.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see. I think you¡¯re gonna like it,¡± Trey said, frowning at his tie and readjusting it as he faced the front window again.

    ¡°You¡¯re really going to keep us in suspense?¡± Hunter asked, glancing at Aera to see if she was feeling the same way he was. She was appearing as stoic as ever, but it wasn¡¯t the cold and distant look he¡¯d endured the last time they both sat together like this.

    After that evening at Barnum, something had shifted between them. Hunter would hesitate to call them close¡ª but they weren¡¯t strangers anymore, no where they just acquaintances who were contracted to spend time together.

    Now they were friends. He didn¡¯t just trust Aera to have his back, he wanted to trust Aera to have his back. And was sure she felt the same way.

    They were a unit. Over the last couple of days, they even found themselves continuing their training sessions without Trey prompting it. They joked around, and laughed, and Hunter called Aera a cripple, and she showed him that even a cripple can still kick his ass.

    Hunter thought it was kind of awesome. It made him feel good. Not getting his ass kicked, but the fact that there was no hostility behind it.

    They were just messing around. They were having fun.

    Hunter had never had a sister before, and he wondered if this is what it felt like.

    ¡°Suspense, and then some,¡± Trey said. Throughout the trip, Hunter noticed him keeping his eyes on the sky, and Hunter found himself doing the same. There was an awful lot of activity up there.

    ¡°Some sort of event going on?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°Something to do with the Council?¡±

    Trey sighed.

    ¡°Yeah, something to do with the Council. A Council which,¡± he checked his watch, ¡°in about 9 hours, we will no longer be a part of.¡±

    So he¡¯d had been right. Aera tensed beside him, growing more still than usual.

    ¡°But there¡¯s always a plan,¡± Trey said, ¡°And a plan behind the plan. And a plan behind the plan behind the plan.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Aera asked, ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°We are going to be okay,¡± Trey said, ¡°in fact I think we¡¯re going to be more than okay. Come on, let it be a surprise. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±

    Hunter complained a bit more, but Trey was refusing to budge. The man was a stubborn as Aera, go figure.

    Instead of heading towards the city, the Kellese headed deeper into the mountains. An hour later, they crested a hill, and Hunter saw a sight that took his breath away in the valley below them.

    Hundreds of ships were grounded, and thousands of people were lined up around them. Cargo was moving at a scale that Hunter had never seen before.

    ¡°Is this the whole fleet?¡± Hunter asked. Trey shook his head.

    ¡°This about half of it. Most of the military vessels will be getting in position now, and the rest have already left.¡±

    ¡°Holy heavens,¡± he breathed. He heard Trey snicker. Barry drove them down into the valley, and they drove right to the end of the line of ships. Hunter took in every sight he could, every sillhoutte, every make and model.

    The dots were starting to connect.

    ¡°You¡¯re moving the whole company. We¡¯re all going outworld.¡±

    Trey just smiled. The Kellese approached the biggest ship, the final ship in the assemblage. It was at least three times bigger than the rest. They drove past the line of people and joined the freight cars hauling supplies through the ships cargo bay.

    They exited the car as Barry went to park it in a specially marked cargo container.

    ¡°Welcome aboard the Merciful Cloud,¡± Trey said as he opened the door that connected the cargo bay to the rest of the ship, ¡°flagship of the fleet, and our home for the next year.¡±

    ¡°How far are we going?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Far away,¡± Trey said, ¡°Very, very far.¡±

    He glanced back at them.

    ¡°Far enough that we¡¯ll be free to live, and expand as we please,¡± he glanced at Hunter, who was staring at every nut and bolt he passed, every pipe and grating.

    He couldn¡¯t get enough. He wanted to see it all.

    He was finally here. In a roundabout way, Trey had kept his promise, and Hunter hadn¡¯t even had to earn Excellence for it.

    Trey patted him on the back, and laughed.

    "I knew you''d like it."

 Chapters 51

    Hunter blocked Aera¡¯s jab and pivoted to avoid her follow-up. He considered stepping back, but she wouldn¡¯t want to allow him to create an opening, and true to his prediction, she pivoted to keep him in sight. The split second of a break in the fight¡¯s rhythm gave him the time to find his stance and summon some willpower as a bulwark to the annoyance and exhaustion threatening to make him call the fight.

    She was still stronger than him. In a battle of endurance, he might match her, but in a battle of knowing how to use their bodies to their fullest, she was out of his league. He knew if she felt that the fight was dragging on, she would try to overpower him soon.

    He concentrated on her, anticipating her next move. Yet, he still missed the sweep that took his legs out from under him. Before he hit the ground, he was already assessing what he could have done differently.

    A bell rang, signalling that their session was over.

    ¡°Good fight,¡± Aera said, helping him up, ¡°you¡¯ve gotten stronger. I wish you¡¯d hit this growth spurt back at Barnum. Might have made things easier for us.¡±

    ¡°Blame my genetics,¡± Hunter said.

    He¡¯d needed to come up with an excuse to explain his sudden acceleration in strength, endurance, and AR. He also needed a good reason to justify his appetite, which had dissipated over the last few months. The solution he''d come up with was to call himself a late bloomer. People seemed willing to accept that.

    ¡°Genetics,¡± Aera scoffed, ¡°your AR has been rising faster than mine. I¡¯m almost jealous.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, it¡¯s plateaued.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it at now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°48,¡± he said.

    Aera whistled.

    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°50, as of last week.¡±

    Disgusting, he thought.

    Sure, his AR was pretty close to hers, but his excuse was that he had a way to do what everyone else thought was impossible. Accelerating the growth of his AR was something that a corporation would kill to either gain for themselves or keep secret. But Aera didn¡¯t have that. She was just a freak of nature. Sometimes he wondered if Trey had Aera altered when she was younger, or if they had their own proprietary way of accelerating the growth of AR. Aera was farther ahead than anyone. Her age had a right to be. Then again, everyone was probably thinking the same thing about him at this point.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even see the sweep coming,¡± he said, shaking off the ache in his legs. ¡°How are you so fast?¡±

    ¡°Speed is one of a few factors. Another factor is awareness, knowing your opponent. So that, for example, when he becomes a bit too focused, I know when to take advantage of his tunnel vision,¡± she said, wiping away some sweat with a towel.

    Hunter tried to comprehend what she meant. It felt like something she¡¯d pointed out before.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Focus is good, but you need to remember to stay relaxed. We¡¯ve talked about this.¡±

    Although he wanted to challenge her diagnosis, she was correct. A small seasoning of shame blossomed within him. He¡¯d spent much of his time at Barnum, mastering relaxed focus as much as he could. Sometime over the last year, he must have forgotten how to do that. Under honest reflection, he could admit that he had tensed a bit too much when they sparred.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying too hard to think ahead, which isn¡¯t your strength,¡± Aera said, ¡°no offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Hunter said. ¡°You¡¯re saying my weakness is tunnel vision, being too focused on what I know, and what I¡¯ve learned to expect. What about my strengths?¡±

    ¡°Your strengths are brute force and impulsive creativity,¡± she said, without even so much as a second of hesitation.

    ¡°Wow, you didn¡¯t even have to think about it.¡±

    ¡°I make it a habit to understand my assets,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°Asset? Here I thought we were friends,¡± Hunter said, pouting.

    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Aera said, rolling her eyes.

    He figured he did. They spent a significant portion of their acquaintance in mutual scorn ¡ª so it wasn¡¯t far-fetched to assume Aera viewed him as nothing more than another data point she needed to account for. And he can¡¯t say that her ability to calculate the data she observed about people was inaccurate. She had a knack for it, and so it was probably in his best interest to consider her words as deeply as he could.

    The more he thought about her comment, the more he cross-referenced it with the fight. Not just today¡¯s fight, but fights from the last year they¡¯d been travelling together.

    His defence had tightened, his combat IQ was growing with experience, and he was predicting her choices with increased accuracy. He had felt that he¡¯d been giving her more of a challenge. He might never reach her level of skill, and he¡¯d be lying if he said she didn¡¯t intimidate him still. However, one thing that stood out was that the fight was routine ¡ª it was like the one they¡¯d had yesterday and the day before.

    That was it, wasn¡¯t it? He laughed at himself when he realized it. This was a lesson as old as any she¡¯d been teaching him: the looming threat of complacency requires constant attention. What was he taking for granted? That¡¯s where he¡¯d find another blind spot. This time, it was his arrogance in thinking that he¡¯d be able to prove much of a challenge for her after just over a year when she¡¯s been training for her whole life.

    He¡¯d enjoyed the idea that he was finally her equal. It excited him to think that he was catching up with the great Aera Oberon.

    Aera had wanted him to feel like he was adapting to her, that their skill levels were evening out. She had set the whole pace of the fight, knowing that he would feel a sense of comfort in the routine nature of their spar because he needed to. She¡¯d used his own ego against him.

    What a monster. He was glad that they were on the same team.

    As far as weaknesses go, this one wouldn¡¯t disappear overnight. Hunter now understood that these things took time to work through. Changing a pattern starts with understanding. You couldn¡¯t rush the process either, it seemed.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He was still new to all of this. Granted, she was an excellent coach and Hunter was more lethal than he¡¯d ever been in his life, but she was a pro. Her mind worked differently than his did. She was right ¡ª she liked to plan as many steps as possible. Hunter approached challenges by baring his horns and running through his obstacles head first, hoping that he would find the answers along the way.

    That was quite the disparity, and the advantage she would have in this kind of situation was obvious.

    It would take time for him to work past that, but she¡¯d point out all the ways it limited him in the meantime. She didn¡¯t even have to tell him how. All she had to do was what she was already doing. Taking advantage of all the ways his own mind weakened him without him realizing.

    It was the most effective way for him to learn. He was his own harshest judge, and Aera wasn¡¯t responsible for changing that. But what was the most efficient way to work with a weakness?

    ¡°What do you recommend?¡± Hunter said, ¡°How can I use my impulsive creativity to my advantage?¡±

    Aera huffed something between a sigh and a laugh.

    ¡°That¡¯s not for me to say, Hunter. You need to figure that one out for yourself. My recommendation is that you slow down and don¡¯t expect miracles. Try to be more observant and think outside of the box.¡±

    ¡°What box?¡± Hunter asked.

    Aera shrugged.

    ¡°You tell me. The only way you¡¯re going to find your box is by looking for it, and the only way you can look for it is to experience more.¡±

    Hunter pursed his lips. She tapped his shoulder, giving him a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. I respect the devotion to improvement, but you need to celebrate your victories as well. When was the last time you took a break from your goals? From your research, from training, from everything?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow and stared her dead in the eyes. She had the decency to look abashed.

    ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of a Council Seat. I¡¯m used to 15-hour days, 7 days a week. What about you?¡± Aera asked, intending for him to agree. But wasn¡¯t what she was describing almost exactly how he¡¯d lived his own life, before the competition, before Oberon and the exodus?

    ¡°We never talked about my life before all of this, did we?¡± he asked. She seemed a bit surprised by his answer, frowning and shaking her head.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you¡¯re right. I know some details, of course, but I¡¯ve never heard it all from your point of view.¡±

    He thought of asking her why she thought that was, but he knew she didn¡¯t really deserve that.

    Well, maybe she did. Just a little. Despite her actions, he chose to pardon her. He had seen her point of view, not that he liked it. But empathy was a bit of a bitch that way.

    Once you see someone else as just another human being, flaws and all, you risk being mad at a mirror reflection. It seemed silly of him to hold on to that kind of resentment for too long. Ever since Barnum, she¡¯d treated him like a human being ¡ª like he belonged.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s enough to say that long hours aren¡¯t new to me,¡± he said, deflating the remnants of his wounded pride. She considered what he said for a moment and titled her head.

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Aera said, ¡°let¡¯s do a big old family dinner. You, me, and dad. I¡¯ve been needing a break, and I¡¯m sure he could as well. All of us have been working nonstop since we boarded this ship, and lord knows we¡¯ve been burning the candle at both ends since ¡ª well, you know.¡±

    Hunter nodded. Ever since he became an Oberon, it had been one thing after another. School, their sessions, meditation, research, and personal projects.

    They hadn¡¯t stopped. But that didn¡¯t mean that they should stop now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, ¡°tomorrow is going to be insane. I¡¯ve still got a dozen things to do before we land, and that¡¯s just the appetizer. Trey wants me to get to know everyone on the research team, get up to date on what they¡¯ve found, get up to date on the outposts, etheric networks, and all our plans for the expansion which aren¡¯t even completed yet¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªHunter,¡± Aera said. Both of her hands were on his shoulders now. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement. ¡°I know. It¡¯s going to be crazy for everyone, and it¡¯ll be no more or less crazy if we all take a few hours to relax. This is me talking.¡±

    Hunter shook his head as if he was just waking up from a trance.

    ¡°Did you hit your head this morning? Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Right? This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You, me, and Dad, we could all stand to benefit from a momentary respite. Consider it an official recommendation from your coach. If we were back on Sanctuary, we would take 3 or 4 days on a beachside somewhere warm and tropical, but instead of that, a nice dinner will have to suffice.¡±

    Hunter saluted.

    ¡°Loud and clear, coach.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll expect you around 7. Wear something nice-ish,¡± she said, giving him a final tap on the shoulder.

    ¡°Dinner,¡± Hunter muttered to himself after she¡¯d left. He hadn¡¯t eaten a dinner over the last few days, skipping it for an extra 30 or 40 minutes of meditation, research, or study.

    He guessed that illustrated Aera¡¯s exact point. It had been a while since they¡¯d all sat around the same table and talked.

    Maybe a dinner with the Oberons would be nice.

    <hr>

    Trey was red in the face, slapping his knee and laughing like he¡¯d been holding it in for years.

    ¡°... And then your father,¡± he said between heaving breaths, ¡°he looks at me, and I¡¯m so proud of this little badge ¡ª he looks at me and says ¡®that¡¯s not the right badge!¡¯¡±

    Aera inhaled.

    ¡°No!¡± she said, ¡°after all that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Where¡¯d the badge go then? Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt was the strippers!¡± he said, turning to Aera, ¡°You should have seen the look on your mom¡¯s face when she picked us up at the port. That officer had given me his badge as a symbol of great honour, and I showed it off like it was a gift from the heavens. Then your mother takes one look at it and says, ¡®Who the hell is Mistress Ambrosia?!¡¯¡±

    Hunter¡¯s face flushed in second-hand embarrassment.

    ¡°I had never thought that my dad was so¡­ adventurous,¡± Hunter said. He¡¯d been reluctant to talk about his father at first. But as the dinner had continued, it had been fun listening to Trey recount his time with Gideon Koar with such fondness.

    Trey took a deep breath and sighed out the remnants of his laughter. He took a sip of wine and placed it down with practiced grace.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t at first. It took some time to get him open to the idea of travelling the world. He could be a lot like you when you get all focused on your work. I had to watch him like a fox as soon as he would leave his workshop and say he was done with whatever project he had going on. That was my queue to sweep him away to someplace new!¡±

    Hunter cloned Trey¡¯s swig of wine. It was his first time trying it, and maybe it was the alcohol talking, but he¡¯d never had more fun sitting down with Trey and Aera before.

    He cut into another piece of chicken. The roast was part of Trey¡¯s personal stash, cooked to perfection. Juicy, tender, not too salty, served with a creamy gravy and mashed potatoes. The warmth from the wine, the laughter from Trey and Aera, it all came together in a wholesome moment.

    Being here with them, he wasn¡¯t worried about anything. Everything was okay. He was right where he needed to be, and he didn¡¯t want to be anywhere else.

    He wondered when he¡¯d felt like that before, and he couldn¡¯t remember a time in recent history. Not since before his father died, and way before then.

    ¡°I wish he could be here with us,¡± Trey said. ¡°It was always a regret of mine that I¡¯d never roped him into the corporation for long. I must confess that I would feel a lot more secure about the months and years ahead if we had a mind like his to lean on.¡±

    Hunter pursed his lips. A sudden tension, like a build-up of energy threatening to explode, filled his throat.

    I should tell them, he thought. Share everything. Or, if not everything, why not share just enough? Things were different now. They weren¡¯t on Sanctuary, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about being used and abandoned once his value had been exhausted.

    ¡°Maybe I can help you with that¡ª¡±

    He stopped talking and shot out of his seat.

    As he was speaking, the pressure continued to build, and he realized that what he was feeling wasn¡¯t coming from inside of him. It was all around him.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, Hunter?¡± Trey asked, laughing. ¡°Believe me, you¡¯ve helped enough. You¡¯ve given so much of yourself¡­¡±

    Hunter tuned him out, all of his attention on what he was feeling.

    This was a movement of Ethereum. It was moving in a single direction, in large enough quantity for his sensitivity to pick up on. It took a certain charge of Ethereum to activate his sixth sense, but since they¡¯d been away from Sanctuary, and subject to the strange phenomena in the space between worlds, he felt things he¡¯d never felt before. This sensation was something he¡¯d felt only twice, and each time was like the entire world was taking a giant breath.

    That could only mean one thing. An ether storm was about to erupt.

    ¡°Be right back,¡± he said, and then ran out of Trey¡¯s personal suite.

 Chapter 52

    The ambient etherium kept shifting, and he felt like he was in the center of a fast-flowing river. This one would be bigger than the other ones had been. If he didn¡¯t warn the bridge in time, they might underestimate it. He did not know how accurate the etheric sensors on the ship were, and he didn¡¯t want to risk crewmen dying because they couldn¡¯t get enough people to the shield in time.

    He kept running until he found a crewman, who lead him to his superior officer. Hunter showed him the insignia on his arm, symbolizing his status as a V.I.P. The officer¡¯s eyes widened when he recognized who Hunter was. He asked the officer for his radio, and he almost fumbled before he could to activate it.

    ¡°This is Hunter Koar to the bridge. A large ether storm is about to erupt. You need more people in the shield room¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hunter,¡± he heard the flat, deep voice of Captain Abraham Gregor come through the radio, ¡°may I remind you that there are official channels for V.I.P. communication. I assure you, we have everything under control¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is Trey Oberon. I recommend we take the young man¡¯s recommendation into serious consideration,¡± Trey¡¯s voice interrupted the Captain¡¯s. Hunter winced, knowing how Trey felt about interfering with his high-level staff and their decision making. He also felt some embarrassment; with his haste to inform the bridge about the impending ether storm, he hadn¡¯t even considered the fact that Trey might have his own personal connection to the bridge.

    ¡°Very well, sir,¡± the Captain replied curtly. A few seconds later, a klaxon sounded through the ship.

    ¡°Alert, ship¡¯s status is set to Condition Yellow. All non-essential personnel are to return to their quarters and follow safety protocols. I repeat, ship¡¯s status is set to Condition Yellow. All non-essential personnel will return to quarters and follow safety protocols.¡±

    Hunter nodded in relief and thanked the officer when he handed the radio back. The officer gave Hunter a strange look, probably wondering if the newest Oberon heir was out of his mind.

    Hunter jogged back to Trey¡¯s personal quarters, dodging hurrying crewmen who were prepping themselves for the condition yellow, and nodding to other non-essentials who were rushing back to their quarters.

    When he reached the room, he found Aera sitting at the table with her arms crossed and a brow raised.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re stuck in this room together until we pass through the ether storm. I think you¡¯ve got some explaining to do.¡±

    ¡°Fret not!¡± Trey called. The man carried with him another bottle of wine and carefully balanced a large charcuterie board in his free hand. ¡°I come with good spirits!¡±

    Trey started to trip and Hunter reacted instantly, lunging forward and grabbing the board before it leaned over too much.

    Trey recovered, and he tsk¡¯d at himself. Placing the bottle on the table, he smirked at Hunter.

    ¡°This bottle is three decades old. Next time, go for the bottle, not the assortment of snacks.¡±

    Aera whistled. Trey nodded at her and smiled like a proud father.

    ¡°It¡¯s time we taught you how to appreciate a wine beyond the obvious benefits,¡± Trey said, ¡°but first; my daughter is correct, you have some explaining to do.¡±

    Hunter was about to respond, but before he could, he felt the world exhale. The ship rocked for a second, then two, then three. Something in one of Trey¡¯s cabinets topped over, something else shattered. The lights flickered.

    Hunter stumbled a bit before catching himself. The wine bottle tipped over and rolled, and Trey actually yelped before placing both hands on it, securing it in a death grip.

    The shaking passed as fast as it began.

    ¡°That¡¯s like no ether storm I¡¯ve ever felt before,¡± Aera said, seemingly unfazed by the impact as she looked at Hunter with curiosity, ¡°the shield must be holding stable, or we¡¯d be at condition: Red by now,¡± Aera said. Trey breathed with relief as he inspected the wine bottle. He popped off the cork.

    ¡°Sit down, Hunter. You can explain it all once you¡¯re good and ready.¡±

    Hunter sat down and inhaled deeply, his breath trembling. There was no backing out now. He took a sip of wine after Trey poured him another glass.

    He wondered, where should he start?

    "I believe you mentioned wanting a mind like my father¡¯s during these challenging times, correct?¡± Hunter asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

    ¡°You said you could assist, and I responded by saying that you¡¯ve already gone above and beyond.¡±

    Hunter held up a hand to interrupt Trey. Trey rose his eyebrows in curiosity, but didn¡¯t seem offended.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about me, I¡¯m talking about my father,¡± Hunter said, feeling a tightening in his stomach. He was nervous about telling them about his father¡¯s journals, but he couldn¡¯t suppress the excitement that was bubbling up behind the nerves.

    He¡¯d been holding onto this for so long.

    He wondered how much he should say. He nixed the idea of sharing the Internal Arts. The potential cost of the method remained unclear to him. And besides that, no one else could practice it. To his knowledge, only he and his father possessed a sensitivity to etherium strong enough to practice the method.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Trey said, leaning forward. Aera followed suit. All of her attention was on Hunter.

    ¡°My father was always very meticulous about his work. He would always record very detailed notes. He would also jot down his speculations about his work, his ideas about etherium, and how it could be used. After he died,¡± Hunter said.

    He took another sip of wine. Trey and Aera waited patiently.

    ¡°My father¡¯s death left me with only memories, especially after the Council confiscated everything. Until a briefcase showed up at my door, the door to the house you sheltered me in,¡± Hunter said, glancing at Trey.

    ¡°Yes, I remember you mentioning something about that. But if I recall correctly, you said there was nothing special about it,¡± Trey said, smirking over his wineglass.

    ¡°Spit it out, Hunter. Were your father¡¯s notes in the briefcase or not?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°She gets cranky when she¡¯s inebriated,¡± Trey said.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I do not! I¡¯m just wondering when we can get to the interesting part,¡± Aera said, folding her arms across her chest and pouting.

    ¡°Fine, yes. It took years to open the suitcase, by the way, and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to without going to the museum the day it was attacked,¡± he said, glancing again at Trey who seemed interested in hearing more.

    ¡°I was visiting the Asutnahem section before the attack began. I saw a series of paintings¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes! The Journeyer. A classic,¡± Trey sighed, and he glanced at his daughter with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, but seemed to accept that Hunter was taking the scenic route towards the point.

    ¡°Well, I remember seeing an inferno behind the Journeyer, and there was a symbol inside of it which meant revelation. After years of trying to open the damn thing, revelation worked. It popped open, and inside was all of my father¡¯s research from the last few decades.¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡¯d suspected that he¡¯d left something behind for you, but I had wondered about its scope. You say it was all of his research?¡± Trey asked.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°He also left behind some more personal documents written to me. But apart from those, I¡¯m willing to let Oberon have access to whatever research he left behind.¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°I get it, this is important,¡± Aera said, leaning forward over the table, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t explain what happened just before the ether storm. It¡¯s like you could sense it was forming. What was that about?¡±

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened. I sensed it forming.¡±

    Aera shook her head and Trey laughed softly.

    ¡°You are a mystery which continues to unfold, Hunter,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you feel etherium somehow?¡± Aera asked.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°My father could too, but I suspect it wasn¡¯t to the same degree that I can.¡±

    Trey¡¯s eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up.

    ¡°A mutation?¡± he asked. Hunter nodded.

    ¡°We suspect so, yes.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re such a whizz with constructs,¡± Aera said, frowning. ¡°You¡¯ve got an advantage.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Hunter said, laughing. Now that he was finally talking about it, he felt liberated. The wine was probably helping, but he suddenly could stop himself from talking.

    ¡°What¡¯s the biggest obstacle to progress in the science of etherium artisanship?¡±

    Aera furrowed her brows, but Trey answered immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s pitch black,¡± he said, his eyes widening as he realized what Hunter was implying. ¡°There¡¯s much we don¡¯t know. Etherium¡¯s enigmatic nature makes it impossible to study like a regular material, assuming ¡®substance¡¯ even applies, which is itself a point of contention. So you mean you comprehend what etherium is?¡±

    ¡°This leads to the second part of what I wanted to share. Aera, earlier I asked you how much you knew from my time before I joined the family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said, a bit more interested in the conversation.

    ¡°Well, when I wasn¡¯t struggling to put food on the table and pay rent, I was researching. I was using my sensitivity to understand etherium, and find ways to use it that no one else could.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, you paid rent?¡± Aera asked, ¡°I thought dad had you covered during that time.¡±

    Trey cleared his throat.

    ¡°That¡¯s besides the point. Please continue, Hunter. If I¡¯m reading between the lines correctly, you¡¯re about to tell us you discovered something significant about etherium?¡± he asked.

    Hunter would have laughed if the estimation wasn¡¯t spot on.

    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± Hunter said, ¡°Sort of. I¡¯ll spare the details, but my insight led me to finding certain ways to approach my work that differ from the mainstream. New network syntax that works with the natural inclinations embedded within etherium rather than against them. I also found new uses for old Glyphs. I¡¯m talking about the ability to optimize constructs by as much 50 percent, sometimes.¡±

    ¡°And your criss-cross batteries,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Crosshatch, yes,¡± Hunter corrected, ¡°that too. It was actually my father¡¯s idea. I just improved it.¡±

    Trey snorted. Then he giggled. Then he laughed.

    ¡°Hunter, I know so many very intelligent people who would feel nothing but burning envy and rage at hearing you speak. You¡¯ll meet some of them at the outpost, in fact, after the first group of colonists arrives. Tell me, as grateful as I am for your revelation¡ª¡±

    Aera sighed and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°¡ªwhat do you want to do with this information? I appreciate the research you¡¯re willing to share, but what about this other research? Our previous agreement is important to me, so I¡¯ll follow your lead on what we do next.

    Hunter realized he hadn¡¯t actually thought that far ahead. He¡¯d assumed that after he¡¯d given it to Trey, he¡¯d know what to do with it.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m open to suggestions?¡±

    ¡°If only we¡¯d known about this sooner,¡± Trey said, leaning back slightly and rubbing his hair. ¡°We could have had the engineering and fabrication teams combing through the research already. We do have some artisans on board, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to get their hands on those journals¡ªonce they¡¯ve been copied and safely secured.¡±

    Trey rubbed his chin and for a moment his eyes stared off into some unseeable distance. Then he shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that there¡¯s much we can do with this information in the near future. Once we have the foundation of the colony set up and the first wave has arrived, we can revisit this. What¡¯s your opinion on that?¡± Trey asked, looking at both Hunter and Aera.

    Aera shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s as good a plan as any, I guess,¡± Hunter said.

    A chime rang over the intercom.

    ¡°Alert, the ship¡¯s condition has been reset to Green. I repeat, condition: Green. All personnel are to resume normal duties.¡±

    The intercom clicked, and a second later, Trey¡¯s radio trilled.

    ¡°Mr. Oberon, the shield is holding steady and we¡¯ve probably saved a lot of lives and limbs by having the extra personnel on the shield. Please relay my gratitude to Mr. Koar,¡± the Captain¡¯s voice then sounded thin and tinny over Trey¡¯s personal radio.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass it on, Captain. Thank you,¡± Trey said, smirking at Hunter.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Captain said, ending the call.

    ¡°Hunter, my boy, I believe you are officially in Captain Gregor¡¯s good graces. It¡¯s quite an exclusive list to be on. How does it feel?¡±

    ¡°About as good as keeping the ship safe,¡± Hunter mumbled over the rim of his cup. He felt conflicted. Not about revealing his secrets, but that he¡¯d taken so long to do so.

    Although he felt some relief, he also felt a bit disappointed. He wondered if moments like these were supposed to feel more cathartic. Did the guilt indicate some sort of psychological complex?

    ¡°This is Captain Gregor. Sorry for interrupting again, sir,¡± the captain¡¯s voice came through Trey¡¯s personal radio again. ¡°We¡¯ve received the ping from Guard Captain Bell¡¯s beacon. They made it to the transition point without issue.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for keeping me informed, Captain. Proceed as planned.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. After so long, it¡¯ll be nice to stand on solid ground for a while. I¡¯ll leave you to your evening, sir.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain. Happy landing,¡± Trey said, and put down the radio when he was done. He stretched in his seat and then stood, finishing the charcuterie board.

    ¡°Alright, my dears. This has been fun and I regret that this is the only time we¡¯ve found for a get-together. Hunter, thank you for trusting us. Can we do this again next week? It really aught to be a regular thing,¡± Trey muttered.

    Hunter and Aera stood in tandem. She walked with him after they left Trey¡¯s room.

    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± She asked him. Hunter smiled.

    ¡°I feel good. You were right. I needed that.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Aera said, pursing her lips and then looking at him with a complicated gaze, ¡°Hunter, I don¡¯t feel like I ever apologized for how I treated you before.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s eyebrows rose.

    ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming from looking back at how unfair I was. I judged you before I understood who you were, and who you could be.¡±

    Hunter scoffed. They were friends now. He felt comfortable around her. But that didn¡¯t mean he had unconditional approval for her personality quirks.

    ¡°You and I had very different upbringings,¡± he said. ¡°I accept your apology, because if you could have seen beyond your ideas of me, you would have.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she sighed, like she just dropped a heavy weight from her shoulders, ¡°thank you, Hunter.¡±

    Hunter and Aera went their separate ways. Once he was in his quarters, he sat on the edge of his bed, fiddling with the black onyx signet ring hanging off of the necklace around his neck. He took it off and considered the Oberon emblem etched into the ring¡¯s glossy exterior.

    He remembered when Trey gave it to him, and how his fingers had been too thin to hold the ring in place. He removed the ring from the necklace and slowly placed it on his right forefinger. Over the last year, he¡¯d gained 90 pounds. Most of that was solid muscle. There was more meat on his bones, and more healthy body fat to round out his once-gaunt features.

    The ring held securely to his skin.

    He clenched his fist and lifted it to the light, watching the specular dance across the ring¡¯s glossy surface.

    He frowned. Something felt off.

    The hand with the ring felt unfamiliar, almost like it belonged to another person.

    He chuckled to himself. It was probably just the wine. Pushing the feeling away, Hunter laid down to sleep. A new chapter would begin for everyone the next day. He refused to meet its challenges without a good night¡¯s rest.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°Relax,¡± Hunter breathed out the word like a sigh. He watched Aera take a deep breath. Her shoulders sank slightly. Her jaw loosened and her lips parted. She breathed in again, and he saw her fingers and her wrists go slightly more limp in her lap.

    ¡°Back straight,¡± he said. She pursed her lips and straightened her back. Breathing again, she went through another cycle of relaxation, her body loosening as her attention slowly moved around her body.

    ¡°Good,¡± Hunter said, ¡°breathe normally. Let the feeling of rest in your body seep into your mind.¡±

    He walked around her. Sunlight shone through Barnum¡¯s soul. He hadn¡¯t remembered there being as many pillars here before, but it felt right. There was no warmth, and there was no cold. He felt no etheric presence, so whatever they used to control the temperature must have been strictly electronic. He was impressed.

    He said as much, and Aera nodded wordlessly in agreement as she walked beside him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you to relax?¡± he said.

    She looked him in the eye.

    ¡°There¡¯s so much space inside,¡± she said. Hunter laughed, knowing what she was referring to.

    ¡°Yes! The space is everywhere, and you can imagine it extending infinitely in all directions. If you focus on that, you can relax even more deeply.¡±

    She nodded and considered his words, shifting in her seated position at the center of the soul. He continued walking around her, tracing the edge of the strange gazebo they had found.

    Was it always like this? Pillared, with a vast blue sky beyond, sunlight streaming in from everywhere, yet with no apparent source?

    The shadows cast by the pillars all pointed towards the center, where Aera sat, breathing and out, deeply relaxed.

    ¡°My AR is higher than yours,¡± she said, ¡°so this should be pretty easy for me.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯m wondering,¡± he said, ¡°if you don¡¯t have a sensitivity, can you still use the internal arts?¡±

    They tiptoed down the street, observing hundreds of people as they sat quietly with their drawstones. He could feel etherium flowing towards them from all directions.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the world is taking a breath,¡± Aera said. She was holding a drawstone now, too. Where had she gotten it? She must have always had it.

    ¡°This one is bigger than any I¡¯ve felt before,¡± Hunter said. Aera nodded.

    ¡°Should we tell someone?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Why? This isn¡¯t an ether storm, it¡¯s just the internal arts.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re different,¡± he replied, thinking that it was the most obvious fact in the world.

    ¡°Well, as long as you know it¡¯s safe, I¡¯ll trust you,¡± she said.

    The amount of etherium flowing towards them increased. Then it increased again and again.

    ¡°Aera, slow down,¡± he said, feeling some concern. ¡°This is a lot.¡±

    ¡°Jealous?¡± She asked. The spotless blue sky was now growing cloudy around the soul. There wasn¡¯t another person in sight, just the two of them, the gathering storm, and Aera at the center of the whirlwind.

    He stepped towards her.

    ¡°Aera, I think you should take it easy.¡±

    ¡°You really think that after giving your secrets to me, you can just take them away? They¡¯re mine now. Besides, you said it was safe.¡±

    He suddenly realized that he never actually said that the internal arts were safe.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°as far as I know, this made my father into who he was.¡±

    Aera opened her eyes. There was something inside her, a glowing light that shone through her skin, exposing her skeleton, her muscles, and her veins.

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re trying to make me? A killer?¡± she asked, rage contorting her features. Once more, the etheric flow increased, and it lifted her from the ground. The clouds swirled around them as if they were in the eye of a tornado, yet the etherium felt like a malevolent wind, buffeting them.

    Her eyes shone brighter, and she screamed.

    ¡°Aera! Drop the drawstone, it¡¯s not worth the risk!¡± he yelled.

    The clouds behind her shifted into an amalgamation resembling her face. It spoke, and the world rumbled with her voice.

    ¡°You did this to me!¡± she screamed. She moved her arm, and the storm gathered closer. Paralysis gripped him, and her inner glow intensified. He could only watch as her skin charred, and the light within, shining now through her eyes and her mouth, took on the tone of deep oranges and reds.

    The face in the contracting storm glowed as well. As she screamed, so the storm followed, and the noise was like terror incarnate.

    ¡°You did this!¡°You did this!¡± she said, pointing at him; the inner light burst through her like a nova, reducing her to ash.

    ¡°Aera!¡± Hunter screamed, sitting up in his bed, panting and sweating. One hand gripped his chest, the other reached forward towards¡­

    His own reflection in the mirror across from his bed. He panted and sighed. It was just a dream. He laid back down in his bed, one arm over his forehead, and he closed his eyes. He hadn¡¯t had a dream that intense since he¡¯d been in the hospital after Pippen Visgold ganged up on him with his henchmen. Hunter stilled his breath as best as he could and went through some of his relaxation exercises.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    There was a soft symphony of hurrying footsteps and excited voices outside of his quarters. The muffled sound of a voice coming through the ship¡¯s intercom was so familiar to him now. It wouldn¡¯t feel like a proper morning without the feeling of an active ship, full of life at all hours of the day and night cycle.

    Today differed from other mornings, though. Today was landing day. Almost everyone would be awake now, preparing for the grand finale of their long journey through countless miles of space. In mere hours, they would cross the threshold into a new world, and start setting the foundations for the colony they would come to call their home.

    He checked the time. He still had a couple of hours before the crew assembled for the Captain¡¯s landing-day speech. His job during the speech would be to stand beside Trey and Aera, nodding and smiling as the Captain spoke whatever words he¡¯d come up with. Hunter imagined this might be a historic occasion, and future generations might read his speech.

    Ideally.

    If they could secure enough resources, be self sustaining, and didn¡¯t all get wiped out by some nasty alien parasite or exotic germ which would rapidly reproduce and consume them from the inside out.

    Could he be sure of the probability of that happening? Absolutely not. Biology wasn¡¯t an interest of his. Their knowledge of the world they were about to settle was dwarfed by their ignorance.

    Hunter got out of bed and sat down to meditate, setting his timer for 45 minutes. He thought about his progress and wondered what the next few years would look like. He¡¯d already learned the first 3 of the 4 techniques his father had developed in order to speed up his AR growth. After the initial growth spurt, his AR had almost doubled. But he¡¯d reached a point that mere attunement to his channels wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect. He needed to learn how to grow new channels. From there, he could raise his AR at a rate of one point per week, approximately. He imagined his progress had been much faster than his fathers, who had said that once he¡¯d been able to grow his own channels, he¡¯d seen his AR rise by 3 every month.

    If Hunter didn¡¯t practice the techniques, his AR would rise at the rate of a normal adult male. Probably faster, given his genetics. By the time he was 40 years old, his AR could be in the 80s or 90¡¯s if he had casual contact with drawstones for the rest of his life. Given his line of work, he could probably hit the 100s before he reached his midlife.

    Now that his AR wasnt hindered by some deep psychological trauma, his midlife might be well into his 50¡¯s or 60¡¯s. So he could even see his AR naturally rise to 150 of he didn¡¯t practice the inner arts ever again. He might even develop a new mutation. How interesting would that be?

    The internal arts had only been relevant when his AR had been stuck, and he was facing a lifetime of struggle.

    But things were different now. The problem was solved. So what use was the internal arts? Just getting stronger? Living longer? What use did he have for any of that right now? He¡¯d live plenty long and be plenty strong as it was.

    If he pushed himself, and ended up with an AR in the 300s, or 400s, or 500s, what would happen to him along the way? He wasn¡¯t sure he liked the answer.

    Who had his father become, and who would he have been if this obsession hadn¡¯t driven him so far? What would happen if someone tampered with their etheric channels? His father¡¯s journals stated that he had noticed no negative side effects¡ªbut this same man had experimented on and killed innocent people for this work; therefore, could his judgment be trusted?

    Probably not.

    That being said, he¡¯d come so far. He felt it would be a shame to stop practicing altogether.

    His alarm beeped, and he sighed.

    Maybe it was best to turn the whole thing over to Oberon Researchers, and they could find ethical ways to understand it and its potential side effects. They might even come up with a way to speed up the growth of AR which was guaranteed to be safe.

    After showering and dressing, he finished the paperwork that had been assigned to him a week prior to register him as a citizen of the new colony.

    After placing his ring on his finger, he checked his uniform in the mirror. He figured he¡¯d do Aera proud and present himself as she hoped an Oberon heir would. He smoothed his uniform out as best as he could and then stepped out the door of his quarters.

    The door slid open and Hunter braced himself to face the expectant faces of the passing crewmen.

    ¡°Sir,¡± a young man greeted as Hunter stepped out. He was older than Hunter, but still young compared to all the command stuff he¡¯d grown used to being around. The crewman was a Junior Crewman, judging by the single white pip on the collar of his light grey tunic.

    Hunter returned the greeting, hiding his internal grimace with a polite smile. He was taking his queue from Trey.

    ¡°As you were,¡± he told the crewman. Hunter felt a small sense of relief when the young man left. But he tensed up immediately when another crewman greeted him with the honorific of a superior officer. Hunter gave another as-you-were and walked with speed to meet up with Aera in the mess hall.

    He was starving and couldn¡¯t wait to get off the ship. It had served them well on their long journey between worlds, but having a bunch of grown men and women referring to him as if he were superior ¡ª as if his authority trumped their own individual expertise, it made him cringe.

    Aera somehow handled it with grace. Then again, she was born to the role. Hunter figured he¡¯d be able to adjust, eventually. When ¡®eventually¡¯ was might as well have stretched out in to this later decades, as far as he was concerned.

    Turning into the mess hall was like a weight lifting off of his shoulders. Their conversations and meals preoccupied most people there, so they didn¡¯t notice him. He was grateful he wasn¡¯t the captain, to whom the ship afforded supreme respect, almost like a king.

    He¡¯d been in the mess hall when Captain Gregor had come for dinner with the crew. The captain¡¯s arrival was announced as soon as he entered the hall. The mess hall wasn¡¯t like other parts of the ship, where everyone would have to salute when the captain passed by, but an acknowledgement the likes of which Hunter had received on his way there was the bare minimum.

    ¡°Hey, you,¡± he said, sitting across from Aera. She dismissed her assistants, but Hunter saw that their food was only half eaten. He frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if they stay,¡± he said to her. She shrugged and nodded towards them.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Oberon. We¡¯ve each got a hundred things to get done before we land, so we can eat the rest of this later,¡± one assistant said. Hunter wouldn¡¯t argue with them if they¡¯d made up their minds.

    After they¡¯d left, Aera cocked her head at him and raised an eyebrow. Her eyes quickly flicked to his right hand, where he was wearing the black onyx signet ring.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t correct them,¡± she said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.

    ¡°When they called you Mr. Oberon,¡± Aera said, ¡°you¡¯re usually pretty quick to correct them.¡±

    It was Hunter¡¯s turn to shrug.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today, boss?¡± he asked, not really sure what more needed to be said. Maybe he didn¡¯t mind being an Oberon. His last name didn¡¯t really feel relevant anymore. His attachment to the name, even after hearing about what his father had done, was nothing more than his reluctance to let go of the past.

    If there¡¯s one thing Hunter had realized over the last year, was that he¡¯d changed. He was compelled to learn much about himself and to push for growth within a short time, resulting in the loss of his former identity.

    He didn¡¯t need to be a Koar anymore. It meant nothing to him but pain and shame.

    Aera studied him for a second, and he hid nothing. There was nothing to hide.

    ¡°The plan,¡± she said, wolfing down some eggs, ¡°is the same as it¡¯s always been. As soon as we touch down, there will be a deep assessment of the outpost¡¯s facilities. Based on the outpost¡¯s status, we¡¯ll decide which plan we¡¯ve built will be the most relevant for the foundations of the new colony. We¡¯ll only have about a week before the first wave of ships arrives, so we¡¯ll need to build enough housing for a few thousand people, and a pipeline for them to plug into in order to prepare for the waves after that. The third wave will be the largest, since it will include the bulk of our military fleet, as well as the remaining colonists from the furthest outposts.¡±

    ¡°We need to build a few thousand houses in a week?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Prefabs,¡± Aera said, ¡°pre-fabricated modules. Not enough for all the housing we¡¯ll need, but it¡¯ll cover most it if we double or triple-up on the amount of people in each home. The rest will be bound to ships for a while. We¡¯ve just finished setting up the registration system for housing assignments. We are thinking of a town-house/apartment model for most of our living quarters. The living quarters will be cramped for a year, but most people will have their own space soon after that.¡±

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°Cramped. Great.¡±

    ¡°Us three will live together, so you won¡¯t be sleeping among strangers. We¡¯ll try to keep families and friends together as much as possible, but there¡¯s only so much we can do, especially when we¡¯re in such a rush. However, if you want to help speed the process along¡­¡±

    Hunter considered her words.

    ¡°Yeah, if you can get me a meeting with whoever is in charge of the construction effort, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve finished your leadership modules, right?¡± she asked. He nodded.

    ¡°So you know the importance of meeting people¡¯s standards whenever you can. We¡¯re compromising with them right now, telling them that a short-term sacrifice is going to pay off in the long run. It¡¯s our job to meet that payoff, and if my father were here, he¡¯d probably say that we would want to exceed it.¡±

    Hunter hummed.

    ¡°I feel like my workload has just multiplied,¡± he said. Aera carefully laid down her fork and looked him in the eye.

    ¡°It has. And it will probably multiply again, and we¡¯ll be facing many threats that wouldn¡¯t have been a problem back home, or in any other world that we¡¯ve discovered so far. Is that going to be a problem?¡±

    He sputtered slightly, surprised by the sudden change in tone.

    Hunter, your complete commitment is crucial to me. I know what you¡¯re capable of when you set your mind to getting something done. I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s impressive, but you¡¯re not the person who can force themselves to do something if you don¡¯t believe in it.¡±

    He shook his head. He understood what she was saying, but he wasn¡¯t sure where exactly this was coming from.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really complaining about it,¡± he said, ¡°but maybe I¡¯d be lying to myself if I said I wasn¡¯t at least a bit intimidated by the marathon ahead of us. When you say threats, you mean the beast waves, right?¡±

    Aera nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, the beat waves. We still don¡¯t understand them, but that doesn¡¯t mean we never will. Until we do, we treat them as just another hazard. And your being intimidated by the workload is fair. But let me know if you suddenly feel like its too much for you. You¡¯re going to be integral to helping install the colony¡¯s infrastructure, and be mindful of the fact that once you¡¯ve shared your father¡¯s research, and yours, we¡¯ll probably want to upgrade that infrastructure without too much hassle.¡±

    ¡°¡®We,¡¯ she says,¡± Hunter laughed, ¡°yeah, I get it. You want to make sure I¡¯m meeting everyone halfway. Uneven development might lead to problems down the road, so we need to keep pace with each other.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Your leadership modules are paying off,¡± she said, sounding pleased. ¡°You did well with your uniform this morning, by the way.¡±

    Hunter felt gratified that she noticed. If she did, others did as well. Maybe they¡¯d have some small, genuine respect for the teenager they¡¯re all supposed to refer to as ¡®sir.¡¯

    They both finished their meals and decided to meet up on the observation deck after the Captain¡¯s speech to watch the approach to Skyhold with the best view the ship can offer. He was looking forward to getting a breath of fresh air after the shield goes down. It¡¯ll be the first deactivation since the ship started its journey, and Hunter imagined that the fresh air was sure to be like a reinvigorating tonic.

 Chapter 54

    Captain Gregor waited for the crew to assemble. Most would be in attendance, but there would be several whose duties required their constant attention. There were many systems aboard the ship which required such supervision ¡ª both etheric and electronic. The last thing they needed was a wild ether storm to hit while they had their guard down.

    Though he had to correct himself ¡ª now he might presume that the newest Oberon would give them sufficient warning. He still wasn¡¯t quite aware of exactly how the boy could know that an ether storm was impending. Hunter could do something that his top-of-their-class crew could not. He was a strange young man, but overall he had a decent impression of Hunter Oberon Koar. During one of their weekly dinners, the Mr. Oberon had filled him in on the boy¡¯s history, and how he¡¯s risen to face challenges most people couldn¡¯t even imagine with an intensity of focus that the Captain could only admire.

    With a man like Trey Oberon as a mentor, he was sure that Hunter would turn into an outstanding leader. Apparently, he¡¯d shown no interest in taking over the reins of the corporation in the future ¡ª not that he¡¯d have much luck doing so with the presence of his adoptive sister. Hunter was being guided toward smaller leadership roles, but Trey had groomed Aera from birth to inherit his position leading the company.

    Captain Gregor had hoped to be retired by then. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to be subordinate to the next generation of Oberon¡¯s. Not out of enmity, but out of disinterest in having to adapt to a new leadership style and vision. He was a professional to the core, but in his silver years, what need had he to change his ways if he didn¡¯t have to? However, the circumstances convinced him that his retirement was indefinitely postponed.

    Instead of being disappointed, he decided he would embrace the opportunity to make his mark on history. He had absolutely no doubt that the men and women on this ship, and on the ships who would transition into Skyhold¡¯s skies over the next weeks and months, had what it took to build the perfect foundation for a thriving future.

    They might not be aware of it, but the crew noted how their leaders lived their lives ¡ª even future leaders. The discipline, professionalism, and the inner drive to improve that the Oberons had shown had helped the crew stay focused on their long journey. It also helped that Aera seemed to have made it her personal mission to ensure that everyone associated with the company, no matter what their rank, was presenting themselves as competently as possible.

    In a few minutes, he would need to do his job. Being a captain wasn¡¯t just the role of an administrator, it was to serve as a voice for the crew¡¯s heart.

    Hunter, Aera, and Trey were the last to arrive. They shook his hand, but stood far to his side. They lined up at an angle, as if their attention wasn¡¯t just on the Captain, but the crew as well.

    The Captain stood straight. He allowed the slightest of smiles to show. Some passengers who were accompanying them took cameras out. Administrators, assistants, historians and researchers who didn¡¯t have an official position in Trey¡¯s navy or Guardsman force.

    He cleared his throat, and a crewman nearby flipped a switch.

    ¡°My fellow crew, my friends, members of our great company,¡± he started, and he could make out the faint sound of his voice echoing through the hall outside. They would project it through the ship¡¯s intercom for everyone who couldn¡¯t attend.

    ¡°11 months, 25 days, and 18 hours. We have conducted the longest inter-realm voyage in the history of our civilization. There were 1500 of us when we set off. In that time, we¡¯ve welcomed a few new junior crewmembers,¡± he said, letting his smile widen a bit.

    Some passengers had gotten very familiar during the voyage. Now he would catch the odd wail of a crying babe echoing down the hallways, every once in a while. It was a strange sound to hear aboard an inter-realm vessel. But these were strange days.

    ¡°As I stand before you now, I feel the weight of every long day, every sleepless night, and every sacrifice we¡¯ve made to get here. Nearly a year ago, we left behind the only home we¡¯d ever known. We left behind the familiar. This was our choice. The alternative would have been as good as slavery, at best. But our leader had another vision for us. Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Oberon?¡±

    He turned to look at their leader, who gave a solemn nod. Turning back to the crew, he continued.

    ¡°You have been patient. With your preparation, planning, and hard work, our landing will be more than just progress; it will lay the groundwork for something far grander than we could have imagined on Sanctuary. You have done so without complaint, and with an inner strength that inspires me every day. For that, I thank you. No captain could ask for a better crew. But I¡¯ll be honest.¡± he paused and took a deep breath.

    Landing does not signal the end of our challenge. It only signals the genesis of more. Once we land, the actual work begins ¡ª and there will be dangers all around us. This journey, this last year, has only been the prelude. Ahead of us lies building the future which we have been planning and dreaming of¡ªone that is worthy of the trials we¡¯ve overcome.

    I won¡¯t tell you it will be easy, but I will tell you this: every moment of hardship from here on out will mean something. Every stone we lay, every seed we plant, every sunrise we greet on this new world is a step toward transforming this colony into more than just a home, or a means to survive ¡ª we are not here to survive. We will create a future. We will build something better than what was taken from us. This new world isn¡¯t just a place to live, it¡¯s a place where we will thrive. A living testament to what we can accomplish together.

    So, take pride in what we¡¯ve done, but take even more pride in what we¡¯re about to do. The horizon ahead is vast, uncharted, and full of challenges, yes¡ªbut it is also full of possibilities, more than we can yet imagine.

    Keep that in mind, in the days and months ahead. Our challenges are not obstacles, they are the pressures that will shape us into something stronger, and beautiful,¡± he said, clenching his fist in front of his heart. ¡°Hold on to that vision, make it a part of you. Make it the first thing you think about in the morning, and the last thing you think about at night. This is our duty, our honor, and our privilege as pioneers, as builders of a glorious future, as members of the great Oberon family.¡±

    He took a step back from his podium and saluted.

    The snapping sound that hundreds of uniforms made when the crew saluted together was always incredibly satisfying.

    He smiled. He looked towards Mr. Oberon and raised his eyebrow. Trey nodded and winked.

    Not too shabby, the man would probably say if they were in private.

    He walked over to the man in question and shook his hand, as well as the hands of his heirs. Aera responded as he expected, as gestures like this were par for the course. But Hunter looked at him with unguarded curiosity and a hint of nervousness.

    For the crucible that has shaped the young man so far, he showed very little sign of it. Where some men would find their spirits broken or wilted, Hunter maintained an inquisitive spirit and openness to the world, it seemed.

    He gave them all a last nod and stood by the door, shaking the hands of his crew as they filtered out. It was a rare chance for them all to be shown personal appreciation and respect from their captain, and he wasn¡¯t about to let that opportunity slip him by.

    They really were a great crew.

    Captain Gregor left once most of them had cleared out and made his way to the bridge. Within an hour, they would reach the transition point, and soon after that, they would contact the Skyhold outpost to get them organized before the ship landed.

    He¡¯d had to endure an 8 hour meeting with the various department heads aboard the ship, who would take over key aspects of the outpost¡¯s expansion into a colony. They all had a request for the Captain to take care of in his first contact with the outpost, certain information and orders they needed to convey. The problem was that there was only so much he could convey, and only so much labour he could demand from the outpost on such short notice.

    They negotiated with each other, with the Captain moderating to ensure a healthy compromise. The outposts maintenance teams would be the first to be mobilized. They would secure an area beyond the storage hanger near the woefully undersized landing pad the outpost had. After that, they should be ready to receive and organize all the Merciful Cloud¡¯s cargo for ease of access.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The Captain usually let Commander Striker deal with these tedious administration jobs, but Striker had a thousand things to deal with today. The Commander had distinguished himself over the long flight. As soon as he could, he would put in a recommendation for the man to be promoted. He wasn¡¯t sure when they would build new ships ¡ª and he hoped that Mr. Oberon had had the time to deconstruct a floating shipyard and bring it along, somehow.

    Something told him that their timetable had been far too sped up for that, though. Even he was surprised by the sudden order to execute Exodus; Trey had prepared him for such an order at any time. That meant that Trey was probably just as rushed as everyone else to make sure they had the bare minimum to succeed.

    That being said, he wasn¡¯t worried about running out of resources. They had some of the finest intellectual talents in the world with them. If anyone was going to survive so far from their old home, it was the people aboard this ship, and the ones who were on their way.

    ¡°Transition imminent, Captain,¡± his navigator reported as Captain Gregor sat in his seat at the center of the bridge.

    ¡°Look¡¯s like I¡¯m just in time!¡± he heard his boss declare just after the door to the bridge slid open.

    ¡°Mr. Oberon, thank you for joining us,¡± the Captain said, standing and saluting. An optional gesture, of course, but the man had more than earned the Captain¡¯s respect, and the respect of the crew. The rest of the bridge stood and saluted, following the Captain¡¯s example.

    ¡°No need to stand on ceremony. You¡¯ve all got jobs to do.¡± Trey waved them all down. The Captain smiled and invited Trey to stand by the Captain¡¯s chair.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have any coffee up here, would you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not like you, to neglect bringing your own,¡± the Captain said, genuinely surprised at his boss¡¯s lapse in routine.

    Trey sighed.

    ¡°The rations I¡¯d portioned out for he trip dried out a few days ago. I had even allocated extra for myself, knowing how addicted I am to the stuff. And yet,¡± he said, letting the rest of the sentence drift into the ether.

    ¡°And yet, prominent men have great appetites,¡± Captain Gregor finished the thought.

    Trey snorted.

    ¡°Indeed. Well put, Captain.¡±

    Suddenly, the bridge was engulfed in a black void; a trillion particles danced around and through it, like holographic fireflies or folklore fairies. The little fairies shifted in hue and saturation. Some would drift in and out of existence ¡ª if existence is even the right word. Why wouldn¡¯t it be? They were right there, and yet¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the kids are enjoying the show,¡± Trey said.

    The Captain raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Right, I was going to ask about that. I had expected them to join us on the bridge.¡±

    ¡°You know how kids can be. They wanted to watch the festivities from the observation deck ¡ª an unobstructed view. I believe it¡¯s the first time either of them have been able to enjoy a transition into a new world,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Then they¡¯re in a for a lovely sight,¡± the captain exclaimed.

    As suddenly as the void had appeared, they left it behind. The field of particles became a vast blue sky, stretching out to be obscured by Skyhold¡¯s horizon.

    ¡°Ah, gorgeous,¡± Trey said, staring out the large view port at the front of the bridge.

    ¡°The sight never gets old,¡± the Captain agreed. He looked towards his communication¡¯s officer.

    ¡°Comms, are we too far out from Skyhold to make contact?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be within radio range in a minute, sir.¡±

    The Captain nodded.

    ¡°Any more amendments you¡¯d like me to make to the broadcast?¡± the Captain asked his boss.

    Trey shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to your discretion.¡±

    The Captain nodded. Soon, the communication window opened.

    ¡°Let them know our intentions, comms.¡±

    The communication officer nodded, pressing her headphones to her ears and attempted to establish contact with the outpost.

    ¡°This is the O.S.S. Merciful Cloud to the Skyhold outpost, do you read? Over,¡± she said.

    Except for some static, the radio was silent.

    Skyhold sprawled before them off into the horizon. He couldn¡¯t yet make out the outpost, but he knew it would be down there. His new home, the new headquarters for the entire Oberon Enterprise corporation, would soon host thousands of hopeful migrants motivated to thrive in a strange new world.

    Skyhold¡¯s namesake grew closer. How did something like that grow so large? And why was it so unique in the world?

    ¡°This is O.S.S. Merciful Cloud to the outpost Skyhold, do you read? Over,¡± the communication officer repeated.

    More static. The crewman looked to him, ¡°Sir¡ª¡±

    ¡°Skyhold to Merciful Cloud, we read you loud and clear. Excuse us for the delay, we weren¡¯t expecting visitors today,¡± a male voice spoke from the speakers, which were set to broadcast throughout the bridge.

    The Captain narrowed his eyes. That was sloppy.

    ¡°The next scheduled delivery of supplies and personnel was probably a few months out,¡± Trey offered, seemingly unconcerned about the fidelity of his employees.

    ¡°Still,¡± the Captain mumbled, ¡°that office receives communications from the entire outpost. It¡¯s not like they go months without having to use a radio.¡±

    Trey shrugged. ¡°If a personnel or leadership change is in order, I have no issue with making that call.¡±

    Captain Gregor unhooked his personal radio from his seat.

    ¡°This is Captain Abraham Gregor, commanding officer of the Merciful Cloud. We¡¯ve got a lot of updates for you, Skyhold. I need to speak with Guard Captain Amos. Over.¡±

    There was another pause in their response.

    ¡°I, uh, well about that, sir,¡± the man on the other end said. ¡°Guard Captain Amos, he¡¯s gone, sir. Over.¡±

    Captain Gregor frowned, his grip on his microphone tightened.

    ¡°Please clarify.¡±

    The bridge crew was tense. They were all listening, but Commander Striker was doing his job well, looking over their shoulders at a time like this to make sure that the crew¡¯s focus was where it needed to be.

    Outside, rolling green hills silently passed them by.

    ¡°This is Guard Captain Clarke. Who am I speaking to?¡± Came a new voice, the man¡¯s words came through sharply. He sounded angry.

    Captain Gregor traded glances with Trey, who was frowning, his eyes narrowed. It matched the drop in Captain Gregor¡¯s mood. Something was wrong, here.

    ¡°This is Captain Abraham Gregor, commanding the O.S.S. Merciful Cloud, flagship of the Oberon Enterprise fleet. Your man was just about to clarify what he meant when he said that Guard Captain Amos was gone,¡± Captain Gregor said, Hunter had never seen him so tense.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m well aware of the status of the Merciful Cloud. Amos died a few months ago, Captain. I¡¯ve assumed command of the outpost while we¡¯ve awaited reinforcements,¡± Vice-Captain Clarke said.

    Trey gripped the seat tightly. His jaw tensed.

    What the fuck? One crewman silently mouthed to another. Commander Striker saw the exchange and snapped his finger. The chastised crewmen got back to work.

    ¡°Forgive me for my tone, Vice-Captain, but I believe it would have been prudent to inform the company of the late captain¡¯s demise. May I ask, how did he die? We were old friends. And you should have received reinforcement from a platoon under the command of Guard Captain Bell. Where might he be? Over.¡±

    There was a sigh on the other end of the connection.

    ¡°It¡¯s Guard Captain now, Gregor. We received no reinforcements. I think we should have this conversation in person.¡±

    ¡°Of course. We have quite a bit to inform you all about, as well. Did Guard Captain Amos brief you on the expansion plans? Things are about to get chaotic around here, over.¡±

    There was a long pause. The Captain was about to say something else, but ¡®Guard Captain¡¯ Clarke spoke up again.

    ¡°I see. Over and out.¡±

    The Captain muttered to Trey, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like where this is going.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Trey said. ¡°I¡¯m unsettled by the Vice-Captain¡¯s tone, and his abrupt exit.¡±

    ¡°Guard Captain, apparently,¡± the captain sighed.

    ¡°Yes, so it would seem,¡± Trey said, rubbing his chin. ¡°It¡¯s not sitting right with me. I gave no such promotion. And the guidelines are clear, a Vice-Captain rank is more than enough to hold authority while the company officially instated a replacement or promotion ¡ª at my behest.¡±

    ¡°How do you want to handle this, sir?¡± the Captain asked. The situation had just got a lot more sensitive, and he knew when to step back and let the boss take command.

    ¡°Proceed as planned. We¡¯ll investigate once we¡¯ve landed. Worst-case scenario; we¡¯ll strip Guard Captain Clarke of his command, and give Guard Captain Niklaus full authority over the colony¡¯s forces, for now. At least until General Marko arrives with the Admiral.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m troubled by what he said regarding Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon,¡± the Captain said. He and Bell had gone to the same academy and had become good friends over the years.

    ¡°As am I, Captain, but there¡¯s only so many problems we can solve at once when there are so many unknown variables facing us.¡±

    The Captain nodded.

    ¡°Lower the shield,¡± he commanded, and the communications officer radioed to the shield room.

    The rippling shell surrounding the ship dissipated. Hunter and Aera must be enjoying the sudden breath of fresh air. He envied them. It must feel great.

    ¡°We¡¯re receiving a strange signal, sir,¡± the communications officer said. ¡°It¡¯s etheric, but it¡¯s cutting in and out.¡±

    ¡°Ether comms? I wasn¡¯t aware that Skyhold had any,¡± Captain Gregor said.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t until recently. But we sent some parts for etheric communications with Guard Captain Bell and his platoon,¡± Trey said slowly.

    Captain Gregor connected some mental dots. A tension was flourishing in his chest. He gripped the arms of his chair and tensed his jaw as he thought.

    They could make out a glimmer in the distance as the valley rendered itself into detail, as well as the individual mountains, rivers, and lakes situated beyond the outpost. The forest stretched in all directions, covering most of the untamed world.

    ¡°Comms, strip the authorization requirements in order to catch the ether beam. If it¡¯s Bell, then we need to know what that beam is broadcasting to us.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. I¡¯m having trouble with stabilizing the transmission. I think the problem is that by the time our system has accepted the broadcast, it¡¯s already lost alignment, stripping authorization requirements now,¡± the communication officer said.

    The communication officer studied their display intently while they tapped away at their keyboard. Then they turned a dial to the side of the display, and a warbled transmission sounded across the bridge.

    ¡°This.. toon.. Guard Captain¡­Cloud..diate dange¡­¡±

    ¡°Adjusting sensor alignment,¡± the communication officer said, subtly turning another dial with great care.

    ¡°I repeat, this is Guard Captain Bell. Clarke shot down my platoon as we approached. The Merciful Cloud is in immediate danger! I repeat, this is Guard Captain¡ª¡±

    ¡°Set condition: Red!¡± the Captain yelled.

    ¡°Sir, two rapidly approaching objects. They appeared out of nowhere¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get the shield up!¡± he ordered and then thumbed a switch on his chair that would let him broadcast his voice throughout the entire ship. ¡°All hands, brace for impact!¡±

 Chapter 55

    The transition had been beautiful. Hunter had only ever seen it from inside the ship when they¡¯d taken off from Sanctuary. But this time he could watch as the dull silver glow rendered into a black void, filled with a kaleidoscope of coloured particles, shifting and pulsing and dancing along waves of what substance Hunter could only guess at. He felt no etheric presence around him, save for whatever came from the ship.

    That didn¡¯t mean that no etheric phenomena existed, only that he couldn¡¯t detect any charge. With that in mind, he did his best to still his mind and observe what he could.

    The particles drifted through him- as if they were nothing more than a holographic projection, some sort of illusion that mimicked reality but didn¡¯t quite come up to snuff. The two realities, though observable in the same one, seemed to house the particles and the ship with all its people separately. Neither the ship nor the particles disturbed each other in any discernible way.

    A burning itch of curiosity was pestering him, but he didn¡¯t have any way of exploring it. It was a mystery in plain sight, all around him yet utterly untouchable. He wondered if this was how most artisans felt about etherium ¡ª the object of their passion and profession being an utter enigma in a way that Hunter couldn¡¯t appreciate, as they¡¯d never have the more intimate connection with it that Hunter enjoyed.

    Aera looked around with mild interest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s interesting, but not in a way that makes me want to spend my life exploring it,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough lifelong interests to keep me occupied too, but who knows when two disparate areas of interest might end up meeting each other in some unexpected middle ground?¡± he said. She had a skeptical look on her face but shrugged instead of outright denying it.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± she sighed, leaning on the railing and resting her head in her palm.

    ¡°Tired?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Who isn¡¯t? It¡¯s been a long trip, and the Captain¡¯s right. This was all just prep for the proper work to begin. Organizing work routines is going to be the next fun puzzle that we all get to collaborate on. That¡¯s going to be an ongoing project, since routine change is based on necessity, often on a weekly basis.¡±

    ¡°You know, you would have been great at sales,¡± he said, ¡°or putting people to sleep. I¡¯m glad we had this conversation. How crazy is it you might have missed your calling entirely¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI will throw you over this railing, Hunter.¡±

    ¡°Copy that. Shutting up.¡±

    She smirked.

    Light streamed through the particles, and a split second later, the void disappeared entirely.

    Now, above them and around them as far as they could see was blue sky and clouds.

    ¡°Holy crap,¡± Hunter said, and he struggled to find another word to describe the shock of the change.

    One second, nothing, the next; an entire world stretched before them. Seemingly endless forest, mountains, the odd clearing with lakes, and long slithering rivers as far as the eye could see.

    They both stared silently at the undulating landscape below them. From up this high, Hunter could almost believe he was looking at some untamed part of Sanctuary.

    Below them, the world went on and on.

    The horizon implied a curve. But knowing what they knew of the world, it must be a virtual curve, which stopped existing the further away from the world you got. What was real, what was unreal? Maybe it was all unreal. Maybe it was all real. He actually hated thinking about this kind of thing. It made his brain hurt and induced an existential dread which he didn¡¯t feel like he wanted to indulge at the moment.

    He compared the view to the one he saw when he was on the plane, on his way to Costa Benne.

    The thought was bittersweet. He¡¯d eaten some of the best food he¡¯d ever tasted on that trip, and he was worried he¡¯d never be able to taste it again. He shook his head to clear those thoughts, but the emotions weren¡¯t quite easy to shake away.

    He did his best to distract himself with the magnificent view, trying to let it sink into his mind, trying to drown in it rather than the feeling of melancholy, which was threatening to ruin the experience entirely.

    ¡°Worth the wait,¡± Aera breathed deeply, savouring the sensations like Hunter was, ¡°This world is gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°Gorgeous, but deadly.¡±

    Aera nodded.

    ¡°If you needed an excuse to train harder than ever, the nature of our new home is probably good enough.¡±

    Hunter frowned.

    Aera noticed his reaction and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s obviously not nothing, but whatever. You do you, Mr. Mystery Man. I think i¡¯ve seen enough. There will be plenty of time to enjoy this view in the future if we can convince dad to let us join some of the exploration expeditions¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwait, I heard nothing about exploration expeditions. There¡¯s going to be exploration expeditions?¡±

    ¡°Yes, obviously there¡¯s going to be exploration expeditions,¡± she said, throwing her hands in an exasperated shrug and looking at him like he¡¯d just asked if apples fall down.

    It seemed obvious, in hindsight.

    He had flashbacks to all of his sleepless nights as a child, envisioning exciting adventures in alien worlds.

    ¡°You do not know how happy I am to hear that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. Dad considers you and me V.I.P.¡¯s, and as heirs, he¡¯s only willing to risk our safety in very specific, controlled scenarios.

    ¡°Controlled, like Barnum?¡±

    She sighed, and her elbows dropped a bit.

    ¡°Barnum should have gone a lot differently. I know you know that by now,¡± she said, looking away from him.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I don¡¯t blame you, either of you,¡± he said, leaning over the rail with her.

    The ship descended slowly in its transit across Skyhold¡¯s sky, and eventually he was able to see the namesake for Skyhold itself. A large tree, larger than any mountain by a dozen times over, its branches stretching out into the blue sky. They say that when there is enough cloud clover the tree seemed like a pillar, seperating the heavens and the earth, holding up the sky.

    Hence the name.

    The outpost was near the great tree, not close enough to be in danger from any falling branches¡ª whether that was an actual hazard, he didn¡¯t know, but the people who planned the outpost decided it would be prudent to avoid being a victim to a such a potential disaster.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    That being said, wouldn¡¯t it be a shame to not be close enough to enjoy the view? It was probably the most significant point of interest in the entire world, as far as they could tell. So they compromised and built the outpost on an elevated plot of land about 30 kilometres out from the great pillar.

    Given that the tree itself ¡ª if it really was a tree and not some strange tree-like anomaly ¡ª was over 30 kilometres tall, it was still plenty visible from the outpost.

    Hunter was leaning towards the tree being an anomaly. There were no other trees like it. Something unique had created this specimen, and Hunter wanted to find out what that was.

    What were the odds that it was anything but an etheric phenomenon? Either that, or an alien art project, but given that the Asutnahem were the only people they¡¯d known to exist beyond Sanctuary, they counted the odds of that being the explanation were vanishing.

    Now that he thought about it, the existence of at least one extra-terrestrial civilization set a precedent, didn¡¯t it? It meant that it was a variable which would need to be taken into consideration, at least to a limited extent. If there was one, there could be more. There was now a real possibility that they might find an actual living alien civilization somewhere out there.

    ¡°Credit for you thoughts?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Hunter said. Aera rolled her eyes.

    The small handheld radio strapped to Aera¡¯s waist emitted a sudden warning trill.

    ¡°All hands, brace for impact!¡± they heard the Captain yell. Aera suddenly looked behind Hunter, her eyes widening. She suddenly pulled Hunter towards the door to the observation deck.

    A blast wave launched them both towards the door. Hunter hit the door first and Aera¡¯s body slammed into his. Breath wheezed out of his lungs and it felt like the muscles in his chest had completely locked up.

    Not this shit again, he thought.

    He pushed himself up, struggling to breathe but doing his best to stay aware of the surrounding situation. He had broken Aera¡¯s fall, so she was alright. Hunter opened the door leading to the ship.

    ¡°All hands! Brace for impact,¡± her radio trilled. Hunter pushed her through, and was about to step in behind her when another impact threw him to the side, and he tried to grab at the handrail, his fingers were just able to skim its cold, metal surface.

    He was going to fall.

    ¡°Hunter!¡± Aera screamed. He saw her leaning over the rail, something like fury or anguish contorting her features. The looked seemed familiar, somehow.

    He wasn¡¯t out of options yet. The hull caught his falling body, but the ship was moving too fast under him. He scrambled for a handhold and finally found one, and his body screamed at him. A couple of years ago, this would have torn his arms from their sockets. He strained like his life depended on it, doing his best to keep his grip on the small ledge he¡¯d caught.

    His fingers slipped. He started to slide and roll, his movements out of his control. Fire and smoke plumed from the ship. Not just from near the observation deck, but near the engines as well.

    That was all he could tell from the brief view he got before he hit the hull once more. He found one more hand hold, but based on how his hand was protesting the action, he knew it was over for him.

    The ship was falling. It was moving faster and was tilting dangerously to its side.

    They were going to crash, and he didn¡¯t want to think about how many people would die unless they got the shield up in time.

    His hands slipped, and he screamed in fury. He couldn¡¯t die now, not today. Not when they were on the cusp of discovering so many potential mysteries. His dream was right in front of him. It had been right there, within reach.

    He felt bitter. But he figured that as far as his last emotions went, he¡¯d take bitterness over despair.

    Gravity was the only force that held him now. End over end, he fell. He caught one more view of the ship as he fell and tumbled through the air, and saw colors rippling around it in an eggshell shaped bubble.

    He closed his eyes, letting his last thoughts be of the family he¡¯d found, of the beauty he¡¯d seen in his final¡ª

    <hr>

    Aera could identify all the emotions she was feeling. The tensions in her body, the shape her thoughts took, they weren¡¯t things she often felt. But she¡¯d learned to identify them when they arose.

    Such was the skilful use of one¡¯s mind, her teacher would say.

    Confusion. Terror. Grief.

    She put them all to the side and decided that only one emotion mattered right now, and it was the only thing that would stoke her focus like a fire, just enough to get off the ground and do what needed to be done.

    As she had sat on the ground, leaning on the closed door that separated the observation deck from the ship, she couldn¡¯t help but see the look on Hunter¡¯s face, which was now etched into her mind.

    She watched until his grip failed, then watched his struggle to regain it. Then, a slight flash of hope when he found his last hold near the bottom of the ship¡¯s hull. The next second, he was gone.

    She¡¯d watched the shield activate far too late to arrest his fall.

    No one would ever see Hunter again, even if he somehow survived the fall.

    Skyhold wasn¡¯t just dangerous. There were large tracts of this world where no one from the company would dare to tread. Even the outpost, which was established in one of the safer areas they¡¯d discovered, required a full platoon manning its walls with heavy weaponry to prevent the marauding wildlife from overrunning them.

    Anger would get her through this.

    She summoned her fury ¡ª towards whoever the hell had attacked them. She refused to let someone else die today, if she had a say in it. Not unless they had pointed a missile at her ship.

    The ship convulsed, and the force launched her towards the ceiling. She covered her head reflexively, just in time to stop it from cracking against the metal tiling above.

    Then she fell to the floor, hard. She groaned, and it hurt to do so.

    As soon as he felt she could tolerate the pain, she activated her radio.

