《Void Verse: A LitRPG Adventure of Sword, Sorcery, and Cthulhu》 Prologue The Gate of R¡¯lyeh was sealed, Cthulhu inside; to sleep. It was an ending of a cosmic struggle, but it was also the beginning. Exerpt: The Old Ones: Lost Lore of the Cosmic. By HPL. I am the System, welcome to the Void Verse. There are many governing factors that dictate power within the worlds I visit. The reason I visit each universe is for me and me alone to know, but rest assured I am here to help. I¡¯ve entered your world, things are in motion and time is short. There are many things you need to know, things that may be keys to your success. Your people only get one chance to reject me, so now is that moment, the moment where time comes to a stop. I await a response. Will your world accept me as its benefactor? {{System waiting¡­.}} {{System initializing¡­}} {{System Boot up Complete.}} It seems my intervention has been accepted. Others have chosen for you, but fear not, you will not be left behind. We¡¯ve procrastinated enough, there is work to do. Beginning integration now. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. {{Integration in process¡­}} The following is the key to understanding terms and abbreviations within the world and system. Learn them, and your life will be much easier in the future. Full integration has begun. Now it is up to you. IR: Item Rank. BA: Base Ability Statistic. SL: Skill Level. AMP: Amplified Power. DEM: Defensive Efficacy Modifier. OEM: Offensive Efficacy Modifier. AEM: Ability Efficacy Modifier. UI: User Interface. AIM: Archon Interface Module. Universe Label: U1P1B1= Universe 1, Parallel 1, Branch 1 Now that we have broken the forth wall and you have been pulled into the Void Verse, know this. You are the true Benefactor in this story. Your patronage drives the system forward. Welcome and thank you. A special note from the Author. Howard Phillips(H.P.) Lovecraft created a universe that he wished to share, not only through his writings, but by lending it to others for their writings as well. While I borrow from his universe, I also take liberties to make it my own. You will find excerpts listed throughout the story. These are attributed to HPL, who is an allegory character that exists within the Void Verse. While some are truly from Lovecraft himself, many are from fictionalized works within the universe. {{Author: Chooloo. Mission: Connect to the world hub. Location: U1P1B1. Drop in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­..}} {{Integration complete¡­Mission Starts Now.}} Chapter 1: Beginnings Cthulhu slept; dreamed; stirred. When you live in a world of dreams, strive to be the nightmare. Excerpt: Awakened. By HPL. If you live in a world of nightmares, it¡¯s best not to dream. These dreams can cause lasting damage, damage that can hound you back to reality. Last night Gideon had such a dream, one that refused to let his mind go. The young man woke in a sweat, the dream had pulled him into it''s world. He remembered very little of the dream upon awaking, but those few memories sent chills down his spine. The darkness had spoken to him, called his name. He had tried to run, but he sensed it knew him, knew where he lived. There was no escape. He tried to shake the fog from his head, denying the dream. He opened his eyes to an afternoon sun from high over head glaring into his shanty. The sun shone through the cracks of the ill-fitted lumber, bringing a light into his darkness. His head was still fuzzy from the dream, the grogginess not quite ready to release him. He rose from his pallet and looked through the cracks of the ill fitted boards. He hoped for clear skies and good weather today, but that wasn¡¯t the case. There was a light drizzle and clouds darkened parts of the sky. It¡¯s only a few gray clouds, maybe the storm will blow over. If not, I¡¯ll still need to find a way to eat, the stomach isn¡¯t taking the day off, he thought. His shanty was nestled in a corner on the rooftops where two warehouses met, one taller than the other. They formed an alley of sorts high up above the streets. At the end of this alley he had punched a hole through a wall into a crawlspace. This crawlspace was in the upper rafters of the smaller building, designed as part of the support structure for the roof. This nook had become his home, a place he had survived in for many years. With the addition of a piece of wood here and some sheet metal there, he had made a floor for the narrow alley to his hidden home. With a few more pieces still, he hid the face of the alley itself. He¡¯d lived in the favela over the years and built this shanty into the sanctuary it was today. Some said the lower districts of Rime weren¡¯t safe, but he disagreed, you just needed to know how to navigate them. Gideon knew his home, knew the places you shouldn¡¯t go. He worked his way out of the crawlspace and into the tight space of the alley, then he crawled through his little shanty¡¯s exit. He carefully shimmied the impromptu door aside and made his way out onto the rooftop. From here he could see how safe he truly was. The climb up to the roof was difficult. The narrow path made things tight and the jumps were treacherous. The larger boys couldn¡¯t hope to follow a much more agile scamp like him. His size allowed him to squeeze through places they couldn¡¯t go. This feature alone had saved him countless times over the years. He rubbed his head where he¡¯d bumped it while exiting his little shanty. Not for the first time in recent weeks he had thoughts about moving to a better location. Thoughts that he may have outgrown his home. He¡¯d always been small for his age, but had hit a growth spurt recently. He was becoming like the older boys. Maybe I¡¯m a little too big to live up here anymore? I need to look into other options soon, I think it is time to leave this part of the lower district. There are plenty of younger scamps that could use this place. Boys that need the safety it provides. He checked his head again for a bump. Finding none, he stretched and yawned, finally shaking off the last bit of sleep. The sounds of the market below pulled him back into this world, they were what told him he was truly awake. They provided a familiarity, an anchor of sorts to his home. They echoed oddly from the alley, but the echoing sounds were music to his ears. They were an invitation, a sign of opportunity, the sound of lots of people and busy streets. When you lived on the streets, you had to take advantage of any circumstance. A pocket to pick, a naive traveler to swindle, or even a sweet lady to charm. Gideon¡¯s thoughts raced as he looked around. I wonder what opportunities will present themselves today. Maybe I can charm my way into a coin or two, because I¡¯m done picking for sure after that drunk. He¡¯d nearly caught me. Gideon knew his clumsy fingers weren¡¯t suited to pick pocketing, but he¡¯d been starving. The man had chased him through the streets, but he knew them better than the drunk. He¡¯d lost him, but for a moment the man had gotten a hand on him. Gideon had bitten the man to get loose and quickly disappeared under the docks. Never again, he thought. He didn¡¯t know what the streets were going to bring his way, but he knew thievery wasn¡¯t on the list. He knew one thing, nothing was truer than the fact that the congested streets always provided. He stepped out into the open air of the rooftop, the thick smell of salt struck him. Damn, maybe the storm isn¡¯t going to miss us, because it smells like rain is in the air. He looked around carefully before stepping out of the shadows of the building. He saw the position of the sun. As I thought, it¡¯s nearly afternoon. I must¡¯ve slept the morning away. Oh well, I needed the rest after yesterday. He hoped the bullies stayed in their district today. He had a few bruises already and had no interest in collecting more. His thoughts turned to food and the other necessities of life. I better get moving, I don¡¯t want to go hungry. His stomach chose that moment to protest the lack of breakfast as if he weren¡¯t already thinking about it. ¡°Hush, I¡¯m working on it,¡± he told his stomach. He took off in a sprint toward the northern end of the building, the pitch of the roof slanted sharper until it became a sudden slide. He gained speed quickly as he slid down the roof. As he approached the edge he used his momentum to kick off of the rooftop. He soared over the gap to the adjacent rooftop, landing with a roll. He was above the bakery now and could smell a vague scent of bread. The smell was very faint. Mrs. Webster must have already went to the market. I¡¯ll have to find her if I hope to get some breakfast, maybe she¡¯ll have saved me a roll, he thought. The baker¡¯s wife had a soft spot for him and would sneak him a roll when there were extra, but the baker himself was another story. The man didn¡¯t like scamps in the slightest. One of the other boys had caused some trouble in the past. The Baker held them all responsible and he wasn¡¯t one to forgive easily. Gideon continued north along the connecting rooftops until he came to the small smithy. The building was built into the southern face of the hill on the north side of the favela. Brom¡¯s Bastion the sign read. It was a quaint little place, that by all accounts sold good quality wares. The smithy was partially built into the rock and dirt of a large hill. The road to the Poverty Gate looped above the backside of Brom¡¯s Bastion. The roof to the smithy merged into the wall that the road rested on. The design of the building helped the smithy retain heat, while shielding the rest of the city from the potential hazards of the forge. After a simple jump to the smithy roof, he was able to step out onto the road. He glanced north toward the gate and the guards manning it. The upper parts of the city were protected from those like him. I¡¯m going to get my access license, I¡¯ll make it up there someday and escape this place. I¡¯ll become an adventurer. The boy didn¡¯t dislike his home and had learned to accept his place in life, but he aspired to be more. To be strong, powerful; an adventurer. Unfortunately there was a large hurdle to overcome, he was a scamp. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Rime was a three tiered city; the lower districts, the walled city, and upper districts. The lower districts started at the water front where the docks dominated a large portion of this sector of the city. The second tier started above the bluffs, looking out over the lower districts and the ocean. This is where the gated community of Rime lived behind their giant walls, immune to the issues of the lower districts. The main gate onto the plains was here on the northwest portion of the city. Above the walls and the gate was the third tier of the city. On this tier he could see the mountain for which the city was named; Mount Rime. It dominated the northeast horizon. Part of that horizon consisted of three towers that reached high into the sky, they extended from the Academy of the Awakened built on the mountainside. Each tower represented one of the guild houses of the academy. The academy was the ultimate goal. He knew that the nobles and the Parliament of Rime were also in the upper reaches of the city, but the nobles and the Palace in the Clouds didn¡¯t concern him. The academy was all that mattered. He watched as a train traveled slowly up the mountainside to the next tier. He sighed and turned away from the gate and the academy beyond. He started down the hill, letting his mind drift into thoughts of adventure. He followed the road and returned back to market square, but this time he would visit at street level. Gideon was lost in thought as he walked down the road and around the front of the smithy shop. A voice startled him and brought him out of his reverie. ¡°Gideon my boy, you best not be messing up my tiles climbing around up there,¡± the man paused and scratched his beard, ¡°but I suspect you¡¯d let me know if you did,¡± the man sighed, ¡°and probably try to fix them as well.¡± Gideon turned to face the voice. ¡°Of course Master Brom. Everything looks good up there. You shouldn¡¯t need to replace any tiles before the storm season comes. But I told you this last week. Have you been stoking the fires a little too long old man? All that smoke is bad for you,¡± he said with a laugh. Brom was a very large man and couldn¡¯t fix his own roof without the risk of falling through it. Gideon had made fast friends with him when he was young, always getting caught climbing on the man¡¯s roof. At first the smith would yell at him, then one day he stopped yelling, soon after that he started talking about little things, stopping the boy when he passed by. He would ask the boy about his day; his plans. Then one day, the old smith asked Gideon to make some repairs on the roof for him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have a leak,¡± the smith had said.¡± I¡¯ll fashion the tiles and nails for you, then you climb up there and use them for the repair. Simple as that. There¡¯s a meal or two in it for you. It¡¯s a small job for one just such as you.