Chapter Two

With a newfound sense of purpose, the next day I followed Alara through the bustling streets of the city toward Nock Headquarters. The rhythmic hum of ziplines in use filled the air, casting quick-moving shadows on the ground as they ferried messages and supplies overhead. The sight was mesmerizing, a testament to the efficiency and complexity of our city's communication system.

Ranger Headquarters, a fortress of stone and timber, stood tall amidst the cityscape, whispering tales of the brave souls who had walked its halls. Its imposing walls promised both protection and prestige to those who served under its emblem. As we approached the entrance, I noticed a group of familiar faces, and my heart sank slightly. It was a team of five of my former classmates, all impeccably dressed in the deep greens and gold of official ranger graduates.

"Oliver?" one of them called out, a smirk evident in his voice. It was Lucan, always at the top of our class and never one to miss an opportunity to remind me. With his tall stature and chiseled features, he was the very image of a ranger poster boy. "What are you doing here? Can’t you read this is the ‘Ranger’ outpost? This isn’t the academy for rejects."

A murmur of laughter arose from his entourage. Elysia, a slender girl with raven-black hair and a sharp tongue, chimed in, "Maybe he's here to clean the floors? Someone has to do the dirty work, after all."

I felt a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck. I had hoped to start this new chapter of my life without the ghosts of my past failures haunting me. Before I could muster a response, another of the group stepped forward, drawing all attention to him. It was Darian, rumored to be a direct descendant of one of the original Points who had established the city through sheer strength and will, a solid second place despite never activating his ability, and most importantly for this particular interaction, he hated my guts.

Without uttering a word, Darian extended his arm, and from his palm erupted a soft glow that gradually materialized into a miniature whirlwind, its vortex drawing in the ambient light and casting prismatic reflections all around. The display was a testament to his lineage and inborn abilities, a power most rangers could only dream of.

"See this, Oliver?" Darian taunted, his voice dripping with condescension. "This is the power of legacy, of birthright. Even after failing the graduation exam you still can’t seem to get it through your thick skull that you’ll never be one of us."

Alara stepped forward, her eyes hard as steel. "Enough. Oliver has every right to be here, Recruit. I suggest you turn around before I report you to your squad leader for unauthorized ability activation."

Darian scoffed, dispelling his whirlwind with a flick of his wrist. "Let's go," he said, addressing his group. "We have important matters to attend to, not entertaining Civilians." With a final contemptuous look in my direction, the group ascended the busy stairway to the left, reserved for official rangers.

Feeling deflated, I turned my attention to the right, where board after board displayed countless requests and tasks. The weight of the past felt heavy, but Alara's reassuring presence was a balm to my wounded pride.

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"I thought you two had resolved your issues," she whispered, her words carrying the promise of vengeance for not listening to her past advice. "How hard is it to apologize?"

I shook my head trying to defend myself as I said “Mr. Sorn just asked me to help toughen them up a little bit. How was I supposed to know it backfire that badly. ”

Alara huffed and moved on from the familiar argument to lead me to a reception desk in the center, where a man sat hunched over a pile of parchment.

"Ah, Alara, back so soon?" The man looked up, his eyes scanning me from head to toe before settling back on Alara. "Who's this you've got with you?"

"This is Oliver," Alara responded, her tone brimming with a sense of pride that warmed my heart. "He's enrolling as a new Nock."

The man nodded and shifted his gaze to me. "Very well. Name, previous training, any specific skills or talents?"

"Oliver Fairwind," I began, feeling a bit like a fresh recruit standing before a drill sergeant. "Trained at the ranger academy but didn't make the final cut. As for skills, I was top of my class for evasion and recently marked, but I've not yet developed an Arrow."

"Best to take your time anyway with those kinds of abilities. Old ‘Wall Hugger’ Marcus mentioned you last time he passed by and if he vouches for you that’d be good enough for me." The man scribbled my details onto a parchment and rolled it up. "Your records will be reviewed. In the meantime, feel free to pick a task from the left board." He gestured to athe nearest large, wooden panel covered in papers and notes, each detailing a different mission or task that required attention.

Alara guided me towards it, her fingers lightly touching the parchments as she explained the system. "Tasks are organized by level of difficulty on a scale of one to five stars. The more challenging the mission, the higher the rewards—but also the risks. Nocks usually start with lower-level missions, like clearing out smaller monster infestations inside the walls or escorting resource gathers through newly captured territory."

I nodded, scanning the board. It was overwhelming to see the range of tasks that needed doing, each one a story waiting to unfold. My eyes lingered on a parchment that spoke of strange disturbances in a nearby forest. "What about this one?" I asked, pointing it out to Alara.

She read the details and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "A shadow haunting Leatherwood Forest? It's considered 1.3 star difficulty. A bit ambitious for your first mission, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," I admitted. "But something tells me it's where I need to be. And I have an official second level Ranger on my side. What could go wrong?"

Alara's eyes softened, and she gave me a smile. "Alright, let's do it. But we'll need to be well-prepared. Leatherwood is a newly added region. No telling what we might encounter."

We collected the parchment and informed the receptionist of our choice. He gave me an appraising look as if reassessing my worth based on our chosen mission, before nodding and making a note. "Very well, Leatherwood it is. May your arrows fly true."

As we stepped out of the headquarters, the air felt different, as though charged with the weight of our decision. On the way out I could have sworn I saw the same pair of eyes as the ranger from last night but I brushed it off. Alara led me to a small armory where Nocks could borrow equipment. I chose a sturdy short sword and a light crossbow, while Alara opted for her dual blades, which she wielded with an almost poetic grace.

Onward we moved towards an unkown with ambition as my only guide. Such is truly life.