Athena and Walker stayed in his office for a time after Virgil left to set things up. They talked about what had changed in not only the month he'd been gone, but the time he'd been unconscious as well. It was a lot to catch up on.
"So Runner beat Ares in a duel?"
She twitched a hand back and forth, "Kind of. It's more along the lines of she kept pelting him with arrows and running in circles while he yelled at her."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Walker couldn't help but ask.
"Not as much as it used to be. After John died, as well as Asclepius growing tired of having to constantly tend to everyone in the arena, we shifted to a new way of doing things. Ares didn't want to, but he was overruled by Virgil and myself." She pulled a small red ceramic plate out of her pocket, "Each challenger has a series of these on their person. When all of them are broken in combat, they've lost the duel, and nobody gets stabbed anymore. Well, most of the time. It has been very effective thus far." She handed it over to him.
Walker turned it over in his hands, "Why are you carrying this in your pocket?"
"I thought you might ask."
"Smart."
Athena nodded with a smile, "Yep. With the between the 1st Cohort champion and Ares, Runner took advantage of this system, and used my brother's preference for wearing heavy armor against him." She tapped one leg while staring at the hole in his ceiling, "Finding his weakness so quickly shows great promise."
Walker followed her eyes, looked at the ceiling hole himself, "What's my weakness?"
"You?" She said without looking at him, "Yours is simple, dear. Rage."
"Mmm," He mumbled, "I don't know about that, when I was in the bridge-"
The office entrance opened with a crack, "It is time, may I come in?" Virgil's voice said from behind the door.
"You've never asked before?" Walker said in a confused voice.
Virgil stepped in, opening the door fully, "I am just attempting to be courteous for yourself and Elder Athena."
"Courteous?"
Virgil raised a single eyebrow, confusing him. When he got it, Walker blushed as he waved his hands in the air to the soundtrack of Athena giggling nearby, "Hey man, we're not, you know..."
"As I said, I am just being courteous. Are you ready to speak to your people?"
"Yes, but there's one thing we need to do first."
"What's that?" Athena asked, matching him as he stood up.
Walker drew out the silence for a moment, building the dramatic tension, saying only two words.
"Ping Pong."
"What?" Athena and Virgil replied at the same time.
"I owe you a match, and it shouldn't take too long."
"But, everyone's waiting.." She protested.
"Then let them wait, it should only take a minute, and I've been either asleep or gone for so long that it's been months since we last spoke of it." Walker looked over at Virgil, "Lead the way please, everyone's waiting and we've got to get at least one match in."
"Certainly." Virgil said with a bob of his head, then stepped out, Athena following behind. Walker took two long steps, quickly catching up, and gently took Athena's hand in his own as they walked. She looked down at his hand holding hers and smiled at him, pulling her body a little closer.
As they walked across Sonata, Walker could hear a large amount of noise coming from the Arena not far away. He got a good view of the building and realized Virgil was telling the truth. It was huge. The original was only about the size of a little league baseball field, whereas the new one was closer to the size of a collegiate one. They passed by several other large buildings on the way. When he asked about them, Virgil informed him that once the first Cohort completed their primary training, as he called it, they asked for private rooms.
After a long discussion with the Elder's, they'd agreed and created a large building for that purpose.
"So, an apartment building?"
"Yes, that is correct." Virgil said, walking ahead of him. "Although I asked that they be named Dorms, as they are only temporary. Each holds fifty rooms-"
"Although many of the Founders are not spending their time in their own room," Athena added, "Many of them are...umm...together, at night."
"Gross." Walker said with an odd look on his face.
"Walker," Athena said, squeezing his hand, "I've seen your memories. You can't lie and tell me you've never had relations with-"
"I'm not!" He said loudly in return, "It's just....they're like my kids, you know. And now they're....together, it's..."
"It is not incest," Virgil pointed out, "Each has their own genetic code that varies enough to disallow for potential inbreeding."
