Tutorial Day 1

Four Shadows stood around me as I waited outside the large doors into the central room. With my exit came a profound sense of relief. The cloying pressure instantly dissipated and while there were still threatening Shadows surrounding me, they clearly hadn’t been the cause of the discomfort inside.

Fong and Maelstrom were clearly having a ‘private’ discussion, since I’d been asked to leave. I had a lot of questions I’d like answers to, but for now, could only speculate as to what had gone wrong with my choice of Crafting Professions.

How could an Alchemist cause a war? Poisons maybe? Or perhaps it was a very profitable career inside the Tutorial, so money or prestige had become heavily involved. On Earth, Alchemists weren’t the most wealthy or the least—they’d probably fall somewhere in the upper middle.

Then again, like Smiths, they relied heavily on what they could make. A Smith on average was near the bottom, but on the high-end likely were one of the top earners. Plus, each was highly dependent on having a Skill that complimented their Craft. Or two, in many cases.

Still, the undisputed top Crafting profession was Enchanting, which was why I hadn’t even considered claiming it. That tangential thought brought me full circle. So why would an Alchemist be highly valued here in the Tutorial?

The only answer I could think of was that the last Alchemist had been a real monster. Someone who could create something extraordinary, or—could Alchemy be a key to leaving this place? I remembered that Fong had mentioned purchasing items that could help the people in the Tutorial grow their Stats and even their Skill levels and Rankings. Was that the key? Could Alchemists make—what? Stat Potions? Skill Potions? My mind whirled as I continued to think of ever more elaborate and convoluted possibilities.

Thankfully, Fong came out of the room at that moment, stopping my speculation. The look he gave me spoke volumes and I didn’t need him to say anything to know I should wait to ask any questions I had.

Fong’s mouth did move and the translation kicked in a moment later, “Follow me. I’ve been told to find you a room in one of the inner buildings. Also I will introduce you to the guards, so you can access the Alchemy Academy’s rooms with most of the stored Herbs. This way.”

The Shadows, sadly, separated from their places on the hallway walls and followed, meaning I probably wasn’t going to get a chance to ask any questions. Not yet at least.

We left the building the same way we came in and crossed the street to the next building directly across from Maelstrom's. The Shadows following us, making me more nervous just by my sheer proximity—even if by proxy, to Kai, but also due to the man’s words inside.

Fong eventually coughed politely to get my attention, which made me realize I was standing stock still just outside the entrance to the other building. He gave me a sad smile. “Do not worry overly much. Kai is not a bad man. He is just a bit single-minded in his focus on the Tribe.”

He mumbled something else that the translation didn’t pick up. It only gave me a single word. ‘—made—’ which left me more confused. Fong grimaced after he saw my expression, and waved away my concern.

“Sorry, just my own musings. If you can truly become an Alchemist, you’ve somehow ended up exactly where you need to be,” Fong continued, before turning around and walking into the building. “Perhaps it is providence.”

Like that statement didn’t make me more confused. Still, at least his earlier words reassured me a little bit.

As soon as I walked into the building, I could tell it was different than the last one. The hallways were far wider, at least on the main floor we entered on. Another stark difference was the lighting. In here, the lights were closer to true sunlight, or at least LED’s that could mimic them. The other building had been left almost intentionally dark, which seemed odd, until I glanced at the four Shadows.

They looked truly miserable in the bright light. Not like it was hurting them, but it just highlighted all the oddities that made them clearly not human. In the building with Maelstrom and on top of the roof, I could mistake them for living beings.

In here? There was just no chance of that. The clothes looked almost see-through, gossamer and semi-real. I reached out to touch the dark cloak of one and had my hand grabbed by Fong. He shook his head with a soft smile. In truth, the Shadows looked like black, wooden puppets made from poor-quality wood.

The intimidation I felt from them reduced greatly with their appearance shift. Right in front of the entrance was a staircase that went up a half story before ending in an atrium reminiscent of High School entryways. A quick glance inside an open door as we climbed those stairs further correlated this building toward a school.

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There were large rooms filled with desks and chalkboards, which admittedly—were a bit outdated, but I definitely didn’t think I was going to be able to get a Tablet or Laptop in here. So, I guessed blackboards and paper was going to have to suffice.

I did have my cellphone, and the lights above seemed to at least imply the existence of electricity. The only problem with that—I didn’t have a charger. I wondered if anyone else in the Tutorial had brought one? It sure would be nice to be able to keep notes on something a bit more secure than paper notebooks.