¡± Gideon never liked his small size getting pointed out, but this small task formed a bond. The smith and his wife had taken to the boy and cared for him many times over the years when he was unable to provide for himself. They had supplied him with food and even scraps for his shelter. ¡°A wasted piece of sheet metal,¡± the smith would say. Gideon knew the smith had fashioned it for him, but never called the smith out on it. Charity was a sticky thing, once you gave to one boy, the rest of them would become like a pack of wolves smelling blood. Gideon learned to count his blessings, but that he was to never share in them. Sharing always resulted in loss. He was tired of losing. He knew the smith had unlocked his alpha and beta abilities. He even had a few skills and levels to go with each. He had been working for years on unlocking his gamma ability with no luck. The smith had told him once, that if he could unlock his gamma he was sure to get a convergence, the three primary abilities would form his delta ability. His class. Once he had a class, he¡¯d move from the lower districts and set up a shop in Rime proper, behind the safety of it¡¯s walls. Safety for his wife Sara, safety for the family he was resistant to start. After arguments with Mistress Sara he would always say to Gideon, ¡°How can I bring a child into this,¡± then he would gesture around him, pointing out the high poverty levels in the lower district. He knew by the way the smith treated him that Brom wanted children. It was a shame that coin is what prevented them from having a family, prevented Mistress Sara from being the mother she dearly wanted to be. He watched the smith shift things around as he prepped his forge. ¡°Master Brom, I bet you inhale that smoke on purpose! You do it just so Mistress Sara doesn¡¯t put you to work in the house after your day at the forge.¡± Gideon did a fake cough. ¡°Oh Sara, I can¡¯t breathe tonight, the forges you understand. Can you get me an ale?¡± He beamed a smile at the smith. The smith laughed at the boys pitiful performance. ¡°Off with you, you little scamp, I don¡¯t know why I put up with your theatrics,¡± he said sternly, ¡°and keep yourself out of trouble today, you here.¡± ¡°Scamp,¡± Gideon mumbled to himself, his smile faded. He hated that word, but even he used it. He knew that Brom didn¡¯t mean anything by it, it was a common term, but he hated being reminded of his station. One of the unfortunate. One of the cursed individuals who¡¯s first ability had never awakened. The world used scamp as slang for people like him. He was voidless, powerless, and unwanted. It was a common practice to abandon children for being voidless, having never awakened an alpha ability. The drain on a family was a lifetime of hardship. The person had no guiding path, even the System had rejected them. That child would never grow to be a productive member of society. It was thought to be a kindness to let the child be claimed by the System, they would just disappear while everyone looked the other way. He hated people thinking he could never be more than his handicap. I know I will find a path, I know I will awaken. I just know it, he thought. Until that day, he would walk the path he chose until a better one presented itself. With a slight frown he looked to Brom and solemnly and said, ¡°You put up with me because Mistress Sara told you too. It¡¯s the same reason you started talking to me all those years ago. As for trouble, you know I¡¯ll find it, I always do.¡± He waved to the smith as he walked off into the market. The smith groaned and mumbled to himself, ¡°Does he intend to get into trouble or avoid it?¡± Gideon laughed at the smith¡¯s mumblings as he walked away. He hadn¡¯t gotten very far before the sound of the bellows pierced the air with their rhythmic tune. As usual, the smith had work to do. Chapter 2 The Streets Gideon left the smithy and all the noise behind him. ¡°I probably should get some of my work done on the way to breakfast,¡± he muttered. He looked around to see what needed done. In his eyes, Rime was a beautiful city, even the lower districts and dockside. Not that he had ever seen the inside of the walled portion of Rime in the city proper, or the vast wealth of the upper districts. The favela was his home, and likely the poorest of the lower districts, but he liked it here. From here he could see beyond what the locals called Poverty Gate up above the smithy. The morning sun reflected off the marbled stone of the buildings of Rime Proper. He swore to himself for the thousandth time, he would get a license to gain access. It sure was pretty, the white marble jutted above the walls and created an almost blinding light. He could see the winding trade road that snaked along the walls, through the gate and down to the docks. The trade road was used to transport exports to the docks and to bring shipments up into the city. There was a dirt access road that intersected the trade road in the lower districts near the dock. The access road traveled out of the city to the outer districts of Rime. These were the farms, tanners and other businesses that weren¡¯t or couldn¡¯t be practiced within the city. He shielded his eyes and looked higher still, up where the wealthy merchants, politicians, and the nobles lived. The Palace in the Clouds and the Academy of the Awakened decorated the mountainside. The city was massive in size, but from this vantage point he was able to take it all in, a truly spectacular view. ¡°Beautiful,¡± he said. One day I¡¯m going to see the Upper Districts with my own two eyes. I¡¯ll walk their streets. His normal path should have been through the academy, the school that everyone attended for a period of time for training prior to adulthood. Some went to learn to gain control of their abilities, to learn to harness the power of the void safely. Others went for the full training term, with hopes of becoming an adventurer, a master tradesman, or crafter. That is, everyone except those like him; Scamps as some called them, or the Voidless, people with no alpha path, no future, one of the worthless and unwanted. These strictures are what made him who he was today, an abandoned child that has only known the streets. Life wasn¡¯t all bad he thought sardonically. He had a job, he was a street sweeper. He maintained a small portion of the lower district¡¯s streets and he did it with pride. His area within the favela was kept pristine. He worked for Captain Daniels, the highest ranking guardsmen in the lower districts. The captain took Gideon and others like him in under his wing and paid them a modest wage to keep their part of the city clean. Gideon could hear the captain in his head now as if he were standing right next to him. ¡°You only live in the slums if you choose to believe that way. Treat your home with the respect she deserves and she will provide for you. Appreciate her streets or they will take their pound of flesh.¡± Gideon didn¡¯t know about appreciating the streets, but he appreciated Captain Daniels. He knew he survived this long because of the captain¡¯s intervention. As for the rest, Gideon didn¡¯t fully understand what the captain was getting at. He figured if he didn¡¯t view his corner of Rime as the slums and helped keep his district clean, then he did his part. That¡¯s what the captain meant as far as he was concerned. He turned the corner and bumped into someone, which was shortly followed by a barely perceptible tug. He snatched the hand before it could pull away. A pair of vibrant blue eyes stared back at him, ¡°Oh it¡¯s you,¡± a female voice said. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a purse to steal,¡± she then looked down away from his eyes. ¡°Are you going to let me go, or are we going to hold hands all morning? You know most would buy me breakfast first, you¡¯re being awfully presumptuous,¡± she said. She looked up and the smirk on her face matched the sarcastic tone she gave him. ¡°Raya, good morning. Oh, uh, um yeah sorry,¡± he stuttered as he released her hand. Raya was a tiny wisp of a girl with fine dark brown hair, blue eyes that reflected like the ocean, and button like features to go along with her petite form. Gideon had known her for many years. Like him, she was voidless. She was younger by at least a season. Unlike him, there was real hope that her alpha ability could awaken. His finger tips still tingled where he had held her hand. Why do I feel funny? Why did I like holding her hand? It did feel nice, he thought. He got stuck on that thought as he stared into her eyes, debating on taking her hand again. He did nothing and continued to stare like an idiot. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°You okay there Gideon? I don¡¯t know how you get by. If you have these brain farts all the time, it¡¯s going to catch up to you. One mistake and your caught.¡± She made a cutting motion across her neck. ¡°You should talk! I just caught you red handed. I¡¯ve told you to stop pick pocketing. It¡¯s going to get you into big trouble one of these days.¡± He tried to control his anger because this is a conversation that they have had several times. Raya wouldn¡¯t listen, and she would run off if he pressed too hard. Then it might be weeks before he saw her again. He didn¡¯t want that. ¡°There are so many ways for us to survive. Captain Daniels can help you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want or need his help!¡± She said, interrupting Gideon. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to go on and on about the captain. He isn¡¯t my savior, nobody is. I survive just fine on my own.¡± Gideon knew this was a hopeless endeavor. Raya had a seeded distrust in men that grew and festered daily. He could see it becoming a burning hatred if it wasn¡¯t dealt with some day. He had a feeling some of the older boys gave her a hard time. She was pretty and had started gaining some of there attention in recent years. She even viewed good men like Captain Daniels the same as these other boys, all bad. This made helping her that much more difficult. ¡°Okay, no Captain Daniels. Is there anything I can help you with today. I have these few blocks to sweep this morning, but I find myself really busy. If you could maybe take care of my area, I could get paid by the captain and pass the coin to you?¡± She bit her lip in thought as she fidgeted, balancing from one foot to the other. ¡°You know, maybe your head isn¡¯t broken. How much you plan on skimming for all my hard work? People don¡¯t do things for me for free.¡± Gideon could see the anticipation in her posture, she wanted to take his offer but still had reservations. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, I¡¯ll skim a penny for my work as the middle man, but if you¡¯re willing to hold my hand again sometime I might forget that I¡¯m owed a little off the top.¡± She blushed before she replied, ¡°I might have been wrong, you¡¯re heads still broken, but a penny sounds like a fair skim. I¡¯ll get started right away. I know where to find you to collect.¡± ¡°I was just joking about the holding hands anyway,¡± he said with more fervor than intended. Gideon sighed knowing his minor flirting had been discarded without even a second thought. Was he really joking? He didn¡¯t know because the words just slipped out. She sparked funny emotions in him and his thoughts weren¡¯t always his own when she was around. He realized what else she had just said. ¡°So you¡¯ll do it!¡± he asked excitedly. She had surprised him by accepting the job. ¡°That sounds good, make sure you do a good job. It was nice seeing you as always Raya, but I suppose I¡¯ll be seeing you again soon. Don¡¯t forget I owe you, so come find me.¡± Gideon realized this meant that Raya was going to come to his home. Come to see him. Sure it was to get coin, but still. They had never met up with each other before, not intentionally. In the past their interactions were casual encounters, things of pure coincidence. Sure, sometimes he had went to areas that he thought she might be. Always random, always in a street in the city. Never a personal visit. Maybe this was progress. ¡°I hope to see you again real soon,¡± he said quietly to himself. Gideon began to whistle as he walked away, leaving Raya to her work, or was it his work? Maybe it was a bridge to a new world? Today is already starting out as a good day. Lets see what else the streets bring, he thought. ¡°Plan B, How am I going to earn a few coins for a meal now? I should probably think things through before I give away my job?¡± he said, talking to himself. His stomach growled and reminded him again that it was upset about not having breakfast. Chapter 3 Docks of Rime The market was full of wonders. Gideon loved all the various things you could see and buy. Some said the lower sectors weren¡¯t as nice, but they had everything he needed and they were what he knew. Gideon considered what he wanted to look for in the market today. A loud bell began to ring, the clock-tower signaled the top of the hour and was playing its chime. He saw the Apostles of the Church of Yvaxaz, they had all begun prostrating to a small altar. The city allowed them these altars on the edge of market square for their worship at the bell. This wasn¡¯t the only god worshiped in the lower sectors, but Yvaxaz¡¯s apostles were the most fanatical and numerous. The guards of the city were Yvaxaz¡¯s largest group of worshipers. Gideon didn¡¯t know where he stood on gods. The Old Ones hadn¡¯t been seen in aeons. Then the new gods known as the Great Ones, or The pantheon of Man as others called them, were another tier of gods, one that walked the world. He thought they were likely men and women of great power, not gods. Why would gods serve man? Although there were stories. They say that Nyarlathotep would intervene on behalf of man. He was one of the Old Ones wasn¡¯t he? The final bell rang out from the clock tower and interrupted Gideons internal dialog. Gideon had shown his respects, sort of, but he now had things to do. He quickly moved on from the square. Gideon continued south through the market toward the docks, his eyes scanned for any opportunity that might present itself. Gideon preferred to beg and use his charm as another way to get by. Using charm was more suited to his personality and physical capabilities. His fingers had proved too clumsy to lend themselves well to being a pick pocket. Captain Daniels frowned upon the practice of thievery with his boys, so Gideon respected the man¡¯s wishes. Besides, he was a worse pick pocket than Raya, and that wasn¡¯t a very high bar. