Outworlder Guardian

by FallenDispair

A twist on He Who Fights With Monsters where Jason is a bit more a mature having served in the ADF(Austrailian Defense Force). Armed with military training, combat experience and personal guidance by a legendary gunman Jason will be better able to handle the harsh nature of the magical world he's found himself in. Having faced killing before and death in general, he'll be less him.

5. Chapter 5

Outworlder Guardian

I don't own diddly squat. Bungie & Shirtaloon own all rights. I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 5: Gods, Aristocrats & Criminals

---

Jason had not explored many of the Island's districts. He took the loop to one he had never visited before: the temple district. His new world had no shortage of gods, which as a long-time atheist was more than a little disconcerting. He had been assured that gods existed, but he'd been hearing much the same from his Great Aunt Marjory for years.

He wanted to see for himself.

Walking out of the loop terminal, he immediately saw a sign with directions to the Divine Square. Following it, he walked down a street where temples lined both sides of the road. Looking at the prominent signs and banners, Jason quickly gained a sense that gods had hierarchies of their own. The Temple of Roads, he saw, was nestled behind the larger and more impressive Temple of Journeys.

Soon the street opened up onto the square itself. It was a huge, crowded space. Green stone was prominent everywhere in the Island, but in the Divine Square even the flagstones were made from the high-grade material. The square was filled with booths and tents, most of which seemed to be hawking religious paraphernalia to the faithful.

There were people proselytizing to anyone who would listen, and street thieves cutting purses. Jason had a small pouch of glazed nuts hanging from his waist, appearing as a coin pouch to throw said thieves off and so he didn't draw attention by plucking coins out of thin air. He hid the pull by reaching into the nut pouch, snatching a snack on occasion. He had previous experience with cutpurses and wasn't surprised when the decoy pouch was stolen twice.

Thus, the ploy.

Jason bought a sandwich from a street vender, some kind of meat with cheese and a spicy sauce. Food was one of the ways in which Jason was most reminded he was on a different world. While the preparation was often similar, like bread, soup, sandwich or cake, the ingredients were more often different than the same. Farms raised different animals and grew different crops. Trees sprouted different fruit. The bread was heavier than he was used to, the beer lighter. The meat was all different. Most of it came from the large lizards Jason had seen roaming in the delta. Even the crossovers, like apples, were not varieties he recognized.

He realized he was stalling, distracting himself with little details instead of following his actual purpose in coming to the temple district. Confronting a challenge to long-held beliefs wasn't easy. Plus, he'd been concerned with already having Knowledge's attention -which was a terrifying prospect. There's not much he could do against a goddess. Which was why he hadn't gone earlier even though she might have the answers he seeks. His objective wasn't the throngs of people in the square, but the temples around the outside. The buildings immediately abutting the square were the most prominent houses of worship in the city, and the effort put into their designs seemed to reflect it. They seemed to be competing in grandiosity, each an achievement in architecture and engineering.

There was a towering cathedral, a columned temple and other buildings, the likes of which Jason had never seen. Oddly, there was one building that forwent the ostentation of the buildings around it, looking more like a public-school library. It was a square, grey block, with the only ornamentation a picture of a scroll over the double-doors.

"I wonder if that's the church of Knowledge."

While each building competed to catch the eye, in Jason's opinion there was a clear winner. It was a huge tower in the shape of an arm thrusting into the sky. Most buildings in the city topped out at five stories, and while it was not the only temple to breach this limit, the giant arm more than doubled it. At the end of the arm was a fist clenching a giant, bearded head. The head gazed down on the square, fiercely glaring at any with the courage to meet its stare.

"Well, it definitely wins in the intimidation factor."

With all the people around it was easy to ask a passer-by about the unusual temple. The man Jason talked to was short and stocky, with skin of such a deep blue it was almost black. He had no hair at all and was covered in what looked like tattoos of various colors, which glowed faintly. Jason knew the markings were actually natural, a feature of the race known as the runic. They were a rarity in Greenstone, and while Jason had seen them around, this was his first chance to speak with one. Going by his clothes, the man was more likely a local than a visitor.

"That's the temple of Dominion," he explained when Jason pointed out the strange temple.

"Dominion over what?"

The man looked at Jason curiously.

"Over everything," the man answered. "Dominion issues the divine right to kings and nobles. It is he who determines who rules, and who serves."

"Oh. That explains the creepy, overbearing temple."

"You seem very easy with blasphemy," the man commented warily.

"I am," Jason agreed absently. "Mostly to annoy my Aunt Marjory, but also recreationally. Does this world have little cartoon booklets that explain you're going to hell if you eat between-meal snacks or whatever?"

The man shook his head in wonderment.

"What do you get out of that?" he asked in a tone of mixed annoyance and concern. "Does it make you feel better to disrespect things others find meaningful?"

"Sorry," Jason apologized, feeling like an ass. "Where I come from, the gods aren't real."

"The gods are everywhere in this world."

"So, I've heard," Jason sighed. "I find that a bit disturbing, to be honest. I mean, look at Dominion. I don't like the idea of an infinitely powerful being whose job is to make sure people know their place."

"Then venerate a different god," the man said simply. "No deity is absolute. If you dislike the message of Dominion, seek out Liberty. They don't get along."

The man flashed Jason a cheeky grin.

Jason held out his hand and the man shook it, "I'm Jason."

"Arash," the man supplied.

Jason was asking Arash if the plain-looking building was the Temple of Knowledge when a glorious light appeared in front of one of the temples. All through the square people fell to their knees, Jason's new friend included. Looking over, Jason saw a towering figure that looked human, but stood twice as tall as Gary. He looked rather like an adventurer, clad in light armor with a sword at his side.

Up to that point, the strongest aura Jason had encountered was that of a silver-rank adventurer he had seen at the Adventure Society -he couldn't sense aura's when he met Cressida Vane. He had sat next to the man on the loop line and found the presence of his aura overpowering. He had realized at the time why Farrah said that containing one's aura was good manners.

The aura from the far side of the square made that experience inconsequential; it was comparing a candle to the blazing light of the sun. Jason had no doubt that if the aura of that towering figure were truly unleashed, everyone in the square would drop dead.

"So that's a god," Jason muttered. "Honestly, I was hoping to be less impressed, but that is something to see. So much for atheism, I guess."

"Get down!" Arash hissed, kneeling next to Jason.

Looking around, Jason realized he stood out as the only person still standing. The god turned to Jason. Not knowing what else to do, Jason gave him a casual wave. It was hard to tell from across the square, but he thought he saw a smile tug at the god's mouth.

"What's he the god of?" Jason asked.

"That's Hero," Arash explained. "Get down!"

"I think that ship has already sailed my friend," Jason replied nonplused. "So, the god of heroes is called Hero. They really stick to that straightforward naming convention, don't they?"

"Such a shame," a melodious voice came from behind Jason. "I was hoping to be your first."

Jason whirled around, his Malfeasance revolver materialized into his raised hand, ready for a surprise attack, but he didn't see where the voice came from. He'd only caught a hint of perfume in the air, fresh and clean like a sea breeze. Within it he sensed a fleeting, but potent aura, every bit the equal of the one across the square.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jason deflated, his conjured gun dissolving into green-tinted shadow. Not only are gods beyond powerful, but they can also sneak-up on him in an instant and disappear just as quickly. If one wanted to kill him, he'd never see it coming.

At this point, Arash was yanking on Jason's sleeve, trying to get him to kneel. The other people around them looked at Jason with disdain.

"Calm down," Jason said, tugging his shirt free of Arash's grip. "Did you hear that woman?"

"What woman?" Arash asked, his voice still a panicked hissed. "Get on your knees and show respect for the god!"

"Just me, then. Kneeling isn't how you show respect, Arash. That's how you show obedience."

"Obedience to a god is respect!"

"They say that where I come from, too," Jason shrugged. "Never really got onboard with the idea. I think I'm going to head off, Arash. All the people here are giving me the evil eye."

"You are a fool!" Arash hissed after him.

Jason was already moving across the square, through the obstacle course of kneeling people when he stopped amongst them. He turned to look back at Arash before speaking, "I don't see Hero there looking angry at me. Pushing his aura down on me in displeasure or demanding I kneel. I might not be obedient like you'd all prefer, but I'm not stupid either. If a being as powerful as Hero demanded that I kneel, then I would. It's stupid to die out of pride, when a little deference to a superior could keep you alive."

Arash and several others glanced at Hero while making sure to keep their heads bowed, and saw that he was just standing there, calm. No sign whatsoever of him being annoyed or angered by Jason's behavior.

"Come on," Jason added. "He's the god of heroes, not Dominion over there," Jason pointed his thumb behind his shoulder at the arm holding a head. "Heroes don't smite people for not kneeling before them. I could totally see Dominion doing that, but not Hero."

Jason turned to face Hero and gave him a respectful nod, "If anything, having a god that doesn't demand I kneel makes me respect him all the more. Besides, I like heroes. They're all the rage where I'm from."

Hero actually chuckled aloud at that last part, getting all the kneeling people to look at Hero in stunned disbelief. Before they remembered he was a god and quickly adverted their eyes.

"Sorry. Pardon me. Excuse me." Jason said as he continued on and away from the kneeling precession.

---

As Jason had guessed, the Temple of Knowledge was the plain, blocky building.

"Is there actually a public library in there?" he wondered aloud. "That would make sense."

The double doors in front of him were pushed open from the inside as he approached, revealing a pretty young woman. It was the same acolyte who had tested his essences during his Adventure Society intake.

"Good day, Mr. Asano."

"Gabrielle, right?" Jason asked.

"That's right," she replied. "It's lovely to meet you again."

"Likewise."

Jason thought he should catch up with Humphrey, curious if the young man had made an overture since Jason gave him Gabrielle's name. Then he remembered Humphrey was off with Rufus for the field assessment.

"Why does it feel like you were waiting for me?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"My lady told me you were arriving and sent me to guide you."

"Your lady?"

"The goddess. Follow me, please."

She led Jason inside and he felt an aura wash over him. It was unlike the aura of a person, more like an undercurrent that belonged to the building itself. It wasn't overbearing, but he could feel a vast power behind it. It also had the flavor of fleeting aura that had accompanied the disembodied voice he'd heard in the square.

He'd thought it was a goddess and now he knows for sure it was, and most likely Knowledge to be exact.

They were walking between row after row of books, occasionally passing someone reading at a table. Some of the shelves, instead of books, held ornate tubes.

"Scrolls," Gabrielle explained, seeing Jason's curious glance. "The manuscripts here in the library are all copies. The originals are preserved in the archive."

"So, does your boss talk to you a lot?" Jason asked.

"My boss?"

"The goddess."

"Of course," Gabrielle answered, as if it was obvious. "I may be only a junior member of the clergy, but I am a member, nonetheless. I see and hear my lady every day."

"That must be reaffirming. It doesn't work that way where I come from."

"Your world must be very strange. People serving gods that do not exist. How does that work, if I might ask?"

"Not really sure," Jason answered honestly. "They seem to lean heavily on metaphor, belief and the churches that claim they serve a god. Clergy hold most of the power in a religion and are often treated like deities themselves. Seems like a scam to me because they often get rich doing it. You know I'm from a different world?"

"The lady has imparted some knowledge. It is her nature."

"Her nature could use a privacy disclosure agreement. Where are you guiding me to, exactly?"

"The temple has a room for questions. Ask, and the lady will answer or not, as she chooses."

"She'll answer in person?"

"Answers come in many forms."

"Sounds like she's leaning heavily on metaphor, too."

Gabrielle gave Jason a confident smile.

"You will see for yourself," she said.

She led Jason to a set of double doors. They were larger than the ones that were the entrance to the temple, but just as plain. They were carved from wood, aged and unadorned but for a simple handle on each. Jason had the strange feeling they were older than the building in which they were affixed. Gabrielle pulled open the heavy doors with an ease that belied her small frame.

"This is as far as I take you," she informed, gesturing for Jason to continue on. He passed through the doors, and she pushed them closed behind him.

The chamber was large and circular, a single room rising up five stories to a glass ceiling. Light spilled in from above, reflecting from crystal mosaics that lined the walls to bathe the room in rainbow colors. This innermost chamber was the exact opposite of the temple's plan exterior.

Jason gave an appreciative whistle, "That is certainly impressive."

Jason walked into the room as Gabrielle closed the doors behind him. He looked at his arms as the light played over them. In the center of the room there was a life-sized statue of a woman holding an open book. Jason walked around it, looking it over.

"Ask, and she shall answer or not, was it?"

Jason meandered around the room, looking at the crystal mosaics that ran from the floor, up five stories to the ceiling. They depicted what he took to be various knowledge keepers: scribes, teachers, and librarians. Rendered in colorful crystal and washed with light, they looked vibrant and bathed with glory.

He remained silent as he examined the artwork on the walls. He had always been prone to talking to himself, but the idea of expecting an answer back was disconcerting. He wondered if it was a little too close to prayer for his liking, then realized it actually was prayer.

"The idea," a female voice spoke from behind him, "is that I choose whether to answer your questions, not whether you choose to ask them."

It was the same voice he had heard in the square; thus, he didn't react in the same manner as before. He didn't turn from where he was looking at the wall mosaics.

"And you're in charge?" he asked.

"Definitively," the voice answered. "It is my temple."

Her voice was melodious, with a hint of amusement. There was an undercurrent within it, an aura with the force of a tidal wave. It was somehow distant at the same time, like a photograph of a wild storm.

"Your house, your rules," Jason stated. "An attitude I've lived under most of my life. Mostly from my mother but quite a bit under the military."

"And neither worked out for you. You either left or were kicked out," the voice replied. "You have the same options here."

Jason turned around to find the statue had been replaced with a woman. She looked much the same as the people outside in the square, at least the human ones, with colorful clothes and Mediterranean features. She was beautiful, yet there was something detached and untouchable about her. Jason noticed that, unlike the statue, she wasn't holding a book.

"So, were you the woman, or were you the book?"

"Neither."

"Misdirection," Jason supplied. "That's a magician's trick."

"I'm not the Wizard of Oz, Jason."

"You know my world?"

"I am Knowledge. Everything that is, or ever was known in this world. You brought your knowledge with you when you arrived."

"What about the other gods?" Jason asked. "Knowing everything they know would be a bit overpowered."

"We deities are of this world, but do not exist within it. Therefore, their knowledge is not mine."

Jason looked the goddess up and down.

"It looks like you exist within it," he replied.

