Chapter Thirty-Eight: Everybody Needs Some Time

On the way back to the Guild, Marc noticed a small tower rising from the hill. He noticed several identical towers all over the city. He asked Enpii what they were for.

“Those? They are observation towers. They only get used during beast surges. It’s so the City Guards can monitor the beast’s activity.”

“Are they empty otherwise?” Marc asked, getting an idea.

“Yeah, sometimes kids like to climb up and play up there. They can be nice if you need some time alone. You might have noticed it’s pretty cramped in the city walls. It’s a steep climb though, so most people wouldn’t climb them without a reason.” Enpii looked up at the roughly twenty-meter-high tower with an exhausted look.

“I’m going to take a quick look, ok?”

“What? Why?” Enpii complained.

“I just want to see more of the city from above. The view must be nice from up there right?” Marc said enthusiastically.

Enpii did not take to the suggestion well. He had been up numerous times and the climb was cruel. Each step was made for the large gait of a City guard. It made for a difficult climb considering his smaller stature.

“I think we should head back. Your friend is probably waiting for you.”

“It will be fast. Look, I’ll head up there and check it out. You can go back to the Guild first. Let them know I’m on my way.”

Enpii considered this. He knew he shouldn’t separate from his charge. But this was the City, just a few minutes away from the Guild Hall. There was no chance Marc would get in trouble or lost. And he did not want to climb up with him just to look out at the city.

“Sure, if that’s what you want. The Guild Hall is just ahead on this road. You can find your way back, right?” He confirmed with Marc.

“No problem. I’ll just be a few minutes behind. I’ll go up, look around, and come right back down.” Marc reassured.

“The steps are really big. It’s going to take more than a few minutes” Enpii said, not convinced yet.

“I got this. Don’t worry!” Marc said, already heading to the entrance of the watchtower.

Marc reached the door and found it open so he pushed through and looked inside. There was a simple small round room with a circular stairway along the walls. Numerous windows were cut into the walls to allow light to come in and there appeared to be lanterns as well, but they were dark for now.

He poked his head back out and saw Enpii there looking unsure. He gave a thumbs up, but that just made Enpii look even more confused, so he called out. “All good.” And waited a moment for the other man to slowly turn and start walking up the road toward the Guild Hall.

With his curiosity peaked, Marc decided to go for it. He pushed all his strength and stamina boosting buffs and started climbing. Ten minutes later a worn and defeated Marc finally reached the top of the tower.

“Took you long enough.” A woman waiting on the landing above the stairs called back to him while staring out at the city through the mostly open observation room.

“Come… on… There are… at… least a couple… hundred… of those… giant steps.” Marc wheezed, his stamina bar completely drained away.

“Try 93.”

“…”

Gasping, he walked over to the wall and leaned against it while breathing deeply. After a minute he had mostly caught his breath back and took a look out at the city.

“It really is amazing. There isn’t anyplace on Earth like this.” Marc said appreciatively.

“Says the guy who has never even left the Southwest. You’ve never even flown in an airplane.” Kira taunted.

“This is weird.” He said looking at the woman, now cheerfully dancing around the tower room, leaning over the window ledges to look out at different parts of the city.

“Why do you even do that? It’s not like you have eyes, right?” Marc asked the virtual girl.

“Isn’t it better talking to a real person?”

“You’re not a real person though.” He poked.

“Oh yeah, I could argue that I am as real as you are. Do you really want to start rocking that particular little rowboat?” She teased, still jumping and skipping around the small space.

“I like this. I know it’s just projections, but doing this somehow makes me feel more… more real.” She ran up to him.

Her image suddenly morphed into a small boy with a yellow hat and hard-chiseled features.

“Promise me someday you’ll make me into a real boy?” The figure pleaded.

“I won’t if I get sued. I doubt I am safe from lawyers even in another world.” Marc warned.

Kira reverted back into her preferred form, but with a pout on her face.

“Ok. I assume we can talk here, right?” He confirmed.

