I awaken from my sleep and venture out into the main conference room to find Misun already there. We talked a little, and Kusog joined us shortly afterwards. We then made our way to the portal to go to the market, to hopefully recruit our dismantling and gathering specialist. I walked ahead of the other two, searching out Hepht. He saw me coming and gestured me over to the corner of his little yard. There was a man smoothly making his way through an animal that was 4 times the size of him. Yet, there was not one wasted motion. Everything I could see was clearly cut to the length he meant to cut it to, and there was little mess on him. Oh, to be sure, some. But not the bucket loads you would expect to see from someone literally cutting through something that size. Hepht called out and signalled him to come over.
"Dougda, these are the people I wanted you to talk to. There has been no demands made, they just asked me if I knew anyone who was interested in moving on and joining them for the purposes of gathering materials. I naturally thought of you, but since you have not actually told me what you are looking for, I suggested they talk to you." Dougda nodded. He looked at each of us in return. When he looked at me, I could feel some sort of identify skill used on me. He noticed that I noticed.
"You are not pantheon. You could be group. But I'm thinking, faction?" This was the moment. Did I want to reveal to someone I just met, the most important piece of information about myself right now? Not really, but sometimes, to get a little, you have to give a little. So I nodded. "Purpose of faction?" This floored me a bit. While I had an overall goal, the fact was that the reason he started this faction was simply to say that he was his own man. So what was the purpose?
"The purpose of the faction at this moment is just to say that we are willing to help each other, yet be our own people. To help shore up each other weaknesses and lend our strength to each other as needed. I want to explore." I said, with it rushing out of me.
"I want new challenges and adventures and to help people." Said Kusog. Misun softly said.
"To see things I learned and meet new friends." Dougda gave a nod and spoke.
"You have given me varied answers, and this was what I sought. To find a group that could work together but might not have a common goal. But would be willing to help each other as needed. I will join you." So saying, he turned to Hepht and bowed. "It is with regret that I have to tender my resignation for my work. I have found a new way to walk." Hepht clapped him on the shoulder.
"Dougda, you've been one strange little man to have in my yard. But you have always done what you have said you would do, and have unfailingly been successful in every task I set you. Walk your way with pride and honour." He nodded to the rest of us and went back to work.
Happy that we had managed to recruit Dougda, I then went to see if we could recruit the person Henare recommended us to get grab. Charses. I was of two minds about this one. My faction was going to be a hidden one for the most part. However, so many people had guessed what we were up to already. Granted, these were people who were reputed to have the pulse of this city. So maybe I needed someone who could smooth and hide away things. However, with the way that I first laid eyes on Charses, I had to question if he was the person for the job.
"DDDDEEEEMMMMMMMIS AND EPICS! We have a delightful little exhibition fight going on later to decide a beef between these two teams of epics! Dwerwe's Delvers against Gwerwe's Giants! It promises to be a fantastic bit of action!" I took my eyes away from Charses, dressed in an eye-gouging tunic of purple and orange, and studied the two groups being advertised by the fight. They looked very similar. In fact, as I narrowed my eyes and looked at the leaders, I realised they must be related to each other.
"Fancy a bet, mate?" A voice intruded onto my thoughts.
"Not at this moment, thank you. But I wondered if you could answer a couple of questions?"
"Sorry mate, but not without a bet. You can pay in mortal coins if you got any, if you like." With a sigh, I pulled out 100 gold coins from a pocket and pointed to the guys on the left. "Dwerwe's Delvers! Good team to bet on. I think they may have the edge, but we see."
"Yes, well, my question is, are they related?"
"Oh yes. Brothers."
"And they are fighting each other?"
"Well, Delvers is an honourable name among darvwes and as a result the second team are a bit sore about not being able to use it here, on account of the naming convention for the arena. So I proposed we have a little grudge match to settle it." I suddenly whipped my eyes to the person in front of me. Sure enough, it was Charses, but dressed in a sober suit of brown. I looked at him and then at the person dressed in the orange and purple tunic. Also Charses. I looked back at the Charses in front of me. This was quite freaky. Yet, effective.
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"Can me and my group have a little chat somewhere after the fight, or another time when you aren't busy?"
"Well, normally I get a bit leery when a group of people want 'a talk' after a fight, but you got Kusog with you, and he has always been a stand-up guy. Tell you what, see the guy over there?" I looked over and boggled. Jesary. "I'm willing to talk by him if you like."
"That would be acceptable." Charses nodded and walked off. Soon enough, the fight started off. Dwerwe's men were tough, but Gwerwe's men it seemed felt the need to prove something.
"Dwerve's Giants are the losers, while Gwerwe's Delvers are the winners!" I smiled and walked over to by Jesary. He nodded and looked at the rest of my group.
