Chapter Thirteen

"When you trust a stranger, you open a door to the unknown. It’s a gamble, where the reward is connection and the risk is betrayal." – Prowler, Former Champion.

Level Five

Zar'Keth Village

Full Team

"So, Kael… How will the tribe react to… us?" Trish asked, flashing a smile she hoped Kael would understand.

Kael looked at Trish, then back at the group. They all smiled back, though Tuck and Emy looked like they were in an 80s action movie, their exaggerated grins more fitting for a cheesy blockbuster.

"I speak for the tribe!" Kael declared, trying to sound confident, though it didn’t fully convince the group. "You are fierce warriors, and we need support. That should be enough."

"I can't be the only one thinking this next encounter may be risky," James said through Nex communications. "Be ready for anything, team. Trish and… Will. You two take the lead. Will, play nice, please."

"One sarcastic comment and I'm in the hot seat?" Will grumbled. "Can someone tell Tuck and Emy to chill out? They look like they're about to crack with those forced smiles."

"We are strangers, and we understand if your tribe has doubts about us, but we trust your judgment," Trish reassured Kael. As they approached the stone walls and the wooden gate structure, they noticed movement on top of the walls but heard no reaction to their presence. The whole structure seemed to hum with energy, the stone appearing to amplify and reinforce itself.

Kael stepped forward and slammed his fist against his chest. Standing tall, he said, "Kael of House Ryn requests entrance for myself and my new warrior friends!" Silence followed, though there was some activity atop the walls. After 30 seconds, Will commented through the group communications, "I think this answers your question, James. The kid doesn’t have as much influence as he thinks."

Just then, a booming voice came from behind the gates. "Kael?"

"Yes, fath-" Kael began but was quickly cut off.

"Kael, get your ass back inside the walls! Leave your friends for now!" The voice commanded. Kael winced, then took a breath. "It will be okay. I just need to explain. Do you mind waiting here?"

"Of course," Trish replied, her voice slightly timid.

The group stood in silence as Kael jogged to the stone walls. The gate shifted backward, revealing a sealed entryway that slid open just enough for Kael to slip through. The gate then closed back into place, locking securely.

"I never thought I'd get a flashback to my childhood here," Will said. "Any chance Rose can eavesdrop on a boy getting yelled at by his dad?"

"Good idea, but Rose's talents are more suited for visual scouting. I also don’t want her too close to the walls until we know more about this tribe," James answered.

"Yeah, I agree. And those walls look to be reinforced by interlocking energy weave funneling from the ground. Once the gate shut, the weave locked in place. I haven't seen that kind of energy usage before in all my studying," Trish added.

"Both paths offer unique opportunities…" Tuck muttered the mission objective, drawing the group's attention to the large man who had been mostly silent until now.

"He's right. These people must know things that we can learn from. Which means this Taint could also bring its lessons," Emy mused, quickly catching on to Tuck's train of thought.

"Do you think they have a Smithy?" Frank asked, almost in prayer, hoping for a positive answer.

"I have to imagine there's a reason we are all here," Emy replied as the booming voice erupted once more over the area.

"Friends of Kael, let me be the first to thank you for saving my son. Stupidity and carelessness brought him to need your help," There was a pause, and the team sensed the man was directing his eye to the young Kael. "Nonetheless, that does not revoke your help. I am Elric'Ryn, father of Kael and Chieftain of this village. With the limited knowledge my son has given me about you seven and your bird, I must rely on trust. On this trust, you, Unrooted, may be allowed to enter my gate."

The voice paused as the group exchanged surprised glances.

"What do you know, the little rugrat did it…" Will began but was cut off as the voice continued.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"However!" Elric's voice rose, "Entrance into our village is a privilege that can be revoked at any moment. Should you defy my words or those of the Tribes, you will be displaced, cuffed, and sent to the Dark Lands to fend for yourselves. Mark these words and move to my gate for further scans."

Will's tone turned serious, "The response was reasonable, and I detected no ill will or energy stemming from his words. Regardless of our path, we need to take a risk."

Everyone seemed to agree with Will's assessment. His energy sensitivity had picked up no hints of deceit or influence. With a quiet consensus, Will took the lead as the team followed to the gate, stopping ten meters from the door.

"Please move at least half a meter away from each other while I perform the primary scan," a new, shrill, older voice instructed as the team separated. A flash of light burst forth, and an energy pulse probed through the entire group. The light was gone within moments, and Elric's voice spoke again.

"Thank you. Our scans show no traces of the Taint; you may enter."

The large gateway pushed back as if unlocking, then slid to the side. Despite the size and potential weight of the gates, the team was mesmerized by the mechanics as the gate slid effortlessly past. Familiar with James's Stonebreaker Gloves, they knew these mechanics were possible but were still amazed.