    ¡°This is Aera Oberon. Where am I needed?¡±

    ¡°Aera! Are you alright? Are you wounded? We can get a team you if you can let me know where you are. Where¡¯s Hunter?¡± she heard her father¡¯s relieved voice transmit through the speaker. She breathed her own sigh of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, dad. Hunter, he¡ª¡± she choked back a sudden upwelling of emotion that she didn¡¯t want to deal with just then, ¡°he¡¯s gone.¡±

    The silence spoke volumes about how her father was taking the news.

    It took a few seconds for him to respond.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry, Aera.¡±

    She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

    ¡°Make your way to the bridge. Avoid the stern and port bow if you can. That¡¯s where we were hit. I¡¯ll need your help to coordinate rescue and repair efforts when you get here,¡± Commander Striker¡¯s voice transmitted through her radio.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said.

    She pushed herself up from the ground and pushed away the grief with each step. She checked on everyone she came across, helping to carry those who couldn¡¯t quite carry themselves to the med bay, which was on her way to the bridge, anyway.

    ¡°Who the hell attacked us?¡± one crewman she was assisting had asked.

    ¡°A bunch of dead men walking,¡± she growled, the fury tightening her throat.

    ¡°A-fucking-men, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Focus on recovery for now. We have a lot of problems to solve before we can think about a counterattack, alright?¡± she said as she set the man down near the med-bay.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna brave the wilderness in my quest for revenge,¡± the man said, groaning and clutching his side. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but she was far too distracted by her inner world for it to be genuine.

    Along the way to the bridge, she was relieved to see that most of the crewmen she came across were in one piece, able to carry themselves, and already repairing or assessing damage. She made it to the bridge and beheld pandemonium.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shitshow, Aera, but we¡¯re alive,¡± Captain Gregor said as he greeted her. Her father spotted her and hurried over, giving her a hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Hunter,¡± Trey said, ¡°and we¡¯ll talk about it later, but for now, we have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Who attacked us?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Skyhold,¡± Captain Gregor said, venom in his voice, ¡°at least, we think so.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. ¡°How? Why?¡±

    He shook his head.

    Emotions were threating to overwhelm her. She swallowed it all.

    ¡°Right, answers later,¡± she said.

    It wasn¡¯t the landing they were planning for, but it was the landing they got. There were a thousand things that would need to be done to ensure that they would be safe for the short term. Then they could plan what to do next.

    As long as the shield was up, they would be okay.

    Despite her best efforts, her thoughts drifted to Hunter. She wished he were here; he would finally have been allowed to examine the ship¡¯s inner workings.

    <hr>

    A loud squawk woke Hunter from the deep sleep he hadn¡¯t remembered falling into.

    The first thing he noticed was the smell. It was beyond rotten, and the moment his brain processed the assault on his senses, he wretched. There was an intense pain in his side, and he knew he had at least one broken rib. A few other parts of his body were signalling their protest as well. He had been lying in a shallow pool of a semi-gelatinous green goo, the surface of which was curdling, and grew more liquid towards the bottom. Hunter stood, trying and failing to shake off the strange substance he¡¯d found himself in. He covered his mouth and nose as best as he could, but the substance surrounding him soaked his clothes and skin. There was no escape from the wretched, rotten scent.

    A strange beast flew overhead; he heard another squawk. Watching a dog-sized reptile-bird release a small stream of green liquid from its backside, he frowned. He gagged when he realized what was covering him. Waking up in a pool of fermented feces was not how he wanted this day to go. Then he remembered how he¡¯d gotten here.

    He¡¯d survived that fall, somehow. The Hunter from a year ago would have died. But it wasn¡¯t just his increased constitution which kept him breathing. The canopy which had broken most of his momentum had been full of flexible wood, which probably explained the broken ribs. He was lucky he didn¡¯t crack his skull open.

    The shit-pool was at the bottom of a small pit. Hunter climbed out, but froze as he crested the edge. A few dozen of the reptile-bird-dogs were staring at him. For a few seconds, Hunter didn¡¯t move.

    Neither did they.

    One of them warbled, and a few approached, snapping their little beaks at him.

    There were teeth in those beaks. That¡¯s not how beaks worked, right?

    Hunter hated Skyhold already.

 Chapter 56

    He backed his way along the edge of the pit, careful not to make any threatening movements, but as he backed away, more of them followed. Hunter thought that maybe backing away had been a mistake, as his show of fear dispelled some of their uncertainty.

    More squawks peppered through the ranks of creatures as they approached him. Avian heads lowered, and their steps became more calculated. It reminded Hunter of a wolf, or a leopard, getting ready to pounce.

    The squawking rose to a crescendo. The flock was hyping itself up. Their indignation wasn¡¯t just about survival, he surmised. They seemed offended.

    He had invaded their territory and desecrated their sacred sewage. How could they let him get away with that? He backed away, not waiting to see if they would change their mind and welcome him like a guest.

    The bird-dog-reptile closest to him let out a high-pitched squeal and charged, flapping its wings. It sped up fast, and Hunter had to roll away from it, cursing as his body screamed in pain.

    He tuned out the pain out as best he could and ran. The beasts took their comrade¡¯s charge as an unspoken queue and rushed en masse. Hunter heaved as he ran, dodging branches and bushes, feeling lost and confused in the strange landscape. Everywhere he looked there were new colours, and trees twisting around other trees in helixes.

    He saw many-limbed creatures between those trees. They reminded him of giant spiders with bodies the size of his head and limbs as long as his own body was tall. They were furred and had articulated eye-stalks which tracked him as he passed. He didn¡¯t wait to see how they¡¯d react, but the ones ahead gave him no choice.

    Some of them tracked his chasers, and it was only when they saw them that the long-limbed spider-analogs shifted their focus to a familiar prey. With disturbing speed, the long-limbed spider monsters leaped past Hunter, and he heard a pained wail behind him. More screams echoed through the forest, and Hunter kept his focus ahead of him. There was a growl to his right, far enough away that he could only take it as a sign saying that safety was in the opposite direction.

    He spat and batted his way through a wall of insects. More webbing between distant trees spelled actual spiders, having evolved in this distant world. Hunter was fine with spiders, but alien spiders in a world of aggressive beasts were a different matter.

    No thanks.

    He ran until his heart burned in his chest, and his limbs screamed in protest, but he could still hear frenzied activity behind him. Once in a while, new animal noises would join the mix and a new battle would take place. The adversaries chasing him could have increased or dramatically decreased, and he had no way of knowing.

    With his life hanging in the balance, he pushed onward, his concern a constant companion. His mind told him he could run no further, but he knew that to stop moving would mean death. He dodged more branches, sprinted straight through small clearings, hedged his bets and risked running blind through more forest than he¡¯d like.

    Then the ground shook as Hunter entered another small clearing beside a raging river. The shaking grew in intensity, and he realized what he was feeling and hearing was a creature, massive and galloping straight towards him from his left. From the forest, a large, four-legged creature emerged at a full sprint. A thick grey hide, horned brows, and pointed antlers. It was like a hippo and a bull had a child who ate its parents and grew to be twice their size combined. It was at least three times taller than him, and must have weighed a few tonnes. The sheer force produced by that beast was something Hunter didn¡¯t want to contend with.

    Fortunately for him, its eyes weren¡¯t tracking Hunter. Instead, they focused beyond him, and he suddenly experienced the most intense gut feeling of his life. It was like his curious urges mixed with a certain knowing that his survival hinged on the next action he would take.

    He didn¡¯t avoid the charging animal. Instead, he ducked.

    As soon as he lowered his head, he felt the air above him displaced as a shadow covered him. All he could see were scales, and he heard a grunt as the large, charging beast met the attack of its challenger. It was the largest snake Hunter had ever seen. Its head was wide as he was tall.

    If this were a table-top game, the hippo-bull would have dumped all its free stats into its physical traits. Challenging such an enormous snake was the height of stupidity and would mean certain doom. Hunter imagined the snake could crush the bull once it wrapped itself around the bull¡¯s thick body.

    The snake bit at the bull, and Hunter heard a loud metallic clang. The snake recoiled in surprise.

    Hunter scrambled out of the way ¡ª his fear fighting with his curiosity. The bull was unaffected by the snake¡¯s charge and Hunter wanted to know why. Another stupid urge rose, and he knew following it would be fatal.

    Crawling, rolling, and then running, he made his way to the edge of the clearing. There came a roar, and Hunter saw his shadow projected in front of him as a bright flash lit him from behind. More displaced air buffeted him, causing him to stumble as the snake passed overhead and crashed through the forest, knocking down trees for a couple dozen meters. Its long body, which must have measured over a hundred yards long, trailed behind it before it stopped. The heat scorched a significant portion of its head and body. Smoke rose from the burned scales, blood oozing from between them, which boiled and hardened from the heat radiating from the beast.

    The sight stupefied Hunter.

    Had the bull exploded? He turned back. A mirage of heated air covered the bull. Its eyes glowed a deep red with orange highlights. The scorched ground burned.

    Paralyzed by fear, Hunter remained still. He felt a curious sensation coming from the beast as it stalked forward, its head lowered, ready to charge. Some unbothered part of his mind considered that sensation. Then he understood what was really behind the urge he had been feeling.

    What he was feeling was etherium. Charged to an incredible intensity, as if it were flowing through a powerful construct. But it wasn¡¯t like any construct he¡¯d ever felt before. It felt like it was morphing, moving, and alive.

    And it felt powerful. More powerful than anything he¡¯d ever felt before, save the Merciful Cloud. It felt profound ¡ª it was like a feeling he¡¯d dreamt of long ago, but had forgotten over the years. It was like the piece of a puzzle he¡¯d been trying to find, but didn¡¯t even know where to look.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The beast let out a low, bassy growl, which rippled through the mirage of distorted air around it. Hunter moved out of the way, not willing to get too close to the immense heat the beast was offputting.

    The snake lay motionless. After waiting for a moment, the Bull huffed and the scorching heat dissipated. The surrounding air was no longer roiling in heated waves. He breathed a sigh of relief, but decided not to stick around.

    So far, it was like the strange etheric monsters didn¡¯t even notice his presence. He assumed the snake also received some etheric enhancement. Otherwise, what the hell had it been thinking?

    Was the bull an anomaly? Did all members of its species as big? Would they all be able to manifest such intense etheric phenomena? Maybe it was more like an etheric mutation.

    A mutation like that would mean that the beast¡¯s AR¡ªif such a term was even relevant in this case ¡ª would be higher than even his fathers was. He found it challenging to envision the capabilities of his father.

    He needed a new way to measure inherent etheric capacity and output. Once he survived this, he could consider what that new way might be.

    He capitalized on his insignificance in the eyes of the bull and ran as fast as he could. The clash between monsters must have scared away his chasers, as well as the rest of the surrounding birds and animals. Except for a few swarms of benign insects and slow-moving mollusks, he was alone.

    Hunter followed the river, heading in the direction he thought the Merciful Cloud was most likely to have fallen towards. He did not know how close or far it might be, and he did his best to distract himself from feeling dread slowly encroaching on his psyche.

    The sun would have to set sometime, and he would need to find some sort of shelter. His best bet was to stay focused on the river. As long as he knew where it was, he¡¯d have a stable source of water and some food if he could get a fire started. Skyhold¡¯s water sources were just as safe or unsafe as they were on sanctuary. Hunter felt it was typically a bad idea to drink from a river or lake if he ended up coming across one, but he had little alternative right now. Maybe it was an artifact of the Asutnahem, who had had existed across a mind-blowingly vast volume of inter-realm space, which was to blame for the similarities between the two distant worlds. The thought was exciting and provided a buffer against the dread.

    Could they find Asutnahem relics all the way out here? They¡¯d found the portal in space, so why not? It only stood to reason. Such a resource rich world was bound to have some trace of the Asutnahem¡¯s presence.

    Already, his mind was trying to dissect what he¡¯d seen so far.

    Skyhold was terrifying.

    But Skyhold has once seemed terrifying to his ancient ancestors. Yet they had found a way to not only survive, but to thrive.

    Oberon Enterprises was more than willing to exploit the advantage that a millennium of knowledge brought to bear in these circumstances. They wielded that expertise with an ambition that set his blood to boil.

    It was like his own personal dream slotted perfectly into that of Trey and Aera¡¯s ambition for their family and its legacy. Three words echoed through his mind whenever he considered his place with the Oberon¡¯s, and what it meant for the future. Thrive, innovate, and expand. Out here, their only competition was the world itself. Their academy would be the universe, and they would realize their dreams upon its canvas, far from the Council Corporations. By the time the Council made it all the way out here, Oberon Enterprise will be a force to rival their combined might.

    Whatever was going on at Skyhold right now could only ever be a speed bump. There was too much riding on this for Oberon to spare any expense for its future success.

    The cost might be high, but it would be paid.

    A familiar squawk interrupted his thoughts. Hunter paled, slowing his pace and finding a thick tree to cover his silhouette. He was too late. The first reptile-bird-dog checked behind the tree and screeched when it saw him. He kicked it as hard as he could and it squeed as it flew.

    Its comrade¡¯s enraged callings echoed through the distance. Hunter had no choice but to consider the river, as he couldn¡¯t risk running through the forest anymore.

    He knew it was risky, and that as soon as he entered the river, the clock would tick. But necessity wasn¡¯t just the mother of invention, it was the mother of action. He ran and leapt, finding the raging river to be deeper than he¡¯d assumed. It was a struggle for him to stay upright as the water carried him along its twisting path.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t expected the rocks. The river bed might be deep, but rocks still knocked at his feet, and at his side when he found himself pulled under the surface. He thanked etherium for whatever quality caused his body to become stronger, and boosted his endurance, because if it weren¡¯t for his high AR and torturous sessions with Aera every day, he wouldn¡¯t have as much control over his movement. What little control he had allowed him to avoid some of the worst obstacles at a considerable cost of energy and sanity.

    The river pulled him further and further away, and there were always new and frightening sounds motivating him to keep his body submerged.

    Any fish he encountered were quick to scatter from him, with a few curious critters following behind. There were other strange creatures in the river, some similar to the strange giant spider mammals he saw stretched between the trees earlier. They didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in him as he passed them.

    Hunter felt some panic as the walls of the riverbed rose, soon stretching above him in sheer rock walls. He thought he saw a head over one wall; then it vanished, and he heard a yell, confirming his suspicion.

    ¡°Hey! Help!¡± he yelled, doing his best to swim against the river¡¯s current. It did very little to slow his movement, and he found himself tire at a rapid pace.

    ¡°¡­down the river!¡± he heard someone yell, ¡°We¡¯ll catch you!¡±

    Hunter felt as though luck itself had blessed him. Maybe his suffering in Seckina was enough to inspire some ancient God¡¯s pity.

    He changed course and started swimming with the current. He doubted it would get him to the waiting help any faster than it would otherwise. But he had to do something with the anxious, excited energy coursing through him like a second wind.

    Soon, the rock wall fell back to a flatbed, and it was there that he felt himself caught up in thick netting. He flailed in panic, not expecting the sudden trap.

    ¡°Relax!¡± he heard a man yell, ¡°We¡¯ll pull you out!¡±

    Hunter held his breath and did his best to keep his head above water. He saw men and women gathering, all wearing Guard uniforms in various states of disrepair and undress.

    What were they doing out here, so far from the outpost? Why did they seem so haggard?

    They were quick to pull him ashore, and Hunter panted through the sudden exhaustion he felt. His clothes weighed him down, even with his enhanced strength. He found himself surrounded by the Guards.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe out here,¡± a young woman said. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to camp. We have some food we can spare for you.¡±

    ¡°His outfit is from the Merciful Cloud. Look at the insignia.¡±

    ¡°The Cloud,¡± Hunter said as his breathing evened out, ¡°where is it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, let¡¯s get you warm and dry,¡± a man said, the same voice which had answered his own when he¡¯d first saw the head poking over the edge of the river wall. Hunter glanced at him. Among the handful of Guards, his uniform was the most intact ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t saying much. A few tears in his uniform exposed patches of scraped or shallow-cut skin.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Not too bright, is he?¡± someone scoffed. An average sized man with a medium build. He had his jacket tied around his waist. Sweat, dirt, and a little blood stained his white undershirt.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been through, Jeren. He might be in shock or something,¡± said a balding man, further away.

    ¡°Doc will know,¡± the young woman said. She was tall and older than Hunter, and had short-cut brown hair, ¡°which is why we need to get him back to camp. The faster we report in, the better.¡±

    ¡°Jeren, Bella, you¡¯re in charge of keeping our guest safe and making sure he keeps up. Joe, you take point. I¡¯ll radio ahead and tell them to get ready to receive a visitor,¡± the first man said.

    He turned to Hunter and held out a hand. Hunter took his hand, and he pulled Hunter to his feet.

    ¡°Lieutenant Richard Pellar, at your service. Who might you be?¡±

    ¡°Koar,¡± Hunter said, ¡°Hunter Oberon Koar.¡±

    He heard a slight gasp from Bella. Lieutenant Richard and Jeren both saluted, Bella followed their lead.

    Hunter winced.

    He wasn¡¯t on the ship anymore. Which meant that until they established contact with the Merciful Cloud, he was technically in command.

 Chapter 57

    ¡°As you were,¡± Hunter said, somewhat amused despite the awkwardness he still felt about being in a position of authority. Being in command of anybody while enduring a savage alien wilderness was among the least probable situations he¡¯d ever imagined he¡¯d be in.

    He must have missed this module in the leadership supplemental.

    ¡°Uh,¡± he said as they all stood around waiting for something from him, ¡°proceed as planned? Just pretend it¡¯s business as usual. I¡¯m not interested in stepping on any toes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir¡ª¡± the Lieutenant started, but Hunter wasn¡¯t about to let that sort of thing proceed any further.

    ¡°¡ªplease, for my sake, just call me Hunter,¡± he said. If he had any authority at all, let it be used to ease his way into being a ¡®sir.¡¯

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lieutenant Richard said. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, we ought to be heading out.¡±

    Hunter followed them through the forest. Joe scouted ahead, but the team seemed to know their way around.

    ¡°We left breadcrumbs for ourselves,¡± Bella pointed at a spray-painted line on a tree they were passing. ¡°our team is one of a few that are scouting away from the outpost. Guard Captain Bell¡¯s first order was to gain a full comprehension of the terrain.¡±

    ¡°Guard Captain Bell?¡± Hunter asked. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the name.

    ¡°Our platoon commander,¡± Lieutenant Pellar answered. ¡°Our platoon commander sent us ahead of the Merciful Cloud to shore up the outpost¡¯s defenses. Insurance against the beast waves ¡ª just making sure that there was still an outpost here to work with when everyone arrived.¡±

    ¡°And we were so psyched to do that before Clarke shot us out of the sky,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°Clarke? As in, Vice-Captain of the outpost?¡± Hunter asked. Why would he have shot them down?

    ¡°Yeah. Something bad has gone down at Skyhold, we figure. Can¡¯t tell what, but now Clarke¡¯s in charge. It seems he doesn¡¯t like visitors,¡± Jeren answered.

    They were all silent for a while as they walked. Hunter considered the Cloud. Who might have survived the crash was still a mystery. His thoughts often drifted to Aera and Trey, and he tried to keep himself from assuming the worst. There¡¯d been no time to think about it until now, and he¡¯d rather ruminate over something more immediately practical before he gets all anxious and despairing. He¡¯d be useless at that point.

    ¡°Someone needs to kill that bastard,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°Someone will,¡± Bella said. ¡°There are too many resources coming in ¡ª especially Guard resources. It won¡¯t be too hard to pinpoint his location and send in a low-flying flyer with a special ops team.¡±

    ¡°We just need to get hold of a stealth shuttle and a special ops team,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°The first proper wave is only a week away at the most,¡± Hunter said. ¡°You figure they¡¯ll have one of those teams with them?¡±

    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t, we need a more intel on the outpost. Barring a surgical strike, we may have to lay siege. Difficult, given the wildlife.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, how are you guys surviving out here?¡±.

    ¡°By the skin of our teeth,¡± Jeren said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but it¡¯s like one thing after another in this hellhole. You avoid a swarm of killer insects only to find yourself in the middle of a den of something big and mean. You survive that, you¡¯ve got a hundred other things that could go psycho at any time.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some crazy stuff out here,¡± he said.

    ¡°Crazy only scratches the surface,¡± Bella said, ¡°And the crazy seems infectious. Joe once said he¡¯d seen people in the distance, watching us, and going invisible when he tried to get a good look. We all thought the stress had, you know.¡±

    She tapped the side of her head.

    ¡°Now I¡¯d tell you I¡¯ve seen the same thing. Silhouettes in the distance, clear as day for a second, and then gone the next as if they never existed,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re all just imagining things. Maybe we need to boil our water a bit more,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°If it¡¯s the water, why aren¡¯t you seeing the same thing?¡± Bella asked, furrowing her brows.

    ¡°The Belviews have always been a hardy bunch. Good genetics,¡± Jeren smiled, enjoying Bella¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°You know, if I hadn¡¯t just seen two giant beasts try to tear each other apart, I might have agreed with Jeren.¡±

    ¡°Were you hallucinating those two giant beasts?¡± Jeren asked, then cleared his throat, ¡°uh, I mean, sir?¡±

    Hunter snickered.

    ¡°I may have hallucinated the giant hippo-bull which could harden its skin, and create enough explosive force to launch the giant snake dozens of yards away. The heat from the blast was intense, and its eyes glowed.¡±

    He paused, ruminating over the strange event.

    ¡°Sure, I could have hit my head on my way down from the Cloud, but it felt real enough, and the pack of reptile-dog-birds that were chasing me seemed pretty motivated to steer clear of that area while the smoke and heat dissipated.¡±

    None of them were looking at him with the skepticism he¡¯d expected.

    ¡°Creatures here can do some strange stuff. I don¡¯t have a hard time believing that,¡± Jeren said. ¡°But people? Nah.¡±

    Bella scowled.

    ¡°Pteropods, they¡¯re the bird creatures you saw,¡± she said.

    ¡°Turd-wings,¡± Jeren sighed, ¡°lucky us. We haven¡¯t run into any in this sector. But they can be unpleasant during a beast wave.¡±

    ¡°Turd-wings,¡± Hunter laughed. ¡°I woke up in one of their pits, you know?¡±

    The scowl on Bella¡¯s face deepened. She took a few steps away from Hunter, so did Jeren.

    ¡°No offense,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can¡¯t smell it,¡± Hunter said. The smell had lessened, but he figured that some of it must have gone up his nostrils. The river must have done quite a bit to wash the smell away.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it until you mentioned it. None of us are at our most hygienic, either,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°You guys got any spare clothes at camp?¡± Hunter asked, crossing his fingers.

    Jeren laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until we get back to base camp. They¡¯ll have some supplies we can requisition,¡± he said. ¡°They might even have a shower system set up.¡±

    ¡°And maybe some decontamination?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe, sir,¡± Bella mumbled.

    Lieutenant Richard started walking his way back to them.

    ¡°Joe says that the camp¡¯s gone. We¡¯re gonna head straight back to the platoon.¡±

    ¡°This damned forest,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°Any luck establishing contact with the Merciful Cloud?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°None, yet,¡± the lieutenant said, ¡°sorry, Hunter.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°The attack or the landing destroyed their long-range communications,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s my guess too,¡± the lieutenant said.

    Hunter kept his focus on the ground in front of him. One foot in front of the other. Don¡¯t think about the negative potential, focus on the positives, he thought.

    What were the positives? He was alive. This platoon was alive. If they activated the shield after he fell, then they were all alive. Aera was pretty quick-witted, and he imagined Trey was pretty tough as well. They¡¯d be alright.

    If he were a betting man, he¡¯d put his money on them, having made it out of this without so much as a scratch.

    ¡°How far away is base camp from here?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯re about 12, 13 hours out,¡± Jeren said, looking at the sky. ¡°The sun will set in around 6 hours, so we¡¯re gonna head to a small shelter we found on the way here.¡±

    ¡°A safe shelter?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope,¡± Jeren said, shrugging, ¡°it¡¯s better than being out in the open.¡±

    Their pace was variable over the next few hours. They¡¯d grown adept at taking queues from the forest. Certain patterns of noises ¡ª some quite obvious, like a challenging roar in the distance ¡ª would be a sign to slow down. Other times, they¡¯d jog through the forest, and Hunter was once more grateful for all the hard work he¡¯d put into his physique over the last year.

    They found Joe standing on the edge of a precipice. A large plain stretched before them.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Joe said as they all gathered around him. He pointed in the distance. Hunter could make out a dark line moving across the horizon.

    ¡°Tell me that¡¯s not what I think it is,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think it is,¡± Bella said, ¡°but if it were, we would now be in a hurry to find that cave we marked yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°We should be safe for the next half hour, and we¡¯re not too far from safety.¡±

    They ran across the edge of the plain towards another large hill where the forest continued. Howls echoed from behind them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Sprint over the hill as hard as you can,¡± the lieutenant panted.

    Hunter didn¡¯t hesitate to obey as they reached the hill. His legs moved like pistons, pushing him up the hillside. Joe reached the top first and helped everyone else over. As Hunter crested the edge of the hill, he took a second to glance behind them.

    The line of beasts in the distance now stretched closer. He¡¯d seen footage of the tsunami back home ¡ª very rare occurrences, but frightening in their magnitude. It was a feeling of certain annihilation, a wall of despair, endless and unforgiving. He got the same impression from the wave of beasts emerging from all over the forest, and sprinting their way across the plain. Part of the wave extended behind the team. A chorus of hollering yelps, growls, and an increasing sound of quaking earth met his ears. He didn¡¯t wait to see anymore, sprinting after the team.

    He caught sight of Bella deeper in the forest and did his best to keep up. Then he found himself in a grove of thin, tall trees. The rumbling behind him grew, and he did not know which direction to go. Had he passed where he¡¯d seen Bella?

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Hunter yelled.

    He heard a sound echo back. It didn¡¯t sound like an animal, so after nothing more than a split-second¡¯s hesitation, he went in that direction. The sound repeated, and he felt he could make out a male voice. It could have been the lieutenant.

    An etheric pulse appeared just behind him. Hunter dove behind a tree.

    He looked left and right, assessing the surroundings.

    What the hell had that been? There had been nothing behind him but trees, no one around him he could see. He felt the pulse again, further away.

    The voice echoed again, in the opposite direction of the pulse. Hunter ignored the etheric mystery ¡ª Skyhold was going to be full of them, and he had little time to find the place the team had claimed for their shelter.

    Soon, he saw Lieutenant Pellar waving him into a small cave under a shallow cliff. Hunter smiled and slapped him on the shoulder as he passed. He¡¯d never felt so relieved to see another person in his entire life.

    For good measure, they had one of the team jackets covering the opening.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be staying here for long,¡± the lieutenant said as he followed Hunter in, ¡°the odds are low the wave will pass over us, the beast wave ¡ª whatever mechanism underlies their coordinated aggression, drives the wildlife to the point of lowering their intelligence. The hills will look more like walls to most of the frenzied beasts, and the ones who are a bit more clever might try sticking closer to the main mass.¡±

    Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. They weren¡¯t in the clear, but he was glad to avoid waiting in silence and hoping the beast wave wouldn¡¯t cause the cave to collapse on them.

    ¡°I think you should wring out those clothes a bit,¡± Bella said. Jeren hollered, but the lieutenant shot him a look which shut him up.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, you¡¯re still quite damp, and this cave will not get any warmer,¡± the lieutenant said.

    ¡°Should I just keep them off?¡± Hunter asked. Bella shook her head.

    ¡°They¡¯ll keep you insulated if it gets any colder ¡ª not that it should be much of a problem, but the last thing we need is for one of us to get sick.¡±

    Hunter nodded and took off his jacket and pants, doing his best to wring them of any excess moisture.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re pretty jacked for someone who had an AR of 5,¡± Jeren commented. Hunter rose his eyebrow.

    ¡°What? I did my research. A new Oberon kid is pretty big news,¡± Jeren said.

    ¡°You only have an AR of 5?¡± Bella asked.

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°I hit a growth spurt, and Aera has had me on a strict training regimen every day. My AR is 48 now,¡± Hunter said, smirking a bit when Jeren whistled.

    ¡°Do you guys have some sort of secret AR training method? Bit of a coincidence that both the Oberon heirs turned out to be a couple of freaks, and you¡¯re not even related by blood.¡±

    ¡°My dad had a high-AR himself, higher than Trey¡¯s is, I imagine.¡±

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re Gideon Koar¡¯s kid,¡± Bella said. ¡°That makes sense. Don¡¯t artisans always have higher than average AR¡¯s from all the time they spend using Drawstones?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Hell of a time to hit a growth spurt,¡± Jeren laughed. ¡°Were you always this tall, or is that a recent development as well?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve always been tall,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Some people have all the luck,¡± Jeren sighed, resting his head against the cave wall.

    The lieutenant called them all to sit in a circle, laying his jacket on the ground and pulling out a deck of cards.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve got time to kill, anyone up for some poker?¡±

    ¡°Poker?¡± Hunter asked.

    All three of them looked at him, as if he¡¯d just asked what colour the sky was on a cloudless day.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± the lieutenant said. Memorize the hand types and their hierarchy, then bet against opponents¡ªit¡¯s a game of chance. You¡¯re hedging your bets based on what you observe from your opponent¡¯s behaviour.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a betting man,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s play some¡ª¡±

    A subtle current of sound grew into a quaking roar.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Jeren said, standing up and jogging towards entering the cave. But the shaking was too intense. The entrance collapsed and Jeren stumbled backwards, sprinting towards us.

    ¡°Go! Deeper into the cave!¡± Lieutenant Pellar said.

    Hunter didn¡¯t hesitate to follow Bella and Joe, who were already running towards the other end of the cave. With the lack of light, he hadn¡¯t noticed a tight crevice which the two of them were squeezing through.

    ¡°Is that smart?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be stable,¡± the lieutenant said as he caught up to them.

    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± Hunter asked, and he could hardly hear himself over the thunderous stampede above.

    ¡°I¡¯m an expert, sir¡± the lieutenant shouted, struggling, pushing Hunter forward as Bella disappeared into the crack, ¡°now go.¡±

    ¡°Going,¡± Hunter said, and pushed himself through the crevice. His clothes were still damp and pulled against his skin as it caught against small ridges in the rock walls. He grit his teeth as he felt his skin break a few times, staying focused on moving one step at a time.

    The quaking hadn¡¯t abated, and might have even gotten louder by Hunter¡¯s reckoning. He wasn¡¯t one to pray, but he was feeling tempted to give in to the temptation. Small stones and dust broke free from the roof above. Every pebble felt like a harbinger of doom; each one could trigger a fatal cave-in.

    He made it through the crevice and saw that the lieutenant was right behind him.

    ¡°Keep going,¡± the man said, straining to push himself through. Hunter felt a few conflicting emotions then.

    He wondered if staying to help would be brave or stupid. Then he wondered if the question itself was idiotic, since staying behind could put them both in danger. What was he planning on doing to help? Was he going to pull the lieutenant through?

    He shook his head and followed behind Bella and Joe. He heard a yelp up ahead. Hunter sprinted towards the sound. They couldn¡¯t afford for one of them to get injured right now, there just wasn¡¯t any time.

    He heard the lieutenant running behind him, followed by the bellows of an angry god.

 Chapter 58

    Hunter stopped to look back.

    ¡°Good thing we left when we did, hey?¡± the lieutenant said.

    ¡°Did the whole cave collapse?¡± Hunter asked as he matched the lieutenant¡¯s pace. The lieutenant pulled out a small device from his pocket and Hunter felt the familiar dance of etherium within it. It lit up their surroundings, just enough to make navigating feel less perilous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯m fine!¡± Jeren yelled from behind them, his voice loud enough to be heard over the stampede above them. Hunter winced. In his panic, he¡¯d forgotten about the man.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to him,¡± the lieutenant said. Soon, Jeren caught up to them and slowed down so that they wouldn¡¯t split up.

    It didn¡¯t take them long to catch up to Bella and Joe, the latter of which was leaning on Bella with an arm around her shoulder. He was keeping all of his weight off of his right leg.

    ¡°What happened?¡± the lieutenant said, approaching Joe and kneeling down to inspect the leg. Joe flinched at the lieutenant¡¯s touch. Lieutenant Richard pursed his lips and his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Tripped,¡± Joe scowled, ¡°should have waited for you guys, but I guess I was still in scout mode.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Jeren, you take point,¡± the lieutenant said, offering his etheric flashlight. Jeren shook his head and took out his own.

    ¡°I always carry an extra. Got to be prepared on scouting ops, sir,¡± Jeren said, making sure not to bump into Joe or Bella as he passed them.

    Their pace slowed, but Hunter felt that the part of the cave they were in was pretty stable. It descended for about a mile before it inclined. Hunter tried to keep his breathing even to stay calm.

    There were spiders in the cave, and many nocturnal critters and creatures of the earth. Nothing posed an obvious threat, but who knows what venomous horrors lurked in and around the cave¡¯s walls?

    He kept his eyes peeled. The potential for danger in the cave was almost as anxiety-inducing as the danger above them.

    Their climb became steep and slowed even further, as they had to help Joe a few times.

    ¡°Does anyone else hear the wave above us anymore?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s missed us,¡± Bella said, ¡°But many beasts will mill around where it passed. They¡¯d be excitable and might be prone to a frenzy for a few more hours. If we find an exit, we¡¯ll need to be careful.¡±

    Hunter nodded. His thoughts were on the mechanism behind the beastwave. Was it environmental? Was it an exaggerated herd instinct ¡ª some sort of genetic expression which all the fauna had inherited from a common ancestor? The research team must have considered that a possibility already. He knew about attempts to map human DNA, but questioned if technology had advanced enough to map out the DNA of other species.

    Their path brought them to a cavern which had a small opening at the top, allowing some natural sunlight to leak through. It was enough to see by, but combined with the fresh air, being in the cavern was like a divine tonic after the last few hours. They all took a few minutes to breathe and relax.

    Hunter smelled something familiar and heard some worrying noises in the distance. He stood and walked towards the noise, trying not to make much sound. The team watched from behind, none of them moving yet. They¡¯d all earned a slight break and were reluctant to give up the retreat they¡¯d found.

    Hunter didn¡¯t blame them. He could barely see into the cavern. He mistakenly believed the rock walls extended to the ceiling around the entire dome-like structure. However, the cavern kept going, and he almost yelped when he stepped halfway off the edge of a drop.

    The sounds echoing through the cavern had gotten clearer, and a familiar smell was pervading this area.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Hunter whispered. He waited for his vision to adjust, and his heart dropped into his stomach when he saw what was down there. A great pool of a very familiar gooey, gelatinous liquid. He could see dozens, maybe even hundreds, of pterophids bathing in the pool, grooming each other and swimming around in their own filth.

    Surrounding the pool were many times that number.

    ¡°Guys,¡± Hunter spoke as low as he could, backing away from view of the pterophid colony, ¡°we¡¯ve got a problem.¡±

    Jeren walked past him towards the overlook. It took some time for him to see what Hunter had seen. When he did, he cupped his mouth as wheezed the quietest, frustrated scream he¡¯d ever heard.

    ¡°Pterophids, more than I¡¯ve ever seen before in one place before. We need to go,¡± Jeren whispered to the team. Joe groaned in frustration, having just gotten comfortable after sitting down and letting the tension drain away.

    ¡°I promise you¡¯ll get a nice warm bath when we back to base camp,¡± Jeren said as the team got up and readied themselves to leave.

    ¡°Won¡¯t be the same unless your m¡ª¡±

    ¡°I told you not to joke about my mother,¡± Jeren said, ¡°but maybe Bella¡¯s is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Careful, Jeren. The last thing we need are two cripples to carry back,¡± Bella whispered.

    ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am,¡± he whispered back.

    They heard a growl from the cavern¡¯s exit. Each of them froze. The lieutenant held out a hand beside him, waving backwards. They stopped and took a few steps back while he held his ground.

    A wolf-like creature stalked forward, head lowered and teeth showing. It paused as it got a look at them and sniffed at the air. Its tail didn¡¯t wag so much as it vibrated, making a clicking sound.

    ¡°Good boy,¡± the lieutenant said, ¡°See? We¡¯re not food.¡±

    The wolf-thing resumed its slow, forward movement. The closer it got, the more Hunter realized it was less like a wolf, and more like a lithe, over-sized cricket. It didn¡¯t have any wings, but it looked like it could speed up faster than they could react.

    And there was fur along its chitinous body. Its head was rather wolf-like. A long snout, two forward-facing eyes, fangs bared at the uncertain variable that the team must present to it ¡ª predator, or prey?

    ¡°Please tell me that these things don¡¯t reproduce like insects do,¡± Bella whispered.

    ¡°Positive thoughts, please,¡± Jeren said.

    The lieutenant reached into his pocket and pulled out a food ration. It looked like a protein bar.

    The beast let out a loud warning growl, and it echoed through the cavern. Hunter glanced toward the massive shit-pool, hoping that the pterophids hadn¡¯t heard that.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Another beast emerged from the darkness behind it, eyeing the team as it approached the lieutenant¡¯s offering. Sniffing at the bar, it opened its mouth and a thin tongue lashed out to grab it. Its displeasure caused it to warble and spit, prompting a louder growl from its companion. It wasn¡¯t viewing the team with uncertainty anymore; it seemed to have made a choice. Its partner let out a roar, and he could hear similar roars echo from behind them.

    The sound was analogous to a howl.. Once more, the similarities between Skyhold and Sanctuary surprised Hunter.

    The echoing roars continued, and Hunter¡¯s his skin went cold.

    ¡°I think we can confirm your hypothesis,¡± Hunter whispered to Bella, but before she could answer, a loud chorus of squawks and flapping wings answered the beasts challenged. Apparently, the wolf-cricket didn¡¯t expect that. Its gaze and the gaze of its companion shot towards the sound of pterophids. They backed away from the team, towards where the creatures first entered from, but they stopped as more of their comrades appeared to join them.

    Then the pterophids appeared, and the pack of wolf-things ¡ª more appearing by the second ¡ª rushed to meet the new threat.

    Hunter¡¯s heartbeat sped up as he tried to find any opening in the cavern¡¯s walls, somewhere for the team to hide. Stray pterophids flew into them as two gangs began their assault. They covered their eyes, and Hunter hoped a stray beat of a pterophid¡¯s wing wouldn¡¯t hit him in the mouth.

    ¡°We can use this!¡± the lieutenant yelled, pulling them toward the cavern wall. ¡°Jeren, Hunter, did you see another cave extension near the pterophid¡¯s area?¡±

    Hunter squinted his eyes as he tried to remember.

    ¡°I think I saw something like that right at the opposite end from the overlook,¡± Jeren said.

    The lieutenant looked at Hunter.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Your call, but I think it¡¯s our only shot,¡± Hunter said. This was not the situation where he wanted any authority. But there wasn¡¯t much to think about. Their choice was to either stick around and get torn apart, or take a risk.

    More wolves and pterophids appeared each moment, and the conflict between the two warring factions continued to escalate.

    Neither side paid much attention to the humans, they weren¡¯t the most pressing threat.

    ¡°That makes our choice a lot easier. Hunter, can you support Joe¡¯s weight right now? Think piggyback instead of crutch.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hunter said. But he grit his teeth. It was going to be painful. He felt a constant grinding sensation in his ribcage when he walked, and this wouldn¡¯t make it any less unpleasant. He kneeled down in front of Joe so that the man could wrap his arms around Hunter¡¯s upper chest from behind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, big guy.¡±

    ¡°I resent that,¡± Joe said. Hunter might have heard Jeren snicker a bit, but he couldn¡¯t tell over the sounds of battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± the lieutenant said, exploring the edge cave wall until they passed their original entrance and made it to the edge of the overlook. He pointed towards a less-steep decline they could use to get down. All but a few of the pterophids had moved to answer the wolf hybrids challenge. The stragglers either missed the call two arms or were already heading to join their comrades.

    The exit was right ahead of them. Hunter picked up his pace to match the others, as they all seemed to feel the same anxiety pushing them out of the pterophid¡¯s territory. Just when he thought they¡¯d be able to make it out without being noticed, they heard angry shrieking to their left; the remaining pterophids protesting the invasion of their territory.

    Jeren cursed, and the lieutenant pushed them forward. Bella was the first one through the exit, followed by Jeren. The lieutenant stayed behind Hunter and Joe, and often yelled for them to move faster. Hunter could hear chirping and squawking as the pterophids scraped and clawed their way towards the exhausted team.

    Hunter wondered if living on Skyhold would be worth it. Maybe they should have stayed back home, subjecting themselves to the mercy of the Council and the Chans.

    It couldn¡¯t have been any worse than this was.

    The pterophids arrived quickly, but only a small group caught up. While easily dispatched, the thought of hundreds was terrifying.

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way forward!¡± Bella yelled from ahead. Hunter turned a corner and spied the small opening that she was pointing to. It should be just wide enough for them to squeeze through, one by one. But he wasn¡¯t sure if Joe could make it without help.

    Bella and Jeren went through first, not bothering to wait for them to catch up. Hunter could push joe¡¯s good leg from behind, while Bella and Jeren helped pull him through the rest of the way. The lieutenant told Hunter to go through next, and he was about to protest, but he cut Hunter off. This wasn¡¯t like the cave-in ¡ª squeezing through this small opening would take time. And the bulk of the small swarm was almost caught up to them. Every single one of pterophids who appeared in the meantime would slow them down even more.

    Hunter squeezed through the small crack, and for once, he cursed his new bulk, as it made it a lot harder to shimmy through. Joe and Bella grabbed him by the arms and heaved, his jacket catching and tearing on the edge of a small rock. It was hardly worth wearing at this point.

    Hunter could hear the swarm through the hole, and the lieutenant yelling in defiance. Waiting, he held his breath. Squealing and screeching sounded from the other side, and he took a risk to peak through the opening. He dodged to the side to avoid the lieutenants¡¯ bloody, torn-up hand shoot through the opening.

    ¡°Help!¡± the lieutenant cried. Hunter grabbed the man¡¯s hand and pulled with all of his might. Jeren and Bella were beside him, pulling as well.

    ¡°¡®Fuckers have got a grip on my leg!¡± Lieutenant Pellar said. The man screamed, and as soon as he was through, the team kicked and stomped at the pterophids which poured him after him. Jeren kicked the corpses back through the opening, blocking the reptiles. The pile of flesh and bone effectively sealed the hole.

    For a short time, they could breathe easily, finding solace in their temporary sanctuary.

    The lieutenant could walk, but he was losing a lot of blood. Jeren took off his own pants, tearing them up using the cuts and tears they¡¯d accumulated, create temporary tourniquets to keep a steady pressure on the lieutenants¡¯ wounds. Hunter hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at them, but what he saw was quite gruesome. He could only hope the pterophids that bit and clawed the lieutenants¡¯ legs hadn¡¯t infested the wounds with their feces.

    Positive thoughts.

    The lieutenant would be fine, he thought. They would all be survive and find help.

    There was some good news. A good deal of sunlight was reaching them from around the bend in the cave. Hunter resumed his role as Joe¡¯s surrogate legs, while Bella and Jeren supported lieutenant Pellar¡¯s weight. The sounds of the pterophids crescendo¡¯d for a second, and the team looked back.

    Each of them was feeling similar to the rest. Dirt, sweat, and mystery substances covered them, substances Hunter didn¡¯t want to contemplate. Their remaining clothing was ripped and torn. They could not move at their desired pace and they barely had the energy to do so anyway. But eventually, the noise which might have spelled the end of their harrowing journey died down.

    The blockade of pterophid corpses, Hunter assumed, would convince the rest to rejoin the fight against the wolf-things. Hunter hoped he¡¯d never have to see those things again, not without an entire platoon of heavily armed Guards.

    He and Joe led the way around the cave bend. For a second, Hunter had to cover his eyes; the cave opening felt like staring straight into the sun. Blinking while his eyes adjusted, he let himself bask in the warmth. He hadn¡¯t realized how cold the cave had been ¡ª even back in the open-skied cavern, the opening to the surface was pretty small, and the there was barely enough light to see by.

    ¡°Is this heaven? Am I dead?¡± Joe asked. The rest of the team hadn¡¯t come around the bend yet, so he could only assume that Joe was asking him. Even after everything they¡¯d been through, they still saw him as Trey Oberon¡¯s heir.

    Some distant part of his mind noted that. How deep did the loyalty of the Oberon Guard ¡ª and even the rest of the main body of Oberon Enterprises ¡ª run? What did his authority really mean?

    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, breathing in the fresh air and feeling sweet relief as the warmth of the sun melted away his stress. ¡°It¡¯s real.¡±

    The cave¡¯s exit rose high above the vast lake and surrounding forest. Mountains framed the sun, setting beyond the valley between them. An orange sky illuminated the small waves and ripples across the lake.

    Bella gasped as they rounded the bend.

    Hunter looked back at them; the sudden brightness transfixed them as their vision adjusted.

    ¡°Can we just stay here forever?¡± Bella asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the lieutenant laughed, ¡°but I think we can rest for a while. How does that drop look? Does anyone see a safe way down?¡±

    Hunter kneeled and let Joe lean against a wall. He stood and got as close to the exit as he dared.

    ¡°It looks pretty steep to me. The cliff drops right into the lake,¡± Hunter said, picking up a small rock near him and tossing it.

    It took a while before he saw a small splash.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a long fall,¡± Hunter sighed.

    ¡°Then we have some big decisions to make,¡± the lieutenant said. The team all looked at him before he continued, ¡°Jeren, Bella, Hunter, you might need to leave me and Joe behind.¡±

    The team ignored him, and Hunter couldn¡¯t help the small laugh that escaped his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡±

    ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Bella asked Jeren. Jeren rose his eyebrows and shook his head, as if he hadn¡¯t a clue what she might be referring to.

    ¡°I guess that answers that,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I hereby declare that we are bringing Lieutenant Pellar along with us.¡±

    ¡°Damn right, sir.¡± Jeren said. Bella gave an approving nod.

    The lieutenant seemed to resent Hunter¡¯s sudden change in disposition towards his station, but Hunter didn¡¯t mind. Maybe he could grow used to this authority business.

 Chapter 59

    Hunter contemplated the drop as he sat at the edge of the cave. A full moon shone high above them, and its luminance was enough to bathe the lake and its surroundings in a soft glow. The sun set a bit too quick for Hunter¡¯s liking, but he felt an odd sense of safety permeating him, relaxing him. It felt easier to think now that everything seemed to have calmed down.

    The pterophids seemed to have forgotten about them. He¡¯d volunteered for corpse duty at the pterophid colony entrance, and the corpses remained. Having removed his jacket, he used it to further compress the corpses. He left it behind, hoping it would increase the odds of the impromptu barricade holding if the turd-birds decided they were up for round two.

    It wasn¡¯t just the barricade which inspired a sense of cautious optimism about his safety. Over the last hours of daylight, he noticed some strange things about the lake and its surroundings. No noise reached them up there, save the odd bird call far in the distance. A few critters had climbed up to the cave, only to regard them with either curiosity or placid indifference. The lack of hostility, or even plain-old survival instinct, from the local wildlife was so odd to Hunter. This was a stark contrast to the constant danger they had faced all day.

    But he wondered if the pattern these creatures exhibited stretched all the way around the entire lake. No aggressive sounds were audible. Any of the wildlife approaching the lake to drink did so with no apparent fear for their safety, and no predator came to attack them. He¡¯d seen a few rhino-hippos appear as well ¡ª Bella had told him they were called Brontogons ¡ª although from the distance he could tell if they were as big as the one he¡¯d encountered earlier.

    None of the animals appeared to mind predators nearby, and neither did the predators appear to have any interest in their usual prey. It was all a bit too civilian, in Hunter¡¯s opinion, and not at all what he would expect from an untamed wildland through which a beastwave had passed through earlier that day.

    It couldn¡¯t have been natural, but he also couldn¡¯t quite see the problem with it. With cautious optimism, he let his mind and body settle for the night. The lieutenant¡¯s wounds had stopped bleeding, but he wasn¡¯t in great shape. Joe was also feeling pessimistic about his and the lieutenant¡¯s odds.

    Hunter needed a mental break. He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted, so he forced himself to relax. They¡¯d wake him if anything happened.

    What he¡¯d felt as his mind started to still, drifting from the world of forming and feeling, was the curious sensation of a subtle wind buffeting him through the rock walls of the cave exit. He studied the sensation for a moment and realized it wasn¡¯t air he was feeling.

    It was etherium. Again, the immaterial substance was surprising him. It was moving, and there was a lot. More ambient etherium than he¡¯d ever felt in his life ¡ª not surprising, as ambient etherium was something he was still only tuning into. But at the moment, it was clear as day. His study revealed the etherium lacked a charge, yet its abundance in that area must be dozens of times greater than back home¡ªor he wouldn¡¯t sense it. Was it always this abundant on Skyhold, and he just hadn¡¯t had the time to relax and notice it?

    This could be evidence of proving the researcher¡¯s hypothesis about an etheric source for the beast waves. It also might explain how the wildlife here might develop some etheric mutations ¡ª like the brontogon whose eyes glowed like miniature suns and could conjure enough explosive power to lift a serpent which could have weighed as much as a heavy tank.

    Curiosity burned through him. He wanted to jump down from the cave and study these phenomena. Why was the etherium moving in the direction it was moving? Was the volume of etherium he was feeling localized?

    He had to know, and before he could convince himself to stop, he was sitting at the edge of the cave and contemplating the drop into Lake Striptease ¡ª a name granted by Jeren after Bella had complained about how the possibility for a bath was right in front of them, and yet they couldn¡¯t touch it. Not yet.

    As the urge took him, and he studied the steep descent into the lake, he noticed outcroppings studded the wall. They were thin, but not too thin.

    He had an idea, but he couldn¡¯t quite trust his eyes to tell him to the truth, not in the dull glow cast by Skyhold¡¯s moon.

    ¡°Careful, Hunter,¡± he whispered to himself. Hunter maneuvered off of the cave¡¯s edge. He found a solid foothold, and then another, and then another. He focused on the climb downwards, the sensations of his fingers and toes and the strain across his muscles took up his entire world. Within a minute, he was standing on one of the shallow outcroppings below.

    He looked back up at the cave. He could make out the footholds he used to get down here. They were easier to see from below than they were from above. From down here, he could also see that there were quite a few vines stretching up above the cave entrance.

    How tough were those vines? Could they support his weight?

    ¡°Hey!¡± he called. He waited a few seconds, and no one answered, so he called again.

    Jeren appeared at the edge of the cave, looking around.

    ¡°Hunter?¡± he asked. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Look down,¡± Hunter said. Jeren looked down, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Jeren yelled. ¡°What if you got stuck, or fell?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?¡± Bella asked as she appeared beside Jeren, and looked down at Hunter, and then back to Jeren.

    ¡°Why is the Oberon heir subjecting himself to unnecessary danger, alone, without warning us?¡± she asked her squad mate. Jeren shook his head and shrugged.

    ¡°There¡¯s a vine up there,¡± Hunter said, pointing above the cave. Bella squinted, but then her eyes widened.

    ¡°How far up?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not too far. I think I can climb to them.¡± Hunter said. That urge flooded him with adrenaline and other things that dulled his reasoning, but he needed it and wouldn¡¯t question it, having found a potential solution.

    ¡°I think we should wait until it¡¯s brighter out,¡± Bella said. Hunter shook his head. He knew it was dangerous, but he needed to do this now before he doubted himself, so he started climbing.

    ¡°Hunter?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Am I not technically in charge while the lieutenant is out of commission?¡± He asked as he climbed, feeling for the rocks he¡¯d found on the way up. His arms were burning, but it wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡°Technically, you were always in charge¡ª¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°¡ªShut up, Jeren,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Joe asked, limping over to join the others. ¡°What¡¯s he doing up there?¡±

    Hunter pulled himself above the roof of the cave, straining and grunting as he lifted himself up to the next hold. The climb was tougher than he thought it would be, but the vines weren¡¯t too high up. He figured he should be fine.

    ¡°If you fall to your death, you know we¡¯ll just have to deny that you were ever here with us, right?¡± Jeren asked.

    ¡°Nah, remember how the lieutenant radioed ahead to base camp? They already told them that Hunter was going to be coming with us.¡±

    ¡°Shit, they sent out a search party, right? Do you figure they might be in the area?¡± Jeren asked.

    Bella laughed.

    ¡°Right,¡± Jeren sighed, ¡°the beastwave.¡±

    ¡°Hunter, what inspired you to free climb at this time of night?¡± Joe asked.

    ¡°Vines,¡± he growled, his muscles burning as he strained to support his weight. ¡°One¡­Second¡­¡±

    He found the perfect foothold and pushed himself up with all his might, stretching to grab the nearest vine. He grasped the vine, surprised by its rubbery texture. His grip wasn¡¯t light, and although it was pliable at first, there was more resistance as the vine compressed in his hand.

    His foot slipped from under him.

    ¡°Shi¡ªuaaaaahhhhh!¡± he yelled, panic gripped him. As he fell, he felt the strangest pull in his stomach, something between anxiety and a pleasant tickle. It reminded him of the feeling he had when he fell from the ship.

    He was falling too fast for the team to react. He watched the lake approach him and glanced back at the vine, which continued to detach from the mountain face until it stopped. The sudden deceleration pulled Hunter¡¯s shoulder from its socket, but he still plunged into the lake.

    Thankfully, the lake wasn¡¯t shallow. And even in his agony, he could feel the intensity of the etherium down here was a significant fraction more than it was up above. The movement of the etherium was faster down here as well. A soft blue and purple glow pulsed from the depths below, along with a surge of etherium which dwarfed that of the giant brontogon he¡¯d encountered. He felt goosebumps and the water all around him rippled.

    Hunter panicked and swam towards the surface as fast as he could with one arm. Breaking through, he gulped in deep breaths of air. He wasn¡¯t too far from the shoreline. He waved up at the team, hoping that they¡¯d see he was okay.

    ¡°Are you alive?¡± He heard a voice echo, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was Jeren or Joe who had said it.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± he yelled as loud as he could between heaving breaths, swimming awkwardly towards the shore. Whatever pulsed at the bottom of the lake didn¡¯t seem interested in revealing itself. Maybe it had just been a warning?

    A few beasts watched him as he approached the shore, none of them showing any signs of concern about his presence. As he pulled himself across increasingly shallow ground, he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. He wanted to lie down and close his eyes, but his shoulder was still screaming at him. Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his arm, then yelled as he pushed the shoulder back into the socket.

    The surrounding animals glanced at him with curiosity. He continued to breathe fast and deep, doing his best to calm himself down.

    He figured that he¡¯d be safe for now, but could he rely on things staying that way forever? What if there was another beastwave, or what if the last one hadn¡¯t ended, and it reached the lake?

    Hunter considered the drop from his new vantage point. From his new vantage point, Hunter saw the drop didn¡¯t look as high as it had from above, but he was sure that a fall without the vine breaking his momentum would at least render him unconscious. The surface of the lake wouldn¡¯t have been as forgiving. He¡¯d heard that hitting a body of water at sufficient velocity is just as deadly as hitting concrete. Thankfully, the team had a safer way down, so long as the vine stayed stable.

    Eyeing the vine, he saw it move. He squinted. It was hard to see anything against the mountain¡¯s rock wall. From the cave, he saw the dark shape of someone climbing up the vine he''d pulled free. He was confused, considering that salvation was in the opposite direction. Then he saw the silhouette stop at some vines further up, and more vines fell to the lake. Some didn¡¯t make it all the way down, but Hunter realized that the ones that did would allow them to create some supports for Joe and the lieutenant.

    He laughed.

    His impulsiveness had once more born fruit, more than he¡¯d expected.

    <hr>

    ¡°There¡¯s something big under the lake,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I was glowing blue and purple, and I could feel¡ª¡±

    He paused, realizing he was about to reveal his sensitivity.

    ¡°¡ªthe water behaving strangely. We should be careful around here. Let¡¯s not spend too much time in the water,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Even the water is behaving strangely? What the hell, Skyhold?¡± Jeren whined.

    ¡°Apart from the great mystery at the bottom of the lake, I can¡¯t help but feel pretty safe around here,¡± Joe said.

    ¡°If we are where I think we are, then we¡¯re not out of danger yet. But we are closer to base camp than when we started,¡± Lieutenant Pellar said. They had built a small shelter near the lake after everyone got down from the cave. Hunter couldn''t believe the pterophids had come through here to build their nest.

    Feeling completely secure, they relaxed and began to make plans.

    ¡°How long do beast waves last for?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Anywhere from 12 to 24 hours,¡± Bella answered, ¡°And if you¡¯re thinking what I think you¡¯re thinking, then yeah, that¡¯s something I¡¯m worried about too.¡±

    The lieutenant grabbed a nearby stick and drew a rectangle in the sand. He drew a small X at one point, a circle at another, and a few triangles.

    ¡°This is the valley,¡± he said, circling a sizeable area in one corner of the box. He drew a line close to one triangle. ¡°This is the river where we found Hunter.¡±

    ¡°Then this is about where we found the original entrance to the cave, where we hid from the beastwave,¡± Bella marked another spot with her finger.

    ¡°Yeah. You notice the valley extends far in this direction,¡± the lieutenant said, moving the stick away from the mountain, ¡°but there¡¯s a smaller valley between these two. It leads around this mountain, and towards¡ª¡±

    He tapped the smaller circle he¡¯d drawn earlier.

    ¡°Lake Striptease,¡± Jeren whispered. The lieutenant sighed.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s still a chance that the beastwave can reach us?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a chance. I guess the Merciful Cloud¡¯s crash landing triggered this wave, but they¡¯re heading in the wrong direction. Once they realize that they¡¯re fighting gravity to scale mountains, I think they¡¯ll try to find another way through ¡ª and that¡¯s only if the wave is still active.¡±

    ¡°Are we closer to the Merciful Cloud than we are to the base camp?¡± Hunter asked.

    The lieutenant shrugged.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. All we know is the general direction of its descent, but it could be miles away from us and I wouldn¡¯t recommend that we search for the survivors. This leaves us with a choice to make.¡±

    ¡°Which route do we take towards base camp?¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°I vote we take the shortest path,¡± Jeren said, and Joe nodded. Bella tilted her head as she considered the choices.

    ¡°That¡¯s two votes for the shorter path,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°Hunter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll agree with whatever you guys choose.¡±

    ¡°What happened to all that ¡®am I not technically in charge?¡¯ business?¡± Jeren asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like explaining,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Seeing as how I was the only one at risk, so I didn¡¯t see the problem.¡±

    ¡°I vote we take the long way. I know there¡¯s at least one supply cache along the way. The slight delay will be worth it to have new clothes and a full belly,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°2 for, 1 against. I vote for the shorter path,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer I¡¯m going to last. I¡¯m pretty sure I have infected wounds.

    ¡°Right, didn¡¯t think of that,¡± Bella said, eyeing the lieutenant¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, we¡¯ll take the valley,¡± the lieutenant said, ¡°but let¡¯s get some sleep first. We¡¯ll head out just after sunrise. Bella and Jeren, you guys fight over who gets first watch.¡±

    With that, the lieutenant went under their small shelter, lying flat on his back. He was snoring soon after. Hunter laid down close by, using his arms as a pillow. However, no matter how much he tried to relax, sleep wouldn¡¯t come.

    The ambient etherium was too distracting. The feeling was almost hypnotic. In fact, Hunter realized this whole time, it wasn¡¯t just the etherium affecting his skin that he could feel; it was as if he could feel it all around him, the same way he could feel the etherium in a construct.

    He was struck by the idea that his sensitivity extends outwards from him, like a field. Like an aura. The thought was intriguing, and obvious in hindsight. Yet his father had recorded nothing like it in the journals that he¡¯d finished.

    Thinking of the journals, he hoped they were still secure aboard the ship. He didn¡¯t know how bad the damage to the ship was, and hated to think about the possibility that the explosion had exposed his room to the air, with the briefcase being lost somewhere in Skyhold¡¯s forests.

    He knew that Aera and Trey had survived. The shield was too strong, and the bridge had plenty of safety features, especially around where they¡¯d been standing while they observed their approach to Skyhold. Feeling a sudden anxiousness about getting in contact with them, he accepted the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be getting any sleep.

 Chapter 60

    He brought his thoughts back to the swirling etherium. What was the link between the etherium and the creature at the bottom of the lake? What did it all mean?

    He wished he had a notebook so that he could write his thoughts. Except for the ether storm, he¡¯d felt no significant movement of etherium outside of himself before. Constructs weren¡¯t quite the same. They felt more like a weak presence, usually in his own body. Kind of how sound happens inside, but there would be a feeling of knowing the direction it came from.

    This etheric flow he was feeling was different.

    Instead of sleeping, he took the time to focus. This was a golden opportunity, and it took some time before he stabilized his attention where he wanted.

    He realized that the feeling of his sensitivity ¡ª the quality of it in his field of perception ¡ª was like a diffuse, ever-present sense of attention which felt separate from what he considered being his own. It was as if part of his mind was like an antenna, always tuned into his surroundings, taking measurements within a certain diameter. It was odd to think of ¡ª something in his mind, aware and working away, another sense organ he had to focus on in order to feel it.

    He stilled his mind and became more present. Then it was just him, the etherium, and the boundary of his sensitivity. The movement of the etherium was hypnotic.

    He opened his eyes, then saw that the lieutenant was leaning on the rock beside him. The sun was staring to peek out over the horizon.

    ¡°Just in time,¡± the lieutenant said. ¡°I was just about to wake you.¡±

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°By my reckoning, about 6 hours,¡± the lieutenant answered. Hunter was surprised, as he had only felt like a few minutes had passed.

    ¡°We tried to wake you for you turn at watch, but you wouldn¡¯t budge. We figured you¡¯d earned a bit of a rest after finding a way for all of us out of that cave,¡± the lieutenant continued, ¡°you feeling ready to head out?¡±

    Hunter nodded. The rest of the team was gathering. Bella was busy getting close to the creatures lazing around the lake, trying to understand the reason for their strange behaviour, which appeared to be the polar opposite of whatever phenomena caused the beastwaves.

    ¡°Water¡¯s clean,¡± Jeren said. ¡°Took a chance just after you fell asleep, and I¡¯ve felt fine ever since. In fact, I think I feel even better than I did before.¡±

    ¡°The animals seem to trust it too,¡± Bella said as she gathered with them, ¡°it that¡¯s any comfort at all.¡±

    Hunter shrugged and approached the lake. When he fell in the lake, he likely ingested some of it and felt fine. He furrowed his brow, considering he felt even safer after submerging in the lake. He was breathing easier, and it had taken him any time at all to sink into the meditation. When he got that relaxed after having been exhausted, he¡¯d expected there to be a risk of falling asleep.

    But he hadn¡¯t. Instead, all he¡¯d felt was a state of serene cognizance.

    Could he chalk it up to being out of the cave and the apparent calmness of the surroundings?

    He was thirsty anyway, and if Jeren was feeling alright after so long, then maybe it was worth the risk.

    He tried cupping some water in his hands, but found that most of it would just fall through the cracks in his fingers. Bella came behind him and had a large leaf that was folded up to create a small cup. She scooped water into it, and although some still leaked out the bottom, it kept enough for him to get a good gulp.

    ¡°That¡¯s fresh,¡± he said, enjoying the cool sensation spreading through his body from his esophagus, and took another drink. ¡°I needed that.¡±

    ¡°Careful about drinking too much. When you¡¯re as dehydrated as we¡¯ve all been, it¡¯s important to pace yourself. You should wait a little while longer before drinking some more, then we¡¯ll head out,¡± Bella said.

    After giving Hunter a few minutes to enjoy the bliss of hydration, the lieutenant declared it was time to leave. They followed the lake¡¯s edge, careful not to disturb any of the wildlife. Hunter kept a steady rhythm of checking the surroundings, and then checking on the flow of etherium. As they moved around the lake, the direction of the etherium¡¯s flow seemed to change as well.

    The etherium was flowing around the lake.

    If the flow seemed to speed up towards the centre of the lake, which he guessed it very well could have given his experience while submerged, then he might dare to assume that the etherium flowed in a spiral towards whatever lived at the bottom of the lake, like an etheric vortex.

    He glanced back at the lake, feeling cold. How terrifying was that creature? What was it doing with all the etherium it was gathering? Where was it being stored inside the beast? Was it even alive in the way he was thinking it was? Once more, he felt inner tension as a growing curiosity warred with his survival instinct, and he had to snap himself out of the reverie. He didn¡¯t want to get separated from the team because he couldn¡¯t stop his mind from wandering.

    He¡¯d need to make a note about this lake, though. Hunter would be sure to return one day. He would get to the bottom of the mystery of Lake Striptease.

    They had only trekked through the forest for a few minutes before the normal sounds of wildlife resumed. It would seem that whatever kept the animals around the lake so sedate only extended for about a quarter of a mile, but despite the increase in activity, there was still an absence of typical animalistic behaviours from the wildlife.

    Small creatures scurried underfoot. Birds would land nearby and gaze at the team, watching them for a while before leaving. He¡¯d seen another gigantic snake, almost as big as the one that had challenged the glowing brontogon, but it ignored the team¡¯s presence. It slithered past them after giving them a brief consideration.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to jinx it before, but I¡¯ll be damned if this isn¡¯t the weirdest thing I¡¯ve ever experienced,¡± Jeren said. ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to complain,¡± Joe said. They¡¯d crafted him a crutch out of wood and vines. Hunter¡¯s initial fear of lagging behind proved unfounded as he matched their speed without difficulty. The lieutenant had been toughing it out, walking on his own. Hunter could see the strain on his face but he refused any offer of of help, saying that the pain kept him focused.

    Soon they seemed to pass another invisible threshold, and the wildlife became much more energetic. Not aggressive, however, just hyperactive. It started with smaller creatures, rat like ¡ª some the size of small dogs. They would pass between their legs, or scurry out of the team¡¯s path, but most of them seemed to be headed in the opposite direction of the team.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Then they noticed that the amount of birds in the skies had increased. Many species swirled above in a massive flock, and their flight patterns trended towards the lake.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Bella said, her steps slowing down as she considered their surroundings. Bigger animals appeared, which seemed to follow the same unspoken rule of civility as they did their best to avoid bowling the team over, but a few times the squad had no choice but to move out of the way at a second¡¯s notice when a creature twice their combined size thundered across their path.

    ¡°The beastwave might have dissolved by now, but what happens when thousands of animals invade a space, miles away from where they¡¯re supposed to be? How would the local wildlife react?¡±

    ¡°Enlighten us,¡± Jeren sighed, ¡°You¡¯re the animal nerd.¡±

    ¡°Well, if we were back on Sanctuary, I¡¯d say that you could expect to see a lot of territorial disputes, as the local fauna faced a sudden influx of rivals for their resources.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m saying this place is so weird,¡± Jeren said, gesturing to a passing gerbil-looking-thing. ¡°nothing about how any of these guys are behaving makes any sense to me.¡±

    ¡°Which leads me to my point,¡± Bella continued, ¡°if you¡¯ve adapted to some anomalous space of calm ¡ª lets call it civility ¡ª in an environment where most of the wildlife can suddenly display extreme coordinated aggression, we might observe a bias towards flight, rather than fight.¡±

    Joe stopped, eyeing the surroundings, his eyes going wide. Hunter followed the train of thought, and he knew something that they didn¡¯t. The giant beast at the bottom of the lake, it probably had something to do with all the beasts¡¯ behaviour ¡ª and their general trend to be retreating towards the lake.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading back,¡± the lieutenant said, ¡°now.¡±

    They turned and followed the growing horde of creatures back towards the lake.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jeren said, ¡°are we sure this is a good idea?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Joe said, ¡°but if we follow Bella¡¯s logic, the locals probably have an instinct for the right place to be when things get dangerous.¡±

    Jeren nodded, but he didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    ¡°I can make it an order?¡± The lieutenant offered. But Jeren just waved him off and started walking again.

    The team made good progress for a few minutes, but the amount of wildlife heading in their direction suddenly increased, many of them sprinting as fast as they could. It got to where the team could no longer justify walking back. The good news was that they found a hill nearby, too steep for most of the passing animals to consider climbing over, but that made it perfect for the team. It took some time to help Joe and the lieutenant ¡ª whose legs gave out from underneath him before he got to the top.

    From the new vantage point, the team watched as the forest writhed, and animals moved in streams like blood flowed through veins.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beastwave in its own right,¡± Bella whispered.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°The aggression,¡± Bella answered.

    Hunter heard a loud roar nearby. It was the first aggressive sound he¡¯d heard since they found the lake, and the sound made him cringe.

    ¡°Like that?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°No, there would be a lot more,¡± Bella said, and more roars sounded in the distance, getting closer. ¡°I think this is what we were expecting, the remnant aggression after the beastwave breaks. Thousands of beasts dispersing into unfamiliar terrain, already primed to fight anything that wasn¡¯t a part of the wave itself.¡±

    ¡°The organizing principle,¡± Hunter commented, ¡°how the beastwaves seem coordinated. You¡¯re saying that the effect remains, even after the wave is over?¡±

    ¡°For a little while,¡± Jeren said, ¡°We weathered a shorter wave after Clarke shot us down.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to be safe up here?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to fly away if you want, sir,¡± Jeren said.

    Hunter pursed his lips. In his opinion, Jeren¡¯s sarcasm could be grating.

    He watched as the beasts turned increasingly chaotic. What had been a steady trickle of wildlife turned into more of a stampede, a miniature beastwave. Hunter saw boars down there, tusks and all. He was once more surprised by the convergent evolution of various species between Sanctuary and Skyhold.

    Soon, that wave would reach the lake. He wondered how the placid beasts would fare against the approaching horde, and was thankful that from where the team was, they weren¡¯t able to see it. The dense canopy blocked their view.

    The team froze as a warbling, bassy rumble spread from the lake. The sound echoed as if a physical presence imposed itself on the surroundings, and similarly receded as a veil would were it lifted from its centre. Hunter could feel the air rumble, and the etherium around him ¡ª having become more difficult to detect as they had left the area around the lake ¡ª rippled in response.

    Then, as if an ether storm were gathering itself before manifesting its fury, something pulled the surrounding etherium towards the lake. Not like a vortex, but like the universe¡¯s most powerful vacuum. He even saw the leaves of all the trees and bushes stretching around the lake respond to the etherium¡¯s powerful movement as a light breeze followed the etherium¡¯s path. The powerful vacuum pulled some free, and a storm of detritus imploded toward the lake.

    The fluctuating bass-tone oppressed the surroundings, vibrating through Hunter¡¯s head and tickling his eardrums. He heard the team cursing beside him as everyone grabbed at their heads. Hunter watched as a shape began to crest above the treetops. Blue and purple patterns fluctuated over its surface as it rose, and even from this distance, Hunter could feel the power radiating off of it. It was the creature from the bottom of the lake.

    It was huge.

    As it rose, he could see trails of water falling off of it. It kept rising, higher and higher, until it blocked the view of the morning sun. Great wings stretched off its side, but they didn¡¯t appear to have any part in keeping the creature afloat. Instead, they appeared to be the nexus of the gathering etherium. As the creature rose, the trajectory of the ambient etherium changed. Azure arcs of energy flashed in thick ribbons between and around what appeared to be tentacles with large padded ends. Some of the energy would arc away from its body, striking at various angles towards the ground. The energy grew in intensity and frequency; the ribbons growing thicker and their etheric presence growing more apparent to Hunter.

    It was almost as if the creature was a sun in its own right ¡ª but not along the visible spectrum. Although it was almost a quarter mile away, Hunter felt like he was staring right into an etheric sun.

    In a great flash of light, the blue-purple energy rapidly expanded from the creature in a wave. It pulsed through the surroundings like a phantom explosion ¡ª like a memory of fury.

    The team lacked the time needed to seek cover. The energy wave passed right through them. The energy felt like a warm, cozey blanket on a cool night. It felt like gratitude after an incredible day. It felt like a loving presence wrapping itself around his body, each of his limbs, and every one of his cells. Following the wave, the team could only hear strong warbling tones from the creature above the lake, and their own breathing.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good guy,¡± Jeren whispered, glancing at the team. ¡°can we keep it?¡±

    Bella stared intently at the creature, tears crossed her cheeks.

    ¡°Are you all feeling this?¡± she asked, her voice quiet. Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the lieutenant sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve never felt more safe in my life.¡±

    ¡°I guess we now know the source of the strange behaviour we¡¯ve been witnessing,¡± Joe said.

    Dead quiet described the world around them. The birds had landed; the animals were still ¡ª alive, but most seemed content to sit and bask in the feelings the energy left in its wake.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the mother of all etheric mutations,¡± Hunter said. Jeren laughed.

    ¡°Like a warm hug from mum,¡± Jeren said.

    The lieutenant cleared his throat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take advantage of this while we can,¡± he said. ¡°you can put me down. My legs are feeling a lot better.¡±

    Hunter glanced at the lieutenant¡¯s legs. He could make much out beneath the bandages and the dirt they¡¯d accumulated as they had trekked the short distance through the forest while dodging wild animals, so he stepped closer to get a better look.

    Indeed, it seemed like the wounds had closed. The inflammation from the growing infection had reduced. Hunter took a deep breath and frowned. He moved his arms and poked at his sides.

    He was sore, but he felt fine.

    ¡°It healed us,¡± he said, glancing at Joe, who was standing on both legs.

    ¡°Thou shall not question the almighty super-powerful sky-jellyfish,¡± Jeren said as they all followed the lieutenant down.

    Hunter wanted to return to the lake and observe the ¡®sky-jellyfish¡¯ more closely, but as he glanced back and the creature descended, something told him that this was just one of many mysteries that Skyhold was hiding. He was just glad that this world wasn¡¯t just a place of incomprehensible nightmares.

    Apparently, it had its shares of inexplicable wonders as well.

 Chapter 61

    ¡°How long do these things last for?¡± a crewman groaned as he slid out from under a wall panel along the corridor Aera was passing through.

    ¡°Up to 24 hours,¡± she said over her shoulder. The answering sigh caused her to purse her lips. An emergency was when the crew needed to be at their most disciplined. They¡¯d been working hard, nonstop, and they were tired. She understood that. She was tired too. But it was moments like these when you could honour the person you want to be.

