Chapter Sixteen

“Step into your role, and thrive.” – Coach Williams

Level Five

Zar’Keth Village

Full Team

"No, no, no. It needs to be tighter, Emy! We’re not trying to recreate a sailboat here; we need it to stay up, not set sail!" Frank shouted, expectedly taking the lead as they set up camp—his area of expertise.

"Come on, fellow Eagle Scout, check those knots. I’ve taught you better. We may be here for six months, but that thing won’t last a week."

"Will, what are you even doing? Tuck is eight feet tall; it needs to be tied higher. Are you even looking at what you’re doing?"

"Tuck, sheesh, dude, all those muscles, and you're worried about a little bleeding? Just think about Nadia healing them later and keep digging!"

"Trish!..." Frank looked over at her, setting up makeshift blankets in the new tent. She shot him a glare. Frank let out a cough. "Uh, good work. Keep it up!"

Night settled over the village as Frank added the last finishing touches. Despite their earlier annoyance with his directives, they all took in the new area and quickly dispelled any lingering frustration—Frank had done well. Three tent formations, blending traditional camp and teepee styles, stood firm with large trees as base joints. A primary rope stretched across the treetops, connecting the three spaces and elevating the tents just enough for Tuck to walk without crouching, though it was still a bit snug.

The two outer tents were filled with makeshift beds for sleeping quarters, mirroring their dorm setup in the Hangar, while the middle tent was designated for communal activities. It was currently empty but will soon be figured out. Though the task was complete and they should have been heading to bed, they weren't tired. Night had fallen, and the primary residences were quieting, but the team still heard noises surrounding the camp. This mixed tribe had different power sets and sleep needs but shared the principle that dark meant quiet.

"Is anyone else as unsettled as me, knowing these stars probably aren’t our stars?" Nadia asked as they sat on logs and leftover tarp outside the center tent, around a small fire, mimicking a traditional campground without the lounge chairs and beverages of choice. Nearby, Rose perched in a tree, overlooking the camp and keeping a silent vigil.

"Yeah, but it also makes me feel more at home. Nothing quite like the feeling of being a speck in the Universe," James added.

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"Yeah, that, and we have 32 billion active viewers watching us right now," Will smirked as everyone squirmed uncomfortably. He looked up at the sky. "Go watch something else!" He shook a fist in mock anger. "You know what, Nexy, can you hide that statistic, please? I’m creeped out." He looked up again. "Ya'll are creepy!" He couldn’t help but notice the live viewers dropped to 28 billion before Nexy removed the stat from view.

Emy smiled at Will's mock disgust. She knew he was secretly beaming from the attention, but the continuous number of active viewers was outrageous. Were the viewers going to keep watch for the entire six months? Nex explained that most viewers watched multiple streams or tuned in and out rather than just staring directly at them. That made her feel a bit better. She decided to move on to the topic that irked her.

"So, to summarize, this village continuously builds weapons and armor, mines in the mountains for metals and precious stones, and spends every day making the same repetitive food only to give it to this 'Mountain' and the Northern Tribes who support it? I can't be the only one pissed off by these people's willingness just to fold over?"

"We don't know if they do," James replied. "Those warriors are clearly skilled fighters. There has to be something else. Maybe the Northern Warriors are just that good?"

Will remembered the earlier fight they had witnessed. "They'd have to be pretty fierce. The integration levels of those two we saw fighting were quite the sight. Their movements and footwork blended perfectly with the environment around them."

"I think it just goes back to what Kael said," Nadia said. "Status quo…" She paused, noting the eyes on her. "Think about it. They have peace. People work hard, but at least the kids are happy, even playing. At what point is it worth it? It's no different than taxes."

"I think it's a bit different than taxes," Will snorted.

"No, it's not. We paid a portion of our income back to the government for peace and regulation. Yeah, these outside tribes and the Mountain might not protect the village, but they protect the status quo," Nadia said.

"I think it's more like regulated bullying," Tuck mumbled but agreed with Nadia's words.

"Regardless of what we think it is, we need to find out more," James said, shifting into planning mode. "For once, we have time: time to learn and time to invest in ourselves. I saw everyone's reactions to the buildings earlier. This place has areas we should all investigate. Stay together if you can, but I see no risk in separating as long as we provide our updates via Nex. If nobody minds me taking this leadership role described by Elric, I think I'll use the time to visit him. He doesn’t seem like the type to get early shut-eye."

"Ah man, I totally wanted to go have a lively and exciting conversation with grumpy Elric instead of going back to the Training area," Will smiled in an exaggerated tone.

"I'll join you," Tuck added, ignoring the sarcastic comment and noting his intention to head to the training area.

"I think I'll head back to the Smithy and see if it’s more than meets the eye. Trish, you heading to the Weaver's Den?" Frank asked Trish, who agreed but fought her internal struggle to go straight to the Junk house, thinking she probably needed to prioritize her primary skill in Weaving.

"I'll head to the Infirmary to see if the healer needs help. What's the verdict on showing our Talents?" Nadia asked.

"I think we'll need to show them eventually, but my opinion is that we start slow. Everyone good with that?" James asked, receiving nods in return. "Emy, where are you heading?"

"I'm not sure. I may just explore a bit; nothing is catching my attention yet. I'm sure I'll find something," Emy said as James gave her a skeptical look but moved on as the group got up from the campsite.

"Let's return here two hours before dawn for rest and re-grouping. We all need to stay on the same page," James finished as Will shot a small Cyrostrike at the remaining embers still burning at the campsite. Will smiled and blew out his finger gun again as everyone else rolled their eyes and headed in different directions.