It took every bit of Dante’s focus to follow the Historian through the crowded street. He wasn’t told where they were going, just given a pack with nondescript clothes and a hooded cloak. With the cloaks concealing their identity, they approached the teleportation building, its white marble walls with essence crystals running through standing before them.
“The tenth district if you would.” The Historian said as they stepped into the circle. The Mage looked at her oddly but didn’t say a word. With a flash of light, they were on the tenth level of the tower. If the sixteenth district seemed crowded to Dante, then the tenth district was packed. Adventurer’s moved about the streets where stores and taverns stretched into the distance.
Dante was already hard pressed to keep the emotional pressure of the crowd at bay. He started to sway, but the Historian grabbed his arm and led him to a smaller teleport pad. This one wasn’t in a building but in a small sectioned off area between the buildings. A Mage stood behind the familiar podium as they stepped into the circle.
“Silver Street, if you would.” The Historian said to the Mage as she handed him a few coins. The coins disappeared and Dante tried not to stare as they were teleported away again. This time, the streets were bare in comparison to the last. Dante felt the pressure fall away as he sighed in relief. The Historian led him to a small inn across the street. The inside of the inn only had a few customers but after a few words with the innkeeper, the Historian led him up a flight of stairs and into a rather nice room. The wood furniture was polished and well taken care of and the bed was larger than his own bed. The Historian gestured him to sit and sat herself on the only chair in the room. Dante sat on the bed, pulling back his hood.
“For the next week we will be working on your Empathy. The reason we are hiding ourselves should be clear.” She gave him a questioning look which he nodded to. He had already been attacked twice and the need for secrecy was a wise precaution.
“Good.” She stated. “This will be your room. I will take the one next door. From what you have told me about your matches in the tournament, it seems likely that your Empath abilities can be controlled. Right now, you are sensing everything and being overwhelmed. You need to learn to push it to the back of your mind. Don’t treat it as an ability but as another one of your senses. You can feel, hear, taste, smell and see without needing to concentrate on it. So, you should be able to use your Empathy as any other sense. If we can condition you to sense for specific emotions that stand out, it can warn you of an impending attack.”
“Is that why we came down to the tenth district?” Dante asked. This place seemed important considering the number of Adventurer’s he had already seen.
“The tenth district is home to the Adventurer’s Guild.” The Historian answered. “Every Adventurer comes through here to sell their loot from the dungeons. It’s also has the largest market for Adventurer’s. Enchanters, Alchemists, weaponsmiths, armor smiths and tailors are abundant here. While it might get a little rowdy from time to time, it is the safest place in the tower. Politics doesn’t interfere here very often. Many of the shops here are owned by the merchant families but they don’t come down here very often. Nevertheless, you will wear your hood every time you leave this room.”
Dante nodded.
The Historian nodded back. “Good. Let’s get to work.”
They left the inn and started walking through the less crowded Silver Street. There were still shops and taverns but they all seemed a little smaller and nicer compared to the street in front of the teleportation building. Dante asked his Instructor why this area seemed so secluded.
“These shops only make weapons and armor to order.” She said as they walked down the street. “They are more expensive but their craftmanship speaks for themselves. This is also an area that is untouched by the merchant families. Self-owned shops, one and all.”
Dante casually glimpsed through the window of a shop they were passing. The weapons on display were not fancy but he could tell their quality was high. He looked at the swords and noticed that none of them had any essence crystals or enchantments.
“Why don’t any of these weapons have enchantments, Historian Louis?” He asked.
She shook her head. “Enchantments don’t work that way. An enchantment on a sword or dagger would do nothing that you couldn’t do yourself. It won’t make a blade sharper or a hammer heavier. Enchantment are best used as defensive measures on armor, storage compartments like your new storage ring or holding a spell to throw out, or teleportation. Weapons also take a considerable amount of damage which can weaken the enchantment. Armor can take a lot more punishment but it still has to be repaired often. Mages staffs hold enchantments well as long as they are not fighting at the front. It allows Mages to minimize the strain on the magic.”
He looked down at his ring. It was already storing a few emergency potions that Kelsi had suggested the team buy. He wondered what his friends training was like.
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The rest of the group followed Instructor Perez and Senior Instructor Williams through the towers main gate. They had already passed several checkpoints on the first floor of the tower and a high metal gate stood before them. The metal reflected their image just like a mirror and it slid open, splitting down the middle. None of the students had ever stepped out of the tower before and the look of awe was clearly showing on their faces.
The forest surrounded them. A sea of brown and green towered over them only a few hundred feet away. The yellow sun made them all squint and a blue sky hung above them, dotted with white clouds floating on the wind.
