The silence was unnerving. It settled on David as he waited for the other two to talk. He half-cradled Chloe while she slept. Outside, the city was completely awash with noon light and the news of what had happened the night before. David stared at his siblings. Waiting. That was all he could do now. He had to be patient, or he’d lose them again right after getting them back. Yet, there was the drag of urgency. They had to move fast. After what they did to the brothers, they needed to put the next plan in motion or they’d be blocked. So David made the move the others were hesitant to make.
“What was your task when you got here?” He asked, wincing because he knew that was the wrong question to ask. Zoey glared at him, her face set in a scowl that made David’s skin crawl with goosebumps. He held her stare though, willing her to speak. Perhaps he could annoy her to talk to him.
“Get into the top twenty of the tower ranking,” Elisha said. He looked better since the night before. Chloe had been able to use a healing spell on him. Zoey healed naturally, albeit slowly. But they looked better, just the ghost of the bruises on their skins
Zoey turned sharply to Elisha and he shrugged, tired. David looked from one to the other, waiting again.
“You pushed us through that door,” Zoey said. “You pushed us into this damn place. To this!” She gestured to Chloe who stirred from her sleep. Zoey stopped, suddenly uncertain. “We needed you and you left!”
“I thought you would be able to take care of yourselves until I meet you again,” David said. “I thought that was the best chance available. And believe me, it was. You don’t know what the path I took did to me. And I started looking for you immediately after I came here. I thought you would be safe here.”
“He really did,” Zeno said from where he was perched. Zoey’s icy stare washed over him, but Zeno seemed unperturbed. “He has turned the city upside down, almost killed me, and pulled that masked man over there out of his hiding. All just to find you.”
“That doesn’t matter,” David said, adjusting Chloe so she could be comfortable. “I am sorry I left. I thought I was making the best decision for you, for all of you. You saw what happened to Hanna. I didn’t want that to happen to you. So I made the best choice I could. And we don’t have time. I want to tell you that you can hate me forever and that you have all the time to come around, but you don’t. I don’t. We have to leave.”
“We can’t,” Elisha said. “We were still trying to figure out a way to see the ranking list before those bastards caught us. Zoey thinks they were rankers. That would explain how they were that strong. I could cut them, but they were faster. And that older one locked me in a place I had never seen before. He left me there until my mind felt weighed, and overwhelmed. I stumbled out crying, begging for mercy.”
“That was Jackson’s World within a World skill. It is a creation-type skill,” Frank said. He was wearing a loose trouser and a flower print shirt. His clothes hung off his frame awkwardly, but his mask gave him the usual mysteriousness that made people stare at him longer. He had his legs crossed and his hand folded over his chest as he spoke. To David’s siblings, he spoke calmly, without the usual condescension he used when he talked to Zeno.
“Yeah. He did that to me too, but his world is not that strong. They have flaws of their own, and I wasn’t a compatible match for him anyway,” David said. He turned to Frank to ask, “Was that what he used on you?”
“Yes,” Frank said. “ It was in its simplest form then. From what you told me, he got better. My experience with it was underwhelming. And he was too proud. But the world itself wasn’t the test, it was its inhabitants”
“How did you beat it?” Elisha asked. There was a look of reverence in his voice. Frank looked at David before responding.
“I am a weaver,” Frank said, and when he saw that Elisha didn’t know what that was, he explained. “I can weave essence into things. Use it to make constructs or spells. I can work my way through constructs too.”
“His world was a construct?” Zoey asked, her first word since they gathered. She didn’t look at David, but he had a distinct feeling that she was looking at him. Frank nodded slowly as though he was lost in thoughts.
“Not purely a construct, but a creation type skill that has something in common with making constructs. They all have a nucleus, a center where it all originates from. As a weaver, I could see that in the pattern of his creation. It was like staring at interconnected concentric circles spinning randomly. But that was only to an inexperienced essence user. I could see the pattern, the stretch, and the beginning. I simply had to reach to that and shatter everything”
“And you just smashed your way through,” Elisha said, turning to David. David shrugged. He didn’t know how to explain what he did to himself and that was going to be a real waste of time.
“The men you fought were part of the top fifty ranking list. They were strong, but not by much. The problem is getting our names in the top twenty. How do you think you stack against one of those?”
“We could test it out,” Zeno said with a grin. “Frank is thirty on the ranking list, they could spar.”
“No, that will be a waste of time,” Frank said. “And a good shirt. We know they will lose anyway. They lost to Kalan and Jackson.”
“True,” David said. “And the point of the question wasn’t to get their answer. It was to see how sincere they were about their limitations. That would make it even easier to help them. Look, the earlier we get out of her, the faster it will be for us to get on with our lives. I don’t want to lose any of you again, and for that to happen, we have to stay together, be strong together.”
Zoey snorted, making to stand up to leave.
“Sit down,” David said and a wave of pressure flowed out of him and held her in place. Zoey froze, her body locked, muscles straining against the invisible force seizing her. It vanished suddenly and the fight went with it. She stayed still though, as though still in the grip of the deathly force. Her body trembled and David watched her, hoping she’d show that unnerving wisdom she’d gotten from their mother. He waited with biting nervousness.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“What can we do?” Zoey asked, turning to face him. Her eyes were wet with tears and there was that stubborn anger in her eyes. David’s heart broke for her. He wished he could erase the memories of the past few days, but he couldn’t. And she had to learn to live with being beaten down. She had to find a way to work with defeat. He pushed the box he’d gotten from the temple forward. Everyone stared at it silently. David had told the others about the contents. Frank hated it almost immediately. Zeno had wanted to see if it would fetch a good price. Now, Elisha and Zoey stared at it and then at David, their eyes questioning.
