A Soul Reaping Lightbearer

by FallenDispair

An amalgamation of Bleach, Destiny, Cradle Series in the He Who Fights With Monsters universe. Jason will be OOC being older and more mature as an SASR vet. Bleach characters and lore with Destiny and Cradle Series Multiverse. There will be hollows and soul reapers with a twist. Jason will be a Lightbearer with a Ghost and Zanpakuto along with reaper abilities. Better sum inside.

7. Chapter 7

A Soul Reaping Lightbearer

I don't own any of this, most of which belongs to Shirtaloon.

Chapter 7: The Scenic Route Towards Assessment

The next day, after spending a night with some teamsters listening to Gary snore, they were on a barge heading down river. Jason was surprised to realize that most of the watercraft were built not from wood or metal, but green stone. Farrah explained that the local stone had a strong water affinity, making it easy to craft a magic-driven boat from.

Kaname did his best to stay out of the crew's way, while Gary happily helped out. His overwhelming strength was a more than welcome addition. Farrah took the time to show Jason how the magic propulsion pushed the barge along. There was a dedicated member of the crew whose sole job was to manage the magic. He was happy to find someone taking an interest, letting Jason and Farrah see the various ways magic was used throughout the ship.

Jason was impressed with the nuance with which magic was integrated into the barge. It was obviously the result of lengthy design iteration. Like other examples of magic he had seen, from lighting to indoor plumbing, this raised his estimation of the world's reliance on magic placed it on a completely different technological track to his own.

"Boating engineer is a profession that uses little bits from various kinds of magic," Farrah explained. "They don't really understand anything outside of their job. They're professionals with skills, but with a very narrow focus. As adventurers, we're better off with more breadth than depth when it comes to magic. We never know what we'll come across."

As the barge sailed downriver it left Verdant Fields behind. The mist coming from the river was thicker or thinner in various places as they sailed through, the surrounding terrain reflecting its life-giving power. When it was thin, the desert came right up to the riverbanks. Where the fog was thick, the river bounded with life. It might be a patch of wet forest, or a long, gorgeous valley of lush green.

"This is where they grow Mistrun tea," Kaname informed as they passed through the valley. "One of the finest teas in the world. Costs a lot, back home."

Mistrun was the name of the river they were sailing down, unimaginatively named for its signature mist. According to Kaname, the source of the river was the largest water aperture in the desert.

"It's not a natural river?" Jason asked.

"It depends on what you think of as natural," Kaname replied. "There's an oasis with the aperture at the bottom of a lake. All this water flows from there."

"How do you know all this?" Jason asked. "Aren't you new to the region?"

"I made sure to thoroughly research the Greenstone region before we came here," Kaname proudly stated.

"Far more than you needed to Gary playfully grumped.

"No such thing as too much preparation," Kaname stated absolutely.

The most exciting point of the journey came when the river reached a deep gorge. The river should have spilled into the gorge, but instead it flowed into a humungous aqueduct that spanned over the lengthy gap. A hundred meters wide and three hundred meters across, the aqueduct carried the river and those who sailed it over the gorge to continue along on the far side. The aqueduct was built entirely from green marble.

"This is crazy," Jason exclaimed as they crossed over. Even at a hundred meters wide, the aqueduct was thinner than the river. This noticeably sped up the flow of the river and the speed of their barge. Jason looked out at the gorge, but they weren't close to the edge, and he couldn't see much over the raised lip of the aqueduct. All that was visible was an unnerving expanse of sky.

"Sky River Gorge," Gary informed enthusiastically. "I tried to get them to go closer to the side so we could look over, but they said no."

"How deep is this gorge?" Jason asked. "The pillars holding this thing up must be huge."

"Interestingly," Kaname pointed out, "this aqueduct has no structural support other than the two ends."

"That doesn't sound safe," Jason stated.

"Kaname, I think you were wrong" Gary commented. "You over prepared for this trip."

"You do kind of sound like a tour guide," Jason agreed.

"What's a tour guide?" Kaname asked.

"Someone who gets paid to stand near interesting things to tell people about them," Jason explained.

Farrah laughed before chortling out, "Kaname, I think you missed your calling."

"What's wrong with teaching people about interesting places?" Kaname asked. "It sounds like a noble vocation. If there was one here, for example, they could point out that no one knows who built this aqueduct."

Gary groaned. "Why would you learn that? How does it help us with missions?"

"You carry on, Kaname," Jason encouraged. "I'd like to hear it."

"Thank you," Kaname said. "The aqueduct was already here when people first moved to this region, some three and a half centuries ago. At least, that's when it was permanently settled. There is some evidence of people being in this region before, but no historical record of who or when."

"Except for that old order of assassins," Gary corrected.

"Yes, Gary. Except for that old order of assassins, we very specifically aren't meant to be talking about yet," Kaname chided, once again.

"Sorry."

---

Jason and his new companions sailed downriver all day and into the night. Come morning, the predawn light started casting out the dark, revealing them sitting perfectly still, in a circle atop the blocks of stone stacked on the barge. Eyes closed, they slowly breathed in and out the moist river air. They were meditating, but unlike in the hostile it was for advancement by following the flow of magic in their bodies.

Ability [Cosmogony] (Genesis) has reached [Iron 0] (100%).

Ability [Cosmogony] (Genesis) has advanced to [Iron 1] (00%).

Jason stretched out his legs and grinned at his progress.

Kaname had opened his white lavender hued eyes as he felt the subtle change in Jason's aura as he advanced a little to see his grin.

"You seemed pleased with yourself," he said.

"Another one of my abilities went up," Jason explained happily. "Just like you said it would. I have been working on my aura control a lot, so it makes sense." His vision power had been the first of his abilities to reach the first rank of iron two days ago. It made sense as he was always looking at things.

"This interface ability that lets us track the progress of our abilities is an amazing tool," Farrah gushed. "Normally, the strength of one's abilities is a nebulous thing, and self-deception is easy. This is something the Magic Society would be interested in. When we get to the city you should let me examine you with some of their specialized implements."

"Hmm... Maybe if you buy me dinner first," Jason responded. "I have a strict policy that before I let someone poke and prod me, they at least buy me dinner first. Just don't think I'm the type to give it up on the first date."

Gary chuckled as Farrah gave Jason a flat look.

"What?" Jason said incredulously. "Okay fine. I'll admit I was being a bit much there. But honestly, treat me to a nice meal and I'll let you examine me. Just you, Farrah. I'm not going to any building or organization that'd want to experiment on me. And don't start about how the Magic Society isn't like that, or how you wouldn't let them. From what you told me; you're just a bronze rank member and couldn't stop higher rank officials in positions of authority from just doing whatever they wanted. I'm not an adventurer yet."

"That's... a perfectly valid point," Farrah reluctantly agreed. "But I'll still need the Magic Society's specialized implements."

"Then get what you need from them and bring it back to wherever we'll be staying," Jason suggested.

"Then, we have a deal," Farrah stated.

"Deal," Jason agreed.

He noticed their surroundings had changed in the time the group was meditating. They had been passing through the desolate sand dunes of the western region when night fell, but now they were surrounded by wetlands. The morning light was still dim, but Jason's now slightly advanced sight power made everything clear. He could see a couple of villages in the distance, paddy famers and herds of some large lizard the size of a cow. The docile creatures seemed perfectly happy wallowing in shallow water.

Above everything was a familiar magical haze.

"The Mistrun Delta," Kaname informed. "We should reach the city by late morning or early afternoon."

"I've been thinking about that," Jason replied. "Seeing as Kaname's family name is powerful enough to protect me, it makes him a big deal, right?"

"Yeah, Kaname is," Gary confirmed. "Me and Farrah are just an afterthought."

"What's your concern?" Kaname asked, shooting Gary a look.

"I was thinking that if I rock up to town with you lot," Jason answered, "I'll be operating under expectations that I'm unlikely to meet."

"He has a point," Farrah agreed. "If he arrives under your wing then people will be expecting some kind of highly trained expert. Not the kind of pressure a freshly minted adventurer needs to be working under."

"Pressure's good," Gary commented. "Makes you strong."

"In moderation," Farrah argued. "This time last week he didn't know magic existed, let alone adventurers."

"She's right," Kaname agreed. "Also, from the moment I arrived the aristocratic families were trying to foist their scions onto me for training. They'll realize I'm training Jason sooner or later but later is definitely better."

"What about his apocalypse beast?" Gary asked. "Wasn't the whole reason Jason was going under your family's name was to keep people from killing him for it?"

"So long as I don't let Seiryu out, no one will know," Jason refuted. "And besides, I prefer to operate under the radar... uh... other peoples' notice for as long as I can. Hopefully by time I'm known, I'll have a better handle on the whole magic powers stuff."

"That's fair," Gary relented.

"That settles it, then," Jason said, getting to his feet, the others following suit. "I'll get off early and we can meet up in the city."

"Good," Kaname responded. "Find the Adventurer Society and register; we'll find you from there. There are plenty of towns and villages here in the delta. You can disembark somewhere closer to the city."

"Actually," Jason informed, "I was thinking of having a look around, get a feel for the area, you know. And there's no time like the present."

He ran and leapt into the air, hopping down with measured steps like going down a staircase several steps at a time. God, he loved his air-walking ability. He landed just above the surface of the river, turned around and gave the adventurers a goodbye wave.

"See you in a few days!"

---

As best Jason could tell, the delta was a mixture of natural wetlands and farmland that made the most of the ample water supply. There was a much greater abundance of trees compared to the desert, but they were mangroves or narrow palms, far from enough to sustain a lumber industry.

He also discovered that his interface ability had a limit when he'd gotten a prompt about being out of range and that his party members would lose most functions until they returned in range. Farrah would not be happy with losing the identifying property the interface. But that was a worry for another time, he had some exploring to do.

Jason wandered along paved roads that were set atop artificial embankments that divided the delta into segments. Lush shrubbery and staggered brickwork ran down the side to guard against erosion, while small bridges allowed water and the occasional dinghy to float between sections. The road themselves was the lifeblood of trade between towns and villages.

The care and time that had gone into the ways the farmland and artificial embankments fit into the natural ecosystem were clearly the product of many years. Jason thought back to what Kaname said about the Vane Estate and how it wastefully violated resources by fighting against the existing environment. This was the exact opposite: a sustainable arrangement that balanced industry and nature.

