Try outs, Test runs, and Ten Tails
1
John returned home after his successful trial and was gratified to see the relieved smile on his mother’s face. She thanked him for being safe, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he thought of his mutilated hands. Still, as long as she was happy.
Emma spent about two hours grilling John about various aspects of the scroll she was studying. Her notebook was getting thicker and thicker with notes. And John was impressed at how much of the knowledge that he gave her she was able to rationalize.
There was even a large diagram she had drawn in the back of the notebook which took up both pages. It listed the twelve branches of Third Eye of Callysta and she had drawn various arrows to and from some of the branches with small notes along each detailing some type of relationship. When he saw it, John stopped Emma’s stream of questions in its tracks.
“Stop,” he said, prompting his sister to look up from the scroll mid sentence.
“Huh? What is it?” She asked.
“Tell me how you came up with these notes,” John said.
“What do you mean? I’ve been studying the scroll. The symbols for each branch show up in various groupings several times throughout the scroll, and it uses certain examples to explain the relationships. I’ve just been copying them into the diagram as I get to them.”
“Can you make these relationships a priority? I think you’re onto something. This might be the secret to learning how to master the Cultivation.”
“I can try, but I might have to verify a lot of things with you along the way.”
“That’s fine. I’ll answer any questions you have. Just expand this diagram as much as possible.”
“Okay,” Emma agreed.
John spent the majority of the evening answering her questions after that. But by the time they both called it quits, Emma had already made note of a few more connections. She also had extensive notes to catalogue over the next days, which would hopefully give John the time he needed to get things done. He went to sleep hopeful for future progress, both hers and his.
When he woke the next morning, he wasted no time returning to The Garden. Setting the transition station to Emerald Base, he quickly shifted into place. There was already a letter waiting for him on the floor.
“Meet in the courtyard near east gate.”
That was all it said. John crumpled up the paper and tossed it away as he summoned his armor and left his room. The streets of Emerald Base were almost miniscule compared to his other city, and he quickly found his way to the courtyard he had been told.
“I don’t care what you thought was happening, Sean. I already told you, we’re waiting for someone. It’s not up to you to decide if you meet our criteria,” John heard Jules saying as he entered the courtyard.
Sean, a tall, broad man with a full beard and a scowl so deep it could lose a roll of pennies, wasn’t hearing anything Jules said. He loudly protested every time the other man spoke. Even after only a few seconds John was ready to throttle the man. He had no idea how Jules stayed so calm.
“You always have an excuse Jules. Always a stipulation. Have I not proven I can handle myself?”
“As I’ve already said many times, this isn’t about you Sean. It’s not yourself you will be paid to handle. It is weaker, less experienced people who will be counting on their aide to keep them alive in a tight spot, not to take every kill from them before they can get any experience.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Why do you decide if I’m good enough?”
“He doesn’t,” John said, stepping forward, “I do.”
All eyes in the courtyard turned to him as John entered the conversation. John could hear whispers from almost every mouth as he paced forward. Every mouth except that of Sean, who had grown quiet at the fully armored man approaching him.
His silence didn’t last long, however. Perhaps he judged John by his average height, or perhaps the tone of his voice betrayed his youth. In any case, Sean quickly sized him up before turning his mouth on John.
“And who are you either? What is two kids instead of one? What is this? Do you really expect-” Sean stopped speaking as John held up a hand as though it was a wall between them.
“Sorry I’m late,” John said to Jules.
“Not a problem,” the man said through a smile. He knew what John was doing.
“So, what have I missed? Have you placed the candidates in groups based on which position they are applying for as we discussed?”
“I have. I also have a compendium of gene tallies for each candidate. You can go over that while we get everyone up to speed if you’d like.”
“No, that’s okay. I trust you’ve handled everything as well as possible.”
“Very well, should we begin the introductions then?”
“As you will,” John said.
The whole time they spoke, his hand didn’t leave Sean’s face. Upon his confirmation though, John dropped his hand before looking at the man. With a scathing voice, he addressed the man.
“Why are you out of rank? Go stand with your group until you’re asked for.”
Sean opened his mouth to respond as a vein began to bulge on his head. Before he could, Jules began speaking as though the man wasn’t standing between him and everyone he wished to address. Sean glanced to Jules before turning to walk away. The slight upward twitch in Jules’s mouth would have been indescribable to any but John.