"Kusog, Mitsun. Dougda. Now you're talking to Charses. Yeah, you're definitely putting together a faction, ain't ya? Haven't even gotten the combat team yet." I sighed as I realised how people have been guessing. If I was setting up a group, I was doing this arse backwards to a certain degree. However, I did have a bit of a plan for this.
"Hey Jesary, since it you, yes I am. I would also like to make sure it doesn't spread. Who do I pay and what it gonna cost me?" Jesary adopted a pondering look and then spoke.
"Well, If you get Charses to join you, him. If you don't a lot of demi and me." Simple enough. Hope I would be able to sort this.
Charses eventually came over.
"Cheers for waiting, I had to sort the bets out and then get the darvwes to calm down a bit. Now what do you fine people want to talk about? Hey Jesary." Before I could speak, Jesary cut in and said.
"Hey Charses, this is the faction you have been waiting for. That man there, will cause a lot of bloody trouble in the years to come. I mean, he's trying to keep the fact he in a faction quiet, and he's wandering round like a newborn lamb." Charses eyes lay upon me, and then the rest of the group.
"This is the infamous Tinkerson I keep hearing about? Lowry doesn't like you. You turned him down. You got Kusog with you, who a walking disaster in his own way. Misun. Love your father work. Following after him or blazing your own path?" Misun shyly admitted that although she would be blazing her own path, elements of her father's path were sure to follow. "Oh what fun. And you, little guy. I don't have a lot of info on you. Which can be troubling. But exciting." I looked at Charses in fascination. I had met people like him in my past life. Rarely, but enough to recognise the type. They did not like being bored. Staying still. If at all else, rather than just letting them stay still, it would be better to give them a box of dynamite and say 'Go there and have fun.' then to just let them be bored. On the other hand, give them a mission, with lots of detail, and everything would be covered. Public relations? More like disinformation specialist....... Which was what I needed, really. I looked at him and Misun with different eyes. He would go in, all razz and jazz. Everyone would focus on him. In the meantime, Misun would slip in and find out what was really needed. Everyone would think one thing, but the reality would be different. Thank you Henare.
"So, want a job?"
"What do I get to do?"
"What if I was to say that other than generally help out with problems as they arise or with faction missions, whatever you wanted to do, with whoever you could rope in? That we all got our own goals, just not averse to helping each other out."
"Oh. Jesary, He's letting me do what I want. He's not telling me. He is asking me. Will I have to fight?"
"If you have to fight, it will only be because we are all fighting for our lives."
"That should scare me, but it strangely excites me! I'm in!" Jesary stood off to the side, muttering to himself.
"Oh, they are not going to like this. They are not going to like this at all. The captain going to have my balls for this. I probably will be allowed to still work, but I might be banned from the betting for a while. Til at least this lot is gone from the academy." I smiled as I walked off. I would have to try and do something to help Jesary if I could.
We went back to our headquarters, while Charses would dart off on the way to speak to someone, time and time again. I decided to ask him what he was up to. He blithely told me that he was getting people to believe we were a group rather than a faction, that the reason why it was a bit backwards was because the group leader was a bit of an idiot and the rest of us were milking it for what it was worth. I sighed but figured I probably wanted a valid reason for people to believe that and much as it made me sound like a bit of an idiot, the inexperience of me as leader would explain a lot.
We made it back to headquarters and sat around the table. The others all looked at me. Looks like it was time for me to do my bit.
"Here we are. Five people with goals obscured from each other for the most part. Which is fine for the moment, if we just want to get through the academy together and go our separate ways. I and Kusog know roughly what each other are looking for, and will remain a team after the academy. All I ask of you other three is to think on your goals, and if this group can help with them after we leave here. If that answers yes, and you would like to stay, then I would ask that you reveal them to me at least at some point before the academy ends. If you decide it won't then know it won't be an issue to call it quits when the academy ends." I looked round the table and watched everyone take this in. "For the moment, the goal is this. Kusog as far as I am aware, has the least time before his 25 years is up. Correct?" Everyone agreed. "So this is what I purpose. Kusog and I have a couple of books to read that we have been told will require a month of study. Misun, If you could gather information on a good group or even generate a list of combat demis that we could get to work together for a group in that month, that will give us a head start on the combat team. Charses if you could help her, that would be appreciated." Misun nodded demurely, as Charses just smiled a broad smile and nodded.
"What will you want of me?" Dougda voice quietly asked.
"Misun father gave us an upgrade disc for this place. I wondered if you could look into it and the options it could give us, please? You strike me as a methodical, exacting person. That way, when we meet back up in a month time, we can discuss everything." Everyone nodded. I and Kusog then ventured to our room to begin reading the books Misun's father had sold to us.