“Does anyone else feel like they will fall straight up into the sky?” Ferris asked as he craned his head up. Instructor Perez laughed and even Senior Instructor Williams smiled.
“Everyone has the same reaction.” Perez said, heading down a small ramp. “Let’s go! We still have to settle in and train.”
They hitched up their traveling packs and followed the Instructors, trying not to stumble too much as the sights and sounds drew their attention.
There were a few short buildings made out of dark stone at the base of the tower. They made their way to the nearest one.
“These are bunkers.” Williams said. “They are used as a base for expeditions. This will be our home for the next week.”
Instructor Perez opened a thick wooden door with large iron bands. The door had a few large claw marks which made the students wary as they looked around nervously. The steps led them down and the walls were all made of the same dark stone. Two rooms had cots folded up in them and another room had a small wood stove. There was also a single small bathroom which they would all have to share.
“Get your packs stored.” Williams said to them. “Women in this room, men in the other. We will start by hunting for our dinner. If we fail to find anything, then we don’t eat.”
They quickly stored their pacts and equipped their weapons. They were out of the barracks in minutes.
“Nothing motivates Adventurer’s more than food.” Williams said quietly. Perez tried to keep his smile from showing.
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Dante and Historian Louis sat on the terrace of a three-story tall restaurant. The food was delicious but Dante had trouble stomaching it as he was continuously hit with emotions from the crowds below. He was trying to focus on his training, sensing for only one specific emotion. Anger. It was a general enough emotion that he could think of it easily but the noise of the other emotions hadn’t been blocked out as they had been before.
“Keep eating.” The Historian said between bites. “You need to be able to do this naturally, like breathing. Think of the emotion and let settle into the back of your mind. Eating will help distract you from concentrating too hard.”
He took a breath and did as told. With every bite, he feared he would choke on his food as the pressure kept pouring in around him. After a few long moments, the pressure eased back and he felt a few sparks light up in the crowd below. He looked around and was able to spot two Adventurer’s arguing a few shops down the street. Another spark led him down the other way as he noticed a couple walking hand in hand and a third woman walking with them, scowling at their show of affection.
“Keep eating.” The Historian said again. “Let it come to you. You need to be aware without giving it away.”
Dante nodded and started eating again.
“Do all students come down here to sign up at the Adventurer’s Guild?” Dante asked. Aside from rumors, no one had ever told him how the Adventurer’s Guild worked.
“Yes, you and your team should come down together after leaving the Academy.” The Historian said with a concerned look on her face. “When you join up, enlist as a team, that way they don’t separate you. They will assign someone to show you around and take you out on a few easy missions. Once you have learned a little, then you can go into the first dungeon. If you turn in enough missions and essence crystals, you can advance to the next dungeon and the next and so on. It’s the most dangerous time as an Adventurer. Most start out too cocky, thinking to take over the dungeons, not heeding warning. They die quickly.” A brief moment of melancholy showed on her face.
“Historian, why do you dislike Adventuring so much?” Dante asked. She might be old but the elemental she conjured was power he had never witnessed before. He had thought that she must have been a successful Adventurer in her day.
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She looked at him sternly as if to rebuke him but her eyes soften and her gruff expression faded. “Everyone loses someone eventually.” She said quietly.
He was surprised at her response but didn’t press further, instead finishing his meal.
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The forest was louder than they would have guessed. Birds constantly called out, twittering or cawing around the group as they walked slowly between the huge trees. They were starting to get desperate. They hadn’t had a successful hunt for three days, instead living off wild vegetables that were, thankfully, plentiful. Perez had found tracks belonging to a family of wild pigs and was tracking them for the group. They didn’t have bows or spears like normal hunters. Instead, they had to use the weapons they were training with. The large two-handed sword Ferris carried made attacking difficult, accidently hitting the trees when trying to swing. Kelsi only had a staff which was good for bashing but the smaller creatures were harder to hit. Jasmi only had her daggers and had trouble closing the distance. And Gretta’s throwing daggers didn’t cause enough damage to take out any of the creatures they came across.
A rustling sound alerted them and the team held still. Instructor Perez came through the bushes a moment later and the group relaxed.
“There is a clearing about one hundred feet that way.” He said pointing from where he came. “The pigs are foraging but won’t be there long.”
Kelsi had thought about their previous hunts. While they didn’t have the proper tools to hunt, they also weren’t using all the tools they had available to them. She waved the team over and started explaining her plan. Once they understood, they quietly agreed and followed her out towards the pigs, the Instructors following behind.
The clearing was a small meadow with a small pond near the center. Kelsi stayed put while the others slowly fanned out, circling the pigs. They were large and had tusks for defense and to forage the forest floor. If they weren’t careful, they could easily end up badly wounded.