“Thank you all for coming. Now that my associate is here, we can start the demonstration of your abilities in order to properly place you for future missions. Before we begin, you should know that our decisions will be final and any attempt to change our mind will be met with stony denial. I can assure you that each of you will have a fair chance to prove yourselves and that every decision will be made with unbiased reasoning. Now, if there are no objections, we can begin with the first of the applications.”
Unfortunately for Jules, that sounded too much like an invitation. Sure enough, Sean was already chiming in before Jules even finished speaking. The man hadn’t even walked all the way to the group he had been placed in before turning to open his mouth again.
“Let’s get this on with! Give me your little test already so I can start getting paid!”
“That’s not how this works, Sean.”
“And why not? You’re the one who insists on controlling everything. Well test me, I volunteer!”
“You applied for the Advanced Escort job. That means that even if you’re qualified to claim that position, a claim which I highly doubt, you will need to wait for us to reach that point before testing. Right now, we’re starting the Primitive applicants,” Jules started to let some condescension creep into his voice.
“What is the difference? No one else is stepping forward. Let me prove myself so I can get on with my day!”
“Why don’t you-” Jules started to say before John held a hand up to silence him.
“Step forward!” John barked.
He was sick of this guy. He didn’t care how much potential the man had. An employee who couldn’t follow orders had no business applying for the position. This loud mouth had wasted enough time as it was. It was time to put an end to the dissent.
“Sean Ross,” John said as the man stepped defiantly forward.
John could tell that the man was taken off guard at his name being leveled at him. His eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but he stepped forward all the same. When he spoke, his derision was still plain to hear.
“You know my name. And what am I supposed to call you, Bug boy?” Sean sneered.
“You will address me as Sir. And if a name you must use, then you will call me Mr. Gold. Nothing is more valuable than Gold. If your value can’t be quantified similarly, you are of no use to Mr. Gold. Is that understood?”
“Mr. Gold? Could you think of anything more ridiculous?” Sean sneered.
“Sean Ross! Are you ready?” John barked, ignoring the man.
“I’m ready,” he rolled his eyes back.
“Would anyone like to volunteer for this exercise? I promise no harm will come to you.”
No one was quick to raise a hand. It was clear that none of them wanted to have so much attention on them. After a minute passed and still no one stepped forward, John sighed.
“Jules, come here.”
The man came to stand beside John. He raised his eyebrows as if even he didn’t know what was expected of him. John pointed to Sean.
“Go and stand behind Mr. Ross, please. Now, Sean. Your job here is simple. No matter what you have to do, don’t let me touch Jules. You have one minute. If you pass the test, you will be allowed to maintain the position you applied for. If you fail, you will accept the assessment we deem worthy without another word of protest, or we can consider your application terminated. This is not up for debate. Any of you who do not wish to accept these terms are free to leave now. If you stay, no dissent will be tolerated beyond this point. Do you accept?”
John raised his voice for all to hear as he spoke, but his last words were once again leveled at Sean exclusively. The man sneered ever deeper as he stared back at John. Then he nodded his head, slowly and deliberately.
“I accep- ugh!”
The man couldn’t even get the words out before John closed the six feet between them and slammed a knee into the man’s stomach. He choked on lack of air as John’s attack forced every ounce of air from his lungs. He collapsed, gasping to the ground in a heap.
John casually stepped over him and walked slowly to Jules. Even he was wide eyed at the display. John slowly and effortlessly touched Jules on the shoulder before shaking his head.
“Not even five seconds. That simply won’t do Mr. Ross. You just aren’t cut out for Advanced Escort missions. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s a scary world out there. I just wouldn’t feel right asking you to take on such dangerous beasts. I think an Awakened contract is more your speed. In a few years, you might even make the Enhanced list!”
John had turned back to the gasping man and helped him diplomatically to his feet as he spoke. The man was still unable to find his voice around the dent John had put in his stomach. John just walked him like he was a senior citizen to the appropriate spot before returning to Jules’s side. That was, the area of Awakened applicants.
“Okay, now that that ridiculous display is out of the way, should we get started?” John asked in a light voice.
2
John’s display did more than just put Sean in his place. It also served to discourage anyone else from volunteering for the test. He had to remind everyone that what they had witnessed was a test of the Advanced level. Even so, more than one person turned to leave before any other applicant stepped forward.
That was all fine for John. The less serious applicants were also the ones who couldn’t be relied upon when things became serious. The fewer of them that made it through the cracks the better. After the crowd thinned, the remaining applicants began to volunteer hesitantly.