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, and thieves need to choose wisely. Gideon followed the firm rule that he only stole as a last resort, and then only from travelers coming through the area, hence todays visit to the docks for a potential mark. The horizon was empty of ship masts however, the fishing barges having went out to see long before he awoke. There weren¡¯t any trade ships docked this morning, so a sea sick and unwitting traveler wasn¡¯t an option either. He took a deep breath, the smell of fish permeated the docks, blending with the smell of the salt from the sea. ¡°Well, charm it is, oh Prince of the Gutters¡± he said, laughing at his own joke. He approached the fish merchant Charlie. He was a nice man that like to personify a rough exterior, but Gideon¡¯s charisma had served him well in the past. He waited back away from the stall and watched as the man worked. He wanted to get a feel for Charlie''s mood today. Gideon knew if Charlie¡¯s stall was doing well, the man might be in a generous mood. He just had to play his cards right. He quietly watched as Charlie hawked his goods, yelling for anyone willing to listen. ¡°Freshest fish to be had today, trust me, you¡¯ll be having a tasty dinner tonight.¡± Gideon¡¯s sharp eyes saw that Charlie¡¯s small purse had some bulk to it this afternoon, so it looked like it had been a good day at the market for the fisherman. Stolen story; please report. He made his decision and advanced on the fishmonger. ¡°Nobody wants your smelly fish!¡± Gideon said with a false malice. He smirked and waited for Charlie to see him as he came out of the shadows of another stall. When Charlie looked his way Gideon did the first thing that came to mind; he stuck out his tongue at the man. That will get his attention for sure, he thought. Charlie liked to play the game, liked to pretend to be resisting the boys charm. Gideon was up for a little acting if it meant a meal. The Hawker looked around, then back to Gideon. ¡°You there, get away from my stall. You¡¯re scaring away me customers with your filth and stench. Go take a bath, you smell worse than this fish!¡± Charlie shooed at Gideon. ¡°Leave me be.¡± The man tried to get back about his business, boasting about his fish again. Shouting his mantra over and over again as he attempted to ignore the scamp. I know he didn¡¯t just compare me to his stinky fish! Gideon put a hurt look on his face, playing on Charlie¡¯s softness. The man didn¡¯t like to offend anyone. He was a pleaser, an easy mark. ¡°My filth, how could you say such a thing to a little boy? You¡¯re scaring your customers away with your bad attitude and that filth in your hand. They know that isn¡¯t fresh mister!¡± Gideon smiled because he knew he had him. The look on Charlie¡¯s face told him everything he needed to know. He almost felt bad for the man, but continued his tirade. ¡°You know the boats haven¡¯t returned to the docks today, that¡¯s day old fish. The boats aren¡¯t due back until tonight, the docks are empty.¡± The fisherman looked his way again and threw the fish at him. ¡°Grrr! You know the names Charlie you little scamp, so stop acting like you don¡¯t know me. Now get before you actually cost me payin¡¯ customers.¡± The fisherman went along with the routine amicably. His faced twisted a little in an anger that surprised Gideon. ¡°Enough with the little boy routine, you ain¡¯t so little anymore.¡± Charlie yelled while trying to keep a smile from his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be stirring up more trouble than you can handle. You have a bad habit of it for sure.¡± Gideon picked up the fish and nodded Charlie¡¯s way. ¡°Thank you kindly. I do believe I was mistaken, this fish smells plenty fresh and will be fine dining indeed.¡± Charlie smiled at him and made a shooing motion without another word. Gideon skipped away with a smile on his face and his morning breakfast tucked into his sack. He glided north back through the market, searching for another sympathetic face. The scent of fresh baked bread began to fill his nostrils, drowning out the smell of the ever present fish. ¡°It smells like Mrs. Webster and her cart are somewhere nearby. Maybe she¡¯ll be feeling motherly today and I can get a muffin or a roll.¡± He thought back to the fisherman and his kindness. Charlie was married and Gideon believed they had a young whelp or two. When Gideon made extra coin begging or picking pockets, he would sneak a few coins into the mans stall to repay the kindness. The coin never equaled what he owed the man, but it was all the young boy was able to do. While he didn¡¯t know if karma was a real thing or not, he always figured it best to stay on the positive side of the scale. As he looked around the favela it occurred to him that in another life he may not have balanced things out nearly so well. Chapter 4: The Good Captain ¡­then there was Yvaxaz. The god of death, destruction and war. Yvaxaz became the favored spawn of Shub-Niggurath, the All Mother. While many of his features are vestigial in nature, the genealogy is undeniable. Aside from the lack of a Cyclopean presence, Yvaxaz, The Great Progenitor is made up of a primordial mass capable of amoeba like procreation. In times of great war he has been known to divide himself into several parts to create offspring. These offspring become his generals in his great crusade. Others call him Yvaxaz, The Keeper of R¡¯lyeh. He is the guardian over the gates to Cthulhu¡¯s resting place¡­ Excerpt: Awakened By HPL Gideon followed the bread smell, hunting for where Mrs. Webster had set up her cart. He jogged and skipped around the large market, kicking up dust as he went about. The heat of the day crept up on Gideon and he had built up a good sweat. As he moved about, he heard the usual shouts of merchants hawking their goods. He also heard the usual responses the Hawkers yelled to the urchins of the city. ¡°Get¡±, and ¡°Off with you¡±, and ¡°I got nothing for you today!¡± He politely smiled or gave a courteous nod or a ¡°Hello¡± to everyone that acknowledge him in anyway. Kill them with kindness he thought to himself, because you never know when they¡¯ll have a helping hand to offer. Better to be remembered as the kindly boy, not the thief or miscreant. ¡°You there! Gideon, come over here,¡± a mans voice said. Gideon turned and looked about for its origin. A man was walking toward him. He wore leathers with various metal plates blocking vital points. ¡°Are you behaving yourself or you up to no good today?¡± the man asked as he approached. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be cleaning up your blocks of the district. If you want slums I can find you some to move to.¡± ¡°Captain Daniels, how are you?¡± Gideon said, ¡°I am of course up to no good as I should be,¡± he continued, with a hint of as smile on his face. ¡°What else is there to do? I won¡¯t be adventuring any time soon¡­or ever.¡± He said, mumbling the last bit . ¡°As for the sweeping, I¡¯ve recruited Raya to sweep on my behalf. She needed the coin and well you know¡­¡± Gideon trailed off. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The captain smiled at this. ¡°Oh, that is wonderful news, there is hope for you yet. It is such a fickle world my boy, I know your ability will awaken when it¡¯s needed. Or maybe you want to stay a lazy scamp forever?¡± he said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Bah, I¡¯m just teasing. I was actually looking for you, and yes I understand with Raya. Don¡¯t be thinking there is extra pay coming your way because two of you are doing the job.¡± ¡°Of course not sir. What can I do for you today Captain Daniels,¡± Gideon said. Putting emphasis on ¡°Captain¡±. Captain Daniels is one of the guard captains for the city. From everything Gideon has heard, the captain has been offered promotions but has turned them down, choosing to stay the captain of the Rime¡¯s lower districts. The captain has helped him many times over the years and has been a father figure for many of the kids on the streets. They owed him everything, yet he has asked for nothing. ¡°I told you to call me, Oh never mind! I just wanted to check on you and make sure you hadn¡¯t been having any trouble with those nobleman¡¯s spoiled brats from the second district. I¡¯ve put some feelers out on trying to control them coming down here to bother you and the rest. Coin is it¡¯s own shield though, one that can be difficult to overcome.¡± The concerned look on his face was genuine and Gideon could appreciate that. Gideon had longed for a family, longed to be cared for. He had dreamed of it for as long as he could remember. He knew little boys should have a family, but never understood why he didn¡¯t. Life had harsh lessons for those like him. Captain Daniels was the closest thing he had to that, but with unspoken boundaries. Captain Daniels stepped toward him, ¡°I got something for you,¡± the captain said as he pulled half a loaf of bread from his bag. The smile on Gideon¡¯s face went from ear to ear at the sight of the bread. ¡°Sir! Thank you so much, I was just looking for the Webster cart. You know Mr. Webster doesn¡¯t like us scamps coming to the bakery, I hoped to find her and her cart in the market for fresh bread.¡± The captain laughed harshly, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± the Captain said with a smirk. ¡°Well then it is a lucky thing for you, lucky that I found her early. Her bread was going fast today. You¡¯d have been lucky to get scraps. I bought a few loaves, so I¡¯m going to make my rounds and pass them out. Now off with you. Don¡¯t forget to cook that smelly fish you got from Charlie because it might be getting a bit ripe in this heat. Now behave yourself,¡± he said and walked off in pursuit of his other projects. Why does everyone keep telling me to be good, I don¡¯t cause that much trouble do I? There was lots of trouble out there for children like him, trouble that made scamps disappear. Captain Daniels had once asked Gideon why scamps didn¡¯t group together for protection. The captain didn¡¯t understand what too many mouths and not enough food could do to a street group. Gideon had never seen actual cannibalism, but he¡¯d seen a small group fall apart, torn apart from the inside when times were tight. He¡¯d also noticed that the small and weak would gradually disappear. He didn¡¯t like to think about what happened to those children. He shook his head clear. ¡°Onto more cheerful thoughts,¡± he said. ¡°Like cooking breakfast.¡± Chapter 5: Confrontations Gideon worked his way to the backside of the docks. He climbed over the railing and made his way to the beach. The heat stones that littered the shore were perfect for cooking his fish. He sat down and pulled out his skinning knife from his boot. ¡°This is definitely getting a little ripe,¡± he said. Should I risk eating this? It¡¯s still good isn¡¯t it? His stomach growled again. Can¡¯t be helped, I need to eat. He knew of other scamps that ate bad food, food from the rubbish heaps. These scamps would get violently sick and he never wanted that for himself. Gideon cleaned the fish quickly and filleted it. He rinsed the fillets and his knife in the salty water. He placed the fillets on one of the flat heat stones and was greeted with the sound of searing meat. The pungent smell had dissipated, and his nostrils were filled with the wonderful fragrance of breakfast. He cut off a couple small pieces to cook them faster. Unable to wait, he plopped a small piece into his watering mouth. ¡°So good,¡± he moaned quietly. He was so focused on his breakfast he didn¡¯t hear the old man sneak up on him. An old man stood before him, his crazed eyes were sunk deep in the sockets of his face. It¡¯s old man Hizel. He¡¯s probably hungry. ¡°Do you want some?¡± Gideon said. He gestured toward the cooking fish. ¡°I have plenty to share.¡± Hizel was a former priest for one god or another. He¡¯d lost his mind many years ago. Some say it was in his sleep to a dream, it had leeched his sanity away. Gideon normally avoided him when he could, but he didn¡¯t dislike the old man, he just found interacting with him awkward. He held out a few chunks of fish to the old man. Hizel began to chant loudly. ¡°Dream the dream of life, dream of your strife. Dream the dream of death, merge and take your breath. Dream the dream eternal!¡± Hizel gestured to the water and area around him. ¡°He is coming. The stars have told me, I see the map. It will be in our lifetime. His dream will wash over us all, washing away the burden of our minds. The deep ones will be the heralds of his call,¡± the old man said with a mad vigor. ¡°Going to be one of those days is it,¡± Gideon muttered as the old man walked away. Hizel took a few chunks of fish with him. Gideon watched as the old man went into the water and laid the fish on a stone altar that was barely above the tide. He spoke softly. From this distance Gideon could no longer hear him. He watched, lost in his thoughts. Hopefully he eats that, I¡¯d hate to waste perfectly good fish. A noise from behind caught Gideon¡¯s attention. ¡°What do we have here? A little runaway scamp,¡± the voiced said. Gideon turned to see Blake and his cronies Razor and Grifter. Great, the nobleman¡¯s son that the Captain had mentioned. Why does he like to come to the the favela to bully and lord over the scamps. There went my good day. Can¡¯t be helped I suppose. First I woke up late, then I got bad fish, and now this. Blake lead the group toward Gideon. He was dressed in a fine black coat and trousers. His loose black hair completed the picture of a raven turn flesh. A dark glint in his eye spoke of malice and ill intent. Razor walked a step behind him, her hair cropped short and bleached platinum. It framed her stern angular face well. Grifter brought up the rear, his features so plain you could never place where you¡¯d seen him before. Grifter walked with a relaxed confidence. Gideon didn¡¯t like him, his anxiety spiked when the young man was around. ¡°This is our beach little scamp. I thought we told you not to come here? Didn¡¯t we tell him?¡± Blake asked, looking to his friends. