Evan was typically not very expressive but couldn’t keep the smile off his face as they walked towards the main street. Over the moon, it took all of his self-control not to skip for joy. He was going to do it! It would take a long time, but if he made enough money, he could hopefully get his hands on some Substance that slowed down aging. The stuff was ridiculously expensive, one of the types of Substance that everyone wanted to get their hands on for obvious reasons.
This hope was a large contributor to his willingness to sign such a long-term contract – he knew that if he was successful enough, these twelve years of service might not make him much older already than he already was, but leave him in much better shape for success.
As the guide flagged down a coach, a new experience for Evan, he took in his surroundings. Part of it was habit, but he also wanted to take in what could very well be his last time in this area of the city.
Starspire was a truly enormous city, both horizontally and vertically, and many of its inhabitants would likely never see most of it. Part of that was due to its size, but for most part it was because of how Starspire was run. Everyone in the city had an identification slip, something that was free for residents of the city such as himself – even though he lived in an orphanage – but everyone else had to pay just for the privilege of remaining inside the city.
Each slip contained some sort of imbuement that remained inactive unless scanned with a device the city guards had, and it in part contained what level of access one had in the city. Without the appropriate access a person would be stopped at the gates for each section of the city, which were divided by concentric rings from the center of the city.
Over the many years since Starspire was founded it had become a point of pride to live or work within the deeper, higher sections of the city, and thus to deal in the outer sections was viewed as distasteful. It was a rare sight indeed to see one of the deeper inhabitants do anything outside their section but travel.
As these thoughts flittered through Evan’s mind, luxuriating in his traveling arrangements, one thought rang louder than the others.
If I never see these streets again, it will be too soon.
While they waited the guide gave him some instructions. They would pay the coach and give them a destination, but at the gate he would have to present a pass the guide gave him. When they reached his destination, an inn, he would once again present his pass before being given a room. They would also provide him with a meal in the evening, and once again in the morning before someone else fetched him to take him to a cultivation chamber elsewhere. That person would also have information on when he was leaving the city.
Job completed, the guide left after doing as he said.
Time passed, and after at least an hour of traveling he arrived at the inn – The Rare Tusk, the sign outside read. The main thoroughfares were always incredibly busy in this section of the city, and it took longer than it should have. He was greeted by the innkeeper, a boisterous, plump, middle-aged lady that moved far too quickly to be anything other than a cultivator. He presented his pass and was immediately scolded.
“Why, young man, you should be ashamed of yourself! Showing up like that, all filthy, and you expect me to let you sully one of my rooms?” She looked horrified, as if he was covered in muck! These were his best clothes, and he had washed them just yesterday. Never mind that he only had two sets, including this one, and the other was more rags than not.
“W-what?” All pride and newfound confidence forgotten, she reminded him far too much of one of the women who ran the orphanage, and he felt his cheeks redden. She had surprised him.
“This just won’t do! You must go take a bath immediately. I know your sort; it’s on the house. Leave your clothes in the basket. I’ll have David show you.” He was thankful, but his dignity was too offended to thank her. Instead, he just nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak.
She spun around and rushed across the rather large common room too quickly for him to catch the kindness in her eyes before he was shortly escorted up a flight of stairs and escorted through one of the doors.
The room he found himself in was warm and filled with steam. It seemed to billow out the door before they shut it behind themselves. Now inside, he glanced about the room.
It was filled with curtains – some were drawn shut, but others were open, each revealing an empty tub and a laundry basket. To his side, outside the curtains, was an elevated basin of steaming hot water with some buckets and a bell sat nearby.
The man who had escorted him, David, bore a slight resemblance to the innkeeper – perhaps a son. He wasn’t much older than Evan was. He spoke, gesturing around the room.
“Alright, you can fill a tub from the basin using one the buckets and leave your clothes in the basket outside. Ring the bell by the basin when you’re ready, and after a minute I’ll come to take away the basket to wash your clothes.” There was no awkwardness – when he usually took a bath, it was never private regardless.
David exited the room without prompting, and Evan quickly put himself to task filling one of the tubs. Once he had one filled and steaming, he rang the bell near the basin and returned to his tub before closing the curtain and undressing, putting them in the basket and pushing it outside the curtain.
He slowly slipped into the tub, somewhat afraid he would burn himself, and heard David open the door and retrieve his clothes. That only briefly registered though, as he was soon consumed by the pleasant sensation of the hot water.
Ahhh. Now that’s the stuff.
He could get used to this, but it made him wonder how life would be in the military, even if he wasn’t a grunt. It didn’t seem likely that there would be much infrastructure for that, even if he felt confident in being posted in the backlines. Could he build something with formations for that?