The first town Jason arrived at was a farming community. Wandering into town, he experienced a strange confluence of familiar elements. Between the wide main street, the desert stone buildings and the surrounding terrain, it was like someone recreated a town from the American old west in South-East Asia, using North African materials. Stone storefronts lined a main street where he half-expected old-timey piano music to come drifting through the swinging saloon doors.

Jason was actually able to find a saloon, although with ordinary doors. They didn't swing and, wood being a rarity, were made from woven reeds. It was fronted by plenty of windows, none of which had glass, allowing light and air flow inside freely. Walking in, he saw quite a few people eating at scattered tables, as well as at a long bar. A short breakfast menu was chalked onto a board; most items were fried things he didn't recognize the name of.

After a pleasant breakfast of rice porridge with nuts and dried fruit, Jason left to meander down the main street. He wanted to look around and also needed directions to the city. The people were olive-skinned with dark hair, which was normal for the other places Jason had seen. Only Kaname, with his chocolate complexion and Farrah, with her light skin and pixie features had been different amongst the humans Jason had met. As for the aggressively Aryan Anisa, he had no other elves for comparison.

There were a number of people going about their business in the main street, on foot or using carts and wagons. There were plenty of heidels, either yoked to wagons or tied to hitching posts. Like the wagons Jason had seen before, the carts and wagons here used bamboo for their construction, with a few wooden parts to supplement, such as the wheel rims.

As he made his way down the street, he came across two people standing in the middle, talking loudly. It was a young man and a middle-aged woman halfway yelling at one another.

"If you can't wait until the healer comes through at the end of the month," the man said, "then take him to the city."

"That's what I want to do," the woman replied, "but money's tight, now. Ratlings ate half our crop, and we can't afford a healer in the city."

"No more loans," the man said sharply, then his face softened. "I sympathize with your position, but monster attacks are a part of life. Look, I'll ask my father about extending your terms, but that's the best I can do."

The woman was about to keep pressing her case when they turned to Jason who had walked right up to them.

"G'day," Jason greeted. "I, and pretty much everyone, couldn't help but overhear. If you'd like, I can try helping."

"With the loan?" the man asked.

"No, someone's crook, yeah? I might be able to sort him out."

"You're a healer?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Jason answered. "I can't heal injuries, but I might be able to knock-off a disease. I'm heading for the city to sign up as an adventurer, and one of my abilities deals with disease... I haven't actually tried it out yet, but I can give it a go."

"You're an adventurer?" the woman asked.

"Prospective adventurer," Jason corrected. "I'm Jason."

"We can't afford to pay you," the woman regretfully admitted. "Monsters tore up our fields, ruined most of our crop."

"That's rough," Jason consoled. "But no worries; it's on the house."

"Does that mean free?" the woman hopefully asked.

"Sure does," Jason answered. "I can't promise results, though. I've never tried this ability before, but I'll do my best."

"This sounds shady," the man warned, "Listen to the way he talks. Look at him. Since when does an essence user have a scar? He's clearly not from anywhere near here. Are you going to trust a stranger from who knows where?"

"I don't have a lot of choices," the woman pointed out.

She moved to a nearby cart, Jason and the other man following. The inside of the cart had been filled with bedding, to give as soft a ride as possible to the sick old man lying in it. His skin was clammy and pale, beaded with sweat.

"You shouldn't have brought him here," the man admonished.

"Makes it convenient for me, though," Jason said. "G'day, old bloke. I'm Jason."

The old man tried speaking but only managed a wracking cough.

"No worries, mate," Jason soothed. "You just hold on a bit."

Jason held his hand out over the old man and chanted out the spell for his Radiant Feast ability.

"From the cleansing fires, the ash satisfies my hunger."

The blood-red glow of life force light emerged from the old man's body. It was weak and wavering as if ready to collapse. Inside the red light were flashes of unhealthy green, like algae in a stagnant pool. There were other colors, although not as prominent -a dirty white and a bleak, pale purple. Jason's aura sense could feel them tainting the life force. The unhealthy colors immediately started glowing a bright yellowish orange -like the sun, spreading out to cover his entire life force, burning out the rot. The ashy remains rose up and out of the radiant pool before rushing forward to be absorbed by Jason's waiting hand.

You have cleansed all instances of disease [Green Mud Fever] from [Human]

You have cleansed all instances of disease [Osteoporosis] from [Human]

You have cleansed all instances of disease [Arthritis] from [Human]

Your stamina and mana have been replenished.

Stamina and mana cannot exceed normal maximum values. Excess stamina and mana are lost.

"I can cure arthritis. Is osteoporosis actually a disease?"

The glow of the old man's life force was still shaky, but clearly more stable and vibrant after Jason's efforts. The other colors were gone, leaving only vibrant red. As the spell faded, the glow retracted into the old man's body.

"There we go," Jason said.

The old man pushed himself down to the end of the cart to get out.

"Dad, don't push yourself," the woman responded with concern heavy in her voice.

"Don't worry," the old man replied in a croaky voice. "It's like a cleansing warmth has filled my very soul."

Weak, but smiling he got himself out of the cart with his daughter's help, then shook Jason's hand. It was a hard, calloused hand, reminding Jason of his great uncle who worked mines his whole life.

"No worries, mate," Jason replied.

Although his spell only took moments, it had attracted the attention of several people, and a short time later Jason found himself inundated with requests for healing. Soon after, a man wearing a badge pinned to his shirt arrived to see what the commotion was. This turned out to be the solitary town constable, who helped Jason get things in order.

"Alright," the constable said to the growing crowd. "I'm going to take this man over to my office, where he has agreed to heal everyone that turns up for the rest of the day, just like when a regular healer shows up. So go home, bring in your sick. He says he can get to everyone, but he can't heal injuries, only sickness."

"Also poisons and curses," Jason told the constable.

"And if anyone got bit by something venomous," the constable continued, "you can go ahead and bring them in too."

The crowd didn't disperse until the constable took Jason inside his small office, where he took a bottle of juice from a magic cooler box and poured them a glass each.

"You sure you're good for everyone?" the constable asked.

"No worries," Jason replied. "I could do this all day."

"You will," the constable stated matter-of-factly. "Half of them we'll turn away, though. I may have said you don't do injuries, but they'll bring them in regardless."

{Guardian,} Gordon mentally interrupted, {you're forgetting about your song of radiance ability. It can only be used once a day, though within a 15-meter radius of your person.}

"Actually, could you take the physically injured aside?" Jason asked

"Why?" the constable asked with a raised brow.

"I actually have an ability that can heal injures but only once a day," Jason informed. "It's a large 15-meter area effect so you'll need to group them together so I can get them all in one go. I recommend starting with the worst injured in town. Those with injures that hobbled their movement. Once healed they can leave as newly injured blokes enter. It lasts for five minutes."

"You serious?"

"Yup."

"You from one of the churches?"

"Definitely not," Jason said firmly.

"Then why are you helping all these folk for nothing?"

"Why not?" Jason replied. "These people need healing, and I just so happen to have healing powers. It also helps me advance them through use. So, it's also helping me to help you."

Most the day had passed for Jason to use his cleansing power, which thankfully restored him and had a short cooldown. Thus, he got through a lot of people. The constable had gathered the worst injured in an open area just outside town and had the less injured crowd around them. Thankfully, there were less injured than sick, and they could all fit within the 15-meter radius his ability functioned in.

Once in the middle of the circled crowd, by a woman with a mangled leg from some sort of farming accident, he activated his Song of Radiance.

It was a majestic sight as he lit up in solar fire with phoenix-like wings spreading out and behind him, covering the area. The air seemed to sing with the soothing trills of an unseen phoenix. Instantly, despite the initial drain leaving him tired, he was full of energy and all the people around him were healed.

The woman's mangled leg was whole and unmarred, her skin gained a healthy glow and her eyes were bright. Every type of physical injure from deep gashes to broken bones to shredded muscles and damaged organs was restored. Even old aches and pains were permanently soothed away.

The glow of the song of radiance was as bright as the sun. Making some still within the town to believe the sun had risen early.

---

"Anything?" Kaname asked as Gary walked in.

They were renting a three-bedroom suite for their stay in Greenstone. Kaname and Farrah had been waiting for Jason in the sprawling lounge with the huge glass windows overlooking the ocean. The doors to the balcony outside were open to let in the sea breeze.

"Nothing," Gary answered. They had been checking daily to see if Jason had registered with the Adventurer Society.

"It's been a week," Farrah pointed out. "Do you think it's time to make some discrete inquiries?"

"Not yet," Kaname responded. "Remember, everything is new to him. He's probably just taking his time to look around."

---

Jason was riding on a wagon along the embankment roads of the delta. The wagon was filled with crates containing all kinds of plants, only a few of which were fruit and vegetables. Jason rode shotgun next to the driver, a man in his late twenties. The driver reached back to grab a plant with a celery-like stalk. With one hand on the reins, he snapped the stalk in half with the other, a practiced gesture.

He offered one half to Jason.

"Not medicinal, this one," the driver explained. "I just picked some up because I like it."

The driver, Jory, was technically an adventurer, although he was the first to admit he rarely went on adventures. His true calling was alchemy, the brewing of potions and elixirs. He went out to the towns and villages looking for materials he couldn't find in the local markets.

"Or at a price I can afford in the local markets anyway," he'd cheerfully explained.

Jory had found Jason in a village, swarmed by people looking for healing. It was something Jason had gotten used to as he slowly closed in on the city, through eight towns and villages in as many days. Jory had offered him a ride for the final leg of the journey.

Jason was never shy about filling a silence, but that was far from necessary with Jory. He talked so much he kept having to wet his mouth from a canteen, even in the humid delta air. He started telling Jason about his alchemy lab in Old City.

"Old City?" Jason asked.

"You really must be new to the region. Greenstone is split into two sections. Old City is the original city of Greenstone situated on the original harbor. The other part of Greenstone is the Island. Originally it was meant to be a massive breakwater when the ports of what is now Old City were expanded. Somewhere along the way, they turned it into a haven for all the rich people to leave the rest of us behind."

"Alchemy doesn't rake in the money?" Jason asked.

"Not the way I do it."

"So, they made an island, and called it the Island?"

"Unimaginative, right?" Jory chuckled out. "You do want to live there if you can afford it, though. It is very nice. Old City is where the money is made, but the Island is where the money goes."

Jory explained that adventurers could afford to live on the Island, so long as they were actively working. Most of them had been born rich anyway, which was how they got their essences in the first place. Jory's own family lived there, but he himself lived in Old City. Everything he earned was sunk back into his alchemy research.

