Chapter 29: Serving a Sentence
After her divine visitation, Nara refocused on her adventurer training, pushing back the growing terror that her chat with Traveler had re-triggered.
She had slowly regained some semblance of sanity after she seemed to have lost it in the astral. And now, she was sane enough to feel the absurdity of her situation: She was in a stranded in a strange, magical world with beings far more powerful than she was and entirely alien to her in nature and thought. Her carefree nature and joy for magic and discovery clashed with her logical nature that screamed the danger of this wide, new world.
Yet, even with this inner turmoil, she was able to focus on her training. She made confident strides in her swordplay and staff play, flirted with archery, refined her aura control, continued to hone her perception and memory, further studied ritual and astral magic, practiced her lute, and pushed the limits of her mobility and parkour, which was by far the area she was most proficient in.
Her once stodgy reflexes had been sharpened and honed, gleaming like a finely crafted blade. She sprung with lightness in her step, executing impossible parkour maneuvers that would have required wire work or special effects to execute on earth. She was sharp, efficient, and flexible. Shooting through hoops, springing up walls as if she were a video game character wall jumping. Her touchdowns were just a momentary pause before she spun on a dime and shot off in another direction, deflecting rocks and phasing through other inescapable projectiles.
Despite her anxiety, she had also grown in other ways. She was no longer froze up at the sight of monsters—she was adapting to her new environment, even if a small, panicked whisper in the back of her mind told her she’d gone crazy.
“We’ve been training her for six weeks now, haven’t we Laius?” Amara said thoughtfully, but her arm still periodically threw out a rock with expert marksman accuracy even when she wasn’t looking in Nara’s direction.
He nodded.
“Extreme mobility is enough to escape monsters of her rank, and even the rank above,” Amara continued, somehow sniping Nara with rocks even as her eyes turned away from Nara’s fleeing figure. “Do you see what I’m getting at?”
He nodded again.
“I think Nara can pass the Adventure Society certification exam.”
Laius nodded in agreement.
She took a break on the grass, sipping a freshly squeezed mixed fruit smoothie and snacking on some salty treats. She may not have need to replenish her salts after a workout, but it still fulfilled an ingrained craving.
“I’m ready to pass the Adventure Society exam?” Nara said, “I don’t feel ready.”
“It’s not as strict as you think,” Amara said, “And, once you pass it, your training doesn’t end.”
“Training never ends,” Laius added.
“Iron rank essence users like you can’t remain in pre-training forever. They need to complete contracts, build their reputation with the society, hone their skills and gain experience fighting monsters, and earn spirit coins by completing contracts. For early essence users, that last point is the most important part.” Amara’s sun gold eyes saw through her inner turmoil, “You’d feel more secure with your own source of income, wouldn’t you?”
“I would,” Nara admitted. Her living expenses, tuition, training, and supplies had been provided by the four of the retreat. She accepted their help gratefully but didn’t want to remain dependent on their generosity. And one day, she wanted to repay them for their guidance and kindness.
Amara’s smile was one of her rare, gentle smiles, instead of her fierce smiles.
“At the start of the next month, in less than two weeks, the Adventure Society will hold their certification exam. They hold one every month so long as there is an applicant, and there is no penalty for failure. Sign up for it, and we’ll help you with your preparations,” Amara declared.
*****
“And that’s how it is, in a bit, this table game partner of yours is going to shoot her shot at becoming an adventurer. First hand,” Nara said. She flipped over her first group of cards.
“Aren’t you getting a little too good at this?” Sezan frowned.
“What can I say, I have excellent teachers.”
“How can I evaluate your progress with your lute if you don’t lose?” Sezan complained.
“Grandfather, you aren’t musically astute enough to determine if she’s made progress at her level. She’s already beyond your comprehension,” Encio said, flipping over his own group of cards, “First hand.”
“I’m feeling my age now,” Wisteria cackled, “the youngsters are leaving me in the dust. First hand,” She glanced at Sezan, “Clearly, I still have some youth left in me compared to you.”
“You too, Wisteria?”
Wisteria chuckled as she plucked some snacks set on a floating panel above the table game. The treat was spring kaklova. It was similar to the middle eastern desert baklava, but made with crushed nuts and dried fruits, a honey-like syrup that was gentler and less intensely sweet, a flaky pastry dough, and topped with delicate and sweet flower blossoms as edible decorations.