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°We sure did Blake,¡± Grifter said with a chuckle. Razor grunted her acknowledgment. ¡°I thought so,¡± Blake said. The three started to spread out and circle Gideon. ¡°Look guys, I think he is cooking us a little snack.¡± Blake looked disgusted as he eyed the food. ¡°We¡¯re not bottom feeders like you scamps. I wouldn¡¯t eat that if I were starving. We don¡¯t eat garbage. Do you really survive on this disgusting filth.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat it,¡± Grifter said suddenly from Gideons side. Grifter had slid into his blind spot in the blink of an eye. Damn, I got distracted by Blake and let my guard down. So stupid. Grifter snatched a fillet off the stone and took a bite. ¡°You know what Blake, you were right, this is garbage and tastes like dung.¡± he spit out the fish and tossed the fillet down the beach. ¡°How can you eat that?¡± Gideon was indecisive, frozen until that moment. The image of his food landing in the dirt brought a focus back into his eyes. He grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it into Blake¡¯s face. The rage flowed through him and came out in a scream. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just leave me be? I¡¯m not bothering anyone.¡± He spun toward Grifter, but the boy had vacated the space. He was blindsided as Razor¡¯s fist connected with his jaw from the opposite side; his vision swam. The world blurred as he was struck repeatedly. All Gideon could hear was the ringing in his ears and the maniacal laughter of Grifter as he cheered her on. ¡°Hold him up,¡± Blake directed. Gideon was lifted off the ground. He felt fingers placed under his chin. They guided his head up to look into the eyes of Blake. ¡°You scamps never learn. This is my city!¡± he shouted into Gideon¡¯s face. Gideon spit out the blood that was welling in his mouth, dousing Blake with blood and saliva. ¡°You dare! You¡¯ll pay for that. Let him go.¡± The two released Gideon and he fell to the ground. I feel so weak. I can¡¯t focus. I need to clear my head. Get it together Gideon! He was unable to do anything but stare up at Blake, far too weak to resist. He stared into the dark raging storm building in Blake¡¯s eyes. Gideon felt a heat building near him. Blake¡¯s arm burst into flames. ¡°You deserve this you filthy scamp. I¡¯m going to brand you like the animal that you are.¡± Blake, his hand engulfed in flame, struck out at Gideon with the intent to brand and maim him. On reflex, Gideon held up his arm to protect his face. The expected pain never came. Gideon looked up, not understanding. Glowing metal plates on his arm shielded him from the attack. The glowing plates were shaped like a shield, a shield that was made from energy that came from within him. Gideon stared at his arm in amazement. Everyone stared at his arm, shock on their faces. ¡°Well well, the scamp is growing up,¡± Razor said, a look of wonder on her face. Gideon saw words displayed before him. He felt a presence all around him. How had he never noticed it all before? {{Congratulations! Alpha Ability: Armor of the Protector awakened. Congratulations! Alpha Skill: Immovable Object unlocked. Alpha Skill Slots remaining: two. Welcome to the System, Welcome to the void!}} Chapter 6: Welcome to the System Nyarlathotep, ¡°The Shadow Piper¡± had collected followers like a pile of feces collects flies. The musical tones destroyed the minds of those in his entourage. The Shadowman¡¯s obsequious nature to the cyclopean Old Ones had come to an end, he had plans of his own. He delivered a new message today, he was done with the games of the other Elder Gods and now had a game of his own to play. The Rebel Shoggoth, the slave race that evolved and gained sentience, he had found their prison. The ¡°Builders of Worlds¡±, their massive black bodies were covered in a noxious slime, they slithered and rolled about as they left the prison. Teeth, eyes, tentacles, and claws jutted out in a horrific amalgamation of body parts. Nyarlathotep watched as the creatures fed on his followers, those that he had lead here to their deaths. Soon the Shoggoth would breed, transforming the mass gained from their meal into offspring. He would release chaos onto the universe. Now everyone would play his game. Excerpt: Awakened By HPL The message startled Gideon, he had heard of the system, but never experienced it himself. He smiled up at Blake, elation written clearly on his face. Gideon pushed back against Blake¡¯s assault, smashing the boy in the face with the shield of energy. The flames up the boys arms went out after he took the blow to the face. The others took a step back from Gideon, with looks of concern. Gideon stared daggers at Blake. ¡°You had enough or should I smash your face again?¡± Gideon glanced at his arm, the shield was still present. It doesn¡¯t look much like a shield does it? Why is the energy fading in and out. The shape is unstable? I hope I can hold it just a little longer. It may not look very impressive, but it seems to be keeping them back. He looked around and assessed the situation. He turned threateningly to Razor and Grifter. ¡°How about you two? You guys want a piece of me? Come on!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still a nothing. I¡¯ll cut you down to size,¡± Razor said. ¡°Blake, are we done with this scamp or you want to rough him up some more? I¡¯ll happily show him what real power is.¡± Gideon saw a look of worry cross her face. It was only there for a second, but it was definitely there. She is giving Blake an out. A way to save face. I bet she is ready to get out of here. Should I try to push her more? Gideon really wanted to ride the high of his awakening, but he also realized he was in trouble and maybe things could take a turn for the worse. He knew he really didn¡¯t understand his power yet, and he should bow out and do the smart thing, he meant to give them the out that she had so nicely provided. Instead he did what any hot headed youth might do and he said, ¡°Of course he¡¯s ready to go, he doesn¡¯t want smacked around again. I¡¯ll finally get to put him in his place.¡± Blake¡¯s face turned a vibrant shade of red, the flames began dancing up and down his arms again. He wiped the blood from his nose, the flames reflected a hatred in his eyes. A hatred that burned deeper than any flame ever could. It was in that moment Gideon realized he had made a mistake. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you. I¡¯ll burn your body to a charcoaled husk and use the coals to warm our hearth in the winter. You are Dead! De¡­¡± A voice came from up the beach. ¡°Now what is going on here I wonder?¡± Gideon turned toward the voice. He saw a man stepping down the stones leading to the beach front, it was Captain Daniels. ¡°I was out for a stroll and I heard some noise. At first I hoped for pirates so I could get a little work out in this morning.¡± Captain Daniels glanced Gideon¡¯s way, a momentary look of shock crossed his face. The look barely registered before it returned to the stern stoic face of an emotionless guard captain performing his duty. Gideon noticed that the flames Blake had summoned were dying down so he tried to release his armor as well. It took him a moment, but he figured it out. Once accomplished, it felt like an instinctual and simple process, like he¡¯d always known how. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Crap, it¡¯s Captain Daniels. It¡¯s time to go.¡± Razor said. She looked ready to run on a moments notice. Her lithe form was taught like a spring. However, Blake didn¡¯t take her hint or share her enthusiasm to run. ¡°Captain, this little scamp assaulted us. I demand you arrest him,¡± Blake said. The pompous nature of the boy didn¡¯t stop there and he continued. ¡°My father will hear of your failure. You can¡¯t even protect the nobility as they walk the dockside. Your incompetence allowed me to suffer these travesties.¡± ¡°Thats not true! He attacked me with his fire, I just defended myself.¡± The frustration on Gideon¡¯s face was plain. Tears flowed freely now that the stress of the moment had come to a head. Captain Daniels looked to Blake and stared for a time before he replied. ¡°So that is your statement, you were attacked and bested by a voidless scamp? Well, I guess that would be formerly voidless scamp now, wouldn¡¯t it? During the assault, the two of you awakened prodigies were beaten? Your academy enrollment is this year isn¡¯t it? I wonder what the Headmaster will think of future students not only deploying powers against a voidless, but then getting beaten. You may not make the final cut for enrollment.¡± Captain Daniels looked to Gideon. ¡°Well boy, I¡¯m going to have to take you in for questioning. It¡¯s a routine practice you understand?¡± Blake turned a shocked looked on the captain. ¡°Hold up captain. I never said I was filing charges or that we were beaten in anyway. Watch yourself, you shouldn¡¯t make up such falsehoods.¡± Blake shifted and pointed to Gideon. ¡°I just said that this trash attempted to attack us. He is obviously sick in the head and a danger to himself and others on the streets. Look at him! He is having a breakdown right now.¡± ¡®But¡­¡± Gideon stammered. The Captain shut him up with a single look, a look that said ¡°Not Now¡±. Gideon¡¯s survival instincts kicked in and he pivoted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking, I¡¯m sorry Captain.¡± ¡°That apology belongs to me scamp,¡± Blake said, ¡°You offended me, not him.¡± ¡°If I hear you utter that one more time, wealthy father or not, we are going to have a problem. Now get on your way,¡± Captain Daniels said. He approached Gideon, ¡°As for you, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to come with me son. We¡¯ll discuss what you were thinking, and the mischief caused, but not now. We¡¯ll have a long conversation back at the barracks.¡± Gideon watched the two walk away. A sudden realization dawned on him. Grifter was gone. He must have disappeared when the captain arrived. Had the Captain seen him? Did he even notice that Grifter had been here at all? Gideon had never thought about it before, but was Grifter¡¯s plainness some part of his ability? He would pay more attention to it in the future. The captain motioned for him to follow. They started back toward the city. On the wind Gideon caught the slight whisper of the crazy old man. ¡°Dream the dream of life, dream of your strife. Dream the dream of death, merge and take your breath. Dream the dream eternal!¡± The captain stopped upon hearing the old man. Gideon thought he looked a bit irritated. The captain walked back toward the old man. ¡°Hizel! Get out of the water,¡± Captain Daniels yelled at the old man. The captain looked down at Gideon, ¡°That crazy old man is going to get himself killed someday, or worse, us.¡± Gideon and the captain traveled up through the docks and then into the market square near his favela district. The captain stopped suddenly, Gideon didn¡¯t understand why or what was going on. Then he saw one of the strangest sights. Raya sitting on a public bench like she was just any other person. ¡°Gideon, I need you to wait here for me. Do not move, do you understand?¡± He only nodded and the captain walked off. He watched as the captain slowly approached the bench and sat down on the opposite end. There was a brief interaction between the two and then the captain returned. The captain didn¡¯t say a word about the encounter and Gideon was left wondering what he had just witnessed. Chapter 7: Raya Watches The darkness calls, the mind reels, sanity wains. Ignore her, run. She is looking to breed. Excerpt: Progeny of the All Mother By HPL Raya did a slow walk through the streets as she inspected her work. Looking for any missed garbage. She had run the sweeper and polished the cobblestones and wanted to double check her work. The opportunity was appreciated and she didn¡¯t want to let Gideon down after the favor he¡¯d done for her. Raya played dumb in the moment, but she understood he was sacrificing his earnings for her. The memory of earlier brought a smile to her face, her hand subconsciously going to the spot he had held her wrist, touched her hand. Her trust for people didn¡¯t come easy, but Gideon was wearing on her. Breaking down walls slowly over the years. She¡¯d never caught him doing it, but suspected he is the one that would sneak into her sewer hideout, leaving bread and meats. Once, she had returned home to find a new blanket folded neatly on her pallet, a gift for Grand Awakening. The irony in her receiving a gift to celebrate the system wasn¡¯t lost on her. They celebrated when the System went live in the world and had awakened abilities in the populace. It was the day that she was forgotten, but someone remembered her, even if the System didn¡¯t. She sat on the bench enjoying the sun as she admired a job well done. The hope was that Captain Daniels agreed, otherwise he may give Gideon a hard time. She was startled from her thoughts when a shadow passed over her. Looking up she discovered and the captain was standing in her sun. Weird, it''s like thinking of him caused him to appear. He must be some kind of boogie man, she thought. She chuckled at her own thoughts as she looked to the captain. There was nowhere to run and not much point in trying. The captain could catch her if he really wanted to, so she relaxed and waited. The captain stood at the opposite end of the bench. He said nothing, just looked at her. He slowly placed a bread roll on the opposite end of the bench and quietly walked away. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered in a barely audible voice. It¡¯s the thought that counts and her appreciation was genuine. She knew Captain Daniels meant well and he worked with many of the children of the lower district. He gave so much of his own time and resources back to the children. She wasn¡¯t sure if the work they did was paid for by the city or by the captain himself, but the programs were surely the captain¡¯s ideas. I should try to find a way to trust the captain, he seems a good man. This thought brought her full circle back to Gideon. She would start with trusting him first. