"Are you coming? Hurry up, or we are going to be late. I will be in the truck." Crystal called up the stairs of the house.
"Give me a minute. I am nearly ready." Tabs replied.
A few moments later, Tabs came hurrying down the stairs, nearly bowling into Lars as he opened the front door and entered the house. Tabs rushed past him, calling out sorry as she ran down the path towards the truck where Crystal was sitting, waiting with the engine running.
Lars just chuckled, looking after her. This now being a regular occurrence most mornings.
Lars closed the door as the truck pulled off towards the town. Kyto appeared at the top of the stairs and yawned loudly as he descended. "Morning Lars." He said in a sleep-ridden voice.
Lars smiled and nodded at him.
"Fancy some breakfast?" He asked him as he reached the bottom.
Again, Lars nodded in response and signed towards Kyto. Over the past couple of months, Kyto had learned much of Lars’s signing. "Not sure we have any." He replied in response as he made his way to the kitchen area. On entering, he bent and routed through one of the cupboards before pulling out a packet of dried oats. "Porridge it is, then." He said.
Kyto set to work placing a pot of Keefir milk he had emptied from a bottle on the wood burner and lighting the fire. He then sat down at the kitchen table and began pulling at the mana strands from the plant in the middle while waiting for it to boil.
The delicate yellow strands moved towards his hand until they were absorbed into his mana pool. He had spent several weeks going through his Arcane Knowledge specialisations before he had made his final choices.
Lars walked in from the hallway, entered the kitchen, and went to the stove, where the coffee pot sat next to the slowly bubbling milk. He took two mugs from a side and poured them a drink before bringing one over to Kyto and joining him at the table.
"Thanks," Kyto said, smiling at him. Kyto dropped his hand from mana collecting and took a long sip of the hot, dark, bitter drink.
"Ahhhhhh." He sighed.
The milk boiled and suddenly spat over the side of the pan, hissing as it contacted the hot surface of the stove.
"Damn it, not again." He said, placing his mug down and hurrying to move the milk. He grabbed the pan, lifted it off the boil, placed it down, and then added the packet of oats. Grabbing a spoon, he stirred it well before splitting it over two bowls. "Honey?" He asked, looking at Lars.
Lars gave him a thumbs up. Kyto grabbed the jar and generously scooped a dollop out for both of them before grabbing two spoons and sitting back at the table, handing Lars his.
"So, what is your plan for today?" Kyto asked Lars.
Lars signed back, ‘Sleep’ to Kyto.
"I thought you slept all night on guard duty." Kyto chided him.
Lars punched Kyto in his shoulder playfully in response.
Kyto just chuckled to himself.
'You' Lars signed.
"Good question. Apparently, a job needs an engineer over at the fishing district, so I was going to visit Mr Cooper and enquire about it." He replied.
Lars nodded in agreement.
The group had arrived at New Talisia over two months ago. Since their arrival, they had settled into a sedate lifestyle. Their house was a vast property not far outside New Talisia's centre.
It had been strange when they had first arrived at New Talisia expecting to find one colossal community gathered, but that is not how it was set up. New Talisia itself was situated on an old airbase in Michigan. Here, you will find all the traders' hubs. All the old hangar buildings had been turned into indoor markets where traders would set up stalls or have permanent properties built inside. A few thousand probably lived inside the old air base itself, but most of the population lived in the surrounding city buildings.
The house they had occupied was about a twenty-minute drive or just over an hour’s walk to get to the centre. They did not want to stay inside as they all liked their freedom, and New Talisia was cramped, and the housing was not very spacious. The property they had eventually found, or TJ had, was a sizeable open-plan four-bedroom house. It had a considerable cellar area that, once the family of giant rats had been cleared out, had space for Kyto to practice his new skills in secret.
Kyto had eventually selected his Arcane Knowledge skills, and since their arrival at New Talisia, they had kept the knowledge of his status as an Enlightened secret. Everyone had suffered the same effects when System 2.0 was updated, but no one had ever spoken of Arcane Knowledge or its meaning.