"I'm not saying it is," He protested as they moved beyond the dorms, "I'm just saying, in my mind, it's weird. Wait, isn't it kind of incest since they grew up together..."
"Well," Athena said with a smile and ignoring his last comment, "To me, it shows that they're thinking beyond just the training now. They're believing in themselves enough to consider life beyond pure survival. It is important for human beings to have goals, something that goes beyond the needs of sustenance and shelter." She pulled on Walker's arm, "It's healthy to consider relationships beyond the professional."
Walker chose not to respond, his mind rotating through the new information as they approached a series of residential buildings. One of them is quite large, with a greater width than the others and balconies extending off of the side. He could see open windows and doors, each room showcasing a myriad of riotous colors.
"What's that one?"
Virgil spoke from ahead of him, "That is the Elder's Hall, as the Founder's call it. We felt it only fair to create a building for the Primigenials to have some privacy as well. Sonata is no longer a small moonlet, and I felt it apt to allow the creation of a residential domicile for our instructors-"
"I get it." Walker said, waving it off as they stopped in front of a building only slightly smaller than those around it. "So, this is the recreation center?"
"Indeed."
Without saying anything, they walked in. To the left was a robust kitchen, with numerous woodstoves in the back and a large amount of tables with attached benches holding the center. Close to a nearby wooden stockpile is a rectangular box with multiple pipes leading out of it, catching Walker's attention. Athena tells him that the pipes lead to another box in the basement holding a large ice chest. They didn't have working electricity, yet, but it works just as well since Virgil can easily create more ice when needed. The large squirrel continued on, showing them the game rooms past the cafeteria. The first holds a pool table, taken from Walker's memories, as well as several simple wooden games with different sized shapes on metal strings.
"We've found that the first Founders, once released from the seeding system, have great dexterity issues."
"They have hands, but don't know exactly how to use them," Walker guessed.
"Precisely," Virgil said with a nod, "We learned quite a bit about what we were doing wrong with the first Cohort, so when we seeded the second one on Sonata, we placed them in here and gave elocution lessons, as well as allowed them to play with these simple games. They are similar to what you used to see in a Pediatricians office. As they gain skill in their hands, we begin to upgrade them to each stage, new games that is, before finally landing on their favorite game of all." He stepped forward and opened a set of double doors with small windows, moving to the side and allowing Walker and Athena to enter.
Walker mentally noted that the moment they crossed the threshold, Athena let go of his hand. What he sees in front of him answers why she did so.
The room held over twenty ping pong tables, with one grandiose table in the center. The central table had a walnut styled wood with gold accents, and even from several feet away he could tell it was built with rounded and perfect angles. The net is smooth, with no fraying of any kind, and woven of a material he doesn't recognize. He spied a bit of art splashing across the center, a green planet with a sun rising behind it staring back at him.
"It's beautiful," Walker said as he ran his hands over the top of it, the smooth texture feeling electric on the pads of his fingers.
"It has never been used. The Founders call it "The Table of the Creator", and we've been waiting for you." Athena said with a smile. She walked to the right side while he walked to the left. Miming for him to copy her, she reached under and removed her racket, while he did the same a moment later. He found his racket's color to be blaringly white while her own was golden.
"You really wanted me to enjoy all-white colors, didn't you?"
She shrugged with a laugh, "I thought it would fit you." She grabbed a ball from another table, palming a second. Pulling a stitch on the side of her dress, she pulled it off and placed it neatly on a nearby rack. The outfit she had on underneath would've fit better in a modern gym. Athena was wearing a tight muscle shirt colored in gold, tucked into a pair of shorts tailored to fit her fit waist. She noticed him looking at her, "Focus." She said with a quick clap, "First to eleven, as I would prefer not to make everyone wait for twenty-one." She adjusted her grip on the racket.
Walker spread his feet and shrugged his shoulders, loosening up a little, "Deal." He made a come hither gesture with his hand, signaling his readiness.
