The party insisted on moving the camp away from the scene of battle before they talked more. They set up a new camp a little further down the pass road in the shelter of some boulders. In a surprisingly short time Kyle had a pot of soup on the fire while Marissa walked around the boundary of the camp tracing symbols in the air. The two knights spent the time resettling the huge horses the party had picketed outside the last clearing.
I sat myself on a large rock before we started trying to adjust to the weight of the sword and dagger on my new belt as well as the strange feal of the silver ring on my thumb. The warmth of the small fire reflecting off the boulders made a pleasant contrast to the early spring cold and the smell of the soup made my mouth water after three days of living off wild greens and mushrooms. The cheerful friendly demeanor of the adventurers reminded me of home and left me cold and empty all over again. I made an effort to put it out of mind for now. I needed to learn all I could from these adventurers if I was going to protect the family I have left.
“You're starting to look quite resolved, young lord,” Jacob said, “I guess the time for chores is done, have a bowl of soup and we’ll start from the beginning. Most people are taught all this before they awaken, but it is generally not spread around to those who are not going to be awakened for reasons you’ll understand shortly.
“For starters, what separates an Awakened from a normal person is the ability to perceive and manipulate the different energies of the world. Everyone is born without this ability and has to have it brought to life, or awakened, in them. This is done with cultivation like what Kyle and MarMar just walked you through. First with essence and then with Aether. These two energies are dependent on one another. We use essence to build places in our bodies to store and use Aether like the dantian you have just formed. We use pure Aether to manipulate essence to build these structures. Since you need one to cultivate the other it is very hard to accidentally awaken. Generally there are only three ways to spur the process: eat or drink something infused with a large amount of pure Aether when in the presence of a source of essence; have another awakened infuse you in a way like a more powerful version of what Marissa did for you; or kill an awakened who was holding onto their power. All any of these do is briefly infuse your body with enough Aether that you can see and control enough Essence to make your dantian. The last method is the only one that guarantees the presence of essence outside of a dungeon, so I guess that it’s lucky you killed that bandit up close.”
“So I’m now officially Awakened?” I asked eagerly.
“That depends,” said Kyle. “can you tell me what level and tier you are?”
I shook my head as he continued, “See it’s not that simple. That method is also why we don’t usually tell the unawakened how it is done as more than one adventurer has been murdered in their sleep by people trying to awaken. Now that part is already done, so we should move on to the next step. When I tell you, I want you to do as I say and draw in Aether from the world around you and it will finish awakening you. You will start hearing a voice and seeing words in the air in the Language. Answer the questions quickly and honestly and then say “Status Sheet” directing the words to the voice. Now I want you to feel into the air around you, there should be a hum or vibration you didn’t feel before. I want you to breath it in just like you did with the Essence and bring it into your dantian, you don’t need as much control as you did with the Essence, the excess will just be go back into the air around you, but the better your control the faster you will fill it and the easier cultivating Essence will be in the future. I wouldn’t try to take in Essence again until you can absorb at least half of the Aether you breathe in.”
I sat and just took in breath again. Once I was calm I reached out for the Aether around me. It seemed eager to come to my call, filling my lungs and leaving them feeling powerful. I quickly pulled it down as I remembered doing with the essence. It seemed far easier, like the difference between blazing a trail and walking down a well worn track. It felt like almost all of the Aether rushed to the round ball of energy at my center, swirling tighter and tighter until it was completely full. I was overcome with a moment of ecstasy, then it seemed as if the world froze for a moment…
-Awakening Initiating-
Just as Kyle said there were letters hanging in front of my face and a woman's voice spoke inside my ear reading it out softly.
-What is your NAME?-
“Tarkhan Sel’Andur”
-Confirmed-
-What is your AGE?-
“Fourteen, fifteen at midsummer.”
-Confirmed-
-Why did you KILL the Awakened [Goon] Parson Drit?-
I was taken aback for a moment until I realized she was asking about the murderer I had killed. I thought back to that moment and said “He killed my mother and helped kill my sister and father along with many of my neighbors. Also he was threatening an unarmed woman at the time and I couldn’t just do nothing.”
-Confirmed-
-Who would you be willing to KILL for POWER?-
“No one, I would kill to protect and to bring justice but not for power.”
-Confirmed-
-How would you protect anyone without POWER?-
“I don’t know, but I would find a way to do it without killing people.”
-Confirmed-
-Why did you abandon your holding in it’s time of need?-
That struck me in the heart. The cold lead of vengeance cracked a little as I thought of my little brother and sister and the remaining villagers having to deal with the dead and the fires without me. It struck me that I was running away to get revenge so I wouldn’t have to face my parents' deaths. I held back tears as I said, “I was a coward and vengeance was easier.”
-Denied-
-GRIEF is not COWARDICE-
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-Awakening Concluded-
Time started back up as tears fell from my eyes. I looked around at the adventurers and saw their faces morph from anticipation to sympathy. Marissa in particular looked like she wanted to reach out but pulled herself back. I took a moment to gather myself before I said “Status Sheet.” and watched as words appeared in front of me.
Status of Tarkhan Sel’Andur
Age: 14.7 Years
Height: 5’6”
Level:2
Trier: 0
Class: (REDACTED)
Path Grade: N/A
Available paths : None
Aether Capacity: 200 Pure Aether / 140 Mana / 224 Ki
Titles: (REDACTED), Battle Born, Hand of Justice, Aegis
Strength 8
Vitality 6
Constitution 14
Agility 9+1
Dexterity 12
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 10
Willpower 16
Charisma12
Presence 8
Free points: 5
Skills:
Aegis 1
I looked at my Status Sheet and wondered what it all meant. Where did these Titles come from? What did all the numbers mean? What were Mana and Ki? Strength was self explanatory, but what was the difference between vitality and constitution? What was Presence? Fortunately I had a source for answers right here.
