Gregory had learned quite a bit over the last couple days, Father Araman was quite knowledgeable about Ascenders. This was by design, being a part of the Church of Guidance, a sect devoted to guiding newly arrived Ascenders. In the past there had been wars over controlling the World Wood, where new Ascenders arrived. Even in modern times it wasn’t uncommon for there to be conflicts over towns bordering the great forest, in the hopes of gaining early access to the powerful men and women who occasionally emerged from it.

After one particularly bloody conflict the Gods agreed to largely stay out of the conflicts, coming to a compromise in which no church dedicated to a specific god may be founded too near the World Wood. Instead a church which held no devotion to a specific god was founded, without a patron deity their growth was restricted somehow. Gregory still didn’t fully understand why, but apparently gods could give out blessings to their believers and not having blessed individuals, often called saints, was a major detriment. Despite this the Church of Guidance persisted, limited in growth but too beneficial to get rid of.

Introducing Ascenders to the world was part of the church’s goal, the other was to educate Ascenders about themselves, allowing them to grow and become powerful. At which point the various gods and kingdoms could compete for them. A powerful Ascender was akin to a superweapon in this world, so it was in Gregory’s best interest to become strong enough that he couldn’t be taken advantage of. Eager to avoid being controlled, like he was in his past life, he threw himself into learning and training.

But for all Araman’s knowledge there were notable gaps, he warned Gregory to never tell anyone what facets he had, but couldn’t properly explain why. Just saying the texts warned that one could be ‘talked out’ of their facets somehow. Additionally, on the subject of abilities he was less than helpful. Apparently abilities could come in many forms and gained in any number of ways, pacts with powerful spirits, being taught but another Ascender or figuring things out for yourself. Since they were such a key part of the strength of an Ascender Gregory was determined to get some as soon as he could.

All of which explained why he sat in the back garden of the Church, legs crossed on the ground staring intently at a small stone before him. The church would protect him for at least a week, in which no one was allowed to force him to do anything. The protection could last longer, at the judgement of the church’s priest, but this was rare and typically only done if the Ascender in question was too injured to protect themselves.

Being of perfect health, if a bit underfed as of escaping the forest, Gregory had to hurry. And, with the only real option being to figure out abilities for himself, he decided to the most basic, yet useful, supernatural abilities he could think of, Telekinesis.

Which is why he’d spent most of the day staring at a rock trying to make it float.

He’d not be successful.

With a sigh as hist most recent attempt to focus yielded no results he closed his eyes and thought about everything he’d been told. Facets represented parts of himself, based on how he saw himself and how he acted. His Nature was simply a method his soul came to in order to relay information, as Gregory had been an avid gamer in his past world it wasn’t surprising it took on the form of a character sheet. Abilities were how his soul interacted with the world, and currently the only one he had was a stealth skill. He’d gained it when hiding from a strange long-necked wolf, while sitting in a bush desperately praying he wouldn’t be found.

At first he’d been afraid it was a blessing, but Araman had told him that he would know if it were, the gods wanted Ascenders to know who granted them power. More likely his desperation had been what triggered his soul to react and not divine assistance. But was that the only way? He couldn’t exactly manage that regularly; besides he wasn’t sure he would like what abilities he got from such desperation. Hide was useful for avoiding some situations, and definitely helpful in the moment he got it, but it was what he’d needed at that time. Now he needed something more generally useful.

Letting his mind and body relax he considered the problem, perhaps he could find another Ascender who could teach him? He wasn’t very religious in his first world but since the gods clearly seemed to exist in this one maybe it was time to reconsider.

Slowly Gregory slipped into an almost meditative state, his thoughts sinking deeper into his mind as he listened to the world around him. All the while considering how to figure out telekinesis. His first indication that something had changed was when he felt movement behind him, it wasn’t his hearing that warned him but something odd, it was like he could feel the form of someone approaching. Focusing on the feeling he realized he could feel the world around him, out to a short distance, as if he was brushing his fingers across its surface. He could feel the smooth surfaces of leaves belonging to the various plants surrounding him, and the soft texture of the Sister’s habit as he politely cleared her throat to get his attention. Even the air had a feel to it, a slight resistance almost like he was waving his hand against a gentle breeze.

“Sir Ascender!” Sister Penny said out loud when Gregory seemed to ignore her, finally snapping him out of the trance and opening his eyes.

\-\-\-\-

*NEW ABILITY:* Tactile Aura

Reaching out with your mind you learned to touch the world around you with your soul, granting you a sense of your surroundings.

-You project a small aura in which you are aware of any solid object

-Mental focus can increase the size of the aura

\-\-\-\-

“I did it!” he said, half in surprise and half in joy.

“What?” Penny asked.

“I got an ability!” he replied, turning and giving her a smile that she returned.

“Father Araman wants to speak with you,” she said after a moment.

Nodding, standing and stretching, Gregory followed her into the church that had been his home for nearly a week. Soon he’s protection period would end and he’d have to decide on what to do. From what he’d been told people always needed beasts slain, especially this close to the World Wood. But even failing that there was always a need for Ascenders, and he was told to expect people to seek him out before long.