The taste of the nuts was the opposite of familiar—one that could hardly be found in most regions of the world.
“Is this made of laxo nuts?” She asked.
“I’m surprised you can tell.”
“I’ve had it once before. It’s a rare treat.”
Her expression was ponderous, and the outgoing and crafty woman was oddly quiet. She may have been reminiscing of the past, Nara thought.
Stolen story; please report.
“Now that you mention it, I was wondering if you’d like to team up, Nara, once you pass your certification exam,” Encio offered. He drew a card, his expression frowning as he placed it in the discard. Who knew if that was a genuine frown of disappointment. He too, was Wisteria’s apprentice in trickery.
“I haven’t been planning on teaming up with anyone, but I’ll think about it.” Nara said.
“You should give it genuine thought,” Sezan said, “Solo adventurers are the ones most likely to die.”
“Grandfather.”
“What? It’s true. How about this, let’s have a bit of fun with this and bet a bit?”
“A bet?”
“Look here, I don’t want my grandson’s friend and our table game partner to show up in a casket—”
“And I don’t want to miss my snacks,” Wisteria added offhandedly.
Encio shot him a disapproving look.
“--and I’m not saying you will, but there’s safety in numbers. Encio and I play against you and Wisteria in this game. If we win, you and Encio will team up. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but you don’t have any problem with him, do you?”
“No, he’s a good friend. I was really going to consider it.”
“You are rather slow at decision making.” Encio said, “Maybe expediency is the path, grandfather.”
“It’s nice to have some support from my grandson. It’s becoming increasingly rare.”
“And if Wisteria and I win?”
Sezan reached into a dimensional pouch and pulled out a stone. “You haven’t awakened all of your abilities yet, have you?”
“I’ve got 7 abilities left un-awakened.”
“Take a look at this. I think this is an offer you can’t refuse.”
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Item: [Awakening Stone of Dimension] (unranked, legendary)
Classification: Awakening Stone, Consumable
An awakening stone that unlocks the power of dimension.
Requirements: unawakened essence ability
Effect: awakens an essence ability
-------
“An awakening stone of dimension? This is good stuff. Shouldn’t you pass it on in your family or something?”
Sezan waved his hand dismissively, “I’m a wealthy partially retired adventurer relaxing in a beach town playing board games. Besides, this grandson has had his pick of the pile. Swift, Balance, and Dimension for the Time confluence. All the expensive awakening stones he could want. Encio has all twenty of his abilities; he has no use for the rest.”
“I’m the youngest of the family,” Encio said, “So all my siblings and cousins are fully awakened as well. We can keep if for the next generation, but it’ll otherwise sit locked up in storage for another 20 or 30 years, until one of us continues the chain.”
“That’s a rather low estimate,” Sezan said, “Just 20 to 30 years?”
“Hadrian is married,” Encio said. “You might be seeing great grandchildren sooner than you think.”
“Hadrian is too focused on his ‘career’ and politics to have a kid. What need does our family have for politics—” He stopped, realizing he was in the company of an outsider, and they had been intentionally keeping everything on a first-name, semi-anonymous basis.
“Best not to say more,” he said with a dismissive smile.
Encio was 24, one year older than Nara. He was old for iron rank, especially for a rich family if what Sezan said was true; Most made it to bronze in their early twenties. Maybe he started late or felt no motivation to push through iron to bronze. Or perhaps, he had simply spent the time leisurely with his grandfather.
Nara did aspire for that sort of relaxed, carefree life. But Encio didn’t seem the sort of spoiled rich kid to live off his family’s riches. Not from the movements she saw that day. His movements were sharp and well-maintained. He had been through the gauntlet of training essence users put their progeny through. And he was talented, or else he would not have had one of the most desirable essence combinations in the world, and a tailored set of awakening stones just for him.
“This sounds a little too good to be true. It’s just a win/win for me. What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Sezan held his hands up in surrender, “We can’t just have a fun bet? I didn’t think you’d have a reason to play seriously unless I offered something valuable. I can’t make it too easy for my grandson either, you’ll play along, and make life tough for him, won’t you?”
“The catch,” Encio said, rolling his eyes, “Is that you’d have to agree to team up with me for a period if you lost, even if you hadn’t made up your mind.”
“What period?”