I looked through the floating words of my sheet to the adventurers and saw them watching me. I quickly realized I had another problem, how to get rid of the sheet.
“How do I close it?” I asked.
Jacob burst out laughing as Marissa said, “Just say ‘Close’ to the voice of the world.”
I did so and asked my next question, “What does all that mean?”
Kyle responded as Jacob was still chuckling to himself, “Name, age, and height are self explanatory. Your Level is how much essence you have condensed within you. As you rise in level you will need more and more to add to your existing structures and advance. These first levels at tier zero are about building your dantian. Think of it like winding a ball of string, for every inch wide it is, it takes more and more string to make it grow the next inch. The Tier is the stage you are at in your path. You can advance a tier as soon as you qualify for the next class on your path which will reset your level, but you must advance when you reach the end of your tier. Tier zero ends at level 10, tier 1 at level 25, tier 2 at level 55, tier three at level 115. Frankly I haven't heard of anyone above tier three reaching the end of a tier without advancing. If you do reach the end of the tier without advancing you will have to advance without a path and that is very dangerous. It can lead to blockages in your essence structures and stagnant Aether being trapped in your body. It is very bad. Worse is the thing people have to do to fix the problems.
“A path also helps you learn skills, which is how you use Aether as mana or ki. You can convert your Aether to either of those with an effort of will, but there is a limit of how much of each you can hold based on your constitution and wisdom. Generally Ki is for things that affect the inside of your body and Mana is for outside. Now don’t worry that you don’t have any skills yet, you’ll get them in time.”
“But I do have a skill.” I said.
“Really,” the archer said in surprise, “what skill do you have?”
“It’s called ‘Aegis’, it is the same as one of my titles.” I said.
“Ha, I told you he was a prodigy,” Marissa barked out, her white teeth in contrast to her skin the color of rich earth. “I knew you had to have gotten into the questions when you were upset coming out of the awakening.”
“That isn’t normal?” I asked.
“Nope, most people aren’t honest enough with themselves to answer the deeper questions,” she said. “I only got one right and it earned me the knowledge seeker title. Helped me become the mage I am. What titles did you get?”
“Well I got the Aegis one, one that says Battle Born, and another that says Hand of Justice.” I told them, “there is another but it said Redacted.”
“Well, that confirms your from noble stock,” the older knight said, “the redacted title usually means you were a noble of a kingdom that doesn’t exist any more. Won’t unlock unless you can have another nation recognize you or someone brings the old nation back. Not likely either of those.”
Philip spoke up for the first time, “I know Battle Born means you were fighting with us when you killed that man, a lot of army recruits get that one if there is a field awakening. It makes it easier for you to learn weapon skills. I think Hand of Justice is about right action and the judicious use of force. If I remember right it helps with evaluation skills and adds to wisdom. No idea on the Aegis other than it obviously gives you a skill. If you say Skill Sheet it will give you a description.”
I did and wondered at what I saw.
Skill Sheet of Tarkhan Sel’Andur
Aegis- Level 1
Project an impenetrable and immovable wall of force from the sides of your shield in order to protect others. The shield extends a number of feet past the shield's width equal to the skill level and lasts up to ½ willpower X skill level seconds. The cost is 2x skill level in Ki per second.
I shared the description with them and I saw their jaws drop. I was starting to get worried for a second before Marissa started laughing again. I looked confused until Jacob spoke up, “Young lord, you must have the luck of the lost gods. The term impenetrable is absolute. If you raise that barrier not even a tier 10 striker could get through it. I can’t take you with us now but if you ever make your way to Seris, come to the royal barracks and ask for Jacob Mar, I can set you up for life. I know lords that would give you their second favorite daughters to have you in their guard for that skill alone.”
From there the night broke up as they taught me the basics of cultivation and being Awakened. They explained how to get some basic skills and how to use Ki and Mana at a simple level. This was intermixed with stories of some of their adventures. Soon enough I found myself nodding off bundles in my coat and new blanket.
===
I woke to Kyle shaking my shoulder in the early dawn light. “I’m sorry my friend, but we must go. We just received word from our fifth who had gone ahead to scout. She has found a bit of trouble and we must go aid her.”
“Of course,” I said, “thank you for letting me know before you left.”
“It was not just that,” Kyle said, holding out the small journal to me. “This is the path manual of the men we fought. You should read it just to help with skills but I hope you find a better one before you have to raise your tier. If nothing else you have Jacobs' offer, but if it comes down to it, take the path before you rather than wandering blind.”
“By the way.” Marissa asked. She looked down at me from atop her horse, the hood of her cloak hiding most of her already dark face in shadows so it looked like her eyes and smile were hanging in nothingness. “What’s your name?”
I blushed realizing I had never shared it all this time. I waved farewell and called out, “I’m Tarkhan.”
I took the book and watched as the party mounted up and rode off at high speed. I watched them go till they were well out of sight. It all seemed like a dream and I breathed in Aether just to prove I could. I looked down at the book in my hands and opened it to the first page.
-Assimilate first step of the [Partial Enforcer Path] Grade 1-
“Yes.”
My mind was suddenly filled with the requirements to take the class of [Brute]. It wasn’t much but I would have to improve my strength above ten and get level five in a weapon skill. I’d also have to raise my presence to ten as well for some reason. The class was mostly about pushing people around with physical intimidation. I really didn’t want to be stuck with this class. That was all for the future, for now I had to head back home and see how the settlement was doing.