"If you look at a pond and see a moon," she countered, "is that moon within the pond, or is it a reflection of something much greater, very far away?"

"Nice metaphor," Jason commented. "Classic religious imagery, but I suppose that's part of the job. You say you're not the man behind the curtain, but for all I know, you're just some pretty lady with several judiciously-place mirrors."

"You think I'm pretty?"

"Well, that's just blatant manipulation," Jason pointed out. "If you already know everything, then asking me questions is just pantomime."

She laughed, a pleasant, tinkling sound. It gave Jason the sense of a country stream on a warm summer's day.

"You're quite fun," she told him. "You've felt my aura. And Hero's."

"A month ago, I still thought auras were made up," Jason argued. "Who knows how many ways there are to trick someone like me."

"I do, as it happens," she replied matter-of-factly. "What about all the people outside when Hero appeared? Do you doubt them all? Do you think we hired actors?"

"Argumentum ad populum?" Jason countered. "If you're going to convince me you're a god, you'll need to do better than a second-rate apologist."

Gordon zipped out of Jason and supplied, "I can help with that, guardian." Light proceeded to pour out of the ghost's blue mechanical eye in a grid pattern to scan Knowledge.

"Oh, a little light from the Traveler," the goddess mused with a wry smile. "A first for this world. An honor that comes with a wonderful archive of knowledge."

"You know about Gordon?" Jason asked before he sighed. "Of course, you know. You're knowledge." His face lightened up with humor as he looked as his familiar. "Little light, huh?"

"Please don't call me that, guardian," the often-dull tone of Gordon actually had some exasperation in it.

"I don't know, little light," Jason chuckled. "It does have a better ring to it than Gordon. Maybe if you started calling me Jason instead of guardian all the time, I'd consider it."

Gordon's shell rotated rhythmically before stopping cold and its eye flashed red, stopping the scan. "Error. Unable to identify. Transcendent energy detected. Insufficient light for in-depth scan of energy of this quality and density."

"Well," Jason admitted, "that does trend towards the whole goddess thing, but I'm just some noob iron-ranker. Gordon would probably say the same thing about a silver-ranker."

"Correct," Gordon helpfully agreed. "Your light level can barely handle a scan of a bronze rank entity, guar- Jason." The ghost pausing to make the necessary name correction.

"Kind of harsh," Jason muttered, "but fair."

"If it makes you feel any better, just think of me as a vastly powerful, immortal entity. No need to use the G word."

"Then what's the difference between a god and some crazy-powerful super-being?"

"From your perspective? Very little. The nature of transcendent beings is not bound up in physical reality. God and goddess are mortal words."

"It doesn't matter until I hit the level cap, is what you're saying."

"Something like that."

"Can you read my mind?"

"In a way," she explained. "My knowledge of this world is absolute. So long as you know what you are thinking, I know what you are thinking."

"So, you know what I'm going to ask?"

"I know that which is, and that which was, but not that which is yet to come."

"I bet you make some bloody good guesses, though."

She laughed again, the sound flooding his body with pleasant feelings.

"I know everything in this world," she chuckled out, "yet you mortals are a constant source of surprise. I did not expect, for example, that you would turn back and save the people in that sacrificial chamber. You'd killed all your pursuers and despite how well you hid it, you were terrified of being caged again. Painful memories of that time flooded your mind, and you knew you'd die if you went back."

"Guilt. Penance. Self-destructive personality. Take your pick." Jason shrugged. He looked her up and down. "Why do you look like a local?"

"To appear requires an appearance, and this is as good as any. When I show myself to people looking as they do, it helps form a connection."

"Then why don't you look like someone from my world right now?"

"Because you didn't come here for a connection. You came in wondering what happens when an atheist meets a god, so I met you as I would anyone else here. But now we have met, and the questions you came in with were not about me."

"Yet I can't seem to help myself," Jason said with a smirk. "Why would a goddess even bother to answer any of my questions?"

"I am Knowledge. It is my nature."

"That feels like a lie."

The corners of her mouth twitched up in a slight smile.

"Call it an incomplete truth."

Jason laughed. "You have your own agenda."

"Don't we all? But whatever my motivations, you still have questions, and I still have answers. If it makes you feel better, know that you are insufficiently consequential to be worth manipulating."

"That's a little hurtful, but kind of reassuring, I guess. Can you actually smite me down?"

"We transcendent beings are limited in our ability to affect physical reality. We can affect magic, creating essences and awakening stones. We can also affect our area of influence. I am Knowledge; therefore, I can bestow any knowledge I have at will."

"And you have all the knowledge."

She smiled.

"So, can the god of the oceans or whatever create tsunamis and such?"

"Yes, but direct intervention is antithetical to our nature, other than to redress an imbalance. More often we work through our followers."

"So, if you wanted to smite me, you could just find the nearest silver ranker on the membership rolls and turn them loose on me."

"More or less," she confirmed. "Of course, another god could send their own agents to intervene. It is something akin to a matter of etiquette to let our followers determine the outcome of a conflict between deities."

"Who doesn't love a holy war?" Jason asked sarcastically. "I suppose I should get on with the actual questions I came here with, shouldn't I?"

"Please do."

"Alright, then. When I was brought to this world, was I chosen?"

"No, it was happenstance. While your world is magically barren, this one is magically rich. That magic builds up over time, finding various forms of release."

"Is that why the monster surges happen?"

"Indeed, it is," she answered. "The magic can also be released by flaring out from this world, sometimes coming into contact with another. If conditions are just right, that contact forms a connection, an inadvertent bridge across which someone can be drawn."

"If it's just random chance, where do my outworlder abilities come from? They feel designed."

"They are designed," she explained. "By you. The journey between worlds altered you, flooded you with magic. Outworlders like yourself unconsciously shape that magic into a form they can understand, to help them navigate this world using the rules of their own."

"So, I gave myself powers? And was all that magic flooding into me why my scars and tattoos are gone? Even my missing toes are back."

"It would be more accurate to say that when the power came upon you, the flooding of magic that remade your body, you chose its form. A way of framing this world through your own in order to make it comprehensible, molding your body in return. As is so often the case when dealing with the dark depths of the mind, the results are more intuitive than practical. But what I am describing isn't what really happened to you. It is simply the closest I can get to an explanation you could understand. Trying to explain the true forces at play would be like explaining mathematics to a rock. You fundamentally lack the capacity to perceive what I would need to show you."

The goddess held her hands in a show of helplessness.

Jason wondered what Gordon thought about the whole thing, but the little light of the Traveler was busy scanning the mosaics and muttering about unique architecture mixed with transcendent energy. His ghost too preoccupied with its own interests than his guardian's concerns.

"If you were one of my followers," she pitched, "I could do better. Imbue the knowledge directly into your mind."

"No thanks." Jason replied. "I'm all about that self-determination."

"Our followers are free to act as they will. We are not tyrants."

"Of course, you don't think that. To you, being all-powerful seems natural. If you know everything I know, then you know I've heard all that 'freedom within faith' nonsense before."

"But the gods of this world are not remote entities that never show themselves or take action."

"That's fair," Jason conceded the point. "It is better that there are gods to justify the existence of a religion instead of people looking to manipulate the masses through false deities to push their own agendas. And if you gods are what your names dictate than people don't have to worry about being led astray too much. You know how many times a church where I'm from talks about morality while hiding cases of pedophilia by their own clergy? The hypocrisy is what annoys me the most and unfortunately, I've already seen it here with the church of the healer."

"True," she admitted. "Some churches become corrupt thanks to the clergy and the local politics. But it isn't until they actually work against their god's purpose that we intercede. Like I said, most of us allow our members to act as they will. The Greenstone branch of the church of the healer may be ignoring their duties to heal everyone, but they still do heal and not prevent the act of healing from others. Until that happens, Healer won't step in. Like I wouldn't unless one of my churches started destroying knowledge or spreading false knowledge."

"So, churches, like all organizations, are corruptible but only to a point. They go too far and their respective god steps in and removes the problem clergy."

"Correct. So, it wouldn't be unpleasant to become one of my followers and there are so many benefits," she added in a sultry voice, trying to entice him.

Jason laughed, "Sorry, but no. I never abdicated my moral responsibility to an absentee sky wizard in my world, and I'm not doing it now that the wizard's shown up to enforce it."

The goddess chuckled.

"I didn't think so, but I had to try," she replied.

"I get it," Jason responded. "Got to get those bums in those pews."

"You're stalling," she pointed out. "Trying to avoid the question you're not sure you want the answer to."

"You already know the question," Jason countered.

"Yet, you must ask it. Only then will the responsibility for hearing the answer be yours."

Jason nodded.

"Is there a way for me to go home?"

"Do you want there to be?"

"I don't know," Jason confessed. "I mean, that should be the goal, right? But there isn't a lot waiting for me back there. Here, I see potential. What I can become. The wonders waiting over the next hill."

He looked at the goddess.

"You know everything, right? You tell me if I want to go back."

"That is a question only you can answer. This is why I asked it."

"Is it possible?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"You have possessed the means from the beginning, but you're not ready to use it."

"From the beginning?"

Jason thought back to the day he first arrived. The first time he opened his inventory there was an object his ability couldn't, or wouldn't identify, and had been sitting in his inventory ever since.

"The world-phoenix token," he supplied.

"Yes. I would advise against trying to learn more about it. Anyone who would actually recognize it would be unwilling to leave it in your hands."

"Why do I have it?"

"I am possessed of every piece of knowledge in this world," she replied, "but that is a question to which I do not know the answer."

"That's only mildly terrifying," Jason muttered. "You said I wasn't ready to use it?"

"Choosing to use it would require an act of faith."

"And faith is very much not my thing."

"Of that, I am very much aware," she agreed. "When circumstances dictate, the token will use itself."

"Even if it's in my magical void storage thing?"

"Yes."

"And you're not going to tell me the trigger conditions, are you?"

"You were warned that I would answer or not, as I choose. In this case, I choose not."

"So, I could just be walking along the street and whoosh, back home I go?"

"If you decide that you do not wish to return to your world, then discard the token."

"So, I have to choose if I want to stay," he summarized. "Either I throw this thing away or hang about until these mysterious circumstances come about. What do I do in the meantime?"

"Get stronger. You will need that strength for what is to come."

"You told me you couldn't see the future."

"I've been known to make some bloody good guesses."

Jason laughed, and the goddess smiled.

"You know," he commented, "I didn't know what to expect from a goddess. I figured, if you were real, that I wouldn't handle it very well."

"You could have done worse."

"Yeah," Jason nodded to himself. "Then I guess I just have one last question."

"I do not know if the gods of your world are real," she answered, not waiting for him to ask. "No one from your world who knows that particular truth has ever come to this one, and I only deal in knowledge."

"No one from my world. Are there other outworlders from my world?"

"There have been, in the past. Not for centuries, now. Those that came before either died or returned home."

"But essence users can live for centuries," Jason said. "Are there essence users running around in my world?" He thought about how powerful and dangerous the Colonel was; like he was superhuman. Could the man that trained him -many of his methods that were very similar to what Rufus, Farrah and Gary have been teaching him- been an essence user?

"I don't know," she admitted. "Perhaps you should go back and see for yourself."

Jason took a deep breath.

"You know," he commented, "you really dropped some bombs on me, lady."

"People do not come to the goddess of knowledge for recipes, Jason."

"Is that an option?"

"No."

"I guess that's everything, then," Jason stated. "Do I just go, now? Is there a donation box or something?"

As the goddess laughed, the doors were pulled open from the outside by Gabrielle. The acolyte gave a curious glance at the mirthful deity.

"My lady," she addressed the goddess.

"I'm sure you can find your own way out, Jason," the goddess told him.

"You're going to talk about me behind my back, aren't you?" Jason asked. "Gabrielle, try and explain privacy to your boss. I think she might have trouble with it, given her inherent nature."

"Go away, Jason," the goddess chuckled out, and he wandered off with a chuckle of his own and a wave. "Come on, Gordon. We're leaving now." The hand sized black ghost ended its scanning and floated after its guardian.

"I think it was this way," they heard him say as he disappeared among the bookshelves.

"He seems like an unusual man," Gabrielle commented.

"Yes, but also a dangerous one," the goddess warned. "Take care in your future dealings."

"He never seemed that way," Gabrielle countered.

"It isn't his power or his appetites that make him dangerous -so long as you don't threaten him," the goddess explained. "There's a dangerous edge hidden underneath his more jovial personality but one that only appears when he's endangered. It's his ideas that really concern me. He'll have you question your faith, just because it's faith. He'll have you question everything, if you let him."

---

Rufus looked up as Gary emerged from his room, stretching his long arms and yawning.

"You're not breakfast," Gary grumbled.

"You're just getting up?" Rufus asked incredulously.

Farrah emerged from her own room, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, welcome back, Rufus. No breakfast?"

"Why would I have brought breakfast? I told you to relax the training, not give it up entirely. Jason needs to develop good habits now."

"Forget that guy," Gary groused.

Farrah nodded her agreement.

"He went to see the goddess of knowledge a few days ago," she explained. "Since then, he's been like a monster. All we wanted was a few relaxing days before you got back, but he won't stop. The closest he comes to taking a break is having a drink with Jory down at the clinic, and I'm pretty sure that's only because it lets him train his resistance ability."

"Turns out booze is poison," Gary added. "I'm not going to stop drinking it, but it makes you think."

"Did you at least show him around the city?" Rufus asked.

"Oh, we showed him," Farrah answered.

"Now he does an evening run each night around the Island," Gary complained.

The door opened up and Jason pushed in a trolley containing two rows of covered food trays.

"Rufus, you're back," Jason said happily. "You can join us for breakfast."

"From what these two have been telling me, I thought you'd be training."

"Yeah, I ate a spirit coin this morning, ran into the clinic and did some weight training. Then I ran back and got to work on breakfast. These two have been slacking off while you were away."

As he talked, Jason transferred food from the tray to the dining table. Gary and Farrah sat down, Gary rubbing his hands together.

"I'm starting to get a handle on the local food," Jason beamed. "I've been checking out the markets when I'm taking a break. But we can crank up the training intensity now that you're back, yeah?"

Gary's hands stopped moving, stunned as he asked in trepidation, "What do you mean by crank up the intensity?"

"We can stop slacking off. I've been slacking off a bit, cooking, making my way through Jory's liquor cabinet."

"Rest is an important part of training, too," Rufus emphasized.

"Exactly," Gary mumbled around a mouthful of sausage.

