Chapter One

I failed, I failed, I failed. The thought kept running through my mind. I couldn’t believe this was all I measured up to be. I just couldn’t. I’m going to be one of the Points or die trying, even without that stupid ranger certification. I stood up from where I had fallen before the list of those who had passed after having read every single name to not find my own, Oliver, anywhere.

I looked past the people cheering or crying all around me and ran to my home through the ever-crowded streets. There was never enough room inside the walls of Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee even with the new additions the rangers carved out of the monster territories on the outside. Street vendors line the streets on either side calling out their wares as a person flies above me on a zip-line, probably a Defensive Ranger who police inside the walls going to stop another monster who slipped past the wall we just called them De-Ra after the Point that established the organization. I had seen them a lot recently with the new area added by the recent ranger push.

I shove my way through the crowd to the honeycomb-like sky-rise building that includes my sleeping capsule. I scanned my key to get through the crowded lobby sliding through the people to the stairs and up to the roof. A few others, mostly people trying to get their latest fix, stood on the roof but now at least I could think of how I was going to become one of the Points without being part of the ranger core. I could try using what I learned in the academy to take a stab at the outside monsters by myself but I’d have to sneak by the border patrol every time and use civilian tools instead. I stood there desperately trying to think of how I was going to accomplish my dream.

In that fading light of dusk, as Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee buzzed with life, I stood on the rooftop of my honeycomb building, lost in my thoughts. I wished Alara was here she always knew what to do in these kinds of situations, I missed her. Another zipping sound began to pass above me, strange for them to be so close to civillians.

Suddenly, a hand, strong and unyielding, clasped my shoulder. I pivoted, and there she was— A ranger, garbed in a cloak of obsidian hue that whispered secrets to the night, stood before me. Her eyes, those twin celestial bodies ablaze like the last embers of a dying star, pierced through me with such unyielding intent that a legion of chills marched down my spine, seizing my very soul with awe and trepidation. One could be forgiven for mistaking her for nobility, she carried an air of unspoken authority, the kind that commands legions with a mere glance or topples empires with a whisper of breath. Here was a woman on the knife-edge between awe-inspiring splendor and lethal menace.

She spoke urgently, her words rushed and filled with adrenaline. "Hold on tight!"

Before I could even formulate a response, she pulled me towards her and, with a swift motion, zipped off the rooftop using a slender cable. I clung to her, my heart pounding in my chest, as the ground below us blurred into a mosaic of lights and shadows. It must have been minutes but it felt like seconds unill we landed atop the massive wall that shielded our city from the horrors of the outside world. To my left a few shadows came flying in the dark toward us.

Breathless, I tried to comprehend the situation. The female ranger, whose name I wouldn’t learn until much later, called out to her pursuers, "Stop!"

Bait. I must have been used as bait. The word echoed in my mind, and fear gripped me like a vice. But there was no time to dwell on it. The night was alive and with a small step away from the enchanting ranger I was falling.

Over the edge of the wall I went, away from the safety I’ve always known, rushing towards the dark ground below.

An ominous hiss rose from below me as I fell. I flip around as the ground rushed up to meet me and saw a nest of snake monsters from ancient mythology, a snake king amphisbaena, similar to a rat king their bodies having been tied together they grew into a giant ball with countless snake heads glinting in the moonlight. They encroached upon a fallen ranger, who valiantly tried to fend them off. Curling myself into a ball I landed right in the middle of the beast, a loud crunch ringing out as I landed. Instinctively I ignored my limp arm and burning pain in my side to jump away as soon as possible.

With adrenaline fueling my desperate movements, I crawled to the side the fallen ranger. The snakes lunged and struck, their fangs glinting with deadly venom. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as my death approached I caught a glance of the shadows and the female ranger who battled furiously, a dance of life and death upon the precipice of the wall. None of my training in the academy could have prepared me for this. Time began to resume as the ranger I thought to be unconscious rolled over covering me with his own body.

The fallen ranger looked at me with grim determination in his eyes as he was repeatedly struck and bitten by the beast, murmuring in a small voice, "Just a little bit longer, just a little longer."

The fallen ranger, his face contorted in pain, summoned his Arrow, a manifestation of his years of training and dedication. With a swift motion, he sent out a shockwave that rippled through the air, causing the same injuries he had received from the snake king Amphisbaena to appear upon the monster's massive body. The creature convulsed, its hissing turning into pained shrieks as it thrashed about, unable to advance further it escaped deep in to the surrounding forests.

The fallen ranger, now free from the serpent's assault, breathed out a sigh of relief. "Be thankful we’re so close to the wall, we might just survive tonight," he said, his voice filled with grit and weariness. With a swift motion, he retracted his Arrow, the fantastical ability fading away like a wisp of smoke.

He sat up, revealing his face and the years that had taken their toll upon it. With snow white hair and enough lines that you couldn’t tell where the wrinkles stopped and the scars started. "I'm Marcus," he introduced himself. "I’m a third-level Nock officer on a patrol of the outer ring. Identify yourself."

