The first child up was one of the warrior cast. He had a tier three water kern with the potential to reach tier five. This was beyond astounding, he was the first tier three in a generation. If given the correct environment the boy had the potential to reach tier five. It would make him the most powerful person in the entire caldera.
This made Tristan feel a little bit grimm. He had wanted to be exceptional, but there was no way he would be the equal of both his parents put together. Even with outstanding potential, he would not be this boy's equal. Most people at age thirteen had a tier zero kern with a tier one potential, most people also never reached their potential. In fact, almost seventy percent of the Caldera had tier zero kerns.
The second child was average with a tier zero darkness kern with tier zero potential. It was the lowest of the low, the worker caste. They will only be able to use their abilities to do minor things like activate the farming artifacts or see slightly better in the dark. Tristan honestly felt bad for the boy, he had a long hard life ahead of him.
Both teens had pale faces as if they had seen a ghost. Tristan wondered if the black water in the chalice was slightly toxic. He did not think so, he was sure his father would have prepared him if there was a survival component to the test.
Soon enough it was Tristan’s turn to step onto the stage. Shadow Fist stepped up behind him and walked with Tristan to the stand in front of the black smoking chalice. The black water looked especially unappetizing up close. Black fog meant something was poisonous, right?
Elder River nodded to him, and gave Tristan a grandfatherly smile, “ It is nice to meet Elder Forest's nephew, grow and support him and his children.”
Tristan could only nod, “Yes Elder River.”
Elder River chuckled at Tristan's nervousness and said, “Young man, dip one finger in the chalice. Go ahead and place that finger in your mouth, do not dip more than one or you could die. The will of the grand ancestor was forged into this artifact during its creation so don’t be worried when you see a vision of the founder's life, it is his to you and will have your future in mind. “
Tristan nodded and extended one finger, placing it in the black smoke wafting out of the chalice. It did not feel like water, it was more viscous, like paint, however, it was very cold, to the point of causing a burning feeling. He immediately placed it in his mouth and sucked. There was no new taste, nothing by which she could determine that anything was on his finger not even the cold remained.
Suddenly, the unbearable cold seized his mind. Tristan tried to move or scream, he had felt worse pain before, but the feeling of something foreign seizing his consciousness was terrifying. It only took a few minutes for his vision to shut down, but he remained aware of everything. He could still feel everything, the sun, the grass the rustling of leaves. Wait grass, leaves?
Tristan found he could open his eyes and he found he was not in the sifting grounds anymore. Looking around he saw a man seated on a rock. The man saw so odd that Tristan did not notice that everything in this world except for himself and the man was in greyscale. The man had chocolate brown skin and eyes with black irises, he wore leather snakeskin armor over black robes. He was not too tall, Tristan would be taller when he finished growing. Tristan realized that he was looking at Sai, the grand elder. He was a relic of the past, from a time before humanity was limited to the caldera.
“Good morning young man,” Sai said with a smile.
Tristan felt at ease around him. A sense of peace filled this bleak grey world, “Thank you, are you going to tell me my future.”
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Sai’s smile turned sad, “Yes, and forgive me, this is for your own good.”
Tristan was confused by the grand ancestor. Did he have bad news?
Regardless he would listen, he could trust this man. That was what he thought so it came as a complete surprise when Sai’s face twisted in rage. Tristan was not even able to see Sai move. One moment he was sitting on a rock the next he was holding Tristan by the throat.
Sai held Tristan off the ground with one hand in the other shadow swirled as a pole darkness manifested. It was a long needle the same length as a long sword. It did not seem to be a good weapon, however Sai was a hero a titan of the sixth tier. Any weapon was more than enough to finish off Tristan.
“ what are you doing in my remnant?”
Tristan said the only thing that came to mind, “ I am here to learn about my kern.”
He figured the truth was the best thing to say right now. He didn't want to die and Sai was keen to end his life. There was no way for him to fight back. Each tier was roughly a fifty percent boost over the last tier, meaning Sai was at least eleven times stronger than anyone with a tier zero kern.
“ so you were naturally born to one of my men one of their descendants,” Sai looked down at the bar of darkness he was holding, “maybe one of my descendants?”
He snorted, “ does not matter. All you animals need to be wiped out. I may not be able to touch your body in here but I can destroy your mind.”
Tristan had no way to comprehend what was going on. Why was the grand ancestor trying to kill him? He had never done anything wrong. He had been a model citizen. Well, as model as any teenage boy could be.
The hand with a needle blurred forward. The only thing Tristan could do with squirm out of the way. The needle narrowly missed his heart. It punched through his left lung instead.
Tristan coughed up blood. This was a dream blood, right? He didn't wanna die. he didn't want to. The world went black.
At first, Tristan thought he was dead, but dead people weren't supposed to feel pain and his chest was blazing. His first thought was, what the heck was that? Shadow Fist should have told him the grand ancestor would try to kill him.
Then he got his answer. He opened his eyes and saw River looking down at him with a dark expression. He was glancing from Tristan to the surface of the water where his kern tier and potential were visible. It showed a zero slash zero in silver on the surface. Tristan rolled over and spat up some blood. The pain was starting to fade, but it was still hard to breathe.
The deep wizened voice of River rolled out, and all of its grandfatherly nature was gone, “Look children, at the kern sworn enemies. Those with a heart of steel, and silver blood. We have this sifting to find these exact people. The grand ancestor judges them and finds them guilty.”
River looked at Forest, “ he is your clansman, fix your mistake.”
Forest grimaced, he obviously did not like being told what to do. However, that would not stop him from carrying out his duty to protect the caldera. He started walking towards Tristan his hand ablaze with fire. It was easily hotter than his mother's. The air shimmered around Elder Forest's fingers as he prepared to end his nephew.
“No,” Tristan's mother stepped between them, her hands also were aflame, “don't touch my son.”
“HELLEN! Step back, “ Shadow fist yelled.
Tristan's mom flinched, glancing back at her husband, “What, they want to kill our son?”
Shadow fist laughed. Tristan watched as he walked by then, was shocked as his father kicked him in the side, “Sure, and for good reason. He's a tier zero metal kern, he is the enemy. Well barely with that tier zero potential.”
Forest paused, looking on intrigued at the interaction. He was not inclined to raise his hand nephew if he did not have to.
Tristan was in shock, tier zero. Metal., he was a destroyer. He never wanted to destroy. It did explain the wrath that Sai demonstrated.
Shadow first looked over at River, “ I do believe you were wrong in your judgment.”
River just raised an eyebrow, he said in a dangerous tone, “Pray tell, how have we strayed from what is right.”
Shadow fist smirked, “ I am the new blood added to the head, family of clan forest caldera so this is because of my blood. There is one of two ways this should be fixed. First, I need to put him down with my own hands.”
"What's the second,” Forest was nodding.
“Second, I cannot speak to the second as I am not an elder. I do not know the ways of the great ancestor Sai. However, the great ancestor clearly chose to maim and not kill Tristan as he had the ability to do so. As his father, I may be biased, so it is not my place to interpret.”