“Samantha… do I want to know what just happened? Alarms are going off and everyone’s run to the central building. Wait, before that, are you okay? You’re not going to fight everyone, are you?” Samantha could practically hear Harper’s worried voice in her mind through their [Liaison] connection.
“I’m fine, and no, I don’t plan on fighting anyone,” Samantha responded. “But you’re probably going to have a lot of angry people coming to see you.”
“...Great. So, what should I tell them?”
Samantha felt a little bad leaving Harper with a huge mess to deal with, but it couldn’t really be helped in this situation. As tempting as it was to offer her friend a full explanation as a small recompense for her trouble, she was also acutely aware of Harper’s loyalty to the guild. Samantha had to be thoughtful about what information she offered up.
“Tell Walter that Harold has closed the rift as repayment for his imprisonment and poor treatment. As far as we’re concerned, our grievances with your outpost are now settled. So long as the Delver’s Guild doesn’t cause us further trouble I don’t foresee many occasions where our paths would cross again. I hope this will be the end of animosity between us.” Samantha paused her communications for a moment to mark a break between business and more personal words for Harper. “I’m going to cut the [Liaison] thread between us shortly for both our safety, so this is goodbye. I wish the best for you and Cole, and maybe we’ll meet again sometime if you ever decide to ascend.”
“Wait!” Harper said hurriedly. “Before you go I should warn you. I feel like you deserve that much, at least.”
“Warn me about what?”
“Closing the rift. It’s a much bigger deal than you think. This will cost the guild a fortune and they won’t quietly let it pass if they find you–especially since you’re unaffiliated. You won’t be as protected by Centra’s laws and you’ll probably be black listed by all of our partnered guilds. Your best chance is to seek out rival guilds for information, trade, and–oh! Walter is banging on my front door. I’ve got to go. Good luck!”
“Thanks, and good luck to you too!” With that, Samantha let the connection between herself and Harper dissipate.
She checked her qi pool and saw that she only had 154.3/669.6 remaining. Discounting the 10 qi reserved for her personal domain and the handful of points she’d been reserving for [Liaison], her 60 mile [Rift Walk] had cost her close to 500 qi. A heavy expenditure to be certain, but preferable to traveling the same distance on foot.
“Do we need to keep moving or are we far enough away for a bit of rest? I don’t know about you, but the last few months for me have been…” Harold trailed off and left the sentence unfinished. After a few seconds he continued speaking. “I wouldn’t complain about taking some time to collect myself.”
She’d scoped out this particular area during her time guarding the rift. This section of the forest was slightly less dense due to being nearest the canyon wall and residing in its shadow for half of the day. Of the many times she’s paid this place a visit she’d never seen any predatory beasts she felt incapable of handling. It was ‘safe enough’ for a few hours respite, in other words.
“We can rest. I need to let my qi pool replenish anyway,” she acknowledged.
He nodded gratefully towards Samantha before dismounting from Sandy’s back with a quiet huff. He sat heavily on a nearby rock and gestured to the fallen log next to it. “Care to sit?”
She shook her head and eyed him warily. This man was acting nothing like the Harold she remembered. She wondered if three years in the rift was enough to cause this much of a change, or if there was something else fueling his suspicious level of consideration.
Harold chuckled to himself. “I can understand your apprehension. I know I’ve changed quite a bit. I feel that same apprehension towards you, too. But, rest assured, beneath this polished exterior is still the same irritating man you once traveled with. As I’m sure beneath your cold, calculating gaze is still the same kind-hearted fool who escorted me through the wilderness.”
She let out a short laugh at that. “I’ll have to thank whoever finally beat some politeness into you.”
Harold sighed. “You’re looking at him. I was my own worst enemy and had to learn the hard way.” He reached down and gripped Mercer’s figurine which was hanging around his neck. “It also helps when you have a trustworthy friend to set you straight from time to time.”
“I’m sure we both have our fair share of grand tales to share, but there’s an issue we need to resolve first.”
