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JULES
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“I have taught you how to survive," Liam said. "It took years longer than I expected, but alas, my lessons are done, and I have to say this: Neither of you would make good Gamesmen. It's a harsh reality, but it's the truth. There, I said it." Liam placed some jars before them, sat down, and sighed. Never wanted to be— "Phew, I feel better. Now, Cyrus is right, Jules. You need to start picking your Skills now. Eighteen will be here before you know it.” He looked at each of them long and hard. “I think survival Skills are more important than Classing up, but now that you’ve got them, it’s high time for a graduation.” He handed them each a document, and they couldn’t hold back their excitement.
> [Fatherly Advice — QUEST COMPLETED]
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> [Join the Scholars Guild — Quest Objective COMPLETED: Complete your application.]
“Now, I have some final tasks before I sign your applications.”
> [Fatherly Advice — Quest Objective ADDED: Complete your chores.]
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> [ERROR: Fatherly Advice — QUEST INCOMPLETED]
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> [ERROR: Join the Scholars Guild — Quest Objective INCOMPLETED: Complete your application.]
“Oh, come on!” Jules protested.
“What? If I don’t force you, you’ll forget, and all our hard work will expire, along with all our food stores, and we won’t have dinner, and then we’ll starve to death, and our lives will have amounted to nothing.” Jules rolled his eyes. “So go into town and sell our loot. Your shares are yours. Use my proceeds to buy what’s on this list. Arrows, medicine, food. Then split what’s left of mine, plus the Bounty, between the two of you.” He handed a list to Jules.
“Alright,” said Jules. “We’ll have to do it after school. We’re running late.”
“And we can’t skip today. It’s the Fall Ceremony,” Cyrus said.
Before they went into town, the boys harvested their final loot from their wolves: the Trophies. They resisted the urge to replay their victories, and instead they filed away all the wolves’ loot into their System Inventories. The items stored neatly into their backpacks and took up nearly all the space in Jules’ since he took Liam’s items so as not to burden Cyrus. More importantly, it made Jules feel like a contributing member of his family, something that wouldn’t remain solely his duty for much longer.
They washed the blood and guts from their hands, and then they ran to town.
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In the colorful and vibrant market street of Coralhaven, Jules smelled an odd mix of sweet baked goods and smoked meats. All around, people bargained to save a few Ryoku in their transactions. Some early-morning fishermen had already dropped off their morning catch into salt bins and ice displays on the streets. Jules hated the foul stench and strolled past the stalls with Cyrus.
Some drummers had gathered with other musicians, and their rhythm with the woodwinds and strings transitioned from celebratory to triumphant. The Fall Ceremony would begin soon. They walked past shanty buildings of every pastel color imaginable until they reached the end of one of the market streets, which dumped out into the town square. Nearly a dozen other streets and alleyways split off from the square, and most of them contained market streets in their own rights.
Apothecary Alley, as it was called, had street vendors selling all sorts of ailments, and, of course, butted against the square itself was The Apothecary, a building which towered over most. The shop was built around one giant alchemy apparatus, whose glass tubes and pipes formed a double helix three stories tall. We’ll have to come back here and check out Armor Avenue as well. Hopefully, we can steer clear of Scripts Street, Political Parkway, and then we can head to Faction Freeway.
"Cy—you ever wonder who named all the streets?"
"Some buffoon like B.S. Snelliott."
Everyone was dressed up in a slightly more formal fashion than normal for the Ceremony, but not by much. Merchants displayed banners of sea legends: merfolk, sirens, kraken, leviathan, even one of Poseidon’s trident. After Jules took note of the shops he’d have to visit after school, he spotted his teacher, Isolda. She stood in front of the Ceremony stage, in the middle of the plaza. Always right in the thick of it.
Jules had always been drawn to Isolda. Maybe it was because her subjects were the most interesting—after all, Scripts and Factions are what Jules and Cyrus lived for—maybe it was because she herself was an interesting subject—the way she taught it, the way she spoke about it. Maybe it was because she took the time to talk to Jules about his own interests. Perhaps it was more primal than that, as Jules and Cyrus both found her drop-dead gorgeous.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
The wind whipped her long brown hair and her out-of-place, ruffly pirate-era clothing about. Isolda lectured her students that had gathered so far. The morning light twinkled in her eyes, those eyes whose color he could never quite tell. Could have sworn they were green last time.
“Jules, quit gawking.” Cyrus elbowed him. “It’s been a while, but act like you’ve seen her before.” Jules responded with a side-eyed glance, his cover blown.
“At least I didn’t stammer when I met her. Come on, let’s join the class.” They shifted through the crowd and joined their dozen classmates and teacher.
“Ah, Jules, Cyrus,” Isolda said. “Just in time. They’re about to begin. I knew you two wouldn’t miss this one.”
“Good morning, Isolda.” Jules approached his teacher and reached into his bag. “I finished your book, Basic Magic. I thought the author’s approach to using others’ Scripts was pretty interesting.” Not to mention practical, for me anyway.