“Yes.” She said. “I had a nice long talk with Ba’eth through the Catalyst today.”

“The Catalyst?” Marc was already lost.

“The device that Ba’eth gave you. It was created by another Traveler over two hundred years ago.”

Marc took the small box out from his storage and held it in his hands. The cold metal was hard in his hands, but he felt some kind of energy within, pulling at his Mana.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“I wasn’t able to learn much about that Traveler, even after examining the catalyst closely. What I do know is that she did not come from your reality.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because that traveler was a Dwarf of course.”

Marc nodded. That made sense he supposed.

“So what is this Catalyst?” He asked, turning the box over and examining the jewels and markings.

“I don’t really know. It can allow the holder to communicate directly with me, and therefore with you as well. Once a connection is made, I believe it would work over any distance as well. That is what Ba’eth said.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, no. I am sure it has another purpose, but I lack an understanding of how it functions. It defies my analysis for the most part.”

“So, I can use it like a telephone? That’s it?”

“Perhaps after you unlock all your elements I can tell more.”

“Ok. Maybe I can leave it with Rynan. That way we can stay in contact, even when I am in the City.”

“That… that is why I wanted to talk to you like this. I felt it was better if I told you this sooner, but also I wanted to tell you face to face.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure we can trust Rynan.”

“Huh? Why? What makes you say that?”

Kira moved to the other side of the room and leaned back against the stone ledge.

“It’s something Ba’eth said.”

“And you trust her?”

“Somewhat. The link. The method of communicating. It’s not as simple as speaking. It’s a direct exchange of knowledge and intent. It’s closer to how I communicate with your knowledge. It might be possible to obscure something when connected, but not fabrication. She shouldn’t be able to lie.”

“What did she tell you?” Marc asked sternly. Not sure he should be believing everything Kira was saying.

“She warned me that you need to be very careful. There are people looking for Travelers. Powerful people.”

“We know that. Rynan is the one who told me that.” Marc protested.

“The largest danger is the Tower. They are a global organization as large and as powerful as the Guild, perhaps even more so.”

“She told me that too. What are you saying, Kira?” He was starting to get impatient.

“They have a group, called the Deacons. They are tasked with high-level security, only answering to the top leaders of the Tower.”

Marc stared at Kira.

“Rynan is in some way related to the Deacons. Whether as a member or an associate. What that connection is, she didn’t know. But there is a relationship. Of this, Ba’eth was certain.”

Marc wanted to deny the accusation. Rynan had helped him, protected him, and taught him. She couldn’t be doing all that just to betray him. It didn’t make any sense.

“I know,” Kira said. “It doesn’t make sense. But that’s why you need to be careful. We don’t know a lot about Rynan. Or of anyone in this world for that matter. You need to stay cautious. Your body may be immortal, but from what I know now about this Tower organization, you do not want to be taken by them.” She warned.

“Why? What have they done?” Marc asked.

“Horrible things. Unbelievably terrible things. Amongst them, they have definitely killed Travelers in the past. Publicly and violently.”

“And Rynan is part of them? She said she was in the past, but that she left them.”

“We don’t know the whole story. Maybe she did. Maybe she is hiding from them as well. But we don’t know. So you need to stay vigilant. If she were to betray you to the Tower…”

“I wouldn’t know what to do.” Marc acknowledged. He sat there for a moment in silence, trying to absorb this new information.

“There is one other thing,” Kira interjected.

“What?” Marc yelled. He was nearing his limit.

“It’s about Grenn.”

“Grenn? What about Grenn?” Marc couldn’t believe there was a problem with Grenn as well.

“He told you his eldest son was living in the Guild dorms right?” Kira reminded him.

“Yeah.”

“That’s not entirely true.” Kira started.

“What do you mean not entirely true? What does that mean?” Marc cut her off.

“He did live in the dorms.” She continued, speaking in a near whisper now. “But he died. He died fighting beasts in the forest Marc. That’s why Grenn wants to quit the Guild.”