The countdown timer had continued to drop, and he still had no further idea what it related to, but now it sat at 435 days, 16 hours, 14 minutes.
His skill tree had given him new paths to learn, and he had selected several skills he was learning to use correctly. After the initial mana manipulation episode and the pain, he had again suffered. Thankfully, no further learning had caused the same pain. His skill tree was support-focused as he had never been combat-oriented, and the skills available once he had opened the support branch had been more to his nature.
He now had the following open, although he soon realised the progression cost was extremely high and had yet to work out how to gain experience to allow for further advancement.
Mana Manipulation - Tier 1 - Level 5, you may now gather mana from the surrounding environment at 100% efficiency. Further skills can utilise collected mana. (15 AK)
Wielder Support - Tier 2 - Level 4 Your ability to provide mana to your target now has an efficiency of 200%. For every one mana you spend, your target will receive 2. (22 AK)
Siphon - Tier 3 - Level 1 allows you to draw on the mana of a lifeform at a rate of 20% efficiency, which adds to your base mana manipulation level. (3 AK)
Heal - Tier 3 - Level 1 allows you to manipulate mana to provide healing progression for your target. (3 AK)
Familiar - Tier 3 - Level 1 allows you to call one familiar to support you, your familiar will develop through level increases. (3 AK)
Shield - Tier 3 - Level 1 allows the wielder to create a higher-level mana shield. This may be used on a remote target. (3 AK)
He had spent 49 of his 53 available Arcane Knowledge points. Still, without knowing how to gain more, he did not want to advance his skills further, with the minimum cost for the next level being 6 points unless he opened the Wielder Combat branch, which he had been reluctant to do.
Some of his skills cost no mana, but others did. The heal, shield and familiar skills all had an associated cost. His mana pool had increased with every level of mana manipulation and siphon, and he now had a total pool available of 1200. From the calculations, he guessed that once Siphon reached level 5, his pool could hold 2000 mana.
The first time he had triggered his familiar skill, he had been shocked to see a glowing orb at his side. It did nothing but sit floating there, and he had been confused at its point. Only when he drew on more mana did its reason become apparent. It had magnified his mana collection rate by a further 20% at level 1, so he could draw mana at 140% along with his base manipulation and siphon. It had not increased his pool size but had allowed him to draw mana faster, allowing him to heal or shield for longer.
It was all a learning curve, which had been like climbing the highest peak, very steep, but he was slowly getting more consistent in balancing what he needed to pull to what his skills cost. He was close to nearing neutrality with his shield, where he could maintain it with his familiar presence and siphoning what he could from around him. Virtually everything contained mana to a degree, even inanimate objects, although once these were siphoned, they did not replenish, whereas living things did.
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Upon receiving the siphoning skill, he had begun to see that Tabs and the others had mana cores, and he could draw on them. He had done this the first time to Tabs with her permission, and as her mana core had been drained, she had felt more exhausted. He had not drained it fully like the plants and had not done it again since. Although knowing he could draw on a person's mana core could have benefits.
No one else could see the flow of mana, and it did not matter how often he tried to explain it and the feelings; they would never fully understand or appreciate it unless they could do it themselves. They could see his familiar, though; he had been trying to see if he could carry it in his pocket, etc. The problem was that every time he wanted to touch it, it would disappear as if reabsorbed by him, not that his mana boosted when he touched it. When it was called, it floated about 12 inches from his shoulder; wherever he moved, it followed him, always remaining there. It was pretty unnerving. He had asked Lars to try and grab it for him once, but his hand had passed straight through it.
His heal skill was unique, but it drained his mana very quickly. He had been trying to work out a balance for what he could potentially heal but had struggled to work it out. His first healing had been on himself; he had drawn a knife across his thumb and then concentrated on healing and watched as the strands of mana appeared to knit the flesh back together. No scar had been left, and it was a fantastic sight. Apart from practising with minor cuts, he had not found a need to heal anything more severe.