    Are you going to complain in the face of a challenge, or are you going to rise to face it?

    This wasn¡¯t the first challenge that Skyhold had presented them ¡ª and it wasn¡¯t even the most dangerous. The shield withstood the beastwave, which they assumed their crash-landing triggered. Thankfully, they¡¯d had enough forewarning to pull back some teams they¡¯d sent out to scout the surroundings. She had wanted to be out with them, searching for signs of Hunter, but Trey had demanded she stay within the confines of the ship, and she had no desire to be outside of it if the shield failed.

    Despair washed over Aera as the search for her foster brother yielded nothing, a terrifying thought settling in her heart that they might never find him. But no matter the situation with Hunter, she had to keep her mind on the present. She would have time to worry later, after the beastwave, and maybe after repairs were underway.

    She suppressed her grief as she waded through a river of grey Oberon uniforms shifting in and out of sight as they tasked each crewman with dozens of individual jobs, the most gruesome of which they finished early. They gathered the few fatalities they¡¯d found and placed them in a storage room filled with constructs designed to keep the room near freezing, preserving the bodies for later burial.

    Medics treated most of the minor casualties, and everyone fit enough to work already received their assignments¡ªassignments Aera helped Commander Striker organize.

    ¡°Bridge to Aera,¡± she heard her hip radio announce. ¡°You are requested at a command meeting.¡±

    She pivoted on her heel and started heading back in the direction she¡¯d come from. She preferred to be walking the around the ship, helping where she could. However, she couldn¡¯t avoid some things, including command meetings. Especially at a time like this. She was like a relay between the crew and their captain ¡ª she needed to know what the captain knew. Effective communication was at an all-time-high.

    The bridge was in a state of chaos. Some of the equipment had malfunctioned during the crash and engineers had pulled panels out of the floors, walls, and ceiling in order to do their repairs. Flashes of light from welders, the grinding of saws, and the general hubbub of the command team, the bridge crew, and the engineers all trying to do their jobs. It was an assault on the senses which Aera preferred not to be around for too long. Luckily, there was a private room just off of the bridge intended to be used for meetings just like this one.

    She opened the door to the room and received a round of greetings from the assembled command officers. She nodded to her father first and then to everyone else. Aera took her seat beside Guard Captain Niklaus and shook her head at the offer for coffee.

    ¡°Hardly worth the effort of drinking it, anyway,¡± the Guard Captain said, chugging back whatever was in his cup and grimacing.

    ¡°For once, I agree with you,¡± Trey sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve called you all here for two reasons. The first is to get everyone up to date on our current status, and the second is to decide on our path forward,¡± Captain Gregor said, ¡°Commander?¡±

    The first officer cleared his throat and stood. Aera smiled, happy that he maintained his composure despite his fatigue.

    ¡°In the 18 hours since we crashed, we¡¯ve repaired most of our damaged systems. Life support, artificial gravity, etheric channels and electric power supply are intact. A faulty generator room repair caused our weapons to malfunction, and we will fix it within the hour. Since we¡¯re grounded, we have elected to keep the artificial gravity off for the sake of routing more power towards the shield.¡±

    ¡°What about the mess hall?¡± Guard Captain Niklaus asked, his tone polite but with an edge of insistence to it. Aera¡¯s stomach made a noise.

    None of them had time to eat since they crashed.

    ¡°Operational as of an hour ago. I have crews cycling through in 30-minute intervals, and if my timing is right¡­¡±

    There was a knock at the door. Aera stood and opened it, and crewmen wearing kitchen uniforms walked in with a rolling tray filled with food.

    ¡°I had them set some food aside for us, otherwise we¡¯d be waiting another few hours for the rest of the crew to finish their breaks,¡± the Commander said.

    Aera resisted the urge to fill a plate, letting Trey and the Captain go first. She was about to let the Guard Captain get his food before her, but he waved her forward. After flashing him a greatful smile, she loaded her plate up with bacon, eggs, toast, and a small bowl of fruit. The breakfast of champions ¡ª in fact, she¡¯d had similar meals mere hours before a few of her championship wins in the past.

    Having been too busy to find any rations, her hunger dissipated after several more hours of work. After forgetting how hungry she¡¯d become, the first bite had tasted heavenly. She wolfed the food down in a couple of minutes, much to the amusement of the assembled command staff. Her father shook his head.

    ¡°Who brought this animal to the meeting?¡± he asked. She was about to respond. The door to the meeting room opened. A crewman peeked his head through the opening.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting, but something is happening. You should see this,¡± he said. The officers stood and walked out of the room. The sight beyond the bridge revealed not much out of the ordinary, save the trails of a strange purple and blue energy, dissolving into sparks as it fell to the forest floor.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    It seemed the beastwave had dissipated, but the remnant aggression kept the crew confined to the ship. The assembled creatures wouldn¡¯t disperse for another few hours.

    At least, that¡¯s what she¡¯d been expecting based on the reports they¡¯d gathered before coming here. Not once had the outpost reported a case of strange energy appearing, and causing the fauna to pacify and retreat into the forest.

    ¡°What the hell am I seeing?¡± she asked. Captain Gregor was speaking to a crewman at the front of the bridge. She could barely make out the words¡¯ etheric anomaly.

    She wished Hunter was there with them. He¡¯d be going crazy over this. He¡¯d try to sneak outside the ship to investigate it.

    ¡°What do we think?¡± Trey asked as the Captain made his way back over to the group.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what to think,¡± Captain Gregor said. ¡°Apparently there was a surge of etherium just prior to a bright flash of light, and an expanding wave of blue-purple energy.¡±

    ¡°And now the crazed fauna is acting a lot less crazed,¡± Trey said.

    Captain Gregor frowned and nodded.

    ¡°I could have a team sent out on a scout ship to investigate,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said, ¡°Just to make sure we don¡¯t have something to worry about. For all we know, that was the source of the beast waves.¡±

    Aera nodded. Trey seemed skeptical, but he considered the general assertion of his staff.

    ¡°Your call, Captain,¡± he said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do as the Guard Captain suggests,¡± Captain Gregor said. Niklaus nodded and spoke into his radio. A minute later, the shield lowered for a moment as a small ship left to scout the anomaly at its source.

    <hr>

    Oberon would never survive here unless they developed some drastic advantages, and fast, Hunter thought.

    How had the outpost not fallen under a combined assault from these monsters? In the beastwave''s wake, and the nova-like release of miraculous energy from the anomalous, winged jellyfish-thing, the team had made good speed through the forest towards their next campsite. The pulse of energy had travelled further than they¡¯d thought, as wherever they went, there wasn¡¯t a single sign of hostility.

    The power displayed by that creature was unfathomable to Hunter. It stretched the limits of what he thought etherium was ¡ª of what it could do. The mystery was more profound than he had ever imagined.

    They could close the distance a bit, though. The healing tech Oberon had deployed at the hospital outside the Barnum campus had been quite miraculous as well, but no one understood how it operated. He wondered if a similar principle was at work here.

    Unless they could master the mechanism which could induce passivity into fauna spread out over miles and miles, the hundreds of powerful creatures the team had come across while they trekked would prove too great of a challenge. Skyhold seemed to have an abundance of such creatures ¡ª and if they were natural, which he had no reason to suspect otherwise, then they would keep appearing. What would the outpost or fledgling colony be able to do against a beastwave full of these things? The beastwave would overrun them.

    And now that he¡¯d asked that question, another question arose: Why hadn¡¯t that happened yet?

    The common denominator here was etherium. Lacking a full series of spreadsheets accounting for the variables at play, he¡¯d seen how etherium can empower these beasts to be like walking constructs, as if it were a natural phase in their development. He¡¯d seen how etherium could have countered the aggression that arose in the beasts, an antidote to the underlying aggression mechanism.

    If it was the antidote, maybe it wasn¡¯t so much of a stretch to assume that it was also the cause.

    But he didn¡¯t know how long it would take him, or a research team, or a dozen research teams working in harmony, to replicate the effect that the creature in the lake had on its surroundings. In the meantime, how was Skyhold supposed to defend itself with conventional weaponry? They only had so the capacity the fauna was showing dwarfed many High-AR individuals. Either their technology needed to undergo a drastic leap in effectiveness, or humanity itself had to learn to evolve to match the challenge before them.

    Unfortunately, without inducing a strong sensitivity to etherium, Hunter could think of no way to pass on the internal etheric arts which Gideon Koar had developed.

    They need an advantage. They need more AR, more powerful constructs and technologies, and they needed them now.

    Unable to pass on the internal arts, his only recourse was to triple or quadruple down on synergies: their research and proliferation. They would need to start with their defence technology. A total overhaul.

    ¡°Ground control to Hunter. You there, buddy?¡± Jeren asked, breaking Hunter out of his revery. Hunter blinked and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, just thinking,¡± he said.

    ¡°Credit for your thoughts?¡± Bella asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about the creatures we¡¯ve seen along the way. Have you guys been noticing the same things I have? The mutations?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jeren exclaimed, his voice echoing through the surrounding forest. Not a single animal seemed to react to the sudden outburst, ¡°and the size of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about what etheric mutations might imply about our chances of establishing a long-term home here,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that anyone on the Merciful Cloud is aware of what we could come up against. But I¡¯m also wondering how we might mitigate the danger.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s a problem at all,¡± Bella said, tapping her chin with a finger.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve gathered ¡ª and maybe your own observations can verify this ¡ª but beasts using etherium have yet to appear in any beastwave so far.¡±

    Hunter picked up on her train of thought.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that etherium has the opposite effect of aggravating animals into a beastwave, and may in fact act more than a natural shield against the mechanism?¡± he said, his eyes widening as he spoke. It could make sense, but he realized they were still missing a critical piece of the puzzle.

    ¡°Then why are only some animals able to use etherium, and others aren¡¯t?¡± he wondered out loud. ¡°Why are some shielded, and not the rest?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a matter of saturation,¡± Joe said. ¡°Maybe a certain amount of etherium exposure is necessary for them to develop a natural defence against the beastwave mechanism?¡±

    ¡°So the age of the beast would correspond to its ¡®saturation¡¯ of etherium, which would have a beneficial effect on its gene expression?¡± Bella asked.

    Joe shrugged.

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m not a biology guy. You tell me,¡± he said.

    She shrugged as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a precedent,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Right, high-AR mutations. I was thinking the same thing,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jeren added in an erudite, accented tone, ¡°well said, my fellow intellectual.¡±

    ¡°Increased longevity, fortified immune system, what if ¡®etherium saturation¡¯ was a natural consequence of a balanced exposure to etherium over time?¡± Hunter said, ignoring Jeren.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why aren¡¯t all our octogenarians developing superpowers?¡± Lieutenant Pellar asked.

    Hunter considered the question, but not because he didn¡¯t know the answer, but because he wasn¡¯t sure what he should tell them. He¡¯d already revealed his sensitivity to Aera, Trey, and the Captain. It was only a matter of time before others realized he had an advantage that they didn¡¯t, especially if he was going to be keeping company with other researchers.

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± he started, but a loud droning sound interrupted him.

    ¡°I know that sound,¡± the lieutenant said, his entire posture changing as he watched the sky. Hunter recognized the sound, too.

    The team burst into action.

 Chapter 62

    Bella found a small stick, Joe found some dried leaves and dead grass. The lieutenant bent down, grinding the small stick against the leaves and grass his team had gathered. Jeren was piling a bunch of tried wood together a few meters away.

    ¡°A fire?¡± Hunter asked. A shadow passed over them. He looked to the sky and saw a small object in the distance, high above them.

    Right, he thought. A smoke trail was the only way they¡¯d get their attention.

    But what if they don¡¯t want to get their attention?

    ¡°Are we sure this is smart?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°What if they¡¯re Clarke¡¯s people?¡±

    The lieutenant didn¡¯t pause. Smoke rose from the small bundle in quick puffs. His faced showed immense strain, and he wheezed out an agonized breath as a spark seemed to catch, and a small fire bloomed.

    ¡°The sound,¡± Joe said.

    Bella elaborated.

    ¡°Skyhold has older generation aircraft. The platoon¡¯s newer generation craft were destroyed when we were shot down, so¡ª

    Relief flooded Hunter as he said, ¡°So they¡¯re from the Cloud.¡±

    The lieutenant brought the flame to the woodpile Jeren built, while Bella added dried grass to it.

    A pillar of smoke soon traced a curving line into the sky as a soft wind carried it across the sky. It took a few minutes for the scouts to notice the smoke, and the team heard them fly closer to circle their position. The team waved, yelling at the top of their lungs. Hunter¡¯s throat felt raw by the time the small craft was visible.

    When he saw the insignia of the Merciful Cloud stenciled across its side, he almost cried. The vehicle lowered itself a dozen meters away from the team. Hunter stepped forward. He could see the pilot through a small window, and another individual with black body armour and the grey Oberon trim stepped out, offering his hand to Hunter.

    ¡°Are you Hunter Koar?¡± the man yelled, struggling to be heard over the sound of air being displaced across the surroundings as the etheric propulsion of the craft floated mere feet of the ground.

    Hunter nodded and waved his arm towards the team.

    ¡°From Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon, survivors,¡± he yelled back. The Guardsman nodded and waved them into the small craft. It carried 5 people at most, and the Guardsman elected not to take a seat or the handhold, doing his best to keep his balance as the pilot commanded the craft to gain altitude.

    Closing the small craft¡¯s door reduced the amount of sound the team had to endure. The Guardsman who was standing with them, leaned over Jeren and reached past the pilot to grab a small radio. He thumbed the activation switch.

    ¡°This is Scout-3 reporting to the Merciful Cloud. Come to Merciful Cloud. Scout-3 is on our way back with 5 survivors, I repeat, 5 survivors, including Hunter Koar. Have a med-team prepped to receive, over.¡±

    Hunter heard a voice warbling back through the radio.

    ¡°Yes, sir, I repeat, 5 survivors, including Hunter Oberon Koar, over,¡± he said.

    He was silent for a few seconds as he listened to the response. He smiled at whatever he heard.

    ¡°Roger that, sir. Over and out,¡± the Guardsman returned the radio and looked at Hunter.

    ¡°Permission to speak freely, sir?¡±

    ¡°Granted?¡± Hunter said, still not used to having any authority over people who could kill him from a mile away.

    ¡°Many people are relieved to hear that you¡¯re alive, but your sister said something about finishing what the forest couldn¡¯t, if you catch my drift.¡±

    Hunter snorted.

    ¡°Death threats are her way of showing affection,¡± he explained to the team. The lieutenant rose an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself.

    ¡°Some family,¡± Jeren said, lacking the inhibitions of his superior officer.

    ¡°I¡¯m adopted,¡± Hunter said, ¡°and she and I only became friends about just before we left Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Wait, if death threats are her way of showing affection, then how does she treat you when she doesn¡¯t feel affectionate?¡± Bella asked, leaning forward.

    Hunter pursed his lips, remembering his first month with that monster.

    ¡°Say no more,¡± Jeren said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not an Oberon.¡±

    ¡°No? What about the money? The fame?¡± Joe asked.

    ¡°You think I need to be an Oberon to get with women?¡± Jeren asked, spreading his hands as if he couldn¡¯t believe the insinuation.

    Bella scoffed and shook her head. The lieutenant now looked at Jeren with the same look he¡¯d been giving Hunter.

    ¡°How many survived the crash?¡± Hunter asked the Guardsman while the team bantered among themselves.

    Sir, the casualties were minimal; a handful of fatalities and two dozen serious injuries. Ms. Aera and Mr. Oberon survived, as did the rest of the command staff. The ship was still undergoing repairs when we experienced a strange pulse of energy, which broke the remnants of the beastwave. Guard Captain Niklaus sent us to investigate and ensure we didn¡¯t miss another potential threat.

    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite of a threat,¡± Jeren said. ¡°The creature saved our lives. And straight up healed the lieutenant¡¯s leg.¡±

    ¡°And mine,¡± Joe said.

    ¡°And my ribs,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°You hurt your ribs?¡± Bella asked, her eyes widening, ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°What would you have done if you¡¯d known?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You said it healed you? The creature you¡¯re talking about?¡± the Guardsman asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Hey, what¡¯s your name, by the way?¡± Hunter asked.

    The Guardsman seemed taken aback for a second, and then saluted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my lack of discipline, sir. I¡¯m Lieutenant Guardsman Shawn Fitzpatrick, sir.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°At ease?¡± he said, and then muttered, ¡°this is going to take a while to get used to.¡±

    Then a thought occurred to him.

    ¡°Hey, while we¡¯re all up here, is it possible to check on the location of the other platoon?¡± he asked Lieutenant Fitzpatrick.

    The lieutenant nodded.

    ¡°We can fly by to confirm their position, but we need to get back to the ship as soon as possible, sir. They¡¯re expecting us.¡±

    ¡°It should only be a brief detour,¡± Lieutenant Pellar said. He stood from his seat and offered his hand to Lieutenant Fitzpatrick, ¡°Lieutenant Guardsman Richard Pellar.¡±

    Hunter almost slapped himself, unable to believe that he¡¯d forgotten to introduce the team beyond what he¡¯d shared a minute ago. After Lieutenant Pellar made all the introductions on Hunter¡¯s behalf, he directed the pilot to the platoon¡¯s base camp.

    When Hunter saw the location of the camp on a small map the pilot was using to navigate, and compared it to where the Merciful Cloud was, he whistled.

    ¡°26 kilometres is pretty far out. I doubt we¡¯re gonna want to have you all jog to the ship.¡±

    ¡°You mean 16 miles,¡± Jeren said. ¡°The metric system is inaccurate.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Hunter asked. ¡°How is it inaccurate? What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°Smith uses imperial, still,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°I mean, I knew that,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I just thought it was a symbolic relic from a bygone age.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the world¡¯s last grip on its sanity,¡± Jeren said, crossing his arms and pouting, ¡°and I¡¯m speaking ironically. In fact, I¡¯m almost offended that you haven¡¯t caught onto that yet.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, Hunter,¡± Lieutenant Pellar said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to enlist aid from the Merciful Cloud to ferry our people over. Do you think the ship has the space?¡±

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on these matters, but I¡¯m pretty sure the guys in charge want to take Skyhold as soon as possible. We¡¯ve got, what, a week until we expect the first wave of ships to arrive?¡±

    ¡°So the sooner we get everyone together and ready to collaborate, the better,¡± Lieutenant Fitzpatrick said, ¡°Most of the scouts are awaiting orders to map the immediate terrain now that the beastwave is over with, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll want to get a better visual on the anomaly zone¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªLake Striptease,¡± Hunter said, unable to help himself. The Lieutenant paused, his brows furrowed.

    Jeren snickered, and Bella covered her mouth, hiding her smile. Lieutenant Pellar and Joe were having a polite conversation amongst themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s an inside joke,¡± Bella explained to the lieutenant, ¡°we ended up inside a cave overlooking the lake. The creature that ended the beastwave lives beneath its surface.¡±

    Lieutenant Fitzpatrick shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m still shocked that a living creature could do something like this. It defies everything I thought I knew about the world.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a new world, lieutenant,¡± Bella said. ¡°that¡¯s more clear to me now more than ever.¡±

    ¡°Approaching the camp,¡± the pilot yelled from the front.

    The team gathered around the windows of the craft, watching as hills turned to flat forest, and then opened to a large clearing covered in animal corpses and abandoned camp equipment.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Lieutenant Pellar whispered, ¡°the beastwave must have been huge if it stretched this far out.¡±

    ¡°There must be hundreds of corpses down there,¡± Lieutenant Fitzpatrick said. ¡°I¡¯m seeing Guard uniforms.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s heart sank. He didn¡¯t know the people who had died down there. He could only imagine how the team was feeling. Jeren was quiet and tense. He clenched his jaw and darted his eyes across the clearing, taking in everything he could.

    ¡°I¡¯m seeing less than a dozen dead Guardsmen. It¡¯s hard to make out from up here, of course, but my guess is that most of our people made it to the fallback position.¡±

    ¡°Right, the canyon,¡± Jeren said, raising his voice as a sudden elation gripped him.

    ¡°Follow the river until it runs through a small canyon. They had a last-resort planned for this exact scenario,¡± Lieutenant Pellar ordered the pilot. Lieutenant Fitzpatrick didn¡¯t make any protest to his colleague¡¯s command as he observed the garden of death sprawling beneath them.

    The pilot flew the ship along the path of a river nearby. They could see signs of battle along the way. For every dead Guardsman, there were over a dozen dead beasts. Hunter could see the canyon approaching, and as they got closer, the amount of fighting seemed to have increased. The beast corpses grew more abundant, but the Guardsman bodies seemed to decrease.

    What seemed to be the aftermath of a landslide cut off the canyon. Between the canyon¡¯s end, and the additional barrier which must have served as an impossible obstacle for the beasts to cross, dozens of men and women were waving up at them.

    ¡°Thank heavens,¡± he heard Bella exhale. Joe gave her shoulder a squeeze.

    ¡°Scout-3 to Merciful Cloud, come in Merciful Cloud, do you read? Over,¡± Lieutenant Fitzpatrick was speaking into the vessel¡¯s radio as the pilot had them descend.

    ¡°We ready you loud and clear, Scout-3. What¡¯s your status? Over,¡± came the response. The transmission surprised Hunter. Last time, it sounded like warbling static to his untrained ears.

    ¡°We have found the survivors from Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon. He requested for exfiltration teams to be sent to the coordinates shown on the map, reading the numbers aloud.

    ¡°Copy that, Scout-03. Guard Captain Niklaus has scrambled the rest of the Scouts, and they are inbound to your location. Return to the Merciful Cloud with the V.I.P. How copy? Over.¡±

    ¡°No more detours, loud and clear. E.T.A,¡± the Lieutenant checked his watch, and the map, ¡°5 minutes at full throttle, over.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you then, Scout-03. Over and out.¡±

    ¡°You can drop us off here, Lieutenant,¡± Lieutenant Pellar said. ¡°We¡¯ll debrief while we wait for our transportation to arrive.¡±

    The scout vessel neared the ground and Lieutenant Fitzpatrick opened the door to let the team out. Bella was the first to exit, giving Hunter a hug and then saluting once she¡¯d exited. Jeren slapped Hunter on the shoulder, and Joe gave Hunter a smile. Lieutenant Pellar extended his hand, and Hunter shook it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you on the Cloud, sir,¡± he said. Hunter pursed his lips and nodded. Once he left, and Lieutenant Fitzpatrick closed the door, he heard Jeren yell over the noise of the ship.

    ¡°Drinks are on you, boss!¡±

    Hunter shook his head and laughed. He didn¡¯t know if he was referring to Hunter, or the lieutenant, but given who Hunter was, he suspected he knew the answer. Hunter would need to make some inquiries with the Cloud¡¯s quartermaster. If any of the alcohol survived the crash, he¡¯d see if he could requisition some.

    The trip back to the Merciful Cloud was short. Lieutenant Fitzpatrick brought his attention towards the sky a couple of minutes into the flight and pointed towards 6 specks rapidly approached and then passed them in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°The other scouts,¡± the Lieutenant said.

    ¡°They¡¯re making good speed,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know how many wounded Guardsman are in that canyon,¡± the Lieutenant explained. ¡°When we scramble the fleet, they¡¯ll burn fuel getting to where they need to be. "The platoon needs to get lifted out of that canyon yesterday. If I¡¯m not wrong, they used explosives to close off the entrance, but we don¡¯t know how that might have affected the canyon¡¯s walls.¡±

    Hunter felt chills.

    ¡°Then again, we don¡¯t know that the canyon would have collapsed on them while they tried to climb out,¡± the Lieutenant said, ¡°but it¡¯s better to assume that we¡¯re on a timer.¡±

    Hunter nodded. Guard Captain Bell would appreciate the haste.

    They approached the Merciful Cloud, and Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. He could see workers walking along its hull, making repairs. The ship seemed intact from what he could see. The shield flickered out of existence for a second to allow the ship to enter the docking bay.

    He opened the door to the ship before the Lieutenant could and saw Aera and Trey waiting for him.

    ¡°Hey guys, miss me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Terribly,¡± Trey smiled as he spoke, moving forward to meet Hunter and putting his arm around Hunter¡¯s shoulder as he led him back to Aera. She stood with her hands behind her back, her uniform as well-kept as ever. Her chin was out, and despite her still confidence, he could see her wariness. There were dark bags forming under her eyes.

    Aera turned to walk by Hunter¡¯s side, keeping pace with him and her father.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got quite the story for you guys,¡± he said, but Trey held up his other hand towards him, signalling for him to wait.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to fill us in once they have gathered Bell¡¯s platoon onboard. Although we won¡¯t have much time to debrief,¡± Trey said. ¡°We¡¯ve finished the Cloud¡¯s preliminary repairs. Unfortunately, it will take too long to get it airborne, so we¡¯re going to shuttle the crew to the outpost once it''s time to make our move.¡±

    Hunter stopped walking.

    ¡°The damage is that bad?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep a few people behind in order to the shield in the event of a beastwave.¡± Trey said.

    Hunter looked to Aera. For the first time in her life, she seemed reserved. She appeared unfocused and lost in thought.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had a long couple of days,¡± Trey said, ¡°and the last week¡¯s preparations had already exhausted everyone. Once we secure Skyhold, we can give people some time to rest. In the meantime¡ª¡±

    They stopped halfway down a corridor, beside a door with a red cross on it.

    ¡°¡ªYou will receive a full check-up, and then getting some sleep.¡±

    Hunter furrowed his brows.

    ¡°That hardly seems fair,¡± he said.

    ¡°The crew will not blame you for getting some rest,¡± Aera sighed, ¡°and besides, with you rendered unconscious, it¡¯s less for us to worry about.¡±

    Hunter felt a pang of guilt. He didn¡¯t avoid it.

    ¡°I guess I deserve that,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry about keeping you both win suspense for so long.¡±

    ¡°Suspense,¡± Aera scoffed, ¡°right. Hunter?¡±

    Hunter glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry me like that again, ok?¡± she said.

    A sudden surge of warmth rose in his chest. He even felt tears threaten to form if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    ¡°No promises,¡± he said, stepping forward and putting his arms around her. She returned the embrace.

 Chapter 63

    Hunter inched along the edge of the room, hoping to avoid any attention. Guard Captain Bell was being given the grand tour, and the room housing the Asutnahem shield was on his itinerary. Hunter would not let an opportunity to see and sense the ancient device pass him by.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying it can survive anything?¡± Guard Captain Bell asked the off-duty shield operator who had just been about to head back to his quarters when the Guard Captain arrived.

    Hunter found the Guard Captain shorter than expected, but built and swaggering with typical lethal confidence. He had an unruly crewcut and a few scars across his face that stressed the general air of a warrior that the man exuded.

    ¡°With enough etherium, yes, sir. It¡¯s far more advanced than anything we¡¯ve ever seen, much less dreamed of.¡± The crewman explained, his awe of the technology he was charged to operate clear for all to see.

    Talk about a dream job.

    Hunter stayed quiet and got as close as he dared to the Asutnahem shield generator, using his sixth sense to feel whatever he could from the object. He found something mesmerizing¡ªthe etherium didn¡¯t so much follow channels as manifest at different glyphs. The glyphs didn¡¯t appear to be linked in anything like a network syntax, instead they spread out like a matrix, and the etherium rapidly cycled through the various glyphs in random patterns a dozen times a second, far too fast for him to discern any pattern. Everything he thought he knew about construct design was defied by it.

    It was almost like the construct was guiding itself, making choices based on some yet-unknown criteria.

    His sensitivity to etherium had deepened by a great degree over the last year, and he realized that what he¡¯d once described as ¡®desires¡¯ were no longer sufficient as a descriptor for what he felt from etherium as its charge shifted. It wasn¡¯t just desire, it was something deeper. Something more whole, something with integrating parts and subtle conditions that he was having trouble defining.

    He was itching to get his hands on the construct and get a peak inside, but he knew he couldn¡¯t let the ship go without its shield. So he did his best to remind himself that just being able to be near it at all was a gift.

    He noted all the glyphs he didn¡¯t recognize, and all how they seemed to interact with each other. He spotted some familiar ones, but what he felt from them wasn¡¯t at all what he was used to feeling from them.

    How curious, he mused.

    Perhaps the true power of glyphs was yet to be discovered, far exceeding current estimations. He needed to know more, but he had no way of getting his hands on the information right now.

    It was agonizing, but he soldiered through it as best as he could.

    ¡°So we can thank the shield for keeping the flagship intact,¡± Guard Captain Bell said, nodding to himself.

    ¡°Absolutely, sir. Unfortunately, we weren¡¯t able to get it up in time to stop the first missiles from hitting the ship, but apart from that, we landed in one piece,¡± the shield operator said, squeezing his hands as he spoke. The Guard Captain seemed to pick up on the man¡¯s nerves, and he frowned.

    ¡°Well, I appreciate the tour, crewman. As you were,¡± the Guard Captain turned his eyes widened as he spotted Hunter. He stopped and saluted.

    ¡°At ease,¡± Hunter said. It almost felt natural now.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you¡¯d be joining me today, sir,¡± the Guard Captain said, relaxing his shoulders and offering Hunter a friendly smile, ¡°And I appreciate the opportunity to thank you in person. I know you were instrumental in my scout team survive out there.¡±

    Hunter felt awkward talking to the Guard Captain in the shield room, so he opened the door and let the Guard Captain out first. The Guard Captain took the invitation with a nod, and they both walked toward the bridge.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have survived on my own,¡± Hunter said. ¡°They fished me out from a river and it was non-stop movement until we hit the lake. The beastwave, the cave, the anomaly. The team saved me; otherwise, I would have been lost or worse.

    ¡°They all sang your praises, sir. Lieutenant Pellar was especially impressed for someone so young to have, and I quote, ¡®such refined inner fortitude.¡¯ He said that you never complained and were always quick to help when it was required. To be honest, sir,¡± the Guard Captain said, leaning in towards Hunter and lowering his voice, ¡°and I hope you don¡¯t mind me being blunt, but I wasn¡¯t a fan of Trey Oberon bringing a Koar into the company. But after reading about what you did at Barnum ¡ª the way you fought against overwhelming odds and held up the company¡¯s honour ¡ª you¡¯ve turned skeptics into believers, and not just me. And more important than that?¡± He

    looked Hunter straight in his eyes.

    ¡°In one of the most turbulent moments on the last fee centuries, when the fate of tens of thousands of men, women, and children are uncertain, when we have all been taken from our homes and sent to a new and untamed land further away than anyone has gone before, you have proven that the judgement of Trey Oberon can and should be trusted.¡±

    Hunter might have been growing used to authority, but being beamed with praise like this was still something he would need to adjust to.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found myself impressed with Trey as well,¡± Hunter said, employing one of his favourite skills he¡¯d picked up: deflection.

    It helped that he meant what he¡¯d said. Trey Oberon was the genuine article, a Council Seat with a heart. Hunter corrected himself, as out here there were no more Council Seats. Oberon Enterprises was the only authority.

    Well, them and mother nature, he supposed. The Brontogon, the serpent, the anomaly at the lake, the beastwaves. They were all reminders that humanity had a lot of room to grow. And where was the ceiling of the large room they were growing into? A year ago, he¡¯d never have imagined that such power could exist.

    How much more powerful could a single living organism get? More importantly to Hunter, what does that say about the potential of humanity in this new world?

    He¡¯d wondered about how relevant his father¡¯s Internal Etheric Arts were to him now that he¡¯d solved his handicap, but all the signs seemed to say that the work was more important than ever.

    Hunter and the Guard Captain shared polite conversations on the way to the bridge. He took a liking to the old soldier, and was once more reminded of the distinct contrast between what he¡¯d thought about people at the higher levels of society and corporations, and who they actually were.

    Even where someone was a self-serving body-puppet for their ego, there was a humanity there that he hadn¡¯t let himself see before. It was a reminder that just because he was right about something sometimes, didn¡¯t mean he was right about everything all the time. The world always turned out to be far more complex, and hold many more shades of colour, ethics, morality, mystery, and wonder than he¡¯d ever dared to believe.

    ¡°Sirs,¡± the crewman attending the bridge door saluted them as they passed, and Hunter, following the Guard Captain¡¯s lead, returned a casual salute as the door slid open and they entered.

    ¡°Bell, Hunter, welcome,¡± Trey said, meeting them both and shaking their hands. ¡°The meeting was just about to begin. Hunter, we¡¯ve got your favourite brew on drip. Get it before it¡¯s gone.¡±

    Hunter hastened his pace into the meeting room and only paused for a split second when he saw how packed the meeting room was. He squeezed himself between various Guardsmen and ship officers. He saluted to Captain Gregor, who was conversing quietly with Commander Striker at the coffee machine.

    ¡°Sirs,¡± Hunter said, and the Captain gave Hunter a knowing smile and a nod towards the machine. Hunter took it as permission to indulge, grabbing the largest cup he could find and filling it to the brim after adding only a single sugar and enough cream to make it drinkable without having to wait.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It was his first coffee since coming aboard, and although it was over-brewed, it was a heavenly balm to all the worries he had accumulated over the last little while. He closed his eyes as the warmth seemed to spread all throughout his body. One sip was all it took for him to relax the tension he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding on to.

    ¡°Sweet divinity,¡± he whispered, ¡°heavenly nectar.¡±

    Guard Captain Niklaus huffed a short laugh nearby, while the Captain and the Commander shook their heads in amusement. Hunter might have been ashamed if he wasn¡¯t so relieved. He resolved to forgive their incivility. It was difficult for barbarians to appreciate such a sacred substance.

    Guard Captain Bell entered the room, and Niklaus stood with a big smile on his face. They grasped each other¡¯s forearms and grinned before Niklaus slapped his friend¡¯s shoulder, causing his colleague to move a step to the right.

    ¡°Look¡¯s like you¡¯re still not convinced,¡± Guard Captain Bell said to Niklaus.

    ¡°You caught me by surprise last time,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. ¡°Next time you won¡¯t be so lucky.¡±

    Aera¡¯s white hair entering the room attracted Hunter¡¯s attention, and Trey followed her.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Trey¡¯s voice sounded above the general hubbub bubbling throughout the room, ¡°thank you for coming. If everyone will take their seats?¡±

    There weren¡¯t enough seats for everyone, and Hunter sacrificed his own to a nearby lieutenant. At first, the lieutenant refused to take Hunter¡¯s seat, but Hunter insisted and since he was a superior officer, the lieutenant relented.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gathered you all here to discuss our next step. Thanks to the anomaly, we¡¯ve moved Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon to safety. 35 survivors are now enjoying their first proper meal and shower in weeks, and will all be able to sleep in safety and warmth. Once everyone has had time to rest and recover, we will deploy to secure Skyhold.¡±

    He paused, letting everyone have time to react and process. The room was quiet ¡ª after all, these were seasoned employees. Veterans and experts. Guard Captain Bell was the only one to raise his hand.

    Trey nodded, and the Guard Captain spoke.

    ¡°How are we going to deal with Clarke?¡±

    Trey pursed his lips.

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to take him alive,¡± Trey said, ¡°but I understand how these things can go. The battlefield is chaotic, and even our best plans don¡¯t always survive contact with the enemy.¡±

    Bell was about to say something, but Trey held up a hand.

    ¡°Let me be very clear. We are going to aim to reduce collateral damage as much as possible, which means we¡¯ll be going in fast. We need to know what to expect and where Clarke is going to be once we attack.¡±

    ¡°So we need intel,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said, ¡°and we need to get in without alerting Clarke unless we have a way of controlling his movements.¡±

    ¡°Do we have any way of contacting people inside the compound? I don¡¯t imagine that Clarke would have been able to justify his attack on our ships to all of them. We can exploit any internal resistance,¡± a Guardsman Hunter hadn¡¯t met said.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be on the list of things to figure out. There¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know about this situation and as of now I¡¯ve given us 36 hours to learn as much as we can, and then execute on what we find out. Within 48 hours, Skyhold will be under our occupation once more. Do you all understand your assignments?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± was the unanimous answer.

    Trey¡¯s smile was grim. He did not hide his weariness.

    ¡°This is the last stretch. Once we¡¯ve secured the outpost, we¡¯ll have time to breathe. The Ambition and her sister ships will arrive soon with everything we need to expand the outpost¡¯s borders. The faster we get this done, the more time we¡¯ll have to recuperate before we get back to work. You¡¯re all dismissed,¡± Trey said. Everyone who wasn¡¯t already standing stood from their seats to meet the room¡¯s salute towards Trey, and filed out of the room. Hunter stayed behind to talk with Trey and Aera.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got that done, I believe we have some time to catch up,¡± Trey said to Hunter as he walked to the coffee machine. He scowled when he saw the urn was empty. Trey spoke into the room¡¯s intercom, asking for someone to grab him a coffee from the mess hall.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received the official debrief from Bell and his platoon, but you and I haven¡¯t sat down yet. Consider this your official debrief, Hunter,¡± Trey said, sitting down and inviting Hunter and Aera to do the same. He remembered the last time he was about to talk about a harrowing experience he¡¯d just been through.

    He remembered the last time Trey had invited him to share his story of the harrowing experience at the museum. Now, she was leaning forward, one hand on her lap, the other supported her chin as her elbow rested on the table.

    ¡°We were on the observation deck when the missile hit,¡± Hunter said, recalling the scene. The force of the blast had blown him off his feet.

    ¡°I remember the fall. I think I can recall the canopy breaking my momentum before I woke up in a pool of filth. Have either of you heard of pteraphids?¡±

    Trey leaned back with an amused grin on his face, and Aera just nodded.

    ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t,¡± Hunter said, ¡°and I can say they are my least favourite animal of all time. That being said, I imagine the pool of feces ended up saving me. The smell must have woken me up before they found me.¡±

    Hunter left nothing out. He took the time to explain his encounter with the Brontogon and the giant serpent. Trey interjected.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever seeing any reports about etherically mutated wildlife,¡± Aera said.

    Trey sighed.

    ¡°It was why we set up an outpost all the way out here,¡± Trey said. ¡°We had hoped that studying them would lead to new discoveries about etherium.¡±

    ¡°I feel like that would have been important information to know about,¡± Aera said.

    Trey shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the blame for that. The official reason for Skyhold¡¯s inception was beyond classified. If the Council got wind of it, we¡¯d have to give up exclusive access to the realm. I couldn¡¯t justify the potential loss of such a strong scientific advantage.¡±

    ¡°Why were any findings related to etheric mutations excluded from reports?¡± Aera asked, her voice rising. Trey raised an eyebrow at her and she pursed her lips, forcing herself to settle down.

    ¡°Be-yond, class-if-ied,¡± Trey repeated. ¡°Not even a hint of what we found here was to be leaked.¡±

    ¡°So what have the research team discovered?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Trey said, scratching at his overgrown beard, ¡°nothing. Between the beastwaves, and the fact that any mutated fauna the team¡¯s have come across has been overwhelmingly powerful, securing samples to study an exercise in futility. The mutated fauna¡¯s immunity to the mechanism causing the beastwaves is the only reason the outpost received funding before becoming a likely target for Operation Exodus.

    ¡°So it IS etheric!¡± Hunter exclaimed, almost jumping out of his seat, ¡°the source of the beastwaves! If sufficient etheric¡ªuh, let¡¯s just say AR¡ªOh! Even better, let¡¯s call it Etheric Saturation ¡ª If the beast¡¯s etheric saturation is sufficient, then it¡¯s immune. Or perhaps it¡¯s the mutation itself that blocks the mechanism.¡±

    He tapped his chin, and then deflated, sitting back down and huffing out a brief sigh. The more he thought, the more he realized that he couldn¡¯t conclude that the source of the beastwaves was etheric. But it appeared to be the most promising area of research for them to pursue.

    Aera smirked as the rollercoaster of emotions rose and fell within him.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s too early to say for sure what the mechanism is,¡± Hunter said, ¡°But this feels like a significant step.¡±

    ¡°One that we¡¯re already aware of, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Trey said. Hunter deflated further, and Trey continued; ¡°that being said, I believe we now have a way to overcome our lack of progress in understanding the etheric phenomena we¡¯ve observed here.¡±

    Aera smiled and looked at Hunter.

    ¡°You mean my sensitivity? Yeah, I suppose. I just wasn¡¯t sure if you would let me devote more time to that, given how much of a rush we¡¯re going to be in to get everything set up in time for the next waves of colonizers.¡±

    ¡°Given your impression of the wildlife, and your unique ability to help us build countermeasures, I think it¡¯s worth a shift in priorities. We¡¯ll get the colony set up either way, and it¡¯s not like you won¡¯t have any time to spare. In fact, you can think of it like the old days ¡ª only your research will take precedence over other matters. And you will need to schedule a few days a week to coach our Artisans about your, what did you call them, synergies?¡±

    Hunter nodded. He met Aera¡¯s eyes, and she was smirking at him.

    ¡°You said that the workload seemed intimidating. Is this any better?¡± she asked.

    He felt a hint of heat reach his cheeks. Did Trey have to know about that conversation? He wondered, trying to stuff the sense of embarrassment aside.

    He¡¯ll get her back for that.

    ¡°It¡¯s better,¡± he said.

    ¡°So long as we¡¯re on the topic of etheric anomalies, I¡¯m curious about your experience with the anomaly-class creature you and the scout team encountered at the lake. What was that lake called again?¡± Trey asked, tapping his chin and looking at Hunter.

    Hunter cleared his throat.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure we ever decided on a name. We can just call it Lake Anomaly,¡± he said.

    Trey shook his head.

    ¡°No, no. There was something specific I heard it called during the debriefings. It¡¯s on the tip of my tongue. Was it Lake Lingerie? No, that¡¯s not right. Lake Lapdance?¡±

    The mild embarrassment that Hunter had defused had returned with the intensity of an ether storm. First Aera, and now Trey? Was this an ambush? Had they planned this?

    ¡°Lake Striptease,¡± he sighed, ripping off the metaphorical bandaid, ¡°it was Jeren¡¯s idea.¡±

    Aera¡¯s eyes bulged out of her head.

    ¡°Please tell me we¡¯re censoring that in the records,¡± she said.

    ¡°Of course. Officially, we¡¯ll refer to it as something else. Unofficially though, well, I¡¯m afraid to say it¡¯s already caught on.¡±

    ¡°So, the lake,¡± Hunter said, desperate to move the conversation along, ¡°I suppose I should start from when I first notice a large quantity of moving etherium while I was in the cave¡­¡±

    They were both focused on him as he spoke. The presence of such powerful creatures here was something that was troubling ¡ª however, given the jellyfish-beast¡ª

    ¡°Can we call it something else?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Anomaly-Class Entity is in vogue. We will classify entities with sufficiently strong mutations as Anomaly-Class until a better classification is developed. All in favour?¡± Trey asked, raising his own hand.

    Hunter shrugged and raised his own.

    Aera followed suit while pinching the bridge of her nose.

    Hunter did his best to illustrating the power from the Anomaly-Class Entity. When Hunter finished, Trey nodded, but seemed lost in thought.

    ¡°If there¡¯s one, there could be more. I¡¯ll speak with my command staff, but I might have to assert my authority to prioritize our defence research. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll need some exploration teams working around the clock, with field-trained researchers to accompany them. Not only that, but I¡¯ll reiterate that we need all our artisans caught up on what you can share with them, Hunter.

    Trey leaned forward on the table.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan.¡±

 Chapter 64

    ¡°I¡¯ve always believed that the best way to get someone to show up to learn something new, is to get them to want to learn something new. I believe that something of a demonstration is in order. What do you think Hunter? Are you up to showcasing the advantages your synergies provide?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°How about those batteries you designed? I remember you saying something about tinkering with the design that our company has been using. Did you end up using the criss-cross channels, or whatever you called it?¡± Trey asked.

    Hunter smiled when Trey said ¡®core design¡¯. It reminded him of the friends he¡¯d made during the competition ¡ª and one terrible pun. He wished he¡¯d connected with them before he¡¯d left. A soft pit formed in his gut ¡ª was it regret? Sadness?

    Rodney would have loved this conversation.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hunter said, scratching his chin and recalling what he could about the plans he¡¯d brainstormed one night after the competition, ¡°I could improve the design. The crosshatch pattern is better than direct channels for this sort of thing, and it didn¡¯t take long to install a switch to vary the output. I imagine with a team behind me and the ship¡¯s fabrication equipment, we can create something impressive. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be enough to eliminate all doubt. We need something else.¡±

    ¡°Is 12 hours enough for you to plan and create that something else, along with the battery?¡± Trey asked, ¡°I won¡¯t be budging on our timeline. Skyhold needs to be in our control yesterday. If you can find a way of increasing our odds of success and impress our artisans and department heads, I¡¯ll give you priority access to our manufacturing facilities.¡±

    Hunter leaned back and considered. He was far from the weaker, slower version of himself than he was a few years ago. His AR had scaled to be ten times what it had been before. So it wasn¡¯t a matter of ability, it was a matter of practicality. He was certain he could create a something great.

    But what would it be? In order to make the best use of time, it was best that it was a design he was already familiar with, something that he¡¯d already refined.

    ¡°Yeah, 12 hours should be enough,¡± he said. Aera snapped her finger as a thought occurred to her.

    ¡°That glove thing!¡±

    Hunter squinted at her. Outbursts like that weren¡¯t her style.

    ¡°Glove thing?¡± he asked, then he realized what she was talking about. ¡°Right!¡±

    The glove thing. The F.P.E. he used to help her fight off Jason Chan¡¯s people.

    ¡°I¡¯ve improved its design quite a bit as well. I¡¯d intended for the F.P.E. and the armour that Tilda and I had worked on were part of a complete set. With some help, I can whip something up in an hour,¡± he said, looking at Trey.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Joey about sparing you some people. I¡¯ll also tell the fabrication team that you¡¯ve got priority access to materials and help unless there¡¯s another emergency. Alright, it¡¯s a plan,¡± Trey said, standing and adjusting his tunic. He opened the door and waved for Hunter and Aera to leave before him.

    Lost in thought, he walked back to his quarters, forming and exploring plans while rejecting others. It had been a while since he thought about those particular projects. Fortunately, during the first month-or-so of their journey, he¡¯d taken the time to draft a simple design based on what he¡¯d remembered from the last design of the shield system. There were quite a few things that he hadn¡¯t been able to share with Tilda, and he figured when he felt a lot more emotional removed from the circumstances around Tilda¡¯s betrayal back at Barnum, he could revisit the design and improve it.

    He was sure his revised plans, while not flawless, would increase efficiency by 15-20%. He spent an hour coming up with a preliminary plan, only using the synergies he was the most confident in working with, as he understood that the demonstration needed to go off without a hitch. He needed to convince everyone that his methods worked.

    After he finished his alterations to the design, he brought them to the fabrication room where he met two artisans assigned to his project. Their names were Jesse and Gill. Jesse was a few inches shorter than Hunter, and Gill was the shorter of the pair, coming up to just under Hunter¡¯s chest. They both seemed to know each other pretty well. They treated him with the respect he expected from the crew who knew him, but he saw some skepticism in their eyes when he told them what they were going to do.

    ¡°I know that this isn¡¯t a syntax you guys are confident working with,¡± Hunter said, ¡°So I¡¯ll do all the fancy stuff, and I¡¯ll just have you guys do the more mundane work around the outputs and inputs, as well as carving direct channels where fabrication team isn¡¯t able to,¡± he explained after going over the basic plan.

    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, unorthodox,¡± Jesse said, looking over the designs spread across the table, ¡°but if you can pull it off, I¡¯d like to see the look on the boss¡¯s face.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s huge into procedure,¡± Gill said to Hunter, ¡°he has to triple check everything to make sure it conforms to established standards and specs.¡±

    ¡°Not that we¡¯d have him any other way,¡± Jesse said.

    ¡°Yep, wouldn¡¯t respect him if he were any softer,¡± Gill nodded, ¡°you can¡¯t afford complacency in this industry.¡±

    Hunter nodded. He could see their point of view. But the idea of an uphill battle here didn¡¯t appeal to him. He hoped Trey would help him with convincing Joey of the stakes, if he wasn¡¯t open minded about Hunter¡¯s synergies or his Gideon¡¯s research.

    The fabrication team got the parts for the battery done within 20 minutes, which took Hunter by surprised. They seemed very willing to help and said that over the last couple of days; the work had become pretty monotonous. Hunter¡¯s project was a welcome break from their routine. He inspected the crosshatch pattern carved with precision throughout the thin cylinder that would make up most of the battery¡¯s inner drum.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    With that done, it didn¡¯t take him long to finish the channels. While this was going on, the other two artisans were carving channels on some parts for the aegis and handheld F.P.E. which Gill had recommended they call the Repulsor. Hunter felt it was an improvement over his original name for the device.

    Repulsor rolled off the tongue a lot easier than Handheld Force Pulse Emitter.

    When the battery was done, and he was working on the synergistic aspects of the constructs, the two artisans would ask him questions. They seemed impressed by Hunter¡¯s knowledge, but still couldn¡¯t drop their doubts.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand what brought you to use such a strange syntax,¡± Jesse said. ¡°It¡¯s so far removed from the established way of doing things, you know?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to see how this looks to us, right? The privileged new heir of the Oberon family, the boss¡¯s son, comes to us and says that he has a new way of doing things that goes against decades, hell, centuries of established standards,¡± Gill said.

    Hunter frowned.

    ¡°Would it help if I told you that my father was Gideon Koar?¡±

    Gill and Jesse glanced at each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a secret. Even Gideon Koar, despite his flaws ¡ª no offense ¡ª didn¡¯t stray too far outside of the norm,¡± Gill said, holding out his hands to his sides.

    Hunter snorted. If he told them what his father had discovered towards the end of his life, their jaws would drop. He¡¯d discovered the holy grail and didn¡¯t just go against convention, it shattered convention. Everything people knew about etherium was just scratching the surface of what was possible. Now that he¡¯d been out in Skyhold, having seen what he¡¯d seen, he believed that now more than ever.

    Their notions about what was possible were about to change.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you another secret. My father didn¡¯t just pass down his knowledge to me, he passed down his mutation.¡±

    ¡°Bro,¡± Gill said, his eyes widening as he looked at Jesse, who seemed amused by his partner¡¯s reaction. Despite what his father had done, there were still some artisans who had a lot of respect for his accomplishments. It left Hunter feeling strange. That old inner conflict emerged, but he felt nothing like the loyalty he had felt in his previous ignorance.

    ¡°I had no idea. What kind of mutation?¡± Jesse asked.

    ¡°It gave him a sensitivity to etherium, specifically to charged etherium,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Which would make him pretty sensitive to what¡¯s going on inside constructs,¡± Gill said, and his eyes widened again, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can feel your way through constructs in a way that no one else can,¡± Jesse finished his friend¡¯s sentence, tapping his chin as he considered Hunter.

    Hunter shrugged and nodded.

    ¡°By what my father described, and from what he observed from me as a child, we both think that my sensitivity to etherium is much stronger than his, and it¡¯s only grown stronger as i¡¯ve gotten older,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jesse said, glancing at the Aegis that Hunter was still finishing up.

    ¡°So I¡¯ve spent most of my being able to understand etherium and glyphs at a deeper level than most people ever will. I can sense how certain charges of etherium want to react to each other. I discovered that some don¡¯t work well together at all, and will cause the construct to require a much higher affinity rating in order to brute-force a reaction, but there are other combinations of glyphs that seem to flow together effortlessly, increasing a construct¡¯s efficiency by a significant amount.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get it.¡± Jesse said, ¡°Synergies.¡±

    ¡°This is insane,¡± Gill said.

    ¡°And this means that we can improve, what, everything?¡± Jesse asked.

    Hunter nodded, turning back to the Aegis. He wondered why he hadn¡¯t opened with this conversation. He made a mental note to do so next time. Maybe he¡¯ll even start the demonstration with something similar.

    Gill and Jesse muttered to each other for a minute before they got back to work, but this time, the two other artisans were much more enthusiastic. Hunter told them he¡¯d answer their question once they were done, and that gave them the impetus to speed up their work. He trusted they wouldn¡¯t do a sloppy job. These were crewmen, after all. You don¡¯t get a spot on a ship because you take shortcuts with your work, especially with a man like Joey leading the artisan department.

    They finished up the Aegis, and the Repulsor Device was the next to be done. With the three completed, they just needed one more piece to tie it all together.

    The modified wireless etheric transmitter was something that Hunter had spent a lot of time thinking about, not just for this project, but over the last year. It tied his father¡¯s wireless etherium networks with another avenue of research he¡¯d been pursuing before he¡¯d died. A way for the network to be mobile.

    It required a significant boost in the affinity requirement, but by Hunter¡¯s calculation, that only came into effect when you were considering beaming etherium over a considerable distance. For the sake of personal devices, having the emitter on your body would only add about 10 AR maximum to networks¡¯ affinity requirement, which would have been about 15 before he changed his father¡¯s designs.

    It was an incredibly simple addition to the basic design of the wireless construct network, so simple that refining it any further in the future would be very difficult unless he either discovers a new sort of glyph, or his insight into etherium deepens by a significant degree.

    After the device was done, and they attempted to connect everything together, Hunter realized that he¡¯d made a big mistake, one that even the other two artisans had neglected to notice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too big of a slip-up. We still have an hour before the demonstration,¡± Gill said, scratching the side of his head.

    Hunter nodded.

    The battery worked, and constructs activated upon human skin contact, but the network remained disconnected. Etherium wasn¡¯t flowing into the upgraded wireless network device that Hunter was using to supply power to the Aegis and the Repulsor device. He hadn¡¯t considered that the ship¡¯s fabrication team had been trained to develop output sockets to the navy¡¯s standard¡ªa standard differing from the mainstream products Hunter worked with and designed.

    They finished the modifications with 20 minutes left. Hunter had the team rush to the armoury to pick up a few items for the demonstration. Hunter¡¯s team, with less than a minute to spare, raced to the multipurpose room, Hunter¡¯s planned meeting location, only to hear from a junior crewman who¡¯d been waiting for them that the meeting would be held outside the ship.

    He sighed. He was going to be late for his own demonstration.

    Hunter was tired, and he could see that Jesse and Gill were also feeling the strain of a long shift, one of many they¡¯d had to endure over the last little while. Apparently, they¡¯d already been halfway through a 10-hour shift before they¡¯d been ordered to help Hunter, and that was 12 hours ago. Over half a day of mental labour had a way of exhausting someone, and Hunter hoped that they¡¯d all be able to enjoy a solid 6 or 7 hours of rest.

    There were three ways to disembark from the ship. The cargo bay, the hangar bay, and the gangway. Taking a risk, they chose the gangway¡ªthe nearest but most dangerous exit¡ªunaware of whether stairs or a ramp had been set up outside.

    The gangway portal opened, and the exhausted team was relieved to see that they¡¯d made the right choice. He could see Trey and Captain Gregor standing about 5 meters away from the bottom of the stairs leading down from the gangway, along with the Guard Captains, some Guard lieutenants including one Richard Pellar, whom Hunter was pleased to see, and at least a dozen artisans, among whom was Joey Geraldin ¡ª the man in charge of the Merciful Cloud¡¯s artisans. Something about his posture and his expression told Hunter that he wasn¡¯t too impressed with the idea of this demonstration.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a tough crowd,¡± Trey whispered to Hunter just before they began. ¡°I¡¯ll warm them up for you.¡±

    Trey cleared his throat and walked before the assembled crowd. Gill and Jesse had returned to stand among the artisans just moments before, leaving Hunter alone to figure out how the hell he was going to start the demonstration.

    ¡°Thank you all for coming,¡± Trey said. ¡°In a little while, our scouts will report back what they¡¯ve found at our outpost, and barring any catastrophic obstacles, we will then prepare for our assault. We¡¯re enjoying a much-needed break after a busy period. This seems like a good time to bring you up to speed.¡±

    ¡°Some of you are already aware of what we¡¯re facing,¡± Trey said, nodding towards the Guards, ¡°Richard?¡±

    Richard Pellar stepped forward and saluted Trey and the Captain. He also saluted Hunter, which caught Hunter by surprise because Captain Gregor was present.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Richard Pellar. Guard Captain Bell assigned me to his platoon just before the exodus. When we reached Skyhold, Clarke shot us down. We established a small foothold for ourselves in the forest. My squad, along with another, were each split into two groups and ordered to scout in different directions.¡±

    He glanced at Hunter.

    ¡°On one such outing, we found Mr. Koar while he was floating down a river after having fled from certain threats, which are common to the forests of Skyhold. Some of these entities have given me reason to be concerned.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    ¡°After contacting Mr. Koar, we attempted to return to the platoon. Numerous unforeseen threats forced us to alter our course.¡±

    ¡°This is not news to any of us, of course,¡± Captain Gregor interrupted. ¡°We all knew what kind of place Skyhold was going to be, and we prepared accordingly. But there¡¯s more to the story, isn¡¯t there? Something you encountered that has forced us to reassess our priorities.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sir,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°We have encountered a new class of entity,¡± Trey said. ¡°We have scaled the threats of Skyhold as such; Class-2 flora or fauna would be similar in stature and capability to anything we would find back home. Beast waves constitute most of the threat. Captain Gregor alluded to this threat when he discussed our preparations based on our limited knowledge of the world.¡±

    ¡°Class-1 fauna are beings who have developed a natural etheric affinity,¡± Trey said. The artisans all had similar reactions, talking to each other animatedly, ¡°and among them, there are grades. The weakest of which we have found in beast waves, but the stronger grade of fauna doesn¡¯t appear to take part, from what we¡¯ve seen. We assume they have a natural immunity to the mechanism underlying the beast waves.¡±

    There was another excited outburst from the artisans, but Joey scowled. They took that as their queue to rein themselves in.

    ¡°As such, we¡¯ve now re-designated 2nd class to 3rd class. Creatures with weak etheric capacity are now classified as 2nd class. First class now includes mutated Brontogons, such as the Pyrothar¡ªa larger, stronger, tougher Brontogon that generates significant heat. These creatures appear to have developed naturally, and we have it on good authority that this is because of Skyhold¡¯s natural etheric saturation, which appears much higher than Sanctuary¡¯s.¡±

    Hunter smirked.

    ¡°That means that we should expect to find more Class-1 creatures out there,¡± Captain Gregor said, interrupting Trey, but Trey gave him a grateful nod for the added context.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all,¡± Trey said, his tone lowering. ¡°We have discovered another class of creature. Some of you have heard of the anomaly that caused the beastwave to scatter.¡±

    The artisans fell silent under Joey¡¯s intimidating stare. Hunter, though, saw the widespread fascination with the strange anomaly reflected in the eyes of everyone present.

    Lieutenant Pellar seemed amused by the rise of excitement.

    ¡°This creature could output an etheric reaction which dwarfed our current capabilities, and it has done so based on principles we do not currently understand. This new class of creature is now deemed A-Class. The Anomaly Class is just that ¡ª as we have no clue how, or why, this kind of creature can exist. The creature¡¯s presence calmed the beastwave for miles around and healed both Hunter¡¯s, and the scout team¡¯s worst injuries.¡±

    Hunter decided to speak. ¡°This raises a terrifying possibility,¡± he said. ¡°If an A-class creature can calm the beast waves, is another A-class creating them?¡±

    If they weren¡¯t standing on soil, and if they were not standing within the confines of the ship¡¯s shield ¡ª had its steady background hum been a decibel quieter, you may have heard a pin drop.

    ¡°My friends, it is clear to me that we are not yet ready for Skyhold¡¯s challenges, but we are stuck here for the moment. I have ordered that our defensive research will take a priority second only to the colony¡¯s establishment, and only barely second. To that end, we have avenues of development open to us which we¡¯ve never had before, and they will help us go a long way to evening the playing field. Hunter?¡±

    Hunter saw Joey watching him with his eyes partially narrowed. Following his chat with Jesse and Gill, he realized he needed to add context. This would clarify that his new research wasn¡¯t made up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already revealed this to some of you. Trey also knows, and you would all find out eventually anyway, so I don¡¯t have many reservations about opening up to you all. My father was, of course, Gideon Koar. Before he died, he arranged for all of his research to be passed on to me. I have in my possession most of his research and ideas. The battery here is one example of his research, which I have adapted into a workable product.¡±

    He put the battery down beside the rest of the constructs.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not all that he passed on to me. What no one knew was that my father had developed a mutation,¡± he said, smirking when most people¡¯s eyes widened at the revelation. ¡°It was a mutation which I inherited.¡±

    ¡°The mutation granted my father a sensitivity towards charged etherium. It helped him gain insight into constructs and allowed him to push the boundaries of what humanity thought was possible. My mutation is significantly stronger than my father¡¯s, enabling me to explore research avenues far beyond his capabilities, especially in optimizing constructs.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever be able to invent anything as revolutionary as the wireless construct network. In fact, he still wasn¡¯t sure how his father could do that, and his notes said little about the process. In the journals, all he could find were early iterations of the basic design.

    ¡°This research has consumed a significant portion of my life. In a nutshell, I¡¯ve discovered certain etheric trends, trends which I¡¯ve come to call ¡®desires¡¯. Any etheric charge will have some charges which it seems attracted to, and some which it doesn¡¯t seem as attracted to. Brute force can solve the problem of combining these latter charge types for a new effect, but this demands a higher etherium draw and thus a higher affinity requirement.¡±

    The artisans were nodding and several of the assembled Guards were as well. It was a basic enough description of the underlying principle that even a layman could follow along.

    ¡°But by researching all the ways that different charges of etherium want to be used¡ªfor lack of a better way of describing it¡ªI have been able to invent new formulas that achieve similar effects to mainstream standards. But my synergistically optimized syntax results in an AR requirement far lower than what the established mainstream methods can match. In some cases, I have reduced affinity requirements in constructs by over 50%,¡± he said. Joey Geraldin had his arms crossed, and he was frowning. He didn¡¯t seem to like where this was going.

    ¡°With the help of the some of the ship¡¯s crew, I¡¯ve applied that research in a way both new and old, so that we can have an edge in this new world. And this is just a demonstration a few of the thousands upon thousands of innovations that will be enabled by adopting my research,¡± Hunter said, letting that sink in. ¡°My research and my father¡¯s research will affect almost every aspect of how constructs are designed. This means we can make significant upgrades to the colony¡¯s foundation, as well as¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªHold on, I¡¯m sorry for interrupting, but you can¡¯t possibly expect us to change our entire body of standards at the drop of a hat,¡± Joey Geraldine interrupted.

    ¡°Hunter will take your questions after he¡¯s finished,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°I understand that some of you have cause for concern,¡± Hunter said, ¡°but my work will speak for itself. I need some volunteers, one person with an AR at or below 30, and another with an AR at or above 55.¡±

    Hunter was initially surprised when over half the crowd raised their hands. But he considered the fact that this was a flagship crew, and they¡¯d be a cut above the high standards the rest of the fleet had established for its recruits. A sense of curiosity and adventure was bound to be a common trait to these types.

    ¡°With all due respect, we have established these standards for a reason¡ª¡±

    ¡°Again, I understand, Mr. Geraldin,¡± Hunter said, holding out his hand to forestall any more protest, ¡°I know where you¡¯re coming from. You¡¯ve lived by these standards for years because they work. I get that, and with that in mind, I¡¯m telling you we can do even better. Let me show you.¡±

    The principal in the negotiation module of his leadership course was called ¡®steel-manning.¡¯ The main point that was emphasized in the module was that by strengthening your opposition, you can gain your own advantage. But in order for it to be affective, it required a certain set up. Hunter knew very well that he was not Aera, and he didn¡¯t have half the social intelligence necessary to set up a situation like this on his own. Instead, was counting on the pressure of having Trey, the Captain, as well as the need for him to maintain face in front of his subordinates. All that, plus the genuine curiosity about what Hunter might have to share, should be enough to quell the man¡¯s protests.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hunter said when Joey didn¡¯t speak up again. From the volunteers, he picked a large Guardsman, and told everyone else with an AR above 30 to lower their hands. That left one hand raised, and it belonged to a young woman who was standing near the Captain. Hunter recognized her from the bridge, but he wasn¡¯t sure what her job was.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked the big man.

    ¡°Tim,¡± the man replied.

    ¡°Tim, just to settle my curiosity, what is your AR measured at?¡±

    ¡°63,¡± Tim said.

    Hunter whistled.

    ¡°That should be more than enough,¡± Hunter said, turning to the other volunteer.

    ¡°And your name?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Shelby,¡± she replied, ¡°my AR is 29.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, thank you, Shelby,¡± Hunter said, glad she took the initiative to share that information. It was a small gesture, but a simple act of proactivity told him a lot about what had got her a spot on the bridge. Leadership training stressed the importance of recognizing and rewarding positive traits in subordinates. A generally optimistic outlook encourages greater contribution.

    He pointed to the items he and the other artisans had brought from the ship.

    ¡°Tim, do you recognize that item?¡±

    Tim walked over to it and picked it up. It was a large metal shield with several output-plates placed equidistantly in a column along its surface. These plates connected to a network of glyphs that fed etherium through wires acting as etheric channels, which led to a small backpack which housed a large etheric battery.

    ¡°Yeah, a Mark II Shield Construct. This is from our company,¡± Tim said.

    ¡°And what distinguishes a Mark II from a Mark I?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°All I know is the Mark I didn¡¯t last that long, and the Mark II has the wire and the backpack with the battery. It also requires more AR to use at first, and the longer you use it, the less it requires.¡±

    Hunter nodded and elaborated for Tim and the rest of the audience.

    ¡°In the Mark II, Oberon Enterprise has developed a stronger, lighter force field. This was achieved through advancements in understanding force fields and improved syntax for the emitter plates. However, the improved syntax had the unfortunate effect of causing a sudden build-up of etherium when the force field was actually impacted. The construct senses that there¡¯s been a loss when there hasn¡¯t been. So more etherium will be drawn through the user. This build-up harms the network; therefore, the shield¡¯s designers added the backpack to absorb the excess charge and gradually return it to the network. This would ultimately lighten the affinity requirement while the shield is operated. Clever, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Tim said, shrugging.

    ¡°Would you mind if I shot at you, Tim?¡±

    Tim¡¯s stoic, disinterested expression suddenly shifted into one of amusement.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, barking out a laugh. ¡°These shields have saved my life more times than I can count. I have full confidence in it.¡±

    Hunter nodded and grabbed the repulsor device.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t necessary,¡± Joey said from the side. Hunter fought down his irritation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to put someone¡¯s safety at risk to prove a point.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Geraldine,¡± Hunter said as he double-checked the Repulsor Device, ¡°I appreciate your concern. If anyone gets seriously hurt today, I¡¯ll allow myself to be disciplined as the Captain deems appropriate. Until then, I¡¯d ask you to refrain from any further outbursts.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Captain Gregor said. Although his voice was calm, he enunciated the words with slow and sharp precision.

    Hunter turned back to Tim and continued.

    ¡°Tim, this is a Mark II Force Pulse Emitter, or a Repulsor, for the sake of brevity. I used the Mark I, modelled after brass knuckles, to rescue my sister from an attack by a superior force. It uses a pulsing force field of sufficient power to send an average-sized man flying. We designed the Mark II device to adjust the power of its emitted field. I¡¯m going to show the first two options, which, given your size and the shield, shouldn¡¯t hurt you that much.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t?¡± Tim asked, but Hunter saw no concern, only genuine curiosity and amusement. Hunter glanced back at Trey, who didn¡¯t seem as amused. Neither did the Captain, but neither seemed like they were about to stop him.

    He appreciated the trust.

 Chapter 66

    ¡°Tim, are you aware of the AR requirements for this shield?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s 50,¡± Tim said with a nod.

    ¡°50 AR for a Mark II Shield,¡± Hunter repeated, ¡°And what is the AR requirement for a device which could render the Mark II Shield ineffective?¡±

    ¡°Well, as far as constructs go, it takes something pretty strong to get through the force field, and if it does, then the metal plate acts as the obvious second line of defence. Most of the times I¡¯m using this bad boy, I¡¯m going up against conventional weaponry. But in the rare times a construct has given me trouble, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯d have to say around 60. Probably more.¡±

    Hunter beckoned Shebly forth.

    ¡°So someone with an AR of 29 wouldn¡¯t give you much anxiety when you¡¯re holding one of those,¡± Hunter stated.

    Tim laughed.

    ¡°It depends on what they¡¯re holding. A rocket launcher, or a pea-shooter. But if they¡¯re coming at me with etheric weaponry, then yeah, I¡¯m not too worried. No offense, Ms. Shelby,¡± he said.

    ¡°None taken,¡± Shelby smiled.

    ¡°Shelby, please take this device and point it at Tim. Brace yourself, Tim!¡±

    The smile on Tim¡¯s face was wide and genuine. He hunched over and squatted slightly with the shield.

    ¡°Ready,¡± he said.

    Hunter checked the device in Shelby¡¯s hands and confirmed the setting it was on.

    ¡°Tim, Shelby, the device is at its lowest power level. Shelby, when you¡¯re ready, just thumb the activator on the side, and¡ª¡±

    For a brief second, the 5 meters of space between Shelby and Tim distorted. A sound of impact came from Tim¡¯s shield, and the force pushed him back a few steps, causing him to grunt.

    Shelby looked at the device in her hand as if it had just sprouted eyes. The crowd chittered to themselves, and most of the noise came from the Guard contingent. Even the Guard Captains seemed impressed.

    ¡°You alright Tim?¡± Hunter asked. The man raised a thumb in the air.

    ¡°That thing packs a kick,¡± Tim said. ¡°We going again?¡±

    Hunter smiled.

    ¡°Absolutely. The next hit will be at medium power. You ready?¡±

    Tim nodded and braced himself again.

    Shelby looked at Hunter, and her eyes were still wide.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never used something like this before, sir. Are you sure I¡¯m the right choice for a higher power level? My AR is only 29¡ª¡±

    ¡°That the device activated at all means that you¡¯re more than enough to supply it with what it needs,¡± Hunter said, leaning in to adjust the meter on the device which would loosen the restrictions on the output.

    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, activate it again,¡± Hunter said.

    The force field was more visible this time. Shelby didn¡¯t so much as twitch until she saw Tim flying back a whole 8 yards. The Force pulse ruined the device, warping the metal shield.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Tim yelled, getting up. His chest was heaving, but then Hunter realized the man was laughing.

    The reaction from the crowd was much louder this time. Shelby looked at Hunter with a mixture of worry and astonishment. She carefully handed the device back over, and Hunter received with the same care.

    Tim was carrying the ruined shield back. A few of the Guards were checking up on him.

    ¡°Everyone, the demonstration isn¡¯t over yet,¡± Hunter said while raising his voice. He glanced at Joey, who was heading towards Tim to inspect the shield. Hunter took the chance to set up for the next phase of the demonstration. He caught Trey¡¯s attention and called him over.

    ¡°That was quite the show. What else have you got planned for us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have the Guardsmen use the Repulsor device at full power, and then I¡¯ll show the new shield system I¡¯ve developed. But I need the ship¡¯s shield lower for a few minutes.¡±

    Trey hmm¡¯d at Hunter¡¯s request, but then he nodded.

    ¡°Alright, I can do that, but it¡¯ll be back up in 30 minutes.¡±

    ¡°30 minutes is fine,¡± Hunter said. Trey messaged the bridge, and Hunter called Shelby over again.

    ¡°How do you feel about being on the receiving end of this guy?¡± he asked her, and held up the Repulsor.

    Her eyes widened, and she shook her head.

    ¡°Not after what I just saw,¡± she said, wincing slightly. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± he said, ¡°but what if I told you that the new shield I developed should be able to stand up to it without too much difficulty?¡±

    Shelby hesitated and looked over at Tim. She pursed her lips and then nodded.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try it.¡±

    Courage was also a trait that a leader should look for in a good subordinate. Despite her lower AR compared to her colleagues, Shelby seemed to have plenty of traits that would have her stand out from the crowd. She was still young, and with some good seasoning, she could be exactly the kind of person who Oberon Enterprises would want to groom for a command position one day.

    Hunter gave her an approving nod and directed her to the Aegis network. She frowned when she saw the size of it. Instead of a large metal shield, there was a collection of 9 octagonal plates which had a couple of bars welded to them in order for someone to hold them like a shield. They came with a woolen cuff which had some hard plastic attached. The plastic housed the activating drawstone and served as the wireless transmission construct. Hunter had never worked much with hard plastic, but the ship¡¯s fabrication team had assured him it would be far better than a thin metal plate which might warp from body heat. The precision with which they could carve out channels in the plastic had impressed him.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Hunter picked up the long, thin battery next to Shelby and then called for everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What Shelby is holding is the Mark III Aegis. During my time at Barnum, I designed the first version of it, and I have refined it throughout our journey. As you can see, this shield is much smaller than the Mark II Shield, but that¡¯s won¡¯t always be the case. Those plates can be both smaller and larger to suit your needs. This technology applies to body armour, heavy armour, ship armour, and more. And the best part is that it delivers a stronger force field at just over half of the AR requirement of Oberon¡¯s current generation of shield technology.¡±

    This got a larger reaction from the artisans. Even Joey seemed impressed by the pitch.

    ¡°Shelby, brace yourself. This device is still at medium power.¡±

    With a determined look on her face, she nodded and huddled as much as she could behind the small shield.

    He thumbed the activator. The lack of recoil from the device was always a surprise.

    There was a loud woomph of displaced air as the force field emitted from the device met with the shaped force field emitted by the Aegis. The force of the collision knocked Shelby back a couple of steps, and then she looked up with a look of astonishment.

    ¡°Are you sure that was at medium power?¡± she asked. The spectators all laughed. Hunter nodded, but a distraction preoccupied him. He could have sworn that he felt a familiar etheric fluctuation nearby. It didn¡¯t come from the direction of the crowd, and felt like it came from deeper in the forest. He wondered if he should ask Trey to reactivate the ship¡¯s shield, but dismissed the idea. The rest of the demonstration won¡¯t take long.