"Most alchemists drive their work forwards by pushing the boundaries of what alchemy can achieve at its strongest," Jory informed. "The most elaborate techniques, the rarest and most expensive materials. I go the exact opposite way, trying to make things cheaper and simpler. If I can make alchemical products affordable to everyone, not only can it help a huge number of people, but it will open up huge new markets."

Jason had seen for himself that medicine in this world was essentially just whoever had healing magic. Both ritual magic and alchemy had ways to heal, but the cost and expertise required placed both out of the reach for most people.

Most healing was done through the church of the Healer. From what he'd been told, their god supplied the essences and awakening stones that gave them their healing abilities. They could be sought out for a fee but also sent people around the delta to heal people at more reasonable prices. It sounded good, but Jason had seen firsthand that there was always more demand for such services than supply. Jory hoped to rectify that with easy and affordable medicines.

"That's a noble goal," Jason replied. "How's it going?"

"Reasonably well," Jory answered. "The advantage of researching cheap and plentiful materials is that they're cheap and plentiful. I've even started a clinic out of my laboratory, selling some of my early successes. It helps pay for research, although the margins are thin to keep it affordable. That was the whole point, after all."

"Maybe you should talk to the church of the Healer," Jason suggested. "They might be willing to fund your research."

"I had the same thought," Jory responded. "As it turns out, they see who gets healed and who doesn't as theirs to choose. The poor, in their uneducated ignorance, don't get the chances the wealthy do to understand the glory of the gods. As such, they need suffering to wash clean their souls."

"That sounds familiar," Jason replied, shaking his head. "You get that kind of thing where I come from, too. Though, we do have free clinics that help the poor, but with limitations and at a much lower quality than what the wealthy have access to."

Jason proceeded to tell Jory about how in certain 'areas' of where he was from medical care was controlled by capitalism while others were government controlled and free. Unique hospitals with the very best doctors, tools and medicines that only the rich and powerful have access to. While on the other side of that, were equally impressive hospitals for free treatment of all children with deadly and/or rare illnesses. Funded by donations large and small from numerous people and organizations. Then the tight-fisted grip 'alchemists' -the pharmaceutical industry- has on all medications, keeping the cost of vital medications high for profit even though they were cheap to make.

Moving closer to the city, the embankment roads that crisscrossed the delta gave way to flat ground. All vegetation had been dug out or cut down, leaving a wide-open space in front of the city wall. The wall itself was red-yellow stone, a dozen meters high. Roads leading from all around the delta led up to the high gates.

"Those are some big walls."

"There are only a few secure towns in the delta," Jory explained. "Most of the population comes into the city during monster surges."

"This clear space is to maintain a clean line-of-sight to see the monsters coming." Jason observed. "There are most likely similar setups all around the city's perimeter."

"That's right. It's a lot of work to keep land this fertile clear. Back in the day, they used to try and spoil the ground, stop anything from growing."

"I wouldn't think that would be hard," Jason replied. "I mean, you do have magic, right?"

"That might work somewhere else, but not here," Jory explained. "There's an inherent magic to all the water coming down the Mistrun River. It has a strong life vitality, so you can't stop the growth here. The best you can do is beat it back. After a surge, they let it go until the next one is due. They've been keeping it clear for more than a year now. The last few surges have all taken longer than expected to arrive."

"Aren't longer gaps good?" Jason asked.

"Yes and no," Jory answered. "Think about the logistical costs of a surge. Whole populations shift, herds have to be culled and moved. Being in a state of readiness for years at a time is expensive."

"I can imagine."

"Haven't you seen it for yourself? You would have been, what? Twenty, twenty-one when the last surge hit?"

"They don't have monster surges where I come from," Jason answered. "In fact, they don't have monsters at all."

"They don't have monsters?" Jory asked incredulously. "Where are you from, exactly?"

"I was living in a city called Melbourne," Jason explained. "A long, long way from here. Very lean on monster activity."

"It must have an absurdly low magic density," Jory replied. "Even compared to here, and that's saying something."

"Oh, there's definitely less magic there," Jason responded. "We're pretty isolated from anywhere with real magic."

"How did you get here, then?"

"Some kind of magical accident out in the desert reached out and dragged me right out of my bed," Jason explained, leaving out the whole from another world part.

"Must have been some accident. I have heard about long-distant teleport experiments with shaky results."

"It was something like that," Jason replied. "I was lucky enough to run into some adventurers who helped me get my bearings."

"Not to mention a full set of essences," Jory added.

Jory was iron rank, like Jason. He could sense the essences in Jason's aura as easily as Jason could sense his. Jason was still new to aura sensing, but he was getting a handle on it. Ordinary people were faint, barely detectable, while those with essences were much clearer. Most villages had one or two people with an essence, while anyone who had reached iron rank with a full set radiated out like a beacon.

Monsters had an aura strength similar to those of an essence user, but their auras had a different feel to them. Kaname, Farrah and Gary had powerful, bronze-rank auras, but Jason had only caught glimpses. They could all suppress their auras, hiding them from Jason's senses. Farrah had told him that higher-ranked essence users were expected to contain their auras during his aura training.

Like he was, though just enough to keep the storm clouds from forming. He wasn't good enough at aura control to fully retract his aura and sometimes a few would slip free when he was doing something strenuous or required a lot of his focus. If not for Gordon, he was certain that he'd have caused a few localized storms.

"I kind of stumbled into those essences," Jason corrected. "They came quick, but they didn't come easy."

{Or without strings,} Jason thought to himself.

They joined a queue of wagons at one of the city gates. The line moved quickly, the guards barely glancing at the contents of his wagon.

"You're not carrying anything restricted are you, Jory?" a guard asked.

"Just the usual, Hugh," Jory answered, then turned to Jason. "You're not restricted, are you?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Jason answered.

"You have a good day, Jory," the guard said. "I'll bring my mother to the clinic, now you're back. Her leg again."

"Always welcome, Hugh."

Jory drove the wagon through the gate and into the city proper. Most of Old City was built from the same red and yellow stone Jason had seen in the desert, although many buildings were painted in colorful whites and greens. They were mostly one or two levels high, but three wasn't uncommon. Over the rooftops, he could see the occasional building that jutted five, six or even seven stories high. The streets were teeming with people, even right in front of the gate. The air was filled with voices and the smell of spice.

"What's that I'm smelling?" Jason asked as Jory steered the wagon confidently into the street, people flowing around it like water.

"It's called chittle," Jory informed. "It's cheap, strong and grows all over the delta, so street vendors all use it. It can take some getting used to."

"No, it smells good," Jason responded. "I'll have to do some wandering around."

They reached Jory's combination home, alchemy lab and medical clinic; a large, three-story building. A sign above the door proclaimed it as the Broad Street Clinic. Although the street was crowded, the building was given a wide berth as two people brazenly vandalized the front of the building in the middle of the day. Rather than hooligans, however, they were wearing bright white robes hemmed with blue, yellow and green. They both had ceramic pots of red paint and were writing the word 'HERETIC' across the door. There was a small crowd of passers-by who had stopped to watch the show.

"Ah, dammit," Jory cursed wearily, pulling the wagon to a halt.

"Who are they?" Jason asked.

"They're from the church of the Healer," Jory answered.

The two men spotted him on the wagon, putting down their pots and brushes to march over and confront him.

"So, the heretic is back," one of them said. They were both young, around eighteen or nineteen.

"Is this really necessary?" Jory asked, still atop the wagon.

Jason could sense from their auras that both men were essence users. Iron rank, like Jory and himself.

As the two members of the church of the healer ranted about blasphemy and having the gall to try doing their church's work, Jason hopped down off the wagon unnoticed. Walking around the two men, he picked up one pot and brush the pair they had put down when Jory arrived and stored them in his inventory.

Jason proceeded to watch the young fools rant, prepared to act if they showed any signs of becoming violent. Though, based on the bored, exhausted look on Jory's face, this was a common occurrence. It also gave off the vibe that he was being bothered by a pair of annoying, yipping pups.

They were no real threat to him.

It wasn't until there was a large enough crowd of by passers to get their grievances aired to a significant number of people that they stopped.

"Cease your blasphemous work," one yelled as the other finished, "or we'll be forced to stop you."

Once the robed church members left, Jason turned to face the defaced door, pulled out the paint and brush to start painting over the lettering. Forming a red horizontal, rectangular bar. Then proceeding to make a vertical one the same length and width as the first to create a red-cross on the door.

"What are you doing?" Jory asked

"Making use of those turd-nuggets' paint, mate," Jason answered as he kept painting the red-cross. "Where I am from, the red-cross is a symbol for cheap, if not free at times, medical care for the poor and needy. And seeing as the local clergy of Healer has been dropping the ball with healing the poor and needy, I think it's good that people can see where to go when turned away by the greedy, money-grubbing failures of the Healer's manganous work."

The crowd had yet to fully disperse, so there was some whispering and gasps at his blatant dissatisfaction with a church. Even Jory flinched at the brazen words.

"And besides," Jason added, "it saves you the time of having to scrub off their vandalism."

Jory nodded in agreement at that part, before looking around and offering, "How about we go inside and knock back a drink?"

"Sure," he replied, following Jory into his clinic.

Jason looked around the clinic's interior, which was surprisingly similar to a medical exam room from his own world. Tiles and cabinets; clean, white surfaces. There was a plain chair next to the exam table and he pulled it out to take a seat.

Jory showed up after disappearing to a back room with a bottle and two glasses. After putting back two or three glasses -which Jason found he was immune to thanks to his enhanced resistances from being a Lightbearer and the Siva Nanites inside his body- they relaxed and chatted about the area.

"Are those two actually going do something to stop you?" Jason asked.

"It'll be fine," Jory assured him. "I'm a member of the Adventurer Society and the Alchemist Association. They're only low-level acolytes making trouble, so there's only so far they'll take things. Hopefully, they won't be back for a while."

"Now that I think about it, those two had iron-rank auras. Are they part of the Adventure Society?"

"Maybe," Jory answered with a shrug. "The Adventure Society doesn't put restrictions against membership in any other legitimate organization."

"Religions count as legitimate?"

"What is wrong with your head?"

"One part where I was raised, the other... one too many hits to the head," Jason stated with mock seriousness. "I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of the Adventure Society? I came here to sign up, after all."

