Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"Blah" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

"Now, one thing I made sure to remember was the first year classes' growth rates..."

Ambrose's kindly voice easily managed to stretch across the somewhat confined space of the teacher's lounge in the General Studies building: a quaint room with navy blue walls, a handful of imported Marleybonian furniture, and large potted corner plants to show for any attempts to dress it up. The respective staff of the building sat upon these couches and chairs, sipping tea or other consumable concoctions; assistant professors, lecturers and researchers who had chosen not to become too specific in their fields of study.

One such assistant professor, Herbert Runewarden, unintentionally lost focus on the Headmaster's discussion somewhere between new room assignments and word of transfer students arriving soon. His mind had completely misplaced its sense of time and location, and only the timely arrival of a shrieking call exploding next to his ear snapped his attention back to the present situation.

"Mr. Runewarden." The blonde haired young man massaged his ears thoroughly, his face less than eager to see the compact flapping form of Gamma intruding heavily into his personal space. "I suggest you pay attention, especially when Headmaster Ambrose asks you a question."

In response, he made shooing gestures, garnering an offended huff from the owl, who returned to the Headmaster's side. Most of the other lectures around him couldn't help but stifle giggles at Herbert's plight and the way he treated Ambrose's avian aid. The aged wizard managed a chuckle himself, inciting more huffs from Gamma, and made a few gestures of his own. "Alright, that should be enough for now. I'll call in our meeting early today."

A multitude of shuffling feet responded, the assembled faculty standing as one and meandering out of the room as they pleased. Herbert was the last to stand grabbing his bags and trudging to Ambrose with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm deeply sorry for that, Headmaster."

"You seem troubled, young one." The elder surmised. Herbert diverted his eyes for a moment, then turned back with a long sigh.

"Headmaster, what do you know about Tala Mythhammer?"

Ambrose placed a hand to his chin, fingers hidden by his long white beard. Out of the hundreds of students in Ravenwood and the many more that had graduated before, Herbert was surprised he could even actually remember his name. "Well I believe he lives on Cyclops Lane. A bright boy, that one is."

"Yes, but what do you know about him." He stressed for emphasis. "Some of our students… the Cyclops students. I've seen the way they treat him, the way they look at him. This behavior must have a source."

Ambrose stood quietly for a few moments, then turned his face to a nearby window. His voice was distant, as if remembering something. "One thing you will learn in time, Mr. Runewarden, is that mankind needs no reason to hate." Then, he turned back to Herbert while starting towards the room's exit. "Come, walk with me."

EXSEED

Ninth Pip: The Golden Watcher 2

"Tala." The boy looked up from his bowl of some leftover meaty stew into the gaze of his adoptive parent Remus, the bushy eyebrow above his singular eye creased in confusion. Tala continued to stare at him over the course of the next few moments while absentmindedly managing to steal one more spoonful of the stew. The Cyclops let out a belly chuckle. "You've never liked my stew this much. What's with the rush today?

The black haired boy downed the rest of his bowl in one gulp, then wiped his mouth on his forearm. "I told Victoria and Fate I'd meet them at the Festival Park to finish up the last of our project. Just…running late."

"Ah…I see." Remus responded carefully.

This perked confusion in the boy for a moment, but he was swift on the uptake, and did his best to quell the male's fears. "Don't worry. I'll be leading the group, and I know where not to go."

The Cyclops's face visually eased. "Good." Tala stood at that, grabbing a burlap backpack filled with maps, books, and utensils from the floor beside his chair, then took off towards the front door. Before he stepped out of the room, Remus called to him again, a reserved smile splitting his lower face. "You are a strong boy, my son."

Hidden within the shadows cast by the adjacent hallway, Tala's tranquil smirk went unseen. "Thanks." Then, he was gone, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

He was met by voluminous winds blowing over the smoothed cobblestone pavement as he stepped out of the house proper, carrying the smell of roasting animal carcasses and baking breads from nearby eateries along with handfuls of autumn-hued leaves.

