Firenze had been sat playing a Pallimustus equivalent game of chess with his gold rank peer, they had met on the border of their respective zones of responsibility so their auras would still cover the area.
He was a dark skinned man of average height. He had old clan tattoos on his face which was rare for essence users in the world. He wore bright coloured silks that ballooned at the wrists and ankles, tied tight to his waist with a large sash. He had an oversized turban on his head with a jewel in the centre and a long coloured feather swooping back. On his fingers were many rings, his wrists had numerous bangles as did his ankles and his feet were embraced in silk slippers that curled at the toes.
The duty they had was a directed task from the adventure society, all gold rankers in the area took turns on duty at the lake and they had to suck it up, the last rank that the society could really direct their activities if they wanted to retain membership it was a minor hardship for the privilege they enjoyed.
The duty was dreadfully dull however, all the locals knew the drill and the countries either side of the lake knew better than to meddle.
It came as a surprise then that Firenze felt the bronze rank cluster not slow down or stop when it met the lake, he was even more surprised when he felt one of his plant tethers stop the craft.
His gaming opponent noticed his attention.
“Lucky you, I’ve not had a bite in weeks.” His deep bass rumble came out as he raised a hand in farewell.
Firenze blurred away with gold rank speed, round the outside of the lake. He came to a stop a few hundred meters away from the ship. It was impressive for a bronze rank team, he could see it eating away at his tether where it attached and that it would, very eventually, break itself free.
He turned his attention to the four bronze rankers on board. He saw them prepare to fight and was impressed at the reflex, even more impressed he saw one of them react to an obvious threat with aggression. He saw the attack coming and knew it was only a bronze rank weapon so let it strike him. He was shocked at the power of the blow, it was nothing compared to the vast depths of health he enjoyed as a gold ranker but nevertheless stung, and stung for longer than it should have.
“Oww, that actually stung.”
He didn’t understand the word the bald bronze rank adventurer said next as he moved to suppress them with his aura then his powers.
………
“Bollocks.” Was all Teddy managed to say before his aura was near crushed under the gold ranker.
They all had aura suppression training at the academy annex, they had even been fortunate enough to learn firsthand from when Gabrielle Remore had visited and treated them to a demonstration of gold rank aura suppression.
Long brown vines twisted onto the deck from the rear. They were the thickness of a mans arm and lightning quick, they snaked around the individuals in the team, lifting them off the deck. He struggled as the vines tightened, thinning out to wrap around his arms and legs coming up to wrap around his neck.
He felt a bump as the Serenity was brought back to the shore well away from the water and then the gold ranker started to talk.
……….
Firenze was surprised again, the Plant Master essence ability he had gave him control over natural plants in a spectacular way, it also gave him the ability to plant seeds that acted as the tether that snatched the vehicle. It was, obviously, a gold rank power. He was shocked to see then the rate at which the vines were withering and smoking as they burnt slightly in contact with the crystal deck.
The surprises kept coming. Suppressing all four bronze rankers should be as easy as breathing, easier, as he no longer needed to breathe. It came as a shock then as his hold became slippery, harder to suppress but not impossible, like suppressing silver rankers not bronze; an exponential leap from bronze. Then he realised he was only suppressing three of them not four.
Casting around his gaze between them he noticed it was the adventurer at the back. He thought her astoundingly beautiful, only bronze rank without the extra beautifying effects of silver and then gold. Her golden blonde hair tied in a large wide braid that reached her waist. She was staring daggers at him as he floated in mid air, the look made her fierce which only made her more appealing.
His interest in her took a back seat in shock as he realised that not only had she thrown off his suppression and was completely free but she was also mildly resisting the vines entangling her. She was never going to get free but she was managing to make enough room to be comfy. That should not be possible, his power disparity to hers should make the vines an immovable object to her. He recognised the power as Terraform, a power base similar to that of his Plant Master.
She lifted her chin to the gold ranker. “So, we have you exactly where we want you, what next?”
He opened his mouth and closed it, he repeated it a few times unable to fathom what was going on.
………
Teddy felt the pressure lessen, Kyra was as stubborn in aura as she was in person, her Diamond Resolve enabled her to shield others from one rank up while she enjoyed a two rank buffer. She was clear of suppression against all but diamond rankers which were blissfully rare.
He was still firmly held under the more powerful mans power and physically held by the vines that were not enjoying the boat as much as everyone else that had ever been on board. Faint smoke wafting where the vines touched the deck.
He noticed a look that he didn’t appreciate on the gold rankers face as he looked up and down his wife but was happy to see that change as his feet touched the deck and he bounced back up into a hover.
………
Gods! Firenze was starting to get very unsettled. His had done this duty multiple times and they were always uneventful. As soon as his feet touched the deck he felt them burning. Again, this should not be possible. He decided to regain control of the situation, the contact with the deck may hurt but he was in as much danger from it as much as a toddler was of dying of a splinter. He sunk back onto the deck and compartmentalised the pain.
