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JULES
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“He scares me, too.” Katarina refrained from taking another sip.
“The Painter, eh?” Katarina winced. Kaizen stroked his chin in thought.
“He’s on a mission, a singular mission. Everything he does funnels back to it, I can feel it. And I suspect he’s in my mind at times, especially while meditating.”
“I find him looking at you and Cy more than us." Katarina stroked Whiskers' fur.
“First, fill me in. I need the whole picture,” Kaizen said. "What Skills called your name, as The Painter put it? Ladies first." He winked at Katarina.
"Daggers, Restoration, and Tailoring—"
"So Sewing is a combat Skill after all."
"Cut the sexist crap, Jules," she snapped back. "It's an ode to Pop. I focused on Tailoring The Painter's Forged weapons and armor. We'll need someone to maintain our equipment. These idiots," she said to Kaizen, "didn't learn a single lesson from crafting."
"Ya know, I was something of a master cook and brewer myself," Kaizen bragged.
"I'll just buy stuff with Cy's money." Jules took a sip of his wine. "Conjuration, Blades, Mixed Armor, and Elemental Control, with a focus on fire magic, for me."
"You'd do well to only focus on three," Whiskers said.
"Any blades in particular?" Kaizen asked.
"I have one in mind." Jules' red-stained teeth spread into a grin.
"I see." Yeah, I bet you do. "And Cyrus?"
"Elemental Magic, Blades, Transmutation, and Mercantile."
"You guys are better off focusing on three for now, especially Cy…" Katarina muttered. Whiskers purred in agreement from her lap.
"True," Jules conceded. "It'd be better if he just focused on one to hit Level 100, like Mercantile. Then we'd at least be wanted and rich."
"Well, Jules, your Skill selection certainly feels…" Rukia looked from Kaizen to Jules, then to the other two, biding her time. "…Familiar."
Whiskers yawned.
“But after all this time, we still don’t have answers to any of The Painter's three questions.”
“Not that we’ve had much time, Jules.” Katarina raised her glass again. Jules noticed the faint scar on her hand. Why does she suppress healing that wound? I’m sure it was one of the more painful injuries I gave her… “But he said he’d be gone for a few weeks. I didn’t believe he’d actually be gone, but I’ll trust you on this one.”
“He expects them to get their preferred Skills to Level 20 by the time he returns,” Whiskers said. “I’m certain that whatever he is doing, it’s tied back to our children and his bigger plans.”
“The real training starts soon, and we need a new plan of action,” Jules said.
“Why not bring Cy, then?” Kaizen asked. Can’t you read my mind?
You don't even realize, Kaizen's thoughts bled into Jules' mind, that your walls are increasing already.
“Cy and I… We just have that understanding. We looked at each other when we left this morning, and we both grasped each other’s position. He knew this was the only place I’d go, and he knew it’d be stupid to come with me. Plus, he’s busy with his own…business. He knows he’ll get stronger by staying with us, and he knows I won’t hold him back from his dream.”
“Ugh. Men.” Katarina rolled her eyes. “Where is he, anyway?”
Jules laughed and shook his head. “He’s spent all three of his days off at the casino.” Jules waited for her to call Cyrus an idiot, or a moron, but she bit her tongue. “Anyway, I vote we finish our training.” Despite my fear.
“What!?” Katarina balked. “Why bring us here, then?”
“Because I’m not the leader, I don’t make all the decisions. Cy’s made it clear he’ll defer his vote to me, but that doesn’t mean you all have to. The Painter's training has been incredibly effective for us, and he hasn’t learned too much about us. We still have an advantage—”
“For now, Jules. The next stage of training may change that, tip the scale in his favor. Far in his favor.”
“You have no idea how long that will take, either,” Whiskers said.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“We'll be Level 20 in three Skills in just a few weeks, something that would have seemed impossible to us when we met.”
“Because it is impossible." Katarina swept a strand of hair behind her ear. "To most…” Yeah, I know. We have the advantage of training beyond our limits, and Cy is constantly being healed by The Painter.
“We’ll be at least 2nd Rank by our System Unlock Day at this rate. We could make it to 3rd Rank.”
“The longer we wait…” Katarina hugged her knees.
“I know, Kat, I know. You miss your father.” Jules grabbed her hand. “I miss mine too. My mother, even. But we are strong now, and we're only getting stronger. It’s time to shift our focus from our safety to the Apocalypse.” She squeezed his hand back.
“And you think you cause it?” Whiskers asked.
“I’m not sure what does. Kaizen?”
“Sorry, Jules. Rules. Now’s not a good time to break them, and—”
“So you are selective about that.”
“Ha, I walked into that one. Of course I am.”
“Why don’t we run while he’s gone?” Katarina asked.
“If I can sense him…”
“I get it." Katarina sighed. "You fool, he has you in his grasp. I was so worried about Cy falling to power that I didn’t worry about you.”
Rukia stood at attention. “I’ve never seen Jules more confident in himself, Kat.” Katarina blushed and withdrew her hand.
“In the spirit of transparency,” Jules said, “there is one more thing I’d like to get off my chest. Coralhaven has been calling to me, day and night. I’m not sure why. Maybe Wrath is still back there somehow?” Jules looked back at the Fountain's pillar of Patience.
“It’s the Sound that you heard, Jules."
“What sound?”