    ¡°Yes, and this will prove it,¡± he said, aiming at a tree to his left. It was about a meter in diameter and 20 feet high, and it was far enough away that he could get out of the way if the force field proved powerful enough to make the tree fall.

    Approaching the tree, he thumbed the activator, and the trunk dented with a single loud snapping sound. He was disappointed at first, hoping that the effect would be a bit more visibly dramatic. He thumbed the activator again, and it proved enough for the tree to tear from the stump left over from the field¡¯s effect.

    This got a huge response from the Guardsmen. Most of the artisans were clapping.

    Thankfully, the tree fell away from Hunter. He aimed at another tree, which was about the same size as the last one, and adjusted the device to release the field at full power.

    ¡°Full power,¡± he yelled back at the spectators.

    He thumbed the activator and felt the output plate overload. He knew it would happen, and it was why he¡¯d saved the full-power demonstration for the end.

    The bottom of the tree exploded outwards, and Hunter had to sprint back away from the falling trunk. Thankfully, the blast had launched the bottom of the trunk back with enough force to carry it a couple of meters away, which made it easier to avoid getting caught by its falling. Hunter felt another etheric fluctuation nearby, and his head snapped in the direction he¡¯d felt it. As soon as he looked, the sensation disappeared. He narrowed his eyes and jogged back towards the ship. As soon as he was close enough, he signalled for Trey to call for its activation.

    Trey nodded and radioed the bridge. The shield hummed back to life a moment later.

    The guardsmen were hollering. Many of them approached Hunter, but he held up a hand to forestall them.

    ¡°The overall improvement in both efficiency and effectiveness compared to the Mark II Shield is not the only impressive aspect of this technology,¡± Hunter said, smiling at Shelby, who was still holding onto the Aegis.

    ¡°I¡¯ve installed it with the next generation of the wireless etherium network. This construct was something my father had been researching before he died, and it¡¯s my honour to introduce it to you all today. The Aegis Shield has no physical connection to its activator, and can remain powered without a dramatic increase in affinity requirement up to a distance of 5 meters ¡ª or 5 and a half yards.¡±

    Jesse and Gill approached Shelby with a stand, which would hold the Aegis. They directed Shelby to stand away from the shield.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the full-power demonstration destroyed this prototype Repulsor ¡ª the version you¡¯ll all have access to will only use full power in emergencies and will be limited to medium power, which should suffice. We can make more powerful and resilient devices, but those will most likely be used to provide close-range defence for the colony. In order to show the effectiveness of the Aegis, you can all approach it while Shelby stands at a distance. The new network is defined by its lack of limitations to static infrastructure, allowing for full freedom of movement.¡±

    The largest reaction to his announcement came from the artisans. Even Joey had to approach the Aegis in order to verify Hunter¡¯s words. When he did, he stared at Shelby and the shield in amazement as Shelby moved around freely, and the Aegis stayed active.

    Some Guardsmen showed the most interest in the practical application of the technology. The artisans were more amazed by how the upgrade totally transcended the limitations of the previous generation of wireless etherium transmission.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, that is my demonstration. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I¡¯ll be available for the next couple of hours in order to answer questions,¡± Hunter said. He waved over the Guard Captains. He had something he needed to tell them.

    ¡°Thank you, Hunter!¡± Trey said. ¡°Unfortunately, there won¡¯t be any time for questions until later. I¡¯ve just received words that the scouts are on their way back.¡±

    Hunter nodded, disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t have time to talk about his tech, but he understood that there were more pressing issues at hand. Not just the assault to retake Skyhold, but the fact strange etheric fluctuations he¡¯d sensed had been pretty close.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said as he and Guard Captain Bell neared.

    ¡°I felt something in the forest during the demonstration. It was etheric. I think we¡¯re being watched.¡±

    ¡°Etheric? Like constructs?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, ¡°it felt more like a Class-1, just not as powerful. And it was close.¡±

    The Guard Captains glanced at each other.

    ¡°We have video surveillance covering most of the surroundings. I¡¯ll inform the bridge. Where did you feel it coming from, sir?¡± Niklaus asked.

    Hunter pointed in the general direction he¡¯d felt them come from. The Guard Captain nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a squad scout the area,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hunter said, glad that he¡¯d revealed his sensitivity to etherium. It made his life so much easier.

    As much as he¡¯d love to be on the bridge to see what they discover, he had work to do. Based on the reactions from the crowd, he felt sure that he¡¯d have the artisan¡¯s attention and curiosity. That was a pretty good indicator that he¡¯d accomplished what he¡¯d set out to accomplish. Even Joey had seemed impressed.

    He needed to work on the curriculum for his introduction to synergies. He knew where to start ¡ª by introducing the most basic of synergies. It came out to an even half-dozen pairs of glyphs, which Hunter figured would be the most familiar to the ship¡¯s artisans. They would be immediately relevant to both the ship¡¯s systems and the Guard¡¯s hardware.

    He was also looking forward to consulting with the Guard in order to experiment with the best ways of using the Aegis technology. Modular shield constructs had never been as flexible as it was now. Hunter couldn¡¯t wait to get the Guardsmen suited up with upgraded Aegis armour and Repulsors, which could also be modified to fit many designs. Hunter had an idea for a suit which came integrated with its own wireless network, powering a whole slew of different constructs like Force fields and weapons.

    He still wanted to get his hands on the shield technology that the armoured juggernaut had used back at the museum. He still couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around that one, and as far as he knew, they had nothing like that aboard the Cloud. Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon didn¡¯t have one either.

    Hunter returned to his quarters and started planning. But while he did, his personal radio was being inundated by calls from Joey, asking him a thousand questions about the applications of the technology he¡¯d displayed outside the ship.

    Despite Joey¡¯s initial worries and protests, Hunter admired the man. He had a depth of knowledge and a very apparent passion for the work, and like any artisan, the possibility of pushing forward the frontiers of their knowledge excited him. He said that he was willing to spend a couple of hours with Hunter every day in order to establish new standard procedures for the synergies he was going to be teaching in his introductory course.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t looking forward to that. Research and development was exciting ¡ª procedure and safety protocols were not. But it was a necessary evil, he told himself. He needed to be involved because he understood the both the promises and pitfalls of synergies better than anybody, and it was this kind of preparation that would set the foundation for others to do this kind of tedious work in the future, leaving more time for him to focus on what he loved.

    After answering all of Joey¡¯s questions, Hunter received a call from both Tim and Shelby, thanking him for the experience. After the call was over, Hunter had to take a minute to shake the anxiety he felt about the upcoming assault. If Clarke had the capability of shooting ships down from the sky, then what else did they have that could threaten the assault force? The outpost was heavily defended, with heavy weaponry and walls to help defend against beastwaves.

    What if those defenses proved too much for the Guards to break through?

 Chapter 67

    ¡°What have you got for me?¡± Trey asked as he entered the meeting room. He recognized the Lieutenant in charge the mission to scout the outpost. The man seemed shaken, and Trey assumed it wasn¡¯t anything to do with all the ship¡¯s command personnel being in the room with him.

    ¡°Lieutenant Fitzpatrick, sirs,¡± the lieutenant saluted to Trey and the Guard Captains. Trey nodded and waved him on.

    ¡°Sirs, upon entering the outpost¡¯s airspace, someone hailed us and requested our help. Aerial reconnaissance revealed no hostile movement. Our presence over the outpost was uncontested.¡±

    Trey frowned and rapped his knuckles on the table to quell the murmuring which arose at the lieutenant¡¯s revelation.

    ¡°I approached the outpost, but told the other two scout vehicles to maintain their distance. The outpost is almost empty. Only a hundred souls remain, and most of them are in terrible health. Malnutrition, sickness, and some of them have been quarantined because of the presence of a parasitic organism. We didn¡¯t get too close to any of the outpost¡¯s inhabitants, but when we send in teams, they¡¯ll need some hazmat gear. Those people need help, and I¡¯m not sure how much longer most of them are going to survive on their own.¡±

    Dead quiet in the rorey was sure that everyone¡¯s thoughts were similar.

    ¡°Anything on the whereabouts of Clarke?¡± Captain Gregor asked.

    ¡°Negative, sir. The remaining personnel report that he and his men went insane over the last month, and after shooting down the Merciful Cloud, they deteriorated even further. He disappeared one night, and half of the Guard platoon stationed at the outpost were dead. The survivors said it was the parasite, sir. They think Clarke introduced it¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on, pause,¡± Guard Captain Bell said. ¡°Tell us more about this parasite. And how many of the outpost¡¯s Guard contingent survived?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the details, sir. After getting a basic idea about what happened, we found the remains of some of the Guards scattered throughout the outpost. It seems something tore the guards¡¯ remains apart from the inside. Apparently, the parasite doesn¡¯t survive very long once the host is dead, and it doesn¡¯t take well to fatal conditions. The current hypothesis is that it¡¯s a native organism which isn¡¯t adapted too well reproduce through human beings.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s still capable of, what, draining people of their muscle and fat tissue?¡± Guard Captain Niklaus asked.

    The lieutenant shrugged.

    ¡°It appears so, but to be honest, this isn¡¯t my field of expertise, sir.¡±

    Guard Captain Niklaus nodded, granting him the point.

    ¡°What are we thinking?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°I recommend we move out straight away, sir,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said to Trey, ¡°We should continue with the original plan. We¡¯ll have everyone prepared for a search and rescue operation, but I have heard no reason to assume that this operation will be any less dangerous than we¡¯d planned for. There are still a lot of unknown variables ¡ª this madness in Clarke. What¡¯s to say it¡¯s something that the survivors won¡¯t manifest?¡±

    Guard Captain Bell nodded as he spoke.

    ¡°Better to keep our men safe than be sorry that we weren¡¯t prepared,¡± he said.

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°Then the operation a go. Lieutenant, thank you for your report. I¡¯d also like to check the outpost out as well, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, captains?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise, sir?¡± Captain Gregor asked.

    ¡°I have been confined to this ship for far too long, Abraham. I feel it¡¯s important that I take a risk with the men I¡¯m sending out. Besides, the situation at the outpost has changed.¡±

    The Guard captains shared a skeptical look, but the boss has decided, and it was their job to accommodate him.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Come by the hangar bay and we¡¯ll have you outfitted with some hazmat gear before we leave,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said.

    ¡°My role will be purely observational. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a pleasant surprise for the survivors as well. Even if we don¡¯t have the full story, it sounds like they¡¯ve been living in something like hell for the last little while. I need to assure them that the company is dedicated to their recovery and safety.

    After that, Trey left to prepare to depart. Before he left, he needed to inform the kids that he¡¯d be leaving.

    <hr>

    Trey pressed the button beside the door leading to his daughter¡¯s quarters. He asked Hunter to meet him there, but he was sure the boy still had his head buried in a pile of papers. When the door opened, Aera had been frowning, and was probably about to let loose some choice words for whoever had interrupted her a few moments of peace between meetings.

    Her features eased when she saw it was him, instead of some tiresome subordinate. She invited him in and gave him a big hug once the door slid shut behind him. In public, she wasn¡¯t one to show much familial affection. She had an image to maintain. Trey tried to assure her that there were more skilful ways of establishing boundaries, and that showing a warm human side wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    He was happy to let her discover these things on her own. They would have the most lasting impact that way. All he could do was serve as an example.

    ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± Trey asked her when they sat around the small table in her quarters. He cleared a few folders so that he¡¯d have a space for the tea she was brewing for him. He wasn¡¯t a tea guy which everyone who knew him could testify to, but he¡¯d bend the rules for his daughter once in a while.

    But only once in a while.

    ¡°It went as well as it could. It took a significant amount of effort to keep everyone focused. The agriculture people were the most upset. Having so many resources put towards the colony¡¯s defence means that everyone¡¯s schedule needs to be extended by a few months. But given the stakes, and the threats we might deal with, most of them kept a level head.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± Trey said. ¡°A few years ago, you¡¯d have drowned in that sort of environment. Now look at you, corralling administrative cats like a pro.¡±

    Aera snorted, but seemed pleased by the praise.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have drowned, but yes, I would have found it much more difficult.¡±

    ¡°What do you think has been the biggest contribution to your newfound prowess?¡±

    Aera frowned at the question as she considered.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s been my time with Hunter.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Trey said. He didn¡¯t expect that answer, but it was nice to hear.

    ¡°Yeah, he taught me a lot about my blind spots. Being decisive is important, but I think I¡¯m more patient and forgiving than I was before meeting him. He showed me just how off the mark my perceptions can be.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re taking the time to get to know people before making reflexive judgements.¡±

    Aera seemed flustered by the way he¡¯d said it, but she didn¡¯t deny it. Another point of humility she seemed to have developed in the previous year-and-a-half that she and Hunter had known each other.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    He had felt confident that their time together would be mutually beneficial. His consistently accurate judgement should no longer surprise him. But he¡¯d by lying if he said that it didn¡¯t feel good. Especially when the outcome was a net positive for the Oberon family.

    The door chimed again, and Aera opened it, revealing Hunter¡¯s towering frame.

    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Talking about me behind my back, again?¡± Hunter asked in faux offense.

    ¡°You should hear the scathing criticisms we were sharing. Nothing but the most wretched comments, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I learn from the best. Take it up with my role models,¡± Hunter said, winking at them.

    ¡°Touche,¡± Trey said, holding up his hands in surrender.

    ¡°Sorry I wasn¡¯t able to make it to the demonstration, Hunter,¡± Aera said. ¡°I had to attend an emergency meeting with some of the most affected department heads concerning the colony¡¯s changing priorities.¡±

    ¡°You missed quite the show,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°And then some,¡± Trey said. ¡°What¡¯s this excitement I hear about anomalous etheric fluctuations?¡±

    ¡°Just something I sensed from the surroundings during the demonstration. Guard Captain Niklaus is having someone from the bridge analyze all the footage from the ship¡¯s external video feeds. It¡¯s probably nothing. Maybe a passing Class-1, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be sure.¡±

    ¡°Be sure to keep me updated,¡± Trey said, then he cleared his throat.

    ¡°So, there¡¯s been a slight change in plans. The assault on the outpost will now be more of a rescue operation. I¡¯m going to be going with them ¡ª holding up the Oberon banner, you know.¡±

    ¡°Rescue?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°Apparently Clarke and a few of his trusted subordinates went insane and fled the outpost. Half of the Guard platoon stationed there is dead, and the rest, among with most of the outpost¡¯s remaining inhabitants, are suffering various states of ill health, including a mysterious parasite.¡±

    He could tell that the news was working through them the same way it did for everyone else who¡¯d been at the briefing.

    Skyhold appeared more mysterious and dangerous every day.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s wise for you to be going?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the right thing to do. I want people to see me there, despite the danger. We¡¯re all in this together.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best if I go instead,¡± Aera said. Trey made a cutting motion with his hand and shook his head.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve decided. It¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s an entire platoon of guards going with me. If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m sure the Guard captains will keep me far from any potential action until the outpost is secure.

    They weren¡¯t too pleased that they were being confined to the ship, but he promised to keep in regular contact with them. He¡¯d only be gone for half a day while the condition of the outpost was assessed.

    He left them after another 30 minutes of chatting. He once more assured them he was in capable hands and gave them both a hug. For the first time, he hugged Hunter, pleased by the boy¡¯s reciprocal affection.

    He¡¯d really grown quite attached to the young man over the last little while. Maybe it was because he reminded Trey of all the best traits in Gideon ¡ª except much more open and warm towards others. Maybe it was because in the short period they¡¯d known each other, he¡¯d really come to see Hunter as something of a son.

    Trey wasn¡¯t afraid of his feelings of warmth. He welcomed them. As far as he was concerned, Hunter was family now. He made the family stronger. He was sure that Aera was feeling the same now. Better yet, Hunter seemed to feel a genuine sense of belonging with them.

    Soon, it was time for him to arrive at the hangar bay, where someone fitted him with a hazmat suit and a sidearm. He wished he¡¯d had one of Hunter¡¯s fancy new Aegis shields. The demonstration had really made an impact on him and the others, and he was excited about the future of Skyhold¡¯s development, with someone like Hunter leading the way into a new future.

    After waiting around for an hour, everything was prepared. With a ship-wide announcement signalling the start of the operation, a half dozen scout ships carried the platoon towards their destination, to rescue nearly a hundred souls from the hell they call home.

    <hr>

    After Trey left, Hunter and Aera had an hour to kill before Aera was called away to a meeting, and they both agreed that a good workout would help them recalibrate. They headed to one of the ship¡¯s gyms, but an interruption prevented them from starting their workout.

    A small chime brought Hunter¡¯s attention to his personal radio, which he¡¯d brought in his bag with a change of clothes.

    ¡°Hunter, this is Commander Striker. I¡¯m requesting your presence on the bridge at your earliest convenience.¡±

    Hunter sighed.

    ¡°Sorry, Aera. Looks like I¡¯ll have to kick your ass some other time.¡±

    ¡°You should know better than that by now,¡± Aera said. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll call a raincheck for your demise.¡±

    ¡°Demise, she says,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Just wait. One day, you¡¯ll be asking me for advice.¡±

    ¡°Nothing would please me more than for the student to outshine their master,¡± Aera said with the air of a wise sage.

    He scoffed and threw his uniform on over his workout clothes.

    ¡°You might as well come with me. If this is what I think it is, you might find it interesting.¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°The video feed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping,¡± he said.

    Aera fished around in her bag for her watch.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some time before my next meeting. I don¡¯t mind coming with you.¡±

    They both left the gym and made their way to the bridge. When Commander Striker saw them entering, he waved them aside into the private meeting room. There was a crewman there waiting for them.

    ¡°Seems like a lot of trouble to go through in order to show us a video,¡± Hunter said, a strange sense of excitement conflicting with a sense of anxiousness.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you see its contents. You two are the only other command staff aboard the ship at the moment, so it was imperative that I fill you two in as soon as soon as I verified the video¡¯s contents. Show them.¡±

    The crewman was holding a large laptop computer. He pressed a few buttons and turned the display around for Hunter and Aera to see.

    The display showed a scene of trees. Hunter saw himself using the Repulsor device at its maximum setting, and Aera made some appreciative sounds when she saw its effect. Then the video zoomed in, past the demonstration into the distance. A small red box appeared around an area of interest, in the approximate location that Hunter had felt the disturbance come from.

    For a brief second, a human being appeared from between two trees. They moved their hand, and they disappeared again, vanishing.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Keep watching,¡± Commander Striker.

    The display panned to the left. There was another person huddled behind a tree. They stood, and then they disappeared, too.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t hallucinating after all,¡± Hunter said, remembering Jeren and Bella¡¯s comments about seeing people watching them from a distance, who seemed to disappear just like these mysterious figures did.

    ¡°What do you mean? Who wasn¡¯t hallucinating?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°When I first met with Lieutenant Pellar¡¯s team, they described how they, and others in their platoon, had reported sightings of humanoid sillhouttes. Often in the distance, clear as day, and suddenly disappearing into thin air. People dismissed their reports as hallucinations and crazy talk, but after seeing this¡ªthis is proof!¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°The possibility of people with such powerful stealth technology is troubling,¡± Commander Striker said.

    ¡°Who do we think they are? A rival corp that found out about the outpost before the exodus?¡± Aera asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to tell. I think at this point all we can do is keep an eye out for more signs of their presence. Hunter, you can feel them, right?¡± Commander Striker asked, ¡°Something to do with your sensitivity to etherium?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Do you remember feeling anything like this while you¡¯ve been on the ship?¡±

    The possibility of an invisible person being able to board the Merciful Cloud was going to keep him from getting a good night''s sleep anytime soon. But as he thought about it, he realized he was probably the only person who could tell if one of these people was nearby. It didn¡¯t make him feel safer, but he could take measures to prepare for the worst case scenario.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, answering the commander. ¡°I can. There¡¯s a very distinct feeling to it. And I¡¯m sure that wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve felt it either, but not on the ship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, this is going to be troublesome. I¡¯ll communicate with the platoon. In the meantime, I wonder if you can¡ª¡±

    Hunter felt a strong etheric pulse. He stood, doing his best to focus on his aura, and the direction he¡¯d felt the pulse coming from.

    ¡°What is it, Hunter?¡± Aera asked.

    There was a knock at the door, and one crewman entered with a panicked look on their face.

    ¡°Sirs, there are three people standing outside of the ship¡¯s shield. They¡¯ve got swords.¡±

    Hunter looked at Commander Striker.

    ¡°I can feel them, sir. They¡¯re strong. It feels like a Class-1 beast.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re wielding swords?¡± the Commander asked, his voice incredulous. ¡°How many Guardsmen do we have on board?¡±

    ¡°Some of Guard Captain Bell¡¯s platoon stayed behind. They were being treated for injuries they sustained during the beast wave,¡± she said.

    ¡°How many of them can walk and hold a gun?¡±

    Aera shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call and find out.¡±

    ¡°Crewman,¡± the commander said to the individual who¡¯d interrupted the meeting, ¡°any hostile signs from the strangers?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. They¡¯re just standing there, watching the ship.¡±

    ¡°How odd. Any sign that they¡¯re from the outpost?¡± Striker asked.

    ¡°No sir. They¡¯re not wearing Oberon uniforms or the uniforms of any known organization.¡±

    ¡°I need to go out there,¡± Hunter said, thinking of an excuse to justify the risk, ¡°I¡¯ll be able to sense if any of our invisible friends are watching. There could be more surrounding the ship.¡±

    The Commander sighed, but he didn¡¯t deny the logic.

    ¡°Alright. And no, Aera, I know what you¡¯re about to ask, and I refuse to put both of Trey Oberon¡¯s heirs live¡¯s at risk right now.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make it an order, ma¡¯am. If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ll order that the shield remains active until we can ascertain the visitors¡¯ intention beyond any doubt. Mr. Koar will have an entire squadron of armed Guardsmen between himself and them.¡±

    Aera relented, but she wasn¡¯t pleased.

    ¡°Fine, but I want full radio contact.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± Commander Striker said. ¡°If this is what I think it is, we¡¯ll want those recordings for historical records.¡±

    Adrenaline was surging through Hunter¡¯s body at the commander¡¯s insinuation.

    This could be humanity¡¯s first contact with an alien civilization.

 Chapter 68

    10 of the 12 wounded Guardsman still aboard the Merciful Cloud marched down the boarding ramp, armed and armoured. Hunter followed behind them with Beverley, a history professor with a doctorate in ancient languages. She was the closest the ship had to a linguist. Apparently, Trey had ensured that Professor Jackson would join them at Skyhold, but the Cloud was at full capacity by the time the professor arrived, and they had already departed.

    Hunter was looking forward to reuniting with the professor once the colony was up and running. The professor¡¯s research on the Asutnahem excited him. He especially hoped the Oberon Guard could disable the portal to this remote world. If he found the time, he would request some time to shadow the professor while he worked to uncover whatever secrets that place might hold.

    24 feet brushed against the iron mesh lining the ramp¡¯s surface. Hunter hoped that their encounter with the three strangers would not start off on the wrong foot, given armed Guards.

    The strangers in question had no visible reaction to them apart from a curious glance. It wasn¡¯t until the Guards stopped about 10 yards from the strangers that Hunter felt another etheric pulse. This time it was very clear that it came from the large man at the centre of the three. He seemed older than the other two.

    They wore pristine beige robes and various pieces of jewellery. The man at the centre was bald. He looked to be in his mid 30s, and he was even taller than Hunter, and bulkier than the Guards in all of their gear.

    The more Hunter looked at the man, the more the etheric sensation the trio was emitting seemed to turn into a pressure, and Hunter winced. He could tell that the bulk of the pressure came from the man at the centre. Hunter had the faint mental impression of a thousand needles stabbing at his body and his mind. The man noticed Hunter¡¯s reaction and raised an eyebrow. He said something to his disciples. They all pulled out their swords, and the Guards responded by raising their weapons. Hunter¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    With the shield active, there was no threat to them or the ship, he reminded himself.

    Then the trio placed their swords on the ground and held up their hands. Hunter looked back towards the ship, at a camera that he knew that Aera and the Commander were watching from.

    The aura of the man diminished. He nodded at Hunter and tapped at the shield. It rippled, and then he made a gesture with his hand, lowering it towards the ground.

    Hunter nodded and pressed the transmission button on his radio.

    ¡°Let¡¯s lower the shield,¡± Hunter said. Hunter wasn¡¯t sure the Commander would listen. Still, given the strangers¡¯ strange actions, he decided to assume they weren¡¯t looking for a fight.

    Of course, they could change their mind after the shield lowers. But they¡¯ve had plenty of opportunities to attack them. Why wait until now? Why go through all of this? It seemed unlikely that they had to fear the strangers¡¯ motivations.

    ¡°Sure that¡¯s wise, sir?¡± one of the Guards asked.

    ¡°I think their intentions are clear enough,¡± Hunter said. He felt nothing from beyond the shield, no etheric pulses that may signal an invisible watcher.

    The soft hum from the shield disappeared.

    ¡°Proceed with caution, Hunter,¡± he heard Commander Striker say through the radio.

    The Guards kept their guns raised, but no one made any movements. After a few awkward seconds, Hunter figured that he and the Guards were appearing rude.

    ¡°I think you can lower your weapons,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too comfortable, though,¡± Aera¡¯s voice rang through the team¡¯s radio¡¯s and earpieces.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the Guards said, almost in unison. They lowered their weapons, but all of them seemed ready to use them at a moment¡¯s notice.

    The man at the centre, who Hunter was going to assume was the leader of the three, bowed to them. He gestured to himself.

    ¡°June,¡± the man said, his voice light. Given his size, Hunter had expected a deep, bassy vibrato.

    Hunter gestured to the man.

    ¡°June,¡± he said, and then pointed to himself, ¡°Hunter.¡±

    The man nodded and pointed to the other two beside him.

    ¡°Aruon,¡± the one to his right said, and he bowed. Aruon had a prominence to his brow that cast a shallow shadow over his eyes when his head lowered. He had shortcut brown hair, and the overall impression Hunter got from the man was a fierceness. It wasn¡¯t just the way Aruon looked. It was something else he was sensing ¡ª something like what he was sensing from June, whose overall bearing felt sharp. To a lesser extent, Hunter felt that Aruon¡¯s fierceness was similar. Something not quite physical, and impression in the air. A strange feeling washed over Hunter¡ªthough he rarely felt intimidated these days, he instinctively feared the trio.

    It was almost as if there was an etheric effect at play. It had that same flavour of intuition ¡ª imagery in the background of his thoughts. Ideas about the type of energy saturating these people¡¯s beings. It was an interesting notion that his sensitivity could interpret etherium through familiar concepts. But what was it about the etherium these people emitted that would give rise to that impression within him? And another question rose: what was their relationship with etherium? Did they absorb it like the native fauna? Were these a humanoid species like themselves, who had adapted to Skyhold¡¯s ambient etheric saturation like the Class-1 and 2 creatures?

    Did these people have a natural sensitivity to etherium, like Hunter did?

    ¡°Galan,¡± said the woman to his left. Hunter hadn¡¯t been sure if she was female at first. Like the man in the centre, she had a bald head, and could have been a young boy for all he could have guessed. The impression he got from her wasn¡¯t as strong as the other two, but when he concentrated, he could almost feel the faintest trace of etheric presence around her. She noticed his intense gaze and frowned at him.

    Realizing his offensive stare, Hunter felt his cheeks flush with guilt.

    The man in the centre raised his hand, and where there was nothing, there was a small box. Most of the Guards twitched at the sudden action, and June froze to assess what their reaction would be. The man smiled and gestured downwards in a placating way with his free hand.

    He touched his temple and then gestured towards them. He spoke, and Hunter frowned as he tried to guess what June was trying to say. Beverley was jotting down notes. As June spoke, he made a motion with his hand, waving from his mouth and then pointing at them.

    Hunter assessed the box, and he realized it had an etheric presence of its own.

    He could feel something from it, a very strong intention. He could feel its desire. It sought to understand. He connected the dots.

    ¡°Translation,¡± he said to Beverley. She seemed flustered.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s far too early to even guess, but maybe he¡¯s saying he wants to convey some sort of meaning¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªno, sorry,¡± Hunter interrupted her, ¡°I¡¯m saying that the box is going to help with translation.¡±

    Hunter stepped past the guards. Aruon watched him, and Galan beheld him with a sneer. While he understood her reaction, it still made him feel miffed. He ignored her as best he could. They could resolve the misunderstanding later.

    ¡°Translation,¡± Hunter said, mirroring the gesture from June, waving his hand between his mouth and the box. June smiled and nodded, offering the box to Hunter.

    ¡°Careful, Hunter,¡± Aera said. The Trio looked at the radio at his waist with curiosity and befuddlement.

    Hunter held the box and yelped as he felt an etheric presence overcome him. He almost dropped the box in surprise. It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant feeling, but it was something he¡¯d never felt before.

    Galan scoffed, and June gave her a look that seemed to convey displeasure. She muttered something and kept her eyes on the ground after that.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Hunter took a deep breath and tried to tune into the box, to understand what it was doing. He hoped he hadn¡¯t just done the etheric equivalent of paralyzing himself, or was going to turn into some sort of puppet that they could control.

    In hindsight, maybe grabbing the box was a bad idea.

    But the more he felt into it, the less worried he became. He felt impressions from the small box, like it was conversing with itself. It seemed aware of its surroundings.

    ¡°It¡¯s processing,¡± Hunter said with wonder, and he felt the box respond to his words, and the fluctuations within it were changing to accommodate the new stimulus, ¡°information. This construct, no, this device, it¡¯s processing information! It¡¯s aware!¡±

    He was astounded by the device in his hand, and he looked at it in wonder.

    ¡°He reacts to such basic tools like a child,¡± he heard Galan say. His eyes snapped up towards her.

    Hunter¡¯s eyes snapped up to her. He had understood her, as clear as day.

    ¡°These people have a unique development path than what we are familiar with, Galan. The Technic civilizations have always been a mystery to us. We have lived two very different lives,¡± June said.

    ¡°I can understand you guys,¡± Hunter said, struggling to hold back his amazement. ¡°This is incredible.¡±

    ¡°That was quick," Aruon said, ¡°The merchant said that it would take agoiern.¡±

    Hunter hadn¡¯t understood that last word.

    ¡°Only if the other party is vitally dead,¡± June said. Hunter winced. Now that he understood the man, the sharpness he felt seemed to transmit through the words themselves, much more intensely than before. If before it was like a needle prodding at him, it was now like the sharpened edge of a sword cutting held to his throat.

    And it kind of hurt.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± June said, noticing Hunter¡¯s reaction. ¡°I will suppress my aura further. Your vital development is still in it fledgling stages, but it appears you have not yet adapted to handle a strong vital aura.¡±

    ¡°Vital development?¡± Hunter asked, though he was pretty sure what the man meant.

    ¡°Vita, yes, the power you sense from us and we from you.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°We call it etherium.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re understanding them, sir?¡± one of the Guards asked.

    ¡°Hunter, can you let us know what¡¯s going on down there? What are they saying?¡±

    Aruon stared with curiosity at his portal radio.

    ¡°How are you transmitting voices through that tiny box at your waist? It¡¯s not Vita¡ªer, etherium, is it?¡± Aruon asked.

    Flustered by three rapid questions, Hunter answered Aruon first: ¡°This device transmits and receives radio waves¡ªa type of invisible light frequency, I believe. Or electromagnetism. Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Invisible light?¡± Aruon asked, leaning back with some skepticism written on his features, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Light is a very strong path once it¡¯s cultivated beyond its surface layers. But it¡¯s not a path that anyone in Sabletown has much experience with.¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t know who to talk to right now. He pressed the button on his radio.

    ¡°Aera, the box they gave me was some sort of translation device. I don¡¯t know why its worked faster with me than with the Guards, but it should just be a matter of time before you can all understand them too.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, the integration process should speed up now,¡± June said with a small bow. ¡°Again, I am June. My disciples and I come from Sabletown, a settlement we established here 5 dienaed ago.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch that. 5 what?¡± Hunter asked. The box emitted a small pulse.

    ¡°5 decades,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m pleased with the progress we are making. Your people have some mild foundational capacity with vita, yet so far you seem to be the only one with any skilful use of it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m special,¡± Hunter confessed, not sure if that was the right move, ¡°we are, um, colonists. We¡¯re from¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hunter, careful,¡± Aera said. Hunter gulped, realizing that he needed to be a lot more careful with how much he revealed.

    ¡°Your comrade is wise, but you currently have nothing to fear from us.¡±

    ¡°Currently?¡± Hunter asked.

    The man nodded and gestured towards the Guards.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that those are weapons which your guardians are armed with. Therefore, I can only assume that your people are no stranger to combat,¡± June said.

    Hunter nodded, wary about the direction that this conversation was turning to.

    ¡°My people ¡ª and the entire sector we hail form ¡ª from is rife with conflict. In fact, you could say that it was a way of life for us. There is always a war between great beings and their armies. The martial way demands the mighty dominate their lessors. It is how things are.¡±

    From what Hunter learned about the Council Seats, things weren¡¯t too different back in Sanctuary, either.

    ¡°And yet you seem civilized enough to know how to introduce yourself in peace,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned that you are special. We at Sabletown are also somewhat special compared to the core worlds ¡ª and even the frontier worlds that many of us have come from. As tensions rose and some of our oldest institutions collapsed, we struck out on our own. But this is a tale for another time. We have been watching you, assessing your intentions, and whether you would be amenable to discussions. It was a risk on our part, but what little we know from the technic civilizations shows a very different societal development path. Although war appears to be a universal constant, the degree to which it dominates your type is far less than mine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m understanding them,¡± he heard one of the Guards say, ¡°I¡¯m not liking what I¡¯m hearing.¡±

    ¡°This is a primary introduction to our people and the sectors we hail from,¡± June, responding to the Guard, ¡°Consider it a peace offering. What little we know of the Technic types suggests you will not be content with habituating a single world, and you are bound to encounter others. It¡¯s important for you to know what to expect. My people are not interested in conflict with you, but will not hide from it, and you would not find a soft target in us. I must share this because we do not know your people¡ªfinding civilized people beyond the fringe sectors is rare. Coupled with the fact that you hail from a technic path, and seem to hold a strange relationship with vita, you paint a strange picture that we can only understand by initiating contact. With that settled, I want to emphasize what I hoped our actions would convey: We come in peace. May I ask if you share this intention now that you are aware of our presence?¡±

    Hunter remembered feeling the power the man had radiated before. The way his etheric aura seemed to pierce straight into his soul.

    Although the thought made some reptilian part of his mind want to quiver and demand that his life be spared, he had an entire corporation to represent.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hunter spoke, with a surprising amount of conviction, ¡°we are here to build a home for ourselves, not to conquer the homes of others.¡±

    He trusted his adoptive family by now. He knew they would all need to adapt to a new world, and that they would make sacrifices, but something told him that their general sense of ethics and morality ¡ª their integrity, as Trey would emphasize ¡ª was not something they will compromise on.

    That was all the confidence he needed to answer the man¡¯s question.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± June smiled. ¡°Then there is much for us to discuss. Would you give us a tour of your impressive vessel? We haven¡¯t eaten all morning and we would love to sample any of your people¡¯s unique dishes. Plus, Aruon here has some curiosity about technic artifacts.¡±

    Auron nodded and eyed the ship with desire. Hunter recognized the look. It was the same one he would have whenever he thought about the Asutnahem shield.

    Hunter was about to respond, but he heard the door to the ship cycle. When he looked back, he saw Commander Striker emerge. June and his disciples looked on with polite interest as the man approached them.

    ¡°I¡¯m Commander Striker,¡± he said. ¡°Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to allow you access to the ship. Our negotiations will have to take place out here, but with the shield up, you¡¯ll be safe from any threat that Skyhold can offer.¡±

    Hunter felt relief; the pressure was gone. That, and his answer, was going to be along the same lines. It didn¡¯t feel safe bringing an unknown variable like an alien stranger into the ship, especially when they might turn invisible. Speaking of which, he made a note to ask them a question about that.

    ¡°Skyhold? An interesting name, and I believe you are right. It¡¯s a fine shield, among the mightiest I¡¯ve ever seen, June said, glancing toward the giant tree in the distance.

    ¡°Skyhold indeed,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°In the meantime,¡± Commander Striker continued, ¡°we¡¯ll set up a table and show you as much hospitality as we can. Our leaders are currently occupied and will be absent for a while. You¡¯re free to stay if you wish, but I can¡¯t guarantee that they¡¯ll be back before tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°We will stay. My disciples and I will cultivate in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Cultivate?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Indeed, perhaps your people have another word for it. It is the intentional training of our access to vita.¡±

    Hunter widened his eyes. That almost sounded like the internal arts.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d love to hear more about your method.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± June made an awkward face, ¡°I apologize, but our method is a secret that I can only pass on to dedicated disciples. Even Galan here must reach the threshold of the Foundation stage in order to gain access to the method.¡±

    ¡°Foundation stage? Threshold?¡± Hunter asked. Each word was familiar, but in this context, it was like he was hearing a new language.

    June smiled.

    ¡°Foundation is what we call the initial phase of training both body and the vita channels. I believe this is the stage you are at,¡± June said. ¡°the threshold of foundation is where one undergoes their Elemental Baptism, stepping into the stage of the Elemental Initiate.¡±

    ¡°What stage are you at?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°I am at the late phase of Elemental Initiation ¡ª this phase is called Mental Resonance. At this stage, I foster a deeper connection towards my most dominant elemental calling. I have already done this process with my channels and most of my physical body.¡±

    Hunter had so many questions, but before he could ask, June spoke again.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve shared some of my knowledge, would you care to share some of yours?¡±

    ¡°In time,¡± Commander Striker interrupted, ¡°But first, my people need to convene to discuss this. You understand that this is a unique situation for us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I understand. Things must be quite different so far beyond the fringe of known civilization. I desire to understand you better. Contact with technic civilizations is rare, and as far as I know it hasn¡¯t happened in many thousands of years.¡±

    The more June spoke, the more Hunter wanted to know. He wanted to curse Commander Striker for interrupting his curiosity, but he couldn¡¯t blame the man for wanting to be careful.

    Hunter had to admit that he was out of his depth, and in his excitement, he might give away something critical that should remain a secret, at least for now.

    ¡°All that being said,¡± June said, ¡°I hope that you and your people are swift in their deliberations. There was another purpose to our establishing contact with you. A great threat is rising in the wake of recent actions by the Unbound whose power I¡¯m sure you recall; there was a sudden flash of light, and the end of a beastwave. The Unbound is not the only of its kind.¡±

    ¡°I was there,¡± Hunter said.

    June merely raised an eyebrow before continuing, ¡°We believe there is another one awakening. Its power will be just as great, if not greater than anything we¡¯ve yet to encounter here. Sabletown currently does not have any cultivators at the Unbound stage. We hope that your people, being of a distant origin and having unique solutions to unique problems, will aid us. If we do not eradicate this coming threat, it will eradicate us.¡±

 Chapter 69

    Their arrival on Skyhold should have been a celebration, Trey thought.

    He approached his life in a way that accumulated little in the way of regrets. Setbacks were bound to happen, things were bound to challenge his more carefully laid plans ¡ª that was life. One sets the course, and life says: let¡¯s go in another direction altogether.

    Sometimes things go exactly the way you want them to. Sometimes life surprises you and things go better than you could have ever dared to hope for.

    And then there were times like these, which appeared to be the exact opposite.

    They¡¯d planned for a tough victory over this world. No one who had known about Skyhold¡¯s challenges had thought that this was going to be a walk in the park. But Skyhold had challenges aplenty, more than they¡¯d been prepared to handle so far. He was wondering if he¡¯d made the right choice by setting this world as the destination for their home.

    He wondered if he¡¯d doomed his people to a fate that was worse than what Sanctuary would have held for them. It was the kind of thought he¡¯d be able to dismiss with the smallest exertion of willpower. But everyone felt a bit out of their depth here. They were all overworked, a bit burned out, and had been feeling some degree of constant stress over the last few days. Sure, they had drawn up plans for worst-case scenarios, but they had not had the years he would have preferred to consider all the variables.

    Variables such as getting shot down by people he had trusted to have his back. Creatures that defied their understanding of what was possible with etherium. Aggressive alien parasites which could drain a man of everything that seemed to show a sign of life; their blood, their musculature, their fat tissue.

    Dozens of bodies lay lined up on the ground before him. They¡¯d needed to be handled with care. Hazmat-covered soldiers were organizing the body bags. He felt like he had to see them up close.

    He owed them that. It was he who had sentenced them to die here. He could rationalize the fact that he hadn¡¯t known that these people would meet such a painful, indecent end at this outpost. But it was still his responsibility. They were here at his command. It was his fault that they were dead.

    In this case, he wondered if the regret accompanied a lesson he needed to learn. Sometimes these emotions had a wisdom to them. Sometimes the pain needed to work through you in order for you to learn what they had to say.

    If his judgement was off, if his assessment needed to be reassessed, then in the name of all that was good ¡ª in the name of integrity ¡ª he¡¯d face the humiliation like a man.

    But then again, he always felt like the same regret when his people were dying. He knew there was an entire chain of cause and effect that lead him to where he was, and he was sure that in time, he¡¯d naturally forgive himself.

    But for now, he would learn from the pain. He owed it to the people who died, and the people who were counting on him to make the right choices.

    ¡°We¡¯ve swept the entire outpost, sir. Door to door, sewage, every nook and cranny we could find, we¡¯ve checked,¡± Guard Captain Bell said, waking Trey from his contemplation of the tragic. He sighed.

    ¡°No signs of him, I take it?¡± Trey asked. Bell clenched his jaw.

    ¡°There are signs of him everywhere, sir. He and his men had become like rabid animals in the end. Some corpses we found, both men and women, the things that were done to them¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll read it in the report, Captain,¡± Trey said. He almost wanted to ask if the man wanted a break, but he knew Bell would take that as more of an insult than a gift.

    ¡°Of course, sir. We found some prisoners of Clarke¡¯s too,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Still living?¡± Trey asked, bracing himself to hear about more emaciated bodies and suffering beyond comprehension.

    ¡°Over half of them are still alive, sir. The ones I could move are waiting for treatment, the rest are receiving as much first-aid as we dare to give them without knowing how the parasite has, well¡ª¡±

    ¡°More for the report, I¡¯m sure,¡± Trey sighed.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Do we have enough medical staff?¡±

    ¡°Apart from the nurse we left at the Merciful Cloud in case of an emergency, what we¡¯ve got is what we¡¯ve got.¡±

    ¡°What a nightmare,¡± Trey muttered. ¡°Any signs that the parasite is still contagious?¡±

    ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered, we shouldn¡¯t be in danger. That being said, we¡¯re operating with abundant caution, sir.¡±

    Trey nodded. Guard Captain Bell tilted his head. Through the hazmat suit, Trey couldn¡¯t hear what the man was saying. He could only assume he¡¯d gotten a message from someone. His posture changed. Gone was the stature of a subordinate talking to his boss. The man standing in front of Trey had assumed full command.

    ¡°I want him surrounded. Get 10 men on him, and more watching the perimeter. I don¡¯t want a single blade of grass to escape our notice, understand?¡±

    Trey raised an eyebrow, not the Bell could see it.

    ¡°Sir, Clarke is here. He¡¯s surrendered,¡± Captain Bell said.

    Shoot the bastard between the eyes, Trey wanted to say. He bit his tongue, letting the caution he¡¯d practiced for years take over. Intense emotion had its place, but that was when you had no other option. Often time, intense emotion could make it feel like there was no other option. It was only after seeing the consequences of believing your emotions that you understand that there was another option, a better one. But by that time it¡¯s too late.

    Hindsight is 20/20.

    He took a deep, long breath.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what he has to say for himself,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Sir, I highly recommend you stay back for this one. We need to contain him to assess his threat level. Some rumours we¡¯ve heard would seem absurd, but given the surprises that Skyhold has given us so far¡­¡±

    Trey wanted to refuse the recommendation out of reflex. He wanted to see Clarke with his own eyes. He wanted to understand why he¡¯d done what he had.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Was it the parasite, or was that just an excuse?

    He hoped it was the latter. If it were the former, he would be at a loss. He wasn¡¯t sure anyone could easily accept that Clarke wasn¡¯t responsible for his own actions.

    With that said, he also knew that working against the recommendations of his best people was not a luxury to indulge in without care.

    ¡°Do what you need to do, Captain. But I¡¯ll want some words with him when he¡¯s contained.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Guard Captain Bell said, and he left to join his men as they processed Clarke.

    ¡°Sir,¡± someone called. Trey turned to see who it was. It was the pilot from the scout shuttle that he¡¯d ridden on the way to the outpost. ¡°It¡¯s the Merciful Cloud.¡±

    Trey felt a sense of foreboding. Given how this day went, he fully expected to hear some tragic, unbearable news. Maybe a new A-Class had presented itself. Maybe there was an army of the damned beasts marching towards them, now.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, a bit more harshly than he¡¯d meant to.

    ¡°Commander Striker says that an unknown party has appeared outside the ship.

    Panic flared in his chest. Unknown party could mean anything, but the first thought that came to mind was that it was Clarke¡¯s men. Or worse, the Council had managed to find this place after all and was only now showing their hand.

    The comms officer from the Cloud continued: ¡°He says it¡¯s a potential first contact situation.¡±

    Trey blinked.

    First and contact were two words he¡¯s always considered possible to hear, but he¡¯d never taken the possibility seriously. Either this would be great news, or a sign of more grief to come. Given what Skyhold had shown them so far, he wasn¡¯t getting his hopes up.

    ¡°Did the Commander say anything else?¡±

    ¡°Sir, he said they require your presence as soon as possible.¡±

    It was a very different storm of emotions that suddenly arose inside of Trey.

    Absurdity. Some excitement, some curiosity. Regret. He needed to speak with Clarke.

    His presence was required here. These people, the survivors, he owed them his presence. But his duty to the company as its leader meant he couldn¡¯t be absent during a first-contact scenario. The first known first-contact scenario, no less.

    ¡°Damnit,¡± he muttered, then he spoke to the pilot, ¡°tell the Commander I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    Trey sent a broadcast on an open frequency for the entire outpost.

    ¡°Guard captains Bell and Niklaus have command of the outpost. There¡¯s been a development back at the Merciful Cloud. Captain Gregor, you can come with me.¡±

    After Abraham caught up with him, they boarded the shuttle and the pilot activated the ship¡¯s systems.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, sir?¡± Captain Gregor asked once the door to the shuttle closed. They both took off the covers of their hazmat suits.

    ¡°An unknown party has contacted the ship,¡± Trey said, watching the Captain¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°Potential first contact scenario.¡±

    Captain Gregor¡¯s jaw started opened and closed a few times. He made a few sounds, like he was trying and failing to settle on an appropriate reaction.

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Trey laughed. ¡°Yeah, it is definitely unexpected.¡±

    <hr>

    The shield around the Merciful Cloud acted as an insulator from both the heat and the cold. Therefore, the conditions outside the ship were comfortable. June and his disciples had started their meditations, which Hunter had watched with great interest. They hadn¡¯t seemed to mind his presence, either. He wondered if his observations would reveal anything about their method, but he felt disappointed; he could feel that something etheric was going on, but it felt like most it was beyond what his sensitivity could communicate to him.

    It was like a word that was on the tip of his tongue but would refuse to appear. Like something he should know, but was too slippery and vague for his mind to grasp onto. It was a feeling he associated with the presence of deeper etheric principles manifesting as an unknowable charge. He was blind to the most meaningful aspects of their ¡®cultivation¡¯ process.

    And when had such a challenge ever dimmed his curiosity? Yet there was nothing he could do but stare at them like a weirdo. And that, he worried, wasn¡¯t very diplomatic.

    ¡°Commander Striker to Hunter, the meeting will start soon, sir,¡± the Commander said. Hunter double-clicked his transmit button. It would make a certain noise on the Commander¡¯s end of the connection, confirming that he received the Commander¡¯s message. He¡¯d learned about that from the Guards he¡¯d taken out to meet the Sabletown trio.

    Sabletown. An interesting name, if only for its mundanity compared to the exotic circumstance. He¡¯d expected more syllables from an alien civilization. As far as he knew, there were more syllables. Maybe the translation thingy was dumbing it down for him. If June and the disciples thought the name was mundane, then the translation thingy would communicate it that way.

    But that was just a guess on his part. He had no way of checking what was going on under the hood of the translation thingy. After it finished its work, it dissolved. Yet, its effects persisted. More and more people could understand the Sabletown delegation. They hadn¡¯t shown many people on the ship the footage of the meeting, but the ones who had seen it displayed signs of understanding at an accelerating rate. It was almost as if the translation thingy was working beyond the device itself.

    So he couldn¡¯t call it a device. Or a construct, which he¡¯d initially been tempted to call it. It was incomprehensible to him. It was an anomaly. It was a functional, useable anomaly. It was a thingy.

    He added his hundreds of thousands of questions to his existing millions. Were the effects permanent? Does that mean he was permanently affected? Was there any reason to worry?

    And how did it work? That was the most pressing question on his mind.

    How did anything in this order-forsaken world work? How much do the rules change with sufficient etheric saturation? The Class-2¡¯s, those he felt he could wrap his mind around. They were like the mutations that Sanctuary humans had exhibited over the last couple of decades after prolonged usage of drawstones and sufficient AR development. But the Class-1¡¯s and A-class were something else. He still couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around those as easily as the Class-2¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t just an issue of waving the ¡®evolution¡¯ wand around and just accepting that it was what it was.

    With etherium, he could never accept that. He needed to know.

    He wanted to get a look at the cultivation manuals of these ¡ª what would he call them, etheric artists? Vital artists? Cultivators? He¡¯d ask them when they were done with their meditations, and after he was done with his meeting with the Commander and Aera.

    He made his way to the bridge, and a junior crewman pointed him towards the meeting room.

    ¡°What are they like, sir?¡± the crewman asked Hunter before he entered. ¡°They seem human. They dress like monks, but they¡¯ve got swords, and their tech is like nothing we¡¯ve seen before. The translation device itself¡ª¡±

    Hunter held up his hand.

    ¡°They¡¯re polite so far,¡± Hunter said, ¡°And they¡¯re capable of some interesting things, but you know about as much as I do.¡±

    He was stretching the truth. He knew the trio were very etherically competent, given what he¡¯d felt from them. Especially June. His intuition suggested a link between their auras, their meditation, and their etherium sensitivity. If he was right, their sensitivity might be deeper and stronger than his own.

    That thought made him frustrated. He wanted to know everything they knew. But it¡¯s not like he could just demand it from them. Especially if they were as powerful as Hunter assumed. By feeling June¡¯s aura alone ¡ª and aura was the most accurate word he could use to describe it ¡ª Hunter assumed that the man could match blows with a Pyrothar. He was a walking tank. Maybe even more powerful than a tank, and it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to assume so.

    June had scaled his aura back in order to interact with Hunter and the Merciful Cloud¡¯s personnel. What¡¯s interesting was that no one else present seemed to feel the aura to the same extent he did. They¡¯d all felt something; the Guards reported having felt some of the pressure Hunter had, but nowhere near to the same extent. They¡¯d all chalked it up to their own nerves about meeting a potential threat to the safety of the ship and its crew.

    Time would tell if his assumptions were correct.

    ¡°There he is,¡± Aera said as Hunter entered the meeting room.

    ¡°Here I am,¡± Hunter said, somewhat mindlessly, as the etheric enigmas presented by the trio still occupied his thoughts. He brought his attention to the meeting room. It was just the three of them. Most of the relevant command staff were helping at the outpost. Hunter hoped everything was alright over there. Apart from a brief message from Trey saying that they had made it there without incident, there had been no updates.

    He took a seat beside Aera after pouring himself a cup of coffee.

    Commander Striker cleared his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯ve called Mr. Oberon and he¡¯s already on his way with Captain Gregor. This meeting is more of a debrief, as we¡¯ll need Mr. Oberon¡¯s present to begin any sort of serious discussions or negotiations with the Sabletowners. First, Hunter, we¡¯ll focus on your assessment.¡±

    Hunter nodded. He started organizing his thoughts ¡ª what was useful and known? What was mere speculation?

    Commander striker leaned forward slightly, radiating more curious interest, rather than authority.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Hunter¡¯s recollection of the short meeting with the cultivators didn¡¯t take long to exposit. But the whole time he¡¯d had to struggle to keep himself focused, his mind kept wandering back to his questions.

    These people cultivated etherium, like he does with the internal arts. Were they the same thing?

    Was there a method which could help people learn how to develop a sensitivity to etherium?

    Aera and the Commander spent a half hour asking him questions, and deciding what would be the most relevant to share with Trey when he arrived. He¡¯d hoped to have some time with the Sabletowners after the meeting. Trey and the Captain arrived after the meeting concluded.

    ¡°I hear there¡¯s been some excitement!¡± Trey said as he watched Hunter, Aera, and the Commander enter the hangar bay. Hunter noticed Trey was much less boisterous and energized than he usually was. For the first time since he¡¯d met the man, he felt like he could see right through him.

    The outpost must have been in terrible shape. He hadn¡¯t seen Trey looking this uncertain in a while. The last time was when they met just after leaving Sanctuary. Whatever storm clouds had gathered in his mind back then seemed to last for mere moments, and then he¡¯d snapped out of it.

    This time, the storm clouds seemed to be darker. Maybe it was the constant stress, the endless work, the revelation of escalating dangers. Whatever it was, Hunter was worried. He glanced at Aera. If she was concerned, she didn¡¯t seem willing to express it. Hunter followed her lead. He figured she was much more of an expert regarding Trey Oberon than he was.

    Captain Gregor seemed to be troubled as well, but Hunter may have been imagining it. The man seldom smiled. But if anyone could handle negative emotions, it was these guys. Hunter had to believe that.

    As much as Hunter found that the worst of events slid right off of him these days, even he was feeling some of the emotional weight of their circumstances.

    ¡°Was that them, sitting on the ground outside of the ship?¡± Trey asked after they¡¯d all greeted each other.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Commander Striker said, ¡°they¡¯ve told Hunter that what they¡¯re doing is called cultivating. Hunter speculates that this is a way for them to speed up the growth of their AR.¡±

    ¡°These people use etherium?¡± Trey asked, his eyes widening.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Based on what they displayed, their knowledge and usage of etherium is far deeper than our own.¡±

    Trey let out a long exhale.

    ¡°Well, when do I get to meet these guests? What do we know about them so far?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve informed them we are waiting to discuss what their arrival means for us. Now that you¡¯re here, we want to establish clear boundaries on what we will and will not share with them, information wise. We¡¯ve organized what we know so far, and we¡¯re just waiting for the official debriefing with you once we reach the bridge.¡±

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°So why are they outside the ship?¡± he asked.

    Commander Striker seemed taken aback by the question.

    ¡°I deemed the security risk to be too high, sir. There¡¯s something you should see.¡±

    Hunter couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d almost completely forgotten about the footage the bridge crew had captured.

    The Commander was holding a large tablet, and he handed it to Trey. Hunter watched the video on the tablet play, and Trey¡¯d reaction, while subdued, mirrored his own when he¡¯d first seen it. After the footage finished, Trey¡¯s jaw clenched as he considered the implications.

    ¡°I understand the concern, but I¡¯m sure Hunter would have noticed if there was someone using their invisibility tech nearby, right?¡± Trey asked.

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not clear about that. I know I can feel it, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll always feel it. There¡¯s too much we don¡¯t know,¡± he said. He initially spoke to support the Commander¡¯s decision, but only after speaking did he realize the validity of his own point.

    He knew that there were some things about etherium that he couldn¡¯t sense at all, at least not yet. The thought both frightened and thrilled him. Discovering more etheric principles and creating new constructs excited him. However, the possibility of threats beyond the scope of his sixth-sense gave him nightmares.

    Trey frowned.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, keeping whatever thoughts he had about the situation to himself, ¡°we¡¯ll keep our meeting brief. I¡¯m confident that you have plans to make our next meeting with the ¡ª what did they call themselves?¡±

    ¡°They say they¡¯re from a place called Sabletown, sir. As far as we¡¯re aware, they are a conglomeration of people from different worlds. Refugees who escaped an environment of constantly escalating conflict.¡±

    Trey didn¡¯t seem to like what he heard, and when he noticed everyone watching his expression, he chuckled.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not the best news, is it? But there¡¯s a certain poetry to it. Two peoples, looking to start a new life beyond the reach of wherever they came from, meeting each other by some strange quirk of fate. Let¡¯s go find a room somewhere with coffee, yeah? I¡¯m hankering for a fix.¡±

    ¡°Just brewed a pot!¡± Hunter said. ¡°Nearing the end of my private stash, too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a godsend, boy,¡± Trey said, smiling in relief and patting Hunter on the back.

    ¡°I know,¡± Hunter said with a wide smile. He didn¡¯t know if Trey¡¯s distraction had faded, but Trey seemed happier.

    Aera was already inside the meeting room, studying the board. Hunter hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d entered ahead of them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this meeting brief. Looks like you¡¯ve been busy,¡± Trey said, eyeing the board with all the information they could organize. ¡°Translation device? Sounds interesting.¡±

    Hunter was about to speak, but he caught Aera¡¯s eye and she was giving him a look.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dad just said to keep the meeting brief,¡± she said.

    Hunter''s brows furrowed. He felt kind of offended by whatever she was implying, not that he was sure what she was implying.

    ¡°You get a bit carried away when you¡¯re at your most impassioned, Hunter,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter shrugged and nodded. He couldn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. But it¡¯s among the most impressive feats of etherium-work I¡¯ve seen in my life, even after what I saw and felt from the A-Class.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m intrigued, but let¡¯s go in order of the list you guys have written out,¡± Trey said.

    It didn¡¯t take too long to get Trey up to speed. He was a career business leader. Meetings like this were an everyday occurrence for him. Retaining information, choosing what was the most pertinent, and acting on it; it was as practiced and routine as walking and breathing.

    The debriefing lasted just under an hour, and they spent only another half hour deciding which information to classify and what to share with the Sabletown delegation.

    It was a basic plan. The location and development of their colony should remain unclear. The specifics of their technology, including constructs, and their martial capabilities and numbers should also be kept vague.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    They would remain vague until they had a better idea of what Sabletown knew and will share. Trey told them he assumed they¡¯d be feeding each other information and goodies piecemeal until someone eventually takes the first proper step in bridging the divide. It might even be Trey himself who makes that choice, but he had no intention of making it now.

    Just after their meeting was done, one of the bridge crew reported June seemed to have completed his cultivation. Trey took that as an invitation.

    Hunter watched Trey as they walked through the ship¡¯s corridors. Something was shifting in the man as meeting the Sabletowners loomed.

    Trey always seemed to have an air of optimism about him, which kept his head high and his movements energized. His time at the outpost diminished his energy. However, meeting their alien guests rekindled it.

    Trey, Hunter, Aera, and the Commander met the Sabletowners without as much of a Guard escort as last time. Hunter assumed it was a sign to the Sabletowners, showing that they were welcome here.

    It could also be a way to tell them that Oberon wasn¡¯t afraid of them as well.

    June smiled and bowed to greet them when they approached. Trey returned the gesture and then held out his hand. June looked at the hand with an awkward curiosity, his eyes seeking clarity from the group.

    ¡°This is one way that we greet each other in our culture,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°I believe the translation matrix is still working its way through him,¡± June said to the group. Trey frowned and Aera whispered to him. His eyes widened, and he chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a handshake. It¡¯s a way of greeting each other in our culture,¡± Hunter said, happy to clarify.

    June nodded and held his hand out as well, and he shook it in the air.

    A couple of the Guards snorted. June took that as a sign that he hadn¡¯t quite understood. He looked embarrassed.

    ¡°I suppose there is an extra step which I¡¯ve missed?¡± he asked. There was a visible reaction from Trey as June spoke.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m understanding him now,¡± Trey said. ¡°That is remarkable.¡±

    ¡°I see that the translation matrix is making good progress, then,¡± June said.

    Trey stepped forward and gripped June''s still outstretched hand.

    ¡°Here, this is a handshake,¡± Trey said, demonstrating by shaking the man''s hand with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Is there a protocol for the amount of shakes?¡± June asked.

    Trey rose his eyebrows as he considered the question.

    ¡°You know, now that you ask, I think there is, but it¡¯s all based on the context. The more vigorous the shake, the more positive the emotion behind the greeting. A grip on the shoulder while shaking the hand can imply both excitement, familiarity, and compassion. A firm grip between strangers can imply the desire to dominate the other, or a mutual respect. What else am I missing?¡± Trey asked to himself.

    He shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of much else to explain the basic principle.¡±

    June nodded.

    ¡°I understand. Earlier, I attempted something of a vital ¡ª or etheric ¡ª handshake with Hunter,¡± June said.

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I don¡¯t think I recall hearing much about that,¡± Trey said, and Hunter received some pointed glares from the group.

    ¡°You heard about it,¡± Hunter said, ¡°but I left out the parts that I¡¯m still trying to figure out for myself.¡±

    ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m curious about those details as well,¡± June said. ¡°Your people are an enigma to me, with such varying capacities with etherium and technology. Your sensitivity appears to be an anomaly, and I¡¯d love to learn more about it.¡±

    ¡°I propose that this is an excellent point with which to begin our discussions,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°I concur,¡± June said. ¡°I am June of the Stellar Sword lineage. Depending on where in the universe you end up, there are many protocols for greeting an individual with superior cultivation. This is something I will enjoy discussing with you today once we deal with more pressing matters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to meet you, June. I¡¯m Trey Oberon, leader of Oberon Enterprises and the Skyhold colony,¡± Trey said. ¡°You¡¯ve caught us at an interesting time, June, but this is a special occasion for us and you¡¯ve got my full attention for the time being. As curious as I am about your culture and your capabilities as a cultivator, I¡¯ve got a few questions I¡¯d like to get out of the way first.¡±

    ¡°Ask away,¡± June said.

    ¡°The most pressing question is about this threat you mentioned. What can you tell us about it?¡± Trey asked.

    A few junior crewmen interrupted them, carrying out sections of tables which Hunter recognized from the cafeteria. He was thankful for whoever had thought about bringing those out.

    ¡°Care to sit down?¡± Trey asked.

    June and his disciples accepted the invitation.

    ¡°Regarding the threat, the amount of power we have observed from the creature which recently appeared matches what we¡¯ve felt from the Unbound-stage. It is also referred to as the Elemental Adept stage among human cultivators. These beings can cause much devastation unless contained or destroyed.

    Trey sighed.

    ¡°June, I wish I could say that this isn¡¯t our problem. But from what we¡¯ve gathered from this world so far, there is a non-zero chance that this threat you speak of; if it indeed mirrors the level of power as the creature from the lake, then it might actually be the source of the beast waves.¡±

    June nodded.

    ¡°This is our best guess as well. Because our people are sensitive to vita, we¡¯ve observed a significant correlation between our perceptions of this distant creature and the increasing frequency of beastwaves. The stronger the unbound¡¯s presence, the stronger the beastwave,¡± he said.

    Hunter felt a pit form in his gut, but he did his best not to show it.

    ¡°Thank you for your warning, but again, I ask what you believe we can do to help with this threat. By all appearances, your people are powerful.¡±

    ¡°We ask because an unbound threat is beyond our ability to defend against. Although we have ways of protecting ourselves, it will be very costly and will not be sufficient to remove the threat we face. We have approached you because of your status as a Technic civilization. You may have means available to you which we do not ourselves possess,¡± June said.

    ¡°The safety of my people is paramount to me, and I have thousands of souls counting on me to make the decisions that will ensure their safety. If you¡¯re sure that this threat isn¡¯t something you can handle on your own, then we are duty-bound to assist you. However, I¡¯m not sure that I know where to start with demonstrating what we are capable of, and how we might deter this threat,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Your words are honourable, Trey Oberon. And your uncertainty is understandable. However, I believe that clarity is something which I can assist you all with. With your permission, I would like to take you and your people to a place near to here, where I may display what I am capable of. From there, we can proceed.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s heart threatened to beat right out of his chest.

    A demonstration of power? Hunter thought. So cool.

    Even June¡¯s disciples seemed excited by the prospect. Hunter tried to assess Trey¡¯s thoughts, but all he saw was a frown. He glanced at Hunter, and then back to June.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit too early for that,¡± Trey said. ¡°Surely, you understand.¡±

    June nodded.

    ¡°I understand. Perhaps we can agree to a time and place?¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a much better idea,¡± Trey said. ¡°What¡¯s the timeline for the emergence of this threat?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say,¡± June said. ¡°We estimate it could appear anywhere from within the next 12 days to a month.¡±

    Even Hunter felt the pressure from that timeline. But at least this time, they¡¯d have time to prepare to face whatever was coming. All the ships should have shown up by then, and the combined might of the Oberon fleet will probably be more than enough to deal with the beast.

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°I trust that so long as your timeline holds true, we should be well prepared to face any threat.¡±

    ¡°I am relieved to hear that. However, your inexperience with cultivation and the unbound stage is worrying. I propose that our exchange happens no later than 2 days from now, as we will require time to coordinate a joint defence and attack. You will need to fully understand the just what the title of Unbound means by then.¡±

    ¡°We can do that,¡± Trey said. ¡°I also propose that we exchange a way to communicate with each other. I would like to send a representative back to Sabletown in the hopes that you would exchange your own representative with us. These will act as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ambassadors. I am familiar with the concept, and I agree with this proposal on behalf of our settlement. Aruon?¡± June said with an amused smile on his face. Trey nodded, unfazed by the interruption.

    Aruon stepped forward, a look of unconcealed hope apparent on his face.

    ¡°You will remain behind to liaise with Oberon Enterprises. Here,¡± June said, another device appearing in his hands. Aruon took the device, seeming to be quite familiar with it.

    ¡°Send her out,¡± Trey said into his radio. Hunter saw a familiar face as the airlock hissed open: one of the non-essentials he¡¯d encountered traveling from Sanctuary. She walked down the boarding stairs with enthusiasm and a hint of nervousness as she beheld the alien trio.

    ¡°This is Amanda Patter,¡± Trey said. ¡°She¡¯d been with my company for over a decade and has a knack for languages and cultures. I¡¯m sure she will offer a brilliant example of our compani¡¯s ideals.¡±

    ¡°Amanda will be welcome among my people,¡± June said.

    ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to hear that,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Then, if that¡¯s all for now, I will return to Sabletown with Amanda and Galan. Aruon can contact me at any time.¡±

    With that farewell, Hunter marvelled as an etheric shield appeared around June, Galan, and Amanda. For a second, Amanda squealed as she was slowly lifted into the air, but she adapted very quickly.

    Then they were gone, shooting away like a burst of light. Hunter could hardly believe the speed with which June could move. How did he compensate for g-force?

    Would Amanda survive? It seemed like a dumb question. June seemed competent enough to know the capabilities of a squishy non-cultivator.

    ¡°Hunter, I¡¯m excited to become more familiar with your honoured people,¡± Aruon said. Hunter looked at Aruon with a smile.

    ¡°Aruon, the feeling is mutual.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find Aruon a space on board the ship for now. With some of the space in the hangar-bay being cleared, I think we can set him up there,¡± Trey said, looking at Aruon. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that all our quarters are full, but we¡¯ll do our best to ensure that you¡¯re comfortable. We¡¯ll find you a more appropriate residence in the next day or so, as most of our people will be disembarking. You can come to the colony with us.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the Skyhold Colony? I¡¯m curious about the circumstances of your being here. How long have you been in this world? Why does this ship appear so damaged?¡± Aruon asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Hunter said, not sure how much they¡¯ll be able to hide from Aruon if he was going to be living amongst the crew. He¡¯ll have a front-row seat to Skyhold¡¯s development.

    ¡°Hunter is correct,¡± Trey said, ¡°Unfortunately, your people found us at a rather turbulent time, and we have a lot of work to get done over the next few years.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Hunter stole some time away from his duties in order to help Aruon settle in. He used the opportunity to speak with the young man about whatever he could think of.

    ¡°What does technic mean, aside from the obvious?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°Your people have developed to a significant degree based on what I can tell from the translation device. So why don¡¯t you have the same technical capabilities that we do?¡±

    ¡°As much as I would love for my people to take credit for the universal translator, I¡¯m afraid we cannot. The design of the device has remained the same for over a hundred thousand years, as far as I¡¯ve been told.¡±

    ¡°A hundred thousand years?¡± Hunter asked, marvelling at the age of their culture, but not without a bit of skepticism, which he decided not to voice. ¡°Can you understand where I¡¯m coming from when I ask why a technic civilization is so novel for you?¡±

    Aruon nodded.

    ¡°The answer is quite simple. Our way of doing things is superior ¡ª or more direct, you could say. Technic civilizations typically need millennia of uninterrupted progress to finaly discover and manipulate vita. Reaching the same heights as cultivators is then a slow process.

    ¡°What heights?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°There are heights beyond heights,¡± Aruon said, ¡°not all who reach the same stage will be equal. Master June is among the strongest in Sabletown, rivaled only by the mayor. This doesn¡¯t mean other Elemental Initiates will be as powerful when they reach his level. The depth of his comprehension of the Path of the Stellar Sword is important. Equally important is the advanced cultivation knowledge from our lost sect that the master brought to with us.¡±

    ¡°What about the levels after Elemental Initiate?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°What will June become once he ¡ª what ¡ª ascends to the next level?¡±

    Aruon smirked.

    ¡°Ascension is an interesting term, and one that has a relevance to the path of cultivation, but it is not something which I have had the honour of witnessing first hand. Certain cultivators of an advanced stage will reach this threshold of ascension, which acts as both a tribulation and an opportunity to reach an unfathomable level of power.¡±

    Aruon¡¯s smirk turned into something a bit more like an embarrassed smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all I know about that. But to answer your question, Master will become an Elemental Adept, a level similar to that of the Unbound,¡± Aruon said. His eyes lit up whenever he spoke of June. He was obviously quite proud of his master.

    ¡°That¡¯s the threat he was talking about?¡± Hunter asked. ¡°If he reaches this level soon, would he be able to deal with it himself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to reach the next stage,¡± Aruon said. ¡°Only one in ten aspirants makes it past the foundation stage to become an Elemental Initiate. From what master has told me, of those uncommon few, only a small fraction will reach the peak of the stage. It takes an uncommon will and depth of insight in order to become an Adept.¡±

    Despite his words, Hunter didn¡¯t notice any trace of worries on Aruon¡¯s features. He seemed to have full confidence in his master¡¯s ability to reach whatever level of power an Adept represented.

    ¡°Those who have the qualifications to reach the next stage can spend centuries of their life working away at the threshold. Some prodigies from great empires, I hear, can overcome major obstacles in as little as a year, sometimes even less. The same is true with some of the great clans and sects scattered throughout the known worlds. But alas, although Skyhold is abundant in resources, these resources are not quite relevant to our path. We are relying on Master¡¯s comprehension in order to guide us further. Progress is much slower this way, but with diligence, we will reach great heights. It is only a matter of time and opportunity.¡±

    ¡°I have so many questions, but I don¡¯t want to dishonour the boundaries that June set when I asked about seeing your cultivation method. Is there any way we can reach a compromise?¡±

    Aruon was about to speak, and it would have been a refusal based on the guilt Hunter read on his face. But then Aruon hesitated, tilting his head and scratching his chin.

    ¡°Like the translation device, whose specific origin I am unsure of, there are certain basic cultivation manuals that you can purchase without angering an organization. These methods are typically limited to the first level of cultivation, and rarely will you find one that guides one beyond the first phase of Elemental Initiate. However, I can ask my master if he owns any such methods. But I warn you he may seek to strike a bargain with it.¡±

    Hunter nodded, somewhat regretful that Aruon didn¡¯t have such a manual on him now, but what did he expect? If someone asked Hunter for a rolling pin, he¡¯d regretfully have to inform them he didn¡¯t habitually carry one. Why would Aruon feel compelled to carry around an inferior cultivation manual to the one he practices?

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Trey about it as well,¡± Hunter said, realizing that he had a good reason to do so.

    Given the cultivators of Sabletown, and a universe of powerful beings beyond, he couldn¡¯t justify keeping the internal arts a secret. He¡¯d been looking for an excuse to give it to the company. Not only had he now found that opportunity, he¡¯d found a reason to continue using it and maybe even improving it.

    ¡°I will send a message to my master,¡± Aruon said with a small bow.

    Hunter wondered if he should return the gesture and erred on the side of caution. He didn¡¯t want to seem impolite, since Aruon had been pretty forthcoming so far and had yet to ask anything in return.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve established some of the history of my people, I am curious about yours,¡± Aruon thought, and Hunter cursed himself for being so quick to assume.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Hunter said with a smile which he hoped didn¡¯t seem too forced, ¡°ask away.¡±

    Aruon focused his questions on their technology. He wanted to discuss Cultivation Paths in relation to Oberon Enterprise¡¯s development, but Hunter wasn¡¯t the person to ask. No one from Sanctuary would be able to satisfy Aruon¡¯s curiosity.

    Which might be for the best, when he thought about it, because it meant there weren¡¯t many secrets he could inadvertently reveal, except for the basic principles that any industrial age civilization might relate to: combustion, magnetism, and basic electronics. He also talked about the various dimensions of life that their technology improves, from labour, to light sources, warmth, transportation, entertainment and other forms of information technology.

    The idea of mass industrial production captivated Aruon. He saw how it could improve the lives of everyone, even those without the ability or opportunity to cultivate. He explained that there were many nations where such innovations could not proliferate, as their leaders wouldn¡¯t allow it. Hunter was grateful that the Sabletowners didn¡¯t appear to hail from such a place, as he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d want to deal with anyone representing a tyrannical dictatorship.

    Not that they¡¯d have much of a choice, he thought. They were both stuck here, and it was in their best interest not to antagonize a group of Elemental Initiates, which Hunter assumed would be as powerful as any Class-1.

    June and Hunter talked about the worlds they came from.