So it wasn’t too surprising when Gregory walked into the small dining room of the church to find Araman sitting across from a pair of men in armor, one sitting and the other standing. The one sitting wore a simple chain gambeson that failed to hide a modest gut, while the man on his feet wore a much more sleek armor that looked more capable.

“Master Gregory, I take it?” the man who was sitting down asked, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

“He still has a day left in his protection period, Count,” Araman warned.

“Of course, I wouldn’t dare force him to do anything,” the man, apparently a count, assured the priest, before returning his gaze to Gregory, “I’m Rahkam, Count of Norwood.”

“I’m… Gregory,” the Ascender replied awkwardly, feeling even more self-conscious as the count looked at him expectantly.

“He isn’t used to our customs yet, Lord Count,” Araman explained after a long moment of silence, “he wasn’t of noble blood in his last world either, from what I understand.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“My last world didn’t have nobles,” Gregory corrected.

“Every world had nobles,” Rahkam dismissed, “but for future reference, anyone of the peerage is referred to as Lord or by their title.”

“Right,” replied Gregory dryly.

“In any case, why don’t you sit and join us,” the count offered, “the Sister makes some lovely tea.”

Nodding warily Gregory sat next to Araman, already getting the feeling he wouldn’t like this man. Sister Penny, uncharacteristically silent and calm, poured him a cup of tea before refreshing the cups of the other men. After offering sugar and milk she left the pot on the table and left the room, though with his new ability Gregory could feel her just around the corner listening in.

“Now Master Gregory,” the Count began, “I’m not sure how much the good Father has told you of our kingdom, but our King recently passed away, leaving the kingdom to his son.”

“I’m sorry… lord,” Gregory said as the Count paused.

“He was a good king, but was getting old,” he waved off Gregory’s condolences, “in any case, with such a clear heir you’d think that no one would dare interfere. However the Duke of Estler is claiming another woman is the true heir to the throne and is threatening to rise up in rebellion.”

“Forgive me, Count,” Araman spoke up, “but what does that have to do with the good Ascender?”

“Ah, well, you see there is another Ascender protecting this woman, making it hard for us to confirm or deny their claims,” the Count explained, “since we’d prefer to keep the conflict as small and bloodless as possible, we decided to see if there were any Ascenders we could call on to assist.”

“Would it not be better, My Lord, to call upon the King’s Champion?”

“We considered it, but we believe the Ascender involved is newly arrived as well, to calling on Sir Flameblade is likely to escalate the conflict,” he replied.

“I haven’t seen any record of a new Ascender in Estler,” Araman said warily.

“We think this Ascender stumbled upon the situation before finding his way to a Church of Guidance.”

“Meaning his protection period hasn’t ended yet.”

“It hasn’t even begun yet, but I’m sure you know, Father, that we can act in our own interest should an Ascender who is under the Church’s protection get involved,” the Count replied smoothly, “if he hands over the woman so we can test her claim then I’d be more than happy to let him peacefully arrive at a Church. Truthfully, we aren’t sure how much this Ascender knows about what is going on.”

“Then why did he get involved in the first place?” asked Araman.

“We don’t know, he could be erratic, which is why we want another Ascender there, just in case,” the Count responded, motioning to Gregory.

“And why should he help you?”

“We would, of course, compensate him fairly,” the Count replied, seeming to accept that Araman was negotiating on Gregory’s behalf, “even if he was of common blood we can’t exactly expect him to assist a kingdom he’s not from out of any sense of duty. In fact, I’ve got a small estate just north of here that is missing a lord. If Master Gregory’s assistance proves valuable I’ve considered offering it to him along with a knighthood, in addition to a modest sum to get him started.”

“Why would I want an… estate?” Gregory asked, speaking up for himself not that he had a better idea of what was going on.

“Well,” the Count coughed, a slight scowl quickly vanishing, “becoming a Landed Noble is an accomplishment for anyone, so long as you manage your lands well you could easily live a comfortable life if that is your desire. If not having a title and land would put you well ahead of most newly arrived Ascenders.”

“I’d like a day to think about it,” Gregory said after a moment, “since I still have a day of protection that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Right, of course, of course,” the Count said with an affable smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “I shall return on the morrow to hear your decision.”

\*\*\*\*

“Elizebeth!” the elderly priest called out as he emerged into the covered walkway surrounding the large temple he presided over. The young woman, still wearing a dress that may once have been fine but was now torn in several places and covered in dirt and grime, rushed to give him a hug.

“Father,” she said, relief evident in her voice.

“Last I heard some of the Duke’s men took you,” he said, returning the hug despite the dirt transferring to his robes.

“They kept saying I was a secret daughter of the king,” the woman said, releasing the hug to look the old priest in the eye, “I’m not right? You told me I was just some orphan a man brought in one night.”

“Of course,” he assured her, “if there was anyone who’d know if you were of royal blood, it would be me.”

“Oh Father, what am I going to do now?” she despaired.