---

Jason wandered through the streets of Old City, stopping every now and again to buy something from a street stall. On such item had been Chittle Kebab, a tasty food that had tried to give him food poisoning. Emphasis on try as he resisted it. Seeing as he would not get food poisoning, he decided to finish it.

It was very tasty.

Eventually, he passed through a busy warehouse district that gave way to the city ports, and he caught sight of the water. After the desolation of the desert, even the dark green lushness of the delta didn't compare to a grand stretch of cerulean. It was not the open sea, however, as there was a far shore some two kilometers away, making it seem more like a lake.

The ports were a bustle of activity, forcing him to step carefully so as to not get run down by a wagon. He finally reached a bridge that went up and over the water in a gentle arc. Constructed entirely of green marble, it exuded wealth compared to the sandy yellow stone of Old City.

There were three lanes across the bridge, managed by an inspection point with armed guards, high metal gates and a large guard station. These guards wore the same uniform as the ones at the city gate, but he could see at a glance these were more fastidious in their duties. There were eight of them, and Jason could feel from their auras that some had essences. Only one had a full set of essences, the one who looked to be in charge.

Passage to the Island was clearly more regimented than that to Old City. Of the three lanes, the two smaller ones were for goods and service transport to and from the Island. They were intensely busy, with rigorous inspections slowing progress. The wider third lane was for a privileged class, with space to spare. Most of the traffic was wealthy-looking carriages, which caught Jason's attention by not being drawn by animals. Their wheels had the glow of engraved magical symbols.

Jory had been kind enough to explain the basics to Jason. Travel to the Island was restricted without a valid reason for entry. Trade and work permits would get someone into the trade lanes. Aristocrats, adventurers and residents were free to come and go using the wide lane. Members of the various guilds, societies and associations headquartered on the Island were likewise free to enter. Anyone else with valid business was at the discretion of the guards, who were town constables under the city's ruler, Duke Greenstone.

A day's entry to the Island cost an iron-rank spirit coin. Fortunately, anyone willing to pay up had access to the privilege lane. Jason had been around enough to get a handle on the currency, of which the lesser spirit coin was the basic unit. The gold rank coins in Jason's possession were each worth a hundred thousand lesser coins.

At the entry gate, Jason didn't have to wait in the queue for long. There were long lines for the trade lane, where every person and vehicle were thoroughly checked. In the privileged lane, most of the carriages were waved straight through, while others went through after simply showing a permit. Most of the people in front of Jason were given permits after a short chat with the guard and handing over a coin. Jason noticed each person needing to touch their thumb to a stone the guard took from his pocket.

Jason couldn't help but run through scenarios where he could easily infiltrate the Island using the privileged carriages. The number of ways he could use their laughably lacking security to sneak in assassins, explosives or any number of threats onto the Island. He could get through, place a bomb in or at a major civilian center or market and leave unnoticed. These people were so caught up in catering to the wealthy that they've left a massive hole in their ability to protect them.

The bored, but still-diligent guard looked Jason up and down.

"Reason for permit application?"

"Applying to the Adventure Society," Jason answered.

The constable looked Jason over again, then nodded.

"Wait here."

He went to exchange a quiet word with the one Jason pegged as being in charge. That man looked Jason over and gave a brief nod to the guard, who came back.

"Looks like you're all good. Just hand over your coin and put your thumb on the tracking stone."

"Tracking stone?" Jason asked.

The guard raided a suspicious eyebrow.

"You don't know what a tracking stone is?"

The officer in charge wandered over. "Is there a problem?"

"This guy doesn't know what a tracking stone is," the guard said.

"Where are you from?" the officer asked Jason.

"Casselton Beach, originally," Jason answered. "It's a small town with magical density so low that monsters don't manifest there, and there's no real magic. I've come a long way, and there's still a lot I don't know."

The officer looked Jason over for a few moments, then fished a stone from his pocket. The palm-sized, glassy object looked similar to an awakened stone, except faceted instead of smooth. It had a dark blue-green coloration.

"This is a tracking stone," the officer explained. "This lets us find you, wherever you are on the Island."

Jason had an ability that prevented him from being tracked. He couldn't be sure if that would have an effect on the stone, and he decided to not mention it.

"If you make us come looking," the guard continued, "it won't be us coming for you, understand?"

"It'll be someone much worse," Jason assumed.

"Smart," the officer said. "Smart is good. If you want to stay on the Island past sunset, find lodgings. That'll qualify you for a temporary residence permit. Find good lodgings and they'll register it for you, instead of making you come back and do it yourself."

"Thanks," Jason replied. He handed over his coin and pressed his thumb to the stone. Either the stone was stronger than his ability, or the stone gave no warning that it couldn't track him. Shortly after, Jason was through the gate and walking across the bridge.

The main thoroughfare was for carriages, with those on foot like Jason following a path at the edge of the bridge. That was fine by Jason. The rising arc of the bridge gave him an increasingly good view of the city.

Back the way he had come was the yellow sprawl of Old City. Below the bridge, the sun reflected off the deep blue water, busy with water traffic. The Old City shoreline was a massive port, the full length of the city. The ships were large, crammed into docks that seemed strangely high. He wondered if that was something to do with what two moons did to the tides.

{It is,} Gordon mentally confirmed. {With two lunar masses orbiting this planet it increases their gravitational pull on the tides.}

{Thanks for the information, mate,} Jason replied in his head.

{You're welcome, Guardian.}

There were three other bridges like the one Jason was on. Engineering marvels that spanned kilometers of water, they were the equal of anything from his own world.

Ahead was the Island, seeming opulent even at a distance. Compared to the clustered Old City, it indulged in the luxury of space. Where the Old City ports were occupied with large trade ships, the Island's widely spaced marinas were occupied entirely by what looked like pleasure craft. Many of them didn't have sails, presumably being propelled by magic.

The marina buildings all looked like yacht clubs, and beyond that were large houses with expansive grounds. Trees and grass abounded, the streets he could see were wide and sealed. The buildings were all combinations of green marble and variously colored tiles.

Eagerly heading along the bridge, Jason got a better look at the wide boulevard at the end of the bridge. Colorful plant beds separated carriageways and footpaths. Trees lined the streets, shading them with a leafy canopy.

The inspection station at the end of the bridge was just a small booth with no gates. The -in his opinion- lacking security was focused on those entering the Island but disinterested in those leaving. The security guard looked a lot more relaxed, in his middle years with thinning hair and a punch his uniform did not flatter. He came out of the booth, giving Jason a friendly smile as he checked his permit.

Although the guard looked casual, he took his time to check the permit thoroughly. Which he apricated. As he did, Jason took a deep satisfying breath. The air was clean and fresh, without the wet mugginess of the delta, the dry aridity of the desert or the crowded scents battling it out in Old City.

"The perks to being wealthy... that'll be a pleasant adjustment."

---

After leaving the walls of the city Kaname zipped through air with his racial ability to walk through the air and skilled application of his Silver Step movement ability along the embankment roads that divided up the delta. They were busy with traffic, mostly carts and wagons shuttling back and forth from the city. Making his never-ending pursuit for advancement and training a boon as he blurred above the traffic to the gates of the Kurosaki clan's estate. A thick, high wall marked the boundary, spanning off in both directions. The estate beyond was so vast that monsters were as likely to manifest inside the walls as out.

He approached the open gate and was let in by a pair of guards. Kaname could sense the iron-rank auras of both men. That might have been normal in his home city, but locally was the exception. To his knowledge, only the Duke of Greenstone's household guard used iron rank essence users for basic troops. Knowing the Kurosaki clan, he expected these guards were family members on some kind of punishment detail or being taught the value of diligence.

At the guards' direction, he started walking up the wide, gravel-covered thoroughfare. The main house could be seen in the distance, a series of low buildings whose design seemed more interested in fitting the surroundings than lording over them. Kaname nodded to himself, finding it very much to his taste.

The grounds on both sides of the central approach were bursting with life. Palm trees, tall shrubbery, and bamboo stands. Paths disappeared through vine-covered archways and behind flowering bushes. The promise of canopy shade and the sound of trickling water enticed strollers to explore.

Kaname continued up the central path towards the manor house. Moving closer, he saw the low buildings were interconnected with open walkways of wood, stone and bamboo. As he arrived in front of the foremost building, someone emerged to meet him. A beautiful woman with peach colored skin and long brown wavy hair, she looked around thirty, which Kaname knew to be twenty years shy of the reality. The age-defying power of her silver-rank essences kept her looks just as they were when he had first met her as a boy.

"Lady Kurosaki," Kaname greeted.

"Little Kaname Remore," Masaki returned with a smile. "I didn't think you would still be so adorable."

Kaname cleared his throat awkwardly and Masaki laughed.

"You know, Mr. Remore," she brought up, "many of our family's young ladies are arriving ahead of the monster surge. Perhaps if I set up a little soiree..."

"Thank you, Lady Kurosaki, but I have quite enough to be going on with- without romantic entanglements complicating my affairs."

"Oh? The young men would be there too."

"Gracious," he replied, "but my answer remains the same."

"Such a shame."

"I'd like to compliment you on your home," Kaname responded, changing the subject. "It makes one want to wander off and explore."

"Then, shall we?" Masaki asked with an inviting gesture. "I imagine we can discuss the reason for your visit just as well amongst the gardens."

"I would very much like that," Kaname answered.

Masaki picked a path under an archway overgrown with flowering vines, leading him deeper into the grounds. Kaname soon discovered them to be every part the equal of their promise.

"Your estate grounds truly are a joy to experience," Kaname commented.

"Thank you. My family came here as the region was first being settled. The walls of our estate are older than the walls of Old City. Last I heard, we even have a member of that generation still around somewhere."

"Oh?"

"She reached diamond rank a couple of centuries ago. Not so good at keeping in touch, though. You know what diamond-rankers are like."

"Agelessness engenders an unusual perspective, I imagine," Kaname shared.

Masaki smiled, "Let us hope we both go far enough to see for ourselves. What brings you out here today, Mr. Remore?"

"Seeing the ancestral home of the Kurosaki clan isn't reason enough?" Kaname asked. "I'm a little surprised to find you in residence."

"We call most of our bronze and silver-rankers home when a monster surge is imminent," Masaki explained. "The clan has placed me in charge of defending the estate, this time, and my husband will be back sometime in the next few months. Really, though, I'm back to overlook my son's final training."

"You really train all your family members here?" Kaname asked.

