“Hang on just a moment, Corporal,” Jordan projected, interrupting the Kid. “Before we go into… whatever it is you were just saying, give me a status report. Where is the rest of the team and what is the current situation?”
“Where to begin?” The Kid replied with over the top excitement. “According to the Adjudicators, we were separated from our team. I just finalized how I am going to use the boons granted to me, which means… Just a moment. I’m getting a message from the Adjudicators now.”
The vein on Jordan’s head began to throb. Did the Corporal just place him on a telepathic hold?
“Wait!” Jordan cried, fighting down his frustration. “What do you mean by Adjudicators?”
No sooner had he transmitted his thoughts than a whirlwind of mist exploded around Corporal Wolf, enveloping the lower half of his body in a tornado of silvery light.
The girl, who was only a few feet away from the Kid, fell back in shock, her mouth opened in a silent scream.
“Wolf!” Jordan cried out in alarm.
“Don’t worry!” Corporal Wolf projected back, his mind carrying an undertone of excitement that didn’t fit any scenario that made sense to Jordan. “I was just notified that my status changes are going into effect! It shouldn’t take long…”
Jordan watched helplessly as the tentative connection with Corporal Wolf dissolved. The Kid gave him two thumbs up and a manic grin as the whirlwind of light and mist exploded in intensity, completely obscuring him from view.
“WOLF!” Jordan yelled, straining helplessly against his bonds. “ANSWER ME DAMN IT!”
Fear tore him in half as he witnessed the last remaining soldier under his command disappear.
One of the clouds slowly drifted in front of Jordan, blocking his view of whatever was happening to Corporal Wolf. More of the misty threads holding him tight dissolved as Jordan drew deeply from the unseen power keeping him in place.
“Peace….” A gravelly voice echoed in his mind. It sounded just like the third voice, Credos, from his previous encounter. Accompanying the voice were images of his life that represented feelings of calm and patience.
Anger flared as Jordan realized two simple truths. First, the glowing balls of fuzz in front of him were his captors. And second, they were responsible for whatever was happening to Corporal Wolf.
The images projected into his mind slowly began taking shape into something solid.
Breathing deeply, Jordan used the unexpected rush of power to push back against the intrusion. How dare these… these… things harm one of his men!
Emotions raging, Jordan completely ignored the advice of the disembodied voice, instead focusing his efforts on breaking free.
More misty threads dissolved, loosening his bonds enough for him to move an arm. It wasn’t more than a fraction of an inch, but the movement put the already agitated puffs of vapor into a frenzy.
“Stop!” Credos commanded.
Jordan ignored the warning, straining against his bonds as he took another deep breath.
“STOP!” declared Credos with a power that struck Jordan with the mental equivalent of a hammer. Faster than he could see, the ball of cloud shot out a tentacle, ramming it into his skull.
Pain, intense yet brief, roared through him as the vaporous tentacle pierced his mind.
“DESIGNATION GLADE! STOP!”
Words of power rolled over Jordan, locking up his body in a rictus of pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an eighth ball of mist join the others.
“You are destroying yourself!” Credos exclaimed, its mental voice conveying a sense of extreme strain. “Direct mental connection without cognitive blocks in place will result in cerebral failure. Your spiritual attunement and integration are not at the required levels for prolonged communication with an Adjudicator’s Fragment.”
Jordan’s mind instantly came into focus. Whether from the immediate threat or something the ball was doing, he didn’t know.
As if reading his thoughts, the cloud responded in a more subdued tone.
“You have been placed in suspension to prevent further damage to your corporeal and astral forms. Your respiratory functions have been paralyzed to keep you from destroying yourself further. You have refused communication through protected means, which should not be possible at your current level of advancement.”
If Jordan didn’t know any better, he would say the little cloud in front of him was annoyed. Under normal circumstances, Jordan would have worked to understand how he could take advantage of the agitated creature.
These were not normal circumstances. He too was feeling well beyond simple annoyance, and really didn’t care who he was facing. They had separated him from his team, invaded his mind, and were blatantly doing something horrifying to one of his men in front of him.
There was a brief, yet discernible pause before Credos resumed speaking,
“Your unique...ability has been detected and integrated,” Credos continued. “Know this - per the accord made with your companion to spare your life, the Eight have been forced to intervene three times since your awakening. Each intervention required the use of an alloted lesser boon. Any further attempts to process the concentrated mana of the Ethereal plane must cease! You have been restrained for this reason, and this reason alone.”
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“Due to Acumen’s misuse of authority to access your memories, you will be granted a moderate boon. A choice must be made before you are fully integrated into our dimension.”
Years of adapting to challenging situations allowed Jordan to regain a modicum of control. He stopped struggling and willed himself to be calm, even though his instinct was to shoot first.
Fortunately for everyone involved, he couldn’t reach either of his firearms.
It took him longer than he wanted to admit to calm down enough to process the information provided. While it defied comprehension, it was obvious these beings were far more advanced than humanity. And if the floating cotton balls were to be believed, they had gone out of their way to protect him.
He could work with that. But first, he needed more information.
“What happened to Corporal Wolf?” Jordan demanded. Any information at this point could only help. Especially as he had no earthly idea what was going on.
“Designation known to us previously as Leonard, not Moron, failed to provide his full designation upon our first meeting. We ascertained the truth of his error from your memories, but were too late as his aura signature had already been created based on the information he provided. When he learned of this, he took it upon himself to use a boon to adjust his aura signature further. He has since changed his race to that of a Royal Elf. This action provided the opportunity to select a different designation. He is now known as Bei’Kedryn Serevlir, of house Serevlir, much like your designation is now Glade.”