Gary and Farrah were already tucking in as Jason poured out glasses of juice from a large pitcher.

"Have something to eat," Jason told Rufus, pushing a laden plate his way. "Tell us how your field assessment thing went."

Rufus picked up his cutlery, "It does smell good."

"So, I know this guy Humphrey," Jason brought up to Rufus. "He was part of your group, right?"

"Humphrey Geller?" Rufus asked. "You know him?"

"We went in for induction on the same day," Jason explained. "Nice guy. How'd he do?"

"He failed. His skills are solid, and he has a good grasp of his abilities. The ones he's awakened, at least. His problem is one of mindset."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Humphrey's confluence essence is dragon," Rufus stated simply.

"Makes sense," Jason said, thinking of Humphrey's familiar. "I have to imagine that's a good one."

"They're all good, if you use them right," Farrah chimed in.

"And there's the problem," Rufus pointed out. "Humphrey is considerate, thoughtful, cautious and humble. Does any of that sound like a dragon to you? He needs to be confident, bold. He knows how to use his abilities, but he's too indecisive about doing so."

"I get it," Jason stated. "He's a nice guy with powers that require direct and aggressive action to utilized to their fullest."

"Actually, that's exactly it," Rufus agreed. "He wasn't alone, though. There were nineteen people and we only passed six."

"Ouch," Jason winced.

"That's a big group," Farrah commented.

"Some of the local aristocrats were looking to make a social connection," Rufus darkly informed. "Some of the records of their recently accepted adventurers were mysteriously lost, forcing them to re-take the assessment."

"That sounds shady," Farrah replied. "The Adventure Society let them get away with that?"

"You haven't seen what it's like in these outlying branches," Gary chimed in. "They don't have the same funding, so they have to compromise with local powers."

"Corruption," Jason simplified.

"It's easy to call it that," Gary responded, "but sometimes compromises have to be made. You pay adventurers with money, not principles."

"At times, the only way to do any good is to allow a little bad," Jason sighed from his own past experiences. "Seems to be an ideal that crosses worlds."

"Unfortunately, so," Gary agreed.

"Is there going to be any backlash?" Farrah asked.

"Probably," Rufus answered. "The ones who'd passed before their records mysteriously vanished had already been working as adventurers, but after I failed them, their membership was revoked. They won't get it back until they pass another field assessment."

"I bet they loved that," Farrah droned out sarcastically.

"The Duke of Greenstone's nephew is part of that group," Rufus stated simply.

"You flunked out the city ruler's nephew?" Gary chortled.

"I did," Rufus answered nonplused. "I suspect the people I failed will have an easier time with their next assessor."

"Have you considered that you might not be the one to take the pain for this?" Farrah asked. "You might have dropped the local Adventure Society officials right in it."

"Actually, the branch director was urging me on. Seems she's trying to flush out at least some of the external influence."

"Oh," Farrah said thoughtfully. "Good for her."

"So, what about Humphrey?" Jason asked. "You're all about training up adventurers, right? I bet you have plenty of ideas to get him on track."

"Humphrey's mother is a family acquaintance," Rufus explained, "so I'll help him out a little. I know exactly what he needs."

"Oh?" Jason prompted.

"I've seen almost every kind of would-be adventurer there is," Rufus stated, then looked at Jason. "Almost every kind. Back at my family's academy..."

He trailed off as Jason, Gary and Farrah all picked up their glasses of juice, draining them dry simultaneously.

"What was that?" Rufus asked as Gary refilled their glasses from the pitcher.

"What was what?" Jason asked innocently.

"Never mind," Rufus conceded. "Back in my family's academy..."

Again, all three picked up their glasses and chugged back the contents.

"What is happening right now?" Rufus asked in bewilderment. "Wait, are you playing that drinking game?"

The other three erupted into laughter.

"What is wrong with you people?"

"It's just juice" Gary defended, as he started refilling the glasses again. "It is just juice, right?"

"Fresh-squeezed," Jason nodded.

"So, now every time I mention my family's-"

"Hold up," Gary interrupted, waving his hand at Rufus. "I can only refill these so fast."

Rufus panning his glare around the table only managed to draw fresh peals of laughter.

"I hate you all."

---

"This is where you grew up?" Jason asked.

They walked through the verdant grounds of the Geller ancestral home. Jason and Rufus were being guided by Humphrey Geller and his mother, Danielle. Jason's comment came as they walked through a tunnel of leafy vines grown into a tunnel on a bamboo framework. Splashes of sunlight stabbed through the foliage, punctuating the shade with beams of light.

"I would have loved this when I was a kid," Jason mused. "Who am I kidding? I love it now."

"Thank you, Mr. Asano," Danielle replied.

"Jason is fine," he told her.

"You'll have to forgive Mr. Asano," Rufus apologized. "He's not well-versed in formality, in spite of any quite-thorough explanations he may have received earlier in the day."

"Yes," Jason mocked, "I'm not very smart and simple formalities are super-hard to figure out. It's definitely not that I find them to be a set of arbitrary behavioral norms that serve as a tool of exclusionary tribalism and that eschewing the rituals of cultural performance facilitates the fostering of new relationships by having both sides step out of their preconceived societal modes."

Danielle laughed while Rufus glared at Jason.

"I should have left you in the desert," Rufus muttered.

"Mr. Remore did mention you were an unusual man," Danielle commented. "I'm delighted to discover he was right. Please feel free to call me Danielle."

Danielle Geller demonstrated that at silver rank, the beautifying effect of essences reached the realms of the supernatural. In addition to looking far too young to be Humphrey's mother, she was stunningly perfect. Neither women nor men used cosmetics in this world, but Jason realized there was little point. All the people that could have afforded it used essences, which was like air-brushing real life.

"So, have you spoken to Gabrielle, yet?" Jason asked Humphrey. He turned white and started shaking his head to silence Jason.

"Gabrielle?" Danielle asked. She may have looked too young to be Humphrey's mother, but that tone of having latched on to a weakness was unmistakable.

"It's nobody," Humphrey rushed to answer. Silently pleading that his mother wouldn't pry any deeper.

"Danielle, as Rufus pointed out, my grasp of the local etiquette is limited," Jason ran over Humphrey's protests in an innocent voice. "How does one go a-courting in local aristocratic circles?"

"Please stop," Humphrey begged.

"That would depend on the relative status of the parties involved," Danielle answered Jason, ignoring her son's plea.

"Then let me present a hypothetical," Jason continued on in a self-amused/innocent tone. "Let's take someone of roughly your standing. A young member of your family, perhaps. How would they approach, say, an acolyte of the church of Knowledge? I imagine there would be a raft of social, political and religious entanglements that would make it rather difficult."

Jason and Danielle were happily walking side-by-side, as Rufus and Humphrey trailed behind them. Humphrey had his head buried in his hands, while Rufus just shook his head.

"Indeed, there would be social complexities," Danielle replied. "The best approach the young man could take -I assume it is a young man in this example?"

"Why not?" Jason responded.

"The best thing this young man could do," Danielle continued, glancing back at her son, "would be to inform his mother. Someone who can arrange things without youthful enthusiasm causing a political incident."

"Oh, but you know how young people can be," Jason clipped. "I bet he'd rather cut off his own arm than talk about this with his mother."

"If only he had a friend to step in for him," Danielle mused.

"Jason and I can do some sparring right?" Humphrey asked Rufus through gritted teeth.

"I'll make sure to schedule it in," Rufus answered.

---

"That," Danielle pointed out, "is the mirage chamber."

It was a huge dome rising out from the trees and plants, segmented like the eye of an insect. If the pathways of the estate weren't mostly shaded by canopy, the bulging edifice would be visible from most of the grounds.

"So, what is this thing, exactly?" Jason asked. "Rufus wasn't very clear."

"It creates false images of monsters," Humphrey explained, "and a false image of your body with which to fight them. Everything feels completely real."

"That sounds fantastic," Jason exclaimed. "Do I get a go?"

"Another day," Rufus said, dampening Jason's enthusiasm. "This time you're just here for a look. Today we set Humphrey on the path to passing the next field assessment."

"Didn't you say that they'd just wave everyone through next month?" Jason asked Rufus.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Danielle chimed in. "I was speaking with the branch director yesterday morning, and she's very happy with how things went. That said, some kind of compromise is probably necessary."

Getting closer to the dome, Jason saw that there was a complex of buildings adjoining it.

"That's the viewing hall over there," Danielle explained, pointing out the largest building other than the dome itself. "We try and set up scenarios our family trainees can learn from, then get them all in to watch. Rufus tells me you have an unrecorded essence combination filled with unique and unknown abilities, which would be interesting to work with."

"He's a long way from any example but bad," Rufus stated matter-of-factly.

"Rufus," Danielle lightly scolded.

"No, he's right," Jason replied, unfazed by Rufus' evaluation of his abilities.

"I heard you acquitted yourself quite well at the Vane Estate incident," Danielle argued.

"I didn't do too terribly," Jason admitted, "but I let myself fall asleep from exhaustion -which led to me being laid out by a guy with a shovel. Messed up using spirit coins and potions to the point that I poisoned myself with mana toxicity. And numerous other mistakes any real adventurer wouldn't have made. I only did as well as I did due to my pervious experiences in non-magical combat and dumb luck."

Jason had been counting off all the mistakes he made one finger at a time. Shaking his head at the sad reality of his lack of ability, he continued, "Besides, I've barely got a grip on the abilities I have, and it'll be a long stretch before they're up to snuff. At least to the level they're combat capable."

She raised an eyebrow in Rufus' direction, who nodded with a wry smile on his face.

"Rufus was saying you train family members from all around the world here," Jason brought up, moving the conversation away from himself. He meant what he said about his usage of his powers not being good enough for real combat, but he also doesn't want to make them publicly known. The most dangerous aspect about engaging a hostile force was in not knowing their capabilities, and Jason would rather keep that edge for as long he can.

"We have branch families spread far and wide," Danielle explained proudly. "They all come here at the age of fifteen and stay until they reach bronze rank. We also take in some non-family."

"Our family members have a habit of picking teams even before they get their essences," Humphrey added. "We take the team members in as well."

"Fifteen?" Jason wondered aloud. "I thought most people can't absorb essences until they're at least eighteen."

"That's true," Rufus cut in, "for the most part. It can vary depending on various factors. Such as individual growth rates, species and gender."

"Naturally, women tend to mature faster than men," Danielle informed with a smug grin. "Young ladies can absorb essences as early as sixteen in some cases, and typically only as late as nineteen."

"While men tend to range from eighteen to twenty on average," Rufus completed, a slight frown marring his own handsome face. "I was a late bloomer and didn't get my essences until I was twenty-one."

"Which speaks volumes towards young Rufus' talent, having reached the peak of bronze so quickly," Danielle stated, soothing Rufus' pride.

"Okay," Jason replied. "So, if the earliest any of them can get their essences is sixteen, then why bring them in so early?"

"It is always prudent to start training an essence user as soon as possible," Rufus answered before Danielle could. "There's a lot to learn before someone dedicates themself to becoming an adventurer. It'd be negligent not to."

"Mr. Remore is correct," Danielle agreed. "Most have already been given basic training, mostly theory and physical conditioning with basic martial skills, before coming here. We spend the time prior to their receiving their essences building off of those skills. Narrowing down their strengths and discovering their weakness. More than any of that, is rounding out their teams, building them up and perfecting their teamwork. Though, that last part only starts after their full team has all their essences and about half of their abilities awakened."

Danielle had led them into one of the buildings while she talked, which turned out to be a large single room. The back wall had a long glass window through which was only darkness, but Jason's power let his eyes penetrate the gloom. Beyond the glass was the empty interior of the dome. The dome itself was made of segments; irregular metal pentagons carved with magical symbols.

Underneath the window was a rectangular stone block. Carved into the top were numerous runes and sigils, made up of sophisticated patterns. The last feature of the room was a series of low wooden platforms the size of single beds. They lined the left and right wall, a half-dozen to a side. More mystical symbols were engraved into their surfaces.

"This is the control room," Danielle explained. "From that panel under the window we can control everything that happens inside the chamber."

Gordon had been floating silently beside Jason until they'd entered the chamber. The astral familiar of the Traveler immediately started zipping around the place and scanned everything of note. Going unperturbed from the console to the wooden platforms as all eyes fell on the ghost.

"Sorry about him," Jason apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "He really enjoys scanning new environments, people and devices. I need to work on his manners."

Rufus just sighed. Accepting that Jason's familiar was just as rude as its master. Humphrey was looking at the odd spherical core surrounded by eight tetrahedral segments that constantly rotated. Danielle just had a wry smile on her face.

"That's alright Jason," she eased his concern. "I've known several familiars that were just as curious. Though, I admit to having never seen one quite like that one. How'd you get it?"

"An awakening stone of the Traveler," Jason answered. "It had some odd requirements to use, like having the light essence."

"That is odd," Humphrey agreed.

"Hmm. Interesting indeed but a story for another time." She turned and asked Rufus, "So, what do you have for us?"

All eyes turned on Rufus as he walked over to the stone block under the window, which had a dizzying array of runes, sigils and intricate magical diagrams carved into it. He spent a few moments looking it over.

"Standard arrangement," he observed. "Jason, hand me that crystal."

Jason took a long, faceted crystal from his inventory, something Farrah had created using Magic Society resources. It looked rather like a long, narrow diamond, the facets catching the light and reflecting out flashes of rainbow color. He handed it to Rufus, who looked around one side of the stone block, then the other, finding a hole into which he pushed the crystal into.

"So, what's with the crystal?" Jason asked.

"A mirage chamber projects things from these platforms along the walls," Danielle explained.

Jason glanced again at the wooden platforms lining both sides of the room.

"If it doesn't have direct access to something through the platforms," Danielle continued, "you need to give it a magical imprint to replicate instead."

"And the crystal is a storage device for the imprint," Jason concluded.

"Exactly," Danielle confirmed.

Rufus, having inserted the crystal was now looking over the top of the stone block.

"This mirage chamber has an impressive array of monster imprints," Rufus stated, "but Humphrey needs something a little different than a basic combat scenario. What I've just added in should help him climb the next wall in his development. Humphrey, you can go in now."

Humphrey laid down on one of the wooden platforms. The runes under him lit up and he went still as death. Suddenly Jason spotted him through the window, standing under the center of the dome. He glanced back down at Humphrey's still body on the platform, then up at his other body inside the dome, which turned to look at the window.

"That's an illusionary body?" Jason asked.