My assumptions became dashed when I discovered that the desks in the rooms held only beakers, flasks, titration apparatuses and other Alchemy equipment. I only grew more confused when I found two to three people working within each room.

I pointed to them and Fong smiled. “You didn’t think you would be the only one, did you?”

“Then how—” I began, clearly meaning to ask about the war, which got me a raised hand and a look at the ‘Shadows’.

Fong approached two men in leather armor, and they snapped to attention. The man with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke and a moment later the words came through the translator. “Sergeant Fong! It’s good that you’re back. Our current teachers of the sword—”

Fong cut him off with a raised hand. “—I’m not back. This is Brodie, a newbie I picked up while outside Tutorial Town. He thinks he can use his Skill for Alchemy. I’m here to introduce him and get him settled.”

“Another one, for the inheritance?” The blue-eyed man said, eyeing me up and down. “Is he going to study anything else?” He asked.

Fong looked at me, seeming to be expecting me to respond.

I stared back at him, and gave a small shrug, trying to convey how lost I was. “I like to cook…”

Fong chuckled, turning back to the guard. “He didn’t mention any weapon proficiencies or that his Skill may be able to find combat uses. Let’s let him get settled and decide after his first week.”

The man saluted Fong and then turned to the second guard. “Adam, since you can speak English, go get him settled.”

“Yes, Erik!” Adam said with a salute. I was thankful to hear some actual emotions instead of the robotic tones of the translator. “What was your name, again?” Adam said, directing the question at me.

“Brodie,” I answered quickly.

“Okay, Brodie—this way. We’ll get you settled on the fourth floor. It’s nearing night-time, according to the Sun Stones, so probably best to find you a bed.”

Adam marched off, hand on his sword, and I was left with the choice to follow after him or stay with the only man I felt I knew in this Tutorial, Fong. Fong smiled at me and gave me a motion that clearly said I should move now or risk losing Adam.

I sighed and took off at a brisk walk to match Adam’s. The Shadows, thankfully stayed with Fong—which made me realize that I probably wasn’t their target from the very beginning. At least the Alchemy choice didn’t appear to be totally the wrong one. Maybe.

As soon as we were in the stairwell and I had caught up to Adam a bit I asked, “What’s going on with the whole thing about Alchemist’s causing a war?”

Adam looked at me over his shoulder. “Did you not know about that before you said your Skill could be useful in Alchemy?”

“Fong had said Gatherers often become Crafters in the Tutorial…” I mumbled.

“Well shit, here I thought you were just another Inheritance chaser,” I blinked and Adam shrugged. “Back to your first question though. It wasn’t ‘Alchemistsss’,” Adam stressed the plural.

“It was one Alchemist that caused the war. You see, in our Shop we have a Skill for purchase that allows an Alchemist to Mass Produce Potions, Pills, Elixirs and Tonics. The last guy who had it was a bit of a monster, and could create powerful items for Tribe use, and then replicate them. It was really giving us an edge for a while—so the other Tribes banded together to assassinate him.

“We protected him and retaliated of course, killing their Tribes’ Inheritors. So each Tribe is kind of in the same boat.”

“Wait,” I said, even as I continued to climb flights of stairs. “I thought you couldn’t fight in town?”

“You can’t, as long as War isn’t declared. Once War was declared, the Guards vanished. It became pretty bad for a while. Thankfully, after the Inheritors were killed—the War quickly came to a stop.”

“Why would anyone want to become an Inheritor then?” I asked.

Adam gave me a withering look, that seemed to question my manhood. I let it slide off. Getting assassinated simply because people knew you had a Skill seemed like a really dumb decision. Adam looked away only long enough to open the stairway door and exit, followed closely by me.

“Risking your life to get such an amazing Skill will ensure you’re set once you get out of this place,” Adam answered.

It was my turn to give Adam a withering stare. “Do you know of a way out of here?”

Adam’s jaw clenched and he didn’t reply. In fact, he doubled his pace and arrived at a door with numbers on it far in advance of myself.

I called out after him. “Can’t have a ‘set’ life if you're dead, right?”

I slowly walked up reading the three numbers. Four-twenty-one.

“This is your room,” Adam stated and touched the door handle. “Guards have access to all rooms, and I’ve just activated the door to recognize the next Mana Signature to touch it. Push a bit of Mana into the handle and it will only allow you access, along with anyone you grant permission.”

I stepped closer, but Adam was already blowing by me, his parting words were stiff and unpleasant.

“Good day!” I guess I had said something wrong…