I nodded, my body cried out in pain as my mind blanked still reeling from the events that had transpired. "I'm Oliver. I... I didn't mean to jump. A ranger brought me to the wall and used me as bait, and I thought I could escape by falling."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, a mix of skepticism and irritation in his eyes. "A ranger used you as bait and your way to escape is jumping off the wall? Not the most brilliant idea, but you're alive, so I suppose it worked out in the end."

As he spoke, I couldn't help but feel a pang of embarrassment. I had acted impulsively, driven by fear. "I didn't know what else to do," I confessed, my throat choking on each word. "I’d heard stories of rangers using civilians as bait but I thought they were just rumors."

Marcus sighed, " Tu-Ra-Ji-An-Lee isn’t what it used to be kid. I wouldn’t think about it too hard."

With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet, straight-faced as he tested his injuries. "Well, stay still the Tegen falls soon, I’ll get us some food."

I nodded gratefully, realizing how fortunate I was to have someone as experienced as Marcus by my side. As he went to find food, I couldn't help but marvel at the strange turns fate had taken. What kind of trashy novel scenario is this?

Marcus returned, clutching a bag of what seemed to be provisions from some sort of stash the Rangers kept hidden in unlikely places for moments of dire need along the wall. The air was filled with the aroma of jerky and bread, a simple yet comforting meal under perilous circumstances.

"Here, eat up. You'll need the strength," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that contradicted the chills of the night. As we shared the meal, our ears were attentive to the perilous symphony of nocturnal creatures and shadowy adversaries. Marcus began to set up a perimeter despite his grievous injuries.

“Was that an inborn ability?” I ask, trying my best to stay awake despite the pain.

"No, those only come from the descendents of the original Points. The rest of us have to make do with other kinds of abilities and that particular one was my Arrow. You see, an Arrow isn't something you're born with. It's something you earn, through years of hardship, stress, and struggle. It's made trough the binding of a specialized technique to your body—a form of energy use that can turn the tide in battles, change lives, or occasionally, like tonight, save yourself," he explained, his eyes dark and shadowed. "When you master it, it's as much a part of you as your own hand or eye. My Arrow allows me to use karmic principles to duplicate the damage done to me onto the originator. "

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The words hung in the air, both as a philosophical musing and as a tactical explanation. As I munched on the last piece of hard bread, my thoughts drifted back to the ranger who had initially thrust me into this ordeal—the mysterious female with burning eyes and facial features fit for nobility. A puzzle with half the pieces missing.

"Why did she use me as bait?" I asked, letting the question hang between us, like an unwelcome guest.

Marcus stared at the horizon, his eyes narrowing as if trying to discern the answer from the shadows that danced in the distant night. "Rangers have their reasons, some of which are too entangled in layers of secrets and stupidity to be easily unraveled. But using a civilian as bait, that's a line many wouldn't cross lightly. She must have had a good reason."

His words offered little comfort. I was used as a piece in a game far bigger and far more dangerous than I had ever realized. Our eyes met, and in that moment, something unspoken yet palpable passed between us. Marcus finally broke the silence, "So, jumping off an external wall huh? I haven’t seen that kind of stunt in a long time."

I chuckled, wincing as my injuries reminded me of their existence. "Given the alternative, maybe it was. Though if I had known I'd encounter a snake king amphisbaena, I might've reconsidered."

Marcus grinned, taking a swig of water from his canteen. " A snake king amphisbaena ehh? I suppose it did look like that from a certain angle."

Just then, something strange happened. I felt a tingling sensation radiating from my injuries. To my astonishment, the bruising and broken bones mended themselves right before my eyes, leaving me awash in a strange combination of relief and confusion.

Marcus noticed my perplexed expression and sighed. "You're lucky, It seems like you've been marked. It's another type of ability. Some of us, when faced with extreme situations or when exposed to intense magical energy, develop quick-healing abilities. It's rare, but not unheard of."

"I've been...marked?" I stammered each word tinged with disbelief and wonder.

"Yes," Marcus replied, his gaze focused and discerning. "You should be happy. I've never been quite as fortunate with such things. We’ll still have to wait till the next wave of tegen is released for my own wounds. Shouldn’t be much longer "

"I've never been one for luck," Marcus began, the gruffness in his voice amplifying, as though each syllable he formed was chiseled from stone. "I've learned to make my own way. But you, getting marked like that—it's a blessing and a curse, kid."

"A curse? How so?" I asked, curiosity knitting my brows together.

Marcus exhaled, a long, laborious sigh that echoed with the weight of years spent in combat. "You’re now valuable to many people, factions, organizations. Rangers included.”

Despite the dim light, I could see his face harden, his eyes turning into slits of judgment and scorn as he continued, "The Ranger organization used to be a brotherhood—people who would give their lives for the truth, who walked the treacherous edges of reality. We were seekers and guardians, warriors and scholars. Now look at us. We can’t even defend one city. The leadership's grown stagnant. They’ve stopped looking for the ‘Points’, focusing on petty skirmishes, spying, and illicit deals with lesser creatures from the Other Side. It’s all about holding on to power, now."