John and Jules spent the majority of the day testing each person extensively to determine where best to place them within the ranks. He didn’t go anywhere near as hard on anyone else as he had with Sean, even when they had reached the more experienced applicants.
He wanted it to be clear to the man, who was still standing off to the side, quietly watching the proceedings, that his own big mouth had landed him exactly where he deserved to be. And that if he had listened to Jules, he would have avoided all the humiliation he suffered. John was sadistically pleased at the sour look that never left his face.
As the applicants flowed by, it became clear how accurate Jules had been when grouping them. In the end, only one applicant who applied for the position was deemed worthy to accept Advanced Escort missions.
Her name was Elaina. John couldn’t tell exactly how old she was, except that it was older than him. She was still extremely youthful, so she couldn’t have been older than thirty, though even that was an outlandish guess. She had icy blue eyes and hair like fire.
Her athletic build let her keep John in front of her, never allowing him to make it past her guard to get at Jules. Eventually, John had to employ a great deal of his cognitive ability to get past her guard. Even so, the second he dodged past her guard, she turned and swung a kick at his head.
John was impressed. It forced him to halt his momentum in order to duck under the attack. In the time it took him to reorient, Elaina had already recovered from his maneuver.
John was closer to Jules by that point, and ordinarily, he would have still managed to reach the man despite the interruption. But in an unexpected turn of events, his outstretched hand closed on empty air. The reason for this was simple, if unbelievable.
Elaina had not recovered to press the attack on him. Instead, she had leveled her kick at him perfectly in such a manner to position herself close enough to Jules that she could dive at the man. Before John could land a finger on the man, she had already tackled him to the ground.
John was so shocked at the display that he stopped where he stood, hand outstretched. Jules let out a surprised squawk as his body was bowled over by the woman. He landed on the ground with a pained grunt as she came down on top of him.
She remained on the man, covering him with her own body the best she could. She panted from the exertion of keeping up with John. As he watched, Elaina turned to him from her prone position and spoke.
“You win. I give up,” she said.
Stunned silence filled the entire courtyard as everyone stared at the woman. It was like sound had all but left the world. No one said a word, and the only noise was the continued panting of the woman as she stared unflinchingly at John.
John stared back at her. His own surprise was no less real than any other. Out of all other applicants, this was the only person who had been willing to do whatever it took to keep Jules safe.
Others had done what was expected of them, holding him off until he made it past their guard. But that was always the extent of the effort. Once he broke through their guard, they always accepted that they had lost.
But not this woman. She had been the only one to truly understand what was expected of her if they chose to hire her. And after her display, there was little doubt that they would. John held his hand out to the woman.
“You pass,” he said.
She stared at him for another second before accepting his hand. He pulled her easily to her feet before doing the same for Jules. Then he turned to the spectators.
“Elaina Parks, welcome to the team. You have proven that you understand what is expected of you. Your application for Advanced Escort is hereby approved. The rest of you, I hope you took notes. If you want to be given a place of honor among our ranks, only the dedication Ms. Parks showed here today will get you there. We reward our members based not on status, but on how reliable they are. As such,” John turned back to Elaina.
He produced a pouch which he handed to the woman. She took it and looked at the contents. Her eyes bulged as she recognized what she was seeing.
Taking it from the pouch, she displayed a brilliant sparkling gene for all to see. John had asked his mother if he could have the Advanced gene he had given her and she had easily agreed. She hadn’t wanted the gene in the first place, and she assumed John would be taking it for his own progression.
Elaina looked at John with shock on her face. He was able to tell based on her physique that she had little if any Advanced progression. That just made her ability that much more impressive. He had intended the gene for the most promising applicant, as a means to encourage the rest. And she had definitely earned it.
She had been the last to take the test, perhaps by design. And no one else had remotely impressed John, all more or less landing where Jules had expected them to. As far as he was concerned, she was now employee of the month.
“Thank you all for coming and for applying. You have been classified based on ability and potential. All employment is voluntary, and you will not be made to accept missions. However, if you offer your services for a mission and are chosen, you will be contracted to complete that mission on threat of termination. I make this pact with each of you. If you accept my terms, express your verbal consent now.”
There was a slight pause in the assembly before, one by one, the group voiced their agreement. With each new voice another notification chimed in John’s ears. The Garden let him know each of the people who agreed to bind themselves to him.