Athena threw the ball in the air a short distance, before lightly tapping it. Walker watched as it seemed to float, gliding over and hitting her side once before slowly dragging itself over the net and touching down on his. When he got ready to hit the ball, it suddenly reversed course, pulling back and stopping right before touching the net a second time.
"Fuck," He said, looking at the ball slowly rotating in place and far out of his reach.
"Point," Athena replied with a big smile. "You made me wait so long, I've had plenty of practice. Only Runner and Lucy give me a run for my money nowadays."
Virgil coughed, "The Founder from the third Cohort..."
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"He cheats!" She protested.
Walker smiled at them both, enjoying the moment. The next serve from Athena went the same way, Walker still unable to shift fast enough for Athena's strategy without potentially bursting through the table and ruining their good fun. However, the tide turned when it was his time to serve. Athena had her feet set, bouncing on her toes, waiting for her chance to return Walker's initial hit. He threw the ball lightly in the air, and....it disappeared, while a pop and fizzling sound came from behind her.
She looked around, asking 'Where did it go?"
"Look behind you." Walker said with a weird look on his face.
She turned and found a black mark on the previously pristine wall. She then turned around again and found a similar mark on the table. Staring at it for a moment, she said, "Did you hit the ball so hard it exploded?"
"Ummmm....no?"
"Ugh," Athena said in disgust, throwing her paddle on the table.
"I believe that is enough." Virgil said, quickly approaching, "Athena's strategy and precision disallows for Walker to return the serve, while Walker's sheer power does the same. Neither side can enjoy the fruits of the game, and thus, you are at a permanent stalemate unless you enjoy consistently serving time and again."
"We get it Virgil." Walker said, a hand on his face.
"I am merely pointing out the intricacies of-"
"We get it Virgil." Athena said, mirroring the Creator.
"Ah, you are frustrated." He looked at Athena before switching to Walker, coughing, the huge squirrel said, "I believe we should begin our trek to the Arena for your speech, Walker. They have been waiting."
Walker nodded without saying much, placing his paddle back underneath the table. Athena matched him, slipping her dress back on, and then they walked across the long room, through the cafeteria, and exited the building without saying anything.
Athena walked closer, and in a quiet voice said, "So, we don't exactly connect on table tennis."
"Hah, no," Walker replied, grateful she broke the awkward tension that had sprung up, "It's just ping pong, why is it bothering us so much?"
They exited the residential area, a massive wooden and stone building quickly approaching his field of view while he waited for her response.
After a minute, she spoke up, "I think it's because we thought we had found a hobby we could do together. When things didn't work out, it was upsetting."
"You could play a little worse," He suggested with a grin.
"And you could hit a little softer," She replied, a grin on her face as well, "But what's the point if we're not both going all out? It's no fun without competition."
He nodded, "Too true. Okay, so we'll find something else." He took her palm in his own, rubbing the back of her hand with a thumb, "It's not the end of the world."
"Which one." Was all she said before the noise from the arena started to hit them. Walker could hear hundreds of voices speaking at once, and he gained further clarity into just how many people lived on Sonata yet again. That was a lot of voices, and thus, a lot of eyes. His heartrate sped up a little at the thought of what he was about to do. Athena noticed his grip tightening, a slight grimace planting itself on her face.
"Can you hold my hand a little softer? It's starting to hurt."
He looked down and noticed the tendons in his hand standing out, "Sorry, I didn't know I was doing that."
She pulled him a few steps from the entrance, keeping them from entering a dark hallway just ahead.
Virgil noticed, "I'll go on ahead," he said, entering the darkness while Athena turned to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a little nervous."
"About speaking in front of your Founders?"
"And the Primigenials, including the new ones I don't know yet. I have a bit of trouble with large crowds."
"I see....you could try-"
"Don't say imagine them naked. That doesn't work."
She let go of his hand and waved him off, "No, I wasn't going to. I was just going to say, take that nervousness and energy, and shift it."