“Hold on a moment, are you saying you changed my name?” Jordan asked as the beginnings of a headache set in.
“Designation Bei’Kedryn Serevlir, then known to us as Leonard, not Moron, requested aid to heal you. In order to provide said aid you needed to undergo partial integration, which includes aura re-coding. To accomplish this, your designation was required. Do you wish to use your remaining boon to adjust your designation back to what it was?”
Jordan was in over his head. Not something new to him per se. Precarious situations seemed to follow him like bears to picnic baskets. But this situation was on an entirely new level.
Ignoring his growing headache, Jordan tried to piece the story together. He had obviously been near death. The damaged body armor and the blood covered ground provided sufficient evidence to paint a gruesome enough picture. It then made sense that Corporal Wolf had reached out for help, especially if Doc or the others weren’t around.
In a way, that meant it was the Kid’s fault for their current predicament. But try as he might, Jordan couldn’t fault the Kid’s choice. He would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. If the worst thing that came from this whole situation was that somebody messed up his name? Well, he could live that.
Of course, that didn’t explain everything else. More specifically, what was this boon the magic ball of fluff was talking about?
The voice responded as if it was reading his mind, which was entirely plausible as the little cloud of horrors had a misty appendage inserted into his head.
“There are three levels of boons that can be earned by the Eight Adjudicators,” Credos explained. “You were granted three lesser boon’s and one moderate. As stated before, your lesser boons were used to keep you from destroying yourself.”
It felt odd to be told by the captors responsible for his miraculous healing that they owed him a boon. Then again, they did invade his mind. And trapped him. Not to mention were likely responsible for separating him from his team.
Speaking of his team…
“Where are my people? The ones who came out of the portal before me?” The headache steadily grew worse the longer they talked.
“All others from your dimension have been fully integrated and placed on Veil. Would you like to use your boon to learn of their locations and adjusted designations?”
So, his team had been placed somewhere called Veil and had changed their names? That information could prove to be invaluable. He almost agreed then and there. Nothing was more important than finding his people. But for reasons beyond his comprehension, Jordan held back. He couldn’t explain why, but it felt… wrong.
“Designation Glade, direct interaction will soon cause irreparable cerebral damage,” the voice growled with impatience. “Choose how you wish to use your boon.”
The headache was growing more unbearable by the moment.
“When we are placed wherever it is you are sending us, will it be the same location as my team?”
“Those who came before were placed in locations best suited to their choices. While they have been scattered, they are still within reasonable proximity to one another. Would you like to use your boon to bring them together?”
Again, Jordan was sorely tempted. That was exactly what he wanted, but he wasn’t going to let this opportunity to ask more questions pass him by.
“What dangers will we be facing?”
“All,” the voice replied.
That response was as dumb as a bag of hammers. Not that he really cared at the moment seeing as the pain in his head was doubling in size every other moment.
“And what will happen… to the girl?” Jordan asked, his mental voice wavering from rapidly increasing pain.
“Designation Da’Riya Ab’Loshere, of house Loshere, will be placed in the same location as she departed from. You will be placed separately with designation Bei’Kedryn Serevlir.”
“Will the girl… be alright… on her own?” Jordan forced out, his jaw clenched tight.
“Her path of advancement will likely end upon her return to Veil,” Credos intoned.
Tears of pain began streaming down Jordan’s paralyzed face, the voice’s response striking a chord of sympathy deep within his soul. He had lost someone before because others couldn’t be bothered to help. He refused to be that person.
“The girl… stays with me.” Jordan forced out. “She is under… my protection.”
Agonizing moments passed before Credos responded.
“You take responsibility for designation Da’Riya Ab’Loshere and all that it entails?”
“YES!” Jordan mentally screamed. He couldn’t manage the pain any longer. “MYSELF, THE GIRL, AND THE CORPORAL WILL STAY TOGETHER AND BE PLACED SOMEWHERE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO THRIVE AND BRING MY PEOPLE TOGETHER! THAT IS HOW I WILL USE MY BOON.”
“Acceptable,” The voice stated with finality. “Your items are prohibited on Veil and will be replaced with...”
“NO!” Jordan growled, his mental voice echoing loudly with every ounce of strength he could push into it. These overgrown balls of cotton would NOT take his gear!
The cloud pulsed one last time, then extracted its appendage.
Jordan sagged in relief, the remaining threads of light barely enough to keep him from collapsing.
As if on cue, the whirlwind of mist around Corporal Wolf dissipated. Lacking strength to do more than stare, Jordan took in the changes that had been made. The Kid’s face looked mostly the same, except thinner, with higher cheekbones and no baby fat. His build was slimmer than before, more streamlined.
That was where the similarities ended. Where the Kid had been kitted out in a midnight black combat uniform, the new Corporal before him wore outlandish robes of fire red and pristine white. Instead of a rifle, he held a wooden staff. But what drew Jordan’s attention most were the hair and eyes. Startling silver eyes stared back at him framed by long locks of ash and silver.
A transparent screen appeared in Jordan’s vision.
Full integration will begin momentarily. Placement on Veil pending.
Note: Choice of retaining unauthorized foreign items will impact destination and odds of survival.
A vortex of light and mist enveloped Jordan, who had time for one thought before blacking out. The Corporal’s new hair was too long and clearly not within regulatory standards. He would have to make the time to discuss proper military bearing with the young man.