John’s exemplary mind kept track of each name long enough to check it off the list that Jules had made the day before. When he was finished, he double checked the list for any who had not given consent. Many had already left with his terrifying display against Sean, but a few were still lingering.
“Any who do not agree to these terms can consider this the end of the application process,” he said.
That was enough to fill in the blanks for anyone who had hesitated. They all either filed away or verbalized their agreement. When his list was whole, John smiled. Turning to the crowd once more, he raised his voice.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Welcome, all of you; to the Golden Guardians.”
3
John left Jules to begin organizing the new ranks for missions while he returned to his room. He set the transition pad in his room to Thunder Fox Sanctuary and stepped upon it. After he emerged from the house he had claimed for himself, he quickly moved to the nearby city gate.
It was only mid day, so John was confident that he could make it back well before nightfall. He wasn’t sure if the gates were closed at night, but he did know that he wasn’t going to risk being stuck outside in such a high level area all night. He had had quite enough of that already.
At any rate, John left the base alongside the procession of beasts who quickly diverted in every direction once through the gate. John moved off to his left, not wanting to return to the crater, but hoping to find something suitable to hunt. He brought out Jane for the first time since her upgrade, marveling at her new form.
She was now a bright silvery color with ferocious looking red streaks through her fur. Whereas before she had been the size of a really big dog, she had seemed to lose some of that bulk with her latest improvements. She was now a few inches taller than his knee at her shoulders, and her fur was much more compact than it had been. All in all, she looked like a younger or skinnier version of herself.
Jane pranced around contentedly for several minutes as they walked. John was happy just to watch her exuberance at her new body. He smiled as the Fox frolicked through the tall grass of the plains.
When she settled down a bit, John got her focused on the task at hand. The fox stuck her nose in the air and began sniffing all around. After a few seconds, she perked up.
She looked back at him with intelligent eyes, and he knew her meaning. He nodded to her and summoned his bow. Jane led him through the tall grass for several minutes before they came to an area where the weeds were much less plentiful, almost manicured.
There was no question what was responsible for the upkeep. All through the field were countless gigantic creatures that John had no name for. They looked almost like a mix between a cow and a deer.
They were huge, approaching the size of an elephant. Their hide looked to be extremely thick with a dense layer of coarse fur. Instead of horns, they had insanely wide racks of antlers.
John was immediately reminded of the Lunar Stag that had provided the bow he now held. Only these beasts were much, much larger. John wasn’t even sure if his arrow could pose a threat to such an immense foe.
What was more, there were so many of them that John wondered if he could survive drawing their ire. The better part of their bodies were solidified gene material. Wizened tier, many coming close to what Suné had called the compression stage if John understood correctly.
That meant in order to gain wizened genes from these beasts, he would have to absorb a lot more material than that of a smaller beast. That was almost enough to turn John away right there, but he still wanted to test the beasts. He took aim at an outlier, hoping to avoid the ire of the entire herd.
John’s arrow flew like a bullet at the pachyderm. When it struck though, John thought it had simply disappeared. It had enough force to sink nearly all the way into the beast, but it might as well have been a bug bite for all the reaction it generated.
John wondered if the poison ability of the arrow would even affect the beast if no serious injury was inflicted. Not even a miniscule spray of blood came from the animal. John returned his arrow in doubt.
He thought about the situation for a minute before bringing out the Wizened Griffon Sentry Javelin. It popped into his hand with deadly intent. The weapon had a narrow design, with a tuft of fluff three quarters of the way up the shaft reminiscent of a lion’s mane. Stylized wing patterns adorned the shaft below that, and John thought they looked too deeply carved.
With a shrug, John hefted it over his shoulder and squared himself for a throw. He was completely inexperienced, having only thrown the thing once before, but he knew his heightened physique would lend some distance to his throw at the very least. So, with sights on the same target he had shot with his arrow, John let the javelin fly.
John had expected the shaft to sail evenly through the air and either sink into the beast or not. He had been basically blind the first time he threw it, so he had no way of predicting how it would act after thrown. As it turned out, it acted like an angry hornet with a score to settle.
As he watched, what he took for stylized wings seemed to come alive. They extended from the javelin like true wings and flapped hard in unison. The shaft exponentially increased in speed, fairly rabid in its pursuit of the giant beast.
When it sunk into the cow, an immense fountain of blood exploded from the impact. The it hit between the head and shoulder of the cow, a much more precise shot that John had thought he could manage. The force of the impact unbalanced the massive animal, and it fell into its side while screaming in pain.