It seemed autumn was in full bloom by now, if the plethora of trees wearing ginger colored foliage in grassy patches along the sidewalk had anything to show for it. Of course, with the seasonal change would also come harvesting this year's plantings. A number of field men he passed, human and Cyclops alike, carried wrapped barrels of grain on their shoulders or otherwise wheeled freshly picked vegetables in rough, beast-drawn wagons, probably heading back to the fields that dominated the city's outskirts after a hearty meal at home. In Tala's eyes, the wagons looked more like extra maintenance work than any viable hauling tool.

As a few of the leaves separated from their branches and sailed to brush over his cheek before dancing down to the sidewalk, the adolescent was surprised at how early the fall season had snuck upon him, and how long it'd taken him to realize the change. Schoolwork on top of all this Exseed business had really been eating away most of his first semester at Ravenwood, not to mention any extra hours of shuteye he was used to catching up on. Still, he couldn't find reason to complain. It definitely wasn't boring, by any stretch of the imagination, and he made a few good friends off of it.

The boy had to pause at that thought, if just for a moment, but he was quick to start moving again, whizzing around a corner in his hurried pace. That's right, Fate and Victoria were his friends. Tala hadn't thought about it much. It'd never bothered him before; not until he'd noticed how surprised Remus had been when he first brought them over a few nights ago. Later that same night, after they'd left, did he really begin to dwell on the thought. That he actually might have genuine friends, or at least something reminiscent. It had been quite a long time, he noticed.

He shook his head free of the thoughts as his trek began to come to a close, eyes catching sight of the famous Festival Park of Cyclops Lane. Second only in size and grandeur to the Commons Fairegrounds themselves, it was more of a colorful bazaar than an amusement park. Yellows, oranges, and reds sprouting from deep brown tree branches formed an overhead canopy, blanketing the grounds in most places and filtering what little light could squeeze through. Above the grass sat a number of tents, tables around and within their vicinities propping up wares and trinkets unique to the street: hand-fashioned marble busts of well known Cyclops figures, necklaces, clothing, and figurines. Humans, elves, trolls, and Cyclops children, most heads taller than even he, scurried about despite their guardians' best efforts to corral them. Tala couldn't help but chuckle at the sizeable thud one caused as he fell on his backside while playing tag with his peers.

Despite the general racket of the area, one particular conversation caught the boy's eye and ear. A blonde girl and raven haired boy around his age stood side by side at a stall some ways away, the latter listening intently at the stall keeper's efforts to coerce them into purchasing something.

"No thanks…I think we'll make due without having…." Victoria eyed the massive stone sledgehammer, its angular head actually denting the solid ground beneath it. "…a giant hammer."

"Ah, come now." The dark skinned, portly man said with a slight pleading edge. "I've been to trying to move this piece for months. Surely you could find something to use it for?"

"Like what, a table? The head comes up to my ribcage. From the ground."

"Alright, that's enough Victoria." Tala decided to finally interject, coming up to give the hammer a curt inspection. Then with a hand to his chin, he regarded the shopkeeper. "Certainly a nice quality. If you're looking to clear it out quickly, I could see if my dad's got room in his shop for…one more."

The man observed Tala back, placing a calloused hand of his own in the short, unruly on his face. Even through its reaches, his knowing grin was apparent. "If he's got so many already, then I'd have to give him quite the discount, huh?"

Tala smirked. "Twenty five percent off."

"Fifteen."

"Twenty, Taymore. Lower and we walk."

The man's grin evolved into a full on laugh, and he held out his hand in agreement. "Quite the stubborn one, Mr. Mythhammer. You've got yourself a deal, then." Tala did his best to steel his visage under the man's unintentionally crushing grip, and it became easier as his hand went numb. Fate and Victoria snickered at the sight, bringing the man's attention back to them. "These two acquaintances of yours?"

"Friends." Tala felt odd saying that word, and at the same time a sense of subtle peace washed over him. "They're classmates of mine from Ravenwood. Victoria, Fate, this is Rand Taymore, a friend and supplier of my dad's."