"We do," Masaki answered as they paused their walk to look at two young girls resting in the shade of a tree after their day's rigorous physical conditioning. They were her twin daughters; Karin and Yuzu, no older than ten. Even before receiving their essences, Kurosaki start training for becoming adventurers. "Our facilities might not be the Remore Academy, but we're proud of it, nonetheless."

"And rightly so, by all accounts," Kaname agreed. "I have heard my grandfather express his respect on more than one occasion."

"High praise indeed," Masaki replied.

"If I may ask, why here?" Kaname asked. "I know this is where your clan first rose up as a power, but now you're established in major cities around the world. Why send people born in high magic areas to train here?"

"We send everyone to train here," she informed. "Those high magic areas are just the problem. Before you came here, did you ever go out on an expedition without at least a silver-ranker to watch your back?"

"No," Kaname answered darkly, "which led to a recent mistake on my part. Overconfidence led to insufficient caution. It almost cost my people everything."

"That is precisely the reason we still use this place," Masaki emphasized. "The low magical density makes the monsters weaker. The dangers smaller; the consequences, less severe. Not to say there aren't real dangers, but we can send out our iron-rankers to face them alone. No one to rely on but themselves and each other."

"You let them make their mistakes when those mistakes are less likely to kill them," Kaname theorized.

"Exactly," she smiled as she saw Karin give Yuzu a small shove and run off at full tilt. Her sister shouting indignantly and giving pursuit, disappearing from sight. She then proceeded to move them back into a gentle walk through the grounds.

"In light of my own hard-learned lesson," Kaname replied, "I cannot see that as anything but an excellent practice. There may be a lesson for the way my own family does things."

"That's very flattering," Masaki responded. "You really are a Remore, aren't you? You're all obsessed with improving your academy's training methods."

"Speaking of training," Kaname moved the conversation along, "that is the reason I've come today. I've heard that your clan's training facility includes a mirage chamber. I was hoping to borrow it from time to time during my stay here."

Masaki gave him an apologetic smile, "Indeed, we do have one. Sadly, as much as I would like to accommodate you, I cannot. As I mentioned, the local magical density is quite low. We can only operate our mirage chamber at a bronze-rank level for limited periods, and I can't take that valuable training time away from my own family."

"Actually, it isn't for me," Kaname corrected. "I've found a person in need of training and have taken it upon myself to give him a rush-course."

She gave him a sideways glance, eyebrows arched. "From what I hear, every aristocratic family in Greenstone has been asking you to guide their young hopefuls. Including ours. I have to wonder how someone managed to catch your eye."

Kaname let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I mentioned my mistake. It would have gotten me, and my entire team killed if not for the heroic intervention of a stranger."

He shook his head, "I grew up surrounded by adventurers. I was raised not just to be one of them, but to be so good I could teach others. Everyone around me, as long as I can remember, told me I was going to be a great adventurer. It got to the point that I never even doubted it. The only exception was my grandfather. He said you never learn who you are when everything goes right. It's in your darkest hour that you understand what it is to be an adventurer."

They stopped walking at the edge of a pond, Kaname looking down at his own reflection.

"In my darkest hour," he continued, "I met a man who had never even heard of the Adventure Society. A fresh iron ranker with not even half his abilities awakened and no magic knowledge. He didn't even know how to use spirit coins. But when all seemed lost, he showed me, like my grandfather said, what it means to be an adventurer. When all your training and powers fail you, you have to find something inside yourself you never knew was there. Then you can do things you never thought possible. It's the difference between a good adventurer and a great one."

"That's a valuable lesson," Masaki replied. "It seems your time here wasn't wasted."

"It hasn't been," Kaname agreed. "Having received such a valuable lesson, I want to impart what I know, in turn."

"Well," Masaki responded, "if what you are looking for is some time in our mirage chamber running at iron rank, I can accommodate you. I would appreciate a little reciprocity, however."

"Oh?"

"I mentioned my son and his final training. The time has come for him to join the Adventure Society, and I'd like you to do his field assessment. I'm sure the society would be happy to accommodate."

"I won't show your boy any favoritism, if that's what you're looking for," Kaname warned.

Masaki laughed. "Oh, I'd hardly need you for that."

"You're not suggesting the Adventure Society is subject to corruption?" Kaname asked incredulously.

"You have to realize, Mr. Remore, this isn't Vitesse. The Adventure Society is a major force in Greenstone, but the isolation means the local branch is more reliant on local powers. Compromises must be made."

Dark clouds appeared in Kaname's expression, "The neutrality of the Adventure Society is one of its central tenets," his tone severe.

"I agree," Masaki replied. "However, if the core branches want to export their values to remote branches like Greenstone, they need to export sufficient resources along with them. Ideals are well and good in the heart of a kingdom, Mr. Remore, but here we are more often overlooked than not. In the provinces, we all have to deal with the realities."

Kaname looked rather dumbstruck. "I'm not sure what to say to that."

"There's nothing to be said. Welcome to the wilderness."

"Surely it can't be that bad."

"Oh, it's not," Masaki responded. "Especially with the new branch director. She worked her way up from the bottom, so she knows what it is to fight through the influence of families like mine. Remarkable woman actually, but there is no getting around the fact that the Adventure Society here is reliant on local powers."

"Is that why the adventurer standards are so low here?" Kaname asked.

"That's precisely the reason," Masaki confirmed. "Exceptions have a way of being made for those whose capabilities are not the equal of their connections. Eventually, standards just declined in general. That is why I want my son assessed to your standards. He doesn't need help; he needs to be challenged."

"Then I would be happy to assist you," Kaname replied. "Challenge, I can do."

---

Jason was standing at the edge of the bridge, having just arrived on the Island. The security guard handed back his permit after checking it.

"Everything's in order, sir," the man said. "First time on the Island?"

"It is," Jason answered. "I don't suppose you could point out the quickest way to the Adventure Society?"

The guard gestured down the boulevard that followed straight out from the bridge.

"Head up this way and you'll find the transit terminal. Big building, you can't miss it. That'll get you where you need to go."

"Thanks, mate."

Jason started walking up the street, past houses with gardens and grounds secured behind green brick walls and artfully wrought metal gates."

"Transit terminal," Jason muttered to himself as he walked along the street. "Do they have magic trams or something?"

Soon Jason came to some kind of local shopping district dominated by eateries and boutique stores. Jason wanted to stop and chase some of the enticing smells, but it was already afternoon. First, he needed to find the Adventure Society, then somewhere to stay before sundown so he could stay on the Island.

The shopping area was dominated by a large building with a sign declaring it the NORTH MARINA TRANSIT TERMINAL. He went inside, finding it to be set out like a train station. He found a large sign that showed the routes; a pair of loop lines going in opposite directions.

According to the map, Jason could reach the Adventure Society from platform B. There didn't seem to be any place to buy tickets, so Jason took the stairwell marked for platform B, descending to a below-ground level. The stairwell was long, around two stories worth of switchback stairs before coming out on a platform.

It immediately reminded him of a subway platform in layout. The floor, walls and ceiling were combinations of green stone and tile mosaic, with cool, clean light coming from magical stones fixed into the ceiling. There were benches around the walls with people sitting patiently, while others stood.

The difference from a subway station was that in front of the tunnel was a glass wall, with water behind it like an aquarium. Three circular metal frames in the glass wall had doors that looked like airlocks. Moving closer to take a look, he saw the tunnel extended beyond both sides of the platform, like a subway tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel, he could see another glass wall with the same three doors, with another platform beyond that.

The lights illuminating the platform started dimming in a gentle strobe. It was apparently some kind of signal; the other people at the platform started getting up from benches and moving towards the glass wall. Shortly thereafter, a bullet-shaped capsule floated down the tunnel and affixed itself to the wall with clamps that gripped the three metal circles and pressed tightly into the doors. With a hiss of air, the doors slid open, and people came out. The people on the platform then boarded, Jason among them.

The interior of the capsule was more like a bus than a subway car, with pairs of seats on each side. The seats were soft and plush more like a luxury coach than cheap public transport. Jason found a window seat and watched the tunnel go past as the capsule took off. The ride had a floaty feel to it that brought a grin to Jason's face.

"Submarine subways," he murmured to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "Though, this is a magical city. Probably normal here."

The tunnel outside his window was decorated in tile mosaic and lit with different colored lights. It seemed to be telling some kind of myth, with monsters and heroes locked in epic battle. He became so engrossed in the images streaming outside that he was disappointed to arrive at his destination.

---

The Adventure Society terminal was two stops from where he started and was one of several buildings in the extensive Adventure Society campus. Jason followed a sign labelled ADMINISTRATION out of the building onto what looked like a prestigious old university, all stone building and sprawling grounds. Jason took what he guessed was the right path and only had to ask directions once before finding the administration building.

He found himself in a large lobby appointed in wood, everywhere from the various sets of double doors to the three separate stairways. In terms of construction materials, Jason had seen plenty of mudbrick, stone, tile, bamboo and even reeds. The sudden preponderance of wood was a sufficiently stark contrast to make clear the importance of the building.

It was a vast space, which fortunately contained what looked like a reception desk, at which Jason presented himself. Behind the desk was what looked like the same paunchy, balding bridge guard who had given him directions. Only the clothes were different, the guard uniform replaced with a more civilian-looking outfit. It had a prominently stitched emblem of a sword and rod crossed over a shield. Jason had seen that emblem several times since arriving, recognizing it from Rufus' Adventure Society badge.

The uniform had a loose fit Jason had seen on most of the locals, although the man's hefty midsection rather minimized the looseness.

"Do you have a brother?" Jason asked.

"Just come over the bridge, sir?"

"I did."

"That was my brother, Bertram, sir. I'm Albert, but feel free to just call me Bert."

"No worries, Bert. Is this where I apply to join the Adventure Society?"

"Certainly is, sir," Albert confirmed brightly. "I can get you started right away if you'd like."

"That'd be great."

He pulled out a form and sat it on the desk, then fished through drawers to produce a pencil, "How about we start with a name?"

"Jason Asano."

Instead of writing it down, Albert gave Jason a curious look.

"Do you know an adventurer named Gareth Xandier?"

"Gareth Xandier?" Jason asked. "Wait, do you mean Gary? Big, lykonid bloke."

"Yes," Albert confirmed. "The good-looking one."

"I knew it," Jason chuckled/scoffed, shaking his head in amusement.

"I'm sorry?" Albert asked uncertainly.