John was stunned. When he had thrown the weapon before, he assumed the close range and sharpness of the spearhead has been the reason it stuck into the wall of the base. But he now realized the weapon was much more than he had suspected.
The beast squirmed on the ground while braying in pain, but after only a few moments it grew still and quiet. Soon after that, the notification came.
Wizened Cervid Gargantuox killed. Wizened genes available for harvest.
John shook his head at the ridiculous sounding name of the beast, but was thrilled to know how easily he had been able to kill it with the javelin. He returned the javelin to his mind and told Jane she could eat her fill. To his surprise though, the fox turned her nose up at the fresh meat.
John supposed with her newest enhancement, she no longer had the desire for lower tiered meat. That made sense to him, but it made him feel even worse about his kill. Essentially, it was unnecessary violence and an entire waste of a gene.
John let the thought go as he turned away from the field. Luckily, the other Gargantuoxen had not seemed to take his kill offensively. That was a bit odd, but he assumed much worse than him probably prowled the area. Losing more than a single member of the massive herd was likely expected most days.
John moved off in another direction, but not the direction of Thunder Fox Sanctuary. He kept the massive base in his sight lest he get lost, but he wanted to get more information about his surroundings before calling it quits. As such, John walked with the base to one side for a couple hours.
In that time, he found several suitable prey of Advanced tier, though only one of Wizened tier. The latter of which was, of all things, a cockatiel. It was white with patterns of yellow and red in its plumage.
It also roosted on the branch of a tree as thick as his leg. The bird was so large that the branch tilted dangerously down. It had to have been almost the size of the grizzly bear he had killed, which was absolutely insane to see in a cockatiel. John was surprised to see the oversized bird, but much more so to hear it speak.
“Is that a fucking cockatiel?” He asked himself.
“Is that a fucking human?” The bird automatically responded.
John’s head rocked back in surprise. The bird sounded less like a creature with a beak and more like a cross librarian. John was stunned into silence.
“Soft brain, tender meat. You’re a bit skinny, but you’ll do.”
John didn’t need to ask what the bird was talking about, as very few conversations he had had touched on the tenderness of his flesh. Instead, he took a step backward and readied himself to flee or fight. As he tried to decide if his bow or javelin was the better option, he spoke.
“I didn’t come here as a meal. I am only seeking my personal growth. I will not fight you,” he said.
“That is good. Too much of a fight would ruin what little meat you have. There is nothing worse than wasting your food.”
John was chilled by the sinister bird and its nonchalant dismissal of his attempt to talk. He had never imagined that a cockatiel could say such things. It would certainly do no favors for his dislike of birds going forward.
“I am not your meal,” John said as sternly as he could.
Somehow, after he said that, the damn thing got creepier. It cocked its head to the side, slowly. Its one visible eye locked on him, and the bird didn’t move. It did speak slowly though.
“It is very rare that my meal chooses to become such. Do you ask the grass to step on it? Should I ask the wind if I can ride on it? Truly human, what difference does it make if we agree? Only one of us will get our wish. Do you think yourself more capable than I?”
“I think you talk talk too much. That’s why I never wanted a bird. Once they learn how to talk, you’ll never have peace.”
“Do you speak of enslavement?”
“Do… huh?” John had no idea what the bird meant.
“Vile human. Your skull shall absorb the highest branch in my tree!”
And then the cockatiel spread its beautiful wings, arms that could wrap John up several times each, and it launched from the tree like a jet from the carrier. John summoned and shot his bow at the bird, already having predicted nearly the entire encounter thanks to Third Eye. The cockatiel was ready for this though.
A gust of air from its wings both propelled it higher while pushing the trajectory of the arrow down slightly. It was the most effortless manner John had ever seen something evade his shot with. He had no time to try again before the bird was in his face.
John returned his bow in exchange for his javelin, but before he could level it against the bird, it’s massive beak was already pecking at John. His armor was as sturdy as ever, so the cockatiel couldn’t pierce it, but the amount of force the bird could peck at him with was enough to drive John to a knee.
He jabbed his blade upward at the bird as it stabbed its own weapon down at him. The only difference was the beak of the bird was actually hitting him. If it weren’t for the amazing durability of his Chimera armor, he was sure the bird would have impaled him on both jaws and ripped him apart like so much confetti.
John was getting aggravated. He quickly summoned Jane, who he had been adventuring without in an attempt to become better at locating his own prey. She burst from his chest like a spectral beast, only gaining true substance when her teeth sunk into the fattest part of the bird.
