Chapter 6: Template Cities

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade

Traveling down a narrow passage off of Resilience Path, Caim and Alice were now free from the crowd. They traveled past the rows of buildings arranged in neat block configurations. These looked like three-story apartments. After passing multiple blocks of four neatly-arranged buildings, Caim got a strange impression. He couldn’t place what was so different, but it sunk deeper than surface observations. He pushed the thought aside for now.

A sudden splitting headache forced Caim to support himself by leaning on one of the buildings. The pain receded and he focused on the smooth, wax-like surface he was touching.

Why does that pain feel familiar?

He continued following Alice in silence. He didn’t need more disruptions. Some discomfort was an unavoidable part of the transportation. Caim remembered Vera’s words.

It is all in the interest of promoting adaptive cognitive changes. I will adjust to my surroundings over time, and my immediate goal is to survive a single day.

Caim had somehow implicitly and inexplicably understood the symbols around him. The symbol representing Shroud and that on the Medical Station. The magic-facilitated cognitive adjustment was the source of the pain.

They walked further into Maliscade’s inner streets until the alley passed by an open courtyard with four long benches arranged in a square. These simple purple benches faced inward, toward a cluster of statues. Small trees with red leaves surrounded the square, all neatly pruned to show off the apparent importance of the square.

Important or not, it was empty.

Alice walked over to one of the benches and sat down. She patted the space beside her, inviting Caim to sit down. Caim walked toward her but decided to take a seat on an adjoining bench. He wasn’t trying to offend her, he just needed space right now while he was still processing his fate. Alice didn’t say anything about his decision. She spoke to him in a soft, non-threatening voice.

“In the heat of combat, when you’re focused on the moment and only the moment… sometimes you suspend reactions to things that might otherwise distress you.”

Alice was speaking with a tonal composure and pacing that made Caim wonder if she had been preparing what she would say during the walk. Her word choice was different, too. The Alice he had briefly gotten to know spoke plainly and bluntly. It had given Caim the impression that she was forthright and eager. Now, she was treating this talk with uncharacteristic deliberation.

“We prioritize survival and our focus is automatically allocated. Something like that,” she continued while staring at the statue before them. Caim didn’t follow her gaze because he didn’t want to take in even more sights that would unsettle him.

No, Caim concluded. Something like this has probably happened to her or someone close to her. Maybe it is a common occurrence among seekers?

“After we calm down, some of us face a kind of ‘delayed panic’, when we are forced to process stressors that our brains had automatically shoved aside. Many ‘Initiates’ face this, no matter their expectations for what a festerfont is really like.”

Alice continued her explanation while leaning forward. She was still focused on the center statue. Determination furrowed her brow and clenched her jaw. Alice’s narrowed eyes took on a deep green in the shadow of the back-alley clearing. Both her hands gripped the smooth surface of the bench and the muscles of her arms bulged slightly.

Caim refocused on his companion’s voice but cast his gaze rightward at the smooth, steel blue exterior of the building ahead. The material was not metal. At least, not entirely. It looked almost plastic or at least coated in a glossy substance with that familiar sheen. He already knew what it felt like.

Though he was still taking in Alice’s words, he also began trying to imagine what kind of construction operations went on in Shroud.

Beneath the coating, the buildings shared an aesthetic with some of the rest of the city’s substructure. The material flowing from building to the street wasn’t metal, but rather, it looked like a hardened concrete mixed from a combination of some of the rocks he had seen in the cave.

Looking at the city overall, he guessed that magic was at least partly involved in the construction. It was an easy assumption.

Alice had fallen silent, and it had taken Caim a moment to realize this. When he looked over, her concerned eyes were staring at him.

“It is hard being trapped in a place I know nothing about,” Caim began to clarify in a low voice. “That monster was horrifying… but what scares me more is the thought of being different than everyone else in Shroud.”

His eyes settled on an arrangement of three triangular prism buildings in the distance. They were black with deep purple patterning. Caim had come to understand that these were the colors of Shroud. They rose much higher into the air than the surrounding buildings, high enough to be seen over the top of the buildings in the square.

These three buildings exuded an imposing presence.

“You and I just met... but already I feel like you’re an important ally,” Alice ventured passionately.

The admission caught Caim by surprise. In his eyes, they were profoundly different. Alice was a heroic warrior. He was just a disconnected outsider, feeble in body and scattered in mind. Alice’s misrepresentation of who he was forced him to mentally retreat, refocusing on Maliscade’s architecture.

What was strange about the city was the feeling that it hadn’t been built over time, expanding over the years, decades, and centuries, with parts getting demolished and rebuilt.