"Never mind. Why are you asking about Gary?" Jason asked.

"He's been coming in and asking after you for the last couple of days," Albert explained. "Is it alright to tell him you've registered?"

"Sure," Jason replied, "although I'd rather tell him myself. Do you know where he's staying?"

---

The guild district was the region of the Island that contained the Adventure Society campus, along with many other guilds and societies. Occupying the northwest region of the Island, the guild district also contained the bulk of the Island's visitor accommodations. Staying on the Island was a relatively expensive prospect, but with price came quality. Kaname, Farrah and Gary had secured a three-room suite in Sailor's Watch, an inn at the very edge of the Island, with exceptional ocean views.

Having returned from the Kurosaki Estate, Kaname ran into Farrah outside their lodging as she returned from her own business.

"How did it go?" Farrah asked.

"Well enough," Kaname answered. "Now we just need Jason to finally arrive."

Farrah sniffed at the smell of fresh baking wafting out of the inn. "Smells good," she commented. "Should be just about time to get some supper."

"It should," Kaname agreed, and they went inside.

Walking in, they headed in the direction of the dining room. There was a doorway leading directly to the kitchen, from which they heard a familiar voice.

"Now, it's equal parts sugar and water, then flavor to discretion, and I do mean discretion. You don't want the flavor of the syrup to overpower the cake. Once the syrup is soaking in, there's no getting it back out again. Unless you can extricate the syrup with magic, somehow. I need to get my hands on a cooking magic skill book."

Farrah snickered at the exasperation suddenly on Kaname's face.

"Jason?" said exasperated adventurer called out.

"Kaname! Excuse me for a moment, ladies."

Jason wandered out of the kitchen wearing an apron marked with flour.

"G'day," he greeted them. "Nice little place you found. A bit pricey, but I picked up a decent bit of coin during our misadventures at the Vane Estate. Fighting cannibals is lucrative. Even so, it was a good thing that I looted that woman, Cressida, this place is eating into that hull. She dropped some major loot."

"I still have your share from looting the manor," Farrah informed. "They had a lot of quality stuff and large amounts of average goods. The hull we got from selling it is a lot even split up four ways."

"Oh, nice," Jason replied.

"What took you so long?" Kaname asked.

"I took the scenic route through the delta," Jason explained. "I had a good time."

"There was some talk about someone roaming around healing people," Farrah mentioned. "Did you hear about that?"

"How did you hear about it?" Jason asked.

"What we heard was that he was doing it for free. The local church of the Healer wasn't happy," Farrah clarified. "Did you see the guy?"

"In a way. You know, seeing as it was me. I used a few of my powers to help some desperate people," Jason answered simply.

"What happened to splitting up to prevent drawing attention?" Kaname asked in exasperation.

"What do you want me to say? 'Sorry, Miss, but while it may seem that healing your father's horrifying illness would cost me nothing, someone might notice,'" Jason defended himself.

"Surely there's a middle ground between doing nothing and walking Pallimustus, healing the sick and lame," Kaname fired back.

"And where do I-" Jason stopped as something confused him. "Hold on. What's Pallimustus?"

"This world," Farrah answered with an odd look.

"Oh..." Jason drawled out in understanding. "So that's what this world is called."

"Yes. What's the world you're from called?" Farrah asked curiously.

"Earth."

"How uninventive," Farrah commented, "to call your world after the ground you walk on."

"That's..." Jason jumped to defend his home but fell short. "...a fair point."

"We're getting of topic, again," Kaname sighed, hand pressed to his temple.

"Right, what were we talking about before?" Jason asked.

"You, going around healing people," Kaname huffed in annoyance.

Jason smacked a fist into the palm of his hand as he replied, "Right! Let's see... Ah! Finding a middle ground. Um..." taking a moment to think it over before remembering what he was going to say. "Where do I draw the line? Should it be where people aren't sick enough, or where they aren't impoverished enough?"

"He does have a point," Farrah pointed out. "Who looks at the poor and sick and tells them they aren't poor and sick enough?"

"The church of the Healer, from what I've heard," Jason answered darkly.

"I've seen this kind of thing before," Farrah commented. "The Healer likes to give his worshippers the freedom to make the right choices on their own. The church of the Healer is really important in isolated areas like this, though more than one church leader has been known to go a bit power mad."

"The god is real, right?" Jason asked. "Doesn't he step in?"

"I've heard they do, if they take it too far," Kaname answered. "You always hear stories about churches who lose their way. I've never seen it reach the stage where their god intervenes."

"I have," Farrah chimed in. "Kaname is a big city boy, but it normally happens in places like this, where there's less to keep them in check."

"Yeah, from what I've heard, this branch is rotten," Jason commented, having talked to the many in need people on his journey. "Though, I had heard that one member, an orange haired elf girl offers up free healing still. But she apparently became an Adventurer and doesn't have as much time to keep it up."

"That's a shame," Farrah replied, "but adventuring isn't easy and requires a lot of time and effort to be competent in."

"Seeing as we're on the topic, did you at least go to the Adventure Society before getting to the kitchen?" Kaname asked Jason.

"Yeah, I did the paperwork," Jason replied. "I have some kind of assessment tomorrow."

"That's just to clear you of things like restricted essences," Farrah explained. "You shouldn't have any issue with your unknown essence combination. Though, the Magic Society will demand that you let them examine you, but you don't have too then-and-there. The Adventure Society will want to know that your essences don't have abilities similar to the Death or Undeath essence's abilities."

"So, all the more reason to let you examine me, right?" Jason replied with a wry grin.

"Yes," Farrah confirmed with her own triumphant grin. "Be sure to mention that you've already arranged to be examined by a Magic Society official at the assessment. That should appease their issues about your unknown essences."

"Once that's done, you'll need to go through a field assessment," Kaname moved the conversation along, "which they do at the start of each month. The next one is in nine days, but you can take yours the following month."

"What's wrong with this month?" Jason asked.

"You won't be ready this month," Kaname stated matter-of-factly. "Training you up to an acceptable standard by the end of the next month will be rushed enough. Nine days from now, you wouldn't come close to passing."

"You don't know that for sure," Jason argued. "I've got a lot of actual combat experience that just needs to be altered for fighting monsters and integrate the usage of magic powers."

"I'm administering that field assessment myself," Kaname informed. "So, despite your combat experience, I can speak with an amount of confidence."

"You're doing it?" Jason replied. "Fair enough, then. Having you assess me wouldn't exactly be ethical. Conflict of interest and all that. Well, I'll see you at dinner; I have to get back to my cake."

Kaname and Farrah watched Jason retreat into the kitchen.

"He thinks he'd fail because of ethics?" Farrah asked.

"He'll figure it out once the training starts," Kaname responded.

---

The guild district was different from the north marina district in which Jason had first arrived on the island. Rather than the large private residences, it was occupied by various organizations, with smaller permanent residences serving the people that worked for them. Other than that, there was a large number of storefronts that seemed to be extensions of the various societies and associations headquartered around them.

Two sprawling campuses dominated the guild district. One was the Adventure Society, and the other was an organization called the Magic Society. Jason knew Farrah was a member but only had a vague idea of what they did. From what he could gather, they were something between a magic university and a magic utility company.

Judging by the size and centrality, the Forge Society and the Alchemist Association were clearly second to the Adventure and Magic Societies but still occupied impressive chunks of real estate. Other organizations in the district ranged from occupying large buildings to being clustered into one space with other groups. Some were trade organizations, while others were adventuring guilds, private organizations of adventurers banded together for varying purposes.

Kaname had warned Jason against joining any of the local adventuring guilds. According to Kaname, they were all small-time affairs that took more from their members than they offered, although Jason wasn't entirely convinced. He'd learned enough about Kaname's background to realize he looked down from a very great height.

After arriving at the Adventure Society's administration building, Jason was shown through to a waiting room. There was one other occupant, a young man Jason estimated to be in his late teens' early twenties. He had an unusual peached skin tone, though tanned, and brown spikey hair for the local human population. The young man had what appeared to Jason as angular Asian features but in a handsome way, even though he wore a serious expression. He was also tall, roughly three inches shorter than Jason and had a lean muscular build one would see on an Olympic Athlete, possible a swimmer.*

There was a tiny black baby dragon in his lap receiving a scratch on the tummy, like a puppy. It had two tiny, glowing dark purple horns sweeping back at an angle of its head, giving it a V-shape to its head, matching eyes with reptilian silts. Its scales were also a glossy black that reminded him of the dark quintessence gems. Four limbs, a tail and wings, like a little western dragon. And as it opened its maw in elation from the tummy rub it revealed a row of tiny sharp white teeth and pink mouth.

"G'day, mate," Jason greeted, sitting down next to him. "I like your dragon."

"Her name is Suu," the young man replied. "Mine is Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Jason Asano," Jason responded, shaking Ichigo's offered hand. "Nice to meet you, Ichigo. Suu is an unusual name for a dragon."

"It's short for Suuvathinaxias," Ichigo explained. "She likes Suu, though."

"Suuva...zzasth... ...xauths," Jason struggled to get the name to come out of his mouth right. "It doesn't quite roll of the tongue, does it? Suu it is."

Ichigo gave an understanding look, "Dragon names can be difficult for most races to pronounce. So many adopt shorter nicknames, like Suu here."

"That's better isn't?" Jason cooed as he reached over and scratched the dragons's tummy. "Who's a good little dragon? You are, yes you are. Good girl."

The dragon transformed into liquid shadow, that zipped out of Ichigo's lap to settle on his head, where it retook its solid form and started hissing away merrily.

"That's impressive," Jason commented. "I take it she's still a baby dragon."

"Yes," Ichigo confirmed. "Our mothers arranged for her to become my familiar. Or me becoming her person, depending on how you look at it."

"Your mum knows dragons," Jason said. "I guess mine does too, although it's more of a metaphor. Great Aunt Margaret doesn't literally breathe fire."

Ichigo chuckled softly, in a polit manner indictive of polite etiquette when in public. Though, seeing how the smile and chuckle were genuine, Jason assumed it was due to his upbringing and not pretending to laugh at the joke.

"Are you here to be assessed for the Adventure Society?" Ichigo asked with a curious tone, eyeing Jason oddly.

Jason gave a polite chuckle of his own and answered both the asked and unasked question, "Yup, I did all the paperwork yesterday, and I know I'm quite a bit older than most adventure applicants. Just got my full set of essences a little over a week ago."