“First things first, how did you get here? I thought the Duke of Rimeland had you.”

“I managed to escape and ran into the World Wood, I know,” she held up her hands to forestall his complaints, “it was dangerous but I thought they wouldn’t chase me into it. They did but thankfully I ran into an Ascender who fought off the Duke’s men.”

“An Ascender?” he asked looking past her into the large, well appointed courtyard of the temple, “is that him with the captain?”

“Ya, I asked him to wait with the captain,” she explained, looking back to where the odd Ascender was preparing to spar with the guard, both of them having retrieved wooden swords, “he’s a bit… odd.”

“All Ascenders are,” the priest smiled, “looks like he’s newly arrived.”

“He didn’t know much about the world,” Elizebeth agreed, “and we avoided other towns on the way here so I don’t know if he’s in the Record yet.”

“Been a while since we’ve had to welcome a new Ascender here, we’re supposed to be more for training acolytes. But I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“Elizebeth!” a new voice called out, another woman, this one with long blonde hair, of around the same age as Elizebeth came running around the corner of the temple as fast as she could given her long robes.

“Julia!” Elizebeth replied, eagerly accepting another hug, “didn’t think you’d still be here.”

“Someone’s got to look after this old man,” the new woman said with a smirk, nodding to the old priest, “you alright? The Duke’s men didn’t do anything to you did they?”

“Just forced me to wear… this,” Elizabeth replied, tugging at the ragged dress she wore, “I don’t know how noble women dress like this every day, I much prefer a habit.”

“Some female Ascenders even fight dressed like that,” Julia replied, “apparently they want to ‘show it while they got it’ according to what I’ve read.”

“What is ‘it’?”

“Dunno.”

“Girls,” the old priest butted in, dragging them back on topic, “we still need to decide what to do about the Duke of Rimeland.”

“Can’t she just stay here?” asked Julia, “no Duke would dare assail the Church of Guidance.”

“The issue is we must remain politically neutral,” the priest replied, “if they come for her, claiming she is a fugitive or something, I can’t protect her here. I can send word of it to Templeholm but by the time they do anything…”

“Why don’t I just go to Templeholm then?” Elizebeth asked, “no kingdom may send their soldiers within its walls, unless they have proof of a crime, good proof at that, they couldn’t extradite me.”

“Templeholm is over a hundred miles north of here, do you think you could make it without being discovered?”

“I could ask the Ascender to take me.”

“You’d be asking him to forgo his protection period and get involved in something he has little to no understanding of,” Julia pointed out, “would he agree?”

“He’s very… mercenary,” Elizabeth responded, thinking back to the days she’d spent with him, “and obsessed with his craft as a swordsman. If you’ll give me permission to access the archives in Templeholm I can probably give him information on the Sky blade. Add in a bit of coin so he can equip himself and I imagine he’d enjoy the challenge.”

“Ahhh,” the priest let out a long breath, “I suppose I can spare a bit of coin, I can mark it down as mercenaries for escort duty.”

“And access to the archives?”

“That’ll be harder to manage, but… maybe,” he admitted, “but first we should speak with this Ascender.”

With another weary sigh the old priest walked out into the large courtyard and slowly made his way to the training grounds where the loud clashing of wood indicated that the Ascender was sparring with the guard captain. By the time they arrived Nathen was on the ground panting, bruises covering his exposed arms where he’d been struck while the guard captain held his wooden blade lazily over a shoulder.

“How is he, Captain Tyran?” the priest called.

“He claims to have never touched a sword until he arrived in this world,” the guard replied, “not sure I believe it but if true he has remarkable talent.”

“He fought an arch-bear to a standstill,” Elizebeth mentioned.

“I can believe it,” Tyran nodded, “he’s still a long way from being a truly skilled swordsman but I don’t imagine it’ll take him long.”

“Mind if we talk with him?” asked the priest.

“Of course, Father,” the guard said with a slight bow before retrieving Nathen’s training sword and returning them to the rack.

“You’re the young man who saved Elizebeth?” the Priest prompted, approaching the young man.

“Is that her name?” he asked, a tired, but happy smile on his face, “I probably should have asked.”

“Indeed,” the older man replied dryly, pausing to squint at the Ascender, “you say you arrived in this world only a week or two ago, yes? It’s impressive that you already have Tyran’s respect as a fighter, not to mention three facets.”

“Three? I only have two.” Nathen countered.

“Oh?” the priest squinted at Nathen again, “ah, I must have been mistaken. Two facets is also good, most Ascenders only have one by the time they escape the Wood. In any case, normally I’d welcome you to this world and offer you guidance, that is the purpose of our church, but I am compelled to ask you to escort young Elizebeth further.”

“I’ll do it.”

“That quickly?” the priest seemed surprised, “you don’t want some assistance now that you’re in a new world?”

“I tend to skip tutorials anyways,” Nathen shrugged.

“I see,” the priest paused to inspect the Ascender once more, “well we can go over the details of the job after dinner, till then you’re welcome to join us.”