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ENVY
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“I’m afraid I’ve said too much already," Whiskers said.
Kat sighed. She decided she'd ignore the black cat for a while. Oh, I should say farewell to him as well. She walked over to the sleeping man. Seems I had a friend, after all.
“Oi, freeloader. Wake up.” Kat shook the blind beggar with her foot to jostle him awake.
“Ngh—What? No offering, and this late? I was just on a hot date with—”
“I don’t care about your dreams. I don’t have any coins left. But I do have this.” Kat reached into her Inventory and pulled out two bottles of ale—
Immediately, he swiped one bottle from her hand. How the hell? She eyed him suspiciously. That was fast. He popped out the cork and guzzled some, then he held up his half-drank bottle to her with a sheepish smile. “Cheers?”
“No wonder you’re on the streets.” She opened her bottle and toasted to his poor health.
“To what do I owe our small celebration, oh little she-devil?”
Kat took a long swig. Whiskers joined them nearby. You’ve been one of my only friends. But then again, I do pay you to talk to me…
“Going away for a while. Just wanted to let you know, was all.”
He grinned ear to ear. “Ah, going away on an adventure, is it? Any chance you’ll make it back to my lovely estate?” He gestured broadly to a dilapidated brick wall that couldn’t even constitute a hovel. “You’re welcome to drop in anytime, without call. Not that I needed to tell ye that, in the middle'a the blasted night…”
“Hmph. Nothing can take me down. But what are the chances that you’ll still be around when I make my inevitable, but glorious, return?”
The blind beggar belched. “Times've been tough. They’re ‘bout to get tougher, lassie.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I can see it all, Katarina.” He moved his arms wildly through the air. “I see which way the tides are shaped. I see which way the waves run. I can even see the ravens in the tree, and the mice in the desert… But beyond that, I'm afraid my sight is impaired.”
She felt like he looked at her right through his blindfold. She shook her head in disbelief to knock some sense back into her. These bubbles are taking their hold already.
“You’re crazy, you know that? I bet you hear voices, too.”
Another belch with a smile. “Crazy? I was crazy once. They locked me up—they said I was crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once. They—”
“They say your sense of hearing is stronger from blindness, but what about your sense of touch?”
“Don’t think I like where—”
WHAM!
Kat clapped him on the face. “Oh Salvos! I am so, so sorry—I thought you would dodge—”
“Oh darling, oh you little she-devil.” He languished on the ground, and she consoled him, wracked with guilt. “A blind man? You hit a blind—My medicine, oh I need my medicine."
"Medicine? What medicine!?"
"The ale, girl, the ale! Gimme another bottle, and we'll call it even."
Kat dropped his ass to the ground with a thud. Of course. Is this—what did Pop call it—enabling him? She pulled out another round.
They continued on for a while, bottle after bottle, making a scene, until someone from the inn yelled at them. “Would you two shut the fuck up!?”
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JULES
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> [Paint It Black — Quest Objective COMPLETED: Go to the Hydromage Tryouts.]
>
> [Paint It Black — Quest Objective COMPLETED: Meet up with The Painter again.]
>
> [Paint It Black — Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all combat Skills to 10.]
>
> [Paint It Black — Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all magic Skills to 10.]
>
> [Paint It Black — Quest Objective ADDED: Level Up all crafting Skills to 10.]
“Absolutely not, Jules.”
He wrapped his dagger belt around himself.
“I’m not asking, Rukia.” Pipsqeak can’t stop me, anyway. Though she doesn’t look so cute and puppy-dog-like tonight.
The little fox sat in front of the closed door.
“Master Kaizen said: emergencies only. I heard it clear as day, so did you.”
Jules dressed himself for potential combat. “This is an emergency, Ruke. The Painter knows about us somehow. He mentioned meditation in that offhand comment—”
“You don’t know what he meant.”
“Nothing’s chance with him. He expects me to train nonstop with him, so how am I supposed to practice meditation in the first place?
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“It’d be good for you to practice right here, right now, for one.”
“No time to waste. Be easier just to talk to him, to make a strategy—”
“And to be overheard by The Painter, if your theory is correct. The safest place right now is in your mind.” Jules rolled his eyes and approached the door. She stamped a paw down and stood on all fours.
“Rukia, you can’t stop me. My mind’s made up.” He tried to scoot her away with his foot, but she didn’t budge. She snapped at him, and Jules felt anger rise up within him. You little…
Rukia’s eyes lit up in gray flames. “You’re staying in tonight, Jules. Rukia’s orders.”
Jules dropped his rucksack. “What are you going to do, burn this place down? That’s not like you.”
Her flames darkened. “I’m not the hero, Jules. You are. I’m just the sidekick. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and stick to the plan.”
Jules hesitated. Surely she wouldn’t. But she’s tied to Wrath just like me, and I know I certainly wouldn't have destroyed Coralhaven. Maybe I should back down…
“Yes, you should. You’ve already dropped you bag.” The flames smoldered out.
She’s probably right to stay in tonight. He may want me to make a move and observe Kaizen more. He might have even sensed him at the plaza that day—yesterday. Wow.
Would be a huge mistake, showing my hand too soon.
“Sit.”
Jules reluctantly grinned. “Seems the roles are reversed—”
“I’m not some dog.”
“Rukia the Stormfront, huh? I’m starting to see it.”
She curled back a lip, and Jules sat on the bed. “You know nothing of the storm, yet, Jules. But I’m glad I could persuade you. Now—”
“Shh, I need quiet to concentrate. I’ll start off on my own. After I’ve settled in, then you can start critiquing.”
"Hmph. This pleases The Stormfront."
Jules sat tailor-style on his bed. He placed his hands on his knees. Inhale through the nose, slowly. He focused on his Seal until it lit up and seared his chest. Jules dug into that pain until it clarified to a point of inner focus.