The cockatiel shrieked; a sound only beaked creatures were capable of. It hopped back while flapping its wings, instinctively trying to distance itself from the fox. Jane let go but not before tearing a blood chunk from the bird.
John looked at the panicking bird with surprise. It had blood nearly gushing out of it. Jane had, as always, taken the perfect bite.
John was about to take a shot with his javelin when he had a better idea. The bird had forgotten all about him, giant leaking wounds were good for that. So John instead summoned his newest Soul.
The Divine Tail of the Kitsune appeared in his hand like it had been there all along. The weapon started out in a series of loose coils but the second gravity touched them, the weapon quickly unraveled.
John held the handle tightly as ten appendages snaked to the ground where they seemed to glide in different directions like the hair of Medusa. But these were no snakes.
Each tendril looked thicker than it truly was. The reason for this was that each one had the bushy appearance of a fox’s tail. But as John gently examined his weapon, he discovered that each tail not only had a barb in the top for scoring flesh but concealed a series of similar blades along the length of each.
The sheer number of them was absolutely terrifying to think of. John knew that to be in the grip of a weapon like this was a hell unlike any other. And that was a hell he would show this bird.
The cockatiel had managed to get its whits about it after getting out of Jane’s reach. It still bled profusely, making its white plumage red with gore. But it was no longer so hysterical.
In fact, John met its eye as it landed back on its perch in the tree. It looked more livid than John had ever seen a bird look. His whip at his side, John waited for the bird to make a move.
But it only stared at him. John didn’t know how his weapon worked, but he started to move it back and forth with small flicks of his wrist, just testing how the weight of each tail worked with the others. The whole while, his gaze never left the cockatiel.
As they stayed locked in a contest of eyes, John continued to play with his weapon. Through the vibrations he felt in his arm as it moved, Third Eye of Callysta told him exactly how each tail was behaving without having to look. In this manner, John slowly began to understand the greater function of the weapon.
The cockatiel suddenly dove from the tree once more. John was ready for it. He threw out his arm in front of him, flicking his wrist before lowering it once more. It wasn’t a fast maneuver, except for the flick itself. But the result was so much more than even John had expected.
With the raising of his arm, John had brought the Tail of the Kitsune up from the ground. When his arm was at eye level, he flicked his wrist with as much force as he could muster, which put a deadly wave into all ten tails. And as his arm lowered once more, the cockatiel came into range.
Ten hungry monsters lashed into the bird like it was paper, and John’s eyes widened to see each tail pass through the beast with absolutely no resistance whatsoever. Blood rained down on him as well as a hail of feathers as innumerable uneven bird chunks fell from the sky.
“Wizened Cockatiel killed. Wing Soul gained. Wizened genes available for harvest.”
The voice was finished speaking before all the pieces had even fallen. John just stood there, completely flabbergasted by what he had done. Then his mind registered what the voice had said.
John summoned his newest soul without delay. A pair of white, fluffy, almost angelic looking wings spread from his shoulders like he had been born with them. They were both as long as he was tall and wide enough to make John forget everything he knew about humans being too heavy to fly.
He wanted to test them out, but he took a moment to break free the section of the wings on the real cockatiel that served as its wizened gene. The section of feathers was about three feet long on each wing. The two met along the bird’s spine. Though still early into Wizened, the gene was still too large to take with him owing to the size of the bird. That was the second time John had taken out a creature too large to properly make use of.
He shook his head. At least he could absorb the gene, even if he would have rather saved it. Doing so gained him a further five Wizened genes, making him only two shy of his Advanced count of 35.
He had not consumed any of the advanced genes he had collected. The simple point of coming on this trip was to begin supplying his new employees with compensation. All in all it had been a success.
He had also gained an advanced soul from one of the kills. It was a small but deadly blade which he already planned to give to his newest Advanced guard. He hoped the blade suited her as well as he thought it did.
After he had absorbed the gene, John decided it was time. Feeling the wings flex and wave at his mental command, he felt like he was in a dream. Twisting them to face the ground, he spread the wings as wide as he could and gave a mighty downward thrust.
4
John squawked in surprise as the wings launched him a dozen feet above the ground in an instant. Another flap sent him even higher. In a few seconds. He was soaring.
He could feel the wings grab the air beneath them. Their powerful strokes easily kept his armored body aloft. He could tell that with a little practice, the wings would work almost without his input.