"That's right," Danielle answered. "It can only affect or be affected by other illusions created by the mirage chamber. To him, though, everything feels completely real."

"That's right," Rufus took over. "Right now, it feels completely real to him, but nothing he suffers will affect his real body."

"What if something happens to his body here while he's out there?"

"Then he'll be snapped awake," Rufus reassured Jason. "The illusion feels real, but it's just a projection. Being unexpectedly taken out is disorienting, but harmless."

Rufus used a finger to trace out some of the lines of the stone slab in front of him. They lit up under his finger, but the real change was on the other side of the window.

The inside of the dome went from darkness to bright and wild illumination. Segmented panels blasted the interior with a maelstrom of rainbow lights, moving and flashing from one color to the next as the interior of the dome became a shifting kaleidoscope. Humphrey's figure looked tiny in the vast, empty space, like the flood of color would sweep him away. Rainbow light spilled through the window and over the observers.

"That's certainly impressive," Jason mused. "Has this ever given someone a seizure?"

"Once," Danielle admitted. "It turns out they had some kind of brain sickness. We had a healer remove it."

"Of course, you can casually cure epilepsy," Jason muttered.

"There is nothing casual about maladies of the mind," Danielle clarified in chastisement. "You need to remove the sickness, then restore the damaged portions of the brain with healing, like a wound. After that, it often takes them time to recover. Especially if the condition had been with them for a long time. They can lose memories, even physical skills."

"Oh," Jason replied. "It's oddly comforting to know magic isn't just the instant solution to every problem."

"Magic is a tool, like any other," Danielle stated. "Delicate tasks require care and expertise."

As Jason and Danielle talked, Rufus' hands moved over the engravings on the stone block like he was playing a theremin. On the other side of the window, the chaos of light was slowly moving towards order.

"Is he alright in there?" Jason asked in worry.

"He has experienced this many times," Danielle informed, easing Jason's concerns.

"Sorry this is taking so long to get in place," Rufus apologized. "I need to get a handle on the nuances of your chamber design."

"What exactly are you planning for Humphrey?" Jason curiously asked.

"We need to motivate Humphrey to act boldly. I have an exercise designed to instill that mindset."

"You think this new addition to our mirage chamber will do that?" Danielle asked curiously.

"In my family's academy," Rufus explained, "I've seen plenty of good people with Humphrey's issue. Good people, heroic, even. You can't motivate them with glory or power, not if you want to really move them to action. It has to be with consequence."

The light inside the dome suddenly vanished. Even Jason's dark sight power couldn't penetrate the immediate darkness. Then daylight illuminated the space beyond the window, which was no longer the inside of the dome. Now it was a wide desert gorge, with Humphrey standing at the bottom, near a shallow stream. Sunlight came down from a clear blue sky. Humphrey looked around, finding a small, adorable child standing next to him.

"Holodeck," Jason whispered in awe.

Rufus tapped a rune on the control table.

"Humphrey," he called out. "Can you hear me?"

"I can," Humphrey replied, his voice emerging from the control table. "Why is there a little girl here?"

"That's Ellie," Rufus informed. "You have to protect her from the monsters."

Rufus' hands moved over the runes again. A half-dozen monsters appeared from further down the gorge, running towards Humphrey. They looked and moved like leopards but were the size of full-grown tigers. Behind them, their tails were long and thick, each ending in a huge, talon-like claw.

At the very moment the fast, lithe monsters appeared, Jason had winced, knowing what was most likely to happen. Humphrey and his mother weren't going to like it, but it's an important lesson the young man needed to learn. One that Jason had learned the hard way on his first solo-mission for the Colonel.

At least it won't be real for Humphrey.

As Humphrey took a stance in front of little Ellie, armor formed around his body from thin air. It looked to be made of scales, mostly sandy yellow but flecked with other colors, like rainbow droplets. In his hands, a huge sword appeared. As it was absurdly large and shaped like an extended dragon wing, Jason couldn't help but question the practicality of it.

Staying close to the little girl and shielding her with his body, Humphrey awaited the monsters. As they arrived, he swung his huge sword. Jason was startled at the ease and expertise with which he wielded the massive weapon. It was clearly heavy, but his footwork seamlessly shifted to manage the weight and momentum. Each blow was the end of a monster, but he couldn't take down all six quickly enough. Two of the nimble monsters skipped around Humphrey as he dealt with the others. By the time he fought past them, Ellie's corpse was being pulled apart in a tug-of-war between two monsters.

Even watching from a distance, Jason felt viscerally sick at the sight, though, it wasn't visible to the naked eyed. He'd seen much worse before and when it'd been due to his own mistakes. He was much more able to compartmentalize the horror of it all and rationalize the fact that it was just an illusion. Th real sickness came from the terrors of his own past experiences flashing from the depths of his memories at the sight. Even though it was an illusion, it looked very real just from Jason's view, let alone how it must appear to Humphrey within the illusion.

Rufus tapped a rune, causing the monsters and the child to vanish. Humphrey looked at the now-empty ground in horror, the huge sword falling from his hands and vanishing. Clearly, Humphrey has never seen how horrible the world can really get and had no means of handling it. Jason envied the young man for not having those scars, but also pitied him for not being ready for it, seeing as he chose a career where he'll be forced to face the harshness of the world.

Danielle reached over the console and tapped the rune to close communication with Humphrey. "Are you trying to traumatize my son?" she asked Rufus, her tone a clear warning. His answer had best be a good one.

Rufus calmly turned to face her as she stepped forwards to confront him, and answered, "Yes. I am trying to traumatize your son. During the field assessment, I could see clearly the training he had been through. His skills are exceptional, but it was equally evident you have coddled him to the point of a critical deficiency. The reason I failed him isn't that he lacks the ability. It's that he doesn't understand the duty of being an adventurer. You taught him to handle killing, but not how to handle failure. He hesitates in critical moments because you've taught him to be too perfect."

Jason watched Humphrey's forlorn figure through the glass. He agreed with Danielle that Rufus' training could be considered as emotional abuse by civilian standards, but Humphrey was attempting to join what was equivalent to a military force. Though, he thought Rufus' speech sounded suspiciously like a pot critiquing a kettle. From what he could tell, Rufus and Humphrey had similar upbringings. He wondered if Rufus had been through the same exercise himself.

"He'll stop to look for the optimal path when what he needs to do is act," Rufus continued. "If you want Humphrey to act quickly and decisively, he needs to understand the price of not doing so. I can let that slide with the other adventurers in this city, but you wanted him to meet my standards. These are my standards."

Danielle was a head shorter than Rufus, but she got right up into his space, tilting her head back to glare at him.

"Is this how you treat people in your famous academy?" her voice was filled with a cold malice that threatened violence.

"Yes, it is," Rufus answered simply, without a trace of concern before he turned back to the control table and reopened communication.

"Get ready, Humphrey," Rufus commanded. "We're going again."

Jason watched Danielle, seeing she was on the edge of stepping in to stop it with the previously unspoken violence. In the end, she took a step back. Inside the dome, a small boy appeared next to Humphrey.

"What happened to Ellie?" Humphrey's voice came from the control table.

"Ellie's dead," Rufus answered coldly. "She was torn apart by monsters. This is Ben."

Jason suppressed a wince, looking once again at Danielle. She was looking sternly at Rufus but didn't say anything even though her stiff body language practically screamed that she wanted to attack Rufus and save her son from his suffering. But she was an experienced adventurer that's seen real combat and all the horrors the world can toss at you, thus, knew it was better for Humphrey to face this harsh truth now. Jason had seen this about her through her eyes, underneath the genuine warmth and kindness. Eyes that held that colder, sharper and deadlier edge that he has viewed countless times in the mirror.

Even still, Jason could tell that she wanted to shield the good in Humphrey from those harsh realities. And he couldn't blame her, Humphrey had this aura of warmth and goodness that screamed the protectiveness of a real superhero. It'd be a loss to the world for that light in the young man to be extinguished.

"You know," Jason mused aloud, "I wish I had undergone this training before seeing real combat."

Danielle just glanced at Jason from the corner of her vision, keeping most of her focus on her son.

"I had to learn about the consequences of failure the hard way... when the children that died were real."

A sad smile graced Jason' lips as he remembered trying to save imprisoned children, taken from neighboring villages to enforce their obedience. He'd risked his mission by trying, ultimately being discovered, captured and forced to watch as the local warlord executed them. Not only as a part of their attempts to break him but to demonstrate that they'd deliver on their promise to kill their hostages at any sign of disobedience.

Jason now knew he should have stayed on mission and killed the warlord, using his death as a distraction for their extraction. The planned explosion would have killed the piece of human waste along with his most trusted officers. The chaos would have given him all the cover he had clearly needed to rescue the kids. His problem was the opposite of Humphrey's in that he often acted too rashly to do what he thought was right without considering the consequences.

A hard learned lesson that Jason can't ever forget.

Danielle couldn't possibly have known exactly what was going through Jason's head, but she'd recognized the look on his face. Every real adventurer had at least one mission that they just couldn't leave behind them.

She nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement to Jason's point before focusing a stern gaze at Rufus. Staying quiet in her begrudging acceptance of the training regimen and her son's need for it.

---

Humphrey's real body stirred on the wooden platform, the runes under him fading. He swung his legs off the side and sat up, face pale, eyes wide and shaking. He had failed to protect every new child Rufus had placed with him.

"How was that?" Rufus asked.

"A nightmare," Humphrey weekly answered in utter defeat. "An endless, inescapable nightmare."

"Not inescapable," Rufus corrected, devoid of sympathy. "You had the power to protect those children. It was your hesitation and doubt that doomed them. You need to understand that sometimes the best action is the immediate one. You'll do better tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he asked despondently.

"And every day, until you stop getting the children killed."

"I... I don't know if I can do that."

"Yet you think you're ready to do it when the people are real?" Rufus asked. "Adventurers aren't hunting monsters recreationally, Humphrey. We are the shield for those who can't protect themselves. Yes, there are adventurers who only care about money and status. But the real ones -and I know you want to be one of the real ones- care about duty. You have the heart for it, but until you have the mindset to match, all you're going to do is fail."

Rufus placed a hand on Humphrey's shoulder, "Only you can decide how much you're willing to go through to do the right thing."

---

Rufus and Danielle sat in the shade with a pitcher of iced drinks on a picnic table. Danielle had suggested Humphrey lead an enthusiastic Jason in the direction of the orchards.

"I'm sorry if you feel I went too far," Rufus apologized. "You're a good adventurer. You know the things he'll be facing sooner or later."

Danielle nodded.

"My father always said I shielded him too much from the realities," Danielle replied. "But he was always such a good boy. It's like there's something inside him that makes him want to help people. I didn't want to break that."

"Did you consider something for him other than adventuring?" Rufus asked. "There are other ways to help people."

"Not in our family, there isn't. Gellers are adventurers, with all the good and bad that comes with it. And he has a talent for it."

"He does," Rufus agreed. "If he can get past this obstacle, he could be one of the greats one day."

"You have similar hopes for your friend, Jason, yes?"

"I'm sorry about him," Rufus said. "He has a habit of saying whatever pops into his head."

"No, he doesn't," Danielle corrected. "You should pay more attention."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed the way he seizes control of a conversation? The way he provokes people out of their comfortable patterns. He has a very political mind, but he applies it quite unlike anyone I've met. I hope Humphrey can learn from him, a little."

"You want Humphrey to be more like Jason?" Rufus asked incredulously.

"Humphrey is too straightforward a thinker for that," Danielle explained. "I'd just like him to understand that things are more complicate than he realizes. Social survival training, if you will."

"I think you may be overestimating Jason. You might be conflating unpredictability with cunning."

"Perhaps," Danielle admitted. "I will acknowledge he's hard to predict but he gives off the impression of an experienced adventurer. You can see it in his eyes and the way he carries himself, like a man that's seen too much of the realities an adventurer will experience. You may be underestimating him, Rufus."

Rufus was quiet for a long moment before responding, "You're right in some ways. He's got the right mindset for an adventurer, even some of the experiences, but none of the actual abilities. Like the mirror opposite of Humphrey. Jason still needs the proper training on how to use essence abilities and fight monsters."

"The fundamentals of magic," Danielle conceded. "He oddly lacks basic knowledge most learn as children. Hmm. You know, I heard an interesting thing while you were off doing the field assessment."

"Oh?"

"A god appeared in Divine Square."

"They do that all the time," Rufus pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"There were a couple of interesting quirks in this particular instance."

"Which god?"

"Hero," Danielle answered. "Interesting god. Did you know he's the only core deity not to have subordinate gods?"

"I did actually."

"That's right," Danielle exclaimed. "Your uncle is a member of Hero's clergy, isn't he? How is he doing?"

"Very well. I'll tell him you asked after him."

"Please do. What really caught people's attention about Hero's appearance was that when everyone kneeled before the god, one man did not."

Rufus put a hand over his eyes, groaning wearily.

"Jason has something of an issue with religion," he explained.

"I did hear some rumors about that priestess you were working with," Danielle added. "She has some unkind words about you, by the way. But you can see why I wasn't startled at Jason's lack of formality. What is the deference due an aristocrat when you won't bow to a god?"

Rufus narrowed his eyes at Danielle, "You seem to know a lot about Jason for someone who just met him. It's hardly a surprise for someone of your influence to hear about the Divine Square incident, but you were certain it was Jason. You're investigating him, aren't you?"

"I am," Danielle admitted simply. "At your father's request."

Rufus groaned. "Thousands of miles away, and he still can't let me chart my own path."

"He's concerned about the man arresting so much of his son's attention," she explained. "A man who seemingly fell out of the sky. Imagine my surprise to discover he did almost exactly that."

"You know he's an outworlder."

"I do. Very exciting."

"How?"

"It was a fanciful guess until I met him. He's so obviously a man out of place. The way he talks, the way he thinks. The way he looks at things. He doesn't fit."

"The way he looks at things?"

"Like a man who doesn't expect to recognize anything."

"Have you told my father what he is?"

"I did," Danielle answered. "It won't be hard for anyone to put the pieces together once people start looking for them. Which they will, when they realize you're training him."

"It's inevitable, I know," Rufus admitted. "I wanted him to reach the point where his skills were at the basic standard of an iron-ranker. Jason can be frustrating to teach."

"Oh?"

"He's driven, but whenever I see an opportunity to teach him a lesson, he just figures it out and explains it back to me, like he'd learnt it all before."

"How do you think he manages that?"