Harold looked up at her nervously. “I think I already know what you’re referring to. Since I’m still alive, I’m hoping that means there’s an agreement we can come to that lets me stay that way. I have no doubts that if you wanted to kill me you already would have.” When she didn’t answer him immediately he kept talking to fill the silence. “You’re Silver now, right? I’m not the best at estimating advancement levels, but your aura is definitely more potent than a Peak Bronze’s.”
Samantha realized she hadn’t been making much effort to contain her aura since meeting back up with Harold. It’d been beneficial to leave it unrestrained while in the Delver’s Outpost as a sort of warning, but now it would only risk drawing unwanted attention. She tightened her control over her energy until only those within arm’s reach–or those actively gauging her strength–would be able to sense it.
Harold misunderstood the action and spoke up again. “You could’ve left it if you wanted! It wasn’t too uncomfortable. I was actually admiring how strong you’ve grown in a short period of time. I thought my getting to Low Bronze was impressive, but Silver is something else entirely. How long did you spend in the rift to achieve that?” Samantha grimaced at remembering the cultivation chamber and Harold paled slightly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I just assumed with your rapid advancement you must’ve entered that rift the expedition was looking for. And that art you used earlier looked like one I could’ve purchased in the rift if I’d had the points, but…” Harold rubbed tiredly at his face with both hands. “Gods! I’m really terrible at this sort of thing.”
Mercer popped into existence, looked between Samantha and Harold, and patted Harold consolingly on the back. “Don’t worry. I’ll take it from here.”
----------------------------------------
Using [Geas] in combination with written contracts was arguably the most popular application of the utility art back on the first floor. Though each contractual thread was technically limited to a single, reasonably completable task, a [Geas] to ‘follow the terms of a written contract’ was a bit of a loophole. While the contract could have any number of stipulations within it, the [Geas] itself would count following the contract in general as a single task. That was why, after almost an hour of discussion, Samantha had Mercer write out the final terms of a [Geas] on a piece of paper for everyone to see and agree to.
Harold Greene swears to Samantha Cray that neither he, nor Mercer, nor Sandy will divulge (through any communication medium) information regarding Samantha Cray’s secret* to outside parties**. Should any of the aforementioned renege on these terms, Harold Greene agrees to be subject to the full penalty of the [Geas]. In light of their prior and future cooperation, the penalty of the [Geas] shall be instituted at the minimum of five qi points invested into the art.
The [Geas] will be willingly accepted by Harold Greene, and will be re-accepted in the event of premature dissolution. The [Geas] will remain active until Samantha Cray has deemed it no longer necessary to maintain, and at that time will personally communicate the agreement closure with Harold Greene.
Harold Greene reserves the right to request a re-evaluation of the terms upon Samantha Cray’s and/or Harold Greene’s floor ascension, or every five years (whichever is sooner). In exchange for compliance with the [Geas], Samantha Cray will not seek to harm or silence (directly or indirectly) any involved parties in the interest of protecting the secret*.
* This secret is mutually known and acknowledged by all parties.
** Outside parties include everyone except Harold Greene, Mercer, Sandy, Samantha Cray, Silas and Tobias Valund. Further exceptions to the ‘outside parties’ clause must be personally identified and disclosed by Samantha Cray to Harold Greene.
Samantha nodded to herself in approval as she read through everything carefully one last time, then extended a hand to Harold. When he shook it she invested energy into the art and a System message appeared.
You are attempting to establish a [Geas].
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Designate the amount of qi to reserve (minimum: 5, maximum: 20) and define the task for the [Geas] so that the target can be properly notified of your intent.
She allocated a 5 qi reserve for the art and defined the task as ‘You will follow the terms of the contract selected by Samantha Cray’. Samantha pointed to the paper Mercer had been writing on and spoke clearly. “I select this contract in its current form and without modifications.”
Target has been sent the terms of your [Geas]. Awaiting reply.
Harold ended the handshake and started reading through the notification. “Very thorough of you.”
“A contract of this importance should be as thorough as possible, I believe,” she replied.
Target has accepted the terms of your [Geas]!
Harold smiled at her. “I never said it was a bad thing! It was frustrating watching you get walked over by the Delvers before, so I’m pleased to see you being more business savvy.”
