Disclaimer: I do not own Radiata Stories or its characters. It belongs to Tri-Ace.
Chapter 2: Olacion, Void, Vareth and Vancoor
Even though he had lost the trials, Jack was astounded by all the sights and sounds of Radiata City. People were walking around, minding their own business and running their errands. Countless stores were open, drawing in customers willing to spend a few Dagols. The pub brought in sober men and threw out drunken winos into the street. The eatery filled the stomachs of all that entered. Jack felt if he could find a job here, he wouldn't have to return to Solieu Village.
Since he had never been in the city before, Jack decided to just wander around. He walked toward the west, not having a clue of where he was. As he went, his eyes wandered to a building. A large sign was affixed by the door. It read "Theater Vancoor". Remembering that place later, Jack continued on. White stone brick was replacing the cobblestone path when he entered a different area.
This new part of town was much more majestic than the other area he wandered through. Off to the north was a large chapel. Monks and priests periodically entered and exited the building. A sign directing to the chapel read "To Olacion Order Chapel". Jack remembered that place for later as a marker for which part of town he was in. He continued on down the path.
When the white stone was replaced with the same cobblestone path, Jack thought he returned to the area with Theater Vancoor. On closer inspection, strange markings were inscribes on some of the cobblestones. He followed the path down to a strangely built structure. A sign next to the building read "Vareth Magic Institute". He watched some students enter the institute from a small hill. Jack smiled as he continued on his tour of the city.
Even though it was early afternoon, Jack felt a darkness in the new garbage-covered area known as the Beast Pit. From the dark corners of the buildings, leering eyes watched Jack wander into their territory. Jack spotted one of them watching him with a crazed look. His mistake was making eye contact with the man. "Hey punk! What are you staring at!" A man dressed in red and white yelled. Jack didn't expect this and stuttered. "Uh…well…I…" The man unsheathed a sword. "Screw you! I'm gonna kill you!" The man launched an attack.
This guy was either stupid, crazy, or both. Jack unsheathed his sword quickly to block the oncoming attack. The man's attack was strong but it didn't feel as powerful as Ridley's axe strike. Jack jumped back when the man went into a series of head butts. Taking this chance, he slashed at the man and finished with a powerful thrust. The man fell down, his eyes watering because of the pain. "You got lucky!" He ran off deeper into the shady Beast Pit.
Feeling a bit cautious about that recent encounter, Jack retraced his steps back to the Vareth Magic Institute. Letting his adventurous side take over, Jack entered the institute. His first impression of the technology within the structure was that it was advanced. He had never seen anything of the sort when he was in Solieu Village. Deciding on going on a little tour, he went up the stairs to his right.
On the third floor, Jack was greeted by the sight of shelves upon shelves of books. A woman seated at the desk nearby nodded to him. "Welcome to the Vareth Magic Institute library." Jack stepped into the library, amazed by the sheer number of literary content. Wondering about what the kinds of books in the library, Jack took one off the shelf and stared at the title. "Defining the Transmission of Ether with Zero Mana Loss" by Curtis…" Jack read aloud to himself. He frowned. What in the world did that mean? He took a peek at another. "Elliot's Principle of the Subdivision of Single Elements" compiled by Genius…whoever did this really was a genius…" Jack mumbled to himself. He placed the books back, hoping his brain didn't melt from reading the titles, let alone trying to understand what it meant.
After his brief reading, Jack was about to leave when he noticed something strange. Near the corner of the library, there was a person sitting uncomfortably at the reading table. Even though the person had the appearance of a woman, it was actually a silver-haired young man. His clothes were a mage's robe, typical for the magic institute. The young man periodically looked up from his studies, an expression of worry on his face as he nervously peered over at a certain corner. Deciding to help, Jack came over to the young man.