    ¡°Does everyone in your society cultivate?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Everyone in Sabletown cultivates to some extent, but it is not always like this in other worlds. There are vast stretches of land where millions of individuals will live full lives and die without ever hearing about the existence of cultivators, or merely believing they are some sort of myth or legend. You¡¯ll find this to be true in most worlds you visit where cultivators live.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Hunter found that notion of stratification to be incredibly strange. Beings with such immense power would have to be known throughout their worlds. How could you hide such a thing?

    ¡°Do cultivation societies keep to themselves?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°In the various capital worlds, no. Cultivation is no secret. But there are many more populated worlds beyond hubs of civilization. The further one travels from those centres, the more sparse the presence of cultivators becomes. Some might luck upon an inheritance, or their region might host a resource of exceptional efficacy which might grant them some path to the peak of the foundation stage. Maybe beyond. To answer your question more succinctly: yes. In the vast majority of known space, cultivation societies are quite insular and rarely have business with mortals.¡±

    Mortals. Such a strange word to use, Hunter mused. It implied a connection between cultivation and immortality.

    ¡°Mortals?¡± Hunter asked, hoping Aruon would elaborate.

    ¡°Yes. We deem those who have not passed the initial foundation stages as mortals. Some great sects will even include anyone below the later stages of Elemental Initiate in the mortal classification. There are degrees of mortality, and cultivation is the way for one to strive against their mortal fate and become something even more.¡±

    Aruon finished, content with what he¡¯d shared. But Hunter¡¯s follow-up questions only ended up having them trace old ground, and he didn¡¯t want Aruon to feel like he was being forced to repeat himself.

    As much as he enjoyed the conversation with Aruon, he felt the boundaries of what they were both allowed to share, as if it were a tight leash around his neck, chafing at his skin.

    He wanted to explore freely. Understanding the Sabletowners usage of etherium ought to be one of Skyhold¡¯s highest priorities. He decided it was worth interrupting Trey from whatever important work he was doing in order to sell the idea to him.

    Around a half hour later, he stood at the head of a meeting room.

    It was a first for him, calling a meeting with the command staff. Not all the command staff were present at the moment, but Trey gave Hunter the impression that he was both amused and proud that Hunter was throwing his weight around..

    ¡°I have a confession to make,¡± Hunter said in order to start things off, ¡°when I opened up about my sensitivity to etherium, and my fathers research, I may have given you the impression that I was handing over everything that I had.¡±

    Aera nodded. Trey leaned forward eagerly.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying there¡¯s more?¡±

    Hunter examined the faces of the small group. Commander Striker hadn¡¯t been a part of that intimate get-together, so he could only look on with polite interest, waiting for Hunter to get to the point.

    ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t planned on giving this away, but when June revealed his people cultivate in order to increase their AR¡ªor whatever their equivalence of AR is ¡ª I realized that whatever reasons I had for keeping it to myself had become irrelevant. By not sharing it, I might put us at something of a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Hunter, you know I hate taking the scenic route,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°Well, when I was young, my father promised that he¡¯d cure my AR deficiency. Long story short, he did, and it involves a method that appears to lead to the same ends as cultivation.¡±

    ¡°You little shit,¡± Aera said, her eyes widened in understanding, a smile forming on her face, then she blushed. ¡°Pardon my language, but I thought it was a little too coincidental that both of us would have such rapid growth. I almost believed some very scandalous things about dad.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Trey said, seeming genuinely offended. ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re implying, and I will have none of that.¡±

    ¡°Well, what else was I supposed to think? Bringing Hunter into the family, his surprisingly fast growth, your obvious desire to push us together and have us get along. It just made sense. You said that Gideon would spend a lot of time researching and inventing alone, and you knew him long before you knew mom. So I put two and two together¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªand arrived at the sum of 22, somehow. No, I did not sleep with my best friend¡¯s wife!¡± Trey said, and Hunter flinched at the sudden change in his tone.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aera said, crossing her arms across her chest and looking more rebellious than sorrowful, ¡°But I know you know that my conclusion wasn¡¯t completely irrational.¡±

    Trey took a deep breath, nodding at Hunter.

    ¡°I apologize for my outburst. Recent events are taking a toll, I think,¡± he said, turning to his daughter, ¡°you¡¯re right, it¡¯s not an entirely unreasonable assumption to make.¡±

    He waved for Hunter to continue. Aera looked somewhat mollified, but she looked at Trey with something closer to concern than she¡¯d shown before.

    ¡°So, um, where was I?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°You said that your father created a method of curing your AR, which appeared similar to the Sabletown cultivation method,¡± Commander Striker said.

    ¡°Right, point of clarification. I think that June¡¯s method is only going to be shared with Aruon and Galan, as they are his disciples. As I¡¯ve said before, there are some pretty strong rules in their culture about sharing proprietary techniques.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°But Aruon told me they have something like a cultivation-for-dummies type of manual that people who aren¡¯t a part of any organization can get their hands on without getting in trouble. I asked him if he could share one with us, and Aruon said that he¡¯d try to convince his master to bring one.¡±

    ¡°And you assumed that, if we didn¡¯t know that we have a cultivation method of our own, we would end up paying more than what that manual would be worth.¡±

    Hunter nodded. It was sort of accurate. He was mostly interested in making sure there wasn¡¯t an unbridgeable divide between the Sabletown and Skyhold. As much as he liked Aruon and June, being at such a disadvantage was uncomfortable.

    ¡°So, what can you tell us about your father¡¯s method? I assume that it¡¯s the reason your AR could jump so drastically? Am I to assume that it provides more than just a cure to a deficiency?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right on both counts,¡± Hunter said. ¡°My father confessed in his journals, which I assume he wrote before he died, that his AR was nearing the 300s.¡±

    Everyone in the room had something to say to that, but Hunter pushed onwards.

    ¡°And from what I can tell, my growth is faster than his was,¡± Hunter said, with a glare at Aera.

    ¡°What? Oh!¡± she said, her body electrified by the thought of potential growth she might achieve with a cultivation method, ¡°yeah, holy shit. I need this cultivation thing. Like, yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Well, that kind of brings me to the reason I haven¡¯t shared this yet.¡±

    ¡°Go on, Hunter,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how someone without my sensitivity to etherium could practice this method. I¡¯m also not sure if I can say for certain that the method caused his mental health to decline so drastically.¡±

    The excitement in the room seemed to die a bit at his announcement. But that energy of optimism repossessed Trey again.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Trey said. ¡°I understand why your father kept this private. Such a method would be world changing.¡±

    He barked out a laugh.

    ¡°World changing, again! My, what a magnificent man. I really miss him, Hunter,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter tried to smile.

    ¡°Anyway, thank you for sharing this with us. I will want to know some specifics; exactly what we¡¯ll need from the Sabletowners, and how to value that information apart from what they¡¯ll attempt to extract from us,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Hunter said, pushing the journal forward, ¡°Although I warn you it will be difficult to read. By the time he wrote these journals, he was far past the point of no return. That¡¯s by his own admission.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that must have been difficult,¡± Trey said, frowning. But his eyes held some warmth. ¡°I admire your courage, Hunter. I¡¯m blown away by your strength and resilience. Although I¡¯m not sure how much it means to you, I¡¯m very proud of you.¡±

    A warmth blossomed in Hunter¡¯s chest. It was unexpected, given the weight of what they were talking about. He stammered for a few seconds, unsure how to rectify the two emotional extremes within him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve turned him into a fish,¡± Aera said, amused at Hunter¡¯s response, ¡°let¡¯s throw him back into the water.¡±

    Trey chuckled and then gave Hunter a regretful look.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve inflated your workload once more, Hunter. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°I knew what I was signing up for,¡± Hunter said. Someone at the back corner of the room cleared their throat. It was Captain Gregor.

    Captain Gregor had been content to remain in the background of this meeting, taking in more of an observer¡¯s role as Hunter made his revelation. But now he raised his hand. Hunter found the display somewhat amusing, but some increased concern offset this amusement. The man had seemed quite subdued lately, and Hunter figured that the same fatigue that was plaguing Trey was present within the Captain as well.

    Hunter waited for Trey to beckon for the captain to speak, but then he remembered who was supposed to be running the meeting.

    ¡°Yes, Captain?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°The other ships will arrive soon,¡± he said. ¡°I believe we are expecting the Ambition to be the first to appear in the next couple of days. If I¡¯m not mistaken, they have a complement of artisans on board. If we coach some of our men to teach the basic principles you planned to share, then we will significantly reduce your workload. You will only need to visit a few times a week to answer questions and ensure quality standards.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Hunter said, doing his best to channel his inner Trey, ¡°that¡¯s an excellent suggestion, Captain.¡±

    The Captain nodded in thanks.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Trey said, ¡°I think the plan is going to be pretty simple. Everything will proceed as planned, but you and I are going to sit down and discuss this journal and what it means going forward.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s mind had already drifted to figuring out how he could adjust his planned curriculum for the artisans. Bringing his mind back to the present, he tried to prepare himself for Trey¡¯s reaction when he reads the words of the man his old best friend had become.

 Chapter 72

    The rabid animal in front of Trey was in the shape of a man. He scowled at the creature. It attempted to bite through the ballistic glass window that separated him from itself.

    ¡°Do it,¡± Trey said, nodding towards the hazmat-wearing crew holding tranquilizer guns. The last attempt hadn¡¯t even slowed Clarke down. This time, they¡¯d quintupled the dose. Clarke¡¯s breaths were deep and desperate, as if the sheer act of his rage-filled existence was difficult to maintain. His skin was beat-red. Veins stuck out across his skin in a disturbing, bulging patchwork. They wriggled as the muscles beneath them flexed and convulsed in what appeared to be cramps, but Clarke appeared undisturbed by his own state.

    This creature had gone feral. He wanted to put it out of his misery, but they needed to understand what had happened to him.

    What was Clarke¡¯s role in all of this?

    They cut an opening in the ceiling, and then climbed to the roof to shoot at Clarke from a safe position. Clarke saw them up there and screamed, clawing in their direction as if it would cause some sort of damage. When his attacks appeared ineffectual, he redoubled his attempt at breaking through the glass.

    The first shots rang out. When they proved ineffectual, they shot him more. Trey was relieved when Clarke¡¯s eyes glazed over.

    His entire demeanour changed. As he staggered. He held his hands up, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

    He looked at Trey in confusion, and although he couldn¡¯t hear him through the glass, he could read his lips.

    Help me.

    It broke through Trey¡¯s anger. A sudden charge of urgent concern overtook him.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Bell whispered from beside him.

    ¡°What a fucking mess.¡± Trey muttered.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Bell asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s still in there,¡± Trey said.

    He watched as Clarke¡¯s body failed to fight against the drugs coursing through his body. The animal within him was gone for now, apparently.

    ¡°The parasite doesn¡¯t have full control. If we ease off the dose, maybe he can tell us something.¡±

    ¡°Sir, the survivors¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWill not see eye to eye with me. I know, but he¡¯s still one of my people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll see what we can do to keep him restrained. But I recommend we keep contact with him to a bare minimum. No one should be in there with him if he¡¯s¡ªwell, him.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Get it done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you informed, sir.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Bell. Good work today.¡±

    Guard Captain Bell nodded. There wasn¡¯t much that could phase that man, Trey thought. But things like this, seeing someone so utterly reduced to feral aggression, it was heartbreaking. It broke a rule that they¡¯d all seemed to take for granted.

    They all knew that people could be animals. But this was different. This went beyond animal instinct. This was something else.

    He walked out of the building they were using to contain Clarke and saw a lot more frenetic energy in his people than he¡¯d been expecting. Busy-at-work had a certain feeling about it. This seemed more like something important happened, and someone hadn¡¯t informed him.

    He stopped one of the passing labourers, a crewman with half of their uniform tied around their waist. He¡¯d forgive the lapse in regulation. They would all be working nonstop for a long time, at least until the first round of defensive upgrades for the colony were done.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± The crewman asked, confused by why the big boss might have missed the memo. ¡°The Ambition has just radioed in. They¡¯ll be here within the hour, sir.¡±

    Trey welcomed the news with relish. The Ambition¡¯s early arrival couldn¡¯t have been more fortuitous. They could use the help. He needed to be there when they landed.

    He¡¯d also need to get his hands on some of their munitions for their next meeting with Sabletown.

    Trey sighed. No matter how hard he and the crew worked, there was always more to do.

    ¡°Sir,¡± came Captain Bell¡¯s voice over the radio, ¡°the sedative is already wearing off. I¡¯m not sure how long he¡¯ll be lucid for.¡±

    Trey pursed his lips and turned back around. He¡¯d only made a few steps past the building. He still had time before the Ambition arrived, so he could spare the time to extract whatever Clarke might share.

    The scene that awaited him when he returned was gut-wrenching. Guards were trying to strap Clarke to a table they¡¯d found in a room nearby. Clarke was in tears, begging for them to kill him.

    ¡°Mr. Oberon. I can¡¯t control it,¡± Clarke said when he saw Trey enter. ¡°I can feel it coming back. Its angry. Afraid. It can¡¯t tolerate¡ª¡±

    Clarke groaned, then, through gritted teeth, he continued.

    ¡°¡ªit needs total dominance over its territory. The guardian avatar is already on its way. And you¡¯re not the only one it¡¯s targeting, there¡¯s another¡ª¡±

    Clarke¡¯s body contorted, and he screamed in agony, but the agony gave way to rage. His eyes bore both pleading desperation and hatred.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can hold it back, you need to¡ª¡±

    Trey¡¯s heart was bursting out of his chest.

    Another scream, and he broke through the straps that were holding him to the table. As soon as his aggression started, they shot Clarke with a stronger dose of tranquilizers than before.

    He hated doing this to the man, and any remnant of hatred had abated. Now he felt nothing but pity and heartbreak. He waved over Captain Bell.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Trey asked.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Guardian-avatar,¡± Bell said, frowning as he spoke, ¡°It sounds like a solid candidate for the threat that Sabletown was referring to.¡±

    ¡°If it is, then we have a link between the beast waves, the guardian avatar, and the parasite. Maybe some sort of psychic control? Through etherium?¡± Trey asked. Just saying the words made him feel like cringing. Before coming to Skyhold, he¡¯d have laughed the person who suggested it right out of the room.

    Now, who knows what was possible and what wasn¡¯t possible?

    ¡°I¡¯ll stick around this time,¡± Trey said, ¡°And I¡¯ll try to keep him focused on what we need to know.¡±

    ¡°Right. E.T.A, scope, and weaknesses,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Exactly. It would be nice to bring some useful information to our meeting with June.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten about that,¡± Guard Captain Bell said. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for the meeting, sir?¡±

    ¡°The Ambition just radioed in. They¡¯ll be here within the hour. I think we can make a pretty convincing display of what we¡¯re capable of if we have some time to prepare.¡±

    Bell¡¯s laugh seemed shallow.

    ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I can say for sure about this world, sir, it is that nothing ever seems to go as expected. But the Ambition arriving earlier than expected is good news, at least.¡±

    ¡°I doubt Hunter¡¯s going to agree. He was hoping to get at least half a day with a few artisans in order to have them ready to train others on their own.¡±

    ¡°None of us are comfortable with how fast the shit¡¯s being thrown at us. He¡¯ll learn to adapt.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Trey said, ¡°I agree with that. He¡¯s got a lot to learn, but he¡¯s doing pretty well. I¡¯d go so far to say that he¡¯s doing better than most would after being thrust headfirst into this shit.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t mean any disrespect towards the boy, but are we sure we can trust him to handle the pressure?¡± Bell asked, taking Trey off guard. He saw the potential for this conversation to run in the wrong direction.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always known me to be direct, sir. But I need to you know that I respect what the boy¡¯s achieved, and I truly believe that if all goes well, he has the potential to help us not only survive, but help us reach new heights that we couldn¡¯t have back in Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point, Guard Captain.¡±

    Guard Captain Bell¡¯s back straightened.

    ¡°Sir, are we sure that he won¡¯t take after his father?¡±

    Honestly, Trey was disappointed that no one had mentioned the elephant in the room sooner. If Gideon¡¯s condition was genetic, would Hunter exhibit a similar tendency?

    ¡°I am 100 percent sure that Hunter Koar is not Gideon Koar,¡± Trey said. He looked the Guard Captain in the eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ve killed more men than Gideon Koar ever had. You¡¯ve killed those men at my direct order. Should you and I be worried about each other?¡±

    Guard Captain Bell shook his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s different, sir, but I take your point. You know I¡¯m on your side and I support your decision to bring Hunter into the company. But there are those who have spoken in private. People who doubt whether he¡¯s trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve come to me with a list of names, I suggest you let this issue rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    Trey sighed. He let his expression soften.

    ¡°I understand your concern, but Gideon Koar was a very complicated man. He was more insular, and one day, he refused to trust anyone outside of his immediate circle. It left him isolated, strained his marriage. He grew more bitter with himself, with humanity. Yet, he was capable of acts of such incredible generosity that would leave me in awe. Compared to him, Hunter is¡ª¡± Trey paused, trying to find the right word.

    ¡°Well, Hunter has faced his inner demons in a way that Gideon never could have. He¡¯s shown a willingness to trust us despite any neurosis that developed over his years in relative isolation. Compared to Gideon, Hunter, despite his gifts, is normal.¡±

    Bell nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, sir.¡±

    Clarke moaned, and his body stirred.

    ¡°Already?¡± Trey asked. ¡°That was an increased dose.¡±

    ¡°The parasite must be adapting somehow,¡± Bell said.

    ¡°How much of this stuff have we got on hand? Do we need to get him an I.V.?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on this stuff, but I assume that would be a bad idea. If the parasite is adapting and strengthening, it might have a detrimental effect on Clarke,¡± Bell said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why is this thing still inside Clarke, when the parasite doesn¡¯t seem to be able to maintain its hold on anyone else?¡± Trey asked.

    Clarke was rubbing his eyes. Trey decided that the best way to answer the question was to ask the man himself.

    ¡°Clarke,¡± Trey said, getting the man¡¯s attention as he entered the room. Clarke didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°You should have killed me. I can feel it in the background. It¡¯s worming its way forward, but I think the constant struggle is exhausting it,¡± Clarke said, noticing the state of his body. He was emaciated, his veins discoloured and bulging, lesions stretching all across his skin, ¡°and it¡¯s going to kill me.¡±

    The way he spoke implied a general acceptance to the diagnosis.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out, Clarke¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªspare me the false hope, sir,¡± Clarke said.

    ¡°How much time do we have to speak?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°Few minutes, but I can¡¯t be certain,¡± Clarke said.

    ¡°Alright, then what we want to know is; why is the parasite able to survive in you for so long, and what can you tell us about this guardian avatar?¡±

    ¡°I was on a scouting mission. Got bored with the day-to-day routine, so I wanted to get out in the field. We found something, I can¡¯t remember what exactly, god¡ª¡± Clarke squeezed his head, ¡°it hurts to remember. There¡¯s so much rage, so much fear. Its intellect is vast, but it¡¯s all survival instinct. Pain. Just pain and fury.¡±

    ¡°Focus, Clarke.¡±

    Clarke¡¯s veins twitched, the muscles beneath his skin cramping all across his body. Trey was having trouble watching.

    ¡°After this, kill me. Please, sir. Don¡¯t let me go through this again,¡± Clarke said through clenched teeth.

    Trey¡¯s breathing trembled.

    ¡°Clarke, we need more information. Tell us everything you can.¡±

    ¡°Promise me!¡± Clarke yelled.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Trey said, nodding slowly and feeling like he was betraying himself, ¡°okay.¡±

    He fought to keep his emotions as contained as he could keep them.

    ¡°Whatever it was, I got a direct dose of it. It¡¯s experimenting with us, through me. It needs physical contact in order for me to spread it, and those who were closest to me could do the same to a lesser extent. The infection will make anyone more insane. The local wildlife keeps most of their original nature, but our minds are far more complex. Where it can¡¯t assume direct control, it would rather just weaponise us against ourselves. The guardian avatar is its most powerful host. It¡¯s invested more energy and time into it than any other creature. But it takes a lot of energy to keep it awake. I can feel it, I can feel the etherium moving. There¡¯s so much of it, and the guardian is so powerful. It would be incredible if it wasn¡¯t all so fucked up. Fuck¡ª¡±

    Clarke spasmed, Trey wanted to hold the man down, but he knew he couldn¡¯t risk getting infected.

    ¡°¡ªit¡¯s taking control again. God ¡ª okay. Okay. It has a weakness. I can feel it. Every time one of its host¡¯s dies¡ªwhether it¡¯s in a beastwave or otherwise, there¡¯s a psychic backlash. It can handle it with the small fry. But the more powerful the creature, the more energy it takes to maintain its dominance. If you can kill it, the backlash might be too much for it to bear, sir. You¡¯d be pulling out the foundations for the entire house of cards. It¡¯ll cripple the entire network by cutting off the source.¡±

    ¡°No more beast waves,¡± Bell said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Guard Captain,¡± Clarke said, his smile turning more feral. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise.¡±

    Trey took a deep breath.

    ¡°Vice-Captain Clarke, you¡¯ve served me and my company well. The information you shared might be the difference between the life and death of thousands. I¡¯ll make it my personal mission to ensure that everyone knows you fought till the very end. Every child born here will know that you were a hero.¡±

    Clarke laughed maniacally, and it sounded almost like a bark. His voice became raspy as the final embers of control he had over his mind and body faded.

    ¡°It is aware of what I have shared. The predator knows its prey has found its weakness. It cannot tolerate that,¡± Clarke said, his voice increasing in pitch and contorting, taking on the tone of mocking.

    ¡°It comes now.¡±

    Then he screamed, and it was bloodcurdling. It sounded like the scream tore at his own throat.

    Trey flinched at a sudden, brief flash of light accompanying a loud popping sound. A hole emerged at the centre of Clarke¡¯s head. Still, his body spasmed, pulling at the restraints that bound it. More shots rang out. Clarke¡¯s body stilled, and although it was unmoving, his eyes remained wide open, face contorted into something that expressed both pain, desperation, and mindless fury.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± Guard Captain Bell said, holstering his sidearm.

    Trey nodded. He wiped away the tears that betrayed his best efforts of containment.

    ¡°It needed to be done. Let¡¯s see that his death isn¡¯t in vain.¡±

    They¡¯d both come here intending to hate Vice-Captain Clarke. He couldn¡¯t speak for the Guard Captain, but Trey left with the feeling that he¡¯d failed once more to be the leader he needed to be.

    ¡°The guardian avatar needs to die,¡± Trey said.

    Bell¡¯s voice was low, his voice hardly wavered, but Trey had known the man long enough to know when he was struggling with grief.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 Chapter 73

    Hunter begged the vast skies for some kind of break. A chance to catch up, to make progress, to make even the tiniest dent in the galaxy-mass of weight that felt was piling up on his shoulders.

    Before the Cloud artisans caught up, he had to single-handedly upgrade outpost defenses and weaponry, and revamp the colony¡¯s etheric infrastructure with synergies, while allowing for future innovation and upgrades.

    He needed to do all of this somehow within the next few days, or he¡¯d be setting everyone behind. It was an impossible task, and he did his best not to let his mind linger on that.

    The good news was that the Ambition was nearby. It would arrive at the outpost soon., and the influx of manpower would help. The Guard contingent being reinforced was a solid multiplier to their ability to defend themselves. Because friendly fire wasn¡¯t a risk, the Ambition could provide aerial support. This would be crucial if the beastwave or June¡¯s mentioned threat overwhelmed them. Best-case scenario, they would have a few weeks before the worst of the trouble arrived. By then, their sky would be full of Oberon''s ships, with a full fleet¡¯s worth of armaments to unleash on whatever had the misfortune of challenging them.

    He found comfort in the thought, spurring him to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

    ¡°Hunter, we need to talk,¡± Trey¡¯s voice sounded through his personal radio. Hunter cursed the dread he felt. If he couldn¡¯t stay as optimistic as possible, then he¡¯d turn into a twitching pile of nerves in a corner somewhere.

    ¡°Can it wait?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Top priority, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Hunter sighed, dropping his pen on the table in the yet-to-be-expanded artisan workshop. He leaned over the desk for a second and reminded himself that everyone was under similar pressure. It wouldn¡¯t help to let himself indulge in the sense of frustration and pending exhaustion at the moment.

    He¡¯d have to deal with it all later. If he had time.

    ¡°Where?¡± he asked, regretting that some of his annoyance was leaking into his voice.

    ¡°Command centre,¡± came the curt reply. He thought he could hear loud voices in the background. Apparently, people weren¡¯t happy.

    Despite his affirmations to remain positive, dropping the radio on the table was the least dramatic he could be about the situation.

    He threw on a thin coat and huffed his way along the dusty gridded walkways of the outpost. He did his best to hide the gritted teeth as he smiled to people he passed by.

    Trey should know how busy he was. Couldn¡¯t this meeting wait? The utter lack of respect, the lack of space, the lack of understanding, was grating on him. He needed to speak up for himself more. He needed to speak his mind.

    He nodded to himself. That¡¯s what he¡¯d do. He¡¯d speak up for himself and tell Trey that he was doing enough. They would all have to carry their own weight.

    He entered the command building without giving the Guards in front of it anything more than a cursory acknowledgement. He stomped his way up the stairs to the outpost¡¯s nerve centre.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Hunter started, but Trey beat him to the punch.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming, Hunter. The threat. It¡¯s coming now.¡±

    Hunter paused. He looked around the room. Everyone was here. All the captain¡¯s ¡ª the Guard Captains, Captain Gregor, Commander Striker, a host of lieutenants, administrative personal.

    They were all frowning, thinking, conversing, or debating about their next move.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Hunter said, surprised to feel some relief. That and dread, and more frustration at the universe¡¯s indifference to their struggles.

    At least his workload has just been cut in half. All thoughts about future expansion gave way to immediate survival.

    ¡°How do we know?¡± he asked. The question seemed to have taken its sweet time in occurring to him.

    ¡°Clarke,¡± Trey said, clearning his throat and turning away to look out the window.

    What had he missed?

    Guard Captain Bell cleared his throat, continuing where Trey left off.

    ¡°Clarke had a link to the mind behind the beast waves. Apparently, the threat, which he called the guardian avatar, is the parasite¡¯s nuclear option. It could sense Clarke revealing its weaknesses to us, and his last words were that it knows, and it can¡¯t tolerate its prey knowing how to hurt it. He told us it¡¯s coming now.¡±

    ¡°Mind? Wait. Hold on.¡± Hunter said, ¡°They¡¯re being controlled by a single mind? And the parasite is, what, like a receiver antenna?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re now almost completely positive that this mind is using etherium as its strings, and a fungal parasite as a hook. We found traces of the parasite in Clarke¡¯s corpse. Once the host is dead, the parasite dissipates within minutes. We almost didn¡¯t catch it, apparently, but we had a specialize look at the photos that were taken.¡±

    Hunter had to sit down.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, right? We have a solid lead on how to fight this thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, not really,¡± Trey said. ¡°All samples died within seconds of removal from the main mass within Clarke¡¯s body. We have no way of studying the creature further. We have good reason to believe that the enemy itself is some sort of fungus. It infected Trey with enough of itself to use his body as something of a mobile weapons research platform. It tried to control us as it does other creatures in the beast waves, but our physiology is proving resistant. It can only trigger and amplify our basic instincts.¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t know what to say. It sounded ridiculous. He wanted for this whole thing to be a bad dream.

    Short of that, he¡¯d take what he could. What else could he do?

    ¡°I¡¯ll take going berserk over being a mindless puppet,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Scout¡¯s have reported signs of a beastwave approaching. Only a few hours remain before we¡¯ll be seeing the first beasts reach the extreme range of our weapons. We need to prepare everything we can in the meantime. We expect the parasite¡¯s guardian avatar to appear shortly afterwards. It¡¯s going to be throwing the whole kitchen sink at us, and we need to be prepared.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. ¡°we need you to prioritize defence over offense. We¡¯ll have enough firepower on the Ambition to handle the beastwave. But we should still prepare for a direct assault on the colony once the guardian appears.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take time to get the system set up, let alone fabrication¡ª¡±

    ¡°Start small. We have two critical vulnerabilities along the wall, and that¡¯s the eastern and western entrances. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll focus the Aegis system¡¯s deployment. We¡¯ll expand the system to the rest of the wall as more components are finished,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said.

    Hunter nodded. The Guard Captain had made the job seem workable to his neurosis-ridden mind. He could see why Trey kept these guys around.

    ¡°We also need the Ambition to remain in the skies. It will be our first answer to both the beastwaves and the guardian. If that fails, we¡¯ll have it land and activate its shield to protect as many of the colonists as we can,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Should we be moving people to the Cloud? The shield is going to be a thousand times stronger than the Ambition¡¯s, right?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re completing repairs to the Cloud. Once it¡¯s able to lift off, we¡¯ll be using the shield here, expanding it as much as we can without compromising too much of its integrity. When it does land, we¡¯ll need you to expand the amount of connections it can take. Do you think you can do it?¡±

    A very childish sort of tantrum threatened to surface, but Hunter could hold it back.

    He knew nothing concrete about the shield, but if the Asutnahem built it, he¡¯d assume that it could channel more etherium than anything a Sanctuary artisan had manufactured. He would just need to whip up a wire with increased channel capacity and more branching connections. From there, it should be plug-and-play.

    ¡°Yeah, I think I can do that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good. In the meantime, we need to ensure that there we have something to defend. We know that the coming beast wave will be intense. We believe Class-1¡¯s and 2¡¯s will be appearing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, without having the shield¡¯s here, the Class-1s will walk right through with us,¡± Hunter said.

    If he didn¡¯t already feel like he was staring down the barrel of a mountain-sized gun held by an angry god, he would feel humbled by the image of a thousand of June¡¯s rallying against an under-defended outpost.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get started on an Aegis system. It won¡¯t be fancy, and I¡¯ve got no way to guarantee consistent quality around the entire border¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwe only need you to do what you can, Hunter. Nothing more,¡± Trey said, his voice airy and tired.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°then I should get to work.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hunter. You¡¯ll have as much help as we can spare.¡±

    A thought occurred to him before he turned to leave.

    ¡°Has anyone informed Aruon? Sabletown should know what we know, right?¡±

    ¡°We sent a message to the cloud to let Aruon know. June will have returned to pick him up by now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re hoping that they¡¯re powerful enough to deal with this thing before it reaches us,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay focused on what we can do. I won¡¯t take anymore of your time, Hunter. Good luck, and thank you for all of your hard work so far,¡± Trey said to him.

    The man sounded so tired, to Hunter¡¯s ears. He wanted to give him a hug, to tell him that despite the stakes, he believed Trey would somehow pull all of them through, somehow. But the affection would influence the man¡¯s image, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Instead, he just nodded and left. He radioed for a few artisans to meet him at the workshop. Jesse and Gill were the only other artisans who had a passing familiarity with synergies. At lesat Joey seemed to have caught an interest in the possibilities that synergies offered by the end of the demonstration, although Hunter hadn¡¯t much time to discuss it with any of them.

    But he needed people who he knew were competent and would do what they were told. Joey was an unknown in that regard, having been in charge of a flagship¡¯s artisan department. But the man would hold a lot of sway over the perceptions of other artisans across the fleet. He needed to get him up to speed and believing in the work, and he needed to do that now.

    The artisans arrived. Hunter then had to interrupt their schedule for 15 minutes to relay urgent news of an impending attack, their current knowledge, and their needed focus. All of his plans for basic synergies went out the window. He emphasized their job was to memorize the Aegis network syntax and deploy it flawlessly, and then teach others how to do the same thing.

    To facilitate the accomplishment of their shared goal, he had giant posters printed out with a blown-up view of every network module. He also had a title describing the role of each network, kind of like comments talking about the logic of computer code.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so sure about what¡¯s going on in these networks, Hunter,¡± Joey said as he started memorizing the chart. Hunter had requisitioned a single plate for the three of them to work on. He¡¯d simplified the process as much as possible, and he just had to trust that they could understand it.

    Before Hunter could answer, there was a knock at the workshop door and a few men came in.

    ¡°We¡¯re told you need help with putting some stuff together.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°We just started. Find a space for yourselves. I¡¯ve got the list of assembly instructions somewhere around here,¡± Hutner said, scanning the workshop. He eyed a large brown folder underneath a cup that still had about an inch of coffee left in it. He¡¯d forgotten to finish it earlier, and made up for lost time by shooting the remaining coffee down his throat and handing the folder to the men.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t going to be many small components at the scale we¡¯re working at. Securing the system to the walls will be the most difficult part of the installation. However, the bolt spacing on the outpost perimeter hasn¡¯t changed in six years. It shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±

    ¡°And if we have questions, ask anyone?¡± one of the other men asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, ¡°these guys are learning on the job. Just ask me.¡±

    They eyed him skeptically. Everyone here knew who Joey Geraldine was. Hunter might have been an heir, but he couldn¡¯t blame them for thinking he wasn¡¯t qualified. There was a time when it would have rubbed him the wrong way, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

    While the labourers familiarized themselves with their task, Hunter checked on the progress of the artisans.

    Their progress surprised him. He figured they wouldn¡¯t be too far behind his arbitrary self-appointed deadline of 24 hours for the entire system to be installed.

    Joey seemed to have etched the syntax with the glyphs he was the most familiar with. Jesse and Gill were both somewhat familiar with the synergistic glyphs after having worked on it previously. Joey seemed frustrated, but focused. Hunter didn¡¯t want to bother him.

    Hunter stepped outside the workshop for a second. The Ambition had appeared, holding station high in the sky. It was a welcome sight. Shuttles, like fleas, hovered around the Ambition, waiting for its crew to process events and reassess unloading procedures, since they couldn¡¯t stay grounded for long.

    He contacted Cloud¡¯s quartermaster, reminding him of the promised industrial-grade channel-etching machine for the workshop expansion. The machine was to be brought over from the Cloud and Hunter was willing to bet that the man had forgotten, as he was the middle-man for every department that still had resources aboard the downed flagship.

    ¡°Fin,¡± Hunter said once the quartermaster answered his call.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, I know you need the machine from the fabrication guys, but I just got an order from the agriculture guys and it¡¯s pretty urgent¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªFin, if I don¡¯t get that machine, agriculture is going to be the last of our concerns. There is a beastwave on its way right now. In fact, I need the entire complement of fabrication machines that were promised for the workshop¡¯s expansion right now. I promise you I¡¯ll take full responsibility for any complaints you receive. To seal the deal, I¡¯ll even make this a direct order.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Fin said curtly, which to Hunter felt like it was less personal and more coming from having been relentlessly harassed for the past few days.

    Tough luck. He¡¯d buy the man a meal or something to make up for it.

    He hung up and thought through his ever-increasing list of priorities.

    ¡°Mr. Koar!¡± came the voice of Joey, sounding aggravated. ¡°This part here doesn¡¯t make any sense, how do I know it¡¯s won¡¯t blow up on me if the Stability glyph is so far from the¡ª¡±

    Hunter held up a hand and walked over to a stack of drawers against the wall. He pulled out a series of plates which acted as individual constructs illustrating the function of each network. In the ideal world, he would have used these plates to introduce his artisans to the various syntactical and synergistic novelties which comprised the Aegis system.

    But now that his timetable had rapidly accelerated, they would have to serve as the most efficient method to shut Joey Geraldine up and get him back to work.

    ¡°Tell me what you notice about these plates, Joey.¡±

    Joey scanned them and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I see that they¡¯re replications of the various networks for the Aegis system, but they¡ª¡±

    ¡°Joey, activate them in sequence. Please.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Koar, I respect your authority as an heir to the corporation, but I must insist that you speak to me with the respect due to my station.¡±

    Hunter took a deep breath.

    ¡°Mr. Geraldine. Please activate the constructs so that I may show to you that the entire system is safe.¡±

    Joey nodded and activated the plates with the drawstones Hunter had taped onto them.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the man said after having finished. Hunter received the plates back. With a focused effort to remain calm, he carefully returned them to the drawer. It took an effort of will not to slam the drawer closed.

    It was going to be a very long 24 hours.

 Chapter 73

    Hunter begged the vast skies for some kind of break. A chance to catch up, to make progress, to make even the tiniest dent in the galaxy-mass of weight that felt was piling up on his shoulders.

    Before the Cloud artisans caught up, he had to single-handedly upgrade outpost defenses and weaponry, and revamp the colony¡¯s etheric infrastructure with synergies, while allowing for future innovation and upgrades.

    He needed to do all of this somehow within the next few days, or he¡¯d be setting everyone behind. It was an impossible task, and he did his best not to let his mind linger on that.

    The good news was that the Ambition was nearby. It would arrive at the outpost soon., and the influx of manpower would help. The Guard contingent being reinforced was a solid multiplier to their ability to defend themselves. Because friendly fire wasn¡¯t a risk, the Ambition could provide aerial support. This would be crucial if the beastwave or June¡¯s mentioned threat overwhelmed them. Best-case scenario, they would have a few weeks before the worst of the trouble arrived. By then, their sky would be full of Oberon''s ships, with a full fleet¡¯s worth of armaments to unleash on whatever had the misfortune of challenging them.

    He found comfort in the thought, spurring him to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

    ¡°Hunter, we need to talk,¡± Trey¡¯s voice sounded through his personal radio. Hunter cursed the dread he felt. If he couldn¡¯t stay as optimistic as possible, then he¡¯d turn into a twitching pile of nerves in a corner somewhere.

    ¡°Can it wait?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Top priority, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Hunter sighed, dropping his pen on the table in the yet-to-be-expanded artisan workshop. He leaned over the desk for a second and reminded himself that everyone was under similar pressure. It wouldn¡¯t help to let himself indulge in the sense of frustration and pending exhaustion at the moment.

    He¡¯d have to deal with it all later. If he had time.

    ¡°Where?¡± he asked, regretting that some of his annoyance was leaking into his voice.

    ¡°Command centre,¡± came the curt reply. He thought he could hear loud voices in the background. Apparently, people weren¡¯t happy.

    Despite his affirmations to remain positive, dropping the radio on the table was the least dramatic he could be about the situation.

    He threw on a thin coat and huffed his way along the dusty gridded walkways of the outpost. He did his best to hide the gritted teeth as he smiled to people he passed by.

    Trey should know how busy he was. Couldn¡¯t this meeting wait? The utter lack of respect, the lack of space, the lack of understanding, was grating on him. He needed to speak up for himself more. He needed to speak his mind.

    He nodded to himself. That¡¯s what he¡¯d do. He¡¯d speak up for himself and tell Trey that he was doing enough. They would all have to carry their own weight.

    He entered the command building without giving the Guards in front of it anything more than a cursory acknowledgement. He stomped his way up the stairs to the outpost¡¯s nerve centre.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Hunter started, but Trey beat him to the punch.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming, Hunter. The threat. It¡¯s coming now.¡±

    Hunter paused. He looked around the room. Everyone was here. All the captain¡¯s ¡ª the Guard Captains, Captain Gregor, Commander Striker, a host of lieutenants, administrative personal.

    They were all frowning, thinking, conversing, or debating about their next move.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Hunter said, surprised to feel some relief. That and dread, and more frustration at the universe¡¯s indifference to their struggles.

    At least his workload has just been cut in half. All thoughts about future expansion gave way to immediate survival.

    ¡°How do we know?¡± he asked. The question seemed to have taken its sweet time in occurring to him.

    ¡°Clarke,¡± Trey said, clearning his throat and turning away to look out the window.

    What had he missed?

    Guard Captain Bell cleared his throat, continuing where Trey left off.

    ¡°Clarke had a link to the mind behind the beast waves. Apparently, the threat, which he called the guardian avatar, is the parasite¡¯s nuclear option. It could sense Clarke revealing its weaknesses to us, and his last words were that it knows, and it can¡¯t tolerate its prey knowing how to hurt it. He told us it¡¯s coming now.¡±

    ¡°Mind? Wait. Hold on.¡± Hunter said, ¡°They¡¯re being controlled by a single mind? And the parasite is, what, like a receiver antenna?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re now almost completely positive that this mind is using etherium as its strings, and a fungal parasite as a hook. We found traces of the parasite in Clarke¡¯s corpse. Once the host is dead, the parasite dissipates within minutes. We almost didn¡¯t catch it, apparently, but we had a specialize look at the photos that were taken.¡±

    Hunter had to sit down.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, right? We have a solid lead on how to fight this thing,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, not really,¡± Trey said. ¡°All samples died within seconds of removal from the main mass within Clarke¡¯s body. We have no way of studying the creature further. We have good reason to believe that the enemy itself is some sort of fungus. It infected Trey with enough of itself to use his body as something of a mobile weapons research platform. It tried to control us as it does other creatures in the beast waves, but our physiology is proving resistant. It can only trigger and amplify our basic instincts.¡±

    Hunter didn¡¯t know what to say. It sounded ridiculous. He wanted for this whole thing to be a bad dream.

    Short of that, he¡¯d take what he could. What else could he do?

    ¡°I¡¯ll take going berserk over being a mindless puppet,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Scout¡¯s have reported signs of a beastwave approaching. Only a few hours remain before we¡¯ll be seeing the first beasts reach the extreme range of our weapons. We need to prepare everything we can in the meantime. We expect the parasite¡¯s guardian avatar to appear shortly afterwards. It¡¯s going to be throwing the whole kitchen sink at us, and we need to be prepared.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. ¡°we need you to prioritize defence over offense. We¡¯ll have enough firepower on the Ambition to handle the beastwave. But we should still prepare for a direct assault on the colony once the guardian appears.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take time to get the system set up, let alone fabrication¡ª¡±

    ¡°Start small. We have two critical vulnerabilities along the wall, and that¡¯s the eastern and western entrances. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll focus the Aegis system¡¯s deployment. We¡¯ll expand the system to the rest of the wall as more components are finished,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said.

    Hunter nodded. The Guard Captain had made the job seem workable to his neurosis-ridden mind. He could see why Trey kept these guys around.

    ¡°We also need the Ambition to remain in the skies. It will be our first answer to both the beastwaves and the guardian. If that fails, we¡¯ll have it land and activate its shield to protect as many of the colonists as we can,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°Should we be moving people to the Cloud? The shield is going to be a thousand times stronger than the Ambition¡¯s, right?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re completing repairs to the Cloud. Once it¡¯s able to lift off, we¡¯ll be using the shield here, expanding it as much as we can without compromising too much of its integrity. When it does land, we¡¯ll need you to expand the amount of connections it can take. Do you think you can do it?¡±

    A very childish sort of tantrum threatened to surface, but Hunter could hold it back.

    He knew nothing concrete about the shield, but if the Asutnahem built it, he¡¯d assume that it could channel more etherium than anything a Sanctuary artisan had manufactured. He would just need to whip up a wire with increased channel capacity and more branching connections. From there, it should be plug-and-play.

    ¡°Yeah, I think I can do that,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good. In the meantime, we need to ensure that there we have something to defend. We know that the coming beast wave will be intense. We believe Class-1¡¯s and 2¡¯s will be appearing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, without having the shield¡¯s here, the Class-1s will walk right through with us,¡± Hunter said.

    If he didn¡¯t already feel like he was staring down the barrel of a mountain-sized gun held by an angry god, he would feel humbled by the image of a thousand of June¡¯s rallying against an under-defended outpost.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get started on an Aegis system. It won¡¯t be fancy, and I¡¯ve got no way to guarantee consistent quality around the entire border¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwe only need you to do what you can, Hunter. Nothing more,¡± Trey said, his voice airy and tired.

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°then I should get to work.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hunter. You¡¯ll have as much help as we can spare.¡±

    A thought occurred to him before he turned to leave.

    ¡°Has anyone informed Aruon? Sabletown should know what we know, right?¡±

    ¡°We sent a message to the cloud to let Aruon know. June will have returned to pick him up by now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re hoping that they¡¯re powerful enough to deal with this thing before it reaches us,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay focused on what we can do. I won¡¯t take anymore of your time, Hunter. Good luck, and thank you for all of your hard work so far,¡± Trey said to him.

    The man sounded so tired, to Hunter¡¯s ears. He wanted to give him a hug, to tell him that despite the stakes, he believed Trey would somehow pull all of them through, somehow. But the affection would influence the man¡¯s image, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Instead, he just nodded and left. He radioed for a few artisans to meet him at the workshop. Jesse and Gill were the only other artisans who had a passing familiarity with synergies. At lesat Joey seemed to have caught an interest in the possibilities that synergies offered by the end of the demonstration, although Hunter hadn¡¯t much time to discuss it with any of them.

    But he needed people who he knew were competent and would do what they were told. Joey was an unknown in that regard, having been in charge of a flagship¡¯s artisan department. But the man would hold a lot of sway over the perceptions of other artisans across the fleet. He needed to get him up to speed and believing in the work, and he needed to do that now.

    The artisans arrived. Hunter then had to interrupt their schedule for 15 minutes to relay urgent news of an impending attack, their current knowledge, and their needed focus. All of his plans for basic synergies went out the window. He emphasized their job was to memorize the Aegis network syntax and deploy it flawlessly, and then teach others how to do the same thing.

    To facilitate the accomplishment of their shared goal, he had giant posters printed out with a blown-up view of every network module. He also had a title describing the role of each network, kind of like comments talking about the logic of computer code.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so sure about what¡¯s going on in these networks, Hunter,¡± Joey said as he started memorizing the chart. Hunter had requisitioned a single plate for the three of them to work on. He¡¯d simplified the process as much as possible, and he just had to trust that they could understand it.

    Before Hunter could answer, there was a knock at the workshop door and a few men came in.

    ¡°We¡¯re told you need help with putting some stuff together.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°We just started. Find a space for yourselves. I¡¯ve got the list of assembly instructions somewhere around here,¡± Hutner said, scanning the workshop. He eyed a large brown folder underneath a cup that still had about an inch of coffee left in it. He¡¯d forgotten to finish it earlier, and made up for lost time by shooting the remaining coffee down his throat and handing the folder to the men.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t going to be many small components at the scale we¡¯re working at. Securing the system to the walls will be the most difficult part of the installation. However, the bolt spacing on the outpost perimeter hasn¡¯t changed in six years. It shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±

    ¡°And if we have questions, ask anyone?¡± one of the other men asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Hunter said, ¡°these guys are learning on the job. Just ask me.¡±

    They eyed him skeptically. Everyone here knew who Joey Geraldine was. Hunter might have been an heir, but he couldn¡¯t blame them for thinking he wasn¡¯t qualified. There was a time when it would have rubbed him the wrong way, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

    While the labourers familiarized themselves with their task, Hunter checked on the progress of the artisans.

    Their progress surprised him. He figured they wouldn¡¯t be too far behind his arbitrary self-appointed deadline of 24 hours for the entire system to be installed.

    Joey seemed to have etched the syntax with the glyphs he was the most familiar with. Jesse and Gill were both somewhat familiar with the synergistic glyphs after having worked on it previously. Joey seemed frustrated, but focused. Hunter didn¡¯t want to bother him.

    Hunter stepped outside the workshop for a second. The Ambition had appeared, holding station high in the sky. It was a welcome sight. Shuttles, like fleas, hovered around the Ambition, waiting for its crew to process events and reassess unloading procedures, since they couldn¡¯t stay grounded for long.

    He contacted Cloud¡¯s quartermaster, reminding him of the promised industrial-grade channel-etching machine for the workshop expansion. The machine was to be brought over from the Cloud and Hunter was willing to bet that the man had forgotten, as he was the middle-man for every department that still had resources aboard the downed flagship.

    ¡°Fin,¡± Hunter said once the quartermaster answered his call.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, I know you need the machine from the fabrication guys, but I just got an order from the agriculture guys and it¡¯s pretty urgent¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªFin, if I don¡¯t get that machine, agriculture is going to be the last of our concerns. There is a beastwave on its way right now. In fact, I need the entire complement of fabrication machines that were promised for the workshop¡¯s expansion right now. I promise you I¡¯ll take full responsibility for any complaints you receive. To seal the deal, I¡¯ll even make this a direct order.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Fin said curtly, which to Hunter felt like it was less personal and more coming from having been relentlessly harassed for the past few days.

    Tough luck. He¡¯d buy the man a meal or something to make up for it.

    He hung up and thought through his ever-increasing list of priorities.

    ¡°Mr. Koar!¡± came the voice of Joey, sounding aggravated. ¡°This part here doesn¡¯t make any sense, how do I know it¡¯s won¡¯t blow up on me if the Stability glyph is so far from the¡ª¡±

    Hunter held up a hand and walked over to a stack of drawers against the wall. He pulled out a series of plates which acted as individual constructs illustrating the function of each network. In the ideal world, he would have used these plates to introduce his artisans to the various syntactical and synergistic novelties which comprised the Aegis system.

    But now that his timetable had rapidly accelerated, they would have to serve as the most efficient method to shut Joey Geraldine up and get him back to work.

    ¡°Tell me what you notice about these plates, Joey.¡±

    Joey scanned them and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I see that they¡¯re replications of the various networks for the Aegis system, but they¡ª¡±

    ¡°Joey, activate them in sequence. Please.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Koar, I respect your authority as an heir to the corporation, but I must insist that you speak to me with the respect due to my station.¡±

    Hunter took a deep breath.

    ¡°Mr. Geraldine. Please activate the constructs so that I may show to you that the entire system is safe.¡±

    Joey nodded and activated the plates with the drawstones Hunter had taped onto them.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the man said after having finished. Hunter received the plates back. With a focused effort to remain calm, he carefully returned them to the drawer. It took an effort of will not to slam the drawer closed.

    It was going to be a very long 24 hours.

 Chapter 74

    All work came to a pause once Fin arrived with the goods, but before that, Hunter had needed to deal with the sudden influx of more artisans from the Cloud. Work didn¡¯t speed up too much after that, as the handful of new artisans required their own introduction to the work. He was thinking about how to most efficiently bring them all into the workflow he¡¯d established when Hunter got a call from Trey, who told him that the Ambition would be sending down some help.

    He found that now that the moment he¡¯d dreaded was here; it wasn¡¯t as bad as he¡¯d feared. Despite the tension, the stress, and the stakes, Joey and the other two were pulling their weight in a way that Hunter hadn¡¯t expected. They were a well-oiled machine far before Hunter arrived on the scene. They knew how to communicate with each other, and how to work with each others intuition and flow.

    Hunter took some mental notes on Joey¡¯s leadership abilities, unsure if he would retain them given his constant low-grade anxiety.

    Within the hour, the miniscule multiplier that the new artisans provided began ramping up. It took another hour before they could produce the plates at twice the volume they were before. They all had a much-needed break when the machines finally arrived and had to be installed.

    It was around this time that the first of the Ambition¡¯s artisans arrived. The colony would integrate the Ambition¡¯s crew over the next couple of days, allowing both ship¡¯s crews time to adjust to the added personnel. They expected more ships arriving soon. Hopefully, the staggered approach would prove the most efficient; focusing on bringing in necessary resources rather than overwhelming the small outpost before planning and organization could begin.

    Hunter appreciated the approach because it gave his own people time to practice coaching while he was there to observe. The artisans all learned fast ¡ª this wasn¡¯t a surprise, the profession was full of memorization and it would logically follow that the artisans would be good at it. Glyphs, syntax, networks, a hundred different ways to draw channels, as well as the advantages and pitfalls of various materials were all things they¡¯d drilled into their minds over years.

    Some thought the new glyphs and the unusual application of the old ones were too much to take seriously. But their professionalism always won out over their protest. Taking the time to get Joey up to speed with Jesse and Gill had paid off. Joey was a known quantity throughout the fleet, and people respected his judgement. His endorsement swayed even the most skeptical artisans. This saved Hunter from having to repeatedly prove the efficacy of the Aegis, and the use of synergies.

    In fact, Joey seemed to be enjoying the work. Once he¡¯d gotten over his own skepticism, the excitement he felt for being a part of something new began to surface. He would look at the diagrams with what Hunter could only assume was incredulous acceptance. He would glance at Hunter with what seemed like a burning desire to ask a question, but then would think better of it and get back to work. Hunter appreciated that, and he promised himself he¡¯d take some time to sit down with Joey and get to know him.

    Hunter could respect the man¡¯s position ¡ª not just his rank, but his thought process about synergies, and the new tech that it was going to bring. If anything, his skepticism was a point of virtue, even if it felt like an unnecessary obstacle to overcome at the moment. But if the stakes weren¡¯t as high, Hunter wouldn¡¯t feel as annoyed as he did.

    He¡¯d rather get along with him if he had a choice. He hoped there would be time for that in months ahead, as he didn¡¯t expect to find time in the next few days or weeks.

    They were about 2/3rd¡¯s of the way through the entire Aegis system when gunshots echoed through the outpost.

    ¡°Stay focused, everyone,¡± Hunter said. He felt an intense urge to get through the work as fast as possible, and he was certain that the rest of the artisans were feeling the same pressure. Any hiccups in their work could spell the deaths of their defenders.

    But if the Aegis system failed because of errors caused by a careless rush to finish, it could spell the loss of the entire outpost.

    More engineering staff had arrived to reinforce their fabrication team, and were already bringing many of the finished plates to the walls. Hunter needed to be present to ensure the correct setup of the system. He¡¯d only need to be present once, as the process was child¡¯s-play compared to making the plates themselves.

    Hunter inspected the battlements of the wall. The world¡¯s nature necessitated the building of a thick wall around the outpost. But he knew the builders hadn¡¯t designed it to defend against a combined Class-1 and 2 assault. A single Class-1 might break through, even with the Aegis system installed.

    He kept his thoughts to himself. His leadership modules had underscored the importance of keeping morale high. They¡¯d deal with the Class-1¡¯s when they got here, if they got here. Maybe they¡¯d be lucky and the Ambition would we able to pick them all off from high above.

    Once the engineers knew how to align the plates correctly, setting up the wireless power transmitters would be easy. Hunter trusted the team could handle the rest of the installation themselves. He realized he might have been worrying too much about ensuring the system¡¯s timely installation. If he was honest, he might have underestimated the intelligence and motivation of the rest of the artisans.

    He had to stop for a moment in order to process that. Whoever wrote the leadership modules would probably highlight the childishness and inexperience he¡¯d shown as examples of the qualities you¡¯d see in a poor leader.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t a genius. He knew that. His sensitivity was an advantage, but half of these artisans could very well turn out to be twice as intelligent and driven as he was. But he seemed to have kept some of that reflexive arrogance he¡¯d used to inflate his ego at the lowest point in his life.

    It was another reminder that Hunter hadn¡¯t earned the authority that he¡¯d been given. Who knows what else he could be overlooking, and not even realize it?

    Hunter had been standing outside of the workshop with his hands resting on his hips while he thought. He didn¡¯t even notice Aera when she appeared behind him.

    ¡°Boo,¡± she whispered. Hunter jumped and brought a hand to his heart.

    ¡°Almost killed me,¡± he said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to check up on you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the civilian teams on the Ambition¡¯s crew. Everyone from the Cloud already has a job to do, and dad has forbidden me from fighting against the beastwave unless the situation becomes critical. I saw your team setting up the Aegis system, and there were some troubling murmurs about a very stressed out young boss. So, I thought I¡¯d drop by.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everyone¡¯s feeling the pressure right now,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, but most of these people have had a lot of experience with dealing with this kind of pressure. No offense, Hunter, but you¡¯re still new to this.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s shoulders sank.

    ¡°And I saw the look on your face when you walked right past me, lost in thought. Trust me, Hunter,¡± Aera said. ¡°Dad always says that it¡¯s good to know your weaknesses, but you balance that with knowing your strengths. I think I know you by now. Whatever¡¯s going through your head, accept it and then move on. This isn¡¯t your first trial by fire, and it will not be your last.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°Thanks, Aera. I needed to hear that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what families are for,¡± she said. It was so shocking to hear that it broke right through whatever stubborn barrier he¡¯d been unwilling to see through.

    She¡¯d yet to acknowledge it until just then. Her actions had shown how she¡¯d felt, and Hunter knew that she¡¯d accepted his presence and that they now shared a last name. But the shock of hearing her say it must have been written all over him.

    He gave her a hug, which seemed to amuse her, but she didn¡¯t hesitate to reciprocate.

    ¡°How¡¯s Trey doing?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s tough,¡± she said, her voice lowering so that no one nearby could overhear her, ¡°he¡¯s pulled himself and the company through potential hell more times than I can count. But the place is ruthless, and it¡¯s wearing on him as well.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should check up on him as well?¡±

    ¡°I just did,¡± she said. ¡°He seemed to appreciate having me around for a little while. I think I was able to help him regain some focus. But he¡¯s always focused, and he knows how to work through the pain. The situation with Clarke affected him more than he let on, and I can tell that he¡¯s feeling responsible for everyone¡¯s suffering.¡±

    ¡°They all volunteered,¡± Hunter said. ¡°No one forced them to come.¡±

    ¡°He knows that. I¡¯ve heard some whispers of discontentment, people who wonder if they can trust him after he pulled everyone into this situation.¡±

    Hunter pursed his lips. He didn¡¯t enjoy hearing people challenging Trey¡¯s judgement like that.

    ¡°That kind of stuff doesn¡¯t get to him, usually. But this time it is. I don¡¯t know, he¡¯ll be fine, but we might need to find some time to keep him encouraged and focused on the positive. We all shared the same dream when we came here, before getting shot down and challenged at every turn. I think dream is still possible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hunter said, despite his doubts. What use was a vision if they were all stomped under the heal of some horrific creature piloted by a mind parasite?

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Aera started, but Hunter¡¯s radio crackled.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, some plates along the border aren¡¯t activating. The main mass will reach the outpost soon.¡±

    He didn¡¯t let himself get pulled into the frustration and sense of despair.

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Hunter responded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. Not long, 10 minutes. Maybe.¡±

    Hunter cursed and sprinted towards the sounds of gunfire and roaring animals. Aera was hot on his heels. It took him a few minutes to reach the wall, and he felt every second like it was a second closer to the end of the world.

    ¡°Where?¡± he asked the first engineer he saw. His uniform had the insignia of the Ambition on it. The man looked at him with confusion but then pointed him towards someone who looked like they knew what they were doing. Hunter recognized him from earlier in the day. He was part of the initial team who started installing the system on the wall.

    ¡°Sir, there are multiple zones that don¡¯t seem to be working. We tried decoupling and then reconnecting them, but that didn¡¯t work. We suspect the problem lies in their manufacture.¡±

    Hunter felt a surge of panic in his chest. He shoved it away and asked the man to show him to the faulty plates. He passed a Lieutenant Guardsman on the way and informed him of what was going on. The news appeared to force the man to swallow vinegar, but he found a handful of Guardsmen resting from the fighting. They would follow Hunter and a couple of engineers along the wall while they troubleshooted the problem.

    They built the outpost higher than the opposite forest¡¯s clearing to better spot the beast in situations like this. He watched as the sparse trickle of creatures became a stream, and then the streams became something more.

    The ground trembled.

    Their window of opportunity to fix the gap in their system was closing. He ignored the fact that the Aegis System wasn¡¯t built to withstand a Class-1 attack. He also knew June could easily break through it, as if it were wet paper.

    Hopefully, the combined fire of the defenders and the Ambition would be enough to dissuade the creatures from getting too close.

    Hunter had the Aegis activated. He blocked out the sounds of battle: gunfire, energy blasts, and the howls of the creatures intent on destroying the outpost.

    It took him a few seconds to feel his way through the construct. His attention was brought to the bottom of the construct. Whoever had made it had messed up the syntax and rushed through the process of etching their channels around one of the output latches, which connected to other plates.

    Hunter would have to go down there and fix it. He looked over the edge of the wall, to the small sea of animal corpses and the unending waves of beasts who were piling over them, and he felt sheer terror.

    He forced it down. He steeled his resolve. His legs trembled. His hands shook.

    ¡°Class-1¡¯s spotted with the main mass! Incoming!¡± someone yelled.

    Hunter couldn¡¯t let himself hesitate. The second he let the weight of the beastwave take hold in his mind, he¡¯d be paralyzed with fear.

    ¡°I need a weapon,¡± he said, and one of the Guards gave him their sidearm. He already had his tools with him, and the drop from the wall wasn¡¯t high enough to hurt him too much.

    ¡°Hunter, this is crazy,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll need a way up once I¡¯m done,¡± he said, ignoring her.

    ¡°Done?¡± one of the Guards asked. ¡°You¡¯re going down there?¡±

    ¡°If we want this system to work, then yes.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t just let you¡ª¡±

    Hunter leapt off the edge of the wall. He shot at the beasts nearby so that he¡¯d have room to work. The team opened fire on any of the other beasts that saw him as a target, which, to his ears, seemed like a lot.

    Aera landed beside him. She¡¯d taken a rifle from one of the Guards and was already firing into the beastwave. An engineer landed awkwardly beside him, and Hunter felt some relief that they¡¯d found the will to jump down there with him. The other engineer didn¡¯t seem to have found the same courage. Hunter didn¡¯t blame him.

    It was sheer insanity that let him jump down here. He¡¯s not about to criticize a man for having fear. They¡¯d been doing their jobs. That this system wasn¡¯t activating was a mistake that fell on his own shoulders. Hunter had failed to do his job, and now he had to suffer the consequences.

    His assigned Guards jumped down next, joining Aera to keep the area around Hunter clear.

    Hunter had pried back part of the protective plating that would keep the construct safe from the onslaught of beasts. The engineer took hold of it, and Hunter bent down and got to work. They were fortunate that this specific plate would be such an easy fix.

    As soon as he started fixing the errors he found, something heavy bumped into him, causing him to etch a line right through the glyphs he needed to fix. It was a creature that had fallen beside him, already dead, shoving Hunter on its way down. As he got back to work, he could see it in the corner of his vision, twitching in its death throes.

    It took all of his willpower to stay focused on his work.

    Don¡¯t think about the wave. Don¡¯t think about the wave. Don¡¯t think about the wave.

    It was impossible to keep his mind off of the wave.

    He cursed his fear.

    His hands were shaking too much.

    I can do this. I¡¯ve handled worse odds.

    He hadn¡¯t, but it helped him gain a bit more control over himself.

    ¡°There¡¯s too many of them!¡± one of the Guards yelled.

    ¡°Hunter, we need to go,¡± Aera yelled.

    ¡°You go,¡± Hunter told the engineer, who was covered in sweat and seemed to be doing his best to ignore his impending death. The Guards on the wall had lowered a rope for them to catch on to.

    Hunter could see the helmet of a guard on the ground in his peripheral vision. The body it belonged to wasn¡¯t moving.

    The engineer hesitated.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done great. I¡¯m almost finished. I¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± Hunter lied as he worked, shoving the grief of the dead Guard way down, where it wouldn¡¯t affect his focus.

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± he said, and jumped up to grab the rope.

    ¡°All of you, go. I¡¯ll be finished soon. That¡¯s an order.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t order me, jackass,¡± Aera said. Hunter pursed his lips.

    ¡°No use in both of us dying,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Shut up, Hunter.¡±

 Chapter 75

    The Guards could only follow Hunter¡¯s order, and Aera didn¡¯t reprimand them for retreating as they climbed up the rope.

    Aera was backed up against him.

    Hunter had to use his arm to hold back the edge of the metal plating that the engineer had been holding back while he worked. It was uncomfortable, and it trapped him there until he could finish. It took some elbow grease to cut through the channel that led to the Glyph, and then carve new channels into a new Glyph altogether. The Guards were yelling, Aera¡¯s voice joined in their cacophony. He couldn¡¯t afford to listen.

    ¡°Class-1 is engaging! Focus fire!¡± one of his Guards yelled. The voice broke through his focus just as Hunter finished the last fix. He wrenched his arm out from between the two pieces of metal.

    Just as a wave of etherium which hit him from behind, thrust forward into the panel he had just repaired. Thankfully, his improved constitution ensured that nothing inside his body broke from the impact.

    The wave of pressure didn¡¯t abate. Aera groaned as she forced herself back to her feet.

    Despite his better judgement, he turned to see just how bad the situation was for him.

    The creature was just as big as the Pyrothar he¡¯d encountered when he first woke up in this cursed world. It was like a bigger version of the strange wolf-like insects he and the scout team had encountered in the caves near Lake Striptease.

    But this one was at least 5 times their size. It stalked towards Hunter, a visible aura surrounded it. Dark green, and it flickered as if it were being stroked by ethereal winds, akin to a candle¡¯s dancing flame.

    The way it felt contrasted the way it looked. It was like what he imagined a hammer might feel when it struck an anvil. Again, and again, and again. Why did it feel like that? He fell into something of a stupor. It was like his mind was out of his own control. He felt his channels light, etherium magnetized to them, and activated them in a way he¡¯d never felt before. He didn¡¯t even need to focus too hard to feel them. It was as if a spotlight were shining on him from the etheric realm. He could see everything.

    The rest of the creatures of the beastwave seemed to view the Class-1¡¯s aura as a threat to themselves as well. They flowed around the perimeter of the aura, which meant that there was space between the beast and its prey. Its eyes darted between him and Aura, then its attention moved to the Guards who were peppering it with everything they had. Bullets barely penetrated its skin. Energy weapons seemed to annoy it more.

    He could only give the creature half of his attention. His remaining focus turned inward, and he was astonished.

    He felt the creature in front of him. But it wasn¡¯t in the same vague way he could feel his way through constructs and other etheric phenomena. He felt how the etherium moved through it, in and out, like an endless breath, a perpetual exhale. It was almost like it was being charged before it even reached the creature, as if it was being activated by the creature¡¯s presence alone.

    The beast stopped advancing. It assessed him. The rest of its attackers became irrelevant. It must have felt his presence as well.

    Then something in the beast¡¯s demeanour changed. The charge of the etherium around it shifted. He could feel the etherium within the creature expand to saturate its body, and its aura intensified. It made him sweat. It gave him a headache.

    ¡°Activate it!¡± Hunter yelled back to the defenders.

    ¡°You¡¯re too close,¡± he heard someone yell back.

    The beast charged.

    ¡°Just fucking activate it!¡± Hunter yelled.

    Hunter tried to leap out of the way, but it was too fast. He shoved Aera out of the way of its charge, but then the Class-1 hit him head on. He found himself trapped between the beast and the wall, and then the beast stepped back, readying for another charge towards the wall.

    The force field didn¡¯t activate. He didn¡¯t even feel etherium flowing through it. They hadn¡¯t listened. He wanted to yell at them, curse them, but he couldn¡¯t breathe. He hadn¡¯t felt like this since Barnum. The telltale agony of broken bones consumed him. It had been too long since he¡¯d felt like this. The pain was too shocking. He¡¯d forgotten how to work through it.

    He couldn¡¯t move.

    Aera was screaming his name, firing at the beast as if it would make a difference. Its gaze shifted to her for a moment, but then it brought its attention to the wall.

    The creature charged again, slamming its head against the repaired Aegis plates. Hunter felt a brief ember of hope flare when the plate activated, but then the Class-1 hit it again and the Aegis¡¯s plate deformed. With another hit, it tore through the plating altogether.

    The assault exposed the outpost¡¯s bare wall, which wouldn¡¯t withstand this kind of attack for long. The beast backed up and charged again. Wounds pitted its blood-soaked hide. It was slowing down. The weapons were working. The beast was struggling, despite its power, despite its stubborn will.

    The wall trembled and cracked with the next impact.

    It seemed like the entire defensive line had turned its attention to the beast. The focused fire of a hundred weapons impacted the creature. The sound was deafening. An endless thundering. The beast roared its defiance, but the combined assault from the defenders drowned the sound out.

    It retreated, but didn¡¯t make it far before it fell under the combined assault.

    Hunter would have sighed in relief if he could inhale at all. He settled for a mental fuck you towards the creature that could have just signed his death sentence.

    He felt a pair of hands grab him, and then another. They lifted him over the wall, and he caught his breath.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Old strategies for dealing with the pain resurfaced. He did his best to fight through it.

    ¡°The wall,¡± he rasped for whoever could hear him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it will hold.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned and winced at the pain that came from the effort.

    ¡°Guard Captain,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re insane, a moron, or one of the most courageous people I¡¯ve ever seen, Mr. Koar,¡± Guard Captain Bell said.

    ¡°He¡¯s a moron,¡± Aera said. Hunter was relieved to hear her voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to make it my mission to make sure you don¡¯t make it anywhere near this wall again, understand? I¡¯m chaining you to that workshop until the day you die.¡±

    Fury contorted her features. It reminded him of a dream he¡¯d had. It was just over a week ago.

    Had it only been a week since then?

    But the Aera in the dream had been an avatar of pain and torment. The rage of this Aera was born of concern and frustration.

    Hunter declined to comment. She was alive, and that¡¯s all that mattered to him right now. He observed the surroundings. A defensive line was being formed behind the vulnerable wall. And even further back; sand bags, heavy machine guns. A few squadrons were watching the wall with their weapons at the ready.

    He felt the etheric fluctuations of the Ambition above them, ready to blanket the ground below in a sea of fire if it was necessary.

    Even now, it was firing at distant targets. Class-1 and 2 creatures, he could only hope. He imagined the hulking beasts falling under the surprise attack from the sky. A ground-based energy burst surprised him as it shot toward the Ambition, its sources hidden from his view by miles of forest.

    The Class-1¡¯s were fighting back.

    Flying creatures flocked around the Ambitions shield¡¯s, oblivious to the futility of their actions.

    ¡°Class-1 creatures were supposed to be immune,¡± Aera said. Hunter could only grunt in agreement, electing not to invoke more pain than necessary.

    ¡°Clarke said that the parasite had prioritized our elimination. Couldn¡¯t tolerate us knowing that it had a weakness. Maybe it could always control Class-1¡¯s, but hadn¡¯t deemed it to be cost effective.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have time for speculation, Hunter thought.

    ¡°The rest of the Aegis system needs to be repaired,¡± Hunter said, regretting the words, knowing full well he was in no position to help. ¡°I need to go back out there.¡±

    ¡°We informed Mr. Geraldine, and he¡¯s already taking steps to ensure that the rest of the plates are triple-checked before installation; teams have focused on replacing all the damaged plates,¡± the Guard Captain said.

    Hunter wanted to protest. These people couldn¡¯t feel what he felt. His sensitivity made him invaluable during this kind of work.

    But then he processed what the Guard Captain was saying.

    Replacing the plates would be a lot faster and less dangerous than heading over the wall in order to repair them. It would just require pulling the plates over the wall and lowering a new one.

    Why hadn¡¯t he thought of that?

    It¡¯s because he hadn¡¯t been thinking. Only reacting. He¡¯d risked Aera¡¯s life, the Guards¡¯ lives, and that engineer¡¯s life because he hadn¡¯t assessed the situation.

    He thanked the universe for Joey Geraldine.

    Hunter figured he should cede all the authority he¡¯d inherited with the Oberon''s name. If today¡¯s events had proven anything to him, it was that he wasn¡¯t ready. In this trial by fire, he¡¯d almost got everyone burned alive. A Guard had died because of his reckless decision-making.

    Aera had returned to the wall, fighting alongside the Guards. Trey would be pissed. But the beastwave was terrifying in its scope. It was like an entire enemy army laying siege to their walls. If he was her, he¡¯d be right where she was, helping them fight the unstoppable horde.

    Hunter coughed and winced from the pain.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting you to a medic,¡± the Guard Captain said, pulling him to the side.

    ¡°I need to work,¡± Hunter said, wondering how he was going to get anything done in his current state. The thought of being useless when his help was most needed the most repulsed him.

    ¡°You will, once we give you a clean bill of health. We¡¯ll have more artisans sent down from the Ambition if there are still any on board.¡±

    Hunter shook his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point. The system is almost finished¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªthen that¡¯s even more reason for you to receive care for your wounds. This is an active battleground, I¡¯m in command, and this is a direct order,¡± the Guard Captain said. Hunter pursed his lips.

    What weakness within him would be so ready to accept the order? He wished that he¡¯d refused, overriding the Guard Captain¡¯s authority, crawling back to the wall or the workshop and helping however he could.

    Instead, he felt relieved. Was it cowardice?

    He felt useless. Honestly, he wished that the Guard Captain had been there earlier to stop him from putting everyone at risk.

    Besides, now that he had nothing to do but wait, he could use the time to understand just what had happened with the etherium, which was still surging within him. The feeling was like being charged like a battery, but it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable.

    A commotion along the wall caught his attention.

    ¡°Another Class-1! It¡¯s big!¡± someone yelled. The entire line of Guards atop the vulnerable wall retreated. Aera seemed the most frightened he¡¯d ever seen her. She jumped off the wall and broke out into a full-bore sprint.

    She only got a few meters away when the wall exploded with a strong etheric pulse.

    Hunter had felt that flavour of etherium before. It was Force, and the way it was manifesting reminded him of his time at the museum.

    Even at his distance from the wall, hurricane-force winds buffeted him and threw him off of his feet. He hit the ground and cried out as the broken bones in his chest coloured the world in hues of suffering.

    The wall was breached.

    Hunter heard calls for retreat. A wave of beasts poured through the opening. The temporary barricade worked until a massive figure forced its way through; it was too large to fit. It rammed against the hole, the edges of which immediately gave way to the hulking creature. It reminded him of a giant ape ¡ª but it was hairless. Its eyes observed the area with intelligence. It seemed like it was trying to resist its own rage. Its body rippled as if its muscles were in a state of constant, intense cramping. Once it stepped through, people died. A hurricane of Force propelled bodies, weapons, and debris from the wall towards the defenders and their surroundings.

    It walked on all fours, but then it stood on its hind legs and thumped its chest.

    Its aura filled the surroundings. It wasn¡¯t just a pressure; it was a weight. A blanket of domination to cow the weak animals that pelted at it with their weak weapons.

    Hunter grunted. Its presence was twice as strong as the last Class-1. A primitive mechanism deep within him cowered before a superior life-form. The abandoned child that still lived within his mind scoffed at the fear, and any creature that would dare to look down on him.

    The outpost was lost. The Ambition could retreat and signal for the other ships to find another world to settle. Skyhold wasn¡¯t worth the price paid in blood. Let the gods rage amongst themselves in this cursed place.

    Hunter¡¯s blood turned cold when he saw Aera¡¯s form laying prone, 20 yards from the Class-1 creature which advanced towards the defenders.