“Ugh! Don’t remind me,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I’m trying not to think about them anymore.”
He laughed. “I couldn’t believe it when you were still bending over backwards for them while they were gleefully betting on whether you’d live or die. You were–” Mercer subtly nudged Harold and he immediately stopped speaking. Harold took a second or two to think before continuing. “What I mean to say is that I feel like it’d serve us well to reintroduce ourselves. We’ve both clearly changed a lot.”
Samantha gave Harold and Mercer a sidelong glance, but let the moment pass. “Sure. This is a good time to have you meet Tobias as well.” They’d all spoken about Tobias briefly when drafting the contract since he was included in the ‘outside parties’ exceptions, but she hadn’t summoned him yet. Now was as fine an occasion as any for an official introduction.
She fished out the figurine she stashed in her pocket, activated it, and Tobias appeared beside her. “Tobias, this is Harold, and over there is Mercer. He’s a construct from a rift, like you.”
Tobias politely nodded his acknowledgement towards the men. “I take it they’ll be our newest traveling companions?”
“Come to think of it, we haven’t discussed that yet.” She looked to Harold inquisitively. “What exactly are your plans now? Perhaps make a name for yourself in Centra?”
Harold grinned. “Well, since you asked…”
----------------------------------------
“I’ve been trying to put my finger on what exactly was different about you. Fourteen years in a rift would certainly explain things,” Harold commented.
Samantha’s qi had fully replenished hours ago but she hadn’t felt a particular rush to move on just yet. Since everyone else also seemed content to stay here, she’d not brought up the topic of changing locations yet. The last several hours had just been spent talking, or in Sandy and Silas’s case, foraging and playing around nearby. Tobias and Mercer had gone off at some point to have their own conversation, so Samantha and Harold had spent much of this time discussing their experiences in the rifts in addition to making tentative plans for the future.
“Yeah, it felt much longer than that though. If it wasn’t for my mind meridian I’d hardly remember what my life was like before I was trapped inside!” Samantha spoke lightheartedly, but the truth of the words still caused a flash of grief to pass through her.
Harold observed her for several seconds, looking pensive.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? It wasn’t your fault.”
“You lost your adolescence to that place. I’d imagine that’s a painful reality to come to terms with.”
“No, it’s–” Samantha wanted to say that it was fine, but the sudden tightness in her throat made it difficult to speak. Her eyes started to burn, and she turned her face towards the ground so Harold wouldn’t get as clear a view of her expression. “I can’t complain too much. It was the cost I had to pay for survival. I even reached Low Silver, so…”
Both of them were silent for a long time.
“It was easy to overlook that you were just a child because you were a cultivator,” Harold admitted. “If there’s anything I took away from my rift scenarios, it’s that extraordinary talents don’t necessarily make a person extraordinary. Wait, let me rephrase that. Being gifted in one area doesn’t mean someone is capable? No. I think that’s worse.” He let out a long suffering sigh and shook his head in frustration. “What I’m trying to get at is, I recognize now that you were burdened with responsibilities that most kids aren’t equipped to handle properly.”
“Are you really calling me incompetent right now?” She wasn’t sure if she should feel more irritated or miserable that Harold was kicking her while she was down.
“No. I’m calling myself incompetent,” he clarified with obvious annoyance. “Looking back, it wouldn’t have been hard to help you when I noticed you struggling at the outpost. It would’ve even been the rational thing to do, since I intended to keep traveling with you. I may not be directly at fault for you ending up in the rift, but maybe you wouldn’t have had to resort to such a method to try to earn points if I’d been more… agreeable.”
A disbelieving laugh escaped her. “Are you sure you’re the real Harold?”
Harold’s jaw clenched. After a few seconds he stood up abruptly and walked off. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have even bothered.”
She watched him until the sea of tree trunks hid him from view.
Nice going, Samantha…
“Please, pardon my associate’s rudeness.” The unexpected closeness of Mercer’s voice caused Samantha to jump slightly. She hadn’t noticed him approaching her. “His conversational abilities are still a work in progress.”
