Pulling everything through the tear, I am directed to the side as I come through. There is as much militia to the sides and behind the tear, as there is in front of it. Some other officers come up to me and start eyeing my bed. But before they do anymore, Officer Talon waves them off.
I feel the weight of the bed shift between the branches in my hands. My little fairy has started slowly moving off to the side of the tear, where there are gaps in the fortification for people to pass through. I have to admit that I am impressed that Jenn has remained undetected. Looking at the ground, I can see where she is moving but still cannot see her. This is far beyond what she was showing the children of the traditional Elven equipment.
Officer Trailbreaker takes the lead and signals with a nod to follow him, through where Jenn has just gone. As we pass through the fortification line, he signals, raising a finger like he is calling a cab. A flatbed wagon pulls up. One like the wagons on their sides, making the barricade. Now that I see it better, I can only describe it as a cross between a western wagon and a plain old-time pickup truck. Something that looks like you could have made it with simple tools and boards. There is no team of animals pulling it. Nor does it make any engine noises. As Officer Trailbreaker directs four other officers to load my bed onto it, I contemplate how it is driven. Maybe electricity or magic of some kind?
Sitting on the passengers’ side, Officer Trailbreaker is getting in to drive. There is second-row seating that two of the new officers are sitting in. The other two are in the back, with my bed.
“This is the first vehicle that I have seen here.” I say to Officer Trailbreaker as the wagon starts to move. “I don’t think I have seen any type of transportation here at all. Does everyone just walk or do they travel like this?”
“Do you not remember anything before talking with the Doctor?” Talon asks, running his left hand across a thin long horizontal stone inlaid into the dashboard to steer. His right hand at the center console on a thin long vertical stone, controlling direction and speed.
“I remember. I just don’t know how I got here. Or where here is.” I watch the main building pass by on my right, not slowing, I turn back to Officer Trailbreaker with a questioning look.
“The children and those in need have all been moved to safer locations. All that’s left are the retirees and staff.” Talon explains. “You’ll be staying on the retirees’ side of Community Farms. I’m going to put you in one of the community housings. Usually, the people in community housing like to interact with others. People in standard housing have reasons for wanting their privacy.”
Passing by the main building I was staying at, we travel maybe about a half-mile, mile, through a winding path through the trees. It opens up to a much larger sub-division consisting of smaller single-family or maybe vacation size homes. Passing by some of those, we come to a grouping of apartment complexes. Stopping at the second one in, Officer Trailbreaker pulls to a stop at the front entrance. “Take this and swap it out with something on the second floor.” Officer Trailbreaker speaking to the other Officers that came with. “There are a few empty rooms, doesn’t matter which.”
Turning to me “Let’s go to the common room, I’d like to talk with you for a few and introduce you to some of the people here.” As the other Officers slide my bed off, Officer Trailbreaker pulls away as soon as they are clear.
We pull up to a central building looking more like a small-town village hall. There are more than a few seniors gathered about, all looking a bit healthier than they should. Talon gets out and heads for the entrance, pausing for a moment to talk with one standing by the entrance. “Give me a few minutes.” The senior nods and Talon continues in.
Following, I get a creepy feeling as I realize that everyone is watching and following my movement. Even stepping aside and parting for me to walk by. I follow Talon in and to a good size meeting hall. To me, it looks like a classic arrangement where there is one long table upfront for a governing body to sit at, while most of the rest of the room is benches, facing forward for the rest of the town to listen. A couple of long tables at the front of the benches with a podium between them, to address the board members. Talon takes a seat at one of those tables and begins to speak as I sit across from him.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“First I want to thank you for everything that you have done. The people here, myself included, are very grateful and appreciative.” He continues. “I was having a hard time admitting to myself, that you don’t remember anything. I can tell that you have been guarded in your conversation with everyone except maybe Jenn.” I nod. “I can see now that wherever you live or are from, it is very different from here, maybe even with little or no magic at all. Because you seem to understand and recognize everything, except what is or is power by, magic.” I nod again.
“So, let me start with myself.” Talon continues. “I would like for you to keep what I say here very discrete, and such conversations only between people that you know, know, and understand. For most people, knowing these things about someone will usually create a stigma about them and cause problems for them socially.” I nod. No clue what he is getting at.