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. She slid down the bench and grabbed the bread after it¡¯s rich smells caused her belly to growl. She tore a small knot off and slowly ate it, savoring each bite. ¡°Yum, so good¡± she said, the enjoyment written on her face. She watched people walk by and listened to hawkers shouting their services. Raya was a people watcher, but from a distance, from the shadows. Sitting here in the open like a regular person felt odd to her. She didn¡¯t like it. Too open, too many angles for people to approach. She stood and started to head toward an alleyway, toward comfort. ¡°Well hello little mouse¡± a voice said, startling her. She turned abruptly toward the voice and met the shifting eyes of a nondescript boy. The smirk on his face was disarming. ¡°Grifter,¡± she said. She looked around, searching for the rest of his group. ¡°Where are the other two? Or are you going to hassle me by yourself?¡± ¡°Hassle? Since when do I hassle you? I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever troubled you little mouse. So don¡¯t be too upset with me.¡± ¡°Just because you do nothing when the others pick on me doesn¡¯t make you free of guilt. If you have two bad eggs and there is a third egg, the third egg is bad as well. Now get lost, I was having a good day, I don¡¯t want you to ruin it.¡± Her voice raising near the end. She turned and started marching away, not interested in what he had to say anymore. ¡°Tsk tsk, I thought you¡¯d want to know your boyfriend has been a naughty boy.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°What!¡± she said as she turned, but he was gone. She grunted in annoyance. ¡°He creeps me out when he disappears like that. I wonder what is going on with Gideon.¡± She continued toward the alley, irritated that she had acknowledged Gideon as the boyfriend in her head so quickly. She would need to think more on what that meant later. For now, she had to figure out what was going on, what Grifter was talking about. In the alley, she scaled the walls to the rooftops. She hoped the better view would help her figure out what was going on, help her find Gideon. After a time she Spotted Captain Daniels as he lead Gideon on the far side of the market square. It was hard to determine from this distance, but the Captain did not look like the helpful and caring man that had given her bread a short while ago. He walked with a purpose now. Gideon followed behind the captain dragging his feet, an anxious expression on his face. ¡°Crap, what did he do? I hope Captain Daniels isn¡¯t punishing him for letting me do his work?¡± she said quietly. The guilt crept into her stomach as she watched them march into the City Guard¡¯s Compound. Before they entered into the compound, Gideon looked her way. She swore and stepped back into the shadows. Had he seen me? It sure felt like his eyes met mine, but how could they. He couldn¡¯t have known I was up here. After they disappeared inside, Raya decided it was time to go. It is time to get scarce until things return to normal. I have had enough of people for the day, maybe for the week. Raya could feel the chaos stirring. Big changes were coming and she didn¡¯t want to be around when they got here. She made her way back down to street level. From there she took a circular route to make sure she wasn¡¯t being followed, finally making her way back to the sewers. When chaos reigned, it was easier to endure from home. Chapter 8: A Sponsor They walked in silence through the the Market of the lower district. Gideon¡¯s anxiety continued to build as the time stretched on. Captain Daniels lead the way, a somber look on his face, a stride that showed determination. Gideon saw street friends and associates as they walked through the city, they sat watching him from the shadows. Most of them worked for the captain, one of his children as the city called us. They would never interfere with official guardsmen business, never try to save him. The gates to the City Guards Barracks for the lower district were just ahead. Gideon caught a wisp of brown hair, and maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn the vibrant blue eyes as well. Then Raya slipped into the shadows and was gone. They were nearly to the barracks of Lower Rime and Gideon was trying to psych himself up to argue his case with the captain. They passed through the gate leading into the guard compound. Gideon was so lost in thought on how to clear himself, it was a long moment before he realized they had passed the barracks. Why hadn¡¯t they stopped he thought. ¡°Captain, I thought we were going to the barracks? I don¡¯t mind taking a tour of Rime, but my breakfast got cut short and I¡¯d like to give it another try.¡± Gideon tried to make light of the situation, he hoped the captain would play along. He had no such luck. ¡°Hush yourself boy, this isn¡¯t a conversation to be had in public.¡± Captain Daniels shook his head, ¡°I think¡­never you mind, later boy, just later.¡± The Captain stuttered. Multiple thoughts spilled out of his mouth at once. Gideon had never seen the captain so rattled, the lines on the captains face stood out and showed his age. Gideon had never noticed them before, the captain was always timeless. When had he aged? Realizing the seriousness of the situation Gideon went from afraid to terrified. How could a day that started so good turn so bad in a short time. They approached a small building in the back of the guard compound. Captain Daniels opened the door and stepped aside. He motioned for Gideon to enter. ¡°Lets go son, it¡¯s time we talked.¡± Gideon entered the building and the captain followed close behind. He pulled the door shut behind him. Gideon looked around the small room. There was very little in the room. A small wooden desk and chair were in the corner with a Magitek lamp sitting on top of the desk. A small pallet with a mattress sat in the opposite corner, its blankets were pristine and neatly folded. Gideon continued to look around and noticed there were very few personal items or affects in the room. A mannequin stood in the final corner and served as an armor stand. A set of guard armor hung on the mannequin, clean and polished. ¡°Captain, is this your room?¡± Gideon asked after noticing a stack of small sacks on a wall shelf. The same sacks that the captain used for the goody bags he handed out to the scamps of lower district. ¡°Yes son, this is where I live. It¡¯s not much, but it is all I need. What¡¯s important is the privacy in here and the private training yard out back.¡± He opened the narrow door between the bunk and desk, then presented the area beyond as though it were a prize. Gideon looked out the door and saw another mannequin, this one had strange arms that stuck out at odd angles. The captain followed Gideons eyes and said ¡°It¡¯s a magitek training dummy. As you attack, it absorbs the blows and channels the power of your attacks back in spinning strikes with the arms. It can be pretty tricky and very random. So it simulates fighting an unpredictable opponent. For training purposes, nothing is better than a real fight, but it works.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Gideon nodded his head at the captains words. ¡°Captain, but why are we here? I thought I was to be punished, or even jailed. I don¡¯t know what, but not this, not going to your home. Whatever this is, it¡¯s not what I expected?¡± ¡°Son, what this is is a celebration,¡± the captain said, a smile on his face. The stress seemed to wash away from the captain¡¯s face in that one sentence. ¡°I knew you would awaken, I could sense the void in you. I never gave up on you. Never doubted. Today is the first day of your life. The world will be different, a new experience. That is what this is Gideon. We need to get your training started. You are way behind and have a very short time before the Academy¡¯s enrollment. We need to have you ready.¡± ¡°What!? I¡¯m not attending the academy. I can¡¯t, I mean I don¡¯t. No I can¡¯t go,¡± Gideon stuttered. Captain Daniels laughed, ¡°Calm down son, you can and you will, with my help. I¡¯m going to train you and I¡¯m going to sponsor you. Son, I don¡¯t get a lot of success stories down here in the lower districts. You can¡¯t expect me to not go all in and back you? I need this, your fellow scamps need this. They need to know it is possible. Your story will show them a new narrative. One of a scamp rising from obscurity. It¡¯s a story of real hope my boy!¡±¡± ¡°But captain, you heard Blake and the others earlier, I am nothing and worth nothing. Even with an awakening I am not their equal. I can¡¯t change where I come from. I¡¯ll always be a nothing to everyone because that is what the System decided, they will remember where I come from. That I was voidless without a path in life.¡± ¡°Boy you can¡¯t be voidless, the void has awakened in you and given you a path. The hardships you suffered were necessary. The path the void is going to direct you down required as much. I don¡¯t know what that path is, but I¡¯m going to make sure you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ve heard enough of this nonsense and self doubt, lets get to work.¡± Gideon looked into the captains eyes. For a brief moment he saw something, he saw the System. He thought back to the fight with Blake when the system had awakened his path, presented itself to him. ¡°Thank you Captain Daniels, I see your point. I¡¯ll get stronger so my status as an awakened can¡¯t be denied. I¡¯ll show everyone that scamps aren¡¯t less, that we are just different. I¡¯ll do my best to make you proud.¡± The captain stared for a long moment. The silence was a tension in the air. That tension was broken by a single tear that ran down the captain¡¯s face. ¡°I told you to call me¡­Oh forget it. More important than all that son, have fun and live your best life now. Be whatever it is you want to be. Do whatever it is you have dreamed of doing. The only thing I ask in return is that you set a good example for the other boys. They feel there is nothing in this world for them, we are going to show them the truth. Now let¡¯s get to work,¡± Captain Daniels said with a sigh. Chapter 9: Armor Up! Gideon watched the captain with anticipation, unsure of what he was expected to do. Captain Daniels went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment. He scribed something on the parchment while Gideon waited with patience. The captain took the completed parchment to the door leading back into the barracks courtyard. A guard came over to meet the captain. The two quietly spoke and the captain passed the parchment to the guard. He shut the door and turned to Gideon. ¡°Show me your ability,¡± he said without preamble. He tried to do as he was told, but nothing happened. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know how. It just sort of happened before.¡± Captain Daniels thought for a moment before responding. ¡°What about the System? You need to focus on labeling the world. Ask a greater power to tell you what everything is. This needs to be done as naturally as breathing. When an awakening occurs for a toddler, it is what the child knows. They grow up using it. You need to train yourself to use it, to learn a new language.¡± ¡°Uh, okay. Oh great System, what is this,¡± Gideon said and pointed to the chair in the room. ¡°Ouch,¡± Gideon shrieked after Captain Daniels flicked him on the forehead. ¡°What? I was doing what you told me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a smart arse boy. You need to think it, train your mind to open the door to see what you are looking for.¡± Captain Daniels said. ¡°You can do this. You should have seen something before, the System awakening in you, trying to communicate? Reach for that again.¡± Gideon thought back to the moment of his awakening, he remembered the System communicating with him. He remembered seeing it in his mind. He focused on that memory. He pulled at it, then pushed it to the forefront of his mind. He was part of the System, the System was part of him, and nothing happened. ¡°Ugh,¡± he shouted in frustration. A sudden exhaustion seemed to enter his very bones. Then the world went black. ¡°You awake son? I think you might have strained yourself too far in the wrong direction.¡± The captain said as he help Gideon sit up. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. ¡°One minute son. I know we can do this, you are strong and maybe this is the answer we are looking for,¡± the captain said as he walked to the door. The door opened and a large silhouette stood in the threshold. ¡°Ah, good, good. You¡¯re just in time Sir Smith.¡± ¡°I thought I told you to stay out of trouble today lad,¡± Smith Brom said as he walked into the room. He dropped a large satchel on the ground with a loud clang. ¡°I got your letter Captain and did as you asked. I came with haste. Even left me anvil hot, so this best be important. I got a soft spot for the scamp over there, but I got work to do.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Sir Smith, we¡¯ve had a late stage awakening, he¡¯s a scamp no more.¡± The captain said as he smiled brightly at the smith. He took in the shock on Brom¡¯s face. ¡°Truly! That be wonderful, but I don¡¯t see what I have to do with it.¡± Smith Brom said. He looked puzzled at Gideon. ¡°What is it you need of me, and of this,¡± he said as he kicked the bag. ¡°I do believe we may have rubbed off on the boy. His awakening seems to have been an armor related ability, or more specifically, maybe a shield related one. It could be similar to mine but more limited, but with your influence as an armorer his ability could be anything. He is having issues finding the power again. I thought maybe some real equipment might help. ¡± Captain Daniels said. ¡°I hope.