“Ah, yes, well that is what fueled the early industrial revolution across all of Salvatica, actually. We take it for granted with Tomes and Scrolls, but society as a whole has completely forgotten Runes are the foundations of Scripts—”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Jules interrupted her, as he often did. Isolda was keen to ramble about modern day politics and the economy and blah blah blah, we should return to our roots, the old ways, etc. “I was wondering, actually, who is he? The author?”
Isolda’s blue eyes flashed. She grinned mischievously. “Ah, so you like his work. I’ll turn you to the dark side, yet.” She leaned in to whisper in Jules’ ear. I like where this is— “Power to the proletariat.”
Oh. Jules' shoulders' slouched down with his face.
“But actually,” she continued, “he has another volume about Conjuration that I think you’d like. Now, where is it…” Jules knew his father loved him, and that Cyrus supported him no matter what Class he chose, but this was the first time today he felt seen by someone else. Isolda fumbled around inside one of the many bags slung around her shoulders. She was one of the few people Jules knew who actually placed items in bags, instead of storing them in a Container Inventory, or her System Inventory. Behind her, the Island Elder of Coralhaven dredged across the stage to the podium, rather slowly, due to his arthritis and long beard that often tripped him up. “Ah, wait, they’re about to start.”
Isolda quit her search for the book, hushed her class, and gave all her attention to the old man. He stepped up to the podium, and his strained back hunched over it. He cleared his throat, and the tattoos around his mouth lit up. His eyes were lit, too, though they were hidden under heavy eyelids and beneath bushy white eyebrows.
“I thank all of you in attendance today, Coralhaven natives and guests from afar, for honoring our recipients at this fair Fall Ceremony.” The Island Elder’s voice boomed from the stage. They could hear the old coot in Aquilantis. The Island Elder chuckled before he told his coming joke. “Of course, in the Shattered Isles, we know not what fall and winter are. But I especially want to thank all of our recipients for honoring Coralhaven…”
Jules looked around the stage to find a hint at what the Tome and Scroll would be. The Runes would be the obvious elemental choice, the Water Rune.
“...thank our Inkers, who have traveled from…”
Wait, that Inker, he’s just a 3rd Rank. Jules had seen all of these Inkers at the previous Summer Ceremony, and knew there was no way the 3rd Rank could have ascended to 4th Rank in that time. We all would have heard about it—the whole world would have.
“...work so tirelessly to bestow these gifts upon us…”
He saw a group of ten-year-olds on stage, organized in two neat rows, fighting off their nerves. A tinge of envy flowed through him.
“...ready to receive their first tattoos today, our blessed Water Rune.”
Jules glanced at his barren left hand and shoved it in his pocket.
“...future of Coralhaven’s brightest…”
Ouch.
“We also have Sal Brookshore, an Apprentice Apothecary imbuing his first Scroll today, and just at eighteen years old, which reminds me of my second son, who…”
Wow. Sal really did it. He and Cyrus glanced at each other, jealous of Sal’s accomplishment.
“...to purify toxins in the distilled ingredients our Master Alchemists brew for…”
Mom—Evelyn…wonder if she knows that one. Have to remember to ask her and Dad what their Ceremony Scripts are.
“...expect great things from you, Sal, and to see you here again soon earning your first Tome.”
Isolda grunted softly in contempt.
“Which brings us to our most esteemed recipient today, Fin Rivers, Master Druid of the Hydromages, who has mastered his Tome to control animals.”
The crowd ooh’ed and ah’ed and whispered each of those words, Master, Druid, Hydromages.
“Now, let the Ceremony commence!” The Island Elder hobbled away from the podium to speak to Fin Rivers. His cane wobbled with each step.
“Bah, no Trophies today, class,” Isolda said. “Nothing of note must have happened this season. What a shame."
Jules and Cy exchanged smiles. Their 2nd Rank Trophies would have been accepted into the Ceremony if they had received them sooner. Not as exciting as a decade ago, when 'ole Bootstraps received his Leshen Trophy—which would impress anyone—but it was still extraordinary that two Unranked children slayed beasts two full Ranks above themselves.
The Fall Ceremony recipients walked to their easels, which were displayed towards the crowd. All except Fin Rivers dipped pens into Enchanted Ink and wrote out the Scripts they'd mastered. The students finished their Runes first, as Runes are just single glyphs. Shortly afterwards, Sal finished his Scroll, which was a longer series of individual Runes. Once the others were finished, Fin Rivers unveiled his Tome, which he had written previously. Thank Salvos.
"Oh, come on," Cyrus complained.
“Ah, I know, Cy,” Isolda said. “I was keen to see his technique in action, but the Hydromage has more important things to do than invest his time in public affairs, it seems."
“I’m glad he came prepared,” Jules said to Cyrus. “Besides, Alters only care about Runes.”
“Yeah,” Cyrus said, “but only after they’ve worked through countless Scrolls and Tomes first.” Isolda smiled at Cyrus.
“Ah, I see you’ve been reading my recommendations as well.” Isolda patted Cyrus’ head, and the Island Elder took the podium again.
“We will begin with our esteemed Master Druid and proceed from there.”
“Alright class, gather back up for the lesson.” She moved them to the edge of the stage, where students and recipients' family members were given priority. “Now who can tell me—besides the obvious lack of Trophies—what’s odd about today?”
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