Kelsi watched the team get into place. With a nod, Jasmi cast Death’s Grip on the pigs. Skeletal arms burst through the dark soil and green grass, capturing two of the larger pigs while the rest scattered. The group slowly closed in on the caught pigs, watching the others carefully incase they decided to attack. Thankfully, they didn’t and ran to the tree line, disappearing into the forest. Ferris lifted his sword, stabbing into the pig’s necks. Two thrusts and it was done.
The Instructors closed in, looking at their prize and nodded.
“Gretta and Jasmi, I will show you how to bleed and butcher the pigs.” Perez said with a smile. “Ferris and Kelsi, you are on guard.”
“On guard for what?” Ferris asked as he looked around.
“Predators.” Williams said. “The scent of blood will attract scavengers and predators alike. That’s why we bleed and butcher the animals out here and then take them back with us. Less chance of leading them to where we sleep.”
Ferris quickly pulled out a rag and cleaned the blood off his blade. Kelsi watched the opposite side. Once the pigs were ready, the group carried off their prize back to the bunker.
That night, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor. They were famished but they were quick to realize that they needed to save some of the pig in case they didn’t find food tomorrow. Perez agreed to show them how to properly dry out the meat so that it wouldn’t spoil as quickly.
They awoke to the sounds of scratch and growling. It was still dark and the students were still adjusting to the night sky. The tower was constantly bright, but outside, the darkness was unsettling. They quickly armed and armored themselves, finding both Instructors were standing by the door, listening.
“Wolves.” Williams said to Perez. “Big ones too.” He turned around to see the team ready for a fight. He nodded approvingly. “Good. We can get some training in.” He walked past them and to the far wall where a ladder was mounted to the wall leading to a metal hatch in the ceiling. He silently slipped outside and after a minute, came back in just as quiet.
“There’s three of them, not the biggest I have seen but still big. The bunker is high enough that they can’t jump up but there is a narrow ramp we can lower.”
“Sir, if we are high up, why wouldn’t we just throw spells down at them from safety?” Kelsi asked.
Senior Instructor Williams stared at her disapprovingly. “If you want target practice, you can go to the range. Besides,” He smiled. “it’s a lot more fun this way.”
The team looked at each other nervously but gave a nod. They followed the Senior Instructor onto the roof and he picked up a narrow plank of wood and waited, not saying a word. Kelsi didn’t waste any time.
“Ferris, you will intercept the wolf at the edge of the plank. Jasmi, I need you to trap one of them and Gretta, I want you to target the other one with Dancing Blades. It doesn’t matter if you kill it, just keep it occupied and away from the plank. Jasmi, in case your trap breaks or Gretta can’t deter the other wolf, throw your fire at the bottom of the plank.” The team nodded silently and got into position. Once they were set, Williams set the plank down and stood back to watch.
The wolves had heard them talking and were watching them while circling the bunker. As soon as the plank dropped, Jasmi and Gretta cast their spells. The first wolf was caught with skeletal arms holding it down and the wolf attacked immediately attacked, viciously biting and tearing at the arms. Gretta cast Dancing Blades and barely missed the wolf. It backed up and growled but didn’t move closer.
The third wolf jumped onto the plank and jumped again, heading straight towards Ferris. His sword was at the ready and he swung almost completely through the beast, cutting deep into its flank. The wolf yelped as it was thrown to the side and back down towards the ground.
Jasmi sent her spirits to finish off the downed wolf and turned back to watch as the wolf she had trapped was almost free. “Ferris, my Death’s Grip is about to go down.” Ferris nodded and watched the wolf.
The wolf Gretta was dealing with bolted forward. She pulled her bow along the strings of her violin and Dancing Blades was sent out again. It was still dark but the two moons gave off more than enough light. The wolf was fast but Gretta aimed ahead of it. The wolf took two hits to the neck and flank, tumbling over itself. Jasmi sent her spirits to the next downed wolf.
The groups eyes were all on the last standing wolf. It moved forward quickly, jumping onto the plank and then jumping again, just like the first wolf. The difference was, this wolf jumped to the right which would take it straight to Jasmi. Ferris could try and use his Dash, but if he didn’t stop soon enough, he could knock Jasmi off the bunker. It wasn’t a far fall but if she landed wrong it could kill her. Reacting quickly, he pulled his magic into him, calling for the wind. The wind picked up quickly and a cyclone of air rushed out and then hit the wolf mid jump. Ferris felt his target was captured and pulled the beast towards him, raising his sword. The wolf flew towards Ferris, arching perfectly in line with his over hand chop. Once the wolf was down, Ferris stabbed the beast in the chest, puncturing its heart. The group looked at each other and smiled as they witnessed Ferris’ creation of a new spell.