John had the time of his life flying through the sky like a bird. He wouldn’t have come down at all if not for a very unmistakable invitation from Suné. Golden lightning flashed in his vision for an instant before Suné appeared in midair before him.
She didn’t make any movement or any sound at all other than to slightly incline her head at him. With that, she streaked away in another bolt of lightning back to her palace in the base. The whole encounter took less than a second.
John immediately veered off towards Thunder Fox Sanctuary to see what the summons was about. He found that his journey through the base was a lot better with access to the sky. He didn’t have to pick his way through streets or ask for directions from something that couldn’t speak. He just rose through the city until he made it to the palace.
He landed at the entrance and the doors swung open for him. The massive hall took some time to traverse even on wing, but eventually, he had come to the dais where Suné lounged. He dropped to the floor and released the wing soul. They melted into the air like they had never existed.
“Hello Suné. What can I do for you today?” John asked.
The fox didn’t respond. The glowing orb between them had certainly relayed his words. But it was as if Suné was in a trance. She just stared at him for long moments.
“Suné? Is something wrong?” John asked.
Without answering, the fox blinked. That was the only indication that she herself was not a statue like the gigantic fox behind her. John didn’t know what to do, but his hairs were starting to stand on end.
“Have I offended you?”
Suné finally moved at that one. Her eyes narrowed, and her head tilted ever so slightly to one side. John just waited for her to give him something to go on.
“Where did you get that weapon?” She finally asked.
John’s mind immediately began working on the problem that was before him. The weapon. She could not have been talking about his bow. He had used it to gain access to the base. Not could it have been his javelin for the same reason. And the short blade he had received earlier he hadn’t taken out.
John’s eyes widened in comprehension. It had only taken a second. But Suné had been watching him so closely he could have been dinner. He focused back on her before nodding his head to show her he understood not only the question but also why it was so important he answered it.
“I do not know if such things happen to creatures, but we humans go through something called a Shuffle. I was in the middle of my shuffle when I came here. You gave me access to your base and in doing so, I completed my Shuffle with highest marks. One of my rewards was a soul weapon of my choice.”
“Your choice? Do you mean that you chose the weapon yourself?” Suné did not sound very impressed.
“I did. I went through a massive list of weapons. And they were all good. But something told me to go with this one.”
John summoned the Divine Tail of the Kitsune into his hand once more. He had not even considered it when he chose the thing, but a Kitsune, as Suné had explained to him was a ten tailed fox. So essentially, John had chosen to offend Suné without even realizing it.
Suné growled low at the sight of the weapon. John kneeled down and placed it on the ground. Then he bowed his head to the growling fox, hoping she didn’t bite it off.
“I’m sorry Suné. I didn’t even know what a Kitsune was until you told me of your heritage. I had already picked it by then so I couldn’t have known it would offend you. Again, I’m sorry.”
“You did not murder an unaffiliated Kitsune to gain this? It was a gift?”
“Unaffiliated? Uh, yes. It was a gift,” John said, waving his own question away.
“Then you have caused no offense. But you should know how dangerous the weapon that you carry is. Have you any experience with it?”
“No, only the bird I just killed,” John admitted.
“I thought as much. You have not found the many uses for the weapon yet. The longer you use it, the more terrible it will become.”
“Forgive me Suné, but have you dealt with this weapon before?”
Suné began to growl again. This time, John felt some pain behind the anger. When she stopped, her explanation was slow to come.
“We beasts cannot gain Soul tools as the enlightened races do. But we are not unfamiliar with them either. When I was a pup, my mother and I traveled the world. She was already Wizened tier when I was born.
“I remember watching her stalk each prey. She was the perfect killer. I learned everything I know from her. She was so wise. She never let a meal escape.
“But The Garden does not choose favorites. One day we were enjoying the meat from some kills she had made. Suddenly, my mother heard something. I was so small, I didn’t know what had happened, but as my mother grabbed me to run, I felt her jerk like she had been bitten by something. She fell, then. Without another word my mother hit the ground and did not rise.
“She released me from her grip as her mouth relaxed. I was so scared that I just took off running. I hid in a patch of brambles and watched for signs of the threat. After a few moments, a single two legged invader appeared. He did not look like you. He wasn’t human. He was fur covered and taller than you by at least a head. But he stood as you do, and as such he was subject to receive Soul Tools as you do.”
John didn’t like where the story was going. It was becoming more apparent just how serious an effect his weapon choice had had on the Suné. He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing.