"It's like you said, he carries himself like an experienced adventurer that's seen how bad things can get. In that regard, he has me beat. The world he came from doesn't have magic or monsters, but they still have warriors. He was one for his country and fought real battles, went on real missions where he faced life and death at the hands of human monsters."

"The worst kind," Danielle commented.

"True, monsters for the most part do what they do because of their nature. Humans, any of the species really, choose to do terrible things to each other for one reason or another. A conscious choice to be evil."

"When will he find his way into the mirage chamber?" she asked.

"Sooner, rather than later. I want him to use a martial arts skill book first. I've been holding that off as I look for one that focuses on fighting monsters and meets my standards. He's plenty skilled in fighting people in hand-to-hand combat, but he'll need at least a few weeks to consolidate before his field assessment. So, in a few days, most likely. In the meantime, do you need me to keep coming for Humphrey?"

"No, our family has trainers enough with the stomach for it," Danielle replied. "When you bring Jason by, we can have them spar a little."

"I will," Rufus responded. "But first, I need to have a talk with my father."

---

The Adventure Society offered a limited, if valuable, array of services. The Magic Society, by contrast, provided all manner of magical amenities to anyone with the money to pay for them. The main lobby of the Magic Society services building was quite large, with many comfortable chairs. Those who could afford their services were accustomed to luxury.

An elven man in expensive clothes approached. Rufus noted his brooch in the shape of a hand inside a circle, the Magic Society emblem.

"Lord Remore," the man greeted. "Such a pleasure. I'm Pochard Finn, deputy director of the Magic Society here in Greenstone."

Rufus stood up and shook his hand, "It's just Mr. Remore. One of my ancestors made rather a point about refusing a title, and it's become something of a family stance."

"Very principled, I'm sure," Pochard replied. "Please, allow me to be your guide to our humble branch. Not as magnificent as what you are used to, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't want to trouble you," Rufus tried to politely decline.

"No trouble at all," Pochard insisted. "If the director were not indisposed off-campus, I have no doubt he would greet you himself. He certainly wouldn't want you waiting out here with the ordinary people. Title or not, I can comfortably assert that you are far from an ordinary visitor."

"I'm just here to use a communications channel," Rufus explained. "I wouldn't want to miss my father because I was socializing."

"Your father," Pochard said in excitement. "Will he be visiting our fair city?"

"He will not," Rufus said firmly.

"A shame," Pochard replied. "At least allow me to guide you to our speaking chambers."

"Very well," Rufus conceded. "Lead on."

The speaking chambers were accessed from a long hallway, where a series of doors led into each chamber. Pochard showed no hesitation in explaining how excellent they were.

"A man of your background is naturally familiar with speaking chambers," Pochard stated, "but were you aware the very best chambers are constructed from watergreen marble? We may just be a remote branch, but our speaking chambers are a point of pride."

"Watergreen marble?" Rufus said in confusion.

"Watergeen marble is one of the higher-grade stones quarried right here in the Greenstone region. It has a strong water affinity, which makes for an excellent connection."

Rufus thought that Pochard was just talking up his facility, but when he stepped into his assigned speaking chamber, it really was grander than he had anticipated. It was larger than others he'd seen, although the layout was normal. Half the room was covered in a pool of water, the dry half with a low, circular platform to stand on. Rather than the usual surfaces, the floor was covered in blue and green tiles, the marble walls had lush plants set into alcoves, while the roof was a colorful mosaic in shades of green and blue. The light in the room was shimmering blue-green, the source of the light located under the water pool. The air was moist, but fresh and pleasant, with the scent of the sea. Walking into the room felt like stepping onto the ocean floor.

"Mr. Pochard," Rufus admitted, "I must confess, I didn't give much credence to your claims about your speaking chambers. Consider this my apology for doubting your words."

"Gratifying to hear, Mr. Remore. I will leave you to your call."

Rufus turned and shook Pochard's hand before the elf departed with a smile, "Thank you."

Pochard left, closing the door to the chamber behind him. Rufus stood on the circular platform on the floor and waited, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. He'd spent enough time in plain, cramped, humid speaking chambers to genuinely appreciate the difference.

Finally, the pool of water stirred, indicating the connection was being made. The light coming through the pool started wildly shimmering. The water rose up from the pool, surging into the shape of Rufus' father. Color appeared in the water as if someone had tipped dyes into it, fleshing out the image to a rather excellent facsimile of his father's features.

Pochard hadn't been overstating the quality of the connection. The image of Rufus' father, Gabriel Remore, was startlingly lifelike. When the image shifted from water statue to animation, it replicated his expressions and body language with amazing accuracy.

"Son," the water representation of Gabriel greeted. "Good to see you."

"Father," Rufus returned the greeting in a tight, overly formal tone.

"I know that tone," Gabriel responded jovially. "What did I do?"

"You've been spying on me," Rufus' tone tinted with a little heat.

"Of course I have," Gabriel stated unapologetically. "You almost died out there on some nothing contract."

"Which you only knew about because you were spying on me!"

"I wasn't spying," Gabriel replied defensively. "I was only having a few updates sent back. Then you almost got yourself killed and I started spying. I'm surprised Danielle told you."

"She didn't tell me," Rufus informed. "I figured it out."

"Son, if that woman doesn't want you to know something, you'll be as ignorant as a newborn babe. If you figured it out, it's because she led you to water. You only think it was your idea to drink."

"Well, you need to stop."

"Of course, son."

"Did you just lie to me?"

"Of course, son."

Rufus let out a weary groan,

"So," Gabriel moved the conversation along. "Tell me about this outworlder of yours."

"He's a bit odd," Rufus stated.

"They're all odd," Gabriel waved his son's statement away. "What's he actually like?"

"Do you remember the first time you told me about outworlders?"

"Hmmm. Wasn't it when we had that one stay with us at the academy? The pretty one that you-"

"I remember the one, Dad," Rufus rushed to cut him off.

Gabriel's water image let out a gleeful chuckle.

"This is a good connection," Gabriel pointed out. "I can see you scowling."

"Dad, do you remember when you told me there were two kinds of outworlders?"

"I do. The ones that die immediately, and the ones that survive and thrive."

"Jason seems like the die immediately type on the surface but underneath is the survive and thrive type," Rufus explained. "At first I thought the unpredictable, odd personality was just a mask to hide the hardened man behind it, but I've found the duality of his nature to be genuinely who he is."

"That is odd," Gabriel agreed. "Sounds like trouble."

"Are you telling me to back off?" Rufus asked. "Because I won't."

"Of course, you won't," Gabriel wryly replied. "Heading for trouble is the whole point of being an adventurer. Otherwise, what's all the training for?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Rufus jumped on the change of topic. "I have a proposal for the academy."

"Oh?"

"Not having someone looking over my shoulder has been an education," Rufus explained. "As an adventurer, I've gone from thinking I knew everything to realizing how much I don't."

"That's good," Gabriel commented. "A few close scrapes, some costly mistakes. It'll turn you into a real adventurer."

"That's exactly my point," Rufus pushed on. "It wasn't until you released me into the wild that I realized how far I have to go. It's why the Gellers keep training their family here at the south end of nowhere. They can let them loose to make their own mistakes."

"So, you're proposing we start sending people there?" Gabriel asked.

"I am," Rufus answered firmly. "We could establish a graduate station here. The Geller family facilities are well developed, and we could arrange an exchange. They help us get off the ground, and we help them refine their training programs."

"Have you put this to the Gellers yet?" his father asked seriously, his jovial tone gone for the time being.

"No," Rufus answered with equal professionalism that his father rarely showed -the running of the academy being one of those few topics to bring it out of him. "I wasn't going to reach out before clearing it with Grandad. Not to mention that I'd also need specifics to take to them. I'd never make an approach without knowing what I could and couldn't offer."

"Good lad. Alright, I'll float it to the family. For now, you and I can start having weekly meetings. Being our man on the ground will be a good chance for you to step up in the academy. A project like this won't be small or quick," Gabriel cautioned.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be here," Rufus replied. "Emir could arrive any day. I suppose I could extend my stay; I don't have to go back with him when he's done."

"Oh, uh..." Gabriel uncomfortably muttered while sheepishly rubbing his chin. "I was meant to tell you Emir won't be there for a little while."

"How long is a 'little while' supposed to be? And why? We found what he was after."

"Well, we know you think you found it," Gabriel said. "But can you really be certain? One of his other teams found something really promising in the Godspear Islands, so he's heading there to check it out. So... two months?"

"Two months!"

"Three, at the absolute most," Gabriel tried to specify. "Well, maybe not the absolute most. And that's from when he leaves here, obviously. Call it four months."

"Four months," Rufus reiterated incredulously.

"Well now you have your project, that works out," Gabriel tried to smooth things out.

"He doesn't know that. Did you say he hasn't left Vitesse yet? What is he doing?"

"There's been a lot going on," Gabriel lamely supplied. "It's a busy time."

Rufus narrowed his eyes at his father's projection.

"Isn't it time for the flower wine festival?"

"Is it?" Gabriel asked, innocently. He wouldn't meet his son's eyes, even through the projection.

Rufus ran a hand over his face before he wearily replied, "Alright, Dad. Weekly meetings?"

"I'll send you a message with the times."

"No, I'll send you a message. You can work around my schedule."

"Son..." Gabriel tried to complain.

"Give my love to Mum. See you next week, Dad."

Rufus stepped off the circular platform and the image if his father broke apart, splashing into the pool.

"Four months," he said with a cold anger to himself. "Alright, then."

---

Rufus stormed through the back gate into Jory's courtyard. Jason was seated in a meditation pose on a mat, his ghost familiar floating around his head while Farrah sat on a chair reading. Gary was cooking meat skewers on a grill fueled by magic fire.

"Farrah," Rufus sharply called out, "get the book out."

She glanced at the book in her hands.

"Not that book," Rufus specified. "I mean... the book."

"You mean the book?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes," Rufus answered. "That book."

"What book are you guys talking about?" Gary asked, not keeping up with the conversation.

Jason opened his eyes and asked, "I'm as lost as Gary. What book?"

"It's time for you to get your hands on a martial arts skill book," Rufus told him.

"Ooh, nice," Jason beamed, getting up and brushing his legs with his hands.

"Wait, that's what you want the book for?" Farrah asked.

"What book?" Gary asked, still not understanding what was going on.

"You know," Farrah reminded. "The book. From under the lake."

"Didn't we decide to give that to Emir?" Gary asked.

"We did decide that, yes," Farrah agreed.

"The contract from Emir wasn't to find a book," Rufus clinically stated.

"Giving it to Emir was your idea," Farrah reminded Rufus. "You talked us into it."

"That's true," Gary nodded along, prodding at the cooking meat with a fork. "We wanted to sell it."

"Well, Emir won't be here for four months, so he's missing out," Rufus gritted out through clinched teeth.

Gary, poised to shove a whole skewer in his mouth, stopped to look at Rufus. "Four months?"

"From when he leaves," Rufus clarified.

"He hasn't left yet?" Farrah asked in confusion.

"Flower wine festival," Gary mumbled around a mouthful of meat. "You weren't kidding about this marinade, Jason."

"I know my marinades, Gary. I'd think you'd have more faith in my culinary skills by now," Jason proudly stated.

"That's fair," Gary mumbled out, still chewing.

"One of the other teams has a promising lead," Rufus explained. "He's going there to check it out first."

"Which team?" Farrah asked.

"Godspear Islands."

"Are you kidding me?" Farrah asked incredulously. "Mirabelle and her army of idiots? Of course they think they found it."

She got up from her chair and started pacing, her frustration evident. "That isn't the place. This is the place. We found the place."

"I know," Rufus sighed out.

"What place?" Jason asked, completely lost.

"It isn't like we're just confident this is the place," Farrah continued. "This is the place."

"It is," Rufus agreed.

"Then why is Emir sailing off in the wrong direction?" she fumed.

"Well," Rufus drawled out, "they know we think we found it, but..."

"I hope his boat sinks," Farrah stated/hoped.

"That's pretty unlikely," Gary pointed out.

"They're ignoring me, Gordon. That's just rude," Jason complained.

Gordon floated over to him, his outer black shell rotating for a moment before his one blue, mechanical eye focused on Jason, "Oh, I'm sorry guardian. I wasn't listening. Can you repeat that?"

Jason slumped in defeat before he muttered out, "Not you too, Gordon. That's just hurtful."

"So the book?" Rufus asked Farrah, still ignoring the dejected Jason and his confused ghost.

Farrah's stone chest erupted out of the ground. She opened the lid, reached in and came out with an absurdly large book. It seemed like she should be staggering about under the weight, but her small body contained a powerful strength. She slammed the lid of her storage chest down and dropped the book onto it with a resonating thud. It was almost as large and thick as the stone chest lid on which it was resting. Bound in thick leather, embossed into the front of the book were the images of two scythes crossed over a skull.

"That's a hefty and sinister tome you got there," Jason commented, moving to look closer.

"We each agreed to give you a gift," Rufus reminded Jason, "as thanks for saving us. Farrah's you've already received. If the others don't object, I'd like this to be mine."

"Works for me," Gary mumbled on yet another piece of meat.

"Well, you were always going to get him a skill book," Farrah replied. "I have to assume this one is better than most."

"It's obviously special," Jason pointed out. "Where did it come from?"

"We can't tell you that yet," Rufus answered.

"You're giving him the book but saying where it's from is where you draw the line?" Farrah asked Rufus.

"The book wasn't in the contract," Rufus explained his reasoning. "Keeping our mouths shut was."

"So, can I use this?" Jason asked, reaching towards the book.

"Not so fast," Rufus said. Before you use that book you have to understand what it is. By which, I mean, you have to understand what it isn't."

"Okay," Jason replied.

"The thing you need to understand about the skill book is that it isn't going to teach you how to fight," Rufus explained.

"Yeah," Jason responded. "I know. We've been over this, it'll just give me the techniques, not how to use them. Even in my world, a guy who just practices karate techniques for a decade, having never actually been in fight, will get his assed kicked by a common street thug who's fought with no technique for years. No amount of training and talent can make up for experience."

Farrah was trying to hold back her laughter at the dejected look that appeared on Rufus' face.

Gary added fuel to the fire by chiming in, "You've been sparring with Jason for a while now and you said he just needed techniques better suited for fighting monsters."

"He'll also need to adjust them to his physical attributes and essence abilities," Rufus added defensively, trying to get back into instructor mode. "Only using these techniques against actively resisting opponents will let you make them your own, instead of something a book gave you."