Ichigo nodded in understanding, "Because of my family I tend to forget that most families can take generations to get an adventurer amongst them. Some well off families can afford the essences and awakening stones but lack the knowledge and training. While less fortunate ones lack both."

"Yeah, I fell into the later category until recently," Jason admitted. "Your family I take it is both affluent and experienced in the adventuring life?"

"Yes, the Kurosaki clan has been adventurers for centuries, long before the Greenstone region had been settled," Ichigo answered proudly. "Every member since its founding has been raised to be an adventurer. It's our duty to protect the people from monsters."

"Good on you mate," Jason replied approvingly. "Seeing as you clearly know your stuff, do have any idea of what to expect for the assessment?"

"They'll just check to make sure you don't have any restricted abilities. There'll be an official from the Adventure Society, of course, but they're only there to oversee things. The actual checking will be done by a priest from the church of knowledge. Don't try to slip anything past them, because there isn't any point."

"Because a god's involved?"

"Exactly. Then there'll be someone from the Magic Society to record your essences. They'll imply you have to let them record all your individual abilities, but you actually don't. I'm told that the trick is to let them know that you know you don't have to and then do it anyway. Getting on the good side of the Magic Society is always a good idea."

"Thanks for the advice."

"If you've awakened any of your racial gifts, though, keep those to yourself," Ichigo advised. "They're very big on those at the Magic Society and you can trade the details in exchange for favors down the line."

Jason recalled Farrah telling him that humans all had dormant racial gifts that awakened unique powers based on their essences. He assumed the same advice would hold true for his Lightbearer abilities. More so, if anything.

"Good to know," Jason replied. "Much appreciated, mate."

"I hope you don't mind me saying," Ichigo added, "but your manner of speech is a little unusual. Are you using a translation power?"

"I am," Jason answered. "I'm not local; I just arrived in town yesterday."

"Where do you hail from, originally?" Ichigo asked.

"Australia."

"Never heard of it," Ichigo responded. "Best not tell Mother or she'll harangue my geography tutor."

"No problems there."

"If you don't mind me asking," Ichigo asked, "how do you have a scar? Reaching iron should have removed all impurities and I can't fathom a normal rank person surviving what it takes to scar the soul."

"You know about soul scars?"

"Yes, several members of my more experienced family members have them," Ichigo explained. "My mother told me all about them."

"Then there you go," Jason answered, his tone a little cold as it went from friendly to very serious. "I didn't get it from a monster... at least the magical popping out the air kind. I got it from an experience you don't want to have."

"Oh," Ichigo mouthed as he just realized the other way soul scars were made. His mother never went into detail but had said they were terrible events that changed a person so drastically that it marked their very soul. "I'm sorry if I drudged up any bad memories," he added with a small bow.

Jason gave him a smirk and light chuckle, "No harm done, mate. It's ancient history."

A door opened and Suu on Ichigo's head shivered, shifting from shadow back to solid mass reflectively, its front claws dangling over his forehead. Ichigo stood up as what Jason could only describe as the most gorgeous young woman he has ever personally seen enter the room.

She had long vibrant orange hair, fair skin, warm chocolate eyes, a beautiful face, button nose and long tapered ears. So, an elf like Anisa but were the priestess had a perpetual sneer and haughty look this elf girl had a joyous, kind and benevolent look on her near perfect face. She was also stacked with large breasts, a narrow waist and wide hips.*

She was so beautiful that Jason wondered if she'd been some goddess of beauty's idea of a walking pinup made to make all others envious.

"Nimarie," Ichigo greeted with mixed surprise and embarrassment. The poor young man's face lost a lot of its stern noble appearance and turned a bright red of a blushing adolescence. Which Jason couldn't blame him for as it took considerable effort on his part not to goggle at her. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Oh, Ichigo! It's such a pleasure to see you again," she joyfully replied in an equally beautiful voice, that was bubbly, and her face lit up in joy. "It's been too long."

Thankfully, the moment of her pure joy of running across Ichigo was enough for the young man to reestablish his clam countenance. "It has."

Suu trilled and leapt from Ichigo's head and right into Nimarie's welcoming embrace, "I've missed you too, Suu." She hugged the little black dragon as if it was her most favorite teddy bear into her bountiful mounds. She even rocked back and forth, Suu happily hissing, its forked tongue coming out to lick her cheek.

Ichigo's blush returned, dusting his cheeks as he coughed and said, "Uh, yes, Suu has missed you greatly... as have I." He'd quietly muttered the last part under his breath, though from the soft smile and blush of her own, Nimarie had heard it.

Jason softly chuckled at the nervous fumbling of the two love-struck young adults. He could practically see years of the two dancing around one another, both too afraid to come out and ask the other out on a date.

That caught the young elf's attention, "Oh, I apologize for not properly introducing myself."

"No, no," Ichigo rushed to speak up. "I'm the one that should have made the introductions." He coughed into his own hand and continued, "Lady Davone, I'd like you to meet my new acquaintance, Jason Asano. Jason, this is the Young Lady Nimarie Davone."

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Davone," Jason greeted with a slight bow of the head.

"You as well, Mr. Asano," she nodded her head towards him.

"Just Jason is fine."

She smiled beautifully, "Then you can just call me Nimarie."

"Alright, Nimarie," Jason returned her smile. "I take it you just left your assessment?"

That got Ichigo to return to his previous confusion, "What are you doing taking the assessment, Nimarie? You're already an active adventurer."

She pouted cutely with puffed cheeks as she replied unhappily, "I was. Lady Mercer allowed me to take a few days off from guarding Thadwick as he was planning to just relax at a few brothels this week."

The disgust on her face told a nasty story of having to go with him as he paid for sex.

She continued after shaking those thoughts away, "So, I was planning to take a contract out in the delta, freely healing those most in need along the way. I don't get to do that as much I want to since Thadwick became an adventurer."

Nimarie sounded despondent at that.

"Wait," Jason interrupted, hand raised. "You're the beautiful elf healer the locals have been telling me about. The only member of the church of the Healer that offers them free healing."

She beamed, looked a bit embarrassed and angry all at once. It was adorable.

Ichigo was the one to answer, "Yes, Nimarie spends a lot of her free time healing all those that she can. I have never seen her take any form of payment. Most of the small villages and towns in the region see her as a divine gift of the Healer." He sounded proud and found, which made the orange haired elf blush furiously.

"I-It's nothing," she tried waving it off. "I'm just doing the work of Healer that all members of his church should be doing." Her voice had some steely heat to them. "Though, I have had rumors of someone offering up free healing to some nearby towns recently." Her mood picked back up.

"Yeah, uh... I think we got off topic, my bad," Jason said, trying to lead them away from his little jaunt through the delta. "You came in for a contract?"

"Oh, right," she snapped out of her thoughts of the unknown healer. "When I tried to collect the contract, I was told that my membership wasn't valid. Something about the paperwork from my previous assessment had been 'misplaced' along with my entire teams'."

She was scowling now.

"They lost your assessment results?" Ichigo sounded utterly dumbfounded. "That's impossible."

"No, it isn't," she growled angrily. "So long as the powerful want it to happen."

Suu nuzzled Nimarie's face to calm her down, the elf softening and scratching the dragon's scales behind her horns, eliciting mewling growls from the baby dragon.

"Oh," Ichigo coldly said in understanding.

"Yes," she gently sighed. "My guess is that Lord Beaufort Mercer arranged for it to happen in some sort of political game. Seeing as I was already signed up for my assessment, I marched down here and got it out of the way. At least we'll be able to take our field assessment together now," she brightened with a brilliant smile.

Ichigo blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, that'll be nice. I hated having to miss the last one with you but my mum..." he grumpily mumbled the last part.

Jason had absorbed the pertinent information that a team member of hers, Thadwick that she was somehow arranged to protect, father had pulled strings to get him and his team pulled as registered adventurers. With his knowledge that Kaname Remore, the young scion of a famous and powerful family was doing the next assessment, Jason knew why this was happening.

Seeing as Ichigo had been kind enough to give him advice for his upcoming assessment, Jason shared what he knew.

"So, Thadwick's father is hoping to make connections with the Remore family," Nimarie scowled thoughtfully. "I just can't see how."

"Is Thadwick a skilled and powerful adventurer?" Jason asked.

Both young adults couldn't hold back the derisive laughter, even Suu's eyes glowed as she let out a nasty hiss. Though, they both quickly stifled their laughs and looked around to make sure no one had overheard them.

Nimarie was the first to recover and diplomatically answered, "He has a powerful essence combination and a famously skilled mother and sister. But he's..." she struggled to find a nice way to say it.

"Such an incompetent fool that his mother went to great extremes to make sure his team was exceptional, so that he wouldn't end up dead on his first contract," Ichigo answered matter-of-factly, his face hard. "He also needed his father's influence to pass the previous assessment."

Nimarie just nodded in agreement, "The only good to come from having to be Thadwick's teammate is that Thalia Mercer personally instructed me and made sure I had every resource available to become the very best healer and adventurer possible."

"Then all this will accomplish is that Kaname fails him and looks upon the Mercer family with distain," Jason answered. "He's very much a professional adventurer with very high standards. He won't be impressed with who Thadwick's father is."

"How do you know Kaname Remore so well, Jason," Ichigo asked.

Before he could answer, a man entered the room. He was wearing what Jason had come to recognize as local business attire, quite different from the equivalent in his own world. The local fashions all went for loose, hanging designs that were more practical for the hot climate.

"Later, after the assessment," Jason said. "Over lunch? You're welcome to join us Nimarie."

"Okay," she beamed.

That got Ichigo to quickly agree, glad to spend more time with his crush.

"Young Master Kurosaki," the man called to Ichigo, eyeing Jason with interest as he was in the company of scions. "This is, of course, a formality for you, but the formalities must be observed."

"I'm just another adventurer," Ichigo insisted, scowl locked in place and raised his right arm towards Nimarie. "I only expect the same treatment you would give anyone." Suu in her arms turned to liquid shadow and slithered out of her embrace as shadowy tendrils to reform on his forearm.

"Of course," the man lied transparently. "This way, please."

Left alone with Nimarie Jason started some small talk about her experiences as an adventurer. She'd fought some monsters, usually just so that Thadwick could use his essence abilities to kill things. Usually, she or their other teammate Dustin would have to intervene as he'd burn through his mana too quickly by just throwing around lightning bolts and gale winds.

