Chapter Fourteen

“Repetition is the grindstone upon which mastery is honed.” – E.B.

Level Five

Zar'Keth Village

Full Team

"Why are you all just standing there?" Kael asked, then noticed the awe-struck looks on the team's faces as they took in the surrounding village. "Cool, huh? As my father mentioned, this area is called the Guardian's Hold. I think there's some deeper meaning, but really, it supports the primary entrance." Kael pointed at the buildings. “Those two huts build and energize the weapons, and the one right by us holds the weapons. This is where we do weapon transfers and facilitate meetings with outside tradesfolk."

"Nex, how is this boy able to use the word 'cool' in a sentence?" James asked over comms.

"Oh, just think of it as me providing translation services for you. Once this world was integrated into the known Cosmos eons ago, their local language was transcribed. While Kael may not have used the word 'cool,' he used some form of slang with the same meaning," Nex explained to the group. Will then spoke out loud to Kael.

"Okay, Kael, first, I apologize for my earlier comments. I’m unsure if sarcasm is known here, but I should have watched my words during our initial meeting. Second, I like to talk, so if you don't mind, I’m going to tag team with Trish on the questions."

Kael stood, only mildly confused, so Will continued. "My first question as a changed man is, what the heck does 'Unrooted' mean? Was that some kind of insult towards us?"

"Oh no, that wasn't my father's intent. He can be callous and maybe a bit mean, especially to me, but he wouldn’t want to offend our guests without reason. Know that I am also 'Unrooted.' This term is used for those who haven’t bonded with our Earth, establishing a connection or understanding with the lands. This usually happens to those in the later E-Class or even as late as D-Class."

"Are you familiar with affinities? They sound similar," Trish added after Kael's response.

"While bonding doesn’t necessarily mean affinity, they often go hand in hand. Those of our earth typically fall within four categories: Earth, Wind, Water, and lastly… Fire," Kael said, pausing before continuing. "Within our tribe, most fall within the Earth category, but we support all who wish to reside under our banner. These four connections align easily with the affinity concept we learn about in school. Bonding happens when the earth below and around you grows your core," Kael said, looking around at puzzled eyes.

"You really aren’t from here, huh? I’m not a teacher, but let me give an example. Think of a tree versus a rock. Say you try to pick up both from the ground, and they’re the same size. You might think the rock would be harder to lift due to its size and constitution, but you don’t see all the connection points under the tree—all the roots and foundation add to what we see. Take it a step further. When separated from the earth, a rock can only build on what it is, not what it will become. It can only do what it can do on its own. But think about the tree. Water pulled from the earth helps it grow, the sun heats it to create the air we breathe, and the wind shapes its branches into a stable position."

"Are you saying none of us use the earth as a stable energy source? Meaning the 'Unrooted' haven’t tapped into their full energy potential?" Trish questioned.

"Yes?" Kael answered hesitantly. "It’s not an all-or-nothing change. Even I can sense you all are using the energies around you, but your primary source has been the latent energy once removed from its foundation."

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"Dude, how old are you?" William challenged, hearing Kael speak about energy.

"I am two cycles away from adulthood. Students my age usually start their energy and combat training, but my dad has always focused my path on knowledge," Kael said, sighing.

"Don't take your knowledge for granted," Will was the first to speak. "Be proud of who you are and what you know. Plus, keep teaching us, and those two back there," Will pointed at Tuck and Emy, "might be willing to teach you some combat skills."

Kael's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

"Well, only—" Trish started as Emy and Tuck exchanged glances, but Will cut her off.

"Yes, really. We’re all willing to help, but you must make it okay with your dad and the tribe. Even if your dad says no, what he doesn’t know might not hurt him." Will winked, then cringed, realizing Nexy couldn’t translate a wink to Kael.

"He gets it, hunny," Nexy purred. "Social interactions leap from one planet to the next. Reactions and interactions stem from the same source emotions."

Will let out a relieved sigh. "Does Kael even have a Nexabot?" he asked.

"Due to the primitive nature of this planet during integration, many recipients were granted a more basic version of Nexabot. But it allows for more synergistic integrations with the user. Think of you and me as one, intermingled and unable to tell each other apart," Nexy added in a sultry voice before continuing, "It's a base layer of code that funnels and adds information to the user without the UI, monologue, and customization or flexibility of our versions."

As the team processed the information, they asked Kael a few more questions before the more extensive village tour began. Due to the timing and position of the sun, Kael determined they couldn’t stay too long in each place but was more than willing to give more in-depth tours later.

Within Guardian's Hold, their first stop was the Armory. The large stone building stood as a fortress of craftsmanship, its towering walls a testament to the village tribe's skill, lending an air of formality to the structure. Inside, the vast space was filled with an overwhelming number of items, yet there was a distinct lack of variety. Rows upon rows of identical garments and weapons lined the shelves as if the armory had been tasked with endlessly replicating the same designs. Amidst the uniformity, a solitary figure named Lorin'Mar moved methodically through the room. He barely spoke, focusing entirely on counting, labeling, and tracking each item, showing little interest in the new group entering his domain.

The Weaver's Den stood in contrast to the Armory. Although similar in stature, it lacked the formality of its counterpart and instead pulsated with energy, seemingly in harmony with the stone walls of the village. As the team entered, they were greeted by a dismissive huff from a teacher who paid them no mind, rocking in a wooden chair while fiddling with stones. Two younger apprentices busied themselves over a long table, not wasting a second to glance at the new visitors, moving back and forth between weapons similar to those showcased in the Armory.

"That looked like a sweat shop," Will commented after the team exited, but Trish quickly added, "Is the Teacher always like that?"

"Oh, um, yeah? That’s Uma. She no longer has a family name, but don’t mind her temper; she always has a long list of students wanting to apprentice with her."

"A long list to do… that?" Trish looked disgusted at how her Talent was used in this village. Kael just shrugged. "It’s not my path, but I can see why it would interest others." He then proceeded to head towards the last building in the area.

As the team moved towards the Smithy, Frank was giddy with excitement in anticipation of seeing the space. The building, matching the stone architecture of the Armory and Weaver's Den, resonated with the loud, rhythmic drumming of metal as they entered. The room was cluttered with rough iron and unknown metals, tossed aside haphazardly. The inner workings resembled a factory floor, with workers stationed along a production line, each repetitively engaged in various smithing tasks—hammering, shaping, cooling, and inspecting weapons and tools. The repetitive nature of their work created a mesmerizing, albeit monotonous, atmosphere.

Frank’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the tools, his enthusiasm barely contained. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder aloud, questioning the lack of diversity in their tasks. As they exited, he looked at Trish, who felt the same way after leaving the Weaver's Den. "It’s almost as if they’ve lost all creativity. Yes, I want to get back to pounding some metal, but those two places just looked… painful."

Not hearing Frank's comments to Trish, Kael kept moving with the village tour, closing the Guardian's Hold tour and heading toward the second gate. "And now, you get to see our true village."

The secondary gates opened much like the primary ones, sliding smoothly across the floor. As they opened, the team felt a gush of wind pushing through a vast ecosystem of trees, plants, and huts intermingled together, creating a social ecosystem. The tribe moved about casually but deliberately, most glancing at the newcomers before returning to their tasks.

"Let's find you all some huts for the night, and I’ll take you to the market for food and one last tour of the surrounding area," Kael said.

"Food?" Frank's demeanor from the Smithy shifted as the team funneled through the trees and into the village proper.