He shook his head. It was already done, and there was no getting out of it. He’d just have to make the most of it, and bathe extra well now.
Well, first he would enjoy his bath. It wasn’t often he got to enjoy something like this, and he wanted to make the most of it. It wasn’t until the water started getting cold that he began to bathe in earnest.
After his vigorous bathing, he found a basket just outside the curtain with his clothes in it – clean and dry. He got dressed and was intercepted on his way down the stairs by David.
“Hey, I was just coming up to wait for you. Sorry about my mom, I know she can be a little overbearing at times, but she means well. Are you hungry? Meals on the house if you’re willing to talk while you eat.”
“…Sure, I’d be good with that. What do you want to talk about?” Evan already had an idea, but David and his mother had been nice enough when he’d expected some scorn for his obvious humble heritage. That’s what he had thought David’s mother was doing until he was reminded of Grace at the orphanage and deflated.
“Well, you’re different than we were expecting. We already knew that some of the people who passed today would be staying here, but not where they would be coming from. Wouldn’t have surprised me if some snotty-nosed brat showed up on a power-trip,” He grinned and clapped Evan on the shoulder “but that’s not you. You’re from the outer ring, right?” By now they had reached the bar, and David gestured at him to sit, moving back behind the bar as he began to prepare a plate for Evan.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“I imagine your good with some sliced boar and bread?” David asked, already loading it onto his plate. Evan’s mouth was watering – the orphanage made sure he got to eat, but it was never very high-quality or particularly filling. If not for the odd jobs he managed each day, he’d be a lot thinner. Simple fare it might be, it smelled good.
He gulped. “Yeah, that works for me. Thanks,” He tried not to make it obvious, but David’s sly grin showed him he noticed regardless. He seemed to be wearing his heart on his sleeve today, and blamed all the excitement.
Passing over the plate and some silverware, he began devouring his meal, afraid that at any moment the innkeeper would return and take it from him. David had given it to him, but who knew how much authority he had around here.
It certainly helped that he felt absolutely famished.
David sat down beside him, having apparently walked back around while he was tearing into his meal. The inn wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t filled to bursting either. Evidently, David didn’t seem to feel the need to do anything for the moment but chat up Evan.
“Our understanding with Starspire was that anyone showing up here at The Rare Tusk would be somewhat impressive, so how was it? You passed, so your gonna’ become a craftsman, yea?”
The inn had seemed to be a fairly nice one, and they even got him a coach. Had he really done that well? He knew he had done “decently”, but here he was, eating a good meal in a good inn, with a room booked and a goddamn cultivation chamber being prepared for him tomorrow.
Up until now he had been pushing it to the back of his head, but now, with David having brought it to the forefront of his mind, his suspicions reemerged. Everything seemed a little too easy, too good. His excuse had been that to Starspire, all of this amounted to but a drop in the ocean, and worth it for the goodwill of a future formations master. Given what David had just said, however…
“The attendant said I did ‘decently’, and that my talent seemed the best she’d seen today, but its so early in the day I didn’t think too much of it. We signed a contract, and now I’m here. Is it really so surprising?”
“Well, yeah. Starspire is a penny-pincher, and not to sound boastful, but… The Rare Tusk isn’t some random inn. It’s a family business, and we’ve been here for several mortal generations. We might not be one of the best in the section, but we’re definitely up there.” David seemed even more interested now. He tapped his fingers against the hardwood bar for a moment.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what was the contract you signed?” David seemed almost hesitant to ask.
“Well, I want to go into formations. I was also thinking of going into macro-scale ones, for stuff like buildings and whatnot. Only mentioned the formations part, though. I was hesitant to bring up the construction, er, macro-scale stuff until she started trying to sell me on joining the military.” He let that hang for a moment, deliberating on admitting it. He wasn’t one to share much, usually.
“She… convinced me. Twelve years after training, but my debts are waived, and I get a lot of out of it.” Evan didn’t mention the cultivation. Substance was expensive, and you never knew who was listening. Their conversation was mostly drowned out in the quiet murmur of the inn, but with the right Substance, who knew? Better safe than sorry, even if getting Substance out of a human soul was a fool’s errand.
“Huh. I don’t know what you’re getting out of it, but that sounds pretty terrible. I mean, twelve years? After training? That’s like a third of your life, man. I know craftsmen make good money, but even most of them struggle to afford the Substance that slows down aging.” He slumped, almost as though he was as devasted as he thought Evan should be.
“That’s not to mention that twelve years is a long time for something to happen. Where are they even sending you? What is your official job?” Evan noticed he didn’t push on what he was getting out of it, and he was thankful for that.