"Shift it?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Shift your line of thinking. You're not nervous, you're excited. You're not anxious, you're..umm...pumped. The physical reactions you have to both are the same, so, it's purely mental. Change it up."
"Change it." He said, looking into her eyes. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, then nodded his head, "I'll try. But this is going to be a big moment."
She gave him a soft smile for encouragement, then patted him on the butt as he began to walk again, not following. He turned to look at her, "You're not joining me?"
"I'd rather see your majesty as part of the crowd, Creator. Do me proud."
He gave her a nervous smile in return and continued walking. Torches were lit further in, providing a vibrant orange lighting across the stone of the tunnel. He could see the joints of the stonework, but as he ran his hand along the wall, it all felt smooth. As his steps echoed down the tunnel, and daylight began to leak through the end, he could hear Virgil's voice speaking.
The man, the Creator himself will soon arrive to speak to you.
Walker Reed is the paramount authority for Symphony and all of its attached worlds.
He has traveled from an alternate universe, a different dimension, in order to bring his vision of what a world, nay, an entire solar system can be when its citizens are allowed unlimited growth.
Walker felt a warm glow in his chest, resonating with what Virgil was saying.
All of us, whether we're Assistants, Founders, Primigenials, or Monsters have gone through low times and we've gone through high times. Challenged the truth of who we are, and what we can do. So has the Creator.
He is here to speak to you now, to provide guidance for his vision of Symphony and how to obtain it.
Walker stepped into the light.
I give to you now, Walker Reed. The Creator. The Holder of Origin. The Master of Symphony and its people.
Walker was surprised Virgil had announced his Origin title, but he quickly moved beyond it. If the declaration caused problems down the line, they were going to come anyway. He walked onto the fine-grain sand toward a series of wooden steps, curling around a large wooden platform. Atop it was the massive dark squirrel himself, arms behind his back, standing straight and still, looking at the crowd.
Keeping his eyes forward, Walker strode across the yellow, and at times red, field. Upon reaching the stairs, he stopped.
Going by instinct, Walker called to his soul. The Book of Souls stayed put, as he'd asked it to not show itself yet. Instead, dark energy shot through with blue, green, and purple exited his chest and surrounded him. He lifted off of the sand slowly, rising for all to see. Walker spun as he was lifted up, looking at the entirety of the crowd.
Almost all of them were on their feet, the arena so silent he could hear his breathing magnified in all directions. A slow curve and he felt his feet touch the top of the platform, Virgil taking a step back to make sure Walker's energy didn't touch him.
Looking at the crowd, he tapped into his soul again, asking it to make sure he could speak to all of them at once. However, his Book didn't warm up.
Guess that one is not quite possible, He thought to himself.
Instead, he tapped into the broadcast ability he'd earned from the second battle and selected every entity on Sonata's surface. As the ability began to activate, he thought to himself it was probably better to go about it this way, as who knew what using a soul-infused speaking voice would do to people.
The Creator spread his arms wide and motioned down, asking everyone to sit. The Primigenials and assistants understood right away, with the Founders following a moment later. Walker placed a hand on his heart as he began to speak.
Hello, people of Symphony.
If you haven't heard my voice before, I apologize. I was gone for a time, for various reasons, and I hope to rectify any delays that have occurred in your training and your future.
I.....
He met Athena's eyes.
I am the Creator of Symphony. And maybe, one day, I will have the power of a true god, but I don't right now.
He stumbled on what he wanted to say next. Seeing Athena in the crowd, smiling at him, threw off his focus for a moment. He had created a plan for what to say. To talk about the glory of what was coming, the pursuit of strength and territories. Milestones and self-empowerment. But, Athena's smile pulled away from that. New ideas began to form instead. New words. A new plan. His people....they needed more from him.
Unknown to Walker, his soul started to slowly exude its aura behind him, quickly catching Virgil unaware before he could move. The Book of Souls exited and began to rise behind him, stopping at just over his head as he continued to speak to the watching crowd.