    Then his own etherium flared in response to the creature¡¯s own.

    Something deep within him was resonating with the power of these creatures. There was a recognition he couldn¡¯t define. Despite his pain, he pushed himself to his feet. The movement was smooth. He felt lighter than usual, as if the etherium itself was supporting him.

    The etherium within him wasn¡¯t just increasing, there was something else that he was feeling. It was the same thing that he felt from the creature.

    It was that distinct feeling of Force-charged etherium. Except it differed from what he¡¯d ever felt before. The etherium seemed poised between dormancy and manifesting its field, as if held in stasis, awaiting permission to release itself. He felt that all he would have to do was let it go, and it would burst from him in an uncontrolled explosion.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he breathed.

    Aera groaned and moved.

    The creature brought its attention towards her. It moved with the sure conviction that its might was uncontested here. It would meet no rival in these puny creatures.

    Hunter¡¯s mind quietened, and the world slowed down. All doubt and cowardice evaporated.

    Focus came so easily to him. A single idea took almost all of his attention.

    The beast must die, and he would be the one to kill it.

 Chapter 76

    There came a strange voice.

    Observe, it said. It was feminine and warm. It was soft as a feather, yet vast in its profundity. Hunter could hear secrets in that voice. It could feel ancient pasts and glorious futures. He could hear a universe born and another die. It was peace incarnate, so deeply removed from the chaos surrounding him.

    He hadn¡¯t heard it in his head. It had echoed throughout the entire world.

    The voice came and went. Time slowed further. His mind grew quieter still.

    His full focus was on Aera and the beast.

    On its own accord, he felt his attention pulled to the creature. It was as if his mind was being piloted by something deep within him. However, it didn¡¯t feel threatening. It didn¡¯t even feel foreign to himself.

    He saw how the etherium around the beast seemed to will itself into a charge. It streamed to the ape as if responding to a call. Somehow, the beast was resonating with the surrounding etherium. Its presence seemed to encourage it, almost as if the beast¡¯s presence was a network.

    That¡¯s not accurate, he realized with a sudden insight which had come out of nowhere.

    The relationship between the beast and the etherium was even simpler than he¡¯d assumed.

    The beast was a glyph. The world was its network.

    Feel, the voice said. He felt his aura highlighted. It had expanded during the last few seconds, and he was aware of all the etherium flowing throughout at least half of the outpost.

    He felt it with a clarity and sharpness that he¡¯d never felt before.

    He noticed how shaped force fields surrounded the beast. The clarity was so intense that he could almost pretend to see them as they manifested, twisted, expanded, and faded. Where they appeared, destruction followed. Air, stone, bullets, people, debris, all forced in every direction. A walking grenade, an intelligent hurricane.

    At the centre was a nucleus. Where the previous Class-1¡¯s aura had been like a gentle candle flame, this one was like a furious inferno, the ether stoked by a sourceless breath.

    The bea

    Calm, the voice said. As Hunter processed all of this, the beast had only moved a few steps towards his sister. Something within him was stirring ¡ª out of his control, yet its presence was like the return of a long-lost friend. It was like the antidote to all fear, rage, and pain.

    An incredible comfort suffused his limbs. It numbed his pain.

    His mind stilled further. The etherium around him grew more apparent to his senses, so intense was his clarity that it hurt. The sharp knowledge of every detail was orders of magnitude more complex than anything he¡¯d ever experienced.

    Whatever was working through him was far more powerful than Hunter could handle. But he wasn¡¯t afraid.

    The outcome of this fight was already determined, so this was not a time to regret or despair.

    Call, the voice said. And Hunter could feel his channels vibrate. Etherium rippled within him. The pain would be overwhelming, but his mind was too silent to register it as a threat.

    It was a curiosity.

    That any pain could break through whatever power was numbing his body was a testament to just how intense the strain on his body was. Whatever was controlling him was guiding him, trying to teach him something.

    The vibration within his etheric channels was something he¡¯d never heard of before. His father¡¯s journals never spoke of this. But then he could feel how the etherium around him stirred in response.

    Response, the voice said. The etherium surrounding him shifted. At first, he felt like the beast¡¯s aura had expanded in his direction, but then etherium flowed towards him.

    It wasn¡¯t the beast¡¯s aura; it was his own. His power was matching the beast¡¯s. Their auras were tuning into the same frequency, the same etheric desire.

    In slow motion, the beast¡¯s expression changed. Its eyes met his, confusion furrowing its brows. He saw precisely when the beast identified him as a threat. He witnessed a decision being made. As the creature focused on him, all nearby living things linked to its collective consciousness also focused on him.

    The parasite had seen him, and deemed his presence intolerable.

    It¡¯s fury would find no satisfaction here. Before him, it¡¯s petulant rebellion was nothing more than a child¡¯s impotent wailing.

    Flow, the voice said.

    Hunter expanded and contracting his etheric channels. It barely took any concentration. It was like he¡¯d been doing this for years. He didn¡¯t have to think about it. He only had to will it to be done.

    Effortless, like breathing.

    Lifting his arm.

    Like the ease of seeing, hearing, feeling.

    The etherium flowed through his hands. A force field twisted around him, launching him towards the beast. The force field cut off, another one forming, lifting his sister out of the way. Two more formed, and he felt his body straining in a way it never had before. He imagined every cell of his being was about to be torn apart by the amount of power flowing through him.

    It was more than his body could handle.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    His bones felt like they were dissolving. The surface of his skin broke, and blood flowed. His muscles pulled, strained, and tendons snapped.

    Yet he moved. Where his body could not, Force could. He hovered above the ground, shaped force fields wielding debris like hammers, assaulting the Class-1 puppet. A field formed under the creature. Its power was too much for etherium-hardened flesh to resist. A thin field accelerated a piece of debris to such speed that it turned to powder, which shot straight through the creature¡¯s brain.

    Hunter¡¯s pain became overwhelming. The beast¡¯s aura suddenly disappeared. Its body went limp, and as it fell, so too did he.

    He wondered if this was how he would die.

    Despite the pain, he would go out with a smile on his face. His sister was secure and unharmed. The primary threat to the outpost was dead. He could see explosions in the distance. The Ambition had let loose its reserve arsenal. He wished he could see it from up there, the sea of fire consuming the horde.

    As he faded, and the sounds of the world disappeared, he heard the voice speak.

    Your fate was decided before you were born. Your journey does not end here.

    <hr>

    Trey had seen it all unfold like a nightmare. When he¡¯d heard that Hunter was called to the wall in order to fix a problem, he knew that everything was about to go wrong.

    He couldn¡¯t explain why. Hunter was a capable artisan, and repairing an error in the Aegis system wouldn¡¯t take too long. But the beastwave was in full swing. By the time it was repaired, only a single Guard had died. A life for increased defence of the entire outpost?

    The human heart within him felt the sting of every loss. His intellect, as cold as ever, recognized a profitable deal when he saw one. The angel of death had demanded the life of one of his people, and in return, more would live.

    Yet that feeling still remained. The quiet call of intuition, telling him to pay attention, to consider the situation. If only he had the presence of self to quiet grief and accumulated pain.

    Aera and Hunter still lived. That was all that mattered. Heaven¡¯s help him, he was a selfish man. The lives of an Oberon would always mean more to him than others.

    He was no saint, just a man. He could blame himself for his flaws later.

    From the command centre, he could see the section of the wall where Hunter and Aera had been fighting for the outpost¡¯s future. The Ambition hovered above, and like a vengeful god, it showered pain and suffering in the form of accelerated lead and etheric destruction on their enemies.

    Then the notice of a second Class-1 had been called.

    That quiet foreboding blossomed into a fire of adrenaline and tension. The wall exploded, and it felt like the entire outpost quaked from the attack. A behemoth of a creature walked through. Debris, people, and weapons were lifted like toys by unseen hands and thrown around it at high speeds. It was a walking force of nature. Its power was invisible to him, but its effects were clear.

    Aera had been right in the middle of all of that. Hunter too. He¡¯d heard nothing from them over the last few minutes.

    Suddenly, he saw her whole life flash before his eyes, as if part of him already knew that she was dead.

    He remembered holding her shortly after she had been born. She had been so small, able to fit almost completely in one hand. He¡¯d been worried that something had been wrong with her, but she¡¯d grown faster than any child he¡¯d ever seen.

    So fast, in fact, that he¡¯d had to research treatments for gigantism. But her growth stabilized, and by the time she was 2, she was already walking and talking. All of his friends who had daughters had warned him that she would be trouble. She¡¯d be his little angel until she was a teenager.

    Then the angel would fall from grace, and he¡¯d be dealing with a very smart, capable, and very rebellious young woman. But Trey had never been one to shy away from a challenge. And the solution seemed simple enough for him, even if it meant it would come with its share of heartache.

    He would let her make her own mistakes and always be there when she needed a course correction. She would never feel unwelcome, unworthy, or unloved. But she would know that she could only rely on herself to solve her problems. He would be a sounding board, an honest reflection, a guiding light. Leading his family¡¯s legacy requires self-direction, self-regulation, and independent problem-solving. She would need to master these skills.

    He considered the project to be an early success. By the time they¡¯d left Sanctuary, his daughter had learned lessons that had taken himself decades to learn. She was already a capable leader, making her own connections and expanding her own reach. She took on responsibilities willingly, volunteering to take the workload off of people who needed to focus on their roles. More than once, the command staff had pulled him aside and thanked them for assigning Aera to them. He would laugh and say she deserves full credit.

    He was so unspeakably proud of her. He could never be too sure that his lessons would have the intended impact, but time and again, she proved that she cared deeply about her people. The company was more than a symbol of power to her. The people that would come to rely on her one day¡ªwhen his own sun had set, and hers rose¡ªwere people that she was already taking responsibility for.

    She would be 10 times the leader that he was. She would lead Oberon Enterprises and the entire Skyhold colony into a glorious future. He would retire and watch in awe as she built something incredible.

    That future was slipping between his fingers like sand. And as far as he knew, she was dying down there.

    He should have been there. He should have been everywhere. He should have known better.

    He¡¯d been one of the most powerful individuals in the world, back on Sanctuary. He¡¯d done the impossible, and redirected almost their whole modern military capacity to Skyhold. In less than a month, his armada would cover the sky. His army would count in the thousands. Their weaponry would make their budding colony impossible to breach. The entire world, save Sabletown, would be no threat to the might that he would wield against it.

    But they would come too late. They would arrive at a ruined outpost, hundreds dead, having been completely overwhelmed. The colony would continue, of course. The people who had yet to arrive would resettle elsewhere, fortify, and slowly expand under the leadership of whoever had the rank and seniority following his demise.

    Trey had failed. He¡¯d been resisting that fact for the last couple of days, but now it was clear. He should have known better.

    He¡¯d failed as a leader. He¡¯d failed as a father.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the wall,¡± he said. ¡°Call the Ambition. Evacuate as many as possible. It¡¯s been an honour, Captain.¡±

    Trey turned to the door. Guard Captain Niklaus grabbed his shoulder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that, sir. We need you.¡±

    ¡°Nik,¡± Trey said, shrugging the man¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s an order. Get it done.¡±

    ¡°I refuse,¡± Niklaus said, without even a split second of hesitation.

    ¡°What?¡± Trey said, turning on the man. The absurdity of the situation broke through the cloud of shame and guilt which had overtaken him.

    ¡°I said I refuse. I¡¯ll call the Ambition and head to the frontline myself, but you¡¯ll be the first one they pick up.¡±

    Trey shook his head.

    ¡°No, absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be taking the easy way out,¡± Niklaus said, his face contorting in fury. ¡°I didn¡¯t devote my whole life to following a coward. I know you¡¯re no coward. What the hell has gotten into you, Trey?¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Trey said, ¡°¡ªAera, Hunter, the front line. We¡¯ve lost.¡±

    Niklaus snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you stare defiantly down the barrel of a gun. This isn¡¯t you. Wake the fuck up, sir,¡± Niklaus said, gazing out the window. His eyes widened.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Trey followed his gaze. At first, he had trouble comprehending what he was seeing. But how could he not recognize the young man he¡¯d come to love like his own son?

    ¡°Hunter?¡±

    He was flying.

    Floating high above the destruction below, orbited by a storm of debris, and the bodies of creatures both living and dead. As soon as a beast passed the wall, it was lifted into the storm, thrown back over the wall, or used as a bludgeon against another creature.

    He didn¡¯t even see the objects in transit before they hit the Class-1. All he saw was the aftermath. The creature¡¯s knees literally blew out from beneath it. Then it was hit from behind and fell face first.

    It didn¡¯t move.

    Then Hunter fell like a puppet cut from its strings.

    Trey didn¡¯t even hesitate. He was out of the command centre and running as fast as his legs could carry him.

 Chapter 77

    June contemplated the thousands of people below him as he stood still in the air, high above Sabletown. He pondered them like a parent might ponder their child. June had watched many of the men and women down there grow from infants into maturity. He¡¯d taught some of them how to wield their first weapons.

    He felt a presence appear beside him. The aura was unrestrained, and it promised to consume the sky if it could. It spoke of furious ambition, an unquenchable passion.

    It was a familiar presence, and it belonged to the only other man in Sabletown who could rival his power.

    ¡°Are we prepared?¡± Mayor Greave asked, his eyes glazed as his mind explored the town. June could feel the Vital fluctuations left in the wake of the man¡¯s shifting attention. June felt the Mayor inspect the various nodes in the large formation being built to defend them should the worst come to pass.

    Even at the peak of the Elemental Initiate stage, to detach one¡¯s attention from their body like the Mayor was doing was no easy feat. Although there was a pragmatic reason for it, June recognized when the man was putting on a show.

    Their rivalry would never end. Not that June was above the posturing. He stood upon his sword aura, which would reduce lesser men to shreds by just being near it.

    His aura remained unbound by any base element. He possessed the necessary comprehension to wield a more abstract force. The Stellar Sword Celestial, the great Celestial Patriarch, passed down this force; he established the Stellar Sword Element and its emergence as a law of nature.

    The power was beyond his current understanding. However, he would gladly accept the fruits of his ancient patriarch¡¯s accomplishments. Celestials were immortal, but the Stellar Sword Celestial hadn¡¯t appeared in thousands of years.

    When he¡¯d left, uprooting his sect¡¯s foundation from their ancient home, he and his disciple had been the object of ridicule. He¡¯d inherited a thousand ancient enemies when he¡¯d ascended to his position. Some were great, some not so great. Some strong, some weak. But the Stellar Sword Sect had grown weak, too. Instead of a great Celestial, a mere Elemental Initiate now carried their karma.

    It was not a situation that any fool could shoulder on their own. But he was no fool. Some would call him a coward for relocating so far from any known civilization. But to him, the choice made sense. It was a time of tribulation for everyone. It was only a matter of when ¡ª not if ¡ª someone would come to collect ancient dues in the form of blood, pain, and obliteration.

    In contrast, who knows what was in store for him and these people, so far beyond the fringe? This land had the potential to be shaped quite like their ancient homeworlds, given that they had enough time.

    If they could survive the coming tribulation, he had full confidence that the Stellar Sword Sect would rise again.

    In his mind, the profit belonged exclusively to him. He¡¯d disbanded the old sect, the one disciple who had remained had followed him here. Aruon had been a teenager back then. Galan was of the newest generation of Sabletown, and she had a potential within her that astounded him. Aruon had the mind for cultivation, Galan had the fury. He hoped that one day, they would shore up each other¡¯s weaknesses. If he were to perish, he would need them to work together to uncover and display the great potential of the Stellar Sword.

    Way out here, his budding sect would have no competition with ancient empires and ambitious upstarts. At least, they weren¡¯t supposed to. But life was always so full of surprises. Even his old master had found some joy in life¡¯s chaotic nature. So unpredictable, yet always shaped by a greater force. Greater even than Celestials, his master would say. But then Jude would think, what force could be greater than a Celestial¡¯s, who could shape the very laws of the universe?

    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready,¡± June said to his comrade and rival, ¡°though I fear the guardian may appear before we complete our defenses.¡±

    ¡°Damned technics,¡± the Mayor growled, ¡°how certain are we that we can trust their innocence? As far as I know, they woke it earlier for the sake of wiping us out. The timing is too coincidental, no matter what they claim.¡±

    ¡°The timing is hardly their fault,¡± June chuckled, ¡°they did what they ought to do; find opportunity in catastrophe. Not only have they discovered the true nature of the enemy we have faced these past decades, they¡¯ve discovered a weakness.¡±

    ¡°A parasite,¡± Greaves spit, ¡°How did we not see it for ourselves? We¡¯ve had decades to study these creatures.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the like,¡± June said. ¡°Perhaps our experience has blinded us. Perhaps we¡¯ve lived sheltered lives despite the turbulence of the old lands. We were looking for a solution which would fall within our expectations. An intelligent fungal parasite? My training never prepared me for such a situation. But our allies come from a very different world, apparently. They are open to solutions to problems we¡¯ve ever had to face.¡±

    ¡°Allies,¡± the Mayor snorted, ¡°we¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    June sighed. He understood the Mayor¡¯s reluctance to embrace their new technic neighbours like June had. Maybe June would respect him less if the Mayor had been any less stubborn about the issue.

    Beyond the fringe, you couldn¡¯t trust anyone you didn¡¯t know. However, he believed Oberon Enterprises¡¯ staff was unlike the usual people found out here. They were refugees, if his guess was correct, but very civilized and highly organized. They had not suffered the centuries of scarcity and desperation that plague so many who attempt to survive beyond the fringe of the known worlds.

    Experts cultivated the lands of the core worlds for untold eras. Such lands were suited for a society such as theirs. But beyond the fringe, expansive worlds of such abundant resources like this one were rare. They¡¯d been lucky to find it.

    Having to share such a treasure trove with others was not ideal. Especially when most in this area of space would sell you out for nothing more than spite. The Mayor had no reason to believe that their neighbours were anything less than what they expected from others that they¡¯d encountered.

    ¡°You¡¯ll come around,¡± June said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have to,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°I¡¯ll break through soon. Once I do, I¡¯ll be unmatched in this world. No matter our neighbours¡¯ capabilities, this is our home. We¡¯ve fought too long and too hard to split it down the middle.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    June kept his thoughts to himself. He¡¯d prefer a peaceful coexistence with Oberon Enterprises. They could prove a valuable resource in the coming centuries. What could they learn from each other? How could they develop with each other¡¯s knowledge?

    He envisioned a future where he would fulfil his promise to his deceased master.

    His great sect would thrive again, far beyond their ancient heights. They would have space and time to develop, away from the prying eyes and ambitions of the turbulent lands they were born from.

    If Mayor Greave thought to dominate Oberon Enterprises, then June would ensure it was done with the lightest possible touch. If the Mayor could use the pressure of this fight to breakthrough, then it was his responsibility to match the man¡¯s passion.

    He didn¡¯t mind getting the Mayor¡¯s way. June had earned his own authority, and the Mayor couldn¡¯t do anything about it. They both understood that they would act for the best of the settlement and their people. But sometimes their visions didn¡¯t quite align.

    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they¡¯d come to blows over creative differences.

    But the knowledge that they were acting in the best interest of the settlement always underscored any tensions. They would not risk the death of over 40 per cent of their combined strength over a disagreement. They may be selfish and ambitious, but short-sighted fools taking such an attitude to the extreme was why they¡¯d left their homes. Infighting, constant warfare, families cut apart for the ambition of a powerhouse a dozen worlds away. No matter who you were, you were guaranteed to be born in some blood feud between people you¡¯ve never met, nor cared to meet.

    They would not allow themselves to descend to such a state.

    Hopefully, they¡¯d both be able to breakthrough their bottlenecks in this coming challenge.

    Although, with great power, came a greater risk of attracting the gaze of those who would challenge that power. They should be safe out here, and they had no reason to believe that the Peacekeepers could ever track them this far. But the ambition of those people knew no bounds. They¡¯d swallow the entire universe if they had the means.

    The Mayor might have the slightest edge in strength compared to June, but it wasn¡¯t enough to create much of a gap in their respective status. They both respected each other and June had no interest in leading the day-to-day affairs of Sabletown.

    A potent auric wave pulsed past them, interrupting his thoughts. The wave made him feel as if putrid ichor covered him. He could feel nothing but malice and base animalistic rage contained within it. It was a type of fury which could only be born of nothing but endless pain and fear. He¡¯d feel pity for the creature if it didn¡¯t threaten their existence.

    ¡°It comes,¡± June said. He unsheathed his sword and cut through the air in front if him. He appeared a few miles away from Sabletown, in the direction the creature would approach them from.

    The Mayor caught up within seconds. He¡¯d yet to find a movement technique as fast as June¡¯s. None at June¡¯s level could meet his speed, save for those who had a strong mastery of air, or even those few geniuses who had an early comprehension of space. But the Path of the Stellar Sword incorporated both elements, although expressed in a unique way. It was a convenient shortcut offered by his path, a fusion of elements that only a genius like the founder of his lineage could create. Soon, he would step even deeper into the path, becoming a living expression of the Stellar Sword, instead of a mere conduit for its might.

    He was a very competent man, and his comprehension was prodigious relative to those he grew up around. Not like those legendary geniuses who were bred in the heartlands. If he was like them, he would focus on space from the very beginning. Alas, he would need to be patient.

    Fate willing, they would survive this challenge and come out stronger than ever. Patient devotion to his future power would be a blessed reward. He¡¯d prefer that over an abrupt end to his life and everything he cared for, caused by a senseless beast.

    He sent a message to Aruon, who would inform their new delegate from Oberon Enterprises that they would soon engage the guardian. He wondered how they¡¯d fared against the enhanced beastwave. The lack of Elemental Initiates would make it difficult for them to fight the Illuminant creatures within the beastwave, but he was sure the technics had a few tricks up their sleeves.

    Depending on how things went with the guardian, perhaps he¡¯d be able to spare some of his time to help them clean up.

    <hr>

    Aera had awoken with gasping breaths. She¡¯d panicked at first, struggling to get away from the great Class-1 which had been marching towards her the last time she¡¯d closed her eyes.

    It had taken her a few seconds to recognize where that she¡¯d awoken in a med-bay. It had taken her another few seconds to recognize Hunter beside her. She didn¡¯t recognize him at first because his entire body was covered in casts. His laboured breathing had panicked her for a moment when she realized who she was looking at.

    But he was alive. That fact alone had calmed her down enough for rationality to reassert itself.

    She needed to know the status of the outpost and find her father. If they were all still alive, she would need to find her way back to help defend against the beastwave.

    A quick assessment of her condition revealed a few bruises and sprains. Nothing to worry about.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the medical staff said. He was a senior crewman, given the pips on his collar.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± she asked. Since it was a medical bay, not a tent, she couldn¡¯t ignore the possibility that the outpost had fallen, forcing the survivors to evacuate.

    ¡°You¡¯re aboard the Ambition, ma¡¯am. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to perform a few tests¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWhat¡¯s the status of the outpost?¡± Aera said. The crewman only seemed surprised by her interruption for a split second. He smiled at her.

    ¡°The outpost still stands. The defence was successful, but from my understanding it was a brutal last stand. Mr. Oberon survived and last I heard, he was still down there, directing the clean-up efforts. Your brother somehow played a pivotal role in turning the tide. I can only imagine what he had to do in order to receive so much physical punishment. I¡¯ve never seen injuries like this before,¡± the man said, staring at Hunter as if he were a puzzle which he¡¯d been having trouble solving.

    ¡°What injuries?¡± Aera asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answers, ¡°will he recover?¡±

    He chuckled.

    ¡°He¡¯s recovering faster than he ought to. There appears to be some etheric effect at play that neither I, nor my colleagues, can identify. You wouldn¡¯t be able to shed some light on that, would you?¡±

    Aera shook her head.

    ¡°The injuries, crewman,¡± she said.

    ¡°Right, sorry, ma¡¯am. Every bone in his body had been fractured and broken; in some areas, the bones were completely dissolved. It looked like intense heat and dehydration had ravaged his skin. Talking about it, it doesn¡¯t sound half as bad as it was. All we could do was lessen his suffering before he passed. But fate had other plans for Mr. Koar.¡±

    If she hadn¡¯t heard that he was recovering, the crewman¡¯s words would have been like a blade to her guts.

    ¡°But he¡¯s a trooper, you know,¡± the crewman said. It was Aera¡¯s turn to chuckle.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. He has a way of defying the odds.¡±

    ¡°Let us know if you ever figure out how he heals from impossible injuries.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Now, about those tests?¡± he said.

    Having confirmed the absence of undiscovered injuries and that known injuries were not more serious than initially assessed, they permitted her to leave the med-bay.

    Not that she¡¯d needed the permission. It would reassure them. Knowing the outpost was safe, she felt justified in helping them, even if it meant delaying her search for something to take responsibility for.

    After she received a clean set of clothes and a personal radio, she sent a call to the bridge. The response was immediate.

    ¡°Ms. Oberon, this is Captain Smith. Please come to the bridge as soon as you can.¡±

    Aera had never met Captain Smith before. After making her way to the bridge, she could finally put a face to his name. The Captain was a short man of a thin build. But what he lacked in physical stature, he made up for with his presence. At first glance, she saw that the man possessed a sharp wit and the confident air that most command officers cultivate.

    Overall, her first impressions of the man was that he passed muster. His crew appeared competent and, at the very least, didn¡¯t seem to resent being a part of the man¡¯s crew.

    She gave him a mental stamp of approval.

 Chapter 78

    Aera knocked on the doors leading to the bridge. It slid open, and the sounds of a dozen senior officers communicating at rapid speed met her ears. She could see sunken eyes, she could smell the stale coffee and the hint of body odour. Yet the crew remained focused on their responsibilities.

    That was a point in their favour.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Captain Smith said, saluting when she entered. It wasn¡¯t as spacious as the Cloud¡¯s, given that the Ambition was only about half the size of the flag-ship. Although, the cargo-ships arriving mid-month had larger bridges than the flagship. Their bridges were around the sizes of the entire command centre at the heart of the outpost.

    ¡°Bring me up to speed, Captain,¡± Aera said, returning the salute. An unnecessary gesture, but it would set the tone of their professional relationship. She respected his position, and now he knew that. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Mr. Oberon has relayed a standing order for all incoming ships to station themselves high above the colony. Sabletown is engaging the enemy guardian. Our scouts are monitoring the fight from a safe distance to assess the guardian¡¯s capabilities.¡±

    ¡°And Sabletown¡¯s capabilities, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. That was my impression as well.¡±

    ¡°I hear my brother played an instrumental part in turning the tide. The last thing I remember is facing down that Class-1. What did I miss?¡±

    The Captain breathed out a long exhale, shaking his head with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°We had eyes on the outpost the whole time. We recorded it. Here,¡± the captain said. He pulled a large tablet out from the side of his chair and browsed through various folders. Aera had heard that prior to the exodus there had been some efforts in researching touch-screen displays. In her opinion, the sooner they implemented that technology, the better.

    In the meantime, they¡¯d have to make do with crappy little controls along the side of the tablet in order to navigate the operating system. It¡¯s why she preferred to avoid tablets altogether. Not that she could avoid them. Being able to carry all that information along with her was invaluable.

    He handed the tablet over to her.

    It showed a still frame from a video file, waiting for her to press play. From the first glance, she could see that someone had set up the camera which recorded the incident near the command centre. She could almost see the edge of the command centre itself at the far end of the frame. It offered a very clear overview of the area between the wall and the first line of defence that was set up to cover a potential breach.

    She pressed play. Hunter and Guard Captain Bell were to the far left of the screen. She saw herself to the far right. Then there was the retreat. Everyone started to fall back, sprinting at full speed. She saw herself jump off the wall. Everything up to this point were things she remembered. She saw the Class-1 approaching the wall, its head clearing the top of the 15-foot wall by 4 or 5 feet. It braced itself, and the entire wall exploded towards the defenders. She gasped as shrapnel-like debris bombarded the Guardsmen around her. Most of them didn¡¯t get back up from the attack.

    The blast and a large piece of the wall hit her in the back. The Class-1 walked through the large hole it made in the wall, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe in the power it displayed. High-speed winds weaponized the surroundings, whipping debris, bodies, tools, and weapons towards the defenders.

    Class-2s and 3s flooded in through the wall, picking off stragglers. The defensive line was holding. But the Class-1 was using its power to pick off the defenders one by one.

    Aera saw her prone form moving, but she wasn¡¯t getting up. The beast was moving in her direction. As soon as it step towards her, Hunter went still, and then his entire body convulsed.

    He was launched forward, accelerating by some unseen power. And then she saw debris flying towards him, orbiting him. Not just debris, but errant creatures as well. They accelerated, intercepting projectiles created by the creature¡¯s own power. Second by second, the amount of objects flying through the air increased. Where there had been dozens, now there were hundreds.

    Hunter floated higher, and there was a distinct moment when the parasite hive mind seemed to recognize him as a priority threat. The Ape, and all the surrounding beasts shifted their focus to him at the same time.

    But it was too late. The creature¡¯s legs were destroyed. She didn¡¯t see how. Wall debris raced through its head, glowing like a gunshot. The creature died, its body convulsing; the objects it had controlled fell, their momentum scattering them like grenade shrapnel, killing beasts and men. She realized that during the dozen-or-so seconds between when Hunter screamed, and when the Class-1 died, her body disappeared. Guards, or perhaps even Hunter¡¯s power, must have carried her away.

    When the video ended, she let out a deep breath she hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been holding.

    ¡°His power was far too similar to the Class-1s for my liking,¡± she said, her voice shaking.

    ¡°We¡¯d worried about the same thing. That, combined with his fast recovery, gave us cause for concern. Apparently, the tests involved a complete scan for parasitic infection. This scan used criteria from the outpost outbreak survivors. He was cleared of any sign of alien control.¡±

    ¡°Then what happened? How was he able to do that?¡± She asked. Had he been keeping another secret from them?

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Whatever that power was, it¡¯s almost like he couldn¡¯t quite support it. I saw the state his body was in once they¡¯d airlifted him out of there. If he had kept that power active any longer ¡­¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Aera said, her voice quiet, still processing what she¡¯d just seen. Was it luck that the power had only lasted as long as it had? Or had it been a controlled process?

    Had Hunter been in control? The way his body had contorted and arched backwards, floating in the air with a storm of power raging around him, it didn¡¯t feel like he had any agency over what had happened.

    Whatever it was, it had helped them. It was on their side. But now that the question was raised, her concern remained.

    ¡°Forgive the grim comparison, but have you ever seen those movies about demon possession?¡±

    ¡°Once or twice,¡± Aera said, ¡°I see the similarity. That¡¯s a disturbing thought.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it was, whether it was Hunter or something else, they¡¯re on our team,¡± the Captain said, mirroring Aera¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s save our speculation until he wakes. It¡¯ll be best to get the story straight from the source,¡± Aera said, pushing away thoughts about etheric puppet masters, trying to take full control of her brother¡¯s body.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She brought herself back to her reason for being on the bridge in the first place.

    ¡°What else can you tell me about the outpost¡¯s condition, Captain?¡±

    The Captain informed her about what happened after the recording of the video. In the end, the entire wall had been destroyed.

    Despite its destruction, and the need to retreat over 100 meters from where the wall stood, the Oberon Guard had weathered the storm. They¡¯d won.

    Whatever her brother had done had been the deciding factor. Shortly after they killed the beast, they used its corpse to block the hole it had made in the wall. With the Ambition above removing the biggest threats before they could reach the outpost, it was only a matter of eliminating the Class-2¡¯s and 3s. Compared to the weakest of Class-1¡¯s, the lesser two classes were about as terrifying as a child, mid-tantrum.

    The parasite mind had appeared to be aware of the vulnerability its Class-1 had created. And as more Class-1 and 2s died, the more frenzied the beasts became. With the increase in frenzy came a decrease in direct control from the parasite mind, it seemed. With the beasts and the parasite losing control, the defenders could guide the beastwave into an impromptu kill zone.

    It proved far more difficult than anticipated. The strategic retreats, meant to goad the beasts, resulted in the deaths of several brave soldiers. But in the end, Oberon Enterprises stood victorious.

    From the bridge of the Ambition, Aera looked over the miles of destruction left in the wake of the ship after it unleashed its munitions onto the world. The Ambition, though not a military vessel, rendered a virtual hellscape onto Skyhold¡¯s surface, reinforced by the Merciful Cloud¡¯s ammunition stockpile. The bombardment ruined the forest for miles. Smoke from remnant fires was like the life force of the world leaking into the sky. Like the remnant trail of a hundred fading spirits, all having released their pent up vengeance.

    Some Class-1¡¯s reached the wall before the Ambition¡¯s gunners could eliminate them. However, Aera was surprised to discover that most of the Class-1¡¯s had been freed from the parasite after the ape-like Class-1 perished.

    A few were still enraged. However, most found Oberon Enterprises¡¯ unique combat style persuasive enough to redirect their anger towards the surrounding beastwave. In the most dramatic cases, they took out hundreds of beasts themselves.

    Clarke¡¯s theory that the parasite suffered a backlash when a powerful host died was supported by the timing of all the Class-1¡¯s mental liberation. This coincided precisely with the death of the massive Class-1 that breached the wall.

    It gave her hope. If they could defeat its guardian avatar, perhaps they¡¯d be free from the beast waves forever.

    <hr>

    Captain Abraham Gregor frowned as he heard the report from his small team of engineers and artisans aboard the Merciful Cloud. He¡¯d assuaged his sense of guilt for being away from the defence of the outpost with the knowledge they could save hundreds of lives. Once they could get the Cloud off the ground, they¡¯d pilot it to the outpost and use the shield to defend it from the guardian. Whatever power it would bear against them would pale compared to what they¡¯d find in an ether storm. He had full confidence in being able to defend most of the outpost¡¯s residents within the ship and its shield.

    If they didn¡¯t defeat the beast, then at the very least, it wouldn¡¯t defeat them.. Once it exhausted itself, they¡¯d be able to bring everyone on board, get out of range, and come up with a new plan.

    The plan would be something like: track the guardian¡¯s movement and let loose the combined might of the entire Oberon Fleet. Reinforcements would soon arrive, assuring their victory.

    But that was all predicated on their ability to get the ship up, and not only that, but be able to land it once they had.

    ¡°Without significant material supplement, this ship will not land once we get it off the ground, sir.¡±

    ¡°Explain it to me like I¡¯m a child, crewman. If the components that make it flight-worthy can get it off the ground, why can¡¯t those parts be used to get it back onto the ground?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of support and feedback. As it stands, the construct networks we¡¯ve repaired cannot handle the feedback of both the takeoff and the landing. It can keep the shift in the air almost indefinitely ¡ª as air provides much less feedback than solid ground. But¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI understand crewman. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I wish I had better news.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, crewman.¡±

    The crewman saluted, and Abraham dismissed him. He sighed and leaned against the nearest console on the bridge, closing his eyes and hoping desperately for an alternative plan to present itself.

    Maybe the next meeting would help.

    The artisan who appeared on the bridge had been on his crew for a couple of years now. He was one of Joey¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦s, and had been highly recommended for a promotion. With Joey being so busy during and after the beastwave, this young man was the second best choice.

    Second only to Hunter Koar, in his opinion, but Hunter didn¡¯t know the network layout by heart like this crewman did.

    ¡°What do you have for me, Johnny?¡± Abraham asked.

    ¡°Sir, the shield is operational, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything over 60 percent of its usual effectiveness.¡±

    ¡°Is it broken?¡±

    ¡°Not the shield, sir. The network¡¯s, though? We¡¯ve done what we can. We might get a bit more juice to the shield emitters along the hull, but it¡¯s a much larger job than my small team can do on their own.¡±

    ¡°Not without some unorthodox help, perhaps?¡±

    Johnny squinted as he tried to deduce the Captain¡¯s meaning, and then he nodded.

    ¡°Yes, sir, although I¡¯m not sure if we should risk any novel introductions into the ship¡¯s etheric networks without thorough stress testing and trouble-shooting. We just don¡¯t know what kind of adverse effects a new syntax and untested glyphs might have on shield¡¯s integrity.¡±

    The Captain sighed. He knew the young man was right. But how right was he?

    ¡°That being said, if Mr. Koar is available, I¡¯d be open to hearing whatever input he might have to share,¡± Johnny said.

    The Captain nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a call. Thank you, crewman.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    He walked to the comms station and sat in the chair that he¡¯d only watched from a small distance. It was his responsibility to ensure he could handle all tasks related to the bridge. He didn¡¯t understand the details of engineering and artisanship, and if you asked him to cook for the crew, they¡¯d mutiny. Neither did he didn¡¯t envy the work that the janitorial staff had to do, day in and day out. He wouldn¡¯t want to do it. But the bridge was his domain. He knew it like the back of his hand. This was where he thrived.

    Remembering the station¡¯s functions took him only a minute, despite not having reviewed it in a couple of years. He found the broadcast channel for his boss.

    ¡°Mr. Oberon, this is Captain Gregor.¡±

    Static for a moment.

    ¡°Abraham! How are the repairs? Give me good news. That¡¯s an order,¡± his boss said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well, sir, the good news is that we¡¯ll be able to get the ship off the ground.¡±

    ¡°Captain, I¡¯ve been doing this for a long time. You¡¯re telling me something without telling me, correct? Something to do with the other half of that equation? Something to do with landing, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. The ship will certainly land, but it will be uncontrolled, and will damage both itself and its surroundings.

    ¡°This is why I like you, Abraham,¡± Trey said. ¡°You¡¯re the most polite smartass I¡¯ve ever known.¡±

    Abraham smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    He appreciated Trey¡¯s attempt at levity. But the weight of what they were dealing with was pressing on his mind.

    Ideas about how to solve their approaching guardian problem were already forming.

    These ideas were very desperate. And he knew Trey would not approve of them.

    ¡°You like me because I get the job done, sir,¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true as well. Anyway, we play the hand we¡¯re dealt, Captain. Don¡¯t blame yourself.¡±

    ¡°You first, sir,¡± the Captain said.

    A pause.

    ¡°Was there anything else, Captain?¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Yes, sir. What¡¯s Mr. Koar¡¯s status? I¡¯m hoping that he might provide some input in solving our landing problem.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my turn to be the barer of bad news. Hunter was in a very critical state after the outpost¡¯s defence, but I¡¯m received word that he¡¯s recovering fast. Unfortunately, he¡¯s still unconscious and we¡¯re not sure when he might awaken. Sorry, Captain.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, sir,¡± the Captain said, clenching his fists in frustration, ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that Hunter had been injured. I¡¯m happy to hear that he¡¯s recovering.¡±

    ¡°You and me, both, Captain. You and me, both.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all from me, sir.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Captain. Oh, we¡¯re going to have a small meeting soon. You can tune in from the ship, but I want to see you here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the meeting about, sir? If we have any hope of getting the ship ready for the Guardian, then we¡¯ll need as many hands of the Cloud as possible.¡±

    ¡°And if the Merciful Cloud isn¡¯t able to defend the outpost, we need a new plan. We need contingencies and coordination, and I need my captain¡¯s here, working together.¡±

    He understood. This wasn¡¯t just about the plan, it wasn¡¯t just about coordination. It was about presenting an image. Despite the anguish they were all suffering, if everyone saw their leaders beginning to flag and bend under the pressure, what hope would they have in their own survival? What reason would they have for pushing themselves further?

    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll be there within the hour.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you soon, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

 Chapter 79

    Leaning back in the seat, Abraham rubbed his eyes and took a few quick, deep breaths. It lieu of a nap, it¡¯ll keep him alert despite his exhaustion.

    ¡°Captain?¡± came a voice by the door. Another junior crewman, pulling a rolling tray behind her.

    ¡°Yes, crewman?¡±

    ¡°We had some coffee made. I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d had any,¡± she said.

    ¡°Music to my ears, crewman,¡± he said. Meeting her halfway, he poured himself a cup, adding only a dash of cream. He didn¡¯t want to take too much and risk one of his people being deprived of the only thing that could make coffee bearable.

    The first sip gave rise to an involuntary sigh. Despite the stale taste, he could let himself forget where he was as the remnant warmth of the brew saturated him.

    ¡°A very welcome break,¡± he sighed in satisfaction, ¡°thank you for considering me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± she said, then left him alone after he dismissed her.

    He considered whether he should bring the coffee, drinking it while en route to the outpost, but nixed the idea and chugged it all back.

    So, they needed a plan. He didn¡¯t like the odds of the Cloud being able to land safely at the outpost, but that wasn¡¯t the only reasonable use of the resources available. That idea which had been fermenting in the background of his mind bubbled to the surface.

    It wasn¡¯t his favourite idea. He knew it wouldn¡¯t go over well with Trey and the other captains. He wondered if it was pragmatic to share it at all. It would be expensive. But the expense was justified by the stakes. If his idea worked, then they would have the breakthrough they were all craving.

    They¡¯d be free to take some time to rest, and finally build their new home. Whatever Abraham had to do to ensure that his people could live free, and thrive, he would do.

    No matter the cost.

    <hr>

    A familiar feeling permeated Hunter as he awoke. A distant sore-ness, a distinct lack of freedom in his movement, and a sense of utter weakness. There was a nervous alarm somewhere deep within, and he was certain that any significant physical movement would be a grave mistake.

    But at least it didn¡¯t hurt to breathe anymore.

    The smell in the air, the beeping of machines around him, the distinct mumble of doctors speaking amongst themselves in esoteric syllables. It was all too familiar. He¡¯d been in plenty of hospitals in his lifetime, and rarely were such visits pleasant.

    Given the distinct hum that permeated the walls, he could only imagine he was onboard a ship.

    It wasn¡¯t the Cloud. It felt different.

    The Ambition, then?

    He cleared his throat, and the mumbling stopped.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± someone said.

    ¡°You owe me 10 credits,¡± someone else replied.

    Whoever the first voice belonged to groaned. Hunter wished he could move his head, but it was currently being held in place by a strap which hung from the ceiling, wrapping around the back of his head and keeping it suspended above the surface of the bed.

    ¡°Mr. Koar, can you hear me?¡±

    He groaned in response. It was difficult to move his mouth. He could lick his dry lips, but that didn¡¯t do him much good. His mouth felt about as dry as a desert.

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve surprised us all, sir. Do you remember what happened to you?¡± said a woman to his side. She leaned over him, and Hunter saw wrinkled eyes full of compassion, with well-worn smile lines etched along their edges.

    Hunter could imagine her baking cookies for grandchildren.

    Mrs. Margaret¡¯s white mop of hair came to mind. Her eyes magnified by her glasses. She always had some cookies to spare.

    He was feeling sentimental at the moment. It must be the drugs.

    ¡°Did you drug me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± they said, ¡°after we realized you would survive, we did what we could to lessen the burden you¡¯d be under once you recovered.¡±

    ¡°How bad was it?¡±

    The following list of injuries he¡¯d sustained was awe-inspiring. Every bone in his body had been beyond saving. Every organ had failed or was in the process of failing. He¡¯d lost more blood than anyone could lose and yet, he lived.

    They could explain why he was still alive; that something had intervened was obvious. The strange presence¡ªor force, or whatever¡ªhad sustained him. But how it had intervened was beyond the medical staff¡¯s collective comprehension.

    Hunter didn¡¯t know, either. After hearing all the reasons he should be dead, he did some investigating. When he had a few free minutes where he was unbothered by curious doctors and nurses, Hunter closed his eyes and looked within.

    Every few seconds, there was a pulse. It was subtle, and the strength of it varied. He could feel the etherium saturate him, guided without his conscious control. It felt like a warm smile. Or like a spot of warm sunshine on a chilly day.

    It was like the first blossoming of flowers during the springtime. It was like the patch of greenery in a grey cityscape. It was life, breaking through something lifeless. It was gentle, like a soft touch of water against the skin.

    He couldn¡¯t identify what charge this etherium held. He wondered if the concept even applied anymore. It seemed alive, driven by a clear etheric desire. But it wasn¡¯t the lifeless, hungry kind of desire that he associated with glyphs in a network.

    Whatever this was, he hadn¡¯t felt it before. Not even at Barnum, after Trey had him treated with the advanced healing construct. Whatever this was, it felt much more personal.

    Hunter wished he¡¯d find some way to gain clarity soon. The more he learned about etherium, the more lost he felt. He¡¯d once considered himself an expert.

    After meeting June and his disciples, as well as learning about how the parasite¡¯s control of the beast waves, left him feeling excited about learning more about etherium. What was etherium? Why was it so profound in its capabilities?

    It felt like all that humanity had done so far was stare at the surface of etherium¡¯s potential from a distance. And the possibilities that lay beneath that surface were terrifying.

    And incredible. Anomaly Class creatures, cultivators with the power to rival Class-1¡¯s, the ability to grow even more powerful than that ¡­

    Hunter had never felt more drawn to etherium. After facing incredible dangers and witnessing the destructive capacities which etherium held hadn¡¯t lessened his curiosity. If anything, it had only strengthened his desire to know more.

    The memories of the attack on the outpost were like a half-faded dream, but some things about it he¡¯d never be able to forget. His own presence, the sense of power, control, and intuitive access to something as eldritch as Force was something he craved to feel again.

    As soon as he had seen that powerful Class-1 in all its etheric detail, it was like his own nervous system took control. But that wasn¡¯t quite accurate; it had felt like something within had taken over his nervous system and his etheric system. It turned him into something like a mirror, reflecting the capabilities of the Class-1. Subjecting him to power his body wasn¡¯t ready for.

    He couldn¡¯t dismiss the idea that this was a deeper dimension of his sensitivity. But it wasn¡¯t the only explanation.

    He¡¯d seen some corpses left in the wake of the parasitic possession of the original outpost¡¯s staff. What had it felt like, when the parasite had taken control, to turn them into animals?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Was it similar to what he was feeling now? Was this just a different control exerted by another entity on Skyhold? Maybe something even more powerful than the parasite? The possibility didn¡¯t ring true. And whatever truth it would hold, he could not dismiss the evidence that this type of control differed from what the parasite did to its hosts. Where the parasite was all brute force and overwhelming power, this was more like a guide.

    It had wanted him to learn something. If only he could remember what it was trying to teach him.

    He had so many questions, and there was no one he could ask for clarity.

    Another set for the ever-growing list, he lamented.

    But there were some questions he could get answers to. He worked to loosen his jaw. His first attempt at words came out as a gasping, wheezing sound. But his second attempt was a bit more discernable.

    ¡°Outpost? Aera?¡±

    ¡°So you can speak? Good. The answer to both of your questions is safe. Aera was here with you a few hours ago. The outpost is preparing for the Guardian, and as we speak, the command staff are discussing contingency plans. Captain Gregor sent a message to the ship, asking for updates about your condition. If you¡¯d like, we can message him and tell him you¡¯re awake.¡±

    The Captain¡¯s thoughtfulness touched Hunter.

    ¡°Trey?¡±

    ¡°One of my nurses sent him a message as soon as you woke up. But we don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be out of his meeting.¡±

    ¡°Gregor,¡± Hunter croaked.

    ¡°You want me to send the message?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    As he spoke, he could feel the pulsing etherium working its way towards his throat, his lungs, and his mouth. If he was standing upright, the feeling of bliss might cause him to drool.

    ¡°Consider it done. But first, we¡¯d like to perform some more tests on you. Whatever is allowing you to regenerate appears to be speeding up your recovery. You might even be out of here by the end of the day,¡± she said.

    ¡°Weird,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very weird, but not unwelcome. If you have any insight into the process, share it whenever you¡¯re able.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    That got a small chuckle out of her.

    The tests didn¡¯t take long. Most of it comprised being passed through an x-ray machine. The doctor was making gasping sounds, astonished by his results.

    ¡°You¡¯re a wonder, kid,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not kid, technically boss,¡± Hunter muttered. It had grown easier to speak over the last few minutes. He felt himself salivating more often, and he could push out over 2 syllables at a time.

    ¡°Technically, not yet. Your position is more honorary than it is official,¡± she corrected.

    He tsked in response.

    She took a few more minutes to examine his x-ray results.

    ¡°It really is miraculous,¡± she said. She showed him his previous results, and Hunter whistled.

    Sort of.

    It came out as more of a sharp exhale. But she could interpret his meaning.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± she agreed. The first set of images made him look like his body had been pulverized by something. The medical staff had done what they could to keep his limbs lined up, but he imagined that would have been an impossible task. But sometime during the past few hours, the bones¡ªhaving been reduced to shards and powder¡ªlined themselves up and fused themselves, flawlessly. His muscles, which had appeared shredded like tender beef torn off of bone, had been threaded together and reattached to the bone. There were some spots that were more healed than others, but it was just a matter of time before he was back to normal.

    ¡°We can¡¯t find any trace of a foreign agent in your bloodstream. Whatever is doing this must be etheric, as far as I can tell.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°I can feel it,¡± he said, ¡°warm. Caring.¡±

    ¡°What, the etherium?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said, looking at him as if he¡¯d just said that cats were born out of rain clouds.

    He laughed. There was some pain at the mild exertion, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable.

    ¡°Even that, your ability laugh, shows that your improvement in the last 30 minutes is more significant than your last two hours of recovery combined. How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Still aches,¡± he said, ¡°but easier to speak.¡±

    ¡°Well, the key difference between now and then is that you¡¯re conscious. Maybe that¡¯s significant, maybe it¡¯s not. Gosh, there¡¯s just so much that we don¡¯t know. Speculation is practically useless.¡±

    Hunter could understand her frustration.

    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± he said.

    Her radio chimed. The transmission sounded warbled and vague to Hunter, but apparently it was loud and clear for her.

    ¡°Captain Gregor has received your transmission and is on his way. He says he wants to thank you personally for defending the outpost.¡±

    Hunter winced.

    That didn¡¯t sound like Captain Gregor. Not that he doubted that the man could be sincere in his gratitude, but something was off. Why come here now? Wasn¡¯t there a meeting going on? Trey hadn¡¯t even messaged back, and he would have been willing to bet that Trey would be the first person to notify him.

    There was a knock at the door.

    ¡°I came as soon as I heard,¡± came Aera¡¯s voice. He sat up in his bed. Seeing him awake and moving seemed to ease her stress.

    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked.

    She embraced him as gently as she could.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. How are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine. Show her,¡± Hunter said. Aera looked at him with a question written on her face. He looked to the doctor and pointed at the x-ray¡¯s.

    ¡°His x-ray results,¡± she handed over the x-ray¡¯s to Aera, ¡°He and I have been discussing how wonderful his recovery has been.¡±

    Aera looked at the x-rays and her eyebrows rose as soon as she saw the previous results.

    ¡°What happened, Hunter? What do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± he said, ¡°Captain Gregor¡¯s coming.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Gratitude, apparently?¡±

    She hmm¡¯d.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I leave you two to catch up?¡± the doctor said.

    ¡°Thanks doctor, uh,¡± he said, suddenly realizing he never got her name.

    ¡°Frasier,¡± she said, ¡°Dr. Frasier, at your service, Mr. Koar.¡±

    ¡°Oberon,¡± he corrected, ¡°I¡¯m an Oberon, now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she nodded, ¡°Mr. Oberon.¡±

    After Dr. Frasier left, Aera rose an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oberon, now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯re in this together. Family.¡±

    He might have been imagining it, but her eyes seemed to glisten.

    ¡°Glad you¡¯re finally on board,¡± she said, crossing her arms. An attempt at levity, Hunter assumed.

    ¡°Have been for a while,¡± he admitted, ¡°just now occurred to me that being a Koar isn¡¯t relevant anymore.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    He was sure enough; he supposed. It wasn¡¯t like he was abandoning the Koar name. But Skyhold was a new beginning. Being referred to as a Koar was making him feel like there was some distance between him, Trey, and Aera.

    Being an Oberon meant more to him right now than being a Koar. There was still a slight sting. He still felt like he was betraying his dad, even though much of his previous affection for the man had faded over the last year.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    She embraced him again, and he made a joke about how she was going to undo all the hard work the doctors went through in putting him back together again. She lightly slapped his shoulder. Then she was called away, having taken on the responsibility of helping with the outpost¡¯s recovery efforts while Trey was in his meeting.

    As if on queue, Hunter received word that Captain Gregor had boarded the ambition. When the Captain appeared in the med-bay, Hunter was disappointed to see the man alone.

    His feeling that something was amiss grew stronger. He still couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on what the Captain¡¯s true motivation was, because this seemed far more personable than his usual way of doing things.

    ¡°Captain,¡± Hunter greeted the man, ¡°Can¡¯t salute right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see that you¡¯re alright, Mr. Koar.¡±

    ¡°Oberon, now, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Oberon, then. I approve of the switch up, for what it¡¯s worth, sir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re calling me sir. What do you need?¡±

    ¡°Well, your display at the outpost has earned the deep respect of everyone present. All the command officers at the meeting were asking after you, wondering if you were alright.¡±

    ¡°And wondering what the hell happened to me?¡±

    The Captain barked a small laugh.

    ¡°Yeah, that too, sir. I¡¯ll admit to being curious myself. But more than that, I¡¯d like to thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Hunter said, hoping to get to the real reason the Captain was here, ¡°and as much as I appreciate the visit, I¡¯ve been around Aera long enough to recognize when there¡¯s more going on under the surface. Why are you here, Captain?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re learning fast,¡± Captain Gregor said, sighing. He took off his hat and rubbed his head. For a moment, the air of confident conviction left the man. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Hunter gave him a polite smile.

    The Captain hesitated. Then pursed his lips.

    ¡°I have a plan,¡± he said, ¡°and it¡¯s not something that your father would approve of. Hopefully, it won¡¯t even be necessary. But so far, they¡¯ve all yet to agree on a single contingency plan for the worst-case scenario.¡±

    ¡°They, being Trey and the rest of the command staff?¡± Hunter asked. Despite his sense of worry, he couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued. ¡°And am I to assume that you¡¯ve run this plan by them already?¡±

    ¡°Not completely, no. But none of them appear willing to risk any more critical infrastructure in order to ensure the colony¡¯s future viability. Reports of Sabletown¡¯s clash with the Guardian have arrived, and it¡¯s more powerful than our initial guess. More powerful than the Sabletowners had been expecting, from what we can tell.¡±

    ¡°Really? Can you tell me more about Sabletown¡¯s capabilities?¡± Hunter asked. Captain Gregor shook his head.

    ¡°All we know is that Sabletown has deployed weaponry, or abilities, that surpass what we can field from the outpost. We estimate that some of our more powerful munitions can rival their power. And the Ambition has already run through both its store and the Cloud¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°The guardian¡¯s still standing?¡±

    ¡°As of our last report, it¡¯s only grown more powerful since the assault began. We can¡¯t tell how effective Sabletown¡¯s attacks were.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to be operating on the worst-case scenario, being the most likely scenario.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have any other choice, sir.¡±

    ¡°And you think that there¡¯s something I can do to help you with this plan, which you¡¯re not sure Trey or the others would agree with?¡±

    ¡°I have nothing but respect for Mr. Oberon, but I¡¯m sure he would be reluctant to approve of it. The time it would take to persuade him would only reduce our chances of success.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Hunter said, ¡°so, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    Captain Gregor took a deep breath and told Hunter the basic idea.

    It was simple beautifully simple, but very costly.

    So costly that he felt tempted to reject the plan. But before he voiced his rejection, he considered the Captain¡¯s point of view.

    He knew that Captain Gregor was no fool. He was a cautious, meticulous kind of man. If he believed there was another way, he¡¯d have said it. Sure, the Captain was only one man, and how effective could any man be in predicting the future?

    When Hunter felt a certain strong urge rise within him, he realized it didn¡¯t matter.

    His efforts at resisting his impulsivity have rare proven to be effective. And he¡¯d met more success¡ªor something akin to it¡ªafter having obeyed the impulse. An inner voice protested that thought, telling him every success brought an inevitable disaster. But then he countered; when had he ever met a challenge he couldn¡¯t overcome?

    Analyzing the impulse, he recognized its source. It came from the fact that he¡¯d have complete access to the Asutnahem shield.

    That sealed the deal. How could he resist?

    Over the last few minutes, the strange etheric pulses had reduced in frequency and strength. If they left now, he¡¯d be able to stand on his own shortly after arriving at the Cloud. But before that, he¡¯d need some help.

    ¡°Alright, Captain. Find me a wheelchair, and let¡¯s get out of here. I believe I¡¯ve got a date with a shield,¡± Hunter said, grinning.

 Chapter 80

    The creature let loose a Vital beam from his mouth. A slight flash in the corner of June¡¯s vision signalled the activation of another one of the Mayor¡¯s talismans.

    ¡°That¡¯s my last!¡± Mayor Greaves yelled. June smiled bitterly, shifting a defensive talisman from his own spatial ring and activating it before the creature¡¯s attack reached him.

    A previous attack had broken through the talisman¡¯s shield. The resulting beam of pure energy engulfed him, forcing him to use all his power to resist it.

    Its scale was beyond compare. It ran on all fours, but when it had first beheld the two peak Elemental Initiate cultivators, it stood on his hind legs.

    Neither of them had hidden their power from the creature. They were there to meet its challenge head on.

    It flexed its power, and both June and the Mayor felt some relief.

    It wasn¡¯t in the Unbound stage, after all.

    Thank the heavens.

    However, it was something like a few dozen peak Elemental Initiates concentrating their power into a single creature. Vitally speaking, it caused the same ripples that an Unbound would when its full power was let loose.

    Both he and the mayor were impressive for their stages, but against this kind of power? They might as well have been going up against an Unbound, after all. That being said, if they could cut past the creature¡¯s outrageously tough hide, it would be easier to kill than an Unbound would be.

    Just before the Vital beam hit, June concentrated his power at the tip of his word, and then projected it forward in a long, thin line. The blade of compressed air shot forward just as his shield fell, as effective as wet paper against the attack of their enemy. His own attack only held back the energy for the split second it took him to appear above the beam. He saw the Mayor was already on the attack, his empowered fist striking a wound that they¡¯d both cut into the creature¡¯s face mere minutes before.

    The behemoth ¡ª its hide and eyes reptilian, but its features were humanoid ¡ª reminded him of the legendary dragons of ancient myth. Its rage filled cry caused the earth to shake for miles around.

    Perhaps this was a descendent of those fabled creatures. To be this powerful when only an Elemental Initiate? how powerful would their celestials have been? How were they not dominating the known universe, immortal and unchallenged?

    A question for a time when his life and the lives of everyone he had grown to care for weren¡¯t at stake.

    Thankfully, the townspeople got the shield up. June and the Mayor invested significant resources in their combined attacks to buy the town time. At the very least, the town would survive a little longer. It would also give Oberon Enterprises time to come up with a solution as well.

    ¡°June, this is looking like a worst-case scenario,¡± the Mayor yelled. June pursed his lips. He agreed, but he¡¯d been wishing that things wouldn¡¯t escalate to this point, even if all signs pointed to it being inevitable once they beheld the creature before them.

    It was over a hundred feet tall, by his estimation. Who had thought that a beast like this could exist in this world?

    June sighed and pulled out an artifact from his ring. He held it with reverence, regretting the fact that he had to use it at all. If it were up to him, it would sit unused for another thousand years or more.

    It was an heirloom, passed down through his sect for untold generations. It was in the shape of a 3-level pagoda. No one knew its specific origins anymore. He only knew that the esoteric strain of Vita used to charge it was almost depleted. This could very well be the last time it would ever activate.

    ¡°That old trinket, eh?¡± the mayor said, transmitting his voice over the hundreds of meters between them. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll pull out my trump card as well.¡±

    He felt an upwelling of strange Vita coming from the Mayor. His eyes widened.

    ¡°Is that¡ª¡± he asked, but the Mayor smiled at him, confirming his suspicion.

    ¡°I may have been holding back in our last spar,¡± the mayor transmitted.

    A deeper echelon of Vita saturated his aura than the base earth element the mayor cultivated. The old man had been closer to the next stage than he¡¯d let on. June couldn¡¯t make out which deeper element the Mayor had touched upon.

    But no matter the specific nature of it, even the barest whisper of a higher-order of power could be a game changer. Although the Mayor wasn¡¯t yet an Elemental Adept, being able to command a bare fraction of an Adept¡¯s power could spell the difference between life and death.

    The beast¡¯s attention centred on the mayor, whose aura rippled and expanded, not quite matching the creature¡¯s own presence, but it was enough to intimidate June.

    That was a fact which he would only admit on his deathbed, and not even then.

    With the creature distracted, June activated the artifact. It had several levels of functionality, and the higher the level, the more it demanded in return. June pulled from the ambient Vita as much as he could in order to fuel the device¡¯s activation.

    The first level lit up. Then the second. As his energy saturated the third level, their surroundings darkened. A giant eye appeared high in the sky. The eye beheld the pagoda, and then its wielder. June felt as if his body was being crushed under the Vital pressure the eye exuded.

    Its gaze centred on June, this eye of an unknown god, and June pointed at their enemy.

    The eye shifted to behold the abomination. A bright light appeared in its pupil, and then¡ª

    The eye disappeared.

    The darkness in of the world faded, as did the phantom pressure of a Vital stratum deeper than any he¡¯d directly encountered before.

    The artifact turned dull, the energy he¡¯d invested evaporating into the air. June closed his eyes and let out a short, disappointed breath.

    ¡°Useless garbage,¡± yelled the Mayor.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Another shift in the surrounding Vita. He realized that the light that the eye had manifested hadn¡¯t disappeared. It shot down towards the creature like divine judgement, gouging out a long chunk of flesh from his enemy¡¯s shoulder, down its chest, and across its leg. With a bellow, the beast¡¯s power amplified.

    It was enraged. June wondered if it would go berserk.

    The Mayor didn¡¯t appear to share June¡¯s worries about the sudden spike in danger he was feeling from the creature. He flew towards the Guardian, in the blink of an eye he appeared before it, and unleashed a storm of blows on the creature. First, right under its eye. Then he dropped 30 feet, avoiding a fast counter from the behemoth which caused a blast of wind so strong it upturned trees.

    June could imagine hearing the triumphant inner monologue from his longtime comrade. The borderline of the Adept stage was right before him, and it set his blood aflame.

    He cut a path through the air towards the creature¡¯s head. As he expected, it left nothing but a superficial cut on its skin, but this was not a combat technique. He appeared next to a small hole along the side of the creature¡¯s head. He assumed it was the creature¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Boo!¡± he yelled, cutting another path through the air. This one was a very long arc, which started at the base of the creature¡¯s ear and ended far above its head. It was a desperate move; his power more diffused along the path he cut than he would prefer. He wouldn¡¯t be able to move as far as he could had he made a smaller movement, but that was fine.

    All he needed to do was dodge the incoming¡ª

    The beast¡¯s hand clipped his foot just as he was about to pass through the threshold of the short-lived passage he¡¯d created for himself. The guardian avatar gripped the side of its head and bellowed in pain.

    June had been most of the way through the threshold, but the hit to his foot caused him to be pulled off course. His transit through the air met more resistance than he would have liked, and it took him precious seconds to stop his uncontrolled spin and reorient himself towards the fight.

    That wasn¡¯t too hard, considering the Mayor was still dishing out more damage to the creature per blow than June had dealt throughout the entire fight.

    He ground his teeth in frustration. The advantage that a half step towards another stage could provide was impressive.

    His blood still boiled.

    ¡°I will not fall too far behind you, old man!¡± He yelled.

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m concentrating!¡± came the Mayor¡¯s transmission. ¡°I¡¯ve had an insight.¡±

    If they weren¡¯t on the same side, he would despair at the news. The further the Mayor progressed ahead of him, the more pressure June felt.

    Before returning to the fight, he checked his foot. The Vita within was running rampant, and he took a second to calm it down and cut off the pain from the fractured bone. He¡¯d have to heal it later.

    Content that he was ready, he flared his aura to the limit. The creature didn¡¯t even flinch. Its eyes didn¡¯t so much as flicker towards him. All of its attention was on the Mayor.

    He could work with that. He called upon the building blocks of the Stellar Sword Vita he¡¯d been cultivating for a century, and circulated them through his channels. Wind, water, sharpness, and the first insight he¡¯d had in the more esoteric spatial element.

    He breathed, cycling the elements as he flew.

    June cut a path to the creature, aiming for a vulnerability in its defence against the Mayor, right below its abdomen. He raised his blade and focused his power. He finely honed his concentration, willing the Vita saturating his channels and body to flow through his arm, into his sword, in a pattern that would call forth something profound.

    Profundity refused his call. He slashed, knowing that the accumulated power would still have some slight effect on the magnificent beast.

    He called again, and he felt the power fluctuate in a harmony that was not of his own making.

    It was right there ¡ª the sign of resonance. Only once before, purely by accident, had he reached this. He struck the creature, but his impact was no greater than his previous blow.

    He¡¯d achieved resonance, but had yet to reach that critical threshold.

    Once more, ignoring the world ¡ª ignoring the feeling of being reckless. He ignored the fact that before him was an existential threat, and behind him was everything he cared for.

    All that existed was him, his blade, and the power he sought.

    Once more, he pulled upon the Vital elements he knew. He claimed full dominion over them. They were his, and they would do what he¡ª

    He stopped.

    How had he been so foolish?

    Perhaps it was the fact that he was on the brink. Maybe it was the power he sought, calling from the ethereal Simultaneic Domain within which it lived, pulling him through with direct inspiration.

    June remembered something his old master had said before he¡¯d passed away. He¡¯d said that domination was a means for the unenlightened to begin the process of transformation. He¡¯d said that true enlightenment came not from domination, but from the opposite direction.

    In that moment, instead of pushing and corralling his disparate energies together, he loosened his concentration. He softened his grip on his mind, his body, and his etheric channels. He let his attention drift.

    And like a magnet, it shifted towards something he¡¯d never seen before.

    A vortex.

    A whirlpool.

    An opening into a domain that should not be, yet its truth could not be denied.

    In that domain, he saw a vast space. He saw an endless line cut across the horizon. He saw the unification of forces beyond his comprehension.

    A fierce roar cut him off from his vision.

    The beast was before him, its hand clawed at him, like a small island with hills in the shape of talons.

    Out of reflex, he cut towards the hand. He felt all the energy pulled out of his body and into the sword.

    His eyes widened when he saw the briefest flash of a line like he¡¯d just witnessed. It cut a deep, bloody gash into the guardian¡¯s palm ¡ª a gash far wider than the line had appeared. It was almost as if the line occupied a volume of space that was greater than it appeared to be.

    ¡°Yes!¡± the Mayor yelled, ¡°keep going!¡±

    If only he could, June sighed. He¡¯d touched upon the borderline of the next stage. The Stellar Sword Vita had answered his call, but it had taken everything from him. He had no more energy to attack, and he fought off the temptation to fall deep into a sudden sleep.

    He pulled out a pill from his storage ring. It would keep him alert and somewhat energized. It would saturate him with Vita, but nowhere near enough to pull off what he¡¯d just done.

    Not that he could. Capitalizing on that vision would require a few days of secluded meditation.

    Instead of lamenting on what he could not do, he focused on what he could. Until now, he¡¯d proven an effective distraction against the creature.

    Then a bright flash of light heralded one of the guardian¡¯s strongest attacks so far. A blast of condensed Vita aimed right at him. His concentration on the fight had slipped after his attack. His mind was on the pill, on the future, and away from the great beast who had finally decided that he was a threat.

    ¡°No!¡± the Mayor yelled.

    Using was little energy he had to spare, June shot as high above the beam of energy that he could. To his surprise, he saw that the creature¡¯s mouth was the origin. The Mayor slammed the creature¡¯s face with his body, changing the trajectory of the beam, so that instead of hitting June head on, it only hit his lower body.

    Beneath him, his legs dangled, useless. His pants, which had been crafted to withstand the blows of peak Elemental Initiates and Illumined beasts, had dissolved. His legs looked like he¡¯d taken a quick dip in a lake of fire. Charred, cracked skin peeled and exposed his boiling blood and well-cooked muscle.

    It wouldn¡¯t be impossible to heal from, but it would take a while.

    Of course, if he could make it to the next stage, then healing would speed up dramatically.

    Alas, as he was now, he could not spare any energy towards another insight. He was exhausted, but the fight continued.

    June summoned a treasure to keep him aloft. It was nowhere near as fast as he would normally be under his own power, but it had served him well in his youth. He cut off the pain he felt from his legs and did re-entered the fray. He could only do his best to keep the creature occupied. It took some effort to keep himself on the artifact, as he could only provide enough power to manoeuvre it through the air.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to activate its ability to keep him attached to it.

    Dangling from the flying treasure, he circled its head. He hoped to distract it so the Mayor could attack.

    That it hadn¡¯t killed him seemed to have enraged the Guardian, and its power fluctuated, increasing once more.

    The mayor let out a cry of rage to match it, and something changed. A deep presence suffused the air, emanating from the Mayor.

    Mayor Greaves became the centre of a vortex of Vita.

    June¡¯s wounds, the creature¡¯s rage, the pressure from his own exhaustion, it must have all cumulated in the perfect conditions for a breakthrough.

    ¡°Lucky bastard,¡± June muttered.

 Chapter 81

    The Mayor¡¯s breakthrough only took a few seconds, which happened as he flew at the behemoth fist first, a vortex following him as the breakthrough completed. He used the sudden influx of Vita to charge his attack. The beast wasn¡¯t content to let the Mayor come to him unchallenged, and it shot forward with a speed that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for such a creature. It seemed to have put everything into this attack in order to squat the offending fly, which had suddenly become a mortal threat.

    Mayor Greaves met the attack head on, and June groaned as the two monstrous auras pressured him.

    He heard a strangled cry from the mayor; it echoed throughout their surroundings. His fist met the creature¡¯s own, and a great flash of light, thunder, and fury bellowed out. It carried June away for a second before he could cut through the storm caused by the titanic clash.

    The creature¡¯s arm had disappeared, a stub of mangled flesh dripping with blood was all that remained after the creature¡¯s elbow. Not only that, but it appeared to have lost the use of the arm, as it hung limp off of its shoulder.

    It screamed to the sky, a sound unlike anything June heard before. He winced and was about to capitalize on the creature¡¯s lack of attention when a power equally intense as the guardians blossomed in the distance.

    The creature¡¯s antithesis was answering its challenge. June could only assume that the beast which Oberon Enterprises had dubbed the Jellyfish was now going to enter the fight for its own territory.

    Sabletown, June, and the Mayor were no longer relevant to the guardian avatar¡¯s interest. It shot away from where it once stood, towards the source of the new vital pulse.

    Sabletown would survive for now, it seemed. With the type of wounds it had sustained, he hoped the jellyfish could finish the fight. Otherwise, it would be up to Oberon Enterprises to do the job.

    He was now more exhausted than he had been in decades. He¡¯d used up almost all of his defensive treasures in order to survive this encounter. The energy from the pill had already left him.

    Thinking of the mayor, June searched the sky and the ground for any sign of him. His heart skipped a beat when he found him in a crater, struggling to breathe. He descended with the flying treasure, his legs dangling uselessly off either side.

    ¡°I was too ambitious,¡± the mayor whispered as June approached. June understood. He¡¯d used the breakthrough to pull in more energy than his body could support. It must have rampaged throughout his system, breaking through the bones, muscle, and skin.

    The mayor couldn¡¯t even move of his own accord.

    June placed a hand on the man¡¯s chest, releasing the most gentle pulse of Vita that he could manage. Scanning the mayor¡¯s body, he resisted the urge to grimace.

    ¡°I know you, kid. I know my body. You can¡¯t hide my condition from me,¡± Mayor Greave said, coughing up blood, ¡°Damnit, I finally hit Unbound. I was looking forward to teaching you a lesson.¡±

    His eyes met June¡¯s. Most of the ferocity in them had bled away. All that June could see was the barest hint of regret, but he could also see a fondness in them.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, now. Try not to burn the place down,¡± the mayor said, letting loose a chuckle that caused the man to cough up more blood.

    Before June could respond, life left the Mayor¡¯s eyes. His breathing ceased.

    It was not the first death June had witnessed. But it was the first one he¡¯d grieved in a long time. Despite their differences, they had a deep mutual respect for each other. They were something like brothers, only without the familial love to bind them.

    ¡°It was a good death,¡± June whispered.

    The last remnants of excitement from having an insight into the power of an Elemental Adept had been enough to keep him awake. As the excitement had faded, he was could only hold on to consciousness by a fading force of will.

    He carried the Mayor¡¯s body to the town and dropped it at the feet of shocked onlookers. They¡¯d know what to do with the corpse. He found his disciples and requested that they find him a skilled alchemist to help him recover. He then walked into his home. When he laid himself onto his bed, he finally let the exhaustion claim him.

    Something told him he and the mayor had done enough to assist their allies against the guardian avatar. Oberon Enterprises undoubtedly held undisclosed surprises. He wished he could see them, especially since they never had the opportunity to demonstrate their martial prowess to one another. What strange methods had the technics devised to deliver devastation to their foes?

    It would be a while before he awoke, but when he did, he would inherit the Mayor¡¯s responsibilities for the town. The lives and future of the thousands of souls within the town¡¯s borders were now his to shepherd, and he would not let them down.

    <hr>

    ¡°Thank you, Aruon,¡± Trey said into the smooth communication stone that Aruon had granted them. ¡°Give your master our best wishes.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Aruon said, and the stone, which had been emitting a soft yellow glow, finally went dull. The connection had been severed.

    Only one other person occupied the command centre with him. He was silent for a moment as he considered Aruon¡¯s words.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°So, Sabletown¡¯s forces have wounded the creature. They¡¯re saying it wasn¡¯t an Unbound like they thought it was, but its power was nearly equal to one.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Aera asked.

    Trey shrugged.

    ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t one, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re out of our depth here,¡± he said.

    He and his daughter were alone in the control room. They¡¯d already moved half of the people from outpost up the mountain the outpost was situated against. They had temporarily evacuated another third to the Ambition, which would watch the situation from high above after their first and only strike against the guardian concluded.

    They didn¡¯t want to evacuate the world entirely ¡ª not when it seemed like a victory might actually be within their grasp.