“No, it was my fault this time. I’ll have to apologize to him whenever he gets back. Will he be okay by himself?”
Mercer looked around. “I don’t see Sandy anywhere, so I believe she’s with him. And, even if she wasn’t, he’s put plenty of nasty concoctions in his spatial storage. He’ll be alright.”
“I’m sure he won’t venture too far, either,” Tobias chimed in. “By the way, did Mercer and I miss anything important while we were chatting? I think we started getting carried away sometime when you and Harold were debating plans.”
“Not anything final. Harold wants to visit Centra and experience the conditions there before deciding a course of action. If he likes it he’ll probably join a guild and settle there. If not, he’d seriously consider ascending. He said he’s already endured all the small city politics he could stomach, and doesn’t want to rough it in an outpost, so he’d rather try his luck on the next floor if Centra’s a bad fit. I wanted to go to Centra anyway to get information on ascension obelisk locations, so we’ll be traveling together at least that long.”
Tobias nodded. “I see. In that case, should we start making camp here? It’ll start getting dark soon, and we’ll need a little extra time to make preparations for the additional people.”
Mercer gave Tobias and Samantha a confused look. “Forgive my ignorance, but didn’t you mention earlier that you had a personal domain? Why would we still need to make camp?”
“Uh…” Samantha mentally scrambled for an appropriate, non-embarrassing explanation.
“That’s on me,” Tobias cut in with a sheepish smile. “I’ve spent my whole existence within rifts! I want to experience the ‘real thing’ for a while, even if it’s inconvenient. Samantha has just been kind enough to indulge me. Don’t you feel the same way, Mercer?”
Mercer looked slightly skeptical. “I suppose it is nice, but aren’t you only active for 8 or so hours at a time?”
“And for those 8 hours, I want to be outside,” Tobias doubled down. He began shepherding Mercer into the woods. “Come on! Let’s go get some campsite materials!”
“I think I’d be more useful in a logistical capacity!” Mercer weakly protested, but Tobias completely ignored him.
The sounds of Tobias excitedly explaining the best places to look for materials to an increasingly-stressed Mercer got quieter and quieter with each passing second. With Silas still happily exploring the surroundings and foraging, Samantha briefly found herself alone with nothing but the rustle of foliage and melody of birdsong. The calm, peaceful ambiance was perfect for sitting with her own thoughts and practicing some self-reflection.
She hated it.
“Silas, do you mind helping me with the campsite?”
“Sure, I’ll help! Just gotta… uproot this… stubborn… got it! Alright, coming now!”
Samantha fetched some tents and bedrolls from her personal domain for everyone to use just in time for Silas’s arrival. While Silas and her were clearing the forest floor to make a flat surface for the tents, Tobias returned with an armful of firewood and a slightly-dusty Mercer. Not long after, Harold and Sandy made their own reappearances and pitched in with the work. When they’d finished with everything the small area looked almost cozy.
She’d tried to find a good opportunity to make up with Harold while setting up camp, but one never seemed to present itself. Not wanting to go to bed with the issue left unresolved, she eventually just had to push through the awkward tension she felt and make her own opportunity. Catching him in a moment where he was somewhat isolated from the others, she decided to just come right out and say what she needed to.
“Harold, I’m sorry about earlier. My time spent in the rift can be difficult for me to talk about, but that’s not an excuse to–”
“Don’t worry about it,” he waved her off. “There’s no need to give me a long, drawn out apology. I’m over it already, and I snapped at you too, so let’s call it even.”
His qi flowed through his cultivation base in calm, smooth lines. It didn’t seem he was lying to her.
“We’re even, then,” she agreed.
He nodded to her once, then headed inside his tent for the night.
She and Harold may not be starting off the next leg of their travels in the most ideal manner, but that was true for their first foray through the Shattered Lands as well. Already it appeared both of them had matured to become more well-rounded individuals, which would make things easier for everyone. Even if they couldn’t become friends, she was confident they could communicate clearly and respect each other’s skillsets. That was already halfway to a functional and productive working relationship, in her experience.
Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.