An internal report from the College of Zandeim

It is with great disappointment that I must report the theft of 11 copies of ‘A Combat Understanding of Mana’. Appropriate punishments have been inflicted upon the brothers who lost these valuable tomes. I implore the Council to hire the best seekers and hunters in order to retrieve our stolen property. These books, in the wrong hands, could undo hundreds of years of College policy.

After enough sleep to allow me to recover from the training, I begin to walk back to Everwall, thinking about my plans and adjusting them in light of my revelations the other day. If I truly want to rely on other people than I need to start now, treating people as allies and as capable individuals. They may not have my combat strength but each of them brings their own capabilities that will most likely be necessary at some point in this competition. Working in the shadows to try and influence everything in my favor is the choice of the past, a decision made out of disrespect for others. I have to focus on the future, to think like a leader. No more easy decisions, no more cowardice.

A short jog brings me closer to Everwall just as the day is beginning. I crest a hill, looking down at Everwall and the beautiful sunrise. A beautiful orange hue surrounds the light, tapering off into the majestic blue sky. Sparse clouds dot the sky and they drift without concern, following the wind to wherever it takes them next. I appreciate the sight for a few moments, another reminder of the beauty of this world.

My eyes then drift down to Everwall, taking in the sights and the changes that have already occurred since I left. Obviously the town has mobilized after the notification announcing the Primus Trials. A small wooden wall is forming around the city limits, no more than five feet high but enough to provide the cities defenders with some upper ground. Analyzing it strategically, I realize that the wall would be perfect for some of Peter’s Hunters, as the height would allow archers to shoot above their comrades below. I shake off the idea, however. As much as I want to rekindle my old friendship and forgive him, that would be the easy decision. Peter showed me who he’s become and I will deal with that when it comes up. Until then, I have more pressing matters.

Walking down the hill, I feel content as I approach Everwall. I may have been avoiding the hard decisions but that choice had filled me with angst, doubt, and regret. A weight has now been lifted off my shoulders.

I approach the front gate and walk through, nodding at a few of the guards that I recognize from the manor and the meeting with Octavian. Chris is there, chopping vigorously at some wood with an axe, and he gives me a nod as I pass, obviously too busy to make small talk.

The change in the city becomes more and more evident the further I walk in. Gone is the apathy of survival, the destitution of a new world without a purpose, replaced with a grim resolve to fight this challenge. I imagine that there are those in the city want to abstain from participating in the Trials but they seem to be the minority. Those of age who were formerly unemployed are now working on the wall or training in the guard range. Non-combatants rush around the city carrying baskets, barrels, and crates, filled with a host of different materials.

There’s nothing like an outside crisis to unify a people.

It doesn’t take me long to find my Mom, her commanding voice giving out directions in the city center as she organizes all the citizens. The scaffolding has come down from the obelisk, obviously completed in the three days I’ve been gone, and its utility has become abundantly clear. Instead of the planned market, the open space at the center of the city has become a command center of sorts, young children acting as messengers. Dozens of people huddle around tables and desks discussing different methods of defense and preparation.

I don’t know what’s happened while I’ve been gone but someone must have prepared these people for the upcoming crisis. What was once a city on the brink of emotional collapse is now a city of resilience.

Standing right outside the command area, I wait until my Mom is no longer surrounded by the other people. She then turns and realizes I’m there, the hurt clearly evident on her face before she presses it down and hides it.

Glancing quickly, I look around and see some of the others still standing within ear-shot. A voice within me advises me to ask her to move to somewhere where our conversation will be private, but I ignore it, recognizing it as the influence that had pushed me to mistrust and underestimate those around me. If I truly want to respect people then I need to give them the chance to make their own opinions and decisions. I can still do things in the shadows but this step needs to be out in the open.

People who side with me will gain my trust while those who side against me will not. I need to surround myself with those who trust me implicitly, not just those who will change their mind with my upcoming actions.

“Hey Mom, I’m back.”

Grabbing my arm, she tries to pull me away for a private conversation but I resist, pulling my arm back and remaining rooted where I stand. Her eyes look at me with confusion for a few seconds but she brushes it off quickly. “Where the hell have you been? The guards haven’t seen you in nearly three days.”