No, this whole city looked like it had been fabricated in a very short period of time, all at once and with intentionality in function and aesthetic.

“I guess you don’t feel the same way,” Alice mumbled, her voice sounding distant. “And I know it really isn’t the time to put more on your shoulders.”

Caim was busy wondering how people got around in such a large city. From his perspective, it would be strange if there wasn’t some form of public transportation available.

Do they teleport to go to places? I think Alice said something about it being interesting, but she also said Traversal magic was rare.

“I just don’t think you know me well enough,” Caim explained. “Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to help anyone right now, not that you aren’t deserving of it. If I could burden you with more questions, would you tell me more about Maliscade?”

Alice quickly turned and gave an understanding nod. She looked withdrawn for a moment, but quickly recovered when he asked for more information.

“Ask me anything and I’ll try to answer it,” she insisted with a bright smile.

The question was already on Caim’s lips.

“Was Maliscade city constructed in a short period of time?”

Alice’s confused look gave Caim pause.

“It is hard to guess what the allied territories already know about Shroud,” she explained. Alice briefly hesitated. “Maliscade is what is called a ‘template city’. It is difficult to explain what that means to an outsider. I think it would be easier for me to say it in a way you’d understand if I knew more about magic and cities.” She hesitated once more. “To answer in a sentence… yes, Maliscade was built in three days.”

Caim suspected something incredible, but hearing that such an outlandish thing was possible in Shroud rocked him. This time, however, the information did not overwhelm him. He wanted to hear more about this. As much as Alice was able to say. That would help him explain at least a fragment of the society around him.

“I didn’t think such a thing could be possible,” Caim exclaimed. Alice was watching his expression and she seemed to find his interest in the subject humorous.

“You think that’s strange? I have to admit, it is strange speaking to someone who is unfamiliar with what is common knowledge here. It is refreshing,” she exclaimed with a quiet giggle before recomposing herself.

“Cities I knew were built over a long time period. Decades and centuries. I’m amazed that technology here allows for such a thing. I’m not familiar with modern methods. Are all cities built this way?”

“Cities you knew?” Alice paused. “Nevermind, I know what you mean. The cities you’ve heard of are probably like that. No, not all of Shroud’s cities are template cities, but I think our leaders are trying to make it possible. I think it’s very expensive, though. Oh, and each template city’s construction is a national event. The Shrouded Theocracy hires artists, performers, and even the military puts on parades to celebrate the occasion. The day even becomes a national holiday.”

“Really? Are there recordings of the event? It sounds like an enjoyable time and I’d love to see it happen, even if only on-” Caim halted mid-sentence. He had forgotten himself. Shroud probably didn’t have the technology he’d become accustomed to.

“You mean like pictures? I’m sure we could find some for you somewhere, but Maliscade is thirty years old and so would be those pictures. Oh, and the artists painting them are required to take ‘liberties’ when representing the process to the public,” Alice explained with a slight shrug.

“Why is that?”

“The magic is a secret or something. I don’t know the details. All I know is that it is protected knowledge. You’d have to ask someone else for more information. I was born in Maliscade after it was already finished. I wish I could have seen Maliscade’s birth. It must have been glorious!”

Alice had gotten to her feet and was now in an excited state. She balled her gloved hands into fists and brought them up almost all the way to her chest, staring upwards.

She really adores this city.

“What are those tall buildings in the distance?” Caim asked, pointing in the direction of the black prisms. Alice followed his finger with her eyes and then looked down.

“Those are the administrative buildings. I don’t know what goes on in them, but the Paragon of Sacrifice controls all of that.”

“The Paragon of Sacrifice controls Maliscade?”

“No. The Paragon just does a lot of the administration in Shroud. Managing a country is a big job, so I don’t think he ever feels the need to visit us in person. Plus, I heard a rumor that something happened at the border a while back.” Alice shrugged. “I’m really not one to ask about this. Actually, you shouldn’t ask anyone about this. Got that?”

Alice eyed Caim. He nodded.

“Message received.”

“Anyway, back to the last topic. Each template city is different than the last. They make changes to the plans that act as a catalyst for the magic.” Alice lost some momentum. “Something like that. This means Maliscade, as the most recent city, was based on the best and most updated plan! That isn’t what makes this city great. It is the people and the Guild.”

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. When she saw him looking at her, she turned and held up her hands.

“You studied magic, right? All technological innovation comes from it. I know that, even if I know close to nothing about the subject. Please don’t think everyone in Maliscade is as ignorant as I am about this.”

She thinks she gave off the wrong impression?

“I think I’ve already told you that I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to magic.” While not technically a lie, it implied he knew something at all.

“I asked you a few questions back in Shimmerden. I asked more on the way here. I think I know what you are. What you were,” Alice began.