“The man produced a tailed weapon like yours. The tails of my mother. It didn’t take him long before he started swinging it around. He learned of its secrets and how to make use of each tail alongside the others. And the forest wept blood.”
Suné didn’t continue her tale or elaborate on what had happened. She just grew silent. John was silent too, and he felt like he was causing the fox to relive her worst memories without even meaning to.
“Suné I’m really sorry. I didn’t know-” but the fox shook her head, easily silencing him.
“You did not choose this weapon to hurt me. It is simply the way of The Garden. It will test you in ways you will never predict. Only the strongest will survive.”
John didn’t know what to say, so again, he said nothing. Suné also seemed to have nothing to say. So the two remained quiet as the minutes wore by. As before, Suné eventually broke the silence.
“Thank you for coming so soon after my request.”
John scrunched his brow in confusion at that. What an interesting time to thank him for that. Nevertheless, he accepted the praise.
“I could tell that something was up, but I didn’t know what it was at the time. But of course, I am happy to have the ability to reach you so quick now.”
“Yes, you’ve been very fortunate in our lands so far. I do hope you’ll find everything you need to reach the peak.”
“Thank you. I hope so as well. But…”
Suné didn’t respond, but tilted her head to one side as doglike as ever. That was as close to an inquiry as she got. Other than that, she waited for John to proceed.
“I don’t want to ask, it’s just that…”
Again, there was nothing from the fox. John felt much more uncomfortable by the silence. He was used to humans, who couldn’t wait to make noises back at him every time he gave them an opening.
“I wondered if this is the only one of these balls you have. And if you have more, I wanted to see what it would cost me to borrow one for a few days.”
John waited in apprehension after he finished his request. It seemed so crass so soon after stirring up the hard feelings in the fox. And to his utter dread, Suné still said nothing. She just continued to look at him with those never blinking eyes.
A moment later though, a sound like a thousand mail slots opening at the same time assaulted John from every direction. Out of every wall from various crevices and chambers came an absolute mob of the glowing white orbs. In seconds, the floor was so full of the things that John couldn’t take a step without bumping one.
“What is it you wish of these? They are but servants of the thrown. I can make as many as you need. They can transition between bases, but they become inert when separated from The Garden.”
That made John’s eyebrows raise. He hadn’t considered that creatures of the Garden knew about home-worlds. He had been thinking that they all assumed him a native like them if they assumed anything at all.
“So, I can take one to my original base?” John asked, deciding to leave the topic alone.
“Is it truly only one that you need? Do you see the ground?”
John thought about that for a moment. If he brought these back to the base, he could provide his new company with the orbs at the very least. Everyone carried a pack, and they were small enough that they could fit in a secondary compartment. The idea did intrigue him.
“I could make use of more than one, but I do not wish to take advantage of your hospitality. And in any case, I could only carry so many with me.”
“You do not need to think of this as a favor. I only need this one. And I can have as many as I wish. Making them is not effort that comes from me, so I see no need to withhold their service if you need them.”
“Is… that an open offer?”
“I suppose it is, yes.” Suné responded.
“Well then I shall take these five for now. I don’t have very big pockets, so that’s all I can carry. But if the need arises in the future, I shall know where to ask for more. Thank you Suné,” John said.
“You are as interesting as ever, human.”
John thanked the fox for that, wondering if it had been a compliment at all. He supposed he didn’t care, so long as the interest she found in him was enough to keep her from incinerating him. He felt lucky to be leaving at all, much less with prizes.
John summoned his new wings and bid Suné a good evening as he began to lift himself higher into the grand thrown room. She stared unimpressed at him as he made his way to the edge of the room where the massive door still stood slightly ajar. When he had passed through, he took the time to shut the door before continuing to his home within the base.
John flew fast over the entire cityscape, ready to be home. He was beginning to get the feel for the massive encampment. The wings helped to see past the first layer of buildings he could see. As a result, it was much easier to find his house than the previous times he had tried.
But when John drew close, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Laying there, lazily stretched across his doorway, was Suné. She took a single look at him as he landed in front of her before taking a great big, exasperated yawn, as though she had been bored for so long waiting for him that she had almost fallen asleep. And then, with a single chuff of amusement, she was gone in a flash of light.
John just shook his head with his own begrudging amusement trying to overtake him. But he mustered himself in time. He turned back toward the palace and complained loudly.
“You just can’t let me have anything can you?”