As the gates opened, the team saw Kael and his father standing side by side behind the gate. The area showcased a secondary stone wall about 20 meters from the gates, housing three primary stone buildings. One was nearest the front gates, with two perched to the sides and what seemed to be a secondary gate in the middle of the stone wall, similar to what they had just passed through.

"Welcome to Zar'Keth Village," the man, assumed to be Elric, spoke beside Kael. He had a black mane and glowing golden eyes similar to Kael's. His pointed ears pierced through his hair, taller and more narrow than Kael's, with silver traces hinting at his age. Unlike Kael's simple brown tunic, Elric wore leather strips crossing his chest, reinforced with energy, connecting to simple cloth across the rest of his body, suggesting combat prowess with a diplomatic touch. His worn face, akin to a human on Earth, bore several scars across his nose and an extensive line down his cheek to his neck and chest.

Elric put his fist against his chest and spoke, "My name is Elric'Ryn, and this is my troublesome son. As you can see, we are a simple village. This area is known as the Guardian's Hold. Closest to me is the Armory, and the two buildings accompanying it are the Weavers Den and the Smithy."

"Please tell us we can see inside those buildings!" Frank blurted, but Will quickly cut him off.

"Excuse us, Chieftain Elric. We are amazed by what we've seen and can only imagine what the village holds. Please know we are new on the path of enlightenment but eager to learn and help the tribe," Will said.

"Enlightenment? Laying it on thick there, Will," Tuck commented via Nex.

"It was the best I could come up with. Just hush and let me do my part," Will quickly replied.

"Ah, yes. In due time. Kael will be the best guide around the village. He knows everyone, but remember, the masters of each section hold the real power to share their knowledge and creations," Elric said.

"Yes! You'll love it here!" Kael exclaimed. "Come on, let me show you around!"

"Just make sure they have a place to settle for the night,” Elric added, turning to the newcomers. “Once you're situated, have your leader come see me." Elric placed his fist over his chest, then turned and headed towards the armory.

"Let's move! There's a lot to see before nightfall," Kael called out, leading the way to the Weaver's Den.

***

Earth

Level 5

Trent

"I thought this System was supposed to test us. These beasts have been nothing more than a nuisance to me," Trent said to his new companions, Kann and Vorg.

"They're probably more of a test for the weaklings of this planet, not the might of the Astral Dominion, Young Prince," Kann replied. The bulky man known as Kann was twice the size of Trent, who stood 6'2 on Earth. Kann was an imposing figure with muscle-ridden arms, a buzzed silver mohawk, a black biker jacket with torn sleeves, and tattoos down both arms depicting bloody scenes of old gladiators.

"Enough of that. There must be another reason for this challenge. The System always has a reason," Trent mused as he walked down a narrow corridor that pulsed as if someone was hammering metal. "And what is that annoying sound," he hissed as they discovered another metal computer-based creature. With a wave of his hand, the part-creature, part-robot folded in on itself and slammed into the cave wall.

"We have to assume this side mission is part of that reason," Vorg reasoned. "My scans show this path leads to a primary target of the intruders. Their primary memory cores show a deep-seated investment in finding these people." Vorg, more reserved than the other two, stood in the stone hallway. With a buzz cut, prescription glasses serving as a secondary scanning device, a bow tie, pressed pants, and freshly shined shoes, Vorg could be mistaken for a fresh military academy graduate, which wasn't far from the truth.

While Kann had joined a local biker gang on Earth, Vorg had submitted a pristine record to West Point Academy, located on the western bank of the Hudson River, just north of New York City. Both had been in environments with larger team-based cohorts due to their military and gang affiliations but chose the Astral Dominion path, joining the Games as Solo Champions. After the Stellar Ascendency, they merged their Nex’s and formed an alliance with Morgrax, now united due to the locational merge of the three competitors.

"Leaders, huh?" Trent said. "No rulers here; they must be political in nature."

"Not for long," Kann laughed. The three continued towards the final noise as one last mechanical bot struck the remains of a bulky metal barrier. Morgrax made quick work of the creature, squeezing his hand into a fist, causing the metal beast to compact and burst into sparks. He then pushed aside the remaining door and stepped into a larger room with black screens and a sizeable oval-shaped table out of place in the debris-strewn corridor they had just walked through. A group of humans huddled together, trembling beside the table.

A woman looked up first. "You're human?" she asked, taking a breath. "Are you… heroes?"

"My name is Trent, and these two go by their hero names, Kann and Vorg. We are the Astral Dominion. You’re safe now," Trent said as a smile grew on his face, recognizing the faces in the room.

"Trent, friends, America thanks you. You’ve just saved the President of the United States," she said, prompting the President to stand firm.

"America is forever in your debt. How did you manage to get to us?" the President asked on behalf of the group.

"Mr. President, we heard you needed saving, so we came as soon as possible. It is our honor," Trent concluded, his smile now firmly fixed.