Caim felt his heart skip a beat for a moment. Just when he was beginning to calm down, too.

“When we first met, I was thinking about other things than your past… but you’re a scholar, aren’t you?” Alice paced toward Caim and stopped. She placed one of her fists in her other palm in passionate deliberation. Then, she turned and paced back. “It might be why you don’t seem to react to my condition as a normal person would.”

Caim summoned everything he could think of related to the label “scholar”, searching for a definition that would apply to Shroud.

“I know I don’t know you very well, but you said some things about this Vera person that got my attention, and I even noticed the way you looked at my faron comrade.”

Caim did his best to think of a proper story. He couldn’t fill in the gaps without learning more, so he needed Alice to do that for him.

“You must have spent most of your life cloistered away in some kind of magic academy on the far northern shore. You were locked away for a long time in that academy, in a kind of program where you were isolated with only books and teachers to keep you company. You may be broke, but your clothes look expensive. They are casual but well made. Even if you say you don’t know much about magic, you know more than me.” Alice wasn’t asking, she was connecting the dots he had left.

I’ve never heard someone get such a completely wrong idea in almost the right way before. I can’t say she was “almost right”, but she also wasn’t wrong.

Alice was working with bounded rationality to explain his strange behavior in a way that was realistic to her. Her false assumption that he had spent time in a magic academy suited his narrative. He had no intention of correcting her.

“About magic… I need to emphasize that I don’t know much at all. Not common magic, at least. Vera told me that much while I was her student. I know other things about life, though. It isn’t that I’m completely ignorant. I’m just not sure how applicable my knowledge will be now…”

“And being in a city for the first time must be a shock. You don’t know what to expect,” Alice mumbled, looking off to the side. She was speaking to Caim, but she was also working out these thoughts for her own benefit.

“Talking to people is sometimes hard too,” Caim admitted vaguely, but his sullen tone was enough to convey that there was more to it than that.

“Now I get it,” Alice announced.

“You do?” Caim replied, surprised and somewhat skeptical.

“You’ve developed some kind of social phobia!”

She announced her discovery with pride that didn’t fit the unfortunate reality, and her tone quickly became apologetic.

“What I mean is-” Alice turned away gesturing with an open palm at the air while obviously trying to reword her previous comment. She turned back to face Caim “What I mean is that, now that I understand the problem, I can help.” Alice was speaking rapidly now. “Well… not me specifically. I have my own duties with my party, but I’ll leave you in good hands.”

Caim mentally recoiled. A friend of Alice was probably a good person, but it was still someone he didn’t know. He didn’t like this idea.

Social phobia wasn’t exactly the right way to describe it. It was more a phobia of making the wrong choices. Caim didn’t want to play a role in Vera’s game. His path was blocked off in many directions. He no resources, save for Scion, and little knowledge. He knew that his magic would become powerful, but he didn’t want to use it to hurt people.

I’ll find out more about this magic she gave me. I’ll use it until it develops into a useful tool. I won’t go looking for fights, but I will protect myself if I need to.

Spellweaving Event Triggered Calibrating First Spell [ Configuring Tactical Control System ] Calibrating Second Spell

[ Retrieving Spellweaving Template: Variable Utility ]

[ Sorting Variants ]

[ First Variant Template: Recovery ]

[ Second Variant Template: Protection ]

Hibernating

A chill washed over Caim and his vision went white. He sat still, hoping whatever it was would pass. It had something to do with Vera. It had to. Finally, his vision returned to normal.

“That friend of mine who works at the Guild, Mille, she and I go way back. She is kind of like a sister to me. She has helped me out many times, and I’ve more than returned the favor since becoming a competent seeker, so I think she’d watch over you until you can stand on your own.”

“I’m not so sure I can-” Caim began, but he looked up and saw that Alice was pacing away, deep in thought.

She turned and began pacing back his way. She rushed over and grabbed Caim’s shoulders. He was calm. Alice was no enemy. She was just startlingly excitable.

“Oh!” She paused, taking in his expression. “Don’t give me that look. My schooling ended many years ago, but I remember the anxiety. You have the eyes of someone uncertain. I recognize it in every Initiate I help mentor. You don’t have to hide your inexperience around me.”

She stared deeply into his eyes. “I see your eyes take in the sights of Shroud with such refreshing curiosity. Not everyone has that. It’s-” Alice stopped talking and just smiled. She let go of Caim and stepped back.

“I just need to know more about many things,” he admitted.

“You are in a new place and must feel lost. You have no way to get home.”

You have no idea, he wanted to say, but he didn’t.

“I have a story to share with you. It might help, it might not.”