"Nice to meet you both, officially." The man gave them a simple nod and Victoria was pleased in retrospect, spying Tala massaging his hand out of her periphery. "Good to see Tala walking around with some people his age. Try to keep him in line if you can. I've done a poor job of it myself."

Fate gave a serious nod, apparently not understanding the joke, to which Victoria couldn't help but give a lighthearted sigh, Tala rolling his eyes at the comment itself. With a few goodbyes and a renewed spirit, the newly reformed trio set off in the opposite direction from where Tala had entered, cutting a path through the growing number of pedestrians near the park's corner.

Victoria and Fate had quill pens and notepads at the ready. Tala had been right in saving the park for the last stop of their week of information gathering; it was best to save the culture and festivities to finish up. Despite their baser urges to partake in some of the festivities such as the arm wrestling competitions, pottery painting, and….. maybe not the troll mud wrestling, they did their best to stick to chronicling everything in writing. Though, Fate was sure to ask for a break every now and then. Not that he was able to win a game off of one of the Cyclops hand wrestlers.

The hours seemed only like minutes to them, and within no time they had decided to move on to some sort of restaurant back in town, the festival snacks and treats looking more unappetizing as the day went on. As buildings came into view and tree's faded into cobblestone, Victoria asked something that had been egging her since the group joined up earlier, deciding to ease into the topic. "That Rand Taymore seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah. He always tries his best to help me out when he can."

There was a lengthy pause after that with Victoria not quite sure what to say next. Eventually, though, she bucked up and decided to be more direct. "Tala, I have to ask you something."

The boy waited a moment, and although he tried to hide it, Victoria could nearly feel the unwillingness in his voice. "Sure, go ahead."

"What…" She sighed, trying to gather herself again. They continued moving, though their pace was significantly slower. "What is with everyone's attitude around here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Even in the park before, people were staring at you like you were some sort of murderer." Her eyes widened a little, and an epiphany struck her. "No, not people. It was the Cyclops. Just them." Her voice became a little more pleading along with her eyes. "Tala, what in the world is going on with this neighborhood?"

The boy continued to face forward without stopping, and the silence grew on until he replied at some length. His voice was strangely dark, a mix of agitation and sadness, neither expressly directed towards her. "I don't know. I just…I don't know, Victoria. There's nothing to tell you. I've asked around. I've researched…" He craned his head around to face her. "Nobody will tell me anything, not Taymore, not even Remus. I just quit asking after a while, and for both of our sakes, I think you should do the same."

Fate stepped up to contest his words after Tala turned back around, but Victoria's arm swung out to stop him. She shook her head, and it seemed enough to rein the boy back in check.

The trio continued on after that, but the mood was much worse than when they had begun. Of course, they all still talked and discussed, but it was more than obvious to her and even Fate that this was to keep up appearances. He'd closed himself off, and just when she felt they were making some sort of progress with him, too.

The shady grasses of the Festival Park gave way to a rather busy three way intersection. Ahead of them lay Marathon Way, which Tala was sure to explain as the longest single road in all of Wizard City. From towering five to six story stone buildings with individual bricks as tall as them to crowds that rivaled even a weekend in the shopping district, Victoria could say with little reservation that this was the epicenter of commerce and socialization in the neighborhood.

Tala began pointing things of note out: buildings, statues, businesses. She noticed that he was a lot more reserved here than he'd been in any of the other streets throughout the week. He'd even grabbed a long strip of cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around his forehead the moment they stepped into the street, concealing the strange tattoo at the middle of his forehead. She recalled scarce bits of it, only when its pattern stretched across his body the night they freed Fate. Was that the problem, or just part of it?

"Hey, Tala." Fate said, causing the guide to turn to the boy. "What's that down there?"

He, in turn, pointed to a rather prominent fork in the road and the large, near fortress-like building that lay on its far side. Well, compared to the other buildings, he mused. The building itself was more a rough stone chateau than anything with a number of towering marble pillars supporting any overarching balconies. A stone wall topped with evenly spaced, elaborate spearheads enveloped the courtyard filled with emerald grass and statues of…even more Cyclops. Victoria mused how inflated the race's egos must be.