"Hi there. I'm Jack." "I'm Felix", the young man answered. Jack looked over to the same corner the young man peered at a minute ago. "What's over there?" Felix sighed. "I feel as though someone is stalking me. I want to stop this myself but I don't want to get into any conflict." "I could do it for you", Jack offered. "Thanks…but you don't need to." Jack smiled and gave the thumbs-up. "Leave it to me! I'll solve your problem!" Several shushing sounds were made. Embarrassed, Jack hurried over to the corner. Felix shook his head at the boy.
When he got over to the corner, Jack could've sworn he saw someone hide behind the bookshelf. He found a short man dressed in green, staring amorously at Felix. "Hey! What are you doing?" The man stuttered nervously. "W-what? I was just watching that girl over there. She's so beautiful…" Jack raised an eyebrow. "You mean Felix?" "Felix? You mean…she's a guy?" The teen nodded. "Oh…thanks for the heads-up. Looks like I'll have to stick with Rachel. Bye." The short man left in a hurry.
Back at the reading table, Jack explained what happened to Felix. A frown appeared on the young man's face. "That's the third time this week I've been mistaken for a girl. But thanks for helping me. If there's anything you need, I can help you." Jack crossed his arms. "Like helping me with chores or something?" Felix stared at the teen with an incredulous look. "What? No. I mean like fighting or something. I'm a mage." Jack finally understood. "Oh…I would've asked you for help if I was in the knights…I didn't get in though…" The mage thought for a while before handing Jack a flyer. "Maybe this should interest you."
Printed on the flyer was a recruitment message for Theater Vancoor, the warrior guild. "Theater Vancoor? I think I passed that place…" Jack mumbled. "These flyers are everywhere. Maybe you should go try out." "I think I will. Thanks Felix." Jack ran out of the institute, intent on joining Theater Vancoor. Even though he may not be able to join the knights, he could become just as great in the warrior guild.
Night fell when Jack arrived in Vancoor Square. As he was passing the pub, a drunken man was thrown out into the street. The pub owner grimaced as he stared at the drunk. "You had enough Jarvis! Come back when you're sober!" The drunk known as Jarvis was a man around his thirties. He was dressed in plate armor, his helmet adorned by a tiny axe on top. His face was red from the beer. Jarvis struggled to get up when he saw Jack staring at him. "What do you want shrimp!" he slurred. This stirred up Jack's anger. "What'd you say!" Without warning, Jarvis unsheathed a large two-handed sword and pointed it at Jack. "I'll teach you a lesson!" The fight didn't last long. Because he was so unbalanced, Jack merely had to smack the man in the face with the flat of his sword to win. The teen left the man to sleep off the alcohol outside the pub.
When Jack entered Theater Vancoor, a man at the reception desk made a half smile. "Hi. I'd like to sign up", Jack told the man. The receptionist, a brown-haired man with a scar running down his left cheek stared at Jack but didn't comment. "Fine. Go up to the second floor. You got Sergeant Caesar." Jack cocked his head to the side. "You want to take the test right?" the man asked. "We don't have time for any hoity-toity knight ceremonies here." Jack understood. "Oh…thanks…uh…" "Thanos. And don't forget it."
Up on the second floor, Jack stood before the door of Sergeant Caesar. Before he could knock on the door, a voice answered. "It's open." Surprised by the sudden answer, Jack cautiously entered the room. Inside, a man was seated at a table. He did not look like a native of Radiata, relevant in his face and narrow eyes. Sergeant Caesar was dressed in foreign armor from the far east. "Name please?" Caesar asked in a calm tone. "Uh…Jack Russell." "I would like to ask a few questions. Tell me, why do you want to join Theater Vancoor?" "Well…I tried out for the knights…and I didn't make it…" Jack said sheepishly.