If only someone else knew about this, he could talk to. Being the only person he was aware of with the progression to Enlightened had left him frustrated, although determined to do what he could.
"I am going to get ready and head to town," Kyto said, standing and placing his bowl by the sink.
Lars nodded and indicated he was off to bed.
"Night," Kyto said as he walked from the kitchen.
Kyto grabbed Lars' bowl and washed them up, placing them on the side before pouring himself another coffee and heading back upstairs.
He finished his coffee, got ready, quietly left the house, and headed towards town.
The weather was still poor. Although the full winter had receded, it had left the cold, bitter skies, and occasional snowfall remained. Kyto was so glad of the jacket that Lars had given them, keeping the wind at bay. He still walked along, keeping his wits about him; although the surrounding area was quite well populated, you could still walk a significant distance without seeing another, and the route he took to town was through several open spaces, so it was always sensible to be aware.
The last time in town, he had heard rumours of a Grylack being spotted in the area. That was one beast he did not want to bump into.
It took Kyto about an hour to reach the entrance to New Talisia. The compound itself was surrounded by an external stockade that stood over twenty feet tall, and then inside; there was the original chain link fence and razor wire providing a secondary line of defence against anyone wishing to come inside, whether Wild One or human. A friendly voice called out as he walked to the gate.
"Hey, Kyto, why did you not get a lift in with the girls?" the voice said.
Kyto looked from under his hood, seeing Ryan's smiling face. "Hey, Ryan. I wish I bloody had now that the winds are bitter."
Ryan said, " Go grab a coffee in the post if you want to warm up. TJ's in there."
"Thanks," Kyto replied as he passed through a small pedestrian gate in the stockade.
He continued through the gateway entrance until he came to the guard barracks just inside the gate. Sticking his head in the door, he saw TJ dressing down one of the other guards. "What the hell do you think you are doing turning up in this state? You reek of nectar." He snapped at the young man, who stood as straight as a rod in front of him.
"Sorry, sir" he shouted in response.
"I am no fucking sir, you snivelling idiot." TJ snarled back. "Turn up late and in this state again, and I will send you to the cells for a stint of hard labour."
"Hey, TJ," Kyto said as he turned from dressing the guard down.
TJ's expression changed to a smile on seeing Kyto; since arriving at New Talisia, he had fallen on his feet. He had quickly joined the Talisian guard, and his experience in brawling and weapons had seen him promoted almost immediately to the position of guard supervisor. There were only four supervisory positions in the guard, and the only place above was the guard captain. TJ got on with Reece, the captain, and had the same mentality and professionalism that Reece had. It had been a perfect fit for him, and TJ had never been happier since taking the role. In his own words, he enjoyed keeping the guards in line.
The Talisian Guard was the closest thing any township had to law enforcement. They did not just do gate duty but patrolled inside and outside Talisia.
"Ryan said you have coffee?" Kyto asked.
"Oi, shithead, two cups of coffee now and don't even think about doing anything to them." He barked at the guard who was still standing to attention behind him. "Come in and sit down." He said, offering Kyto a chair by one of the wood burners.
"Thanks," Kyto replied. "Are you out today?" He asked
"Later, I am off to the fishing district. There have been Spylore sightings up there."
"Oh, I may be going there soon. I heard about a job up there and am off to see Cooper today about it." Kyto replied.
"It is bleak up at the fishing district. Not much there apart from the factory and the trawler crews." TJ replied.
They continued with small talk while Kyto finished his coffee before bidding farewell and heading into town.
Kyto entered the centre; New Talisia was a hive of activity with stalls and stands leading into the main area. It had amazed Kyto when he had first arrived. You could find almost anything if you looked hard enough. He was called at or approached every few paces he took by traders trying to draw him towards their wares. The initial bustle of the site eventually died away as he moved further to the centre as the open area of the old airfield became apparent. Mr Cooper was housed in the old air traffic control tower, where he had the view of the entire site available to him. Kyto had only met him once briefly and then not to talk to and was feeling nervous as he approached the entrance. People in front of him waited in line as he reached the building. They were being spoken to by the guards who were outside before being allowed to enter.