There wasn't much time to get into it as Ichigo wasn't gone long before coming back with Suu tucked under one arm.

"How'd it go?" Jason asked.

"Fine," Ichigo answered simply.

"Alright, do either of you know of a good place to eat?" Jason asked. "I'd like to tuck into a good meal before I get into the story of how I met Kaname."

"Hmm..." Nimarie hummed in thought before she answered, "I know a good one nearby."

"Okay, I'll finish up my assessment and meet you blokes in the lobby," Jason sent Ichigo and Nimarie back in the direction of the main lobby. Shortly after, the man who had come for Ichigo then came out to get Jason.

"Mr. Asano?" he asked, all smiles.

"That's right."

"Do you know Young Master Kurosaki and Lady Davone well?"

"We just met here."

Friendliness instantly sank from the man's face as he spoke up flatly, "Oh, well, come on, then. We haven't got all day."

The man marched off, not bothering to look if Jason was following.

Jason trailed the man through a small antechamber, then into another room where two people were waiting. The woman was wearing flowing robes of blue and white, with a sigil of a book sewn prominently into them. She was quite pretty, although still with the rounded edges of youth. She was around sixteen, maybe eighteen, and Jason guessed that in a couple of years she'd have a small army of suitors all over her.

If not for having just met Nimarie he'd have said the young lady was the most beautiful girl he'd seen. It was probably what kept Ichigo from becoming some flustered, awestruck bloke once seeing her. If Jason had run across such a beauty at Ichigo's age, he'd have been.

Jason hadn't seen any evidence of cosmetics in this world, but he was beginning to suspect essences were taking up the slack. Except for himself, every essence user he'd seen ranged from moderately good-looking to stupidly attractive.

The man next to the priestess looked like he was in his mid-thirties, also in a robe. Where the priestess's garment draped down her body with grace and elegance, his looked like a sack held in place with a rope belt. He had stubble- not the sexy kind- and his hair was an unruly mess. Even then, Jason recognized the handsome bone structure underneath. With a makeover and a little effort, he'd be an annoyingly attractive man.

The third person was the man who led Jason in. He looked to be around thirty, with the generic handsomeness of a guy who had a supporting role on a teen drama a few years ago but didn't break out and was really bitter about going back to his catering job.

"So, I take it you're the Adventure Society official," Jason said to him.

The man ignored Jason's offered hand and just gave a crisp, "Yes," like he wasn't worth the man's attention.

He had the aura of a bronze ranker, although not as strong as Kaname, Gary and Farrah. They were all near the top end of bronze, where this one felt more like Anisa, who had only recently moved past iron rank.

"And you must be the priestess," he greeted the young woman. "Jason Asano, lovely to meet you. May I have your name, or do I just call you 'your worship,' or something. The last priestess I met was a bit of a stickler. She liked to keep things formal, but mostly she just didn't like me."

She shook Jason's hand with a laugh. Jason mused over a handshake being common across worlds when it wasn't universal to his own. Though, he'd thought otherwise with the Adventure Society man, but he just seemed like a douche that only had courtesy for those with influence and power.

"My name is Gabrielle Pellin," she replied, "and I'm just an acolyte, not a full priestess. You can call me Gabrielle."

"Is it alright just to have an acolyte?" Jason asked.

"It is unusual," Gabrielle answered, "but my lady directed me specifically to be here today."

"Your Lady?"

"The goddess, Knowledge."

"Is that her actual name? Knowledge? First the Healer and now Knowledge... kind of straightforward names, but I guess gods have the luxury to be that blunt. A little refreshing though, hopefully not misleading. Not sure how to feel that a goddess sent someone here specifically on the very same day I'm taking my assessment," Jason mused aloud while secretly wondering if he was somehow a target to the gods of this world and if he should be frightened by that knowledge. But they were real gods, so if they wanted to smite him or something there was nothing he could do about it, thus, he dropped his concern.

He turned to the last person as the other three looked at him while pondering his suggestion that the goddess of Knowledge has taken an interest in him.

"You must be from the Magic Society," Jason greeted. "Not sure what they do, yet, but they seem very important, so well done, there. Jason Asano; nice to meet you, mate."

"Er, I'm Russell," the man replied, warily shaking Jason's hand. "You don't know what the Magic Society does?"

"I'm from an isolated area that's magically desolate and knows little of magic," Jason clarified his go-to response for his lack of basic knowledge. Best to try and keep his Outworlder/Lightbearer status secret for as long as possible.

"A magically desolate area? Inhabited by people no less," Russell mused with great interest. "I'd very much appreciate it if you showed me exactly where that is. The magic society needs to be aware of such things in case it's a natural phenomenon that's spreading or stabilized in a local area, and the cause behind it. It'd be imperative to know if it was being caused intentionally. Such destructive actions would need to be quicky resolved and the perpetrators taken care of by the Adventure Society."

Jason stumbled a bit at the concern showing on all their faces and came up with an explanation, "Umm... it's been that way for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. So, no issue of it spreading or anything, mate. And I can't really give you a location when I have no idea where it is. I was caught up in a summoning gone wrong."

"Oh," Russell responded in disappointment but understanding, being aware of what can happen when summoning rituals go awry.

He noticed that the priestess, Gabrielle, was holding what looked like a crystal ball, while Russell had a clipboard.

"So, how do we do this, then?" Jason asked, moving the conversation along and away from his origins. "She waves the thing at me and you write down the results?"

"That's more or less the process," Russell answered.

"Great," Jason responded happily. "Fair warning, most of my essences aren't listed in your registry at all, but none of my abilities are on the restricted list. Not when I checked, anyway."

Russell brightened up considerably, like gold had fallen right into his lap, before gushing out, "Then we need to have an in-depth examination of your essences, abilities and-"

Jason cut the excited man off before things went too far, "Whoa there, bloke. Relax. I've already set an appointment with a Magic Society official to do just that. One I trust more than you, no offense, mate, but she's also far more pleasing on the eyes... and all sorts of deadly with her awesome volcano powers."

Russell deflated visibly, but let out a somewhat relieved breath, "So long as they get recorded properly by the Magic Society, then all will be well."

Jason was glad that Farrah had warned him about the response to his unknown essences. The man looked like he wanted to strap him down to a table and start dissecting him. He'd even sworn he heard the man mutter about keeping an eye out for those results. At least Russell was dedicated to his work and Jason could respect that.

"Can we please get started?" the man from the Adventure Society asked, impatiently.

"Yes, sorry," Gabrielle apologetically replied. She held up the crystal orb in front of Jason. She frowned at it, giving it a small shake.

"Miss Pellin?" Russell prompted impatiently, but where the Adventure Society man did so in annoyance, he did so with eagerness. He really wanted to know what Jason's unrecorded essences where. He 'really' loves his job.

"It seems Mr. Asano is impervious to the aura reader," Gabrielle explained.

"Just call me Jason. Don't worry, I just have this ability that makes me immune to identification and tracking, but that's not unheard of, is it?"

"No, the Magic Society has recorded several such abilities before," Russell answered. "Could I convince you to discuss the power that shields you from the aura reader at least."

"Sorry, mate, already booked."

"Sorry," Gabrielle tilted her head as if distractedly listening to something before refocusing on the group, "The essences are solar, arc, void and genesis."

"Genesis?" the Adventure Society man half wondered, and half scoffed.

"The only essence you have that I heard of is void and that's remarkably rare," Russel enthused. "Arc and solar sound like divine versions of the sun and lightning essences."

"What?" Jason asked. "I said they were unrecorded and it's not like I chose the name of my confluence essence. It's a bit too ostentatious for my tastes. At least none of them are on the restricted list. Though, with them being unrecorded and all you couldn't know that for sure. It's not like I can make zombies or something."

"Would you please stop talking for five seconds?" the Adventure Society man asked in annoyance.

"Sorry about that... whatever your name is, I didn't catch it. Mr..."

"Russell, hurry it along so we can get him out of here," The annoyed Adventure Society man insisted, ignoring Jason.

"Just a moment," Russell replied. He had quickly written down the essences on his clipboard and was now frantically looking over a blue and white marble tablet of a kind Jason had seen before. Farrah had checked an identical one when they were looking up Jason's essences.

"There's really no record of that combination or the solar, arc and genesis essences," Russell said in shocked amazement. "The void essence though, has been known to occasionally have restricted abilities with certain combinations... none with the essences you have... hmm."

"Does that mean I'm good?" Jason asked.

"You're going to have your essences and abilities recorded by a Magic Society official, correct?"

"Yup."

"And you have no restricted abilities?"

"None that appear on your registry."

Russell sighed in defeat, having hoped to have a reason to force Jason to let him examine him, "You're all good to go, Mr. Asano. So long as you get examined before taking your field assessment," he added on quickly.

"Will do and thanks, mate."

"Very well," the official said, writing on his own clipboard. "You'll be cleared for field testing upon further examination by a Magic Society official. Should you successfully complete field testing, you will be allowed to take up membership with the Adventure Society, with all privileges and responsibilities that entails. Field testing takes place at the start of every month, and you can sign up at the administration desk."

"There is the matter of registering your individual essence abilities," Russell added with hopeful anticipation.

"I'm going to give that one a miss, sorry mate," Jason replied nonchalantly. "I would, but I have new friends waiting outside and I'm sure Farrah will get to those in her examination of me. Lovely to meet you Russell, Gabrielle..."

He turned to the official.

"...guy."

"How did you know my name was Guy?" the official asked.

"Seriously? I'm on a roll today. Bye, all."

Jason marched out of the room.

"What an unusual man," Russell commented.

"I thought he was fun," Gabrielle countered.

"He's an annoying nobody that just happened to luck across a few new essences," Guy stated matter-of-factly.

Russell conceded that was where his interest started and stopped but Gabrielle pondered aloud, "Then why did he catch my Lady's attention?"

"The new essences perhaps?" Russell guessed.

Guy scoffed at the notion, "It probably has more to do with young miss Pellin here or the Young Master Geller. He just happened to be here by circumstance. That's all."

The other two weren't as sure as Guy but decided to let the matter drop and left to continue on with their respective duties. Gabrielle back to her church to serve her goddess and Russell to the Magic Society in his continued pursuit of all things magical.

---

*Ichigo with a bit of tan due to the desert region he's living in and brown was the original cannon hair color of him and his mother. His father is still Issin Shiba.

*An elven Orihime, so just imagine her with elf ears and because of that I went with an elf name that roughly means princess.