“You are all apprehended under the authority of the Adventure Society.” He said with every ounce of authority he had. Again, he instantly felt unsettled again as the blonde in front of him just raised an eyebrow.
“Back off the mojo genie man, we’re adventurers.”
“What is this genie you speak on?”
“You are with your curly toed shoes, which by the way are smoking.”
Gods! He lifted just off the deck again. He didn’t release the adventurers from the vines but he stopped completely suppressing the three bronze rankers. He kept up an impressive display of gold rank aura to terrify them into a cower. Surprises were the order of the day when all four bronze rankers started disrespecting a gold ranker that held them at his mercy.
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“Hey, Robin Williams, back off, and don’t touch the Serenity again, she’s made it clear you’re not welcome.” Lucy said.
“Ooh thats the best genie! And thats not all she’s got right, get off our boat.” James chipped in.
No longer suppressed Teddy teleported next to his wife and attempted to chop through the vines with a summoned dimension blade. He was resoundingly unsuccessful. The blade fizzled out on contact with the gold rank power and he shrugged and stood next to his wife facing the man.
Firenze was astounded. It had been years since he had been treated this way and he wondered what to do with it.
………
No longer suppressed the team had their interface back.
[What the hell can we do, there’s no fighting this guy.] Teddy said.
[Who said we have to fight him? He hasn’t hurt us yet, he’s just held us, and got more and more confused.] Lucy pointed out.
[I like that, humanises him, even if he is about to rip our heads off.] James chipped in. [Hang on, this should get him some more.]
He concentrated and a flock of long necked birds appeared in the sky. Firenze noted the odd pattern and followed their flight. One swooped down right into his face and he grabbed its long neck with gold rank reflexes, making it look lazy. Bizarrely a square shape started travelling upwards from the birds torso, getting stuck behind the blockage which was the mans fist. He had to grab with his other hand below the obstruction as the square continued to travel up then catch as the bird ejected the wallet before it started beating its wings. The man let go and the bird disappeared along the road. He flipped open the wallet to see it was James’ adventure society badge. The mans eyebrows could not get any higher, the shock of the bird, the badge and the boat was baffling.
[He is officially very confused.] Teddy said on the interface before commenting out loud.
“I don’t know Lu, the beard makes him look a little more Jafar than genie.”
“Stop.” The man said. “Let us start anew. You are detained here until I can figure out what is going on, the more you do, the more you open your mouths the further away we are from that point. Let us begin, I am Firenze of the Fire and Water. Current guardian of the southern shore.”
“Theodore Mitchell, this is my wife Kyra, my brother James and his wife Lucy. We’re trying to find a nice picnic spot.”
“Teddy, we‘ve finished messing around for now.” Kyra scolded him.
“Ok. Sir, please release us, we have to check our cargo after that sudden stop, we’re on contract and carrying dangerous goods.”
The man looked assessingly at Teddy.
“Very well, who is most qualified to inspect it and I will release them.”
Teddy turned to Lucy. “She is.”
“Ah, the shoot first ask questions later lady, I like that, spirited.” He released the vines holding her and she walked backwards to the drop deck keeping her eyes on the group until she disappeared.
[Teddy, I don’t think even a gold rank coin will help, the duration is too short, I won’t be able to release the others.]
[It’s ok, we genuinely need to check the cargo, release Lechuza bush witch incase we get the opportunity but I think we need to talk our way out of this.]
“So what can we do for you Mr Firenze? Not to be rude but we’re in a hurry.”
The situation was comical, all three on deck were still bound. By a man who could crush them like ants and they were treating him like he was a nuisance.
“It’s just Firenze. I can tell you were in a hurry, if you were not, perhaps you may have seen one of many signs along the road about the lake which you see in front of you and how bad an idea it is to cross it.”
“Sorry mucka, didn’t see a single sign on the way in.”
The man’s eyebrows had descended from where they had spent most of their interaction and now furrowed at Teddy’s words.
“There are clear signs warning of the danger ahead not only to travellers but to everyone in the area.”
“Guardian of the southern shores? Maybe want to check that out. No signs at all. Might be worth seeing who would remove them.”
Firenze looked troubled and waved his hand and the vines retracted.
“In ignorance not malice do we find your error. Be forewarned now at the cusp of the danger; to tarry too long or attempt to enter or cross the water places yourself and everyone for hundreds of miles in mortal peril. For a Bahamut dwells within.”
“A Bahamut?” James asked.
“A diamond rank monster, powerful beyond thought. Took residence in the bottom of this lake nigh fifty years ago. It was deemed prudent to not wake the sleeping dragon and a guard was posted to warn of its movement.”
“Fifty years?! How has it not reached the berserk stage yet?” Teddy asked.
