CHOICES

Things fell to a routine the next few days. We'd spend the mornings in the library and the afternoons in the training ground. There was really not much else to do besides that. We didn't hang out with the others much after that first day. We, meaning me, Sid and Sky, who are always together. Together we visited different guilds with the time we had as we'd have to choose one when our seven days free time comes to an end.

Ares guild was the dirtiest of the five, we found, much to my relieve. And Varitas, the cleanest, but we preferred Languid guild, an old massive guild with a goofy receptionist called Greg. Nice guy, tall, skinny, dark haired, Irish, maybe. I might have a crush on him for some reason which was odd as he isn't my type.

The three of us would train for hours. Besides solo training, we practice together as a party. That's after Cesar advised us to form a dungeon party around those we trust. As we'd need to delve into the dungeon after the free time is up.

More freshmen arrived in Camp each day. The same day as our first visit to the guild, about ten arrived, then twenty five the day after. Brad was among the first group. The american was quite disgruntled to find he's so down in the freshmen perking order he can't bully one of us. Dan was as usual with him, but again none of his other friends were present.

Pressure was also rising to choose a Camp game party, or at least make a promise to one. Each day we'd get harassed by wave after wave of Rankers preaching their case. I am gonna make you a champion. You'll learn a lot. Hey, I admire you. I even endured something that sounded like a marriage proposal. It was all a massive headache as I knew not to trust their words and only the books I read about teams of the games. Books that said facts about the teams, their history, their members, their goals. Those moments I have to endure advertisement by Rankers are the worst part of my day and I'd rather do without it. But one conversation in particular stuck with me and gave me something to think about.

It was the sixth day in camp, one day before we'd make choices. I was training in the Sky guild with my party when a voice said. "Nice team,"

I turned to see a shirtless black guy in shorts leaning against the pillar outside the ring. There were such tall pillars outside each dome barriers. They doubled as a signage post, I was told, and the actual battery of the barrier. "Thanks," I said. We'd been practicing attacking together and most Rankers had praised our move.

"But it's useless," the guy added, rather cockily. "You won't survive one delve,"

"Excuse me?" I said. "That's not what everybody says,"

"Yeah, that's because 'everybody'," he finger quoted. "Is either a big fool or malicious. Most are malicious for that matter, including Pancil,"

"What's this about?" Sky frowned stepping forth beside me. "Ya got a dish with this Pancil guy?"

The guy shrugged. "It's not a secret, not a lie either. My name's Jake Gray, leader of the A rank party Creed of the Strong," he offered his hand, I shook it reluctantly.

"What did you mean we won't survive a delve?" Sid asked just as Sky shook his hand too. "Are you planning on coercing us into joining your team?" I didn't know Sid was this direct. Way to go Blondie, I am proud. Maybe I am rubbing off on her.

Jake lifted an eyebrow. "Has anyone tried?"

"Not really... But I think one was implying something in the lines,"

"Fools, just report them to the automatons. They'd regret having ideas about freshmen,"

Most things has became clear this past days; like automatons are a system Camp put to protect freshmen. To serve us, at least to a degree. "What are we doing wrong then?" I asked deciding criticism might be better than praise in this instance.

"Your party is unbalanced and lacking manpower,"

"News!" Sky groaned dramatically.

I ignored her. "That's what everybody says," I said sourly. Of course I know the problem. Me and Sid are Scout job, while Sky is a knight job. We have no Support or Tank jobs. I'd been hoping that Willow and Owen would join us, who are both supports, but it turns out they had other plans, something which rankled and confused me. We'd came from the same city, we trusted and know each other, who could best that?

Jake went on. "You must find a Tanker so the monsters get something to focus on while you attack. Someone strong enough to hold them down. With your team Support job is not a must, you'd have to stock up on potions though,"

"So a Tanker," I snorted. "Easier said than done,"

"I know right? Those bastards are hard to come by, or so there say, I am one myself,"

"If only we can choose Rankers for dungeoning eh?" Sky grinned.