"It's just a meeting hall for some of the tribe leaders." He answered evenly. He sounded hesitant, and when Victoria looked for herself, she noticed two Cyclops standing guard on either side of its entrance. "It's nothing special. We shouldn't worry about it."

"Shouldn't worry about it?" The boy quirked an eyebrow. "It sounds pretty important to me."

"We're not going that way." His voice was firm now. "End of discussion."

"Tala, hold on." Victoria said stepping up, trying to ease the looming tension. She vaguely remembered what Remus had asked of her the last time he saw them, but she felt she had to say something about this. "Let's …let's just calm down for a moment. What if I went over there? We'll ask someone inside some general questions and then come right back."

Tala responded after a quarter minute's deliberation. "Fine. But please, make it quick."

The girl nodded. Crossing the line of pedestrian traffic from the opposite side of the street took some effort, but she soon ended up right before arch that led onto the street. The two Cyclops leaned against either leg of the arch, arms folded and gargantuan hammers at their feet. She noted, if anything, that they seemed smaller than Remus. Their faces looked younger too.

Still, they were quite threatening. Especially the seriousness of the left-most one's voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Sorry." Victoria did her best to play up a believable apologetic tone. She wasn't any good with 'female charm', at least not on purpose. Not that she figured it would work on them. "My friends and I have a report to do. Do you think I could slip by and get some information? I'll be quick."

"Not a chance. Gate's closed." The girl watched five unassociated people pass through during their exchange. She looked up to see a cocky grin on the opposite Cyclops and reasoned what was going on, but had no idea why. Still, instead of getting immediately angry, she kept her voice calm.

"But I don't understand. Didn't those people over there just—"

"The gate's closed, little girl." The second Cyclops stepped forward to interrupt, gesturing with his head to where Tala and Fate stood waiting. "To you and your…company. That headband of his isn't fooling anyone. Any friend of his is an enemy of ours."

"What!" She nearly yelled out, her eyes livid. "That's it! I've had enough of all this trash! I don't know what Tala did to you people, or if he even did anything at all, but there's no excuse for you to treat him like some pariah!"

Both Cyclops faces became more unamused, and for a moment Victoria hesitated. She steeled herself once again, though, as the first guard ambled forward and swung his hand low to pick her off the ground, speaking to his peer all the while. "This one's got quite a mouth on her, eh?"

"I'll say." The other agreed, just as he heard shouts from the other side of the street over the general racket. His one eye shifted to the side to see two figures forcing their way through the crowds, discharging from the flow to stop at the Cyclops feet. They wasted no time staring up to them.

"Victoria!" Fate called out as he watched the girl thrash about. "What do you think you're doing!"

"A few more troublemakers?" The Cyclops not restraining the girl stepped to meet him, crossing arms beneath the smug smirk on his face. "We're trying to prevent unauthorized entry, human. What do you think you're doing?"

Fate gritted his teeth, and opened his mouth to protest, but Tala cut him off. "Please, just please let her go." A few pedestrians had begun to gather around, mostly out of curiosity than anything else. Then to Fate and Victoria's surprise, the boy carefully stooped to his knees and lowered his head, face angled at the ground. "We apologize for all the trouble we've caused."

Victoria and Fate were too stunned at his behavior to mount any objection, and before they recovered the Cyclops holding the girl spoke, a smirk splitting his face. "At least one of you knows his place. Bark like a dog and we'll be glad to release her."

"Tala! Don't you dare do that!" Victoria pleaded, then she turned as best she could to glare at the Cyclops' eye. "Are you insane! What did he even do? If this is how you Cyclops act, then you're more of scum then the people you look dow—!" The Cyclops' hand tightened around her, pushing air out of her lungs and forcing her body to go limp just compensate for the pressure.

The guard's eye gazed into the renewed anguish on her face, but he was anything but amused. "Little girl, you just earned yourself a world of pain for that." His grip began to tighten even harder, and despite the force Victoria managed to keep up a strong façade, but it was quickly beginning to crumble.