"By beating it into me," Jason added wearily.

"That's right," Gary agreed from behind the cooker. "We're going to beat you like a drum."

"Suddenly I'm a lot less excited," Jason sighed. "It's a not so fun but ever so familiar experience I loath repeating."

"Don't worry guardian Jason," Gordan chimed in with way too much enthusiasm for Jason's tastes, "I can heal you after every beating you take. That'll allow you to fight more often, increasing the rate in which you learn."

"You know Gordon," Gary replied with a large grin, "I'm really starting to like you."

"And I'm starting to hate you, Gordon," Jason added.

His ghost just floated in the air, mechanical beeps coming from it as it shell rotated. Then it made a low whine-like tone before dissolving into particles of light and shooting into Jason.

"I think you hurt the little guys feelings," Gary chastised.

"Well, I didn't like how cheerful he sounded about helping you beat on me longer," Jason replied defensively. "But yeah, I'll apologize to him later. Can I just use the book, now, please?"

"Go ahead," Rufus said.

Taking a deep breath, Jason reached out and placed a hand on the book.

Item:[Way of the Reaper: Five Forms I] (iron rank, legendary)

A magical book detailing the foundational techniques for all five forms of the Way of the Reaper (consumable, skill book).

Requirements: Ability to use skill books.

Effect: Imparts iron-rank techniques of the Way of the Reaper's five forms.

You are able to use skill book [Way of the Reaper: Five Forms I].
Use Y/N?

Jason stood still, hand on the book, eyes closed. He took another deep breath.

"Something wrong?" Rufus asked.

"I'm just not rushing this," Jason explained. "The last time I used a skill book it overwhelmed my mind and I passed out. I'm hoping to avoid that particularly embarrassing moment from repeating itself."

"That was most likely due to you having already been under extreme stress from absorbing essences and awakening stones in rapid succession," Farrah supplied. "It's also a common occurrence when using skill books."

"Oh, that makes sense," Jason muttered out. "It did hurt a lot to use them."

"Didn't you pass out after absorbing your first essence?" Gary asked. "You passed out a lot back then."

"What's happening?" Jory asked, wandering out from the clinic's back door.

"Jason's about to use a skill book," Farrah answered.

"Please be quiet," Rufus cut in. "Jason, focus on taking the book in, it will take better the calmer your mind is."

"That's true," Farrah agreed. "Sorry, Jason. Try clearing your mind, like you're going to meditate. It might help."

"Thanks," Jason replied. He closed his eyes and did as Farrah suggested, emptying his mind and calming his emotions.

"Do you think he's going to take long?"

"Shut up, Gary," Farrah commanded.

"I'm just wondering if I should grill some more meat."

There was a sizzling sound, followed quickly by a yelp of pain.

"What did I say about lava in the yard?" Jory chastised.

Jason let the sounds drift away, letting only the rhythm of his breathing occupy his mind. He felt his body drift away from the world, floating through nothingness. All sensation left him, except for the leather of the book under his hand.

You are able to use skill book [Way of the Reaper: Five Forms I].
Use Y/N?

He mentally assented and the huge book floated up off the chest to hover over Jason's head. The ponderous cover flipped open and text started rising from the page, disembodied runes turning from black to glowing gold. There was a sizzling sound, like meat on a grill as the text transmuted. The first page of the book turned itself over as the last of the text floated off and the second page began disgorging its contents into the air. With each page, the process grew faster and faster, the glowing jumble of text in the air forming a thick cloud. Even with the increasing pace at which the pages were beginning to turn, it was taking a long time to make it through the massive tome.

"Do skill books normally take this long?" Jory whispered to Farrah.

"No they don't," Farrah whispered back, "although I've never seen a skill book that big before."

The cloud of text kept growing, spreading down until Jason was completely obscured. Finally, the sizzling stopped. They couldn't see the heavy book anymore, but they heard it hit the ground with a thud. The cloud of golden text started darting about like a swarm of angry bees. Within it, they could hear Jason grunting in pain.

"Hold on," Rufus called out. "Try and last out the whole thing."

"Is he alright?" Jory asked in concern.

"Using a skill book is strenuous," Farrah explained. "The more it's trying to teach you, the greater the strain."

"People often pass out while using them," Rufus added, "but the information isn't passed on as well once they're unconscious. It takes them longer to consolidate what they've learned afterwards."

The cloud shrank over time until they could once again see Jason. He was staggering in place, arms out to keep balance. They watched the golden text diving into his body.

"You're doing good!" Gary cheered him on.

"Hold on as best you can," Rufus encouraged.

Finally the last of the text sank into Jason, leaving him standing unsteadily, but still upright. He took in a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Whoa," he croaked.

"Still standing," Rufus complimented. "You've done well."

"How do you feel?" Farrah asked with a little worry in her tone.

Jason slowly got down on his rear end, one hand rubbing his temple before he responded, "Uhh… like I just had a fifth of tequila and an ass-kicking."

"Ah, I have just the thing to help with that," Jory offered. "I get a lot of ruffed up drunks come in for aid. Be right back," and he headed back into the clinic.

"Everyone thinks they have a hangover cure," Jason grunted out. "They don't ever work."

Rufus halted Jory and explained, "His symptoms may resemble a hangover but it's just a side effect from taking in an exorbitant amount of information. A potion won't help. He just needs some time for it to settle."

Farrah had moved to kneel by Jason's side and rubbed his back with one hand while soothingly whispering to him, "Don't worry, it'll pass shortly. It's just a momentary discomfort as the information settles in your mind. Deep breaths. Calm your mind and let it ebb."

Jason did as she told him, feeling the information storm raging in his skull start to smooth out. The more it calmed the deeper he started to fall into a meditative trace.

---

In the fighting pits of the Fortress, two women squared off inside a steel cage. The first was Sophie Wexler, the Nightingale. The other was called the Queen of thorns, for the thorny whip manifested by her power. It had length enough that no part of the cage was safe, and being a power rather than a weapon, the Queen had devilish control over it. Sophie was cut and bloody from numerous wounds, but the weakness of the whip was its inability to deal critical damage. So long as it failed to ensnare an enemy, it couldn't deal a finishing blow.

Sophie's ability was speed. Not only was she fast, but she could run up walls or even over water. She was boxed in by the cage, but she pushed her reflexes to the limit to avoid being entangled. She had suffered lashes, but the whip had never managed to tie her down.

Sophie ran up the side of the cage as the whip lashed under her, flipping off and into a kick, but her opponent jumped back out of her reach. Having missed the kick, Sophie landed off-balance. Seeing her chance, the Queen flung the whip quickly, wrapping it around Sophie's forearm. Grinning with triumph at Sophie, she only found resolution on her enemy's face. Too late, she realized she'd been baited.

Sophie shifted her seemingly unbalanced stance, bracing her weight and yanking on the whip with both arms. The Queen stumbled forwards and Sophie ducked behind, looping the slack whip around the Queen's neck to choke her with her own power. The Queen dismissed the whip and Sophie acted quickly before the Queen had a chance to conjure it up again.

Sophie swept the Queen's unbalanced feet out from under her, grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face into the floor. The hard-earth floor of the Fortress was practically stone and Sophie smashed the Queen's face into it a second time and a third, over and over until there was a sharp crack and the Queen's body went limp.

Skin painted red, silver hair matted with sweat and blood, Sophie left the cage without looking back.

"Your winner, ladies and gentlemen... the Nightingale!"

---

Three viewing boxes, normally empty in the early afternoon, all had occupants watching Sophie's match. In one was Cole Silva, the newest member of the Big Three crime lords of Old City. With his father's passing, the old man's protection could no longer keep Sophie from his grip. Just as he had been closing his fingers around her, she had run to Clarissa Ventress. Now Ventress had Sophie fighting ever more-dangerous opponents. There was every chance she would be ruined before he could snatch her back into his clutches. Watching her bloody form stride away from the cage, he slapped the fruit platter in front of him across the room.

---

In her own viewing box, Clarissa Ventress was happily imagining the look on Silva's face. She was less happy with Sophie's friend, Belinda.

"You can't keep doing this!" Belinda demanded. "You're going to get her killed."

Clarissa sighed, her good mood deflated. She responded to Belinda without deigning to look at her.

"The arrangement was that dear Sophie would help me provoke Silva into the kind of rash action that his father always kept him from making."

She turned her head towards Belinda. "The form that provocation takes is for me to decide," Clarissa continued. "How Sophie survives it is for her to figure out."

"You filthy-"

Belinda cut herself off as Clarissa's enormous bodyguard stirred. Darnell had the predatory features universal to leonids, and Belinda took a step back.

"That's what I thought," Clarissa said with smugly superior tone. "I don't want to hear your pitiful whining again. Go tend to your injured friend."

Belinda desperately wanted to tear a chunk out of Clarissa's throat, but she was not the match of Clarissa or her bodyguard, two of the criminal underworld's rare bronze-rankers. She also knew Sophie would be awkwardly applying medicine right now and making a complete mess of it, so she turned and left.

---

The third box in which the match had been closely viewed belonged to Lucian Lamprey. Old City might be the territory of the Big Three, but as Director of the Magic Society, he might as well have been the sky above them. If nothing else, as a silver-ranker he could personally tear through Old City's strongest enforcers like they were mewling children.

Outside Lamprey's viewing box, Cassowary Finn hesitated before knocking on the door. As the son of Lucian's friend and deputy, Pochard, Cassowary had been installed as Lucian's dogsbody and normally enjoyed the man's favor. His lack of progress in finding information on the Nightingale had turned that favor on its head. Hoping that was about to be rectified, he knocked on the door.

"Enter!" Lucian's voice barked from inside, and Cassowary opened the door. Following him in was a nervous-looking, middle-aged man with a balding head and noticeable paunch.

"Cassowary," Lucian greeted coldly, his forehead creasing into a frown. Elven features weren't well-suited to malevolence, but Lucian made it work. "I take it that you're showing your face here because you have what I asked for?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Lucian," Cassowary replied quickly. "This man is a bookmaker here in the pits and had been for some years. He knows all about the girl."

The middle-aged man visibly gulped as Lucian looked him up and down.

"Name?" Lucian demanded.

"Hubert, sir. They call me Bert the Bookie."

"Not your name, imbecile. The fighter, Nightingale," Lucian impatiently corrected.

"Sorry, sir. Her name's Sophie, sir. Sophie Wexler."

"You just heard Cassowary tell me you knew everything about her which, for your sake, I very much hope is true. Tell me everything, Bert the Bookie."

"Everything, sir, yes, sir," Hubert responded immediately with some fear leaking out. "She wasn't born local but came over with her father, when she was real little, like. This was at the time of the monster surge before last. I remember that's when it was because her father was part of this merchant group. The head of their muscle. Seems they hadn't been doing well and gambled big on a sailing run during the surge. There's a reason no one sails during a surge, they ended up losing everything. Only a handful made it back on some dinghies, including the girl and her old man. She couldn't have been more than two or three years old."

"He took a little girl out to sea during a monster surge?" Cassowary asked in shocked disbelief. "What a prick."

"Shut up," Lucian said to Cassowary, then returned his gaze to Hubert. "You, keep talking."

"Well, the merchant group was done," Hubert continued. "No ships, not even the money for passage back after the surge was over. The girl's old man went to work for Silva. Not Cole Silva who's in charge now, obviously. His old dad. Good man, too. Tough, but fair, you know?"

"Get on with it."

"Sorry, sir. So, the girl's old man could fight, like, proper fight, and catches the old man's attention. Does well under Silva Senior for a lot of years, until there's a problem. Silva Junior takes an interest in the girl."

"Hardly a surprise," Lucian cut in. "He has eyes."

"She is a looker, sir. But she didn't want any part of Silva the younger, and none could blame her. He'd left more than a few professional women in no state to undertake their profession, if you catch my drift. Old Man Silva, he knows what his son is, and likes the girl's father. So, he tells his son that it's hands-off."

"I bet he took that well," Lucian commented.

"About how you'd expect, sir, yes. He did as he was told but didn't make things pleasant for the girl. Got to the point that her father decided to get her out. He just didn't go about it a good way."

"Oh?"

"The father takes out a loan from Silva the senior. A hefty one. Tries to start up his own trade expedition, but even without a monster surge, the man ain't got no luck with the sea."

"Monster attack?" Lucian guessed.

"Pirates. Was quite the excitement, from what I heard; father and daughter fighting pirates back-to-back. Managed to fight them off, but the father didn't last long after, and neither did the ship. For the second time in her life the girl arrives at the city in a dinghy, and this time she's got no father and a shipload of inherited debt. She would have been sixteen, seventeen back then. She had an essence her old man had bought, which had just made the debt all the bigger."

"That was when she started pit fighting," Cassowary contributed.

"Shut up, Cassowary," Lucian barked out in annoyance. "Carry on, Bert."

"Now, I knew the father and daughter going back to when her father was muscle here in the Fortress," Hubert carried on. "He was a hard man. No essences, but I'd seen him put down people who had one, even two. He never fought in the pits himself, but fighters showed him nothing but respect. His girl, as it turns out, was even better. Run up walls, fly through the damn air like a bird."

"Nightingale," Lucian supplied.

"That's right," Hubert nodded. "She had a good run. Took some beatings early on, but she learned fast. Add that to the way she looks, and she got some attention."

"She fights for Silva?" Lucian asked.

"She did back then, for Silva the elder," Hubert clarified. "He looked out for her, kept his son off her back, which Silva junior did not car for. But the old man took a real shine to the girl. Eventually, she gave up the ring, found some other way to pay the old man back. High-end thieving was what I heard. She had a friend who made the plans and the tools, she did the second-story work."

"Then why is she back in the pits?" Lucian asked. "And who does she fight for now?"

"That goes back to when Old Man Silva died," Hubert explained. "There was talk Silva wasn't going to pass the mantle down to his son. Too impulsive, too beholden to his own appetites. Word is the old man was going to step back and pass it to one of the old-guard before he passed. Someone who'd respect the old man's treatment of the girl."

"But he didn't pass it on to anyone else," Lucian observed.

"No, he didn't," Hubert agreed. "Couple of months ago, the old man went in his sleep. There were rumors, of course, but nothing came of them. Since the old man hadn't said otherwise, the son stepped in. Damn near the first thing he did was go after the girl. As far as I know, she'd almost cleared the old debt, but now it's in the hands of Silva Junior. He made plenty clear the only payment he'll take. She and her friend have a skill set, though, and made themselves scarce. Found their way to another of the Big Three, Clarissa Ventress. Cut a deal to protect them from Silva."