Jake scoffed but added with a wry smile. "There's a reason it's like that you know? Camp wants everyone pulling their weight. Assuming I could help you, I'd just drag you through the lower floors and where's the progress for you?"

"None I assume," I said. "So you are not here to lure us to join your party?" [Camp Games party,]

"I am damn well here for that," Jake grinned looking me in the eye. "Why don't you join my team Sam?"

I froze at the direct way he said it. "What? Wait... why would I do that?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "You have done your research I suspect, you know all about my team. But I'll tell you this about Pancil- he's good, his team is great too, but he has only one spot to spare. I am the only one that has enough for you three in Camp, at least among the big parties,"

"Why would we care about that?" Sid frowned.

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"Don't know, but do you really want to face each other with desperate will to win, making you leave this prison, knowing clearly well winning would mean damning the other? Think carefully about it." Just like that he turned and strolled back to a 'room' where he punched at a wooden dummy.

I stared at him with a frown, deep in thought. Sky has been planning to join the Dominions, the party that found her. I'd been planning my thing not caring what she or Sid did. But now that he has opened my eyes I found myself seeing for the first time. Six days in Camp so far, I am not in a hurry to leave; because all this magic thing interests me. No way I'd go back to the mediocrity I have been living since the divorce. Even if someone was to use force to drag me out of Camp, at this point, I'd come crawling back.

I wanted to learn, wanted to know all these secrets with a desperate obsession.

But would I say the same after a year? Two, three? Would I be satisfied to stay here forever? The answer probably is no. Then could I just walk off leaving Sid behind? I mean, she might be annoying and stupid but she's my sister. I have to protect her, I have to keep her safe. It was an obsession too. To do that we have to be together in the same Camp Games party.

I thanked Jake, for reminding me to check on my priorities, in my mind. Then decided to do more research, calling the training quits for the day. Thus it was with that discussion fresh in my mind that D day arrived. That's what they call it, the day to make choices.

After breakfast we were gathered in the barracks just like the automatons demand the day before. The barracks has filled up with the new arrivals these days, but only me, Sky, Sid and Willow were present at the moment. The rest all came to Camp at a later day, and Chloe already had her D day the day prior.

There was a tension in the room, I paced back and forth. "Calm it girl, gosh," Sky said with her exaggerated drawl. I ignored her and checked the time. [7/05AM,] why aren't they here yet?

The sound of heavy footsteps made me lift my eyes to the door. Three automatons in their full armor walked in. "Hello freshmen," one said lifting his hand placidly. "Please come with us,"

"Sure," I said. I made sure Groove was well hidden in my pocket before following. The strange reptile had gotten a habit of disappearing somewhere on his own, occasionally, the past few days and I couldn't decide yet of that's a good or bad thing. Still, it saved me the trouble of potty training it. Maybe Paul had done that? It'll explain many things.

Me and Sid walked side by side as we followed the automatons up the hallway. "We still choosing the same party?" I whispered.

"Yeah," Sid frowned. "We'd all agreed, stop nagging about it,"

"Just don't forget," I told her. She looked irritated but nodded. I know I'd been repeating it but I couldn't help myself. I turned to Sky behind us. "You too,"

Sky grinned. "Sure, princess... Um, sorry,"

I winced. "Just don't forget!"

She nodded desperately. Feeling satisfied I said no more as we followed the automatons to the other end of the Metro.

They led us into what I discovered was Administrations. It was written boldly atop the door to the chamber. We walked into a reception hall where a woman in business suit manned the front desk. She studied us as we took the stairs that led us into a hallway.

The automatons had us sit on benches then one disappeared into a room. After some time he returned and called for Willow, the most higher leveled of us. After Willow Sky went, then Sid. Each person took 15 to twenty minutes inside. My nerves were wrecking at this point, I clenched my fist and took a deep breath. Why am I so stressed about this? I wondered. It made no sense. "Next, level 8,"

It took me a moment to realize Sid has exited and it was now my turn. "Yes!" I croaked rising to my feet. I hurried after the automaton into the office.