“What is it?” Elisha asked, pulling it to him. Zoey sat back down, curious to see. Elisha opened the box, uncovering the vials in the box. He picked one up, stared at it, and shook it to see the liquid wasn’t water.
“It is from the pool of Amtaz. A spirit entity. It will give you the boost or insight you need. You have a day to work it out. We have to draw the rankers to us, and for that we need bait. I will be using my sword for that.”
“Your sword?” Zoey questioned, confused. David nodded and summoned his sword. It had been a while since he had a look at it. It was beautiful.
“We are famous here,” David said. “But Ignis’s bone, which my sword is made of, is valuable. Many of them want the weapon for themselves, and others want it for how much they can get,” David said, glancing at Zeno. The bandit chuckled.
“Some artifacts are worth holding,” Zeno supplied, “But weapons like the bone of a dragon just cause more danger. It is better to sell them off. I don’t quite like the idea of rankers searching for me.”
“That is because you are weak,” Frank said with his trademark condescending grin. Zeno hissed, ignoring him.
“You are all famous for the blessings of Amareth,” Frank said. “As it turns out, blessings are transferable. Another rank can steal a god’s favor from you. It shouldn’t be strange. Most gods favor strength and their blessings have physical manifestations. And when you are killed, it opens up the space for that god to seek others worth their favor.” Frank stopped to frown at Elisha still fiddling with the vials. Elisha stopped.
“The top twenty are monsters,” Frank said. “I have seen Feng slap a man’s head off with the force of a careless wave of his hands. They have better essence control and they have more experience with this world, this life.”
“How do we beat them?” Zoey asked. “You are not helping our confidence here. I am sure David can, but me? Chloe?”
“Actually,” David said, looking skeptical. “I think Chloe can do better than you two. Chloe had Nurend worried. Her spells are high-level spells, and they affect fundamental aspects of reality. Like healing and illusion. With that and a little bit of guidance, she will be alright.”
“That leaves us,” Elisha said. “You think this will work for us? How did you get it anyway?”
“It was part of my task.” He waved that question away. “But I can assure you that it will help you go a long way in your advancement.” He pulled up his sleeve to show them his tower rings. The sixth ring was halfway complete and vivid. The fifth ring was made up of cracked, disjointed lines that he’d assumed to be his earth ring, but he was still unable to use that element. Elisha nodded, but Zoey still seemed skeptical. She took one of the vials, uncorked it, and took the content just as Elisha did the same.
“Nothing is happ—” Zoey stopped, her eyes growing wide and then she went completely still. Zeno appeared behind her while Frank did the same for Elisha. They were lowered down carefully so they could safely confront Amataz. David woke Chloe. She blinked rapidly until her eyes focused on his face. He smiled, hoping that would assure her that she was safe.
“How are you, Chloe?” David asked. She stared at him, as though confused, not responding. “I need you to take something for me, alright?”
She nodded. David collected the last vial from Frank, uncorked it, and placed it to her lips. She took it all and settled back into his arms, drifting to sleep almost immediately. David watched her for the usual response to the water but nothing came. Frank and Zeno shared a look, but they said nothing.
“I guess there is nothing Amtaz can do for her,” David said.
“Or it’s selective,” Frank suggested. David shrugged.
“I was hoping Amtaz could give her some kind of guidance. A way to use her spells without going overboard.”
“If it is alright, I would suggest we begin disseminating the invitation,” Zeno said. “It will take a while to reach the ears of some of the people we need it to reach, so the earlier we begin, the better.”
“I agree,” Frank said. “I doubt anyone from the top five will come, but a fear of the top twenty will definitely come. The ranking is a competition and everyone wants something that will give them an edge.”
“Alright,” David said. He was focused on his siblings. They hadn’t moved since they slipped into the trance. That was good. It meant they were stable. He wasn’t sure they would need any help like he had. They were stronger and smarter than he was. He was so focused on them that he didn’t notice the other two slip away. Or when Chloe woke up again, adjusted, and went back to sleep.
*****
“That is an interesting change,” Zeno said, looking at Zoey. Coming out of her trance had helped her but in very different ways. Her skin was pale white and her eyes were completely dark. Her fingers could turn into claws at will. She had increased strength, a better essence control and manipulation and she could leap higher than normal.
“Of course,” Zoey’s Vjognir said proudly, appearing beside her. Its eyes were round, but just as dark as Zoey’s. “She had adopted some of my traits. It is still low, but soon our souls will resonate and she might be able to fully transform.”
Zeno stared at the beast, shocked by its sudden appearance. It turned to Zoey, completely ignoring Zeno’s stunned scrutiny. It floated around, appraising her. Finally, it turned to David.
“You should have done this sooner,” it said. “There are things she would have gained and developed already which would have helped keep her safe.”
“How do you feel?” David asked Zoey. She hadn’t gotten the beast’s fluffy fur, and for that he was thankful. But he wasn’t sure he could stand the reality where she gained some of that beastly pride too. Zoey shook her head.
“I am not sure, really,” Zoey replied. “I can feel more essence, and I feel stronger. And I think my healing has increased. I don’t know all of what this transformation has given me, but there is something else.” She looked around, getting close to David so she could whisper.
“It is not limited to me,” the Vjognir said, popping up between them. Zoey groaned and David frowned.
“What?” David asked, still not understanding what she had wanted to say.
“My master can half transform into any number of familiars, as long as she is bonded to them.” It turned to Zoey. “The problem is you are limited based on the strength of your soul and right now, I don’t think your soul can accommodate another familiar.”
“Can she change that?” David asked.
“Yes,” it said and vanished. Zoey rolled her eyes, grinning at David.
“It does that most times, but mostly in my head. It complains and whines, and never helps.”
“Not very useful,” David said.
“Yes,” Zoey said. “Unlike your dragon!”
Ignis chuckled.