I....I have wants for you. Needs. Growing stronger is great, as is gaining in power, but it has to have a reason behind it. A purpose. Knowledge of oneself.
Long ago, compared to many of your lives, I made an oath. That I would hold myself, and those around me, to a higher ideal than what has come before. To be a Creator who FEELS for his people, and doesn't just use them. One who is building a world of miracles, where every horizon offers something new and wonderful. Something that brings forth a challenge. That we, as the citizens of Symphony, can be better as a whole. A whole people.
I look out across this Arena, and I see you. I see hundreds of you. I see the future of Symphony. I also see my own future in yours.
Walker could feel his soul growing now, not having noticed before. He agreed with its intentions and watched as the darkness spread from the platform. He looked behind himself for a moment and found Virgil unharmed, touching his chest. Walker smiled, then gave his soul a little extra push.
Don't be afraid of what you're seeing right now. This is my soul and the power it holds. This is the origin of all souls. The root. The beginning.
I'm going to give you a gift, my people. MY beginning. I'm going to awaken you, all of you, to a new height.
Walker held his soul over all of the Founders, asking his Book of Souls to hold for a moment even as it minutely started to shake.
For you Primigenials, it is a gift as well. Alma is old. Corrupted. Controlled. I'm going to give you something better. Something undiluted. A fresh start.
He pushed again and watched as the darkness of his soul congealed over each of the old gods. It gathered in strength, growing more opaque as time went on, before slowly moving forward one at a time and pressing itself into them. Walker watched as each Primigenial froze in place for a long moment, before gasping and falling forward. Many caught themselves while some struck the backseats of the person in front of them, picking themselves up off of the ground as their breathing struggled to normalize. Streaks of orange flowed back to the Book of Souls as his origin took the place of the old.
And my Assistants...
He paused as his soul bypassed them. He felt a connection with Virgil, but couldn't feel one with his subsystem and advanced assistants. He mentally stumbled for a moment.
You, uh, will get there one day.
He saw how disappointed many of them seemed, but it would be a quick fix with his future plans. He used the Book of Souls, shaking as it moved in front of him, to lift him high into the air. Every set of eyes latched onto him at this moment, no longer worried about his soul standing over each as the image of their Creator, covered in white robes and floating in the center of the Arena took center stage in their minds.
Founders, you are about to experience something. You're going to see yourselves and the paths you've taken in your short lives. You're going to make a decision about who you are, and who you want to be.
Life is difficult. It's hard. It will present things that challenge your understanding of the world, your friends, your enemies, and most importantly yourself. It comes with restrictions, vices and punishments for the evil and the good as well. You will feel the chains of societal living and the shallow depths of imparted truths from others. But, this is my gift to you. The option to always go beyond.
Let it be known, and let it brand into each and every one of us, that the Awakened will always have a choice.
Because in the end,
You Are Who You Choose To Be.
Walker's soul entered every Founder at once with no delay. His darkness struck each person, driving through their chests and straight to the center of their souls. Small colors fed back to The Book of Souls as he did so, draining a small piece of their soul as his origin took its place.
Each of them fell where they were standing, be it forward, backward, or straight down. They were all entering the first stage at the same time. Walker felt his origin sear the words he had just spoken upon their soul, as their journeys were just beginning. He felt his Book of Souls shudder again, and with a quick gasp, as he realized what was happening, he plummeted straight out of the sky.
Luckily, two furry arms caught him.
"This is going to change things again," Virgil commented quietly.
"Lots of that coming Virgil." He said, lightly patting the huge squirrel's cheek with a weak hand, "Lots of that coming."
Charging and watching over this many souls at once was taking a heavier toll on him than he had expected. His last view was a group of Primigenials lifting and placing the Founders into their chairs so they'd be more comfortable on their journeys.
Walker blacked out as his soul continued to shake.