A young woman with green buzz cut, with piercings of transmitters lined beside her head sat behind the lone desk in a rather small dim room. She wore thick rimmed glasses and a short sleeved white blouse that exposed arms covered in tats. Something that looked like a typewriter keyboard was sitting on the table before her, a hologram screen was floating above it. She looked up. "Sit,"

I obeyed. Then she spoke again. "Chores,"

"What?"

She looked up at me with a scowl on her pinched face. "Choose your chores,"

"Sure... Kitchen duties,"

She typed on the keyboard briefly. "Classes, you are to choose at least three,"

"History, Systems, Language... And Crafting,"

Snap, snap, snap, the keyboard went. "Guild?"

I paused here. "Languid guild,"

"Dungeoning Party?"

"Together with Sid and Sky... There were here before me,"

"You are the leader of..." She trailed. "They said Rising Ravens?" -I nodded- "Your Ward,"

"Bridget,"

She looked up at me. "Camp Games party?"

I told her.

After I left the Administrations I headed to the guild with Sky and Sid. We had separated with Willow who planned on waiting for her brother to make his choices before she goes to the guild; the automatons hadn't brought him with us so who knows how long that will be.

The building was quite busy when we arrived. This early, Rankers took missions so the place was a bedlam. We went to the front desk which was empty because it was only for freshmen at this time of the year. "So, here for your party verification?" Greg asked with a grin.

"Yeah," I said eying the racks of weapons on the wall behind him. "We'd also like a quest,"

He lifted an eyebrow. "Your first quest? Are you sure?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay," he picked up his phone- that's what those devices are called apparently, despite my reluctance to do that- and scrolled idly. "Er... Rising Ravens huh?" He looked at me. "Well, it could be worse,"

I shrugged.

"So I am gonna fix everything up for you. First set of gear is free, but it's just basic stuff that you'd have to replace in a few months, so don't get too exited." He stared back into his phone and pressed something then started grabbing things from thin air as if pulling it from an unseen vault. Thing reminded me of the 'lockers' but I'd seen it a hundred times so I didn't even blink.

Greg brought out three sets of leather armors, a long sword, a bow and arrow and a short spear. Sid had switched to a spear after an unsuccessful two days stint with the sword. It'd given her a skill on her first practice with it. That lead to a rollercoaster of events that saw us try out different weapons to get a skill and failed miserably.

"How's our search of a Tanker going anyway?" I asked Greg as I inspected the weapons.

"I got good news," he said.

"Oh really?" Sky said.

"Yeah, I suspected you'd come here after your choices and informed him. He'd be here soon, at least that's what we agreed,"

"How is he?" Sid questioned.

"A friend,"

"That is not very helpful,"

"How about you see him first?" He motioned to the door. In came the tallest man I'd ever seen. He stood almost 7 and half feet. He was wearing rusty plates atop faded leather armor. How can a person be this tall? He towered over everybody as he made his way over.

I glared at Greg, "he's a Ranker?"

"Of course not," Greg scoffed. "He's a beginner but couldn't make it to level 20 so far. But don't say that in front of him, it's sort of sore point to most. And don't worry, he's quite good, better than any freshman you'd find."

"Hey Greg," the giant grinned and shook Greg's hand, then he looked at us. "This is the new party you want me to join?"

"Yeah, this is Sid, Sam and Sky," Greg said.

"That's a lot of S's don't you think?"

"It sure is, girls, this is Holden,"

I stared up at an ugly face, with tiny blue eyes and a carpet of black hair on his head. "Nice to meet you," Sid said.

"Yeah, thanks, it's been a while since a party took me in,"

"Great," Greg clapped, raising his phone. "Since everyone is here, I am gonna give the Sky guild a call so they send Bridget over. Why you made her your Ward is beyond me, we have lots of distinguished automatons here you know,."

Wards are automatons that are responsible for your party. A Party leader must choose one as they'll help you on the long run. Also Wards are those that will lead you to your first delve, after that you are on your own.

And so we settled and waited for Bridget while fretting about our first delve.

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