"So Ventress is making her fight again?" Lucian asked.

"Word is, she's only doing it to annoy Silva."

"What does she get out of that?"

"The transition from father to son hasn't been smooth for Silva's people," Hubert explained. "The old man was stable and reliable, while it's no secret his son is just the opposite. He ousted his father's old guard, put in his own people. That's left a lot of folks uncertain and nervous about Silva's position in the Big Three. There's been talk about the other two snatching away Silva's territory. Word is the only reason they haven't moved is they don't want Island folk coming down here. Begging your pardon, sir."

"So Ventress is using the girl," Lucian stated. "She wants to make Silva do something stupid."

"The Big Three know better than to rock the boat too hard," Hubert informed. "They don't want folk like you, sir, coming in and dealing with them."

"But if Cole Silva does something loud and impulsive," Lucian finished, "then Ventress steps in to settle it down. She claims new territory and makes good with Island powers at the same time."

"You see it clear," Hubert acknowledged. "If I might say, sir, you're as smart as I've heard."

Lucian laughed, "I usually detest sycophancy, but I like you, Bert the Bookie." He opened a drawer, took out a pouch of coins and tossed it to Hubert. "You're a good storyteller. If you come across any others worth telling, you come and find Cassowary here."

"Thank you, sir, I'll be sure and do that."

Hubert departed the viewing box, coin pouch clutched possessively in both hands. That left Lucian and Cassowary alone, the younger man looking nervously at his employer. Lucian glanced at the younger man, his own face unreadable. Cassowary grew increasingly more unnerved as the silence extended.

"Adequate," Lucian said finally, sending relief spilling over Cassowary's face. "I want you to arrange a meeting with Clarissa Ventress. Can I rely on you for that?"

"Yes, Mr. Lucian, sir."

---

"I'm taking it up to ten."

Rufus' voice echoed through the mirage chamber. Jason stood waiting in his illusionary body. He was under the dome, but it was hidden by the false landscape. His senses told him he was standing on a desert hillside, ancient ruins all around him and dead enemies at his feet.

The mirage chamber was a strange experience. To Jason's senses, everything was real, including himself. He felt the impact of every blow and the pain of every wound, even as his body lay unharmed in the control room.

The wounds vanished from Jason's body and the fallen enemies around him vanished. In their place, ten men appeared and immediately jumped to the attack.

Jason's new art was different in ways from what he had experienced, although in hindsight such differences were obvious. In his own world, martial arts were designed to fight other humans, operating within a fixed range of physical capability. Adventurers had to fight anything from people with superhuman attributes to shark-crabs to spiders the size of delivery vans. It was tricky to put a wrist lock on something that didn't have a wrist.

The Way of the Reaper consisted of five forms, which shifted the combat style's priorities to meet changing circumstances. They were not organized to confront specific challenges, but rather to meet challenges in specific ways. The form Way of the Sage, for example, was the most mobile of the five stances. It was of equal use against multiple opponents in complicated terrain as it was against a giant creature with many legs.

The Way of the Hierophant form was direct and aggressive, while the Way of the Trickster was the exact opposite. Full of strange movements and unconventional attacks, it reminded Jason of drunken boxing. The Way of the Hunter offered deliberate attacks against the unaware victims, and methods to hone in on the weak points of a monster. Against human opponents, the Way of the Hermit put attackers off-balance to set up devastating counters. Against monsters, it was used to defend against unusual attacks from the most bizarre creatures.

Altogether, it made for a comprehensive style, incorporating strikes, grapples, even acrobatics. How to move quickly and quietly, or with swift, breakneck efficiency. All things that had been pounded into him by Colonel Grey and sharpened by sparing with Rufus, parkour with Gary and Farrah's situational awareness techniques.

Despite all of that, Jason's priorly honed reflexes and experiences caused him to often mess up the new forms. He'd reflexively go for an elbow strike that flowed into a side kick to create some distance for followed up gunshot only for his new techniques to pull him towards a feinting elbow strike to a palm thrust to crush the larynx. Messing up both attacks and leaving him open for a brutal counterattack.

So, at first, he'd taken several brutal beatings as his instincts and new skill book knowledge clashed. But slowly, with many savage beatings that Rufus let go on longer than necessary, he'd made the proper adjustments to his fighting style. Going from switching styles or using only one based on the scenario to mixing them together into one fluid style.

Boxed in by the ten illusionary enemies, he used the Way of the Sage to swiftly maneuver around their attacks. Swaying out of one punch while subtly shift another's kick so they stumbled into one or more of their allies using the Way of the Hermit. Then taking the openings to shatter knees, break limbs, crush throats and snap necks with the Way of the Hunter. Slowly whittling them down while moving amongst them and keeping them in each other's way with the Way of the Trickster.

The matched ended after he stomped down on one man's throat while punching another in the nose, breaking the bone just right so that a piece punctured their brain. It took several more seconds as the crushed throat gurgled on a bit longer before expiring and Jason woke up in his real body. He swung his legs off the platform he was laying on, letting out a groan as he rubbed his side.

"I swear I can still feel it," he stated. Despite the overwhelming victory, Jason had still taken a few blows in the fight.

"Phantom pain," Rufus insisted. "You get used to it."

"Ten enemies was a little much. It was just five the other day. Are there going to be twenty tomorrow?" Jason asked with suspicion.

"You want me to slow down your regimen?"

"No, the challenge is good."

"That's what I want to hear."

"Still better a hundred illusionary goons than one Humphrey," Jason mused. "I'd call him a monster, but I've fought monsters. He's worse. Every blow he lands on me ends with a broken bone, torn muscles or a ruptured organ. His might essence is just unfair."

"I hear you complaining, yet you've come out ahead in those spars more often than not," Rufus pointed out.

"Yeah," Jason dragged out the word, "but I'm leaning heavily on my real-life experience to eke out those wins. Hanging on as I use my speed to stay ahead of him and keeping him off balance until I can score a winning blow. Humphrey is several years my junior with little to no actual combat experience. It shouldn't be so close and I'm certain that if we were using our essence abilities, he'd be the one coming out ahead of me."

"Humphrey has been training since he was able to walk upright," Rufus commented. "He and I have that in common. It'll take time for you to close the gap in the varied fields of magical understanding and unique training that didn't exist in your world."

"That's a fair point."

"What did your parents teach you when you were growing up?"

"My dad's parents came from another country," Jason informed. "My mum was very big on having us learn about it. The language, the culture. Dad himself couldn't care less, and I was the same. It was really my brother's thing." There was a lingering bitterness in his tone when bringing up his brother.

"Well," Rufus replied. "You can speak the language now."

Jason tilted his head thoughtfully, "Huh. I guess I can... but I still won't. I stopped trying to please my mother years ago."

Jason and Rufus left the mirage chamber and started back for the city. Rufus asking about his family had left him uncharacteristically quiet. Jason didn't have a lot of contact with his family after they had fallen out. When he had been dishonorably discharged from the military, he moved to Melbourne instead of heading back to Casselton. The only ones he saw regularly were his much older sister, along with her husband and daughter. She had dragged him into rehabilitation and put his life back together. Which included facing Kaito and Amy and what they did to him. Along with his strained relationship with his mum. He'd let it all out... messily of course, but eventually came to terms with his issues with them. The betrayal was behind him, but he still wasn't friendly with that particular part of his family. Forgiveness doesn't undo the damage they did to his trust. The best part of it was reconnecting with dad, he'd really missed their tight relationship. Unlike with mum, he could always turn to his dad for help, a talk or just enjoy a good footie match with. Jason's apparent death probably destroyed his father.

As they made their way from the grounds of the Geller Estate, Rufus looked over at Jason, locked in contemplation. He wasn't used to being the one making conversation. "How are your essence abilities coming along?"

"What? Oh, good, yeah," Jason snapped out of it. "I'm getting better with the shadow teleport. I've been testing its limitations."

"Oh?"

"It needs a distinct shadow," Jason explained. "I can't just teleport around wherever I like in the dark."

"So, you need at least some light," Rufus concluded.

"Yeah," Jason confirmed, "but I have a solution for that. Shadow jumping isn't the only ability I've been working on."

"Good," Rufus approved. "Mastering your essence abilities is crucial. What have you learned?"

Jason stopped and looked around. They were on a wide path through a grove of what looked like banyan trees. Like most of the Geller estate's winding pathways, the vegetation shaded the path from the punishing sun.

"This'll work," Jason stated. "You remember how my cloak can light up with stars?"

"I do."

"Watch this."

Jason's shadowy cloak appeared around him like dark smoke. Stars started to appear upon it, lighting it up as Rufus had seen in the past. Then the stars floated off the cloak, more and more of them drifting out, spreading their cool light under the shady trees. The lights weren't overpowering, filling the area with shadowy nooks and crannies. Jason started moving around, but the star motes didn't move with him, floating independently.

"So you can bring your own shadows," Rufus observed.

"That's the idea," Jason responded. "I've been practicing at night. Once I have it down, I should be a proper menace in the dark."

"Well, keep at it," Rufus replied. "Ideally, you will have solid control of your abilities for the Adventure Society assessment. It's only a couple of weeks away now."

"Yeah, but the real difficult part will be blending my usage of those abilities with my new martial arts into one smooth combat style. I still switch from using my conjured weapons like I was trained to back home to using my abilities, like they are separate skills. I'm working on blending the two more efficiently."

Rufus looked dumbfoundedly at Jason, "Wha- How'd you realize that?"

Jason chuckled out a response, "Another lesson you wanted to spring on me the hard way?"

Rufus frowned, "I hate you sometimes."

Jason just broke out into laughter, increasing Rufus' frown and ruining his mood. Jason always figured out his teachings before he got to actually teach them. It was really grating on his nerves.

---

The interior of Lucian Lamprey's viewing box was spacious and split into two levels. Behind Lucian's heavy wooden desk on the smaller but higher back level was the luxurious chair in which he spent most of his day. The larger space was a relaxed lounging area, with plush chairs and a comfortable couch. They were arrayed in a semicircle around the viewing window, with a low refreshments table in the middle.

Lucian had descended from his usual perch as a gesture to his visitor, awaiting her in one of the soft chairs in the viewing lounge. Respect was not the same as deference, however, and he didn't stand as he waved her to another of the chairs. The Director of the Magic Society did not stand up to meet a crime lord.

"Thank you for your kind invitation," Clarissa Ventress greeted.

Her bodyguard, Darnell, remained outside the door. He rarely was away from her side, but Ventress was at a rare disadvantage. The Fortress was the symbol of power in Old City, and she was one of its rulers. In front of Lucian Lamprey, however, she was reminded that Old City's power was only hers so long as the Island had no interest in taking it from her. Lucian Lamprey represented both danger and opportunity.

"You have been the Fortress' most important patron for some time now," Ventress continued. "I'm delighted you've given me the privilege of a meeting."

Lucian nakedly ran his eyes over Clarissa. He could sense her bronze-rank aura, see the body sculpted into lithe perfection by the magic of her essences. She wore an exquisite green dress that both commanded and provoked. Lucian had heard the delta contained several breeds of snake that were beautiful in their coloration, but deadly to encounter. He had the same impression of Clarissa Ventress.

"The pleasure is genuinely mine," he told her.

Lucian's assistant Cassowary brought refreshments, setting them on the table as Lucian and Clarissa exchanged more niceties.

"As you may be aware," Lucian started, "I am an enthusiast of the fights here in the Fortress."

"I have heard as much," Clarissa responded.

"Normally it is the evening battles that interest me. Fighters with a full set of essences. But lately, I have found one of the lower-card fighters to be highly compelling. One of your fighters."

Clarissa smiled. The key to controlling a person was finding what they wanted. Now she understood what Lucian wanted, her concerns melted away.

"The Nightingale," she supplied.

It was hardly a leap of deduction. A certain kind of man took perverse pleasure in breaking the will of strong woman. It was the reason Sophie made such a useful stick with which to prod Cole Silva. Clarissa enjoyed such men; she found them weak and easy to handle.

"Her real name is Sophie Wexler," Clarissa informed. "She came into my employ under the condition that I would protect her."

"Give her to me," Lucian demand, as if it was already decided.

"Of course, I would like to do nothing else," Clarissa replied. "But there are complications."

Lucian scowled like a spoiled prince that'd been told no for the first time.

"You must understand," Clarissa quickly explained, "that my deal to protect her is widely known. That knowledge is no small part of where the protection comes from. I have gotten where I am on the strength of my reputation. If I make a deal to protect a person, then hand them over to someone else, I am no longer able to vouchsafe any agreement on the strength of my word alone."

"And if I just decide to take her?"

"Then no one in Old City could stop you," Clarissa admitted. "But if Old City was all you had to worry about, you already would have. The Director of the Magic Society can't just go around kidnapping women for his own pleasure, and that kind of thing has a way of getting around. What you need is to have her placed under your power in such a way that will not be given a second glance."

"Go on," Lucian indulged her.

"I think, perhaps, there is a way in which we can have both our needs met. It will take some effort on my part, but the conclusion should be mutually satisfying."

"Explain," Lucian demanded, his patience running thin.

"You must understand that one's word is not something that can be repaired. Once broken, it stays broken. I made an agreement to protect the girl from external influences, in return for certain services. Should something befall her in the course of providing those services, I cannot be expected to protect her from herself. You may or may not be aware, but she is a professional thief. If she were caught through lack of ability in her chosen trade, then I could hardly be blamed. Once she was in the hands of the legal system, I have no doubt a man of such staggering influence as yourself could take charge of the matter from there."

"I do believe I could," Lucian agreed thoughtfully. "But can you get her there?"

"It will require me to take some pains," Clarissa answered. "But what's a little pain in service to a man such as yourself?"

---

With Jason's Adventure Society field assessment looming closer by the day, Rufus, Gary and Farrah pushed him harder than ever. The morning exercises under Gary became ridiculously exhaustive, Rufus' sparing matches/mirage chamber fights brutally punishing -the sparing matches with Humphrey started adding in the usage of essence abilities, and as Jason had feared, Humphrey dominated most of those fights- and Farrah started helping him use his essence abilities more effectively in battle; for instance, she'd had him use his Omnificence in battle by creating a wall to block an attack or quick build a trap. Her teachings proved most useful in his spars against Humphrey, allowing him to mostly even the playing field.

As a release, they would spend their evenings exploring the nighttime entertainments offered by the city. Danielle Geller acted as their guide to local society, usually with her son, Humphrey, in tow.