Kyto waited in the queue until it was his turn.
"What is your reason for your visit?" The guard asked as he approached.
"I am here to see Mr Cooper about an engineering job that I saw advertised on the notice board." He replied.
"So, you are an engineer?" He said, looking at Kyto suspiciously.
"Scavvie originally but have given up the nomadic life for stability." He replied.
The guard pulled his face when Kyto mentioned he was a Scavvie. "Make sure you keep to your belongings." He replied.
Kyto felt his anger building at the guard’s comment, but he bit back his retort. "Yes, sir."
Kyto was allowed inside to be greeted by a large waiting room with rows of chairs and a reception desk. He approached the desk and saw a middle-aged man sitting behind it. "Who are you here to see?" The man said, not looking up from the paperwork he had in front of him.
"Mr Cooper advertised an engineering job, and I am here to apply." He said.
"Mr Cooper is not interviewing; Miss Agnos is doing them." He said, looking up for the first time. "Follow that corridor over to the last door on the left." He pointed to a hallway off the side of the reception area.
"Thanks," Kyto said, turning and made his way down the corridor.
He followed the corridor until he reached the last door on the left. The sign on the door read 'Miss Agnos, Contracts' He reached out to knock on the door as it flew open, and a man came hurriedly out. He heard the voice of a woman from inside.
"And don't even think about returning, Mr Beraz, without completing all your paperwork." The voice called.
The man hurried past without replying, grumbling “Bloody witch” as he went. The door was now ajar, and Kyto gently knocked on the frame.
"Yes." The female voice replied.
Kyto pushed the door wider and walked into the room. "Hi. I am here for the engineering job." He said, smiling as he entered.
The room was chaotic. There were files and files of paperwork covering every surface, and off to one side was a large desk with a woman sitting behind it.
Kyto had been amazed at the amount of paper that New Talisia had. It was a costly process, but New Talisia had the largest press in the region. He had visited the site shortly after arriving and watched the production process. Large vats of wood shavings and plant fibres were pulped and drawn through a manual press to flatten and then stretched onto frames before being hung to dry. It was a prolonged process from the initial start to finishing just one sheet, so for so many to be in evidence advertised the town's wealth. He had purchased a small booklet, which had set him back one stack for ten sheets.
There was lighting in the room, but it was dim compared to the bright light from the woman's table lamp on her desk. The woman looked up and swivelled the light to shine at Kyto.
"And you are?" She said.
Kyto scrunched his eyes at the sudden brightness, which made him feel like a spotlight was shining on him. "My name is Kyto. I am an engineer, and I saw the advert for work at the fishing district on the town noticeboard," he answered nervously.
This woman was not someone to be messed with, and he could sense that her vibe was one of authority. "What makes you think you have the qualifications needed?" She asked flatly and in a bored tone.
"I do not know the job itself, but I can fix almost any machinery, electrical, mechanical, etc." He answered.
"What proof do you have of your abilities?" She asked.
"I have completed several jobs around town since I arrived. If needed, I can provide evidence from the people I have worked for." He replied.
She stayed quiet for a long moment. Kyto had not even seen her face yet with the lamp from the table pointing directly at him.
"If you get me written testimony from someone you have worked for, I may consider your application; without it, I am not willing to issue a contract." She said.
"Erm, ok. I can see Paul at the auction house whose generators I repaired and serviced. If that would be sufficient." He answered.
"You do that, and then I may consider your application. Now, please leave and close the door on your way out." She replied.
Kyto turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. 'Well, that was a new experience', he thought. The whole structure of New Talisia was alien to him; everything ran through the various township authorities, and everything required evidence or proof. He walked back down the corridor to the entrance and returned outside before heading to see Paul.