“Posture.” Jules adjusted his back slightly. “Good. Hm. Focus is passable, but your heart’s not there.” Jules tried to adjust his heart. How the hell do I do that—
Ow! “Why did you slap me!?”
“Focus on getting mad, and then force yourself to calm down. Stir your emotions, and therefore your heart. You need the practice.”
> [Seeketh Patience — Quest Objective ADDED: Get angry while meditating.]
Jules cycled through his meditation for a while. After a dozen times, he saw an image of Kaizen with his back turned. After a few dozen more times, Kaizen looked over his shoulder in Jules’ direction. He continued on.
It's loud outside.
Jules winced.
Really loud.
Dammit, shut up.
A man and a girl shouted outside. It was hard to make out, but someone had hit the other, and now they were apologizing profusely. The scene continued and was all Jules could think about.
He clenched one of his fists.
Eventually, the two started to yell into the night sky, sometimes howling at the moon, sometimes singing off-beat lyrics. At one point, they started dancing. Then the incoherent songs came.
That’s it, that's it—That’s fucking it…
Jules slammed open a window and stuck his entire head out. “Would you two shut the fuck up!?”
> [Seeketh Patience — Quest Objective COMPLETED: Get angry while meditating.]
He sat back down on his bed, closed his eyes, and focused on calming down his anger again. I think I'm getting the hang of this.
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CYRUS
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The whole way there, Cy looked out toward the spires against the city’s skyline.
Wonderful creations, made by Architects and Mages and Engineers, and who else?
This world is truly amazing. So much larger than Coralhaven. So much larger than Aquilantis, even. Where will our adventure take us?
He arrived at the sand dunes next to the road. He referenced his Menu's Map. Yep. This is the spot. He removed his shoes and walked out onto the beach. Cy laid down a blanket he’d brought to sleep with on the sand and sat down on it. He opened up his Menu again and scrolled through his Skills.
> [Skill Slot 1: Thrusting Weapons, Level 13]
>
> [Skill Slot 2: Elemental Control, Level 12]
>
> [Skill Slot 3: Persuasion, Level 8]
>
> [Blades, Level 6]
>
> [Hand-to-Hand, Level 5]
>
> [Mercantile, Level 5]
>
> [Archery, Level 4]
>
> [Stealth, Level 4]
>
> …
>
> [Transmutation, Level 1]
Which ones have called out to me? None, really. Elemental Control has been more of a necessity. I guess I do like Mercantile, though. The rush of negotiating a deal is almost like combat for me. Transmutation is an obvious choice for an Alter, but I need to learn the proper Runes first.
Cy scrolled back up to the top. Where some people would see their Rank, Class, and Factions, he saw what everyone else under eighteen saw—a countdown. Cy was roughly a year older than Jules and Envy. He only had nine months left until his System Unlock Day.
I’d barely even be a 1st Rank if my birthday were tomorrow, and here I am, proclaiming to everyone how much I want to be an Alter. Now I’ve only got ten years to achieve it, or The Painter will drop me as a student. Maybe I'll die. Or do I only die if I don't fulfill my end of the Binding Vow?
…And will he die if I don't become an Alter by then?
Cy stared at the three moons against the dazzling Aquilanti spires.
Starting from scratch tomorrow, that’s 10 Levels in one Skill alone, every single year. Of course, The Painter does make that seem easy, but each Level requires exponentially more XP. On top of that, improving all those Skills to Level 10 doesn’t give me any more Ryoku after the third Skill…
He tossed a shell into the sea. He tried to skip more across the water, but even the small waves made that impossible. I wonder what his training afterward will be like. I need to hit 2nd Rank by my System Unlock Day. That should be one of my goals, just need to get one Skill to Level 34.
> [The Boy Who Would Be Alter — Quest Objective ADDED: Reach Level 34 in a single Skill before your System Unlock Day.]
They say Magnus Tharlsson was a 3rd Rank on his System Unlock Day. I can’t believe how, though. Even with this training. I guess if he started out young enough…
Cy laid down on the blanket.
I've been so focused on becoming an Alter, I really am losing sight of Jules and Wrath. And the Apocalypse. But they’re all three tied together, I know they are. I need to get stronger to protect him from others and himself. Still, I got what I needed, a chance. That was all I wanted my whole life, looking at everyone that had it so much better than me growing up. Just one person, one time, to give me my shot.
And now I’ve got it. Cy smiled to himself. He was grateful, but also proud. Now I can focus back on Jules, and share with him everything I’m thinking and suspecting about this guy. I need to treat him like a mentor, yes, but also the potential threat that he is.
Cy pulled out Isolda’s copy of The Inked Arts from his Inventory. He'd need to read it to prepare for the coming journey.
Thirty minutes in, Cy hadn't turned the first page. He kept thinking about Jules, how pissed off he’s been at me. He thought about Envy, and the wild situation she’d been roped into suddenly.
Cy thought about Coralhaven, and Liam and Evelyn, and how the adoption would never go through now. He thought about Patricia, and how she was treating the other orphans. Hopefully she’s suffering somehow from my involvement. But I hope she’s not taking it out on them.
Then, for the first time in a long while, Cy thought about his own parents. He always hoped he’d find them one day, or at least find out where they were, or who they were, if they’d passed on.
> [Quest Reminder: SSoaSS is still available.]
I haven't thought about that Quest in years. Still don't know what the hell SSoaSS even means.
He swiped the Notification away. For now, all of that will have to wait. Completely unmotivated to read any further, Cy closed the book. He folded his blanket and spotted a nook between two palm trees where he could hang his hammock.
Behind him, a piece of charred driftwood floated back onto shore.
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