“Very well done.” Williams shouted. “Sometimes it takes a little danger to move forward, though this was a controlled situation. Now you just have to bleed and butcher these animals and then you can head back to bed.”
The groups previous excitement quickly fled.
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Dante walked through the crowded streets looking for his target. His hood was pulled low to hide his face and he kept an even pace so as not to jostle any of the Adventurer’s around him. The Historian had tasked him to go through the main market and find someone who stood out from the crowd. He wasn’t given specifics, so he walked and measured the emotions around him. The tenth district was full of Adventurer’s. There was anger and happiness. Excited people, lustful people. All of the emotions flowed into the background, washing over him like static. There was a common theme to Adventurer’s, they had many different emotions but there seemed to be one emotion he hadn’t found yet. Nervousness. He didn’t know it yet, he was just letting the people pass by him as if floating on the tide, waiting for that moment his instincts told him there was something different. And then it hit him. Like a bell ringing clearly, it guided him towards a building close to the Guild. It was tall and stood out, like a landmark for those who came here. He stood across the street, leaning up against a tailor’s shop. Almost the whole building felt different than everyone else. Then he noticed the people coming and going. They were all young. Teenagers a few years older than him. The sign above the door read “The Golden Duckling.” Dante snorted. This was were all the new Adventurers were most likely housed. They rang with nervous energy and the difference was blatantly clear compared to the veterans Adventurers. Dante turned back, heading to the inn.
He knocked on the Historians door and was ushered in quietly.
“And what did you find?” She asked, clearly amused at the timeliness of his latest task.
“The Golden Duckling.” He said seriously. “The new Adventurers are completely different from the others. Nervous and uncertain.”
She nodded. “Most of those kids won’t live through the year. They are older and have more experience than you and yet they will still likely die.” She checked over the room before looking back at him. “It’s time to head back to the Academy. You have done well but we still have more training.”
Dante smiled. The thought of seeing his friends again sent him rushing to his room to grab his pack. They left the inn soon after.
They arrived well before dinner so he left for the dorms to change into his school uniform. His friends had already returned and were waiting in the common room. He smiled and joined them.
“Where did you go?” Dante asked quickly. He had been burning up to know and wanted to hear every detail.
“We went outside the tower.” Kelsi said with a large smile. They told him about the forest and the sky and the sun and moon. Each had a different favorite of their trip and Dante felt a small bit of jealously at not being with them.
They asked about his experience and he told them about the tenth district and about his training. They kept talking until dinner and then started working on new ways to use their abilities. Ferris’ new spell Wind’s Call was perfect for pulling their opponents to him. Gretta and Jasmi hadn’t created any new spells but felt that they were close. Kelsi found that she could channel her Life magic through her staff but didn’t know how it could be useful yet. They kept talking well into the night until they finally needed to head to bed. Their training continued early the next morning.
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Esteban waited in the dark corner of the tavern. His cloak covered his features, like many of the other patrons. The Iron Mug was the worst kept secret in the Tower of Metris. Shady business deals were conducted here daily but nothing illegal was allowed on the premises. Barns, the owner of this establishment, made sure of it. It made it a safe haven for these types of meetings.
A tall man, shrouded in his own cloak, walked up and sat across from Esteban. In this business, there was always a passcode to make sure you had the right person.
“Can I get you an ale?” Esteban asked casually.
“I only drink whiskey.” Replied the stranger. The passcode confirmed, Esteban continued.
“I need information on a young woman at the Academy.” Esteban said quietly.
“A woman?” The man said curiously. “Not a boy?”
Esteban had figured that this would happen. Rumors of the boy were starting to spread and people wanted information.
“Well yes, the boy to.” Esteban said theatrically. “I actually want to know about all his friends.”
The stranger quietly chuckled. “Always trying to get more than you paid for.” He said, though he didn’t seem mad but rather impressed. “There are five of them, a full team, but it costs extra.”
Esteban tapped his left hand on the table, pretending to weigh the choice. He shrugged and tossed the man a coin purse. The stranger felt the weight of it, peeked inside and pocketed it quickly.
“Here’s what I know.” The stranger said.
Esteban learned much about the so-called Essence Mage and his group of friends. He had mentioned Jasmi’s name as well but it was when he had mentioned Gretta, that he knew the stranger was telling the truth. He kept his emotions in check, so as not to give any information away. This was not Esteban’s first dance.
He left the tavern soon after and traveled through teleportation pads all throughout the tower to make sure he wasn’t followed. Once he was certain he was alone, he went to meet another contact who would act as a messenger. If Jasmi’s friend really was an Essence Mage, she was in much more danger than they had thought.