The symphony was a revelation to Jason. The concert hall was situated in the guild district, conveniently close to their lodgings, and they enjoyed the view from the Geller private viewing box.

The instruments weren't any he recognized, although many were similar, at least in appearance. It was the magic they contained that made the performance as magnificent visually as it was musically. As they played, dancing streamers of light rose up from the instruments, galloping out over the audience to frolic in consonance with the music. Harmony of light and sound came together to transfigure the performance into something unlike any Jason had experienced before.

"How often do they put this on?" Jason leaned over to ask Danielle.

"The full symphony? Once per month, although smaller performances happen all through the week."

"Is there a membership or something I can get?"

"There's a patronage program with the Music Society," Danielle explained. "I can introduce you to some people from the Musical Society if that is of interest to you."

"Please and thank you."

---

At an evening of ballroom dancing, they encountered the young acolyte of Knowledge, Gabrielle Pellin.

"Fancy that," Danielle said innocently.

When Humphrey failed to muster up the courage for an approach, he was left watching in horror as Jason taught her a dance from his own world. After Jason slipped the string quartet a few coins, they claimed the floor to demonstrate it in full, to the applause of the gathering.

Afterwards, Jason escorted her in the direction of Humphrey, Danielle and Jason's friends.

"You're quite the dancer," Gabrielle told Jason as they walked leisurely around the dance floor. "You never did tell me the name of that dance."

"It's called the waltz," Jason informed.

"Is it well known in your world?"

"It's a famous dance created for formal occasions like this one. It was my older sister who taught me to dance. I wasn't very interested until my father gave me some sage advice. He told me that if I wanted to be successful in love, I needed to learn three things. How to dance, how to cook, and how to keep my damn mouth shut."

"How did that work out?"

"Well," Jason dragged the word out, "I can dance, and I can cook. Gabrielle, you remember Humprey Geller?" he asked while stopping in front of the young man.

"Of course," she replied. "I haven't assessed that many people for the Adventure Society, but of those I have, I think he may have been the most talented."

"You realize you assessed me right after?"

"I do," she answered primly.

"Ouch," Jason mocked having been struck in the chest, turning his gaze to Humphrey. "It seems this rose still has her thorns. Humphrey, I think I'll leave this next dance to you."

They both looked to Humphrey, who was looking nervous. His sheepish embarrassment could not hide the broad shoulders and chiseled features, however. He was another in a long line of annoyingly attractive people Jason was getting to know.

"I think that would be delightful," Gabrielle beamed, taking mercy on him.

"What do you say, Humphrey?" Jason nudged him out of his stupor.

"That... you... I would like that very much," Humphrey eventually forced out.

After Humphrey had his rather stiff dance with Gabrielle, Jason had gotten Farrah onto the dance floor in her stunning dress. Unlike the gracefully formal dance of the waltz, he had with the young acolyte, the dance he had with Farrah was much more spirited. He'd had prepared the sheet music in advanced to supply the quartet to perform a proper tango with her.

The tango was about life, about relationships and about love. Not necessarily romantic love but the love in an embrace, in the moment and the music that you shared and expressed with your dance partner.

Even so, Jason was hopeful it'd help spark the romantic kind in Farrah. He'd helped Humphrey in his romantic endeavor so, was it wrong that he pursued his own desire in Farrah?

Obviously, it wasn't as easy to lead someone through a tango as the waltz, but Farrah had the grace and reflexes of a bronze-ranker to compensate for the added difficulty. She still stepped on his toes more than once and lightly kneed him in the beans. Though, that might have been due to his hand slipping after a twirl and landing on her butt directly instead of the hip.

Despite the accidental grope and retaliatory strike to his tender bits, Farrah enjoyed the dance and Jason chalked it up to a win.

---

Unlike most society hotspots, the theatre district was actually located in Old City, quite close to the Fortress. It allowed members of high society to seen like they were heading to a play instead of the less-savory delights of the city's chief den of iniquity. Leaving a private viewing box, Jason and his companions discussed their opinions of the play.

"The stage combat was actually rather impressive," Rufus commented. "I found the plot to be a little slight, however. I like a performance with something to say."

"It did have something to say," Gary responded. "That sword fights are great. The good guys win, the bad guys lose, the end. I liked it."

Jason was shaking his head.

"You disagree?" Danielle asked him.

"I'm probably just misreading it because of the differences in culture," Jason mused.

"It's not like you to be diplomatic," Rufus pointed out. "Just say what you really think."

"I think it did have something to say," Jason explained. "I think the main characters weren't the heroes; they were the villains. I think the whole play was a critique of hereditary power structures and by overcoming the antagonists, the central characters were restoring a state of oppression."

"You think the main characters were the villains?" Rufus asked incredulously.

"I do."

"I don't see it," Rufus refuted.

"Don't you have a childhood friend who's a member of some royal family?" Jason pointedly asked.

"He does," Farrah answered for Rufus with a wry smile.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rufus asked in genuine confusion.

They exited the theatre through the doors reserved for private box holders, where members of high society were boarding their carriages. Jason noticed a woman with the same silver-rank aura and physical perfection of Danielle. She broke away from her own group of ladies, making a beeline for Danielle.

"Danielle," the woman greeted. "Always lovely to see you. Young Master Humphrey. And you must be Rufus Remore, with your erstwhile companions, of course."

"Lady Thalia Mercer," Danielle introduced the lady.

Thalia's eyes settled on Jason.

"We haven't had the pleasure," she said. "You must be the young man people are getting so curious about."

"I'm no one important," Jason stated matter-of-factly.

"Yet, you keep important company," Thalia refuted.

"I do?" he asked. "I don't know these people. I'm only here because I won a raffle."

Farrah snorted a laugh, while Rufus ran an exasperated hand over his face.

"Wait, there was a raffle?" Gary asked, only to be shushed by Farrah.

"This is Jason Asano," Danielle introduced, a smile playing over her lips. "He will be taking his field assessment for the Adventure Society when Humphrey retakes his. I assume your son will be there as well?"

"He will," Thalia confirmed unhappily. "I tried to convince my husband that Thadwick would benefit from additional training, but he was quite adamant."

Thalia turned to Rufus, the man who failed her son during the previous assessment and informed him, "You know Mr. Remore, you overturned the fruit cart with how you conducted the last assessment."

"I'm sorry if you feel your son was treated unfairly," Rufus replied, "but since he had previously passed, perhaps it would have been better not to put him forwards for reassessment."

Thalia laughed.

"I couldn't agree more," Thalia responded, to Rufus' surprise. "However, my husband cannot seem to help poking his fingers into things best left alone."

"It's a shame you weren't here when Thalia's daughter was tested," Danielle chimed in. "Thalia oversaw her training personally, and I have no doubt she would have passed. Where is Cassandra, this evening?"

"Out in the delta somewhere, on a contract," Thalia answered. "I do look forwards to introducing you, Mr. Remore."

After some more niceties, Thalia excused herself and the group boarded the Geller family carriage. It was one of the ones drawn by magic rather than animals and was larger than the equivalents from Jason's own world.

"I do believe Thalia is trying to set you up with her daughter," Danielle told Rufus.

"He's used to it," Farrah commented dully.

"If she's anything like her brother," Rufus replied, "I'd rather she didn't. I've never seen anyone that incompetent undertake a field assessment before. I'm convinced the other members of his group passed because they honed their abilities covering for that idiot. It was to the point that it could be a whole new training methodology. The trick would be finding people so aggressively incapable."

"You'll find her daughter to be a very different prospect," Danielle informed. "Cassandra is a remarkable woman, and right about your age. Actually, she rather reminds me of Jason."

"You're kidding," Rufus blurted out in disbelief.

"Oh, at a glance, they seem different," Danielle explained. "She's more a knife to Jason's hammer, but they both seem to enjoy provocation as a social tool."

"On second thought," Rufus corrected, looking warily at Jason, "I might prefer to deal with the brother."

---

Sophie and Belinda were summoned to Clarissa Ventress' home instead of the Fortress; it was a sprawling manor in Old City's canal district. The canal district had its own internal city wall. It was a legacy of time before the Island, when the district was home to the city elite. It had been left to those who had wealth but lacked in prestige, preferring to stand tall in Old City than go underfoot on the Island.

The two women were led through the compound, past various thugs standing guard. Centuries ago, Clarissa's residence had been the seat of the Mercer family. The grounds were quite expansive, with more than one canal flowing through it.

Inside the house itself, they were guided by Clarissa's hulking leonid bodyguard, Darnell. Clarissa was waiting for them in a parlor, sitting at a table with morning tea set out. Hers was the only seat in the room.

"Ladies," she greeted them. "I have good news for you."

"I don't suppose it's that Sophie's done with the fighting pits," Belinda said sullenly.

"Actually, it is," Clarissa replied.

Sophie and Belinda both looked up sharply.

"Really?" Belinda asked hopefully.

"Yes," Clarissa answered. "She's had her last pit fight."

"Then what is it you want me doing next?" Sophie asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion as she looked at Clarissa.

"So cynical," Clarissa chuckled.

"Just say it," Sophie pushed the conversation along.

"You two were an excellent team," Clarissa began. "I suspect that even now, the two of you are the only ones who know exactly how many jobs you pulled for Old Man Silva. I just want you back to doing what you do best."

"The deal was that we help you provoke Silva," Sophie argued. "Now you want us to steal from him?"

"Of course not," Clarissa mocked surprise. "I would never put you in such a position."

"Then what?" Sophie demanded.

"It is well known that for almost a decade now, the Silva family has enjoyed the services of a pair of excellent thieves. When those same thieves start robbing the social elite, right out in public, the pressure on Silva will be considerable."

"Are you crazy?" Belinda yelled, stepping angrily forward. The bodyguard moved towards her, but Clarissa casually waved him back.

"This will be the last task I assign you," Clarissa stated. "Naturally, stealing from Greenstone's wealthiest will get adventurers investigating. Once they realize that the Silva family's most capable thieves are the most likely culprits, the pressure on Silva will be immense."

"Are you really willing to risk bringing the powers from the Island down on your own head?" Sophie asked incredulously.

"It's hardly a risk," Clarissa refuted. "What they'll find is that after conducting a series of expertly carried out robberies, the thieves who have worked for the Silva family for years are no longer in the city. Because, having met your end of the deal, you will be far from here, as promised. With a goodly amount of money for your troubles."

Belinda opened her mouth to snap back a response but was silenced by a gesture from Sophie.

"Alright," Sophie agreed.

Belinda wrenched her head to look at Sophie as if is she's lost her mind. Sophie gave a slight shake of the head to keep her silent.

"Excellent," Clarissa practically purred. "Now, your first target-"

"No," Sophie interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Clarissa nearly hissed out in surprise, not happy with being interrupted and defied.

"The goal is to draw attention down on Silva," Sophie calmly explained," not to undertake any specific robbery. So, it doesn't matter what we take, or from who, so long as it's high profile and it's public. Belinda and I will choose the targets and the timing."

"Choosing the targets means I can meet more than one objective at a time," Clarissa argued.

"Our deal didn't include any additional objectives you may have," Sophie pointed out. "So, you can sort them out yourself. You aren't staking us out as bait for some reason, are you?"

"Of course not," Clarissa smoothly lied.

"Then we choose the targets, and we choose the timing."

"Fine," Clarissa reluctantly conceded. "Just make sure I'm notified beforehand."

"No, we'll keep you out of it," Sophie pushed. "We wouldn't want people moving attention from Silva to you, after all. We plan and execute the robberies alone, and we fence the goods through Silva's people. We have connections enough for that."

Clarissa's mouth was smiling, but her eyes were spraying venom, "Very well. But I want jobs done quickly and repeatedly. If not, then you aren't holding up your end, and there won't be a place in this city you can hide from me. As for escaping it... if you could leave this city alive, then you wouldn't have come to me in the first place."

Sophie gave a curt nod, then strode away. Belinda followed her wake, Clarissa's bodyguard trailing them until they were out of the compound. They walked through the darkened streets of Old City at a rapid stride.

"What was that?" Belinda angrily demanded once she was sure they had cleared Clarissa's eyes and ears. "That whole thing makes no sense. Everything hinges on people figuring out that we're the thieves. And stirring up trouble with the Island people? They'll send adventurers after us. Is she trying to bring all that down on her own head?"

"You're right," Sophie acknowledged. "It doesn't make sense if this is still about provoking Silva. Something's changed, and somehow Island politics are involved. Ventress wouldn't risk provoking the Island unless she has some kind of backing to shield her."

"This whole plan is madness," Belinda let out in exasperation.

"Yes," Sophie agreed.

"Then why go along with? She has to know how transparent she's being."

"You know how Ventress is about her reputation. She wants us to break the deal, even if everyone knows she pushed us into it."

"Why bother?" Belinda asked. "We aren't any use to her except as a stick to poke Silva with."

"I don't know," Sophie admitted. "Maybe she's looking for an excuse to hand us over to him. Whatever she's into now, we've somehow become leverage. But she can't be seen breaking the deal."

"Her vaunted reputation," Belinda spat out in distaste.

"If we break the deal, she can openly do whatever she wants with us."

"So, you've bought us as much time and freedom as you could," Belinda realized.

"We need to figure out our next move. Ventress is no longer our way out of the city."

"Dorgan?" Belinda suggested. The third member of the Big Three had been quiet since the death of Old Man Silva.

"We don't have anything to trade for protection," Sophie pointed out.

"Then what?" Belinda asked desperately. "Try and make our own way out?"

The reason they had gone to Clarissa in the first place was that escaping the city unnoticed by the Big Three was as good as impossible. The had an iron grip on the shipping trade, and there was very little overland travel.

"We may have to try the overland route," Sophie supplied.

Escaping the Greenstone region overland meant one of two routes. The first was to go upriver to the Mistrun Oasis, then keep going through the desert to the central veldt. From there, south, to the more fertile lands and a port where the Big Three still had interests enough that they could easily be dragged back to Greenstone. The other way was to make for the northern territories, which meant crossing dead sands, braving monsters and nomadic bandit tribes.

"We ruled that out for a reason," Belinda reminded her. "Our experience and expertise end at the city wall. If we try the wilderness, it's a pure gamble."

"A gamble may be all we have," Sophie sighed. "For now, we do enough to keep Ventress mollified while we figure it out."

Belinda hung her head as she softly stated, "Things just keep getting worse."

"I know," Sophie let out in an apologetic whisper.