"Victoria!" Fate's voice was a little more hysterical this time. "Tala! Quick we have to do somethi—"

The boy stopped immediately as he looked upon Tala. It was a complete one hundred eighty degree turn. What was once that pleading bow was now eyes full of focused, quiet rage. It was clear some sort of barrier he'd erected had just broken. Something peculiar caught Fate's eye as well. A little black mark, detailed and seemingly imprinted on his skin, curled from underneath his headband and slowly but surely began to travel down his body. Other tattoo like marks did the same, emerging one by one from that same spot on the center of his forehead. To Fate, a strange energy began to radiate from him. It wasn't visible by any means, or necessarily evil, but the boy could definitely something, and its source seemed to be the tattoos staining his skin.

With all eyes on him, Tala slowly stood up with his head low. As he did so, the cloth wrapped around his forehead loosened enough to float to the ground, and when his head came up, the eye tattoo showed that it was connected to the rest of the tattoos.

"Release her."His voice was low and menacing, and effective at grabbing the Cyclops attention. Fate and Victoria began to wonder if it was even really him. "Now."

Victoria could hear the Cyclops take a gulp. Then, his hand lowered gently, her body with it, and she stepped out of his grasp onto solid stonework. She gave one last glance into their eyes. Fear. Not something she could say she'd expect from so burly a race, but it was there, and evident.

Tala slipped away just as quietly as he had entered into the state, and upon noticing Fate and Victoria carefully followed after him. The assembled crowd parted as needed to accommodate his path. After half a minute the two finally caught up to his pace, and after a few moments of silent traveling, Fate felt that he should ask.

"What…what was that? What's going on?"

While Fate asked, Victoria looked around. The faces of Cyclops who had seen the dispute had adopted the same fearful quality of the two guards to accompany their disdain. When they had gotten far enough, around the corner of a building into a secluded alleyway, Tala stopped. Then, he craned his head slowly, and the tendril-like tattoos slithered back into the forehead tattoo. A single tear rolled down from his eye nearest them, but his voice was surprisingly even.

"I don't know."

—o—o—o—o—

Herbert Runewarden sat still for a few moments in disbelief, as motionless as the stone-wrought bench beneath him or the small contained pond a few feet before. A few ducks waded climbed from the water, wading onto the grass, then looked up at him and Ambrose, who sat next to him, curiously. Seeing nothing of great notice, the largest one let out a quack and waddled off, the others following behind. Ambrose watched them go with some amusement, then turned back to Herbert as he spoke.

"I…I thought that clan was just a myth." He rose up, letting out a breath, but still faced towards the pond. "So he's one of them, huh?"

"I've had my suspicions for some time. The tattoos, his excellent test scores, but most of all the hostilities of the Cyclops tribe. That boy is truly the manifestation of their every attribute." Ambrose answered.

He allowed a pause to let it soak in, then Gamma, who occupied the top of his gnarled wooden staff, decided to elaborate. "To many, they are a myth. Researchers and archaeologists working in Krokotopia have found some of their writings, but their language is complex. There is still much to decipher, but both he and these findings prove their existence, and that they may still be among us."

At some length, Herbert turned his face to Ambrose. "Will you tell him?"

"If an opportune moment arises." The old wizard responded, letting out a cough and brushing away nearby leaves worn by a flowering tree overhead. "Until then, he must weather the storm."

"What? Surely you must help him, headmaster!"

"It is not wise for me to intervene in Cyclops affairs. There is only so much I can do before I begin to infringe on the treaty." At that, the elder worked his way to his feet, using his staff as ballast, Gamma finding rest on his shoulder. By the time Herbert stood, he was making his way towards the nearest campus building, speaking over his shoulder. "That said, I shall do what I can. It is necessary that he be cultivated properly. His lineage will prove influential in the Exseed's growth. That much is certain."