¡± Smith Brom pulled a shield out of the bag and took it to Gideon who still sat on the floor. He handed it down to Gideon, then offered a hand to pull him to his feet. ¡°Well this be some of the base guard starting gear. The City Guard pays for it either way. If you give it to a guardsman or the boy, the coin is the same. Now boy, hold the shield proper like and show me what you did.¡± Gideon Slid his arm into the straps on the backside of the small shield. ¡°Blake called flame to his arm. When he attacked I held my arm up like this and the awakening happened. I suddenly had a shield blocking his attack.¡± Gideon said as he demonstrated the movement he described. He focused and tried to call the power and nothing happened. He growled, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m getting nothing. I don¡¯t feel anything. The System isn¡¯t responding to me. What am I doing wrong?¡± ¡°That boy Blake is a bad apple. He ain¡¯t here so maybe you need some other kind of motivation,¡± the smith said. He drew a small ax from the bag and swung it at Gideon. Oh crap! Gideon reflexively held up the shield to block the attack and shut his eyes. The loud clang he expected never came. ¡°Well would you look at that, no fighting instinct at all and¡­¡± the smith cut off his retort mid sentence. Gideon looked up to see an energy around the shield he held. Then he watched in amazement, then horror as the energy broke down the shield into dust. That dust was then absorbed through his pores into his body. The shield was gone, the power was gone. He focused and tried to envision the ability again, this time with an image of what he wanted. A shield of energy sprang to life on his arm. Unlike with Blake, the shield had a defined shaped and felt more real. Then the energy became the leather, steel, and iron of the original shield. ¡°Whoa, I did it,¡± Gideon said with amazement. ¡°You certainly did,¡± the smith and captain said together. They looked at one another and chuckled. Gideon released the power and watched as the shield disappeared, absorbed back into his body. ¡°Smith Brom, it appears the boy can not only summon void energy to make a shield, but can absorb actual shields. I bet whatever he absorbs gives the ability stability. I wonder if it takes on the properties of the item as well? Fascinating, it is nothing like my armor skill like I had originally thought. I¡¯ve never heard of such an ability.¡± The captain continued to shake his head in amazement at what he had just witnessed. ¡°Fancy words Guard Captain, but who said he can only do it with shields.¡± Smith Brom said as he grab the bag an upended the contents. Gideon heard none of this. He only saw the System and how the system saw him. Chapter 10: Stat Sheet
Name: Gideon Daniels
Strength: 8
Constitution: 10
Agility: 12
Wisdom: 12
Archon Interface Module (AIM): None
AIM Synergy: N/A
User Interface Module: None
Alpha Ability: Armor of the Protector(Rare, Paladin
Tier: F
Base Stats: Constitution and Strength
DEM: 54
Armor of the Protector(Paladin): Grants the ability to absorb physical equipment to later summon as as a void based versions. The equipment absorbed can alter the capabilities of the summoned base. The item rating of summoned equipment will be that of the original(Armor and shield combined), plus the AMP, plus the total skill level of all related skills. Summoned items last 1 hour or until dispelled. Armor of the Protector grants access to a wide array of general skills as well as access to advanced skill techniques.
*All abilities will receive the same bonuses due the the synergistic nature of this ability.
Absorbed Equipment Available:
Chain-Mail(High Quality)/Spiked Shield: IR 30(36)
Alpha Skills:
1) Immovable Object: Void Shield(Rare)
Level: 5
Base Stat: Constitution
DEM: 1,380
Immovable Object gives the user a high stagger resistance. Allowing them to withstand the strongest of attacks. Grants an additional +1 AMP per level. All items gain the Immovable keyword.
Immovable: Resist the knock back effect of all attacks
2) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A.
3) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A
Beta Ability: None
Beta Skills:
1) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A
2) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A.
3) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A
Gamma Ability: None.
Gamma Skills:
1) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A
2) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A.
3) None.
Level: N/A
Base Stat: N/A
Delta Ability Convergence: None.
Class Skill: None
Equipment: Item Rating:
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chapter 11: A Horse of Course The Shoggoth calling itself Nial set another stone. The fifth gateway was nearly complete, then the Mi-Go would have him board their living ship, one of his brothers. He felt no familial connection, he thought nothing of his brother. His thoughts were consumed with ideas of escape. Excerpt: The Builder¡¯s Revolt By HPL Gideon awoke to his body screaming, everything hurt. He had been training with the captain daily and his body could feel everyone of those days. Most mornings he¡¯d been going to the Captain¡¯s Quarters and either training with the captain himself or using the combat dummy. The combat dummy didn¡¯t impress him at first, but in short order it had beat him black and blue and he learned to respect it. Today the captain had other plans. His life had changed quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. He no longer struggled getting food to eat, Captain Daniels supplied him with his meals at the the guard barracks. He didn¡¯t eat with the guards, because the captain thought it would be pushing the limits on acceptability. The guards were good folk and would do as the captain told them, performing as he expected and accepting what they were told. They would tolerate the young man, but the captain didn¡¯t push the boundaries of decency by asking anything extra of his guards. Instead he and Gideon would wait until after the guards finished their meal, then he and the captain would eat together. Gideon made his way to meet Captain Daniels for just such a quick meal, then they had a new training regiment the captain had planned. He walked through the market and viewed things much differently than he¡¯d done in the past. A meal had been what governed his daily life for so long. With that struggle gone, he viewed the city for what it was, a sprawling chaos on the the ocean. The smell of bread hit him and he saw Mrs. Webster ahead so he rerouted in her direction. A minor delay wouldn¡¯t effect much. ¡°Morning Mrs. Webster. It¡¯s nice to see you today. The bread smells wonderful as usual,¡± he said. ¡°Hello Gideon. I still can¡¯t get over the change in you young man. You were always charming, but now you¡¯re confident as well. The young girls better watch out, or you might catch them off guard,¡± she said. Gideon laughed, ¡°Why thank you ma¡¯am. With the training I¡¯ve been getting, It teaches you not to doubt yourself. I do miss some of the old days. I know it has only been a couple of weeks, but the old routines are still in my head.¡± Mrs. Webster threw him a roll and winked at him. ¡°Well for old times sake then, I¡¯ll pretend to be charmed and you pretend to be charming.¡± ¡°Why thank you ma¡¯am. It is the best bread in all of the districts. Have a good day,¡± he nodded in her direction and continued on in the direction of the barracks. He snacked on the bread as he walked. He hadn¡¯t lied, it was the best bread in these parts. Upon arriving at the barracks, Gideon and Captain Daniels ate a quick meal before leaving. ¡°Gideon my boy, we are going to go do some specialized training. I¡¯ve made a deal with a farmer and we are going to head to his lands today. We can try some things that we can¡¯t do in the city. I bought some healing potions from an alchemists so it should be perfectly safe.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Gideon looked at the captain suspiciously. He didn¡¯t like the sound of that. They¡¯d never questioned the safety of his training before. Whatever the captain had planned couldn¡¯t be good. They followed the access road out of the city and made their way to the farm. They arrived and the old farmer was waiting for them. ¡°Evening Farmer Wallace, thanks for meeting us,¡± Captain Daniels said. ¡°Hello Captain, I brought the things you asked and you¡¯re welcome to use the space as promised. None will bother you out here,¡± the farmer said in a thick accent. ¡°I see. You leaving one of the horses as well?¡± the captain asked. ¡°Yes sir. Old Bella here can stay. Just return her to the barn when you head home and she¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s a smart one and won¡¯t need much assistance. Well, I got work to do, Good day to you,¡± Farmer Wallace said. Gideon didn¡¯t know what to expect, but being hooked into a harness was the last thing he¡¯d anticipated. The captain hooked him up to the horse and looked to him, ¡°Well get to work. If you can get her to move a couple steps backward we¡¯ll call that a win today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking. I can¡¯t pull a horse that doesn¡¯t want to be pulled,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Well with that attitude you can¡¯t. Summon your armor and shield and prepare for the battle. Then shut your maw and move the damn horse,¡± Captain Daniels said. Gideon struggled for an hour and that stubborn horse wouldn¡¯t move. Try as he might, he had no luck. He was covered in sweat with nothing to show for it. He pulled and pulled until he collapsed into the tall grass. He was breathing heavy as he laid there trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. The captain sat under a tree in the shade and watched. He¡¯d been quiet for awhile now, Gideon suspected he might have fallen asleep. He rolled over and saw something from the corner of his eye in the deep grass, a shiny red apple. He picked up the apple and stood. The horse saw the apple and she grunted at him. He ignored her, he was starving after the work he¡¯d put in trying to pull the horse. She grunted again and he saluted her as he took a bite of the apple. The juices of the apples ran down his chin and that was all the horse could tolerate. She started bucking angrily and yanked Gideon off his feet toward her. She kicked back toward him and struck him in the chest. A second attack came his way and he used the shield to block it the best he could. He was off balance and the horse kept yanking him around. Bella kicked him again and again as she dragged him around. She started stomping on him when he fell to the ground. The apple rolled from his hand as the breathe was knocked from his lungs. He had lost his shield ability, but his armor was holding up. Bella was a powerful draft horse and he felt every blow after he¡¯d lost the shield to block with. She suddenly stopped and neighed softly in his ear as she picked up the remaining part of the apple and crunched it in her mouth. She nickered her thanks to him for the apple. Captain Daniels came into view as he lay on the ground looking into the sky. ¡°Good job son, you passed and got old Bella to take a couple steps backward. Do you need a potion or are you ready for the next part of your training? Don¡¯t try to summon your Void Shield or you might get some backlash from it failing. One breath at a time, that was all he could think about after being stomped by Bella. ¡°I passed?¡± he questioned. His brain didn¡¯t want to work. ¡°Of course, I told you to move her for the fun of it, but that wasn¡¯t the objective of the mission. The objective was to think and use your brain. Do whatever you could and get her to take some steps toward you. I let you believe what you wanted. Sure, I mislead you with the harness, but it was your idea to pull the horse. You did say you couldn¡¯t get her to move if she didn¡¯t want to. So you knew the limitation in the very beginning. Then you put your head in the dirt and tried to pull the horse anyway. Hopefully you learned something today.¡± Captain Daniels said. ¡°Yes sir. I learned I don¡¯t like you nearly as much as I thought I did,¡± Gideon told him. He closed his eyes and relaxed for a short time, mentally preparing for his next lesson. The two continued on through the day with the captains unorthodox training. Chapter 12: A Run In In the following weeks Gideon continued through his daily routine, with a slight twist. He would follow the access path out of the city and down the market road to the surrounding farms every evening. Captain Daniels would meet him out in the field and they would train, experimenting with his ability and armor skill. Gideon sat on an old wagon that had seen better days. It was now a large planter, flowers of all colors bloomed through out the wagon. He looked at the muscles that lined his arms and legs, admiring the benefits of the hard work he had been putting in. He felt stronger and far more confident than he had just a few short weeks ago. The Grand Awakening holiday was just a few days away, following that, the new semester at the Academy would begin. It was a very quiet night. He could hear the animals rustling in the distance and the chirp of the insects all around him. After he¡¯d spent the last few weeks training out on the farms, he now realized how much he had been missing out on in life. Being a city boy and never leaving the safety of home seemed like such a trivial thing now. His horizons had been expanded and there was no going back. The air out here was fresh in comparison the the fish and salty sea smells of the lower district. Sure ¡°fresh air¡± meant fresh manure, but he¡¯d grown to associate the smell with a refuge. It had become a place to escape the stares and whispers. ¡°He used to be a scamp,¡± they would always say, pointing their fingers like he was a circus performer. He heard approaching footsteps, the captain was finally here. ¡°Captain, it was getting late and I didn¡¯t think,¡± he began before he saw the vibrant blue eyes and wispy hair. ¡°Raya? Is that you?