“You want to decide this now?”
“A bet is a bet. I can’t say I’m not motivated for a sparkly new stone. I know 1 star and 5 star stones are all the same supposedly, but I haven’t had a taste of that top rarity yet.”
“Six months, unless I decide to end it early.”
“That’s a pretty long time. I think four months is long enough to know whether we should seal the deal on a partnership.”
“I can work with that,” Encio said. “Four months if you lose, a dimension stone if you win.”
“Don’t say it like that,” Nara said, “That sounds like I’m serving a sentence.”
“With him, it might be,” Sezan.
Nara, Wisteria, and Encio all stared at him.
“Your grandson isn’t that bad. He didn’t deserve that.”
“Is it that bad…?” Encio muttered, suddenly dejected. “I’m not that bad…”
“Do his words hurt you so much, Sezan?” Wisteria said, looking at him with pity. "You're the elder, where's your dignity?"
“Is this all a ploy to get rid of me, grandfather? I hadn’t realized you disliked the time we spent together. Or have you just grown tired of me after all this time?”
Sezan stared back at the three of them with disbelief.
“What? The three of you can joke but I can’t?”
The three grinned Cheshire smiles back.
The bet in place, the tension ramped up around the table, causing the resting Thanatos to sit up and take notice. Nara was ahead, the first to complete her first hand, a rare early win for her. Wisteria was in third, but she was a formidable ally with a track record of pulling ahead where it mattered most. Encio was a consistent player, trading second and third place with his equally consistent grandfather. Either she or Wisteria needed to win for it to count as her win.
“Wisteria,” Nara said hurriedly, “I’ll give you a full box of treats the next time if you win.”
“Oh ho,” Wisteria said, “You thought I’d work for them?”
“I picked up on tricks from you; I’m just covering all my bases.”
“Smart cookie,” she said, grinning, “You caught on.”
“It’s a deal then?”
“Oh yes, we have an agreement.”
“Hey,” Sezan said, “Weren’t you on my side?”
“Offer something up, greybeard,” Wisteria said, “What ’cha got?”
Sezan stroked his well-maintained and neatly trimmed beard and frowned. He didn’t have grey hair.
“I can’t compete with those treats. I know how much you like them.”
They had laxo nuts—those weren’t exactly common, even for his resources.
“Then suck it up and play fair.”
“Says the person who wasn’t going to play fair to begin with,” Sezan grumpily muttered.
The match was intense—or so Nara would like to say, but it was still a relaxing game in a seaside grove. They chatted and bantered about current events around the world. Nara wondered in part if it was a ploy to relax her guard. But it was true, win or lose, the stakes were low. She would like a cool new ‘legendary’ rock, but she wasn’t competitive beyond competitiveness for the sake of fun. She didn’t bemoan her losses. In this world and the last, she’s had her fair share of losses in the domain of games. She hadn’t realized, but this was the highest prize bet of her entire life thus far.
The match progressed, each competitor completing their respective hands. Nara had dropped down to second place, while Encio rose into first. Wisteria was in third, while Sezan was still dead last.
The final hand rolled around, with predictable results. Nara dropped down another place, into third. Wisteria rose into second place, approaching Encio who clung to first. Sezan still, dead last.
They four finally felt the tension, quieting as each raced to complete the final hand. Nara still had a shot at winning the match and securing that oh so precious stone.
A dimension stone with a dimension essence; she couldn’t help but admit she was curious. She couldn’t guarantee it’d awaken an ability in that essence, but she’d like to see it there for that dimension-on-dimension combination.
Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed when Encio managed to keep the lead, completing his final hand before Wisteria completed hers.
“Fourth hand,” he said, flipping over his final group of cards. “It’s my win.”
Nara sighed and leaned back, “It was a long shot anyway. No matter what Sezan says, I was just losing less, not winning more. I’ll still bring those snacks Wisteria, food makes a party.”
“I’ll drink to that,” she said, lifting her cup then downing it without waiting for anyone to join her toast.
“You’ll drink to anything.” Sezan countered, but drank his own.
She offered her fist to Encio, grinning. “To the next four months, partner.”
He bumped it with his own, “Four months and longer, friend.”
“Well, we’ll see if I don’t get sick of you by then. Maybe your grandfather has a point.”
“I already said I was joking. Don’t look at me like that, Encio. Hey…”