Talon reaches up around his collar for what I thought was going to be some kind of dog tags, military ID tags, only to pull out a Bronze Plate. “I’m a ranked Bronze. Does that mean anything to you?”
“No, not really.” I reply. “Only that as the metal is more precious, the rank increases.”
“The majority of the population is not ranked. Ranked individuals increase in strength, power, and in a variety of different ways. If it was common knowledge that I was ranked, there would also be a certain amount of distrust from the people I have to interact with.” He pauses.
“Which brings me to why you are here, at Community Farms.” Again, he pauses to gauge my reaction, which is still mostly nothing, because I do not understand the implications of any of it. “Community Farms was started by a group of adventures wanting to do something for the children and the people in need. Over the years, Adventurers have continued to retire here and support the ideals that founded Community Farms. The Adventures that retire here care about the children and what happens to them.” I nod.
“When you were found, it was clear that you were helping the children, intentionally or not.” He explains. “That is why you were brought here, instead of a hospital or maybe even one of the holding cells. Adventurers tend to take care of their own, and that is what we thought you were until Doctor Lightbringer had you tested.” People are starting to gather at the doorway and Talon gives them the nod to come in.
Talon waits until the people are seated, now a crowd of probably forty or more, then continues. “Even before what has transpired over the last couple of days, we agreed that you are welcome here for as long as you need. There are not as many retirees as there used to be.” A few chuckles were heard throughout the crowd. “So, much of the housing is currently empty.”
I do feel the warmth of the people gathered, and most of my guard drops. The gentleman that was standing at the entrance comes to stand beside the table, waiting for Talon to finish.
“Because of what happened when we first found you.” This gentleman says. “I would like to present to you, honorary Iron Rank status.” He pulls out a small box from inside his suit coat and opens it to reveal an Iron Plate. Handing it to me he says “Congratulations.” Shaking his hand and holding the gift box in the other, soft applause fills the room.
The gentleman continues, more to the crowd than to me. “I don’t care what the Stone says! No non-ranker puts down an M-troll!” The crowd getting louder and voicing their agreement. Talon moving his hands to try and stop this senior from going any further. “A team of Iron or a Bronze at least.” The crowd getting worked up more, maybe half are on their feet now. “And how many did we find? Three! With goblins and a Commander? Where’s the Stone? I don’t Believe It!” Most are on their feet now. More than a few are holding up an Identifying Stone. “Bring them up!” He says to the crowd.
It suddenly seems more crowded than it just was with everyone gathering around the table. Talon has already stood up trying to get the room under control with little effect. These seniors are not so much as rowdy as they are focused on an objective, which seems to be me at the moment. No less than five Identifying Stones are already on the table, they are prepared.
Playing along, I stretch my right hand up into the air, the one with the blue ID on my wrist and the dog chain wrapped around my forearm like a bracer, fingers spread wide. The crowd starts to hush. I wait for it to get quieter, for dramatic effect, then stand, my hand still in the air. Looking at the gentleman speaker, “Which Stone?” Motioning that I don’t know his name.
“Bart” He states.
“Bart?” I question. That is not a name I would have put to his face.
“Bartholomew Questerfield. Bart, I’ll answer to.” He grins.
“Choose wisely Bart!” The crowd pointing or indicating their own choices, trying to influence Bart. Talon has stopped trying and has sat back down waiting for the outcome. You would think we were playing craps, with all the excitement around the table.
Bart chooses a stone nearest to the center of the table. I slowly place my hand on the stone in the same way that Doctor Lightbringer had done before and watch the lights start to race across the surface of the stone. The seniors are quiet now.
The lights stop. Everything blinks three times. Then nothing.
“Get that piece of crap out of here!” I hear one elderly lady say above the other words and murmurs of disappointment. “Try the other type!” She yells. I don’t see who it is, but as I start moving my hand towards another stone, I hear her yell again. “The round one you idiot!” Guess my ID is still working.
I place my hand on the only round Identification Stone. A different pattern of lights, but the same result. As I’m getting the same results from the other stones, I hear Bart mumble. “No non-ranker puts down a modified troll.” I hear similar whispers from the crowd. Eventually, there starts to be some agreement between them. “Gold”, “Potential for Gold”, and “Which Way”, are the phrases I’m picking out.
“Are we done now?” Talon speaks up. “I have a few more points to cover with our newest ranker.”
“Yes, yes.” Bart is muttering, following the seniors out of the entrance.