¡± ¡°Hi Gideon. Yes it¡¯s me, who else would it be? Is there some other girl you expected? Do you meet girls outside the gates all the time?¡± She was mocking him, but the discomfort of being out of her domain was apparent. Her eyes darted from side to side, trying to look in every direction at once. ¡°I came looking for you.¡± ¡°For me? Why? Did something happen to the captain?¡± He asked as he got to his feet. The tension uncoiled from his body as he jumped from the cart, ready to take action. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You can tell me about it on the way back.¡± She laughed softly and placed her hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back into a seated position. ¡°No, nothing like that. The captain actually told me where to find you.¡± She bit her lip and then continued. ¡°You see, I¡¯d stopped by your place to see you several times, like I said I would. You were never there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I forgot all about you working my area. I don¡¯t have any coin on me, but I will get it for you I swear.¡± Her cheeks flushed. ¡°You forgot about me?¡± She stared down at her feet, avoiding his gaze. ¡°Captain Daniels paid me for the job awhile ago,¡± she said. ¡°He offered me the job permanently, said you didn¡¯t need it anymore. I took it. I hope that is okay?¡± she offered hesitantly. ¡°Really? That is great Raya! I know it hasn¡¯t been easy for you. Of course it¡¯s alright.¡± Gideon said. He met her eyes and he could see confusion, pain, and happiness all mixed together. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever come to understand Raya, but she was his friend so he vowed to himself to always try. ¡°Yes he even gave me a raise. He said I do the job way better than you ever did. He¡¯ll set up an account at the money lender where he¡¯ll pay a stipend. This way I can collect coin from them instead. I¡¯ve done some odd jobs with Madame Grenalda before, so collecting coin from her is best.¡± She hesitated for a moment, then continued, ¡°Gideon is it true that you awakened an ability? It is all over the streets,¡± she asked. Her face flushed and she went quiet. Then, as if she just remembered she burst out, ¡°The captain said you have the night off!¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s odd, he has been driving me hard. Yes Raya, I did awaken. It is exciting and infuriating at the same time. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing half the¡­¡± he stopped speaking when he saw a tear running down her beautiful face. ¡°Raya are you okay?¡± ¡°Thank you so much Gideon. Thanks for everything,¡± she said. Suddenly her arms were around him in a tight embrace. Her lips brushed his cheek so lightly that later that night he would debate whether it had been his imagination. Then she was gone. Gideon sat in shock, all his training having left him ill-prepared for this battle. He touched his face where the damp tears of Raya rested, imagining he could still smell her scent. He convinced himself he could, lingering on the memory. He sat like that until long after those tears had dried. He had the night off, why hadn¡¯t she stayed. Did she not want to spend more time with him? He sat there with nothing but his memories to keep him company for many hours. He enjoyed the breeze as he stared out into the nothingness of farm country. He heard the sound of wagon wheels, but chose to ignore them. ¡°Did you go thick in the head Gideon? ¡° a thick country accent asked. Gideon looked up to see the farmer¡¯s son Bean. ¡°I¡¯m out here to audit any damage for Da, so he can bill the guards, but it doesn¡¯t look like much happened tonight. What kind of crazy training have you been getting up to?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything that would cause this kind of damage before.¡± Gideon stood to greet the boy, the conversation a welcome distraction. ¡°Oh you know Bean, I¡¯m just working on fighting abilities and trying to learn new skills. I¡¯m way behind, so I have been getting a crash course from the captain. Most of the time I was the one doing the crashing. The captain is not gentle in his training.¡± Gideon said with a grin. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Well, you can stay as long as you like, but it¡¯s getting¡¯ late and I¡¯m taking some of the apple harvest and a few hay bales to the dock warehouse. It¡¯s right there outside of the gate access road if you need a lift. You can ride and tell me about your night.¡± Gideon looked at Bean with a big smile. ¡°Bean my friend, much has happened tonight and none of it combat training related. Tonight I needed a mentor, far more than any other night, but I had no guiding hand. The training I received was life lessons and not combat related. I¡¯m not so sure that I learned anything though.¡± Gideon said while shaking his head.. ¡°The things I experienced tonight make men move mountains. I would love a ride and the privilege to tell you about the mysteries of life.¡± Gideon laughed at the look on Bean¡¯s face. ¡°I jest my friend, but I assure you they are mysteries.¡± The two boys climbed up on to the wagon. The little pony attached to the wagon patiently waited, looking at the boys. Bean placed his hand on the magic crystal and a small light shone under his palm. Gideon knew about Magitek, but aside from the street sweepers they used in the lower district, he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to see many others. ¡°Void powered wagons don¡¯t come into my district. I¡¯ve heard of the tools the dock workers use, but have never seen any of them in person.¡± Gideon said. ¡°My awakened Alpha Ability is Strength, with my Alpha Skill being Farmhand. I¡¯ve managed to level Farmhand a bit, but Da says that strength won¡¯t level much until ¡®I¡¯m a man,¡¯¡± Bean flexed comically. ¡°Everyone wants adventure, but my path is stable and safe, or so Da says. Sometimes I¡¯m not so sure, you know?¡± Gideon did understand and he sympathized with the boy. Even with an awakened ability he was being steered down a mundane life path. ¡°I just awakened and I¡¯m doing everything I can to learn, but it¡¯s hard. I had a lot of catching up to do before I start the Academy,¡± Gideon said. ¡°But I have made a lot of progress though.¡± Bean steered the cart as he listened about the training Gideon had been doing. ¡°Da says the training I got from the scholar from the academy is enough. They sent me a tutor and the training was hard, but I got it down well enough. My path doesn¡¯t need the full academy training, but I think I¡¯ll always be curious about what I missed out on.¡± Gideon could see the look of sadness on Bean¡¯s face betraying his inner thoughts and feelings. ¡°Trade skill awakened don¡¯t spend more that a year there. The academy is about training adventurers to get resources that others can¡¯t. It¡¯s about training people to fight so they can become guards in the city. I¡¯m just a farmhand. That isn¡¯t a fighting trade, the dirt doesn¡¯t hit back.¡± ¡°That makes some sense, but I don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t go. Who¡¯s to say none of your other abilities and skills won¡¯t be combat related? Bean I¡¯d bet the scholar told your Da what to say, he held you back because the academy told him too. You¡¯re of age, I really think you should go.¡± They continued to chat as they rode along. Gideon saw the gate up ahead. They veered off the road toward the warehouses. The marveled that the warehouse storage area was open this late at night. Bean laughed when he questioned it. ¡°This allows the farmers to work the hours that suit them, even around the clock when necessary.¡± He told Gideon. ¡°The larger gate over there goes into the lower districts of the city. They are only opened for the smaller shuttle wagons.¡± Gideon knew that these were what hauled the goods from the warehouse to the docks for shipping to other ports. He saw these come through along with the small personal carts that were used to supply the lower district¡¯s warehouse stores and market. Bean suddenly got serious. Gideon saw him chewing his lip as he debated on the words to say. ¡°Gideon, who was the person that I saw come out to see you tonight, I¡¯d hadn¡¯t seen her before.¡± Bean asked quietly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Raya. We grew up as scamps together. We supported each other to survive.¡± Gideon said offhandedly as he looked around at the Warehouse, lost in thought. He experienced so many new things lately that it was a bit overwhelming. How were so many things right here in arms reach and I never saw them? How was my world so small just a few weeks ago. Why wasn¡¯t I living my best life then? Why did I settle? Gideon didn¡¯t notice Bean¡¯s reaction, as he was so engrossed in his surroundings. ¡°Raya,¡± Bean quietly tested the name, both boys were in their own world, oblivious to the others inner thoughts. ¡°So was she the difficult lesson that you mentioned earlier?¡± Gideon chuckled. ¡°As a matter of fact she was. Just when you think you know someone, truly understand them, they go and do something unexplainable.¡± He got down and paced around the warehouse looking at all the food stored here. He had never seen so much food in one place before. He didn¡¯t notice the inner turmoil that Bean was suffering through. Bean spoke again, very quietly, ¡°Oh, and what lesson is that, what did she do?¡± Bean looked down at the floor boards of the wagon, not looking to meet Gideon¡¯s eyes. ¡°For no reason at all she kissed me, but then she was crying too. That is what I meant. I have no idea what was going on or what any of that meant. Bean, I tell you, it was so confusing. Usually Raya doesn¡¯t get close enough to even touch her, so a hug and a kiss on the cheek was not like her at all. Like I said, a mystery.¡± Gideon shrugged his shoulders, perplexed. Bean got down from the cart and went around to the back to unload the cargo into their storage stall. ¡°Just the cheek? That is a mystery.¡± Gideon noticed that the tension left Bean and he was more relaxed. Something had changed in his demeanor, he was focused now, it was time to work. The boy opened the back of the wagon in preparation. ¡°You need some help?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Nah, you¡¯d just slow me down. This is what I was made for, a farmhand is what I do best. Thank you for the offer. Good luck at the Academy,¡± Bean said as he began tossing the bales like they weighed nothing. Bean may not have leveled his strength ability yet, but it sure was something. Gideon watched Bean work for a moment, clearing the wagon swiftly. His frustration rose a little, realizing that Bean would never step foot in the Academy. Not because he wasn¡¯t capable, but because someone convinced him he wasn¡¯t good enough. Convinced him that his lot in life was just fine where he was. They kept his world small, unassuming, boring. The more Gideon saw of the world, the more he realized how small his perspective had been. The divide between the lower and the upper districts was an insurmountable thing to overcome. Blake and his gang were nothing in comparison to the bigger picture in Rime. Or was it like this throughout the world? Chapter 13: The Grand Awakening Gideon loved The Grand Awakening Festival, it was his favorite holiday. This year he had a much more significant reason after having his own awakening. He found a spot in the Market Square where he had a good view. He admired all the work that he and his brother¡¯s had put in. Captain Daniels had ask him and the others to put in extra time cleaning an prepping for the festival. The place looks great. I think we did the captain proud. He and his fellow scamps had worked hard cleaning the area in preparation for the big night. He hoped to see Raya tonight, but she had disappeared after their encounter on the farm. They hadn¡¯t got to talk since that day and Gideon couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had done wrong. Due to the large crowds, they wouldn¡¯t have an opportunity to talk tonight. He didn¡¯t think she would come out of her sewers and brave the crowd. The traffic in the lower district would be insane, because The Grand Awakening play was at the end of the parade route. In the past he always thought the festival was held in the lower districts because of the space, but now he thought it was held here because they didn¡¯t want to open the poverty gates for the people of the lower district or docks. The working man wasn¡¯t welcome in the the districts of the nobles and wealthy merchants. Maybe they think we¡¯ll rob them? Are they afraid of us? These were all questions that Gideon knew wouldn¡¯t get answered tonight. This was why the parade started high above and then those that chose to come into the lower districts and mingle with their lessers did it of their own accord. The others simply remained behind their walls. The music was playing, the glowing Magitek lights of all colors shined down the road, lighting a path. The citizens of Rime lined this path for the parade that lead to the stage fore the big finale. Fire works streaked through the air from The Upper Market District. Someone didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t care that they were early or that the play hadn¡¯t even started yet. Or perhaps they were deep into their cups already and were in an especially festive mood. Either way, the citizens in the lower districts ¡°Oohed and Ah¡¯d¡± as was appropriate for the fireworks. Gideon doubted that anyone complained, or if they had, he doubted any would listen. Grand Awakening was the one night that all classes celebrated together in the same streets. The Parade was approaching. A great dragon puppet snaked along the route. It rose and fell as it swerved and circled about. Smoke spewed from it¡¯s nostrils as a flame rolled about in its mouth. The light of the flame revealed Blake¡¯s face within the dragon¡¯s mouth. He used his fire ability to make the dragon spit flame as part of the show. While he didn¡¯t like Blake much, he had to admit he was doing a good job with his part in the festival. Gideon would bet that the boy¡¯s father had used coin and bought him the prestigious position in the play, but Blake had to do the work. He saluted his respect to the dragon and all of the effects that made it real. The actors came up past the dragon and they all took the stage. ¡±There¡¯s Master Brom,¡± someone from the crowd said. ¡°And there is Mrs. Webster!