“The Sound," Kaizen said. "Your greatest weapon. A piece of it, anyway. You will have to go back there.”
Kaizen glanced at the pillar as well. Right.
> [New Quest Available: The Sound and the Fury]
>
> [New Reward Available for The Sound and the Fury: The Sound of Fury]
>
> [The Sound and the Fury — Quest Objective ADDED: Find the missing piece in Coralhaven.]
“...Seems I am still struggling with patience. How important is it, this Sound?”
“There will come a point when it is more important to you than even I, but you are not ready for it yet, Jules. Best to wait.”
“This is insufferable,” Katarina said. Jules tried not to sense her emotions, but sometimes he couldn’t control his ability. I sense your sadness…your longing and desire. Could it be you want your own incarnation, like Kaizen?
“Is Katarina simply along for the ride?” Whiskers asked.
“Yes, I am,” she said. “I don’t like this plan, but it’s a plan. I still don’t have a goal myself, so I’ll continue on with Jules until then.”
“I pray that your paths continue to collide,” Kaizen said. Now’s not the time to reminisce, geezer.
“You said yet, so when will I be ready?” Jules asked.
“Not I, Jules, but we." Kaizen crossed his arms. "When will we be ready? You can’t face this alone.”
Selfish idiot. Salvos, do I hate patience. “I see...”
“If it’s fine with you all,” Kaizen said, “I will advise you when it’s time to leave. You will come collect me then, Jules, and not before. You’ll be ready for that much sooner, but you will wait.”
“And you really think Cy will go along with that?” Katarina asked.
“He doesn’t have to. The Painter will stay nearby. We can’t really ditch him. They’ll stay in touch, but he’ll be at a safer distance. Cy has sacrificed so much for me, I want to see him achieve his goals, too.”
“So we all get what we want.”
“Guess that’s the plan.”
Whiskers scoffed. “You’ll be a leader yet, Jules.”
Jules filled a saucer with milk for the cat, and he and Katarina enjoyed their food. Kaizen stayed with them for a time while they all reminisced about some of the funnier moments from training. After an hour or so, they packed up, and Kaizen disappeared into the void. Jules grabbed Katarina’s wrist before they went back.
“Kat… Do you ever have dreams?” She looked puzzled and slightly hostile. “I haven’t been prying in your sleep, I—”
“Yes. Every time I sleep. I dream of the night I was—that we were born.”
“I dream of you every time I fall asleep.” Although it’s not quite you. Is she blushing? “Though I haven’t slept much because of training, and if I can, I usually meditate. But sometimes when I die, I dream for a while in between. Do you ever dream of me?”
“Uh, sorry Jules…” Hm, seems hers are very different. They have to be connected somehow, though.
“It’s OK. I’ve just been curious, is all. I think they're somehow connected. Anyway, let’s head back.”
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The sun eventually set, and Cyrus returned to the art supply store. The group filled him in on their meeting with Kaizen.
“Yeah, that’s fine by me,” he said. “I figured that was our only choice a while back. Gotta admit, though, I didn’t predict Kaizen would be the one to stall us. Figured that’d be me.”
“Well, I appreciate you being so understanding, and I’m sorry I didn’t take you with us to meet him.”
“It’s fine, I wouldn’t have gone anyway, for the same reasons. But also, I, uh, have something to admit to you guys.” Cyrus sheepishly scratched his neck and chin.
Katarina’s face dropped. “You’re in debt,” she said. "How much?"
Cyrus looked shocked. Guess he thought I’d keep his location to myself. Cyrus's gaze shifted through each set of faces. Jules mouthed he was sorry. Katarina tapped her foot. Rukia panted with glee. Whiskers licked his ass.
“Uh…" Cy said. "Actually, it’s kinda the opposite?" Katarina's brow and frown somehow deepened. "I’ve amassed a small fortune gambling.”
All four Arcanics' mouths dropped to the floor.
“So yeah. I’m going to start a trading company and—”
“Wait, what!?”
“Are you stupid, you idiot? What about laying low?” Katarina demanded.
“Listen, when I become an Alter, I want to share my knowledge with the world. I don’t understand why The Painter is keeping all this wisdom to himself. The kids at the orphanage, and plenty others like them, they can use this information to better their lives, if they wanted. But I need connections and distribution, which won’t come overnight.”
"You're like the rich uncle I never had!" Jules embraced his best and wealthiest friend. "You know, I was just talking about you getting rich, I always knew you could—"
“This might actually come in handy," Katarina said. "And here I thought you had rocks rolling around up there.” She walked off to bed, waving an arm at them behind her.
Jules studied Cyrus’ face, then his body language. You’re withholding something. He waited to speak until Katarina was beyond earshot. “Something about you seems different this time.” Jules furrowed his brow, and Cyrus avoided eye contact. “Sweaty palms. Your heart rate is up.” He leaned into his friend’s face and—
That’s it. Jules recalled his own trip to the casino, and fighting the Kraken at the Hydromage tryouts. Jules contorted his face in two sharp, dramatic sniffs.
“Lilac,” he whispered. Jules side-eyed his friend with a wry smile. Cyrus’ face went red, and he remained silent.
"Can it," Cyrus said.
“After all the shit you've given me for Kat? Hell no. Hell no, you dirty, dirty dog.” Jules slapped Cy's back and hard as he could, then left his friend to meditate.
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