Marc lost the strength in his knees. He sagged down. He wanted to vomit. He felt like someone had just punched the air from his lungs. All he could imagine was that big strong man who had been his trainer and friend. He thought of his enthusiastic and kind wife. He recalled him playing with Sateem and Safan. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to face him, any of them.

“Why? Why did you tell me that?” Marc yelled at Kira. “I shouldn’t know that. I don’t want to know that. Why?” Marc knew he lacked the emotional maturity to deal with these revelations. He willed this to be a lie, but he knew it would not work.

For the next few minutes, Kira explained the story of Grenn’s son. A few minutes after that Marc left the watchtower, walking slowly back to the Guild, shoulders slumped.

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By the time he reached the Guild, Marc had pulled himself together. He could explain that his subdued mood was due to his long day and from burning up his excess energy climbing up the watchtower.

Marc found Enpii standing near Grenn who was talking to Torren, the Guild employee who had helped him this morning.

Grenn smiled and waved cheerfully at Marc, and for a moment Marc’s heart cracked again.

《You’re fine. You can do this.》

He recovered and waved back. He waved back and went through the motions of the plan he had worked out on the short walk to the Guild.

First, he thanked Enpii and Torren for their help. He handed over his completed request form and in return, Torren handed him a large metal disk, about the size of a silver dollar. It had some simple engravings on both sides and had a hole punched through it on one side with a thin silver chain attached like a necklace.

“This is your Guild Identification. It is only a temporary token, but when you become a full member you will be issued another, permanent ID like this.”

Torren pulled a similar-looking disc out from underneath his shirt. He bent over so that Marc could get a better look at it. It was similar, but it had more intricate carvings on the face, a strong fitting to the chain instead of the simple hole on the temporary ID, it also had a thin ring of translucent gold metal around the edge.

“Come with me so we can register your identification.” Torren led the group to one of the low desks around the center of the Hall. Enpii seemed to be looking for an opportunity to excuse himself, but Marc grabbed his elbow and pulled him along.

“Enpii, can you stay for a minute, there is something I want to ask you.”

The young man seemed a bit confused, but not concerned as he nodded his agreement and followed the group.

He spoke a few words to the employee working at the desk, then directed Marc to place his disk into a small circular depression at the center, where it fit into the desk perfectly. Then Torren produced a sheaf of papers. Where he had been hiding them, Marc had no idea. They were his Guild application documents. He placed them onto a rectangular metallic plate to one side of the depression in the center of the table. Then he asked Marc to place his hand over the token and transfer his Mana into the disk.

As the red glow from his Mana dissipated, he noticed the flicker of envy in Enpii’s face as he watched the procedure.

Tollen then handed the documents and the disk back to Marc.

“That completes your registration. That disk is your official identification. It can be used to enter the City gates freely, but please note that extended visits to the City will need to be approved by the City administration.”

Then the Guild employee took out the request form that Marc had brought back and placed it on the same plate that his documents had just been sitting on.

“Please place your ID one more time,” Tollen said, gesturing to the center of the desk. Marc inserted the token back into the depression. The Guild employee sitting behind the desk placed her hand on the request form and a light blue glow lit the plate and the token for a moment, then dispersed just as quickly.

“Your account had been credited with 1162.5 Rel and two contribution points for completion of your contract today. You can withdraw from the balance of the account at any Guild Hall in the world. Congratulations on successfully completing your first Guild request as a new Prospect.”

Both Torren and the Guild employee smiled warmly. Grenn looked like a proud father, and even Enpii seemed excited for Marc.

“Congratulations my boy!” Boomed a familiar and somewhat anticipated voice from behind him.

There stood Meservi, Ba’eth, and even the young intern Mumay.

“Welcome to the Guild!” Meservi roared, grasping Marc by both shoulders and shaking him.

Marc looked around at the gathered group and realized that they were attracting some attention.

“Thanks.” He said shyly. Hoping that they could be a bit more descreet, but strangely happy for some reason.