¡± The voices nearby continued to point out their friends that were in this years play. ¡°Who is that, I don¡¯t recognize her?¡± said another voice. That is when Gideon saw her. A petite girl with blue eyes hidden deep inside a black cloak, it had to be Raya. ¡°She must be playing the System.¡± Another voice said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The play began. Master Brom played a smith working his forge. A hooded man began to narrate the events. ¡°The world was at peace, humanity had formed settlements and began building larger cities like Rime. One day a dungeon appeared near the cities, some say they were constructs of the System, others think they naturally formed as a balance in the world. Revolution or Evolution?¡± Gideon still couldn¡¯t make out who the narrator was, so he gave up trying. Instead he latched onto the words as he listened to the man, enthralled by the story. ¡°It was then the world knew something was wrong, strange creatures from the dungeon attacked. Orcs and Goblins from another world, outlanders as they are now called. The dungeon couldn¡¯t hold them any longer, the creatures overflowed into our world. As the outlanders poured out from portals and dungeon gates, the world was thrown into chaos. The citizens of our world were powerless against these creatures of the void.¡± The crowd watched the stage as people dressed as Orcs and Goblins swarmed villagers, slaughtering them one by one. Gideon, while enraptured with the story and the events unfolding on the stage, couldn¡¯t help but admire the costumes. They were an excellent design this year, the orcs and goblins are so lifelike, he thought. He refocused back on the stage as Raya stepped out. ¡°Then I came to the people, I am The System,¡± said a clear small voice. Raya paused and allowed the suspense to build. In that time the Orcs attacked the smith. As he fought, he attempted to keep his distance. The System¡¯s voice broke over the crowd again, ¡°I am The System of the Void, follow my command and defeat my enemies and I shall reward you.¡± Gideon thought she sounded possessed, so different from the Raya he knew. He stared in awe. The smith smashed the Orcs back. He used his strength to toss the enemies around. ¡°Alpha Ability: Strength unlocked! Welcome to the system,¡± Raya pronounced loudly. The battles continued on, many stories of dungeon conquests were told. There were stories of love, stories of loss, and those of tragedy were shared as the crowd laughed, cried, and cheered. It all culminated with the awakened heroes of the past pushing back the orcs and then battling the great dragon. The dragon was slain with great fanfare, the fireworks that were shot from the walls of the Academy made the show earlier seem small and inconsequential. When the smoke cleared, Raya stepped to the center of the stage and proclaimed, ¡°Welcome to the System. You will come when I call. Awaken my friends, for the final battle is nearly upon us. A greater enemy of cosmic power awaits!¡± The crowd echoed back their answer to the call, ¡°Welcome to the System! Welcome to the Void!¡± The citizens of Rime began to all cheer with gusto. Everyone recognized that the finale was always the system¡¯s pronouncement. The actors took to the stage for the final curtain call. They all took a bow repeatedly, smiles upon every face. Gideon now saw the Narrator was none other than Captain Daniels himself, he had thrown the hood back for the finale. The captain gave him a wink, followed by a raised eyebrow in the direction of Raya. He didn¡¯t know how the captain convinced her to do the play, but the shock of seeing her there hadn¡¯t subsided yet. As he thought on it more he came to a realization. She is going to be alright. The captain came through like he always does. He found a way to make sure I could go to the Academy, but also know Raya would be safe while I''m gone. He sat back and smiled. A tension that had long settled into his muscles released. For the first time in a great while, Gideon relaxed. The world brightened just a little bit, a positive outlook had settled into his mind. Everything was going to be okay. Interlude 1 Raya arrives, looks around suspicously before leaning over to quietly talk to you. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Hi everyone, Raya here. I hope you¡¯re enjoying our life story thus far. It has been hard growing up in the favela, because this world is cruel. That cruelty provides a backdrop for many stories to be told. As many of you know, teenagers are the cruelest of all creatures. While I may be a little slow, I came around eventually and saw Gideon for the nice boy that he is; I matured even, you might say. I think that is a big part of the difficulties I¡¯ve been facing lately, but I am learning to accept my new self and who I¡¯m becoming everyday. Gideon has always been there from the beginning, not like the others, they creep me out. He was there for just me. If anyone deserved to awaken, it was him. I feel bad because I have to lie to him. I have so many other things to say to him though so it will be okay, but my stomach is so twisted. One little fib won¡¯t hurt? It is great that this happened for him, but the odds aren¡¯t in favor of it happening again. I¡¯ll always be a scamp. But scamps unite! Who¡¯s with me? Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Thanks for your time, but I¡¯ll be saying goodbye to Gideon real soon, and your kinds words help me remain strong. It has been fun chatting with you all, but I have streets to sweep after the festival. A girls got to eat and I can¡¯t believe how messy people are! Pick up your trash people, do they want to live in a slums? You know what the captain says right? That being said, I also want it to look nice before Gideon leaves, so he¡¯ll remember it looking so good and want to come back, right? Bye for now. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Raya walked off and disappeared behind the forth wall on market square. Chapter 14: Goodbyes ¡­the first interview the manuscript records daily calls of the young man, during which he related startling fragments of nocturnal imagery whose burden was always some terrible Cyclopean vista of dark and dripping stone, with a subterrene voice or intelligence shouting monotonously in enigmatical sense-impacts uninscribable save as gibberish. The two sounds most frequently repeated are those rendered by the letters "Cthulhu" and "R''lyeh". Excerpt: Weird Tales/Volume 11/Issue 2/The Call of Cthulhu By HPL Gideon traveled to the Captain¡¯s Quarters that were just outside the barracks. The captain had asked him to visit before going to the academy.¡°Okay boy, today is the day. I¡¯ve got you registered and your sponsorship is covered, so I need you to go up there, show them what you¡¯ve got. I know you¡¯ll do us proud. The lower district doesn¡¯t usually produce an Awakened with an alpha ability that peaks the academy¡¯s interest, but you my boy have their attention. People are asking questions, they want to know about you. It¡¯s time to strike why the iron is hot. Only a few of my guards were allowed to attend beyond the introductory training year. I know you¡¯ll do all of us proud and you¡¯ll go all the way. I can just feel it. You can become so much more. You¡¯ll rise above all this.¡± Captain Daniels was speaking with such pride that Gideon couldn¡¯t help but get caught up in the man¡¯s positivity. He looked around at the best of what the lower districts had to offer. He understood. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. ¡°Yes sir,¡± was all he managed to say. Tears were in his eyes, it was happening, he was going to the academy. The day was finally here. Gideon looked at the small bag with his bare essentials. I don¡¯t own much that isn¡¯t a bare essential do I? The bag was his worldly possessions, the only things that he needed to survive. Looking at it now, it seemed pitiful. He had so little, but the captain had given him an opportunity. He was going to take full advantage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry son, you¡¯ll be taken care of.¡± He handed Gideon a small pouch. ¡°Here are some coins to buy a few things in the walled market of Rime. They will have many more options than the market down here in the lower district. Also, I put a void essence gem in the bag, you¡¯re going to need it. At the academy and the walled market, some merchants only trade in void essence. I don¡¯t run dungeons for the system anymore, but there is still a bit of essence stored in there. It¡¯s all yours now. Listen, it is important the storage gem is bound to you, because they are very valuable. This way it can¡¯t be taken from you unless given willingly or you are killed. It is a very helpful tool. You need one to store void essence, or it will go to waste on your runs.¡± He opened the little bag and looked inside, ¡°Oh, I never knew about void essence. What is it? Where does it come from?¡± Gideon asked as he pull the gem out of the bag. The gem was a darker color that he could define, a small light shifted inside the gem, pulling his attention to it. That captain nudged him to get his attention. ¡°First time I saw one I did the same. That is one of those need to know basis things. You would have been taught early on at the academy, but I have a gem to offer now. As for the void essence, I think that is better explained by one of the professors, but the light you are looking at is the small amount of essence the gem possesses. Now lets bind this gem to you real fast, we can¡¯t have you being late.¡± The captain pulled a dagger out and sliced his thumb. He then pressed his thumb onto the gem. ¡°Now you do the same. This will transfer the gem to you.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Really? How does that work?¡± Gideon asked as he placed his bleeding thumb to the gem as well. Gideon saw a red light pulse for the briefest of seconds, then he could feel that the gem was his. He just knew it at his core that this thing belonged to him. He stared at it in wonder, this was his first interaction with magic from the void. He didn¡¯t count the magitek sweepers, anyone could use them. Not everyone had one of these gems thought, or even knew that they existed. This was a special thing the captain was sharing. The captain broke his reverie as he spoke again. ¡°I am surrendering life essence to the gem freely. The void recognizes this. When you surrendered essence to it, the gem recognized you as the new owner and bound itself to you. Now it can never be stolen or lost. The gem will always return to your pocket eventually.¡± He watched the captain closely, the man was staring at the gem with a solemn expression. ¡°Is something wrong sir? Gideon asked. ¡°Just the end of an era my boy. Surrendering the gem officially ends my dungeon delving. I¡¯ll likely never be able to buy another, nor would I want to. But it is still sad, nostalgia and all. I had my time, now it is yours.¡± The captain placed a hand on Gideon shoulder and squeezed. ¡°Now you best be going.¡± ¡°Thank you Cap¡­¡± Gideon started and cut himself off. He corrected himself and started again. ¡°Thank you Stephan, you will always be the father I never had. Well, I guess I did have you as a father. So maybe it¡¯s better to say it was nice to experience a father that actually wanted me?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response, that moment in time tugged at his heart strings powerfully. He did the only thing he could manage in the moment, he turned away and left. As he walked away, the captain stood there for some time, unable to move as he watched the boy head off to his new life. If anyone were to have asked, the captain would have told them about all the dust in his eyes, because the scamps obviously were slacking on cleaning the streets. Gideon walked through the streets of Rime, his destination was The Academy of the Awakened. I still can¡¯t believe it. It doesn¡¯t seem real, he thought. He pulled out the acceptance letter and read it again. Congratulations on your acceptance to the awakening. This letter is to cordially invite Gideon Daniels to attend the Academy of the Awakened in the city of Rime. All new students are to meet at the Train Disembarkation Platform on the morning of the third day following The Grand Awakening Ceremony. You will be greeted there and provided with further instruction. Please bring all personal possessions you wish to take to the academy. You will be given additional shopping time in the walled market sector. Again, Welcome and we hope to have a productive year. Yours Truly, Freya Eisenberg, Rime Academy Freshman Adviser. Gideon read the ¡°Daniels¡± surname on the letter again. His eyes teared up, as they had every time he¡¯d read the letter. He hadn¡¯t known the captain had given him a surname until he had received the letter. Neither had mentioned it, they carried on as though it were always his name, and in some ways he supposed it always had been. All the scamps of the lower district were a Daniels, he just happen to have a paper that said so. He swore a vow to himself in that moment, he would do everything he could to make the name proud. He would rather die than bring it shame.