    ¡°They say that the jellyfish pulled all of its attention in the end. Sabletown still stands, but they weren¡¯t clear about what the toll was,¡± he said.

    ¡°The A-Class?¡± Aera asked.

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°Then, if it¡¯s already wounded, maybe there¡¯s a good chance the jellyfish will kill it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope,¡± Trey said.

    They stood in silence for a while. The final few scout ships and transport shuttles were lifting off. A few dozen people remained, awaiting their chance to reach the safety of the Ambition.

    ¡°I understand why they didn¡¯t tell us what their small victory cost them,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Trey said. ¡°It¡¯s still early days.¡±

    ¡°And, I mean, what are the odds that we¡¯ll stay on Skyhold after this?¡± Aera asked.

    He raised an eyebrow at her. An unasked question.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been thinking the same thing I have. Skyhold was a mistake,¡± she said. Something in his expression must have concerned her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you,¡± she said. ¡°On paper, this was the best potential spot. The resources, the potential for scientific advancement, the sheer distance from the council. It was perfect. But if we knew then what we know now?¡±

    Trey nodded.

    ¡°There were other candidates. None of them were as remote, and they had nowhere near as many resources.¡±

    ¡°Which would have been fine, given our capacity for inter-realm travel.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. Despite himself, his voice shook. He¡¯d been fighting back his emotion for days. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, and held it.

    ¡°Oh, dad,¡± Aera said. He felt her arms around him. He exhaled and returned the gesture.

    She let go of the hug and stepped back, concern written on her features.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve already considered this,¡± she said.

    ¡°I have,¡± he said, ¡°and despite everything that¡¯s happened, with all the potential alternatives, Skyhold is the best choice.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I disagree, but others might.¡±

    Despite the grief he hadn¡¯t been dealing with healthily, which simmered always in the background, he barked out a short, humourless laugh.

    ¡°They might. Let them. I¡¯m used to making unpopular decisions. Without Clark¡¯s warning and a solution to the world¡¯s hostility, I would have ordered a complete evacuation. It¡¯s not guaranteed to even reach us. And if it does, we¡¯ll shove all of our explosive ordinance down its throat. If that¡¯s not enough, then we¡¯ll wait out its aggression and when it forgets about us, we¡¯ll leave. We¡¯re expecting the first real wave of colonists to arrive in the next 24 hours. There will be enough space on their ships to accommodate us while we search for a new home.¡±

    ¡°But if we win¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThen we¡¯ll have cleared the way for our expansion and safe habitation. The main challenge will be dealing with Class-1¡¯s and building relationships with our new alien friends. Haven¡¯t you considered their potential?¡±

    ¡°I have considered it, they could have new technologies¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªno.¡± Trey interrupted, ¡°think bigger.¡±

    She squinted at him. He raised his eyebrows, eager for her to catch on.

    ¡°They¡¯re not from here,¡± she said, her eyes slowly widening, ¡°they have intelligence about the wider universe. Like markets. Oh, you want to expand.¡±

    He smiled as the idea started to take root within her.

    ¡°Eventually, dear. Once we¡¯re self-sufficient, and barring any significant hiccups with our new neighbours, we will explore a vast universe of markets that the Council might never have access to.¡±

    Aera ran a hand through her hair. Trey stared out the window, out past the ruined walls of the outpost, out towards the unknown.

    A great flash of light, a familiar wave of purple and blue energy expanded and suffused the air. He might have imagined it, but it seemed easier to breathe.

    ¡°It¡¯s begun,¡± he said.

    There was a knock at the door and Guard Captain Niklaus walked in along with a small team.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s evacuated, sir. It¡¯s time to go.¡±

    Trey nodded and considered the command centre once more time before leaving. It might be the last time he ever saw it.

    Part of him bid good riddance.

    A thought occurred to him.

    ¡°Hey, Nik. Have you spoken to Abraham lately?¡±

    The Guard Captain frowned.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t, sir,¡± he said. ¡°Last I heard, he was going to board the Ambition to give his thanks to Mr. Koar.¡±

    Trey narrowed his eyes. It wouldn¡¯t take half a day for the Captain share his gratitude with Hunter.

    As they approached the shuttle, which would take them to the Ambition, Trey radioed for the ship¡¯s bridge.

    ¡°This is Trey Oberon to the bridge of the Ambition. Do you copy?¡±

    ¡°Read you loud and clear, sir,¡± came the voice from. He assumed it was the comms officer on duty. ¡°Should I patch you in to Captain Smith?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother him with this. Can you check to see if Captain Gregor is still aboard your ship?¡±

    ¡°One moment, sir.¡±

    Another bright flash of light in the distance. It expanded over the horizon, like a rising sun. A thin blue beam traced through the sky. It parted the clouds, which evaporating for hundreds of meters around the beam.

    Trey and there rest of the outpost¡¯s temporary inhabitants boarded their shuttles. As the minutes wore on without hearing from the ship, a frustration and anxiety grew more apparent in his gut.

    ¡°Sir, I apologize for the delay. Captain Gregor was here a few hours ago, but he disembarked with Mr. Koar shortly after he boarded. Is there anything else I can help you with today, sir?¡±

    The frustration was blossoming into something a bit more reflexive and vibrant, so he took a deep breath. The comms officer didn¡¯t deserve to be on the receiving end of his inability to handle himself.

    ¡°Nothing more. Keep up the good work,¡± he said, resisting the urge to throw his radio at the shuttle¡¯s doors.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. Trey ignored him and called Captain Gregor directly.

    There was no answer.

    He stifled a curse.

    ¡°See if you can get a line to Captain Gregor,¡± he said. Captain Niklaus nodded and sent a message to his own subordinates.

    After a few minutes with no news, Trey could only tilt his head back and stare at the ceiling.

    The Ambition was gaining altitude by the time the shuttles docked with it, unloading their passengers and shutting down after a full day of use. Exhausted pilots engaged shutdown sequences and did their best to feign a sense of energy and readiness around the big boss.

    He gave them a forced smile and a nod. It was the best he could do right now.

    His adopted son was missing, as was the captain of his flagship.

    Considering the Cloud, he wondered why he hadn¡¯t called the ship directly. If they weren¡¯t at the outpost, and they weren¡¯t aboard the Ambition, the flagship was the last reasonable place he could imagine they¡¯d be.

    But he¡¯d not approved for Hunter to board the flagship ¡ª not that the boy¡¯s word didn¡¯t carry any weight these days. He could go where he wanted. But that privilege was contingent upon him having the good sense to use it wisely.

    What the hell were they thinking?

 Chapter 82

    They¡¯d only gotten 4 hours of uninterrupted work done before the bright flash of lights caused by the warring titans lit up the sky.

    Initially eager to examine the shield¡¯s inner workings, Hunter gave up after a fruitless half-hour of observation and analysis. He could not discern the logic for the way the etherium flowed, flashing and pulsing from glyph to glyph, multiple glyphs activating at the same time.

    If any of these glyphs manifested the shield, how were they keeping the shield active when the glyphs were being rapidly turned on and off? The fluctuation should be noticeable in the shield itself, but it wasn¡¯t. The shield was as solid as ever.

    He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. None of his experience with the Force glyphs and all the ways he¡¯d stretched its use could shed a light on this type of shield construct. As far as he could tell, the Asutnahem understanding of etherium and building constructs must eclipse his own. To the Asutnahem, Hunter was like a caveman, learning how to wield fire by waiting for lightning to strike a tree.

    It pained him to admit that his understanding could be shallow, but what else could explain this?

    He was a monkey who¡¯d figured out how to crack things open with blunt objects, trying to glean the principles used to build a laptop computer. There might have been entire paradigms and philosophies of design and progress that he would need as context before he could grasp all the juicy details about how this shield construct worked.

    However, it wasn¡¯t all bad news.

    Apparently, the hard-wired connection had stood the test of time. It was easy to figure out how etherium was being led to and from the construct. That was all up to Oberon Enterprises¡¯ specifications. He figured that if he couldn¡¯t optimize the shield itself, he could do his best to optimize how Oberon Enterprise¡¯s artisans had interfaced the shield with the ship¡¯s etheric networks.

    For 3 and a half hours, Hunter, with the help of a few burly Guardsmen, tore the shield room apart. He had some custom wires created out of whatever they could find. They transferred most of the supplies to the outpost a few days ago.

    A complete teardown and rebuild had never been a part of the plan.

    But they would have to adapt. The captain¡¯s idea might be their best chance at giving them the opportunity they needed to ensure their future on Skyhold. He just needed to make sure that they could do it with such a limited supply of manpower.

    Three or more people with an AR over 80 were meant to operate the shield. The Guardsman they¡¯d found to volunteer, Jefferson, had an AR of 82. The Captain¡¯s AR was in the low 60s. And Hunter hadn¡¯t checked himself since before they¡¯d crash-landed. As far as he was aware, his AR was still 49, but he could have experienced some more rapid growth after the strange etheric episode he experienced at the outpost.

    He had no way to know, just then. To err on the side of caution, he assumed it remained unchanged from before.

    He scrapped some networks which would have only minor adverse effects of the etherium being fed to the shield. It wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, but he figured it was the best he could do. Then, looking again at the shield, an idea struck him.

    If he couldn¡¯t optimize the shield construct, he could maximize the efficiency of the little power they supplied to it. Not an easy feat. But he had a breakthrough when he realized that the shield somehow amplified the charge of the etherium when it entered the construct. He thought it must be some sort of subtle field effect, which spoke of a pretty interesting syntax within the construct itself. It was one of two points of similarity he had found between his understanding of etherium and constructs, and the Asutnahem¡¯s.

    Like modern day artisans, the Asutnahem would probably use networks within networks. Like the ship itself. As far as Hunter could tell, the shield was just as complex as the ship, only countless times more advanced and efficient.

    So Hunter took some time to focus in on feeling what the input port was doing to the etherium. Hunter couldn¡¯t fully sense the complex etherium charges feeding the construct, but recognized some familiar aspects.

    To activate the shield, he took calculated risks, brute-forcing it with small constructs. Each construct had a unique charged output corresponding to his emotions. He also fed a certain amount of ¡®uncharged¡¯ etherium to the shield. Some charge ratios failed to activate the shield. Others offered only brief activation, while a select few provided sustained, albeit less efficient, operation.

    Of the 5 different configurations he used, he chose one which seemed to work the best, and created 3 more, with minor alterations in glyph size and placement. He chose the alteration which came closest to what he¡¯d been aiming for.

    It improved the strength of the shield without increasing the amount of etherium being fed to it. The effect was nowhere near as dramatic as the synergies he¡¯d developed for more mainstream constructs, though. At a conservative estimate, he¡¯d improved the strength of the shield by around 1/10th of what they¡¯d been getting out of it until now.

    All without having to go into the construct itself. It might have been lacklustre, but he was proud of the accomplishment.

    By his estimation, it should be enough. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t need to keep the shield activated for long.

    Only as long as it took to finish the job they¡¯d set out to do.

    4 hours after entering the ship, the Captain summoned Hunter to the bridge. To Hunter¡¯s surprise, he found someone else there. A young woman who he recognized from the few times he¡¯d been on the bridge over the last year. If his guess was correct, her official designation was that of a navigator.

    ¡°How¡¯s the shield looking?¡± the captain asked. Hunter filled him in on the basics, leaving out all the experimentation and frustration it took to create such a negligible result.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be enough,¡± the captain said. ¡°It has to be.¡±

    ¡°Any word from the Ambition?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°How¡¯s the evacuation going?¡±

    ¡°I just received a ping from the Ambition. Mr. Oberon is there with your sister. Knowing him, he waited until the last second to leave. It¡¯s safe to assume the outpost is clear.¡±

    Hunter nodded.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°How¡¯d that conversation go?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t go,¡± the captain said. His smile was flat, but some amusement seemed to touch his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re frustrated, maybe even confused. This sort of stunt is out of character for me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s changed?¡± Hunter asked, ¡°Why not evacuate with everyone else? It¡¯s not a terrible plan.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a back-up plan, Hunter. This is it,¡± he said, hesitating for only a second before he answered.

    ¡°We¡¯d think of something. Once the rest of the fleet arrives, we¡¯ll just bombard it from a great height,¡± Hunter said.

    The captain had been holding his tablet in his hands, and he spent some time navigating it before he gave it to Hunter.

    ¡°Watch this,¡± he said.

    It was a brief video clip, only a few seconds long.

    It was footage of the initial engagement between the A-Classes. The creatures themselves couldn¡¯t be seen directly but their attacks could be seen from miles away.

    He saw a beam shot off into the sky, seemingly endless in its length. Blue and purple glows flashing across the horizon. It reminded him of something out of a movie, where a war was being waged in the distance.

    The energy beam was troubling.

    ¡°The rest of the fleet doesn¡¯t have our shield, Hunter,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°They¡¯d be vulnerable,¡± Hunter said, pursing his lips.

    The captain nodded.

    ¡°Our losses probably wouldn¡¯t be catastrophic, but all it would take is one well-placed shot from that thing to take out one or two ships. That could mean thousands dead if it hits a converted cargo haulers acting as colony ships.¡±

    What more could Hunter say?

    It made the captain¡¯s plan even more pressing.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way Trey would sign off on the plan,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°He would, eventually. But with everything going on, we don¡¯t have time to meet and debate the merits of one contingency over another. Something tells me that even if he can¡¯t officially sign off on it, part of him would approve.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± the navigator said, ¡°the systems are as ready as we can make them. I¡¯m ready to takeoff on your order.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± the captain said. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of timing at this point. I know that we¡¯ve left one more surprise at the outpost for the Guardian, in case it survives its fight with the other A-Class. It might turn out that our little plan isn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope,¡± Hunter said, wishing he had a way to view the fight between the two creatures. The small sample he¡¯d gotten from the tablet made him feel an itch to get out on a shuttle and orbit the fight from a distance.

    Captain Gregor¡¯s intuition seemed to kick in, as he guessed Hunter¡¯s thought process.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that once all of this is finally over, there will be plenty of data to dive into. I doubt it will satiate your ravenous curiosity, but you¡¯ll have footage and maybe even direct access to some A-Class autopsies.¡±

    Hunter nodded, doing his best to suppress the excitement threatening to bubble up. Most of his work here was done, but he still felt it appropriate to keep a level head.

    ¡°How are you feeling, by the way?¡± the captain asked.

    Hunter took a personal inventory, noticing that not much has changed over the last couple of hours.

    ¡°Aside from some residual soreness, I feel fine,¡± he said, still somewhat astonished by what had happened to him. He remembered little of what happened after the Class-1 broke through the wall. But he remembered certain impressions about the power itself.

    Deep. Profound. Intentful.

    And, despite its apparent lethality, it was compassionate. The way it cared for him after it was done¡ªwhat, piloting him? The energy that had pulsed through him was something he couldn¡¯t explain. He could barely even feel it. He could see its effects, but it appeared to operate on a principle that was just as profound as the Asutnahem shield, if not more so.

    More questions. No way to get answers. He hoped everything worked out the way they hoped it would, and that they¡¯d be able to negotiate some expertise from Sabletown.

    ¡°Good. Have you got any idea about what happened?¡±

    ¡°I can tell you about what I felt leading up to it, but I can¡¯t tell you anything concrete about how I did it. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to replicate that, either. It was surreal, like something else was working through me.¡±

    The captain inhaled slowly. His jaw clenched.

    ¡°I know how it sounds,¡± Hunter said. He¡¯d be worried as well, if he were in their shoes. Especially after what they¡¯d learned about the parasite. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t like I was no longer myself. I was still there.¡±

    He was only half sure of his words. He was troubled by his memory loss. Before the loss, however, he remembered everything about his first Class-1 encounter just beyond the wall, including a sense of his etheric system activating in response to the creature¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure people will have a lot of questions for you once this is all over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not sure how much it¡¯ll matter if they have questions. The destruction of the outpost walls means we will have to do more work for the colony than we¡¯d planned. And if the guardian avatar does any more damage, that workload is just going to increase.¡±

    ¡°But it won¡¯t be as bad as you think,¡± the captain said. ¡°If Clarke was right, then this could end the beast waves for good. Aside from the odd Class-1, there¡¯s no reason to think that we¡¯ll have any serious trouble with establishing ourselves on Skyhold.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. And I hope you¡¯re right. It¡¯ll be nice to ease off the gas pedal. It feels like we¡¯ve been going full throttle for a decade.¡±

    The captain grabbed Hunter¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made me a believer, Hunter. I¡¯m certain the company is in great hands with you and Aera leading the way. I admire Trey, and may he live long and prosper. But the courage, dedication and creativity you¡¯ve both displayed during this crisis have been inspiring. We¡¯re all feeling the burn. Not a single person has escaped the endless grind that this world has demanded of us since we¡¯ve entered its sky. But the finish line is in sight.¡±

    Hunter clenched his fists. A mild warmth suffused his chest.

    Soon, they¡¯d be done with the guardian avatar, the parasite, and the beastwaves altogether.

    They would finally have some time to rest, plan, and build.

    ¡°Again, great work. I¡¯m going to need you in the shield room once this all kicks off.¡±

    ¡°If it kicks off,¡± Hunter corrected.

    ¡°Right. If it kicks off, I¡¯ll need you ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. So stay near the shield room. That¡¯s an order.¡±

    Hunter saluted. His reflex was in the spirit of irony, but the feeling of genuine respect was impossible to deny. The captain dismissed him, and Hunter returned to the shield room with a reinvigorated spirit ¡ª a feeling which had been absent for days.

    The finish line is in sight, Hunter mused. It felt good to believe again.

    <hr>

    Guard-Lieutenant Shane Richards cursed as the shuttle shook around him.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna fall apart,¡± he said. His copilot, Guardsman Jennifer Sanders, elected to stay silent. She knew better than to question Shane¡¯s anxious pessimism after having flown over a dozen missions together.

    ¡°Ready for approach,¡± she said.

    ¡°Copy,¡± he sighed, ¡°approaching the A-Classes.¡±

    He transmitted their readiness back to the Ambition.

    ¡°Nothing too fancy, Lieutenant,¡± came Trey Oberon¡¯s voice. That the big boss was going to be overseeing this impromptu scouting mission was enough to make his hands sweat. Ask him to thread the needle with life and death stakes any day of the week and he¡¯d be ready to volunteer. But to do it with senior management watching his every move?

    No thanks. That¡¯s pure nightmare fuel. You can¡¯t spell ¡®hell¡¯ without ¡®bureaucracy.¡¯

    Granted, Trey Obeon wasn¡¯t so bad. At least, that¡¯s what he had heard. But you don¡¯t make a successful corporation without your fair share of oversight. Middle managers managing other middle managers. Politics. Red tape.

    He sighed again, and could almost feel the palpable annoyance radiating off of his flight partner.

    ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me, crewman,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it, sir. I was rolling my eyes at the window.¡±

    ¡°Smartass,¡± he grumbled.

    ¡°Affirmative,¡± she said.

    ¡°Woah!¡± he said, and the ship rumbled as a beam of bright azure light manifested beside the shuttle. He pushed the starboard thrusters as hard as he could and then pulled the shuttle higher into the sky.

    ¡°What the hell? These things shoot laser beams?!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Focusing cameras,¡± Sanders said.

    They could see the source of the beam of destruction, which had just barely missed them. It was a giant. Something between an ape and a lizard, standing hundreds of meters tall, concentrated energy emitting from its mouth. Then there was the other A-Class, the one which had ended a beastwave after flexing its power.

    The Jellyfish.

    It floated above its foe, dodging left and right at a speed that blew his mind.

    ¡°Recording,¡± Sanders said. Shane grit his teeth and kept the shuttle¡¯s flight as smooth as he could.

 Chapter 83

    The Jellyfish flitted through the air, and the ape-lizard did its best to track its movement with the energy beam it shot towards it.

    ¡°How much power is that beast generating in order to support that attack?¡± he asked, not even expecting an answer.

    ¡°About as much as a ship, by my estimation,¡± Jennifer said, ¡°you¡¯d need infrastructure to produce that kind of energy, and a lot of stored etherium. And that would just be for a one-and-done sort of deal.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are we doing here?¡± Shane muttered to himself. Skyhold was a horror show. No living creature had any right to be that powerful. He cursed again as the Jellyfish occluded their view of the ape-lizard, and he barely evaded the beam of energy following the damned creature.

    But the jellyfish hadn¡¯t been as lucky. The beam had grazed it. It rushed its enemy, its tentacles acting as a net as it tried to pull the creature off of its feet.

    The guardian avatar bit through one tentacle. The jellyfish spasmed and instead of grappling with the creature, its tentacles stabbed through its flesh.

    Then it glowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting out of here!¡± Shane yelled. He turned the shuttle around and accelerated as much as he could. The sky was then lit, the clouds turning blue and purple. Brighter and brighter, until a pure, brilliant white light drowned the colour out.

    Then it shut off, and Shane had to blink away afterimages.

    His copilot swore.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The A-Class is still standing,¡± Sanders said.

    ¡°You mean the Jellyfish, right?¡± he asked, fingers crossed, knowing it was a mistake to ask as soon as the words left his mouth.

    Optimism was always a mistake. Sometimes it was fatal.

    ¡°No,¡± she said, her voice low, ¡°the Jellyfish is gone, sir.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. He shouldn¡¯t have expected anything different.

    ¡°But it did damage. It looks like it sacrificed itself. The Ape-lizard¡¯s skin has all but dissolved from its upper body. It¡¯s losing so much blood. Shit, it¡¯s looking right at us. I¡¯m transmitting this footage back to the Ambition, the need to see this.¡±

    Shane engaged evasive maneuvers, but he knew it was futile. If that creature could get a beam off, it would have no trouble tracking them. They were nowhere near as fast as the other guy that had just tried to kill it.

    ¡°Fuck, I think it¡¯s charging its energy again. It¡¯s glowing from within. I can see the light coming from in between its muscle fibers.¡± Sanders said, ¡°We have to¡ª¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°That¡¯s all we know, sir. The transmission cut off after the energy beam intercepted the shuttle,¡± Captain Smith said.

    The few men and women around the bridge were silent, apart from the bridge staff who were hard at work, keeping the ship running.

    ¡°Did they survive?¡± Trey asked, already fearing that he knew the answer.

    ¡°The limited visuals we could get imply a significant chance that the entire shuttle was obliterated,¡± Captain Smith said.

    Guard Captain Niklaus tsk¡¯d and grumbled to himself. Trey knew it was a coping mechanism. The man was distancing himself from any of the negative emotion that might distract them during this crisis. Bell was away, attending to a problem with his men. That left himself, Smith, and Niklaus to lead everyone to safety.

    That meant little at this point. All they could do now was wait and pray.

    ¡°I want all the names on a list. Everyone who has died here. I want them immortalized. Etched into the hardest material we can find, and set right in the centre of the colony.¡±

    The Guard Captain nodded.

    ¡°Is the creature still heading towards the outpost?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Captain Smith said, pointing to a map he had loaded up on his tablet. A red pin on the screen showed where the guardian avatar¡¯s position. It was still miles from the outpost, and as far as they could tell, it was walking steadily towards them. It seemed to know the layout of the land, avoiding obstacles like hills and mountains. Trees, boulders, and other creatures served as no significant impediment to its progress.

    It marched forward, its gaze unwavering and always straight ahead. Its eyes seemed dead, unmoving ¡ª or so focused that they were unwavering, but Trey got the impression that there was no individual will left in the creature. It was as if it was just a puppet, controlled by etheric strings. Any other creature would be dead after having received the same injuries that the parasite¡¯s guardian avatar had. Trey hoped more than ever that Gideon and Hunter¡¯s research regarding the use of Drawstones for cultivating etherium would bear practical fruits soon. Technology could only bridge the gap for so long; what was the upper limit of what was possible for a creature who had been so deeply altered by etherium? How many more beasts with the power of an A-Class were out there, scattered around the local worlds?

    And what of the people, the civilizations with individuals who could match this kind of abomination, blow for blow?

    They needed a more powerful weapon in order to combat this type of threat. He wondered if he should let Hunter¡¯s mind run wild, unbound by the needs of the colony. What would the boy be able to do if he had a devoted team? Who else could study these deeper mysteries? Maybe Hunter isn¡¯t the right choice for that sort of role. His expertise would be needed to ensure the colony¡¯s infrastructure was up to date and optimized.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Thinking about Hunter brought a small scowl to his face. The boys¡¯ actions and radio silence displeased him. And the extra worry was unwelcome, given the circumstance. Not that putting the young man in danger would ever come easy. He did not know what Abraham was up to, and why he needed Hunter¡¯s help and silence. It meant that whatever they were doing, they thought he wouldn¡¯t approve.

    He admired the gall it took to act like that. He always knew that Abraham was an independent sort, but he¡¯d been a loyal and upstanding company man for as long as he¡¯d known him. This was out of the range of his normal operating procedure.

    Despite Trey¡¯s displeasure, Abraham had earned his trust. He¡¯d gone about using that trust and respect the wrong way, though. For that, there would have to be consequences.

    Hunter¡¯s punishment would just be more work. What else was he going to do? Keep him from being useful? The boy¡¯s potential was far too high for him to be sidelined. Maybe Hunter was counting on that very fact.

    Probably not, but it would be impressive ¡ª but also predictable.

    Once the rest of the ships get here, if he could get Hunter and Paulov working together, the skies were the limit. They would need to struggle through a bit of an adjustment period, where Hunter focused on teaching the company everything he knew. But after that, it was important that the company caught up with the new paradigm. Etherium seemed to be the dominant power out here. Using electricity was their bread and butter, and they had a whole body of science which they could lean on in order to understand it. Whereas Etherium¡¯s rules seemed to change all the time.

    But this wasn¡¯t sanctuary. The power of etherium had proven undeniable. The potential of etherium was mind-expanding, to say the least.

    Hunter was their best bet to build a proprietary science of etherium, using Drawstones. With the help of Hunter and Paulov, Oberon Enterprises could serve as a sovereign contender in a vast realm of worlds which appeared to host many volatile factions.

    It was nothing that he and his people weren¡¯t used to. Sanctuary was no utopian dream. And Oberon Enterprises had some advantage out here that they could lean on for the time being. But those were thoughts for another time, Trey thought.

    ¡°What¡¯s the status of the welcoming gift?¡± Trey asked. Niklaus smirked.

    ¡°We¡¯re waiting for the signal, sir. We¡¯re going to let the bastard get as close as possible.¡±

    ¡°Have you informed Captain Gregor?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir. As far as I¡¯m aware, he was present during the meetings where we laid out this plan.¡±

    ¡°Niklaus, you ever thought about being the captain of a ship?¡±

    ¡°Sir, with all due respect to your navy, I¡¯d rather die in a brothel. My boots belong on the ground.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Nik,¡± Trey said, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°Sir, the creature¡¯s not expected to be in weapons range for another hour, at least. I recommend you get some rest,¡± Captain Smith said. Niklaus raised his eyebrow toward Trey, which Trey interpreted as agreement with the Captain, and skepticism regarding Trey¡¯s odds of agreeing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll rest when this is all over, Captain. Thank you.¡±

    Captain Smith pursed his lips and nodded.

    Trey considered the map on the Captain¡¯s tablet one more time, racking his brain for any other ideas which could help increase their odds. They didn¡¯t know how weak the avatar was after its fight with Sabletown and the A-Class. Their planned salvo could very much be the straw the breaks the camel¡¯s back.

    They could only wait and see. And it would be an excruciating wait.

    <hr>

    There was no more work for Hunter to do. He¡¯d severed all the unnecessary networks he could. He had optimized the etheric input for the shield, and he¡¯d even spent some time looking over the weapons systems. He¡¯d learned a lot, and had a thousand ideas for improving them, but there was only so much they could do in a such a limited timeframe. Ammunition was scarce. He didn¡¯t want to risk experimenting with the weapon systems, not with tthe Cloud¡¯s possible takeoff being so soon.

    So all he could think of to do was practice the Inner Arts for the first time in, what, over a week?

    Except he was far too tired to meditate. He couldn¡¯t concentrate. His mind was foggy, and all he ended up doing was fluctuating between waking dreams, and worrying about all the ways the next few hours could go wrong. He knew he¡¯d promised to stay near the shield room, but after a few minutes, Hunter found himself walking towards his old quarters.

    Electricity had been cut off, and since there was no way to etherically activate the door to his old room, he had to pull it open manually.

    The room was exactly as he¡¯d left it. It was odd. The usual sounds of the ship¡ªthe hum of power, the pulse of etherium, the crew¡¯s footsteps, and the bridge officer¡¯s voice echoing through the ships corridors¡ªwere all absent.

    The ship felt asleep, which seemed wrong. This was an icon of life and power. Ironic, given that there was a time that he¡¯d grown annoyed by the chaos within the confines of this glorified tin can. But now he missed it. If only he¡¯d known how blissful those days were, leading up to the storm of violence and desperation which Skyhold had in store for them.

    This world wasn¡¯t willing to give up its wild, savage sovereignty without a fight. It was going to kill for its right to remain untamed by the hands of Oberon Enterprises.

    But the ambition of mankind was not something that a savage world like Skyhold could hope to eclipse. Call it grim optimism, but there was no way they could quit now.

    The Captain¡¯s words kept echoing through his mind.

    The finish line is in sight.

    Maybe what he was feeling was like the greed of corporations; the battle for more power, more resources, supremacy over the world. If someone could fight for the unchallenged wellbeing of themselves, their family¡¯s, and their friends, why wouldn¡¯t they?

    The thrill, the battle, the heartache. Hunter wanted to tell himself that he couldn¡¯t stand it. That it wasn¡¯t worth the stress.

    But feeling so close to the end of this crucible was almost intoxicating. The promise of smooth sailing, of the entire horizon and beyond being theirs to claim, explore, and discover. Glorious.

    When they¡¯d first set course for this world, Hunter had known that Skyhold would have opportunities. Sure, there would be resources, there would be mysteries, there would be opportunities to learn and progress himself and his people.

    But he¡¯d bled on Skyhold¡¯s soil. He had drunk and sweated Skyhold¡¯s water. He¡¯d seen the fierce power that Skyhold could focus upon its challengers. He¡¯d been humbled. Everyone had been humbled.

    And what a challenge. It was terrifying, what they¡¯d had to face. But the possibility of victory over the guardian avatar meant more than some chance to build a home for themselves. It will have meant that they¡¯d won, that they¡¯d survived Skyhold¡¯s worst, and the world would be their prize.

    Of course, they¡¯d have to share it with the Sabletowners, but Hunter figured they¡¯d earned their right to inherit the world as well. It mattered little to him, and neither would it matter too much to Trey or Aera.

    The difference between a nation and a corporation was adaptability and integrability. Oberon Enterprises transcended nations. Once they found a market in the Sabletowners that they could serve, it might only be a matter of time before Sabletowners joined the ranks of Oberon Enterprises themselves.

    The company would survive. The family would survive. Oberon Enterprises would thrive, and they will have proven that they can rise to any challenge that faces them.

    He could rise to any challenge that faced him.

    Cultivation. Progress. Expansion. A new era of cooperation and learning.

    Skyhold would be the foundation for something incredible, and the finish line was in sight.

    ¡°Hunter,¡± the Captain¡¯s voice sounded from the small radio on his belt, ¡°It¡¯s time. Are you ready?¡±

    Tension blossomed in his chest.

    He nodded to himself.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡±

 Chapter 84

    The results of his latest AR test surprised Hunter. It was his first time seeing his score since before they¡¯d arrived at Skyhold. He smiled as he jotted down the result in his personal journal, imagining the look that Aera¡¯s face when he revealed it.

    Trey assigned him to temporary quarters near the workshop, ordering him not to leave without permission. Confinement to his quarters wasn¡¯t so bad. Trey knew Hunter would revel in the time alone, with all that uninterrupted time to research and tinker to his heart¡¯s content.

    The intention, despite it being punishment, was to give him time to rest and reset. After spending so long in a state of stress and various stages of exhaustion and etheric possession, a time for contemplation and focus on his passions was what he¡¯d needed.

    He had gotten his hands on the design schematics for the prototypical mobile shaped-field generator they were hoping to use as a personal shield device. He found the designs complicated, among the most advanced glyph networks he¡¯d ever seen. It proved that the consumer grade products paled compared to what the corporations had played with behind closed doors. They were decades ahead of what they were releasing to the public.

    Another game they must be playing amongst the council. Who was the furthest ahead? Who would dare to reveal their hand and risk someone else releasing a more advanced product which worked better, and cost less?

    There came a knock came at the door. It was Aera, there to inform him it was time for an official debrief about what happened during the beastwave.

    He¡¯d felt a moment of dread, but once the meeting started, he realized that there was nothing to worry about.

    Regarding what had happened, all he had were hypotheses, and he didn¡¯t know how to reproduce it. He found no dormant aspect of his psyche or internal etheric system that explained the incident. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the cause. And he¡¯d checked for hours, focusing on his aura, prodding at his channels.

    Nothing. Whatever had happened to him remained a mystery.

    He¡¯d had a dream once, over a year ago. Back when he was at Barnum, recovering from Pippen¡¯s attack. The world had turned into a shifting mirage, a montage of worlds and ideas and memories which felt like they were his, but couldn¡¯t be.

    The giant maw, that figure walking fearlessly into it.

    Be not afraid, it had said.

    And something about a formless shape. Or was it a shapeless shape? He couldn¡¯t remember. But it felt important.

    The dream had made sense to him after he¡¯d had it. But now he was wondering if there was something more to it.

    He¡¯d elected not to share this information with Trey or Aera or the psychological specialists summoned to help him understand what happened. But he told them what he believed to be true.

    Reproducing what happened to him back at the outpost wasn¡¯t possible at the moment. He didn¡¯t even know where to start. If there was some entity watching him, then it was also helping him. As far as he could tell, it was on their side.

    It had lifted Aera to safety based on his refusal to let her die. It had protected the Guardsmen that it could, intercepting debris thrown by the enemy. The only thing he could confirm was that there was a deeper stratum of ether that was active here, and he could only guess at its nature, intention, or purpose.

    Hopefully, as he progressed, and as Oberon¡¯s understanding and utilization of etherium matured, they would have more answers.

    Hunter got the intention that those who had gathered, including the military representatives, were far from satisfied with his answers. But Hunter was Trey¡¯s heir, and his relationship with Trey and Aera had only grown stronger over the last year.

    They were powerless to offer anything but their thoughts and worries about a potential threat. Hunter didn¡¯t take it personally. It was their job to assume a threat, so that if time came to defend themselves, they would know what to do.

    As a compromise, Hunter elected to agree to speak with their experts whenever he felt that something might happen relating to this mysterious phenomenon. He didn¡¯t know what their experts could do about it. This was an etheric mystery, and if he had no idea what was going on, why would they?

    Then again, his previous handicap had been due to psychological trauma. From what he could tell, that was different to whatever had happened and the outpost. His trauma had been born of pain and separation. The outpost was something else: power, compassion, and profundity.

    He felt that it was more a matter of advancement. It was up to him to train diligently, to advance, and be open to the discoveries awaiting him. Theoretically speaking, it was just a matter of time before he had a better idea of what had happened.

    Once the debrief concluded, he went back to his temporary quarters to get back to work. He was pressed for time before the Sabletown meeting, so he made the most of his solitude to become fully engrossed in his work.

    <hr>

    ¡°That is the most impressive beast core I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± June said. His eyes were wide as he gazed at the stone they¡¯d found at the centre of the guardian avatar¡¯s body.

    ¡°So it is a beast''s core?¡± Hunter asked. That had been his assumption, but there was no way for them to know for sure. Compared to the others they¡¯d scavenged from Class-1 and 2 beasts, this was a giant.

    He might even say it was an anomaly.

    ¡°How much for it?¡± June asked. ¡°What is your expertise regarding the use of these things? With all due respect, you haven¡¯t much of an idea about what to do with these things. It would go to waste here. My people will put it to good use. I promise I¡¯ll give you a good deal for it. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Until we¡¯ve finished studying it, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re going to have to insist on keeping it,¡± Trey said.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t watched the extraction in person. Before his assignment to temporary quarters, he¡¯d been ship bound while the rest of the fleet arrived and a leadership summit took place. They¡¯d discussed the new plans for the backup colony location and picked a spot around 50 miles away from where the outpost was. It was much closer to Lake Striptease, and it was also closer to Skyhold¡¯s namesake.

    While all of this was happening, teams of artisans and engineers were hard at work extracting what they could from the creature, as well as whatever was still salvageable from the Cloud.

    This was his first time seeing the beast core in person. He held up his hand to it, studying the etheric effects he was sensing. It felt almost like an etheric battery. A hardened bio-matter shell encased the core. It had the effect of blocking most of his sensitivity. All he could make out was that there was some intention behind what the etherium within the core was doing, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything specific beyond that.

    Catching Trey¡¯s eye, Hunter nodded, and Trey continued.

    ¡°We would welcome Sabletown¡¯s help in understanding the practical applications of beast cores. It¡¯s true that our own understanding is lacking.¡±

    ¡°Would you feel open to something like a mutual exchange in our understanding of the world?¡±

    Trey pursed his lips, seeming to be impressed with the idea. Hunter wanted to beg the man to accept.

    ¡°I¡¯d be open to it. I believe that we both have a lot to learn from each other.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll task Aruon with negotiating this deal. He¡¯s far more interested in the specifics of technic sciences and how they compare to our own than I am. I¡¯m much more interested in martial matters. In fact,¡± he paused, looking up to the sky which was brimming with what seemed to be the entire Oberon space fleet. Small shuttles zipped around it, like fleas amongst beasts.

    ¡°I believe we are both past due for a demonstration.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Guard Captain Niklaus straightened. Trey snorted at the man¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll need to schedule a new time for it, which might be troublesome, given how busy we are going to be for the foreseeable future.¡±

    ¡°Sabletown is also willing to hire out some of our skilled labourers to assist you. You¡¯ll find that they are hardworking, and stronger than most foundation level men and women. Tell me, how do your people measure power?¡±

    Trey smiled at Hunter, letting him answer.

    ¡°We rate our power based on our affinity to draw¡ª¡± he paused, realizing he was about to reveal something critical. ¡°Um, based on our ability to use our etheric tools. I mean, Vital tools.¡±

    ¡°And what is your ability level ranked as, young master Hunter?¡± Aruon asked from June¡¯s side.

    ¡°80,¡± Hunter said. Aera inhaled sharply, looking at him as if he¡¯d just insulted her. He smirked.

    Her reaction was perfect. The rest of the Oberon delegation accompanying June during his visit stared at Hunter with surprise. His surprise had been almost as great as theirs. His AR must have increased from the episode at the outpost¡¯s wall.

    ¡°I assume that this is impressive?¡± June asked.

    ¡°Unprecedented for his age,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. ¡°By a very large margin.¡±

    ¡°What would be average, then?¡±

    ¡°For a gifted youth of his age, you would find them to have an AR in the high 20s, and rarely in the 30s. Until recently, Aera here had held the record for having the highest AR for her age,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Fascinating. Who would you say has the highest AR amongst you?¡±

    Guard Captain Niklaus answered this time.

    ¡°Lieutenant Bradshaw here,¡± Niklaus said, grabbing the shoulder of one man standing beside him, ¡°has an AR of 120. His was probably amongst the top 100 ratings worldwide, if I recall correctly.¡±

    Hunter whistled. 120 was impressive, given that the man wasn¡¯t even an artisan, at least from what Hunter could tell.

    ¡°I see. Then if I am to assume that Hunter¡¯s foundation is mid-stage, this lieutenant is likely at the peak, about to become an Elemental Initiate.¡±

    A common frown marked the faces of the Oberon party.

    ¡°Perhaps this is another question we can answer during our upcoming exchange. For reference, when we first met, I was at the peak of the Elemental Initiate stage, but have since broken through.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Trey said, to a round of polite nods from the Oberon delegation, ¡°Congratulations on your, er, upgrade?¡±

    June barked out a laugh.

    ¡°It¡¯s a novel experience to be around those who don¡¯t have the requisite understanding to fear my offending me. I assure you, I find it endearing and refreshing. I gained a critical insight during the fight with the guardian avatar, and while I was in recovery, that insight blossomed into a breakthrough. The mayor had beaten me by a mere few days¡ªah. That¡¯s one reason I visit you today. What I have to say will impact our relationship in the future, for the better.¡±

    ¡°I want to know more about what you mean by this breakthrough. Just how much stronger is an Adept compared to an Initiate? Or, how much stronger are you now compared to how you were before the battle?¡± Guard Captain Niklaus asked.

    ¡°At the earliest stages of Elemental Adept, it¡¯s like the difference between a toddler and a mature, well-trained adult. This gap widens exponentially with each phase of advancement.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said, giving nothing about what he was feeling away. ¡°Interesting. And how many phases of advancement are there?¡±

    ¡°For most stages, it suffices to say that there are three phases. Early, Intermediate, and Late. Some will add a fourth phase, the peak or half-step, indicating that they are on the threshold of a breakthrough. The phases can change based on the path, and the path¡¯s specific lineage. My path through Adept-hood will be a bit more winding than most, but that¡¯s because the origin of my path is exceptional. I¡¯m sure we can talk about this more at a later date.¡±

    The two parties of delegates moved to a more officious setting. It was the reception hall built into the new command centre near the colony¡¯s town square. On the way, they passed an obelisk marked with the names of all the fatalities from the battle for Skyhold. They set Captain Gregor¡¯s name near the top, right under the small stone replica of the O.S.S. Merciful Cloud.

    They dubbed the Obelisk the Founders Memorial. It had a nice ring to it. Hunter sighed away the sadness he felt whenever he saw all the names up there.

    It still didn¡¯t feel real. He kept expecting to see Captain Gregor there with them. His demise felt like a poor joke. Hunter expected that he¡¯d wake up from a dream, still aboard the Cloud on the way to Skyhold for the first time.

    They had paused before moving on from the memorial, sharing a moment of silence. Once they sat down around a large wooden desk in a private room which reminded Hunter of Trey¡¯s old home office, June continued.

    ¡°That you honour your dead means a great deal to me. It is a sign that you all share a common heart. A respect and love with which Sabletown would be proud to connect with. Perhaps we may one day show you a heart of our own.¡±

    He cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Regarding those matters I spoke of; the previous mayor of Sabletown perished during the encounter with the guardian avatar. I¡¯d known him for decades, and although we weren¡¯t the closest of friends, we had a great deal of respect for each other,¡± June said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Given what I know of your culture, you¡¯re led by the strongest?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, or whoever the strongest of us can all agree to be led by. As it was, Greaves and I were on par with each other for as long as we¡¯ve known each other. If he¡¯d survived, the conversation we would have right now would be under far different circumstances,¡± June said.

    Aruon and Galan shifted. Aruon even gave Hunter an awkward smile and shrugged. Hunter didn¡¯t know how to interpret that.

    ¡°Different how?¡± Trey asked, his eyes narrowing. He seemed to have picked up on some threatening undertone that Hunter hadn¡¯t been.

    ¡°The old mayor was far more conservative than I am. In fact, if I hadn¡¯t forced a peaceful contact with you, he would have done so under far more threatening terms if your risk assessment put you at a disadvantage. We did not see eye to eye in how to handle our new neighbours.¡±

    ¡°And as you both had a similar amount of strength, he didn¡¯t protest your actions too loudly,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°There was some small protest, but he trusted me to handle the situation to Sabletown¡¯s advantage. Which, of course, I still intend to do. Just as I am assured that you will pursue the advantage of your people as well.¡±

    ¡°So, if I¡¯m understanding you correctly, the old mayor would have attempted to take us over through force. Whereas you have another vision altogether,¡± Trey said with a scoff. His jaw seemed tense. Everyone in the room had worried about this very scenario.

    ¡°More or less. He believed you would have acted the same way if your roles had been reversed. It¡¯s an attitude we¡¯ve inherited from our old homes. But that is no longer relevant. As of the moment of his death, I have inherited full authority over Sabletown. And as Sabletown¡¯s leader, I declare that Oberon Enterprises is far more useful to us as an independent ally, with full creative and authoritative autonomy. The way you won a fight which we couldn¡¯t is enough proof of this. Trust me, I have no intention of turning Sabletown into a conquering kingdom. You are safe to develop as you wish, but we will have to settle on a border.¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying, and I thank you for clarifying your stance. I believe we should negotiate border issues before beginning official trade talks. I ¡ª What¡¯s up, Nik?¡±

    Guard Captain Niklaus was muttering into his earpiece. He paused for a second and waved over one of the Guards near the doorway leading to the meeting space.

    ¡°A ship appeared; outworld. It doesn¡¯t fit any known Council profile. We have analysts picking apart the recording,¡± the Guard Captain said. The Guardsman at the door walked over and, after a short word with Guard Captain Niklaus, rushed away at a jog. Hunter could hear the man running up the stairs towards the command centre.

    June was cradling his chin with a couple of fingers. He narrowed his eyes in concern. Aruon whispered something to him, and Galan seemed confused. June shrugged and replied, but Hunter couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.

    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed it¡¯s not a Council ship,¡± Guard Captain Niklaus said. ¡°It¡¯s made of mundane materials. Wood and iron, based on a preliminary spectral analysis. The ship appears electronically dead, but its sharp acceleration and deceleration curves imply an etheric power base.¡±

    ¡°What else did they say about the vessel?¡± June asked, ¡°We have some familiarity with nearby peoples. Those with the capacity to travel the worlds in this sector of space are rare.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have a list of such peoples handy, would you?¡± Trey asked.

    June tilted his head and then shook it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve nothing like that on my person, but I¡¯ll see what I can do for you. In Sabletown, we have people whose job it is to keep in touch with our outworld contacts. It takes a certain proficiency with formations which I do not possess.¡±

    ¡°Formations?¡± Hunter couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°One of our oldest means of manipulating Vita,¡± Aruon said. June held up a hand to interrupt his disciple.

    ¡°There will be time for that later,¡± June said. ¡°We have a more pressing matter at hand.¡±

    The Guardsman reappeared with a laptop computer and handed it to the Guard Captain. Niklaus spent a moment typing, and then showed the screen to Trey, who frowned and beckoned June over. The man materialized behind them before Hunter could blink. A soft breeze was the only sign of his lightning-fast passage.

    Trey startled as the man appeared behind him. June smirked and the Guard Captain muttered something to himself, which caused June to raise an eyebrow, but he made no further comment until his eyes met the screen.

    Then his eyes widened.

    ¡°Bandits,¡± he said, standing straight and glancing at his disciples.

    ¡°You know them? Are they friendly?¡±

    ¡°Ha! No, not friendly at all. They call themselves Peacekeepers. They are slavers and killers, the lot. That is a scout vessel. It means there will be a task force nearby. If they¡¯re here and they know that this world is populated, they will come in force.¡±

    Guard Captain Niklaus and Trey exchanged frowns.

    ¡°Call Bell, I¡¯ll call Admiral Bellinger and General Marko. They need to hear this. June, I want to hear more about these Peackeepers.¡±

    ¡°Soon, Senior Oberon, soon. I must notify my people. We have some plans for this eventuality, and we will brief you, but time is of the essence. I will be in contact. Before I go,¡± June said, his hand extending towards Hunter and a ring appearing within.

    ¡°When you have some time alone, feed a drop of your blood to this ring. It will bind it to you, and you will have access to its contents.¡±

    Hunter frowned at the instructions and hesitated to grab it. The mention of blood had caught him by surprise.

    ¡°Blood is an effective medium for binding objects.¡± Aruon said. The ring¡¯s design allows it to identify its owner. Only the owner can open it, unless they die or intentionally sever their connection.¡±

    It was one of the most fantastical things Hunter had ever heard. He grabbed the ring, still unsure about how he should feel.

    June said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy what you find stored within. Now it is time for us to depart.¡±

    Hunter blinked, and June appeared between his disciples. He blinked again, and there was no trace of them remaining but that same subtle movement of air, and a feeling that he¡¯d narrowly dodged the edge of a blade.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Trey said. Hunter frowned and nodded.

    Why couldn¡¯t they have some peace? He thought. Did the universe have it out for them?

    ¡°Can we trust his assessment? If they¡¯re enemies, maybe we should get in contact with these Peacekeepers. What if whatever actions put them at odds with Sabletown were justified?¡±

    ¡°June has been a straight shooter so far. I¡¯ve no reason to doubt his words outright, but I agree with you. We need to know more, and I don¡¯t think we should trust Sabeltown¡¯s story outright.¡± Trey said, collecting his thoughts. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing Skyhold has taught us, it¡¯s that we should assume the need to protect ourselves.¡±

    Hunter felt conflicted. Concern for the strangers appearing beyond the sky and excitement for whatever contents the ring might hold. He suspected he knew what those contents were.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Area asked him as Trey and his subordinates left the meeting room, ascending the stairs to the command centre¡¯s core of operations.

    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Have you got a knife or some scissors?¡±

    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± she sighed. Hunter held out his hand. She turned it palm up and ran the edge of one of her nails across the skin of his index finger.

    He jerked his arm back with a curse.

    ¡°Could have warned me,¡± he said, grimacing. Using her nail was pretty unhygenic. Not that he was too worried. His improved physique came with a boosted immune system.

    Still, he thought, it was still pretty gross.

    He watched as a small bead of blood appeared. He hoped it would be enough to activate the ring.

    The whole ritual felt strange. Like actual magic. This was something straight from a fantasy novel.

    He really wanted to get his hands on Sabletown¡¯s knowledge base. What other strange objects did they have stashed away? Maybe they had wizard staffs, wands, and flying carpets.

    He rubbed his index finger along the ring, and he felt a connection with it. As if it were a definable presence in the room. It was the same feeling he got when he knew someone was standing behind him, or to his side, just beyond the periphery of his vision.

    He brought his attention to the feeling. Suddenly, he knew what was inside the ring. Not like an itemized list, but more like basic impressions. Images, textures, smells, and overall size relative to the total space of the ring.

    With a thought, a small manual appeared in his hands. It took a second for the font on the cover to resolve itself, twisting into something legible.

    Tara Sovereign Sect

    Outer Disciple Library

    Foundation Establishment Manual

    ¡°Foundation Establishment,¡± Hunter whispered, excitement overcoming worry. He looked at Aera. ¡°This is it. I need to look through this. But¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t worry about it. Keep your radio on. I¡¯ll update you when we have more news about the Peacekeepers.¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    He shouldn¡¯t be spending much time with the manual right now. He had a lot of work to do, part of his punishment for agreeing to take part in Captain Gregor¡¯s plan. But this could provide the answers to one of the most important obstacles that was challenging the Oberon Researchers who were studying Gideon Koar¡¯s notes in their spare time.

    How could they allow someone to manipulate their etheric channels without having a general sensitivity to etherium?

    After hearing what June said about the deceased mayor, he felt even more pressure to find a solution. There were more cultivators out there beyond Skyhold, and some of them would be much more powerful than June. What would their reaction be to discover two settlements on such a resource-rich world?

    If Skyhold wanted independence, they needed power. With the help of this manual, they would finally have a way to give everyone a way to empower themselves against the threats that this new world might present them.

    <hr>

    Admiral Jeffrey Bellinger and General Simran Marko stood on the bridge of the O.S.S. Relentless, one of three Carrier-Class inter-realm ships in the Oberon fleet.

    ¡°What are the odds that they saw us?¡± Simran asked.

    ¡°High enough to take proactive measures,¡± Jeffrey said. ¡°Comms, general broadcast.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± Comms said. ¡°You¡¯re live.¡±

    ¡°This is Admiral Bellinger. Admiral Bellinger here. You¡¯ve likely heard that we¡¯ve spotted a potential threat in our space. We are going to assume that there is a hostile fleet inbound until we can prove otherwise. All ships are to be battle ready as soon as possible. We are recalling all essential personnel.¡±

    He waved his hands so that the comms officer knew to cut the feed. His tablet screen showed a list of ship names turning green as each captain confirmed their receipt of his orders.

    Few ships had essential personnel on the ground, just enough to help kick-start their efforts to set a new foundation for the colony.

    He sneered.

    His briefing led him to believe that their leader had moved them from an unpleasant situation to a dangerous one. They¡¯d faced nothing but hostility from this world from the moment the Merciful Cloud had landed, and even before then.

    The whole situation comprised one fuck up after another. They should have had more intel before they came here. Dozens had died because of the parasite ¡ª because of one Vice-Captain Clarke¡¯s incompetence. But, the responsibility lay on his boss. Trey Oberon had many deaths to answer for.

    If Trey had been a lesser man, Jeffrey might have made a play for his position already. Not that he hadn¡¯t made discreet efforts in that direction in the past, but the Oberon monarch kept a very solid grasp on his power. He¡¯d underestimated Trey¡¯s information network. The man had eyes and ears everywhere. Instead of frustration, Jeffrey felt respect and admiration.

    Trey Oberon wasn¡¯t a Council Seat for nothing. His gentle exterior masked a cruel and calculating heart. Jeffrey supposed that some might admire the genuine care Trey seemed to show his subordinates, and Jeffrey had followed Trey¡¯s example throughout his career.

    But their response to the threats that Skyhold had displayed had been far too passive for the Admiral¡¯s liking. He would need to convince Trey to take a more active approach in securing their future in this world. The Sabletown aliens came to mind. They would need to be shown, beyond any doubt, that Oberon Enterprise was the top dog out here.

    It might take some doing to convince the man, but Jeffrey was always up for a challenge. Besides, they weren¡¯t on Sanctuary anymore. He doubted he was the only person who might have taken issue with Trey¡¯s decisions out here, beyond the world he¡¯d inherited his power base from.

    The rules would be different out here. The game had changed. Maybe Jeffrey was the man to lead the Colony¡¯s future, if Trey¡¯s vision and leadership proved inadequate.

    That was a thought to indulge at a later date. For now, his plate was full.

    ¡°Sir,¡± said his operations officer, ¡°We have detected significant etheric activity nearby¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªAdmiral, multiple reports of etheric disturbances throughout the fleet¡ª¡±

    ¡°Contact! Shit, there¡¯s so many of them! Dozens of ships spotted at the centre of our formation ¡ª they¡¯re opening fire!¡±

    He huffed away his frustration from the sudden onslaught of voices and escalating nerves.

    ¡°Comms, tell Bravo fleet to hold the line. The colony¡¯s safety is our top priority. Weapons, tell me you have targets!¡± the Admiral yelled. General Marko was speaking to his Guards throughout the fleet, ordering them to prepare to repel boarders and to be ready to engage in boarding actions of their own.

    ¡°We¡¯re tracking targets, sir, but their movement is far too erratic. I¡¯m enabling machine assistance.¡±

    Jeffrey frowned but nodded his assent.

    Tracking software was too mature to be considered a prototype, but it was far from being considered battle-tested. Jeffrey made his way to the Ops station to see if he could understand what his weapons officer was telling him.

    Then the ship shook, and he lost his footing, but he could break his fall against the railing set up throughout the bridge.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Shields are holding, 70 percent!¡±

    That was a sharp decline in shield integrity.

    ¡°After one hit?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir. Their weaponry is etherium based, and much more effective than our own.¡±

    Jeffrey observed the scanner. As his officer had said, the way they moved defied Oberon¡¯s most agile ships.

    ¡°Fighters deployed,¡± General Marko said.

    The admiral shook his head. He didn¡¯t like the odds of their fighters facing off against the Peacekeeper crafts.

    How had they gotten so close without being spotted?

    They must have cloaked themselves and drifted into the fleet¡¯s formation. Their tech would need to be pretty advanced, if that was the case. One ship stood out. It was the biggest out of all of them ¡ª more long than it was wide. Longer than any of the Oberon vessels, even the Relentless itself. It reminded him of a needle, with a section of its hull tapering off and then rejoining like a needle¡¯s eye.

    It was distancing itself from the battle. Was it their command vessel?

    ¡°That¡¯s a primary target,¡± he muttered. Then he asked louder, ¡°what¡¯s our status?¡±

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve lost a dozen ships. Our weapons are proving to be effective at close range.¡±

    The ship rocked again, worse than before.

    ¡°Shield integrity at 40 percent, sir!¡±

    Jeffrey couldn¡¯t help the curse that parted his lips. General Marko stood still, as stoic as ever. His hands behind his back.

    ¡°Message from Skyhold! Sabletown is sending reinforcements.¡±

    He felt a headache coming on. He needed to get ahead of this situation.

    ¡°What are they sending? Will they be here in time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s just the mayor,¡± Jeffrey said. The alien¡¯s psychology must differ drastically from their own. Although they appear human, this situation made him question how Sanctuary humans differed from the apparent inter-realm standard.

    ¡°One man?¡± General Simran scoffed, which must have been the most extreme reaction Jeffrey had ever seen from the man.

    He didn¡¯t disagree. Since the mayor¡¯s presence wouldn¡¯t affect the battle¡¯s outcome, Jeffrey decided to dismiss the Sabletown alien from his mind and focus his attention on where it was needed.

    ¡°How many ships remain?¡± he asked, dreading the answer.

    ¡°Just under half, sir.¡±

    Clenching his jaw, he considered the scanner one more time, a plan rapidly forming.

    ¡°Nav, maximum acceleration towards the transition envelope. Full burn for 20 seconds. Comms, Inform all remaining vessels to retreat towards us, Formation Echo-2. The Relentless will take the tail. As soon as navigation cuts our acceleration, tell engineering to divert all power to all remaining power to shields!¡±

    Jeffrey reached for his personal radio, patching it into the inter-fleet communication network.

    ¡°Captain Roth, do you read?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Loud and clear. What¡¯s the situation?¡±

    ¡°Tactical retreat, Echo-2. I trust you know your role?¡±

    ¡°Aye, sir. We¡¯ll be the fishing net.¡±

    ¡°Good, over and out.¡±

    The ship shook, and the ceiling showered him with sparks.

    ¡°Shield¡¯s critical, admiral!¡±

    ¡°5 seconds!¡± his navigations officer called.

    ¡°Hold!¡± he ordered.

    Every passing second was an opportunity for the enemy to end them. It made him wondered why they haven¡¯t yet.

    ¡°Engineering is boosting shields! Shield integrity is rising. We¡¯re adrift, sir!¡± Ops said.

    He let out a small exhale and watched as the rest of the ships in his fleet gathered. Over the last minute, another half dozen names disappeared from his list. Hundreds were dead. He watched as the Peackeepers responded to the change in the Oberon formation.

    ¡°Explosions reported near the transition envelope. Bravo fleet is holding the line,¡± Ops reported.

    ¡°Captain Roth is impressive,¡± Simran said.

    ¡°All my captains are elite. Oberon has always had the advantage in space,¡± the Admiral muttered. The line was reflexive by now. Every corporation wanted to claim the title of supremacy for themselves, but Oberon had invested more into their navy than half of the other Council Seats combined.

    Trey¡¯s father had known which way the wind was blowing before the space race had begun. Trey himself was quick to take his father¡¯s advice, too. Securing outworld assets had been the emergent path to dominance, and so they¡¯d bet everything on being able to secure their advantage as fast as possible.

    It had paid off, but then the Council had punished them for it.

    Being out here, having his fleet decimated and his own ship hammered by alien weaponry, it all started because they¡¯d done their job too well. Trey had grown too fat on the wealth of the worlds that his fleet had discovered. Had he played ball with the other corporations, they wouldn¡¯t have needed to run and hide.

    Not that Jeffrey objected too much to leading the largest navy in existence. But in hindsight, if he¡¯d known where this was all leading, he¡¯d have begged Trey to reconsider.

    A racket of raised voices brought his attention back to the bridge, and then it was as if the space in which they occupied was shaking. The whole felt like it was being torn apart, ground between god¡¯s teeth.

    ¡°Forward weapons offline, radar sensors offline!¡±

    ¡°Shield emitters failing!¡±

    ¡°Contact front! What is that?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re all shooting at us at once!¡±

    ¡°Engineering¡¯s been hit! Reactor¡¯s only at half power!¡±

    In but a moment, he¡¯d arrived at death¡¯s door. He cursed their new allies. Where were the reinforcements? The least they could do was provide a distraction so that the ones who were risking their lives protecting this heaven¡¯s forsaken world might actually do some damage!

    From the front view-port, he spied one of the Peacekeeper¡¯s biggest ships speeding toward them. Despite his own ship¡¯s acceleration, it was eating up the distance between them at a rate which caused him to despair.

    The enemy ship maneuvered, presenting a wall of broadside cannons.

    ¡°Massive etheric spike! They¡¯re charging something nasty!¡±

    This was the end, and he was staring it in the face. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d brushed against death, but it was the first time he¡¯d felt so utterly powerless to do anything but die with his head held high.

    Their executioner was close enough that he could see their bridge. He could barely make out a few silhouettes ¡­

    Suddenly, a pressure emerged that forced him to kneel. Everyone on the bridge felt the same thing. Some couldn¡¯t stand it, and curled up on the ground.

    Outside the ship, there stood a man, floating on nothing but the emptiness of space. His back was turned to them. He was bald and wore a beige robe. In his right hand he held up a sword towards the enemy ship.

    His robe fluttered in non-existent winds.

    The sword descended.

    A rift tore the ship in half, manifesting straight down the centre of its hull. Both sides of the ship drifted, angling to face each other. Their charged attack released a second later. Each side detonated in a flare of destruction.

    The swordsman then pointed his sword again, towards some distant, unseen target. The feeling the man gave off shifted, where before it had been domineering, now it was pure glory.

    Reverence.

    He was in the presence of something sacred, something most holy. It felt as if reality itself were a blade pressed against every cell of his being, and it was his distinct honour to be put in such a position.

    He could help but weep. The man before him was like a god in flesh, the pinnacle of existence.

    Wherever he pointed, there came distant pinpricks of light, like new stars born in the void.

    Then the man disappeared, as did the pressure he exuded ¡ª gone just as suddenly as it has arrived.

    The Admiral woke up from whatever trance gripped him. He¡¯d experienced nothing like that before.

    General Marko gaped like a fish out of water. He had seen everything that Jeffrey had seen.

    ¡°What did we just witness?¡±

    Jefrey stood, his knees wobbling, his legs shaking.

    ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d wager that was our reinforcements.¡±

    More flowers of light blossomed in the distance, heralding their enemies death.

    ¡°How is he getting through their shields?¡± General Marko asked.

    Silence across the bridge. The Admiral was the first to gather his wits.

    ¡°Status!¡±

    The bridge crew brought their focus back to their tasks.

    ¡°Sir, we have a comms link up with a nearby ship. They¡¯re feeding their data to us. Half of the enemy fleet is gone. I¡¯m tracking a new etheric signature. Its trajectory matches that of the enemy ships being destroyed. It¡¯s coming our way.¡±

    Jeffrey hadn¡¯t given the order to patch into another ship¡¯s network. The officer had set it all up himself. He made a mental note to be monitor that one, he would be worth grooming for a higher role.

    ¡°Sir, requesting permission to open fire. We don¡¯t know what it might be¡ª¡±

    ¡°We know what it is,¡± the Admiral snapped. ¡°He¡¯s our ally.¡±

    The confusion playing across the faces of his bridge crew would have been amusing in any other circumstance. None of them had been watching out the view-port when the swordsman had appeared.

    Then there was another presence on the bridge. General Marko pulled his sidearm and aimed at the intruder. Admiral Bellinger recognized him immediately. Their focus on their station tasks had prevented the other bridge officers from noticing him.

    Sweat covered the man. He heaved deep breaths as if he¡¯d just run a marathon. He glanced at General Marko in amusement and then regarded Admiral Bellinger. Pointing his thumb towards his own chest, he spoke.

    ¡°June,¡± he said. This got the attention of the bridge crew, who all gaped or stared in shock at the stranger amongst them.

    Admiral Bellinger was no fool. He gathered his nerves into a ball, pushed it out of sight, and followed the man¡¯s lead.

    ¡°Bellinger. Fleet Admiral Jeffrey Bellinger. Thank you for rendering aid. We could have handled the situation, but your presence has expedited our success. For that, you have my thanks.¡±

    General Marko coughed. The lie was blatant, but he couldn¡¯t project any weakness before what was the most powerful entity he¡¯d ever encountered.

    June tilted his head, appearing to consider the Admiral¡¯s words. He closed his eyes, and the Admiral felt something in the air, a subtle shift that he almost dismissed as his imagination.

    ¡°That¡¯s better. After advancing to the Adept stage, my sensitivity has improved. It is much easier to assist the translation matrix, now,¡± June spoke, ¡°could you repeat what you just said?¡±

    ¡°The Admiral expressed his gratitude at your timely arrival.¡± General Marko said. Jeffrey wanted to yell at the man, strip him of his rank, and throw him out an airlock. But he wasn¡¯t in Jeffrey¡¯s chain of command.

    Yet he couldn¡¯t deny the General¡¯s words in front of the Sabletown representative. They need to appear as a unified front.

    June bowed after the General spoke, but he remained silent. He fixed his gaze on Jeffrey, making Jeffrey uncomfortable.

    He cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Translation matrix? Is that what I felt?¡±

    ¡°You can ask your leader about the matrix when you meet him next. I have finished my work; this concludes my part of our mutual demonstration of prowess. I look forward to seeing your own. The rest of the bandit fleet is yours to do with as you wish, but I would act fast before their jump ship can recharge. Good day, Mr. Admiral Jeffrey Bellinger,¡± June said, bowing to him and the General, the amused smirk having remained present the whole time.

    He moved his hand through the air, like a slow karate chop, and then he disappeared once more.

    ¡°I need to hire that man,¡± General Marko muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll make a Guard out of him.¡±

    ¡°I recommend figuring out how to let our men do what he can do,¡± Jeffrey muttered.

    The General frowned.

    ¡°Broadcast a new order. Maintain formation, but reverse course. Vanguard vessels are to advance at full speed, weapons active and shields at half power. Tell Captain Roth to close the net,¡± Jeffrey ordered.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got men attempting to board and search for what¡¯s left of the remaining ships,¡± the General said. ¡°June¡¯s attack didn¡¯t destroy all of them. I have ordered that our shuttles'' beacons remain active.¡±

    ¡°Risky move, General. I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯ll be safe from crossfire.¡±

    ¡°We need to gather what intel we can, Admiral. It¡¯s worth the risk. The men are all volunteers. They know what they¡¯re getting into.¡±

    ¡°Sir, the enemy fleet is converging around a single ship. They¡¯re sacrificing themselves in order to ensure that it doesn¡¯t get hit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s got to be the jump ship June mentioned,¡± the General said.

    ¡°I concur. Amend fire mission, disable the jump ship at all costs. Prioritize boarding actions when possible, but don¡¯t take any unnecessary risks. I¡¯m not too impressed with these Peacekeepers capabilities, but they¡¯re still an unknown. They might have some surprises left in store for us.¡±

    Bravo fleet expanded in front of the transition envelope, ready to close around the advancing Peacekeepers, surrounding the enemy and forcing them to hold from the centre. With much of the enemy forces now eliminated, cutting off the Peacekeepers¡¯ retreat became imperative.

    Of course, had he known that they had a Jump Ship, he might not have bothered. It implied the capacity to travel faster than light, if his guess was correct. But it was too late to do anything about that now.

    ¡°We¡¯re detecting a strong etheric charge coming from the centre of the enemy formation, sir.¡±

 Chapter 86

    The needle-like Jump Ship was too far away to be visible. Jeffrey spied more bright flashes of light, way out there. Where they had once blossomed in a line, these were now concentrated in a small radius.

    ¡°Hit! We¡¯ve destroyed one of the defending peacekeepers next to the Jump Ship. Its debris did our job for us. The Jump Ship didn¡¯t have any shields to block the shrapnel.¡±

    ¡°No shields?¡± the Admiral said, frowning. Why wouldn¡¯t they install shields on their most strategically important ship? Was it a potential weakness of whatever technology they were using to ¡®jump¡¯?

    That was their enemy¡¯s ticket out of this sector, most likely at a speed that surpassed light itself. If he could get that technology in his people¡¯s hands, then any losses they have suffered during this battle will have been worth it.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the communication officer¡¯s voice shook, ¡°the remaining peacekeeper ships just detonated. We had fighters and Guardsmen in range.¡±

    He could feel silence like a physical presence descend on the bridge. He kept his posture straight and his projected nothing to show that he was feeling any grief over the loss of good men. The general exhaled sharply, but that was all.

    A mask of composure hid their inner turmoil and despair, but their experience had taught them to cope with loss. It was like an old friend and they would treat it with a drink to the fallen once the day was near its close.

    ¡°All the enemy ships?¡± the Admiral asked.

    ¡°No, sir. Some of them appear to be dead in space. Either they¡¯re waiting, or they¡¯re completely disabled.¡±

    ¡°And the Jump Ship?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The same, Admiral.¡±

    ¡°They probably have ways to activate a self-destruct sequence manually,¡± the General said.

    ¡°My next call is up to you, Simran,¡± the Admiral said quietly, ¡°I won¡¯t order your men to their death if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth the risk.¡±

    The General frowned. ¡°It must be done. Can we determine where their engineering bays are? I want to control the ship and sabotage any plans they have for scuttling it before we get our hands on it.¡±

    ¡°Comms, raise engineering,¡± the Admiral said. He waited a few seconds while the General barked out orders to his men; Maintain distance from disabled ships, keep weapons hot, begin search and rescue. Gather any spaced corpses.

    ¡°Engineering,¡± came his chief¡¯s voice through his radio. There was yelling in the background. The damage to the ship must have caused a lot of chaos.

    ¡°Do we have a way to scan for weaker etheric signatures without getting too close to their potential source?¡± the Admiral asked.

    ¡°Weaker signatures? Sure, we¡¯ve got a few mobile scanners meant for the colony, but there¡¯s no way to avoid getting close.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take to get one of those ready?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got my hand full, Admiral. But give me 15 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Alright, inform General Marko when the scanner is ready to be deployed. It¡¯ll be his show from here on out.¡±

    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±

    <hr>

    Guard Captain Syler Hastham leaned over the pilot¡¯s shoulder, monitoring the distance between the shuttle and the Jump Ship.

    ¡°Bit closer,¡± he said.

    The pilot tapped the flight control. Syler looked back towards the passenger compartment. Most of the squad he was leading on this operation were checking their gear. A tech fiddled with a large, vertical metal cylinder.

    ¡°Catch anything yet?¡± Syler asked. The tech held up a finger. He was checking something.

    ¡°The scanner is picking up a source further astern. That might be the generator.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Squad, ready up!¡±

    A chorus of aye¡¯s sounded.

    He tapped the pilot on the shoulder and went to join his people in getting ready.

    The Sabletown mayor¡¯s actions weren¡¯t witnessed by him. However, reports from the Relentless bridge indicated he destroyed almost half the peacekeeper fleet. By himself.

    With a sword.

    Cultivators. Powers. Swordsmen who could cut their way through fleets. They were in the dark, and they were scrambling. If the need to gather intel wasn¡¯t so pressing, Syler was sure that the Admiral would have elected to obliterate the remaining Peacekeeper ships.

    He brought his mind back to the moment.

    ¡°Alright, before we do this, I have two words for you all. Trigger. Discipline.¡±

    All eyes were on him. Excluding the tech, who was still fiddling with the machine.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve all lost friends today. Yes, these bastards hit us hard. I¡¯m as mad as you are, but I will have the balls of anyone who fires a shot unprovoked. Understood?¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m exempt from punishment?¡± Guardsman Grandview asked. She¡¯d saved his ass enough times to earn a bit of casual insubordination. He would ignore it this time.

    ¡°I asked you all a question,¡± Syler said, letting his frustration colour his tone.

    ¡°Understood, sir!¡±

    Unanimous agreement. He nodded in satisfaction. He finished his gear check by inspecting his backpack. It held a small re-breather with a gas canister tucked beneath it. He always liked to pack an extra in case he or one of his squad sprung a leak.

    ¡°Suit up!¡± he ordered.

    They adorned and sealed their helmets. Fresh oxygen emitted from small holes in the helmet''s base, where it met the rest of the suit. He breathed it in, taking a split second to appreciate the feeling.

    The fresh air was cool and invigorated him as it entered his lungs.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it,¡± he said. That was the tech¡¯s queue to enter the cockpit with the pilot and close the door behind him. One of his men opened the door to the shuttle, and they all braced themselves as the cabin depressurized.

    They gently pushed off from the shuttle. It was a short, second-long flight towards the jump ship. They magnetized their boots against the ship¡¯s hull. Lieutenant Diego landed across from Syler, removing his own bag from his shoulder. He reached in and pulled out a long, thick wire. With Syler¡¯s help, they unspooled the wire and stuck it against the hull in the shape of a tall vertical rectangle.

    When they were done, Syler moved a few meters away from the wire, and Diego planted a small device near it.

    ¡°Commencing breach,¡± Diego said. The rest of the 8-man squad readied themselves. Diego gave an unseen command, and the wire they¡¯d set up was lit with a brilliant display of sparks, melting straight through the enemy¡¯s hull.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Syler counted the seconds. When he reached 12, detritus explosively exited the ship.

    ¡°Depressurizing,¡± Syler said.

    Silence for another second.

    ¡°Tossing flash,¡± Diego said.

    They waited for the grenade to illuminate the edge of the entrance they¡¯d melted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± Syler said. He took point, rifle raised and finger on the trigger. As soon as he pushed through the opening, he spotted movement.

    ¡°Contact!¡± he yelled, but no action was required on his part.

    They¡¯d breached into a corridor with a dozen warriors. They thrashed and grasped their throats. He imagined their screams, but the vacuum of space ¡ª created by the room¡¯s total air evacuation ¡ª silenced them.

    None of them were floating, implying that the ship had some method of creating artificial gravity.

    ¡°Hold fire unless they instigate,¡± Syler said, ignoring the dying warriors and moving towards a door.

    His men readied behind him as the last of the Peacekeepers stopped moving. Syler noticed a vast social stratification among them. Some wore expensive-looking robes and held diamond-studded sabers. Others were wearing torn rags, holding what looked to be dirty kitchen knives with nicked blades.

    A quick assessment of the door led them to believe that brute force would be enough to open it.