Caesar looked slightly surprised. "Hmm…a very honest answer. Is he a fool…or is there more to him? Next question." Jack paid close attention to the sergeant. "You are on a very dangerous mission…and your entire party lies dead. What do you do?" Jack scratched his head. "Um…I'm not sure I understand." "…I see. That is the end of my test. Go to the third floor to see Deputy Chief Gerald." Jack got up from his seat and turned to leave. "Jack…" Caesar said seriously. Jack turned to the sergeant. "Yes?" All men…must die." "That's for sure…I guess", the teen said. He left the room. Caesar leaned back in his seat. "He shows little tenacity and no fear of death. How very strange…"
On the third floor, Jack entered the only room. Without warning, a man lashed out with a sword. The teen screamed as he dodged the attack. Jack stared at the man in horror. Standing before him was Deputy Chief Gerald. He was a tall man with an eye patch covering a scarred eye. His armor looked like a jacket but was imbued with magic to resist damage. Two swords were held in Gerald's hands. The deputy chief smiled. "Hey, you managed to dodge!"
Jack looked angry. "What was that for!" Gerald changed the subject. "You're here for the test right?" The teen remembered what he was here for. "Oh yeah. You swinging that sword at me kinda threw me off balance." Gerald hummed. "Minus three points." "Huh?" "You let yourself get flustered. During that time, three of your comrades were slain. So minus three points", Gerald explained. "Oh come on!" Jack argued. A serious expression appeared on the deputy chief's face. "In war, there is no place for cowardice or incompetence." Once again, Gerald changed the subject. "Anyway, let's go to the training ground for your test. For today, you get special treatment." Jack grinned. "A practical exam huh? That's what I'm talking about!"
Out on the training ground, Jack had his sword ready. What he wasn't ready for was the strength of Gerald's attack. The deputy chief's first strike completely shattered his guard and sent Jack flying into the ground. Ridley's attacks were child's play compared to him. When he tried to get up, Jack saw Gerald glowing with the same fiery aura Ridley had. Anticipating a powerful blow, Jack put up his guard again, unsure whether or not he'll make it through. "Dual Wave Blade!" Gerald calmly held up his blades to resemble a X. With a tremendous swing, Gerald sent a powerful X-shaped wave of energy into Jack. Guarding did not help. Once again, Jack was sent flying across the training ground.
After the test, the teen was panting hard. A few feet away, the deputy chief seemed intrigued. "You didn't run away. I'm impressed." Jack marveled at Gerald before giving a smile. "I've never fought anyone that good before." A frown appeared on the man's features. "I've been fighting way before you were even born. Now…go to the fourth floor to see Chief Elwen." Jack nodded and turned to leave. When Gerald held up one of his swords, Jack whirled around in a fighting position. The deputy chief chuckled. "You look more like a soldier already…thanks to me of course." The teen left. Gerald scratched his head. "It's been a while since we had someone like that in the guild."
On the top floor, Jack stood before the door of Theater Vancoor's chief. He entered the room to find someone dressed in heavy armor sitting at the desk. The chief of Theater Vancoor spoke to the teen in an eerie female voice, courtesy of the helmet. "Hello Jack Russell. It seems Gerald still isn't taking it easy on new recruits." Jack smiled and scratched his head. "Yeah. It was pretty wild." "Hmm. We could use you", the chief mused. Excitement filled Jack's heart. "All right! I'll be great! You'll see! Sure, the deputy chief may be stronger than me now…but I'll beat him soon!" Even though he could not see her face, a feeling of skepticism came from the chief. "Impossible." "Huh?" Jack didn't understand. "Why not?" Elwen stared hard at the teen. "You wield your sword only for yourself. True strength comes to those that fight to protect others. Now go downstairs." With a quick bow, Jack left the chief's office.
Down on the first floor, Thanos waited patiently for Jack's return. The receptionist watched the teen with a vague interest. "So…you passed the test. Grab your stuff. I'm going to show you your new home." He got up from the desk and led Jack to his new home. The two stood at a bridge with stairs leading down next to it. Thanos pointed to the stairs. "There's your house." Horror filled Jack's eyes. He slapped his hands to his face and screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dogs could be heard barking from several houses. Thanos stared at the boy strangely. "Are you done with your death wails? I'm going back. Later." The receptionist left Jack to bemoan the state of his new home.
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