—o—o—o—o—

As Tala tugged on the handle of his door later that evening, after he, Fate, and Victoria had all mutually agreed to head home for the night, he began to take note of a few very peculiar things as he came across them. Firstly, that the door had been unlocked. He usually tested the doorknob out of habit, but rarely if ever was it actually unlocked. For this, he just assumed Remus had arrived recently after a hard day and didn't care to secure the lock on his way in.

The second occurrence was much more puzzling than the first, and lay within the house itself. A gilded, metallic hammer, its handle wrapped in a rich, crimson hued fabric, stood on the floor just next to Remus's own work hammer, a frequent visitor to its spot in the foyer. At this point he was sure someone else was in the house, and his suspicions proved all too correct as he stepped into the living room.

There, standing at the center of the high ceilinged room, was a Cyclops a head taller than Remus, who stood in front of him. Chiseled muscles rippled under his skin in every conceivable place, ones where Tala did not know you could build. A brass helmet, gilded as much as his hammer, sat atop his head. Platemail greaves guarded his chins, ending in a pair of dusty worn caligae. Tala noticed, on his bare chest and back, that there was not one wound or scar. Everything looked callous, for sure, like his hands and even arms around his leather forearm guards, but there were no scars.

Wizard City Cyclops Chieftain: Akilles

Tala watched the man carefully as he stepped into the room, keeping a certain length between him and the stranger.

"Come sit down, Tala." The forcefulness in Remus's voice broke his attention from the visitor, and he looked to his father's gaze. A disappointed scowl was etched on his face, and he seemed anything but pleased. The boy trekked carefully to the regular sized chair near Remus's feet, and as he seated himself, Remus nodded grudgingly for their guest to begin.

"Greetings, Tala Mythhammer. I am General Akilles, the leader of our race here in Wizard City." His voice was deep, and he kneeled down to better speak face to face, but his sense of superiority over him was evident. Just like the other Cyclops the boy had encountered over his life here. "I am a very busy man, so I'll not waste your time or mine. Two of our guards and a number of witnesses have told me what transpired today."

"And I suppose they bent the truth in their favor as always." Tala remarked; cold, calm, and collectedly.

"Indeed, they did." He responded, and if anything that threw the boy off guard. "I've known you since you were a child, Tala. I have some grasp on your personality, how you conduct yourself, and I know you wouldn't act out like you did today unless you were provoked. Some of the witnesses confirmed that."

Tala released a breath he hadn't known he was holding, but still managed a skeptical eyebrow. "So if you knew, then what's the point of this visit?"

"That's none of your concern." He said matter-of-factly. "Now, if you will excuse us, there are things I need to discuss with Remus." Tala caught him in a stare at that, neither wanting to break away. Then, the boy just eased out of his chair, and moved back towards the foyer. He glanced back one last time, seeing his father nod, then he retreated to his room, closing the door behind him.

A silence fell, and Remus waited a few seconds before sighing, turning to Akilles. "I'll make sure he avoids any major streets from now on."

Akilles nodded, but didn't seem any more pleased with the answer. "He came close today, Remus. Very close." He let out a heavy breath. "I have a people to lead, and I can only tolerate so much. If he is allowed to fully awaken, then—"

"It won't come to that." He interrupted in a harsh whisper. "I won't let it come to that."

Akilles waited a moment and watched him. Then he turned towards the foyer as well, grabbing his gilded hammer in the process. He paused as his hand lay on the door handle. "Back then, I allowed you to take him on one condition. Remember what you swore to me, Remus. If he awakens..." He paused, and the silence signaled Remus to finish the sentence.

"If he awakens…" His words came out begrudgingly. "…I will end his life myself."

Akilles nodded and pulled the door open. He was at the street within a few seconds, the very apex of the sun inches above the horizon, street lamps beginning to flicker on. The door eased shut, and a click signaled his exit.

(Author's Notes)

And there we are; the end of the Cyclops Lane arc. Yes, everything is still confusing and little was answered, I know. But I have a plan and it will all make sense in due time. Next chapter brings us into a new arc: the advancement examinations. Don't miss it!

As a side note, confusing chapter titles will begin to make sense as we progress. Don't worry about them too much now.