The edge in Marcus' voice felt like it could cut through steel. "Instead of hunting down malevolent beings and sealing breaches, we've been reduced to guardians—glorified mercenaries. A far cry from our honorable past. Many have forgotten the principles that the Ranger Code was built upon. When I joined, it was to protect, to serve, not to barter and trade lives like some common merchant. It's been years since we had a Council meeting that didn't devolve into bickering and backstabbing."

He glanced at the horizon again, as though expecting an enemy to appear at any moment. "That’s why what the ranger did with you doesn’t surprise me. It should, but it doesn’t. Our moral compass is so skewed, we might as well be navigating through a labyrinth blindfolded."

"Wow," I finally mustered, unsure of what else to say. The scope of the ordeal had broadened in my mind, from the confines of a nightmarish experience to a much grander, far-reaching battle—a war of ideologies, a struggle for the very soul of an organization I barely knew existed.

"Ah, finally," Marcus said, interrupting my thoughts. His face seemed to ease, lines of pain softening. "The next wave of tegen is here."

I watched, entranced, as ethereal lights—like fireflies with a luminescent blue glow—floated toward Marcus. They hovered around his injuries, the light intensifying for a moment before they dissipated, leaving his wounds noticeably healed.

Marcus stood up, stretching his newly mended muscles. "We should move. We've been stationary for too long. And in this life, standing still can get you killed."

As Marcus and I navigated the labyrinthine pathways comprised of failed wall expansions leading back to the city, the adrenaline of our earlier encounters slowly subsided, replaced by a more somber atmosphere. Moonlight streamed down like silvery threads, illuminating our faces as we both lost ourselves in thought.

Finally, Marcus broke the silence. "You mentioned training in the academy earlier. I assume things didn't go as planned?"

I hesitated, weighing the words that had so long been bottled up inside me. "I didn't make it," I admitted, the taste of the words still bitter in my mouth. "I thought I was good, but I guess not good enough. I don’t know what I’ll do now. I’ll figure something out."

Marcus looked at me with a grim line across set in his face. "I wouldn’t ever recommend it but, you could always enlist as a knock. It’s what a lot of us old."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You’re not a ranger?"

He cracked a grin. "Oh no, not anymore. As long as you have an ability of some sort by graduation, you should have passed. The whole academy is still a recent idea for those of my generation. We who joined as knocks are part-timers, essentially. No full ranger privileges, but we still hope to make a difference."

For the first time that night, hope kindled inside me like a newly lit fire. "So, you're saying there's a chance for me? Even if I didn't make it through the academy?"

"Yes." Marcus replied, very succintly. "They don't usually publicize it, but there are always gaps that need filling in the ranger ranks. Nocks mostly take on jobs that full-fledged rangers consider 'minor,' such as monster extermination or reconnaissance. It'd be a rough way to prove your worth but, climb up the ladder, and maybe, just maybe, you can do something worth doing."

The city gates loomed in front of us, a symbol of safety but also a reminder that our paths were diverging. "Well, this is where we part ways, Oliver," Marcus said, extending a hand. "Think about the Nock opportunity. Make no mistake it’s career that’ll kill you quick and if you don’t, you’ll just end up like me."

"Thank you, Marcus," I replied, grasping his hand firmly. "For everything."

With that, Marcus turned and vanished into the shadows, his silhouette melting away like a phantom. As I walked through the gates, I felt the weight of possibilities settle upon my shoulders. Just then, a voice broke through my contemplation.

"Oliver? Is that you?"

I turned and saw a familiar face—Alara, my childhood friend who had surpassed the academy's stringent requirements and had become a ranger a year ago. No longer being the little mousy girl in the room next to mine, she now had a face full of sharp angles, arms full of tone, and her eyes widened with joy and relief upon seeing me.

"Alara! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed, my heart soaring at the sight of a friendly face.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," she replied, her voice tinged with concern. "When I heard you left the academy, I feared the worst. What you are you doing by the gate? You weren’t thinking of trying anything on your own, were you?"

My eyes widened. "No no no nothing like that. I promise. Where have you been? I haven’t heard anything from you since last year when you graduated. You just up and disappeared on me."

She nodded. "I only got my certification as a second level ranger yesterday and they don’t allow any leave time before that but, as soon as I did I rushed to the academy to meet with you and you weren’t there."

The night had already been filled with revelations and life-changing encounters, but this was different. Alara's words resonated with me, rekindling feelings I'd thought were extinguished.

"So, where were you?" she asked, her eyes filled with the unmistakable glow of hope.

A smile broke across my face, as I felt the last fragments of my old life fall away. A new path stretched out before me, one fraught with danger but also ripe with opportunity. "I think I found a way to become a point despite failing the academy."

As I spoke those words, I couldn't help but feel as if the universe itself was listening, as if my commitment had set something monumental in motion. With Alara by my side, and the memory of Marcus's wisdom echoing in my thoughts, I stepped forward into my new life.

Whatever lay ahead, be it a monster or miracle, I was ready. After all, every arrow, no matter how unassuming, is destined to fly. And so would I.

—--

A pair of eyes burning like embers looked down from the wall with interest at the bait she had used. A slight quirk of her lips showed her amusement before she disappeared.