“Diamond rank entities much like the diamond ranks of our own peoples orbit in a different level to the rest of us. One day Bahamut may awaken and I will call the response but maybe it will outlive my own long life.”
Lucy made her way back up from below deck.
“Package is secured. All tucked in still.”
“Tell me, what of your current contract. Why are you in such a hurry?” The gold ranker sat cross legged in the air and leaned on his hand, elbow resting on one knee.
The Mitchells hesitated. They had been avoiding all urbanisations, anyone they saw they immediately turned away from. They were now confronted by a gold rank member of the adventurer society. He was obviously trusted as he was guarding a diamond rank monster.
[What do we think?] Teddy asked.
[Ostensibly he should be trustworthy. The value of the item is on par with what he can get by his own means, the power to make a gold rank equivalent weapon is how it was described. He shouldn’t covet it too much.] Lucy reasoned.
[If he is shifty then he might just kill us for the sake of it if we don’t tell him anyway.] James added helpfully.
[Tell him, he might be able to help us.] Kyra said, surprising them. [We can’t learn to not trust anyone, we’re too isolated in this world already just by being outworlders.]
Teddy walked over to the drivers station, he pulled a few levers and the wheels unfolded and descended to the road. He nudged a lever forward and back and the small burst of power broke the serenity free of the tether. It wouldn’t have stood a chance but Firenze had relinquished control.
“Firenze please come aboard, would you like a drink downstairs?”
They took the gold ranker below, this time when he touched the deck it no longer burnt him now he was invited. They poured him a hot cup of coffee and he was delighted at the taste, they hadn’t been able to try it as it was the gold rank variant Gerald had made incase they had the opportunity to host higher ranks. He looked around admiringly at the inside of the Serenity. The leather seating was a comfortably worn but not damaged warm brown colour. Coasters and table settings were made of sliced of wood with interesting grain patterns. Kyra had found a nice rug that was the perfect size and length of the rear dining area. There were a few nick-nacks delicately placed that Kyra had found in her many, many, many …many shopping trips. There were crystals that free floated in front of the window gently rotating to show rainbows over the interior when the light hit it, there was a large flat circular decoration that had different coloured sands mixing with water, falling upwards and downwards past each other. He settled backwards into the flat crystal bench surrounding the large dining table and was delighted to find the seemingly solid crystal faceted and shifted to cushion his behind.
When the team told him of the contract he recognised it immediately. “Ah the Stonewall Town contract, I have seen a team come through from Greenstone a long time ago come through this route on their way. Where are you taking the finished product to?”
“A mountain city called Honshuraskil.” Teddy provided.
“Ah, I know it well, ask for Masamba when you get there, that is, if you tell me where I can get more of this coffee. Say that you have my backing and he will take care of you, he is easily the most useful man in the city.”
They went on to tell of the political situation that they knew of and the troubles with the mysterious biomechanical monsters and their handlers that they had come across. He was not shocked to hear of it but he wouldn’t pass comment on it and they got nothing from his stony face.
“Well, I must say. Quite an adventure you have for yourselves there, and you say you’ve only been a team for a few months that’s fascinating. The Remore academy is widely known but I had not heard they had an annex in a remote provincial city. Along with your coffee producer this is another reason I must visit to see. As for your current predicament you are quite safe, myself and my peers will ensure that your presence here will remain hidden. There are few who venture this close to the Bahamut and their presence is tolerated by us under the strictest of rules and they will not push those boundaries.”
“There are people that choose to live nearby? Isn’t that like living on the lip of the crater edge of a live volcano that’s due an eruption?” Lucy asked.
“It is.” The man smiled. “But seekers of fortune will forever push to make easy money. The lake itself was high magical density before the Bahamut settled here, some parse that is why it did. Since the monster has dwelled in the lake it has been producing more and more rare and valuable materials that eventually make their way to the edge of the lake. Seekers of fortune with the bravery for the task or lack of self preservation. I will direct you to a nearby small settlement, travel through there on your way around an they will demonstrate the lifestyle they have adopted, you will also be bombarded with the goods from the source rather than paying market rates.” He winked at the team. “I will leave you to attend to the road signage, no one else must make the same mistake. Then I will inform my peers of your plight to ensure you and your cargo are safe while under our purview.”
“Thankyou Firenze thats very kind.”
“Oh it’s nothing, nothing. Anything I can do for you.”
He said farewell on the top deck, shaking the boys hands, kissing Lucy on both cheeks then spent a long moment bowed over Kyra’s hand, not breaking eye contact with her he gently kissed the back of her hand. Teddy eventually coughed, then coughed again until Firenze snapped out of it.
He shot off away into the distance. The three of them turned towards Kyra who did not look impressed with the gold rankers infatuation.
“Being so beautiful can be a curse sometimes.” Was all she said then made her way to the drivers station to head to the village on the edge of the lake.