    As they prepared to kick it down, the door opened, revealing the shocked face of over a dozen men, women, and other stranger looking beings. The room¡¯s depressurization propelled them past the waiting squad. One of them flew grabbed onto Syler as they flew past, and they both tumbled across the ground.

    Before they¡¯d made it more than a few feet, Syler had calculated his advantage. His opponent couldn¡¯t breathe. They would be on a timer as they fought against the agony and exhaustion that would come from having to exert themselves while holding their breath.

    Syler followed his own advice, dropping his rifle and letting it hang off his shoulder by its strap. He pulled his knife from its sheath on his thigh. He stabbed at the man¡¯s eye, but he was quicker than Syler. Much stronger, too. He pulled Syler to the ground and punched at his helmet.

    The visor was bulletproof. It cracked. The padding on the back of Syler¡¯s helmet cushioned his head when it hit the ground. It still hurt, and he saw stars, but he was alive. Another one of his men knocked his assailant over. Taking advantage of the situation, Syler rushed the man and stabbed him with his knife.

    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant way to go, Syler figured, but sometimes it had to be that way.

    Someone else bumped into him from behind, and Syler tumbled out of the way just in time to watch as the edge of a blade flashed by his face.

    He raised his rifle and fired. A new hole appeared between the alien¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°This almost feels like cheating,¡± said one of his men. Guardsman Storm. It was his second boarding action, the last one having been shortly before they¡¯d left for Skyhold.

    ¡°Keep chatter to a minimum,¡± Syler said, displeased that he needed to remind him. A few chuckles sounded in response. ¡°We all clear? Any injuries?¡±

    ¡°One of them cut through the suit on my arm. I¡¯ve sealed it off,¡± Guardsman Grandview said. Syler winced and sought her out. She raised her arm to get his attention. Lieutenant Diego was already treating the injury.

    ¡°Shallow cut,¡± Diego said. ¡°Who would have thought these bastards would use swords?¡±

    ¡°We would use swords as well if we thought we could match these guys in a contest of pure strength,¡± Syler said.

    ¡°Right, we like to avoid poking holes in the hull of the ships we¡¯re trying to capture,¡± Lieutneant Guardsman Diana Ross said. She was already poking her heard through the newly opened door, scanning for more threats.

    ¡°These are special circumstances,¡± Syler said. ¡°We need to gain control of these ships with celerity, and we don¡¯t want to risk losing too many people.¡±

    ¡°Smaller teams, with more effective weaponry. I was wondering why we weren¡¯t flooding the ship with an entire platoon of Guardsman,¡± Guardsman Grandview said. ¡°All patched up, sir. Ready when you are.¡±

    ¡°Copy. Everyone form up. There should only be one more room between us and the generator.¡±

    Back when he was a fresh, baby-faced recruit, one of his trainers had emphasized the need for him and his cadre to behave like a well-oiled machine. The phrase had stuck with him throughout his career.

    It came to mind as he watched his people prepare for the next room. His squad knew their roles and executed his order with precision.

    ¡°The room looks clear to me, sir,¡± Diana said.

    ¡°We still dont know much about these people. Better to be safe than sorry. Let¡¯s move,¡± Syler said. Rifle up and standing a few feet from the doorway, he made a quick scan of the room ahead.

    ¡°Hey, Captain. You said celerity earlier.¡± Diego asked, ¡°Do you mean, like, the vegetable?¡±

    Syler frowned. He could appreciate the lieutenant wanting to ease their tension, but the timing was awkward.

    ¡°No, not celery, Lieutenant. Celerity means ¡®with swiftness of movement.¡¯¡±

    He¡¯d read it in a novel once. It had been his first time encountering the word, and he¡¯d decided then and there that he would start using it for himself.

    It was an incredible series of books. Too bad the author passed away.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Diego said, ¡°Copy that.¡±

    Grandview snorted, but kept her thoughts to herself.

    ¡°Ready,¡± Syler said, and he stepped forward with celerity, sweeping from the left-hand corner, checking both high and low. Half a second after entering, his team had already followed behind him, already having eyes on every corner of the room.

    ¡°Clear,¡± he said. ¡°Anything of interest?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a whip,¡± Diego said, some humour in his tone.

    ¡°Say again?¡± Syler said.

    ¡°A whip, like the weapon,¡± Diego said.

    ¡°These people are insane. Who keeps whips on ships?¡± Guardsman Grandview asked.

    ¡°Well,¡± Lieutenant Diana Ross drawled, ¡°sometimes you need to spice things up a bit. In fact, me and Diego¡¯s dad will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can the chatter,¡± Syler said, smirking despite his sharp tone, ¡°lock it in.¡±

    ¡°Contact, six-o¡¯clock!¡± someone yelled.

    Syler whipped his gun around, aiming towards the room they just came from.

    A man stumbled in, clutching at his throat with one hand and pointing a spear at them with another.

    The spear¡¯s tip glowed.

    He tapped the trigger once, punching a hole through the spearman¡¯s head. He fell like a puppet with severed strings, but not before the spear tip released its energy. It shot above him, cutting a head-sized hole through the ceiling.

    There were more enemies behind the dead-spearman.

    His squad¡¯s suits contained the only air in the room, so the sound of gunshots couldn¡¯t travel through the ship. But with each shot came a brief flash of light, which lit their surroundings.

    Another beam of energy came through from the other side of the door, and his team took cover where they could, which was difficult to do in such a sparsely furnished room.

    The energy beam had been weaker than the last one. A weaker cultivator, perhaps?

    How long would it take them to charge the next beam?

    Lieutenant Diego took a risk. He threw a flashbang through the door. Another beam of energy punched through the wall separating the rooms.

    Diego leaned through the doorway. Diego¡¯s suit was lit by another millisecond-flash of light.

    ¡°Bad guy dead,¡± Diego said. ¡°We¡¯re clear, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Good work. Let¡¯s get this over with as quickly as possible. I don¡¯t want anymore surprises.¡±

    His team formed up around him next to a double-door on the opposite side of the room. They would need to be exercise a bit of caution with this next part.

    ¡°Maintain trigger discipline. We don¡¯t want to shoot anything that might blow us up,¡± Syler said.

    ¡°Flashbang ready,¡± Guardsman Tyler said, forming up on the opposite side of Syler. He¡¯d been mostly silent during this operation, only speaking up when necessary. Syler appreciated that.

    Syler readied his own and opened the door closest to him just enough to throw in his flashbang. Guardsman Tyler did the same. They closed the doors before the grenades detonated and opened up as soon as they felt the slight pulse of displaced air that proceeded.

    ¡°Go,¡± Syler said, pushing open the door again, rifle raised. One swordsman was in front of him, blinking away an afterimage. A quick burst from Syler¡¯s rifle and the swordsman expired. More flashes of light, more enemies dropped lifelessly to the ground. A few of them didn¡¯t have weapons.

    Collateral damage.

    Unfortunate.

    He would have loved to bring back some captives. The supposed translation magic that the Sabletowners had introduced would have made gathering intel much easier, but he hadn¡¯t gained accessed to it yet.

    He took stock of the room, and cursed when he saw a very tall, and well-built man holding a smaller man with torn clothing and lacerations etched across his skin. Behind the bulking figure, a large circle extruded from the floor. It was only about half a foot tall. From what he could see, there were pulsating lines and what looked to be some language etched into the floor. A sphere of soft light hung in mid-air, about 3 meters above the circle¡¯s centre. Wisp-like trails lead from the small sphere towards glowing metal spheres supported by pillars.

    This must be their power generator.

    ¡°Anyone have a shot?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I say we shoot through both of them,¡± Grandview said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have your tags if you do,¡± Syler said.

    ¡°His shins and shoulders are exposed. I¡¯ve hit smaller targets from further away, sir,¡± Diego said.

    Syler could say the same.

    As they spoke, the pulses from behind the man grew in intensity. The savage grin on the man¡¯s face, the crazed look in his eyes as he shouted alien epithets towards them, it spoke of a dreadful possibility.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to negotiate, but we need him alive. I think he¡¯s activated the self destruct sequence.¡±

    ¡°A shot to the shin won¡¯t kill him unless their physiology differs from ours.¡±

    ¡°Is that a slave he¡¯s holding?¡± Diego asked.

    ¡°Might explain the whips,¡± Grandview said.

    Syler agreed. If they could extract with a liberated captive, they may gain a willing source of information about the Peacekeepers.

    ¡°I want the hostage alive, and I¡¯d prefer to convince our big friend here to surrender. Diego, Grandview, I want you behind him on either side. If he looks like he¡¯s about to kill the hostage, shoot to disable.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± they said in unison, moving forward at a pace that wouldn¡¯t seem immediately threatening. They strafed the far sides of the room, and the man¡¯s blustering increased.

    ¡°The rest of you, retreat to the shuttle. No reason for all of us to die here.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an order. We¡¯ve got this handled, not our first rodeo,¡± Syler said. A series of affirmations followed and the rest of the squad left, leaving the three Guardsman, the slave, and the hulking man at the centre of the room.

 Chapter 87

    Syler stepped forward, and the man held the prisoner up towards him. The lack of suffocation surprised him, but then he noticed a soft glow around the man¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Potential shield spotted. Might take more than a few shots to disable him,¡± Syler said.

    ¡°Copy, I see it too,¡± Diego said.

    ¡°Copy. Me too,¡± Grandview said.

    Syler took a risk. He held up one hand, and with the other, he lowered his gun to the ground. Then he held up both hands as he walked towards the man.

    ¡°Careful, Captain. Don¡¯t want you getting caught in crossfire,¡± Grandview said.

    Syler snorted. He appreciated her concern, but he¡¯d already taken it into consideration.

    He pointed behind the man and then gestured downwards with the palm of his hand. The man shook his head ¡ª which Syler could only assume was a negation of his suggestion. The man was not feeling inclined to shut the generator down.

    The frequency of pulsing increased. Where the colour of the pulsing light had started as a soft blue-white glow, it now turned more purple.

    ¡°Fire a warning shot.¡±

    Two bullets hit the ground in front of the man¡¯s feet.

    Syler winced. It wasn¡¯t his smartest play, as ricocheting bullets could be unpredictable, but it was an informed risk he was taking. The man startled, glowering at the Guardsmen behind him, and then back at Syler. But there was a shiftiness to his eyes, a sense of uncertainty. Their warning was working. The man didn¡¯t want to die today.

    Syler gestured towards the generator and then gestured downwards with his hand again. The man hesitated, but then shook his head again. A sigh escaped Syler¡¯s lips.

    They¡¯d have to do this the hard way.

    ¡°Take out his legs,¡± Syler said, stepping back.

    The man¡¯s shield flared, then failed against the hyper-accelerated lead. Fury turned to agony.

    He dropped the hostage, who scurried out of the way. The hulk tried reaching for the smaller man, but with his legs ruined, he had little luck. He gazed at Syler with hatred and started clawing towards the circle on the ground.

    The team closed in on him. Syler noticed that the smaller man was gasping for breath, and he cursed. The big man¡¯s shield must have been covering him as well, giving him access to a small amount of oxygen.

    Syler took off his backpack and grabbed the re-breather. He attached the small gas canister to it and put it around the man¡¯s head. The man resisted at first, but he was quick to surrender to his fate. Once he realized he could breathe again, he seemed to sigh in relief. Grateful eyes met Syler¡¯s own.

    Syler''s attention returned to the enemy combatant who was bleeding from his legs. Syler bounded forward, grabbed the man by his legs, and pulled as hard as he can while backpedalling. He let go of the man¡¯s legs in time to avoid the man¡¯s attempt to grapple him to the ground.

    The three Guardsman surrounded the man, weapons up, ready to fire.

    Their enemy grinned. He laid his head on the ground, closing his eyes. His intention was apparent. The shield had already regenerated. He wasn¡¯t having any trouble breathing, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him from whatever devastation the ship was about to experience.

    Syler contemplated ending the man¡¯s life, as his perceived usefulness had approached zero. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced back to see the smaller man, who was pointing to himself and then to the pulsing generator which had taken on an alarming red glow. Syler considered himself an expert at reading context clues.

    Red wasn¡¯t a good sign.

    He could only assume the smaller man¡¯s meaning, and figured he was their best bet to surviving. He nodded and gestured for the man to do what he needed to do.

    The man on the ground didn¡¯t like that. He tried to grab for the slave as he passed by, but Syler stomped on the man¡¯s legs. The shield deformed, just enough to apply pressure to the gunshot wounds.

    It proved to be a sufficient distraction.

    The slave scurried around the magical circle on the ground, and he pulled a tool out of his pocket that looked like a screwdriver. He examined the etchings on the ground and seemed to find what he was looking for. He stabbed the tool towards the circle. The pulsing red light no longer pulsed, but it didn¡¯t recede either. The man hurried from the circle, sprinting towards a pillar. He pointed at them, and then mimed a rifle in his hand, pointing the imaginary gun at the pillar.

    ¡°Shoot the pillar!¡± Syler yelled.

    The man dived away, and they all opened fire.

    It took some doing. The material was tough. But after so many shots, the red light suffusing the room eased back to purple, and then blue, and then faded. The sphere held aloft above the magical circle turned from translucent to a solid gold sphere, dropping to the ground without noise.

    Syler sighed.

    Crisis averted.

    He glanced at the man on the ground whose eyes were closed. He didn¡¯t move, but Syler could see that the man was still breathing.

    ¡°This is Captain Syler,¡± he said after opening a channel to the shuttle. ¡°We¡¯ve deactivated the self destruct sequence. The ship is dead in space. We¡¯re bringing back guests. Let the Relentless know we¡¯ve got a critically wounded enemy combatant, and what we think is a liberated captive.¡±

    <hr>

    So begins the elucidation of the Foundation Stage:

    Forge the Physical

    Foster the Mental

    Induce Epiphase

    Relentless Formance

    Unceasing Temperance

    Until the Call is heard,

    and the student is Initiated.

    Let us begin¡­

    Hunter had read the manual over a few times by now, cross-referencing what his father had written in his journals. To his pleasant surprise, there were some parallels. The Tara Sovereign Foundation Stage Manual went much further. But Hunter got the distinct impression that despite the etherically advanced society which had created this manual, his father¡¯s research had been still been groundbreaking.

    It wasn¡¯t merely the fact that humans on Sanctuary had no experience with cultivation that gave Hunter such an impression. It was the fact that despite the similarities, what his father had discovered differed from the means by which the Tara Sovereign Sect expected their disciples to develop.

    The differences started right from the beginning.

    A Drawstone would passively provide boosts to health, strength, endurance, and longevity. A physical and mental training routine and a healthy diet maximized these gains. The Foundation Establishment stage typically progresses in a way much different to what Hunter and the rest of his people were used to. In this case, Drawstone did most of the work.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this yet. Either most cultivation civilizations misunderstood the potential benefits of Drawstones, lacked them, or found them so common that their effects were considered widely known and needing no explanation. He would need to talk to Trey about this.

    And that wasn¡¯t the only thing Hunter discovered.

    He found a special method used in the Inducing Epiphase stage of Foundation cultivation. This method helped students become familiar with, and master, their etheric channels.

    They would use a formation which drained the student of all the ether in their body. Drugs were used to alter the students¡¯ consciousness. Their auras were then manipulated by the teacher to channel limited amounts of etherium. In order for this to work, the teacher would need to be beyond the second phase of the Elemental Initiate stage. Before that, their mastery of both their aura, and etherium, was too weak to help a seeker progress.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Apparently, this process required a long period of specialized training, as improper usage of the technique could cause some psychosis in the student, which would take time to resolve. It could also lead to a diminishing of their potential, as a sound mind was required for the long marathon of a journey that cultivation offered.

    Hunter was unimpressed by the processes. It explained why there were so few cultivators compared to the amount of non cultivators ¡ª as Aruon had said. Perhaps a filtering process ensured only the most appropriate candidates would gain the opportunity to receive a teacher¡¯s guidance and a sect¡¯s resources.

    Although his most critical questions had yet to be answered, he remained undeterred. This was more than he¡¯d known before. Now he knew that there was a method. Worst-case scenario, they could take the risk.

    Best-case scenario, and this was just a guess: Drawstones could offer a way towards Inducing Epiphase without risking psychosis.

    The possibility of a new path was encouraging, but it wasn¡¯t an answer in itself. So Hunter closed the manual with some disappointment and checked the time.

    The Sabletown delegation would soon be arriving. Hunter wanted to get to the event early. He presumed things would be very busy afterwards, and there were some people invited to join the Oberon party he was looking forward to talking to.

    Hunter exited his office and waved to Joey Geraldin and the rest of the team. He had spent a few hours in the morning coaching them on more synergies, which they would use in the next phase of the colony¡¯s expansion. Assuming the beastwave threat was over, they¡¯d returned to the old budget priorities. The colony¡¯s defenses were still important, they were going to shift more towards upgrading naval systems instead of ground defenses.

    That being said, upgrading the ground defenses would be simple with the synergies which Hunter had shared thus far. He would approve all proposed designs; then, he would send the packaged designs to the Oberon Guard for testing. After a few rounds of suggestions and requests returned, and improvements made, a brand new generation of infantry weaponry was being developed.

    The first navy systems to be updated were coming down the pipeline for review as well. Hunter would have a meeting with the shipwrights and artisans later that day to discuss their most ambition visions. From what Hunter understood, there were talks of returning to an older class of scout ship in order to explore this spatial sector, as well as nearby sectors.

    There was so much more in development. It was an exciting time, if a bit anxiety ridden. Those plans largely depended on the upcoming networking event with Sabletown. Trey would meet with June and a few other Sabletown big-shots in private. Hunter had high hopes for that meeting, and he trusted June did as well. After the battle against the Peacekeeper fleet, much of the top brass circulated the footage of June¡¯s capabilities as an Elemental Adept. Hunter, being who he was, had access to those recordings and analysis of the footage as well.

    June¡¯s abilities were incomprehensible. One man wielding enough power to destroy the colony and a large part of the Oberon fleet is both humbling and troubling.

    General Marko was campaigning hard to negotiate as many cultivation resources as possible. He had declared that Skyhold would need to develop martial parity with Sabletown yesterday, and Hunter couldn¡¯t blame him.

    As much as he respected June, he knew Skyhold could not allow itself to remain behind in the power curve. It was fortunate that June appeared to have no designs on taking over Oberon Enterprises, because everyone knew that if he wanted to, he could.

    It was chilling to consider. If he were Trey, he¡¯d want to contact local settlements as fast as possible. They needed connections, intelligence, and resources. Something told Hunter that developing their own Elemental Adepts wouldn¡¯t be as easy as they were hoping.

    But maybe they wouldn¡¯t have to develop an Elemental Adept one step at a time, following a traditional cultivation route. Hunter himself had been subject to a great etheric mystery when his power mirrored the Class-1 creatures that had assaulted the old outpost. The power which had gripped him appeared intelligent, guiding, and compassionate¡ªtowards him, if not his enemies.

    There was something else going on beneath the surface. Something that was connected with this sensitivity. And, he hypothesized, with Drawstones as well.

    He couldn¡¯t confirm it yet. As far as hunches went, this one was weak. But he could not deny that there was something else going on with him.

    Now is not the time of your demise¡­

    He remembered the voice, more clearly than anything else that day. The certainty, the confidence, the sheer power it conveyed.

    Something told him that whatever was the source of that voice, eclipsed the like of an Elemental Adept.

    He¡¯d meditated on it, since he¡¯d had questions. No answers came, but what he found was something pleasant and unexpected.

    He no longer feared the possibility that he would become like his father. He realized that in the course of the last few weeks, he¡¯d proved that, if anything, he was no longer his father¡¯s son. Unlike his father, he wasn¡¯t alone. After taking a leap of faith, he¡¯d brought Trey and Aera into his confidence. They would be with him every step of the way.

    They were more of a family to him than his father had ever been.

    Now more than ever, Hunter was an Oberon. The Koar name was only a memory.

    Deciding on a choice he¡¯d been deliberating on for some time, he made his way to the Administration Office.

    The first face he saw surprised him as he opened the doors to the extensive building.

    ¡°Idra?¡± Hunter asked.

    ¡°Mr. Koar! It¡¯s a pleasure to see you here. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re visiting the Admin office. What can I help you with?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if you could keep this a secret. I¡¯ve been thinking, and I¡¯ve decided that I want to make an alteration to my public record.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Idra asked, leaning forward, her voice taking on a conspiratorial whisper, ¡°How exciting! Let me know what alteration you¡¯d like to make and you can consider it done.¡±

    He informed her, and her eyebrows shot up in delight. Having assured him it would be done before the meeting started, he left for the Command Centre, feeling cheerful.

    <hr>

    ¡°You have no idea how good it is to see you, Sly,¡± Hunter said, embracing his former bodyguard in a hug. He pulled back and laughed as he saw the Guard Captain¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°Er, you too, sir. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re okay. You seem a lot less¡ªah,¡± Syler said, studying Hunter¡¯s body. He appeared to struggle to say what was on his mind.

    ¡°Frail?¡± Hunter asked. ¡°I hit a bit of a growth spurt.¡±

    He realized that he¡¯d used his old excuse. Shaking his head, he corrected himself.

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Hunter said, glancing around. This wasn¡¯t something that he¡¯d wanted everyone to know yet. The few Guardsman, navy officers, and admin staff who were already present and preparing for the event were out of earshot. He pulled Syler further to a corner, which was unoccupied.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, sir?¡± Syler asked, lowering his voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a secret. Aera and Trey know, and I¡¯m sure a couple of others have either figured it out or have an idea or two about my growth. But until it¡¯s officially declared, I want you to keep this to yourself. That¡¯s an order.¡±

    Syler nodded.

    ¡°Before he died, my father discovered a way to speed up his affinity growth.¡±

    The Guard Captain¡¯s eyes widened, but he remained silent and waited for Hunter to continue.

    ¡°After being hospitalized by a psychopathic Visgold, I decided it was time to take a risk and try the method out for myself. When you and I first met, my AR was at 5. Since then, I¡¯ve surpassed Aera by a large margin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Syler said. ¡°What¡¯s your AR now, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, sir?¡±

    ¡°81,¡± Hunter said. It had risen a single point in the time since the Peacekeeper assault, ¡°I estimate that I¡¯m around the 4th phase of Foundation Establishment, by Sabletown¡¯s metric.¡±

    It was an educated guess. The later phases demanded continuous monitoring of one¡¯s etheric channels. Etherium then had to be circulated constantly once the channels reached sufficient temperance, a word implying flexibility and resilience, according to the manual. It was a strange word, since the channels were more like magnets than they were veins.

    He could analyze the comparison endlessly, but knew that the data he desired alrady existed somewhere. Smart men and women apparently explored all the answers to his questions for thousands of years, to an extent that might continue to astound him, or so he hoped.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t quite reached the phase where he was constantly and consciously circulating etherium through his channels yet. But it was great to know what the next step would be.

    ¡°How many phases are there?¡± Syler asked.

    ¡°It depends on the explanation, but there are 7 practical phases, although we could merge the first three¡ª¡±

    The door to the meeting-room-turned-banquet-hall opened. Trey entered with the General Marko, Admiral Bellinger, and a host of other staff and high-level officers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to continue this some other time. What¡¯s the ETA on getting a working method?¡± Syler asked.

    Hunter shrugged.

    ¡°Best guess? We negotiate a deal with Sabletown and get access to their expertise within a few weeks. But for a proprietary, in-house method? It could take months. Who knows?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take what I can get. Did you see the footage of the Sabletown mayor?¡±

    Hunter nodded.

    ¡°We can¡¯t compete as we are. Our only advantage is our industrial capacity, which is vulnerable in the face of a potential threat like the mayor.¡±

    Calling June a potential threat was understandable, given the Guard Captain¡¯s career path. But Hunter still felt June was worth lending the benefit of the doubt.

    Before he could comment, Trey called him over.

    ¡°How¡¯s research going, young man?¡± Trey asked, clapping Hunter on the shoulder with a genuine smile. He caught Aera¡¯s eyes as she mingled with the other delegates, and she gave him a friendly nod. They¡¯d catch up a bit later.

    ¡°Slowly, but surely,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to see you and Syler have been catching up. I¡¯ve another surprise for you. He should be here somewhere¡ªah, there he is. Lieutenant?¡± Trey called.

    Hunter hadn¡¯t recognized the man at first. Lieutenant Guardsman Richard Pellar had cleaned up for the gathering. He wore a black ceremonial Guardsman jacket, medals lined the jacket above his heart.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the Lieutenant saluted Hunter, Trey, and Syler. Hunter smiled and offered his hand for Richard to shake. The gesture, which Hunter ascribed to the very public setting, caught him off guard.

    ¡°How¡¯s the team, Richard?¡± Hunter asked. He was ashamed that he hadn¡¯t taken the time to check up on the rest. He even missed Jeren¡¯s incessant colour commentary.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s doing well. They disbanded and reassigned the squad throughout the colony. Joe was injured during a boarding action during the Peacekeeper assault, but we talked the other day and he¡¯s recovering well. Bella and Jeren have been guarding a research team assigned to the Lake Striptea ¡ª ah, I mean,¡± he paused, glancing at Trey and Sly. ¡°The A-Class lake. The water that the A-Class lived in has some beneficial properties.¡±

    ¡°Someday I¡¯d like to go back to that lake,¡± Hunter told Trey. ¡°If we can clear out the cave network, it would be an amazing place to declare as a national park, or something. The view from the cave is incredible. And the etheric effect stemming from the lake itself is extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll visit it sometime. We¡¯re keeping this on the confidential list, by the way. The Lake is well within our the borders proposed in our discussions with Sabletown. I don¡¯t foresee us losing exclusive access to it, and I don¡¯t want to give June a reason to covet it.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± both Syler and the Lieutenant said, having just received an order from the highest source of authority. Hunter merely nodded as he allowed himself to be pulled back to his thoughts.

    A presence descended upon the banquet hall. It was glorious, like a sword piercing the sky, reflecting the sun. All eyes in the hall sought to behold its source ¡ª a bald-headed man, seeming somewhat embarrassed as he bowed with an awkward smile.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°Ah, June!¡± Trey said, used to the drama that the Sabletown mayor inspired whenever he appeared. Those who hadn¡¯t felt the aura before were fighting the urge to fall to their knees in reverence. They stared at June as if he were a divine being. June broke their reverie by restraining his aura.

    ¡°My apologies, everyone,¡± June said. ¡°I¡¯m still integrating my recent breakthrough. As a result, my control over my aura is still a work in progress. Please continue as you were.¡±

    Around June, there were a dozen other figures. Hunter recognized Aruon and Galan.

    June approached Trey. This time, he did so without teleporting the short distance. He held out his hand, which Trey shook with enthusiasm.

    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet with you again, Senior Oberon,¡± June said, smiling at Trey, and then Hunter. ¡°You as well, Young Master Hunter.¡±

    Aruon gave Hunter a small head bow, and Galan appeared as distant and uninterested as usual. The rest of the gathered delegates from Sabletown stood silently, inspecting the Oberon personnel around them. Some were curious, while others were unimpressed.

    June¡¯s gaze shifted to both Lieutenant Pellar and the Guard Captain. Richard was gaping like a fish, and the Guard Captain was doing his best to appear respectful, but he was tense.

    ¡°Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting today?¡± June asked, then he startled, as if remembering something. He turned back to his party.

    ¡°Please, everyone, disperse and make connections. We are here as allies and friends. There are many introductions to be made before we begin.¡±

    The Sabletown delegation all saluted with one arm bent before their chest and dispersed. The introductions started soon after.

    Aruon and Galan followed June, who now considered Hunter and his friends with a smile. Trey seemed content to let Hunter make the introductions.

    He was about to introduce the Sabletown mayor, but decided it would be more appropriate to let his friends introduce themselves. He gestured toward Syler to start.

    ¡°Guard Captain Syler Hastham. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, mayor.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine. I know the gaze of a seasoned warrior. You are quite young for your station, Captain. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve gathered from my quick study of your military ranking system?¡± June said, raising an eyebrow at Hunter, who nodded.

    ¡°Our culture places great value on talent, martial talent especially. If you weren¡¯t loyal to Oberon Enterprises, I would invite you to join one of the Sabletown¡¯s sects.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s eyebrows rose.

    ¡°I¡¯d invite you as well, if I thought you¡¯d accept it,¡± June said to Hunter.

    ¡°Maybe we can come to a compromise?¡± Hunter asked. Syler was frowning as he considered June¡¯s words.

    ¡°Doubtful,¡± June said. ¡°Sects are quite strict with the rules they place on their disciples. In time, as Sabletown expands and the sects allow themselves to divide into tiers, perhaps we could have such a discussion. But for now, we are all rebuilding our foundations. This requires a stringent oath of loyalty and secrecy regarding our methods.¡±

    Syler nodded, the frown disappearing.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    ¡°And I respect you all the more for it,¡± June said with a slight bow, and then he considered the Lieutenant, ¡°And who might you be?¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant-Guardsman Richard Pellar, at your service, mayor.¡±

    ¡°And I am at yours, in a manner of speaking,¡± June said. ¡°You both must be of exceptional character to have such a casual acquaintance with Senior Oberon and Young Master Hunter.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve both saved my life,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Back when I was much weaker, before we came to Skyhold, the Guard Captain defended me and dozens of others while wounded. And during the chaos of our landing, Lieutenant Pellar and his squad found me in the wilderness and guided me to safety. I owe them a lot.¡±

    ¡°Then you are our benefactors. Hunter is a future pillar, and you are as well. Here, a token of my appreciation,¡± June said, and two rings materialized in his hands. ¡°The young master knows the nature of these artifacts. You may consult him regarding their usage. Now, I believe it¡¯s time for your leader and I to negotiate.¡±

    He and Trey walked away with Aera, Idra, General Marko, and Admiral Bellinger in tow. A few individuals from the Sabletown delegation also followed.

    Hunter could have joined them if he wished, but he knew someone would brief him later.

    The rings remained floating in the air, rotating slowly. Hunter gestured for his friends to take them, and they both seemed to snap out of a trance.

    ¡°How generous?¡± Lieutenant Pellar asked, considering the ring. Syler considered his ring with a frown, holding it up towards the light and squinting his eyes.

    ¡°These are kind of mind-blowing. Watch,¡± Hunter said, flipping his hand over to show that it was empty. Then a drawstone materialized in his palm.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the trick, sir,¡± Syler said. ¡°The ring did that? Just created a drawstone out of thin air?¡±

    ¡°The ring accesses its own pocket of spacetime. Don¡¯t ask me how it works. I don¡¯t have a clue.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. How do I use it?¡±

    Hunter hesitated, but figured that there was no way of making it sound less weird than it was.

    ¡°You need to bind it with your blood.¡±

    They were both professionals. They didn¡¯t blurt out their immediate thoughts, but they both considered their rings as if they¡¯d grown legs and started dancing on their palms.

    ¡°Young Master Hunter!¡± Aruon called, approaching them at a high speed. ¡°Your colony is incredible!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Aruon, I was just explaining how to bind the rings that June gifted to my friend¡¯s.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Ah yes. A mere drop of blood should suffice,¡± Aruon nodded, and frowned as he considered their reactions. ¡°Is blood considered taboo in your culture?¡±

    ¡°Not really? Sort of?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Aruon said, and Hunter got the impression that he didn¡¯t get it at all. ¡°It¡¯s a common method of binding objects. What is more personal than one¡¯s blood? There are, of course, means of creating a more intimate spirit bond, but that is a lifelong commitment. And given the potential lifetimes of advanced cultivators, that is an investment that is not taken on without caution.¡±

    ¡°How long of a lifetime are we talking about here?¡± Lieutenant Pellar asked.

    ¡°A peak foundation establishment cultivator can expect to live well into their 150s, on average. Give or take a decade. Elemental Initiates have lived almost double that. And Elemental Adepts can live for many thousands of years.¡±

    ¡°Thousands?¡± Lieutenant Pellar exclaimed. He seemed offended by the idea.

    Aruon rose an eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to process,¡± Hunter explained, quickly adding, ¡°While we¡¯ve seen people live to 100, a thousand-year lifespan would have seemed fictional just a year ago.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Aruon said, his eyes widening, ¡°I¡¯m still adjusting to the fact that you and your people are not from a society like ours. This is exciting, isn¡¯t it? The bridge of two disparate cultures being built one step at a time.¡±

    To Hunter¡¯s surprise, Syler nodded. He pocketed his ring.

    ¡°Oh! How could I have been so rude?¡± Aruon said, slapping himself on the forehead. ¡°I am Aruon of the Stellar Sword Sect. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both.¡±

    After introducing themselves, Aruon seemed to get along well with the Guard Captain and the Lieutenant. Especially when the topic turned towards martial arts. Hunter was glad that he could follow the conversation. He didn¡¯t consider himself an expert, but his training with Aera had made him familiar enough to find the discussion enlightening. Aruon hinted at how they could integrate etherium into their martial training, and it echoed some things he read about in the Foundation Establishment manual.

    The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and Hunter felt inspired to leave the meeting and go practice.

    But his presence here was a symbol of Oberon Enterprises¡¯ full commitment to peaceful relations with their neighbours.

    ¡°Attention everyone! The meeting will soon come to a close! All delegates are welcome to stay after the meeting has concluded.¡± Idra¡¯s voice sounded from hidden speakers along the banquet hall¡¯s ceiling. The Sabletown delegation all seemed surprised. Hunter felt that he was staring into an inverted mirror.

    To the people of Skyhold, the casual use of advanced etheric skills seemed magical. Similarly, Sabletown cultivators viewed basic technology with the same wonder. Using speakers to amplify sound was practically ancient, at this point.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t use Vita for that!¡± Aruon exclaimed. ¡°How have you amplified such a soft-sounding voice to be heard throughout an entire room? The ambient Vita didn¡¯t so much as ripple!¡±

    Before Hunter could respond, Aruon snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Oh! While I¡¯m here, I want to give you this,¡± Aruon said, handing Hunter a small, smooth, egg-shaped crystal. He recognized it as a communication stone.

    ¡°Master June has allowed me to hand these out as I see fit. I believe that you and I will grow to become great friends! Since that is the case, I believe you should be able to reach me when the need arises.¡±

    ¡°This is awesome, Aruon. Thanks. Is there anyone else I can reach with this stone?¡± Hunter asked. He attempted to probe it with his sixth sense, but only felt some vague fluctuations being emitted from the device.

    ¡°Ah, no. They calibrated this one to reach me, alone. Contact me at any time!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ring, then.¡±

    ¡°Ring? I have plenty,¡± Aruon said. Hunter thought that he was joking, but then he realized that Aruon was being serious.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a phrase from our culture. One way we communicate is¡ª¡±

    The doors to the hall opened, and Trey emerged in lockstep with June. Trey seemed in high spirits, so Hunter assumed that their private meeting went well. Trey eyed Hunter with something akin to schadenfreude.

    Aera too.

    What had he missed?

    ¡°Another time, Young Master Hunter. Guard Captain, Lieutenant-Guardsman, it¡¯s been an honour and I hope we get some time to talk again soon.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Richard said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the Young Master to set up a sparring session,¡± Sly said. Hunter almost laughed at the title.

    Hunter said his friends farewell and went to meet up with Trey and Aera.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret not being there,¡± Aera said, a gleam in her eye.

    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Hunter asked.

    Trey held a solid metal rectangle in his hands. Hunter estimated it was around 6 inches long and 4 wide.

    He grabbed it and felt his consciousness plunge into another universe.

    The room went dark, and a glowing spectral library appeared around him.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Hunter asked.

    In response to his question, the library shifted. A tome towered before him. A bold title glowed across its surface.

    Introduction to Formation Theory

    No way, Hunter thought. But this wasn¡¯t the only book present. He shifted his attention to the next book he could see.

    Maintaining Shield Matrices

    And there was more.

    Peacekeeper Tactics, a Treatise

    Formation Weaponry

    Ship-bound Formation Attachment Protocols

    Safety guidelines for Conjuring Vital Plasmas

    ¡­

    The list went on. Hunter¡¯s mouth gaped. He tried to suppress the surge of excitement raging through his body.

    This was the mother load. This was exactly what they needed. What had Trey promised them in order to gain such a treasure trove?

    The mere thought of exiting the strange space was all he needed for the banquet hall to shift back into view. It was as easy as that.

    ¡°Incredible!¡± he said.

    June seemed pleased with Hunter¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Your people have expressed their gratitude to me, and have gifted me one of your coveted laptop computers and a portable sun creator,¡± June said. Hunter frowned.

    ¡°Solar generator,¡± Aera said.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± June said.

    ¡°It must be the translation matrix,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°Really? What did it say that I said?¡± June asked.

    ¡°You said, portable sun creator,¡± Hunter said.

    June nodded, appearing confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. I¡¯m not seeing the problem.¡±

    Hunter scratched his head. Trey tapped June on the shoulder.

    ¡°The way we are using the words is different, I suppose. We do not yet have ways of generating suns, but we have a way of using the sun to generate power.¡±

    ¡°Ah! I understand. The translation matrix still has some work to do before we can understand each other fluently. Cultural differences between our people pose a novel challenge that the translation matrix wasn¡¯t designed to handle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure this will resolve itself in time,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°That is my hope,¡± June said, turning back to Hunter. ¡°As I was saying, my people decided you deserved a token of our gratitude as well. And a show of both our good will, and our desire to invest in our mutual wellbeing. We recognize your people sacrificed much to secure our common home.¡±

    ¡°Hence, this gift,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Included in the slate is much of our introductory and intermediate knowledge regarding Vital Formations. The technology described within kept us safe against the Peacekeepers for decades, while we searched the for a new home. Those scum are bound to have made some advancements of their own, but we believe that this should allow your people to protect themselves should you encounter the Peacekeepers in the wider worlds beyond ours.¡±

    Hunter exhaled a heavy breath. This was huge.

    He needed to dive into this right away, especially if he was going to play a part in helping to upgrade the navy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hunter.¡± Trey said. ¡°Our plans remain flexible. There¡¯s no reason that we can¡¯t adjust to this. We¡¯ll also be reading June and his people in on some of our proprietary tech. That¡¯s what I want you focused on in the coming months.¡±

    ¡°You can count on me,¡± Hunter said. He was used to the mental whiplash of having their plans change on a dime these days.

    ¡°But before that, we have a project we¡¯d like you to co-lead with one of our senior experts,¡± June said. ¡°To secure our planet, there is one more threat we must either secure ourselves against, or eradicate.¡±

    ¡°The parasite,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°Although we believe that the death of its guardian avatar has weakened it, it is only a matter of time before it regains its strength. Maybe not in a year, or 10. But a century from now, will we have another guardian avatar to contend with?¡±

    Hunter nodded. His earlier conversation with Aruon was still fresh in his mind. A cultivator like June would plan for a century the same way Trey Oberon would plan for the next decade. It was a practical, actionable timeframe.

    ¡°So we root it out now,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I agree. I think this could be a good first step for both of our people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so! Although he didn¡¯t attend the meeting today, I¡¯m sure you will meet your new colleague soon. I¡¯ll leave you to sort out the details with him once he arrives.¡±

    Hunter nodded and bid June farewell.

 Chapter 89

    The Sabletown delegates stated that in their opinion, there were two reasons they were treating Skyhold as equals. The first was that Skyhold had slain the Guardian Avatar, and the second was that June seemed to have a personal interest in their development. The mayor¡¯s intention would be honored. But it seemed to be a difficult sell, as the cultivators gave the impression of having to force themselves to be polite.

    Sabletown¡¯s attitude was lighting a competitive fire under the collective asses of the top brass. If Hunter gave up his leadership role in this project, he¡¯d be making a statement that the company¡¯s leadership wasn¡¯t intending to make.

    All he could do was show up and learn as much as he can, as well as show Skyhold¡¯s own domain of mastery. Hunter made the tough decision to reduce the artisans¡¯ role in this project. Constructs were useful, but Skyhold¡¯s mastery of physics was its greatest strength and most valuable asset to share.

    The problem was, Hunter knew little about conventional physics and engineering. For that, he put his leadership modules into practice.

    Hunter delegated.

    <hr>

    Guard Captain Syler Hastham had gotten his assignment at the last minute. His job would be to escort young master Koar while he and the eggheads from both settlements band together to eliminate all races of the parasitic fungus from Skyhold.

    The thought of being anywhere near that stuff was disturbing, but he wouldn¡¯t complain. His job often took him places where he didn¡¯t want to be, and doing things he didn¡¯t want to do. Most of the time, it was for a good cause.

    Hunter beamed at him, delighted by his arrival. Syler appreciated spending time with the Oberon heir. The boy had grown stronger and more confident, embodying the character that many would come to expect from the heir to a Council-level corporation.

    Hunter wasn¡¯t like Aera, nor was he like Trey. The daughter took after her father in a way, which Syler had seen Trey foster.

    Ruthlessness, measured by a growing appreciation for Trey¡¯s favourite word: integrity. Syler had his own phrase for it; he called it being a good person.

    Being virtuous seemed like an unachievable feat for anyone, so acknowledging selfishness was the best course of action. Instead of denying their nature, they ought to embrace and channel it towards the betterment of themselves and others.

    Understanding and integration. That was how one mastered themselves. By understanding himself, he could also understand others. Knowing what his enemy thought was as simple as knowing what he would think in their situation.

    So knowing how much of a coward and a bastard he could be was a point of pride. A wise man once said that it¡¯s impossible to change something that isn¡¯t true. Therefore, if he wanted to improve himself, he needed to know who he was. If he wants to defeat people who were smarter and stronger than him, he needed to understand them as best he could, and adapt.

    That explained why Trey had kept a Council seat during such turmoil, and why the Council had condemned him and his corporation. Trey had learned how to transcend himself. Something that most Council Seats couldn¡¯t claim for themselves. He figured it made Trey able to act with genuine compassion and care where others wouldn¡¯t even consider it.

    Syler was seeing the same traits budding in Aera.

    Hunter had a similar vibe. Syler perceived Hunter as perceptive but doubted he could be merciless without reason. That wasn¡¯t a bad thing, at least not for most people.

    But for leaders? Time would tell how Hunter would fare amongst the sharks.

    ¡°Are you excited?¡± Hunter asked him during their flight. Syler had shrugged, keeping his eyes on the ground and the sky, alert for anything that might resemble a threat.

    ¡°I¡¯m excited,¡± Hunter said. ¡°Formations are incredible. I¡¯ve only started dive into the basics, so I still do not know what formations actually are. You know? They¡¯re like constructs in a way, yet entirely unlike constructs at all.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess you¡¯re the right guy to be studying them,¡± Syler said, only half aware of what Hunter was saying.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Hunter said, ¡°but to be honest, my plate is full. I need to wrap my head around this cultivation stuff. This Sabletown project will consume a significant portion of my time that I could use researching synergies, or helping plan navy upgrades, or¡ª¡°

    ¡°You want some unsolicited advice, sir?¡± Syler asked.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure,¡±

    ¡°Stay present.¡±

    Hunter paused, squinting his eyes, analyzing Syler¡¯s words. Syler scoffed.

    ¡°Its simple. You¡¯re here, right now. This project is happening, and it needs you. So stay present, focus on what you need to do to get the project done.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Hunter said. ¡°I guess I already knew that. Somehow, I find it easy to forget.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a common failing in everyone I¡¯ve met, myself included,¡± Syler said.

    ¡°That¡¯s comforting,¡± Hunter said, ¡°that the Sly the almighty might have a weakness as well.¡±

    Syler let himself laugh a bit. Job¡¯s like this required constant attention not only on what was happening around him and his charge, but what was happening within him. He needed a constant awareness of both his emotions and his thoughts. All it took was one minor slip in focus, missing one obvious sign of a coming danger, for everything to go wrong.

    To remain focused for as long as necessary, he prevented his emotions from becoming extreme and avoided getting too involved in any single conversation. He¡¯d done this enough times to know how to weave small conversational breaks into his focus, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to grow complacent.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Complacency was a killer.

    ¡°Approaching the landing zone,¡± the pilot said over the shuttle¡¯s internal speaker.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exit first,¡± Syler said. Hunter nodded.

    He watched through a window as the ship descended. A few hundred meters away, the great corpse of the Guardian Avatar lay in pieces. The dessication and shrivelling of its flesh had twisted its head to the side, forcing a contorted expression of fury and a silent roar onto its features.

    Its missing arms and battle wounds contorted the section of its body from its upper chest to its toes into a shape that evoked sympathy for its agony. Its death must have been horrible.

    Syler held no pity for the creature. Its ending was as destructive as its life, as far as he could tell.

    The wreckage of the Cloud ¡ª picked clean of its most valuable salvage ¡ª trailed off into the distance. One day, someone would clean it all up. Maybe someone will reassemble the hull pieces, rebuild the ship, and create a museum.

    Syler opened the door to the shuttle just prior to it touching down. He jumped out and assessed the surroundings. He and the kid were the last to arrive, it seemed. A Sabletown contingent ¡ª easy to spot because of their tendency to wear robes or more archaic-looking clothing ¡ª surrounded the ship. A quick assessment rendered them as only a minor potential threat. They seemed more curious about the shuttle itself.

    Hunter exited after him, which frustrated Syler. He should have waited for Syler¡¯s signal. He¡¯ll have to talk to him later.

    The first to reach Hunter was someone from Skyhold. Having stayed back from the shuttle¡¯s arrival, they were less enthralled by the sight, commonplace on both their colony and Sanctuary. Many of them might have built shuttles like this for a living, especially if they had experience working in the navy.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in person,¡± the man said to Hunter. He was thin. Syler estimated he was in his late 40s. He stood at around 5 feet, 10 inches. In the process of balding. Calloused fingers, sleeves rolled up. A man used to hard work, ¡°I¡¯m Gunnar.¡±

    ¡°Great to meet you in person as well, Gunnar. I¡¯ve been looking forward to getting to know you and your team. What have I missed?¡±

    Gunnar led Hunter to a tent they¡¯d set up a dozen-or-so meters away. The shuttle lifted off, back to Skyhold for its next job.

    ¡°Not much. We¡¯re still getting familiar with the environment,¡± Gunnar said, pointing towards a table with a large map lain over it.

    ¡°The latest aerial reconnaissance composite. The Sabletown boys loved it,¡± Gunnar said, a slight chuckle in his voice. ¡°They seem fascinated by electronics.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re about as far beyond us in their understanding of etherium as we are beyond them in our understanding of more physical sciences. ¡±

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s my take as well,¡± Gunnar said. ¡°I had wondered how far along they are in mathematics compared to us, and they seem on par except for things like statistics. They have calculus and from what they¡¯ve told me, they¡¯ve got a pretty mature architectural heritage. I assume they also have a quite advanced understanding of calculating mass, material science, and geometry.¡±

    ¡°You must be my new colleague,¡± a raspy voice sounded from behind them. Syler resisted the urge to reach for his pistol. He hadn¡¯t even heard the man approach.

    Syler disqualified the man as a threat. He must have been well into his 90s. Frail, short, walking with a cane.

    But these were not conventional men they were working with. Cultivators were a different breed. He could never be too cautious around them.

    ¡°I see your people are catching you up with our current progress. Good. I have much use for your capacities. What was your name again, Ranger? Rancher? Something about wildlife, correct?¡±

    ¡°Hunter,¡± Syler¡¯s charge said. Syler could recognize the forced smile on Hunter¡¯s face. ¡°Heir to the Oberon Corporation, at your service.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± the old man said, unimpressed. ¡°You may call me Senior. I¡¯m leading this project. Please have your team begin a detailed scan of the body using rayer-dar technology.¡±

    Syler could sense the minute changes in expression posture which overtook the Skyhold personnel.

    Hunter didn¡¯t move at all. That was another sign that the young man had undergone some changes over the last year.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding,¡± Hunter said, ¡°June gave me the impression that this was a joint project, with authority shared in equal parts between you and me,¡± Hunter said, and a small egg-shaped crystal manifested in his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if I contact him, just to make sure we¡¯re both on the same page.¡±

    The old man¡¯s posture changed as well. He bowed his head slightly.

    ¡°No need, no need. I wasn¡¯t aware that June had deemed you fit to receive a storage ring and a direct line of communication.¡±

    ¡°Deemed me fit,¡± Hunter said, seeming to test out the words, ¡°I suppose he has.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s attitude impressed Syler. The last time he¡¯d met Hunter, he¡¯d left with the distinct impression that the boy might snap in half if subjected to a mild breeze. He could handle himself under pressure, but not without nerves and the need for constant reassurance and redirection.

    But now, he was unflappable. At the first sign of conflict, Hunter seemed utterly unimpressed and ready to bare his teeth.

    ¡°Well, the mayor has always been a madman. Very well, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯d like to assume some partial leadership¡ª¡±

    ¡°We are equal partners in this endeavour. We will consult each other on every major decision. Your people will treat mine with respect and dignity. Or will that be too difficult for a great Elemental Initiate?¡±

    The old man went silent, but Syler had learned to read the many shades of silence.

    The guy was furious. Syler brought more focus to the man, alert to any sign that a fight might erupt.

    ¡°A mere Foundation Establishment whelp wishes to order me around, does he?¡± the old man rasped. It might have been more like a growl.

    He took a step closer to Hunter. Syler stepped between them. He kept one hand on his pistol¡¯s grip and held the other hand up to stop the man.

    And yet the man advanced, and Syler felt like he may as well have been trying to push a truck for all the good it did him.

    ¡°Allow me to show you the difference between the heaven¡¯s and the earth, boy¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªGrandfather, stop!¡±

    The old man paused and snorted. A young man ran up from behind him, panting.

    ¡°This does not concern you, grandson. These people must learn to respect their betters.¡±

    ¡°The mayor himself has expressed his desire for peace with Skyhold! The friction between you two died as soon as he took office. Mayor June is Unbound. His will is law. Besides ¡­¡± the young man said.

    Syler inspected him. Long black hair, thin face with sharp features. In a way, he seemed somewhat regal.

    ¡°A friend of young master Aruon is a friend of mine. I believe this is a customary form of greeting in your culture,¡± the man said, holding his hand out to Hunter. Except his palm was facing the ground.

    Hunter seemed surprised by the abrupt change in tone and stared at the offered hand with some amusement.

    Although he was weary of the newcomer, he stepped back and let Hunter make his introduction.

    ¡°We shake hands like this,¡± Hunter said, holding his hand out. The young man clued in with a smile and grasped Hunter¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re stronger than I had thought. Good!¡± the young man said, ¡°I¡¯m Jaspen Callen. Please forgive my grandfather. He was born in a harsh land, and is at an age where progress is a step in the wrong direction. I promise he isn¡¯t always this bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Jaspen. You can call me Hunter. Regarding your grandfather, I¡¯ll have to take your word for it,¡± Hunter said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re willing to hold an open mind. I believe it will be necessary in the coming days and weeks.¡±

    Syler held back his scowl.

    ¡°That bad?¡± Hunter asked.

    Jaspen nodded.

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Those like Mayor June, Aruon, and I, are not in the majority. It will take time for Sabletown to accept a seemingly weaker nation, sharing borders on a world we had thought was ours to claim. I¡¯m sure you can understand.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Many of us at Skyhold feel the same way. But we, like Mayor June, are interested in building peace between our people. And I think we¡¯re off to a good start.¡±

    Syler spied a look of disapproval from more than one of the Skyhold contingent. He¡¯d have to mention that to Hunter later.

    He could relate, though. They¡¯d paid for equality in blood. Their people died defending this place against not only the Peacekeepers, but the creature that lay dead nearby.

    That they¡¯d have to prove themselves further didn¡¯t sit right with him, but Syler wouldn¡¯t complain.

    He was used to doing things he didn¡¯t want to do.

 Chapter 90 - The End of Book 2

    That night, Jaspen had a long private talk with his grandfather. Whatever they discussed made the old man easier to work with. Hunter thought that the old guy would never change, nor that there should be any expectation for him to change. He hoped that once this job was done, he¡¯d never have to see him again. There was a gap between their societies that needed to be bridged, and the old man lacked the tools to build that bridge from his end. But it wasn¡¯t like Hunter couldn¡¯t try to understand what the man was feeling.

    He knew many in Oberon¡¯s Guard and Navy held similar attitudes. In a world of such immense power, the need for accountability was clear. Abuse of power would come easily, and often, in a world where any passing stranger could hold the power to level a village. Yet most cultivation civilizations seemed to have leaned towards a style of punch-first diplomacy.

    If anything, the man had been moderate in his approach to how he dealt with Hunter and the rest of the Skyhold contingent.

    Hunter wanted to treat it like water under the bridge and move on, but something told him that this entire episode was important. So he paid attention and tried to figure out what his instinct was showing him.

    After thinking about it for a while, he realized that their interactions with Sabletown were going to inform how Oberon Enterprises would approach other nations and settlements beyond Skyhold. A peaceful approach might make them seem weak. If they approached as peaceful visitors who would fight back when disrespected, others would see them as reasonable and worthy of respect.

    At least, that was his initial assessment. He would defer to the experts, following their advice, as well as the lead of whoever would eventually oversee exploration and first contact scenarios. Thankfully, he would never be in charge of making the first mistakes in terms of first contact with potential enemies and allies. He didn¡¯t envy the person whose shoulders that responsibility fell onto.

    The next day, he met with Jaspen who, after negotiating with his grandfather, had taken the lead in negotiating leadership with Hunter. Hunter appreciated that, as the old man ¡ª whose name he still didn¡¯t know ¡ª had proven to be an irritant. He was second guessing every decision Hunter made, as well as the judgement and expertise of Skyhold¡¯s experts.

    The gall of the man astounded him. Thankfully, the man only protested vocally. He never escalated to laying hands on people or stopping them from doing their jobs.

    He could put in a call to Aruon, who would get a hold of June, and have the old man replaced. But what would that say to the rest of Sabletown?

    Perceptions were important. He might be overthinking it, but he needed to make sure that Sabletown knew Oberon wouldn¡¯t roll over for them. Not only was he representing the company, he was also representing the Oberon name. Cultivators respected the strength of leaders. Strength was their primary concern when negotiating with, and understanding, someone foreign.

    However, with all that being said, social calculus was never his strong suit. So Hunter felt a little lost. He couldn¡¯t predict with perfect accuracy how the Sabletowners would perceive his actions. So he¡¯d play it safe and face by facing the challenge head on. He would be the opposite of the old man. He embraced the Sabletown researchers and formation experts and told everyone else to do the same. They would build the bridge between their societies not only from their project¡¯s discoveries, but also from their willing inclusion and understanding of each other.

    Before they began working on dissecting the great corpse of the guardian avatar, Hunter scheduled a demonstration to showcase what they could bring to the table. Hunter had his engineers set up a radar for a demonstration, letting them take the lead in explaining the technology.

    Hunter did not know how it worked, so it was a learning experience for him as well. He stood right beside the radar operator as the man, Steven, explained.

    ¡°Radio waves are an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength which is much longer than the visible light spectrum. Visible light wavelengths range from 400 to 700 nanometres; radio waves are much longer, from millimetres to hundreds of kilometres,¡± Steven explained. The Sabletowners¡¯ puzzled expressions prompted him to change his tack. ¡°Basically, they¡¯re invisible to our naked eyes. Using these invisible waves allows us to communicate at long distances and also allows us a way to investigate what the naked eye cannot penetrate. For example.¡±

    Steven walked over to Jaspen, who was at the head of the Sabletown crowd. He handed the man a portable radio communicator. Steven walked away and whispered through his end, and his voice appeared in Jaspen¡¯s hand.

    Jaspen almost dropped the radio.

    ¡°I had wondered what these devices which you all carried around were for. This is fascinating. I cannot tell that there is a wave travelling between them. At what distance do these devices cease to work?¡±

    ¡°These babies can reach up to 25 kilometres. Not our most powerful, but we figured we wouldn¡¯t need a more powerful model for this kind of job.¡±

    ¡°I have a question,¡± someone from the Sabletown crowd rose their hand. Steven pointed to them and nodded his head.

    ¡°If these radio waves are invisible, how are you able to detect them? How did your people discover them in the first place without the use of a Vital technique?¡±

    By now, most of the Skyhold personnel had heard of Vita. Some men and women had taken to the word, as it rolled off the tongue a lot easier than etherium.

    ¡°It took very smart people working together for a long time to discover radio waves. I don¡¯t know the full story myself. I know that there was some time separating the initial discovery of radio waves and the invention of the first device for capturing and emitting them. To explain radio waves, I would have to explain electromagnetism. And I think that¡¯ll have to wait until certain negotiations have concluded,¡± Steven said with a wry smile. He¡¯d told Hunter that explaining the background of the technology he specialized in was neither his strong suit nor his favourite thing to do. Censorship of their knowledge was just a convenient scapegoat.

    Hunter appreciated the man¡¯s patience. He saw the light of interest sparking in the eyes of more than a few of the assembled Sabletowners, and he felt a slight kinship to them. The world fascinated these people. While their approaches to understanding and using it differed, they all shared the same spirit of excitement for learning and discovery.

    This project might actually work, Hunter thought. He¡¯d always intended for it to go well, but the idea of success on multiple fronts was exciting. Especially since he was taking on a lot of responsibility for their initial working relationship with Sabletown.

    ¡°Now, this bad boy over here,¡± Steven gestured towards a large mobile platform hooked up to a diesel generator, ¡°is called a ground-penetrating radar device. Everyone gather around.¡±

    Steven activated the device and started moving it forward. A display produced a series of waving lines, kind of like ripples on the surface of a body of water.

    ¡°You can see why we call them waves,¡± Steven said. ¡°This is a visualization of the radio waves reflecting off of objects in the ground.¡±

    He pointed to a particular prominent wave which contradicted the direction of the rest of the waves.

    ¡°This right here is telling us that there is an object in the wave¡¯s path. We can analyze the wave patterns we observe and infer certain properties about what we¡¯re seeing. Different materials will reflect radio waves differently. After so much experimentation, we have a whole body of knowledge dedicated to decoding these signals. We¡¯ll analyze this data to accurately determine the soil¡¯s composition, any buried objects, and if there is subsurface water.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. We have many methods to do so as well, but they are not as mobile. Many formation experts are insular unless they are a part of a sect, and even then, they keep their innovations and knowledge close to their chest. Your people appear to be far more adept at sharing,¡± Jaspen said, and a general murmur of agreement arose from the rest of the Sabletown contingent.

    Hunter spied the grey hair of Jaspen¡¯s grandfather nearby. The old man had expressed some curiosity about their radar technology. The old man¡¯s interest in the item¡¯s usefulness was surprising to Hunter. He scowled when he noticed Hunter¡¯s attention, his demeanour returning to what it had been when they first met.

    But he elected to stay silent and continue observing, which Hunter appreciated. It seemed he would honour whatever agreement he¡¯d reached with his grandson.

    ¡°Our military also uses this technology to discover and track enemy vessels. We can also use it to find objects in the open air. Observe,¡± Steven said.

    He fiddled with the device, and the radio antenna adjusted. Hunter could only guess that he was narrowing the spread of the waves.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Steven said, activating the device, ¡°since the sky is clear, there should only be minute fluctuations on the screen.¡±

    A loud blip emanated from the machine. Then another. And another.

    ¡°What?¡± Steven said, glancing up at the sky. ¡°There¡¯s something up there.¡±

    He looked at Hunter, who frowned. Then he looked back at the display.

    ¡°Its descending.¡±

    Hunter felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back and saw Syler, his other hand reaching back to his pistol. Hunter looked up, trying to see what the radar was pinging.

    He saw a distortion in the air. The slightest ripple of visible light.

    ¡°Something up there is invisible!¡± Hunter yelled.

    ¡°Get behind me,¡± Syler said, backing away. A few of the Sabletowners manifested weapons, staring at the ripples in the sky.

    Then the ship appeared.

    <hr>

    Syler pulled out his firearm and cursed as a bright green formation flowed along the ship¡¯s underside. He did not know how he should assess what kind of threat that formation posed, and he wasn¡¯t about to wait and find out. He wanted to turn and pull Hunter to safety, but suddenly, he couldn¡¯t move.

    It wasn¡¯t fear that kept him paralyzed. It was as if an invisible film and covered them and then solidified. He was breathing fine. He couldn¡¯t turn his head, but he could hear Hunter breathing behind him.

    One moment, and everyone was panicking. The next second, it was quiet. A subtle hum increased in volumed as the ship descended.

    Syler grunted in exertion, trying to push against the strange magic with every ounce of strength he could.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    The gun in his hand shook.

    Jaspen¡¯s grandfather could still move, apparently. Slowly at first, and then with a growl, the old man punched through whatever resistance was holding him.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take more than that to trap me!¡± the old man yelled.

    Two men descended from the ship. Then four. Then there were over a dozen. They all landed in between the gathered engineers, formation experts, and researchers. One landed in front of Syler himself.

    ¡°Surrender,¡± one of the first men who landed said, his voice bored. Almost as if he didn¡¯t care whether his captives complied with his order.

    ¡°Peacekeeper bastards! I slaughtered your kin decades ago, and I¡¯ll do the same to you!¡±

    Shut up, old man. You¡¯ll get us all killed.

    The peacekeeper snorted. His aura flared. Syler tried to prepare himself for the worst, but he was powerless.

    He strained against whatever was keeping him still. It was useless.

    The presence of the peacekeepers made him sweat.

    Compared to June, who emanated a feeling of glory, these peacekeepers felt like what you might feel when surrounded by a pack of starving wolves in a dark forest. Syler was certain that they would kill them all at the slightest provocation.

    It caused Syler¡¯s gut to coil. He felt an instinctual urge to cower and whimper. He couldn¡¯t help it. It wasn¡¯t his first time facing killers. But something about these peacekeepers was worming its way into his mind.

    They must be using something etheric in order to influence him. Was it the formation? Or was it the peacekeepers themselves?

    Syler grunted as he strained. He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Hunter, and he refused to believe that he was as powerless as he felt. The man in front of Syler turned to regard him. He patted Syler on the head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some fight in you. You¡¯ll be the first one we break. Once we do, I¡¯m sure we could sell you for thousands,¡± the man said.

    Then he disappeared.

    Syler heard a wet sound. Blood splattered against the ground.

    The old man¡¯s head fell from his shoulders.

    The peacekeeper, who had moved almost too fast for him to see, was standing there beside the man¡¯s headless body.

    Then the old man¡¯s arms fell from his torso.

    He had already been dead. With the head gone, there was nothing to be gained from mutilating the man¡¯s corpse.

    Hunter vomited. Syler could feel it on his back. What remained of the old man¡¯s corpse fell to the ground.

    Jaspen was standing right beside his grandfather¡¯s body. Powerless. Unable to move. Tears streamed from the young man¡¯s eyes. Syler heard a strained sob escape Hunter¡¯s throat.

    The rest of the peacekeepers laughed at the old man¡¯s demise. Not a hint of remorse or regret. Just businesses as usual.

    Monsters, Syler thought.

    But what could he do with this rage coursing through him?

    He continued to strain. Pain blossomed along his limbs.

    ¡°This is the price of your resistance. We will bring you all on board and enslave you. It¡¯s best you accept this reality now. I will reward your obedience, and I will punish your disobedience,¡± the man said, smiling and chuckling as he looked at the old man¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get them all on board. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    His whole body shook. Syler¡¯s finger moved. Barely a millimetre.

    The loud pop from the pistol his in hands attracted the attention of all the peacekeepers.

    The icy feeling in Syler¡¯s gut intensified. He hadn¡¯t meant for the gun to fire.

    He¡¯d just put Hunter in direct danger.

    A peacekeeper in front of him staggered backwards, inspecting the new hole in his gut. He glanced at Syler, and the gun, and then at the blood covering his hands.

    ¡°That fuckin¡¯ hurt,¡± the man growled. He limped towards Syler and stabbed his sword in his abdomen. The man¡¯s sword pierced Syler¡¯s abdomen, and Syler could only endure the sharp pain.

    The blade exited through his back. It shouldn¡¯t be long enough to have cut into Hunter.

    Syler could only let out a rasping breath from the pain. Blood pooled in his mouth and dripped down his chin.

    ¡°Jino! Get our man a tonic,¡± the peacekeeper who had killed Jaspen¡¯s grandfather said. It was clear that he was their leader. ¡°Just for that, kill half of them. We¡¯ll only take the strongest.¡±

    No, Syler thought, despair shooting through his limbs, sapping him of his strength.

    Why had he pulled the trigger? Why had he continued to resist?

    Syler could only watch helplessly as men and women from both Skyhold and Sabletown were cut down.

    For the first time in decades, Syler cried.

    There was nothing he could do to stop the atrocity he was witnessing. He couldn¡¯t even close his eyes.

    ¡°Load them up. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    A man pointed a spear at Hunter¡¯s head and was about to attack when the leader yelled for the man to stop.

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring him along. If he was being protected, he might be important.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t aware we were gonna ransom,¡± the spear-wielding peacekeeper said.

    ¡°Question me again,¡± the leader growled. The man beside Hunter scowled and set the butt of his spear against the ground. He pulled Hunter by the arm, dragging him across the ground like a rag doll towards the ship.

    Syler¡¯s eyelids grew heavy.

    The world darkened.

    His last thoughts before the darkness claimed him was that for his failure, death was the least of what he deserved.

    <hr>

    They threw Hunter into what he could only assume was the ship¡¯s cargo hold. They threw another body on top of him. Then another. He couldn¡¯t fight against the weight pressing into him. Breathing became a struggle.

    The time it took the peacekeepers to gather the living prisoners into the cargo hold could have been anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. All he knew was his breath. He could only take small sips of oxygen at a time. His chest started to burn. Finally, once the ship ascended, the formation restricting their movement deactivated. Everyone who had been thrown on top of him scrambled away from each other.

    His first real breath tasted putrid. His surroundings smelt like piss and rotten food.

    ¡°I thought their fleet was defeated,¡± Jaspen said beside him. Hunter hadn¡¯t noticed when he¡¯d approached. ¡°And now they can turn invisible. It must be an artifact, something they salvaged from a raid. There¡¯s no way the rest of the fleet wouldn¡¯t have used this tech. They must have remained hidden during the battle with your fleet.¡±

    Hunter frowned. Jaspen¡¯s words made sense, but what could he say?

    Sorry, I guess we missed one.

    Besides, the situation was straightforward. Nothing he said now would help, so he elected not to speak.

    Every second that passed, they would move further from Skyhold. As soon as he saw the virtual particles manifest around them, he knew it would be too late for anyone to do anything to help them.

    Unless the fleet could detect them. But without knowing where the ship would transition from, the odds were they wouldn¡¯t detect it.

    Jaspen had tried to engage him a few times, but he hadn¡¯t responded.

    Once they breached the transition zone, and there was no sign of the fleet intercepting them, Hunter pushed his despair aside. He pushed himself up from the ground, his rings scratching against the metal surface of the cargo hold.

    Slapping himself in the face for being such an idiot, he turned to Jaspen.

    ¡°What are the odds they have a way of blocking etheric communication?¡±

    Jaspen frowned and contemplated. Eventually, he shrugged. Hunter could only nod.

    He willed Aruon¡¯s communication stone to manifest. Holding it, he concentrated on it. He felt a connection form.

    ¡°Hunter? It¡¯s good to hear from you. Are you among your fleet? It feels like you are quite far.¡±

    ¡°The peacekeepers have taken us. They had a cloaked ship. We¡¯re beyond the transition point. Send help!¡±

    The connection cut off.

    A moment later, the door to the cargo hold opened. The peacekeeper who stepped through was one that Hunter hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°We just sensed a Vital signature emit from this cargo hold,¡± the man said, glancing at a researcher beside him and grabbing the unfortunate man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Who sent it? For every second I remain without an answer, this man will lose a finger,¡± the peacekeeper said, a dagger appearing in his hand.

    Before he could do anything, Jaspen spoke up.

    ¡°It was me. I sent the message.¡±

    Hunter¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He wouldn¡¯t let Jaspen take the blame for this. But before he could speak up, Jaspen glanced at him.

    Hunter hesitated.

    The peacekeeper smiled.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And,¡± Jaspen said, swallowing, ¡°I sent a message to our settlement. Our mayor knows of your presence.¡±

    ¡°Mayor?¡± the man frowned. ¡°The Adept?¡±

    Jaspen nodded.

    The man scowled. Pushing the researcher back and marching towards Jaspen. He grabbed Jaspen by the arm and dragged him out of the cargo hold.

    Hunter wanted to intercept them. He thought that maybe if they had a hostage of their own, they could negotiate. Maybe find some time to get a message to the fleet, somehow.

    But these people weren¡¯t reasonable. They were savage killers.

    Any more resistance would only hasten the end of their lives. Hunter would not give the peacekeepers an excuse to murder more of them.

    Hours passed. Hunter estimated that they¡¯d spent more than a day in transit. Every minute, he agonized over his failure to speak up.

    Was he a coward?

    No. He¡¯d proven to himself that he wasn¡¯t.

    It was the look in Jaspen¡¯s eyes that had stopped him from speaking up. He could see something in those eyes, something like a burning hatred. The peacekeepers had just slaughtered Jaspen¡¯s grandfather.

    Jaspen¡¯s actions were a personal rebellion. Could Hunter take that away from him?

    He thought about Syler. He¡¯d almost puked when he saw the blade emerge from Syler¡¯s back. As far as he knew, Sly was dead on the ground, his corpse cooling. Maybe June was there now, at their camp, counting the dead.

    Hunter clenched his fists.

    He concluded that either his message hadn¡¯t gone through, or the peacekeeper¡¯s tech had fooled June¡¯s senses.

    Either way, no help would come for them. Everyone seemed to realize the same thing. Everywhere he looked, he saw despondency.

    But he also saw a silent fury.

    When Jaspen returned, bruised, bloodied, and missing a hand, and he saw the defiance in the young man¡¯s eyes, Hunter saw a kindred soul. There was no blame or resentment in those eyes. All Hunter could see was determination.

    Aera had said something to Hunter, right before they landed on Skyhold.

    She¡¯d told him that his greatest strength was brute force and impulsive creativity.

    He couldn¡¯t tolerate the peacekeepers sharing the same sky as his family and his people. Seeing Jaspen¡¯s refusal to give up, he knew he was not alone.

    The peacekeepers would pay.

    Skyhold hadn¡¯t broken his spirit. The beastwaves hadn¡¯t broken his spirit. The guardian avatar hadn¡¯t broken his spirits. Neither had the Comics, the Council, or the abolitionists. Hunter¡¯s will had remained strong. His desire to improve, to progress, and build a better life for himself ¡ª and now for his family ¡ª burned brighter than ever.

    Yes, he would have to grieve. But he swore to himself that he would die before he let the peacekeepers do what Sanctuary and Skyhold hadn¡¯t been able to do.

    <hr>

    June considered the man bleeding on the ground before him and frowned.

    If he¡¯d arrived a handful of seconds later, they would have died. Him, and the rest of the survivors they¡¯d found at the research camp. June narrowed his eyes, recalling the conversation he¡¯d had with Hunter and his friends at the banquet hall.

    This man was a captain of some sort. Captain of the Guard? That wasn¡¯t right. But it was close.

    Ah, yes. Guard Captain.

    The poison coursing through the Guard Captain¡¯s body would kill him if it were to spread for another few seconds. June didn¡¯t have any pills on him that the foundation-level man could use. They would only poison him further. He focused on the poison, diving deep into its Vital structure. This was a new trick, something that he¡¯d only been able to do after his breakthrough.

    The thought made him sigh. If he was correct, a breakthrough would be this man¡¯s only option. He recognized the poison. Not the exact poison, but he¡¯d seen a few like it. The poison binds itself to its victim¡¯s body. June could not remove the poison without removing a significant amount of the man¡¯s organs.

    It was only one solution he could think of. And based on their previous conversation, the dying young man wouldn¡¯t be too happy with the outcome. But it came with a few benefits¡ªcall them opportunities¡ªfor the people the man cared about.

    June bent down and removed the sword from the man¡¯s abdomen, and before too much blood escaped the wound, he sealed it with Vita. Energy cascaded through the Guard Captain¡¯s body, seeking to adhere to the poison¡¯s structure. The Stellar Sword Vita he¡¯d injected into the young man¡¯s system would ensure that the poison would no longer spread.

    He sighed once more and made a show of rubbing his hands. It was more of a habit than it was a necessity. With the thin layer of Vita coating his skin, no dirt could find purchase unless he willed it.

    ¡°Your cure depends on you now, young one,¡± June said, staring down at the unconscious form. If the young man didn¡¯t break through into the Elemental Initiate realm, the poison would remain. The Vita June had gifted him would keep it at bay, but he would remain weak.

    If, however, he accepted June¡¯s invitation, then he would most likely break through in the course of a year or two. The man¡¯s innate talent was satisfactory to gain June¡¯s attention, if not his devotion. The poison would turn into an opportunity to strengthen himself further. His body could flush out the poison with a powerful influx of vita; he could also learn to circulate the vita contained within the poison through his channels. With the right foundation and guidance, it could provide the man with the foundation for an enhanced physique, and a rare elemental calling.

    But it had to be the Guard Captain¡¯s own Vita saturating his body, flushing the toxin away. June¡¯s attempt would only aggravate the poison.

    Vital poisons were the worst.

    Damned peacekeepers.

    Now the deed was done, and there was no reason to regret it. Besides, he¡¯d decided that he could compromise just this once. If the Guard Captain didn¡¯t become an official disciple, he could become a tertiary disciple, instead. It would justify the guidance that June needed to give him. He took a second to rifle through his storage ring, searching for an old manual he¡¯d been carrying on him for years.

    When he found it, he smiled. His sect had a thousand such manuals, all earned in battle or gifted by local organizations.

    The Path of the Inevitable Dusk was no celestial-level method. But it was just what the man would need to build the right foundation. In fact, he¡¯d most likely need to pursue a hybrid path. They would explore it together. If the man made the right choice.

    With his job done, and the survivors handled, June returned to Skyhold to convene with their leaders.

    They had bandits to hunt, and June wouldn¡¯t rest until their stain was removed from this sector.