“Uh, I’m not really sure where. They said I’d be building and maintaining stuff, though, so I figured wherever they send me, it would involve enough money that it would be pretty safe regardless. Right?” Evan felt like he’d had things under control, but inside, panic was starting to grow. What exactly did he sign onto?!
“You don’t even know? Void have you man! You’re fucked, totally and utterly fucked. Building and maintaining? Did that not scream dangerous or ‘frontlines’ to you? I don’t know what’s worse, being on the frontlines or posted in some dangerous hunting ground to catch cultivators, but that’s what ‘building and maintaining’ sounds like to me!” David was huffing and puffing, having raised his voice some – he was clearly getting quite worked up and angry about it. Why did he care so much?
Evan looked down at his plate, needing a moment to think. He had hardly touched it since they started talking, too caught up in such a serious conversation.
“I’m dead then? That’s it, I signed a contract to go die like every other dumb grunt?” The panic was starting to recede, dread welling up in its place. His voice betrayed the disbelief and betrayal he felt. His stomach dropped out from under him, and he felt as though there was a heavy, cold weight in his chest. What could he do? The contract was already signed, they wouldn’t let him just walk away. Now that he was part of the military, it wouldn’t just be breaking the contract – something he couldn’t afford to do anyway – but deserting in all likelihood. Even if it wasn’t, for a debt like this they’d indenture him – he’d heard horror stories about that, it was something he’d never escape, toiling away for the rest of his life.
David seemed to get a little upset at his comment. “Grunts? That’s not very charitable, you know. Some of the best people I know are just ‘grunts’ in the military.”
Evan looked back up, tears threatening to well up, and watched as the anger drained out of David’s tense face, replaced with a look of sympathy he quickly mistook for pity. Stilling his face, he wiped his eyes. He was better than this – he hadn’t worked so hard, come this far, just be tricked into giving up his life.
Resolve filled him – hadn’t it always been this way? Struggling for every step, getting pushed back almost as often as he moved forward? When he walked into the testing room, he was certain the attendant – Chana – had expected him to summarily fail. To be found lacking, one way or the other. After all, the only thing resembling preparation he had was fruitless practice going back a few weeks and a childhood of snippets of advice from the passing craftsmen he’d met.
From the day he was handed over to the orphanage, everyone around him had felt his life was already written – even the other orphans were content to wring what they could out of life and call it at that. He refused to accept that – so he’d learnt how to read and write, striving to be good at it. He practiced his speech and demeanor, trying to build a façade of dignity. Everywhere he could he aspired to learn new things and sought out craftsmen ever since he learned of the future it held, even if he rarely learned anything.
He was being sent, according to David, somewhere that even if he was a backliner meant to provide support, the likelihood of his death was not low.
In a strange inversion of what he should be feeling, calm settled over him. So what? He had beat the odds before, there was no reason he couldn’t do so again. Almost his entire life he’d worked for the betterment of his future, and this was just one more step in that direction.
Evan resumed eating, calm if not relaxed. David seemed to understand his sudden resolution and no longer brought it up, instead talking more about himself and his own life growing up in the third section of the city – one closer than Evan’s own, the fourth. He welcomed the distraction, even if his near future never really left his thoughts.
Despite having only met David just today, he felt like a friend. He had been kind and helpful where he had expected only scorn or indifference. Most craftsmen lived in the third section or better after all, so seeing him at the start of his journey was nothing special.
As Evan finished his free meal, only receiving a quick glance from the innkeeper, David showed him his room and he settled down to wait for his evening fare. The room was a nice upgrade from what he was used to, granting him privacy he’d rarely enjoyed and was far more comfortable and cozy than the orphanage. After less than fifteen minutes he realized he desperately needed something, anything, to do. It was rare he wasn’t doing something, and the lack of stimulation was getting to him. Not to mention the dreadful thoughts that kept threatening to break free from a corner of his mind he was deliberately avoiding.
He headed back down the stairs into the common room, looking for David in the hopes of him having some books he could read – leaving the inn didn’t even cross his mind, given he was in an unfamiliar place and could lose his way quite easily.
David did, in fact, have some books. Most of them were quite dry, but he had one that chronicled some of the wars Starspire had been in, and he decided it was a good way to learn more about his upcoming future.
Evan read until evening, only leaving his room to eat his dinner and return the book to David – books were expensive, and it had been a show of trust to loan it out to him, a near stranger.
Heading back up to his room for the last time and slipping under the finely made sheets of his bed, Evan decided that if, no, when he got back to Starspire, he would come to visit David. He had made a friend.