“I was … Well, I made a deal with Octavian after the meeting and I was training with him.” I keep my face straight and my voice respectful as I respond. I’d given a lot of thought on how I was going to handle this interaction on my jog back and decided on the public location because it would allow the information to spread quickly. Upcoming catastrophe or not, people are incorrigible gossips and my goal is for the information to spread quickly. I need my public persona to be that of a stalwart supporter of Everwall and dedicated to its people, even at the resistance of my mother. Privately the two of us can work out any particular disagreements and plan things in advance, allowing me to work behind the scenes and out in the open. To have any chance of succeeding I need to build a support team that can handle everything I’m not capable off, with my mother being the prime candidate to lead it.

The look of shock that goes over her face would make me laugh out loud if I weren’t so committed to looking respectful. Never in my life have I seen her this caught off guard, which makes sense in the context. Her meek son negotiating with a being from another planet for training? This is just going to be one in a series of surprises that I will have to deeply apologize for in the coming days. Lying to her and my father was a decision I will regret for a long time and I’ll need to regain their trust as quickly as possible.

“W-what?” she manages to say as she struggles to maintain control. “You did what?? Why on earth would you do that!?”

Taking a deep breath, I dive into the situation, knowing that this decision is the right one, even if it is hard. “Because … I’m one of Everwall’s candidates.”

The shock that amused me before is nothing compared to the emotion that washes over her face now, but the amusement is completely gone. Fear and worry appear in her eyes, tinged with indignation and anger, as her face pales at the realization. We were both there for the meeting with Octavian and we both understand the true risk. Despite the advantages of my circumstances, there is a decent chance I won’t live through the competition.

She remains quite for a few seconds, undoubtedly regaining control of herself so that she maintains her public image as the cool and collected politician. If I’m honest with myself, I’m impressed with how quickly she does so, a display of the skill that I had completely disregarded when making my decision to lie to them. My parents are not people to be coddled. They are powerhouses of their own and I could do well with their wisdom and help.

“Are you saying that not only are you above Level 15, but you also possess a Skill above Lvl 25 and are claiming to be a citizen of Everwall?” she asks in a cool voice, making me smile internally.

I quickly nod my head. I’d been hoping that she’d pick up on the implications and she managed to do so without missing a beat. Obviously she’s going to be angry and upset that I misled her before, and didn’t fill her in before this conversation, but I can solve that in the future. What happens in the next few minutes is of vital importance. Either I’ll be able to display that I’m loyal to the city and my mother or I’ll be able to show that I won’t bow down just because I’m her son. Either one will hopefully convince people I’m doing what is best for Everwall and not just my family. Of course, I’m not the best with understanding how people react but this is the best idea I could come up with.

“Then, as the leader of Everwall, I order you to go out meet with Julian for a Skill Evaluation. Once he knows what you are capable of, we’ll figure out what to do with you. Everyone works, even my son.” She speaks, clearly adding that last part to give the impression that she is unbiased. I’m honestly surprised she didn’t order me to withdraw myself from the Trials. I had run through this meeting a hundred times in my mind and had thought that request was the most likely.

She then leans in to give me a hug, whispering low enough that only I can hear. “Don’t think this is over young man. You are coming to the manor after the day is over. You owe your father and me an explanation.” She squeezes roughly, almost as if she is trying to inflict pain. Unfortunately for her, my Physical Attributes are a little too high for that.

I wrap my arms around her, trying to convey a sense of love. I want nothing more than to sit her down and tell her everything that’s happened, finally confessing the truth to them, but I don’t know who’s listening right now. She may have been whispering but I have no doubt in my mind that there is some sort of enhanced hearing Skill. Better to wait until later.

Ending the hug, she turns around and gets back to work. It is amazing how quickly she dives back in, continuing to give out orders left and right as she prepares our new home for an attack. Will she work as hard once I tell her the truth of who I am and what I’m capable of? I chuckle to myself at the thought. Of course she will, that is who she is. Endlessly working and endlessly striving forward, she is Mary King, a paragon of drive.

Slowly walking away, I watch her effortlessly take command for a few more moments before I’m outside of the square, walking behind a guard as he leads me to Julian. Turning my focus away from her, I focus on the upcoming meeting and try to determine how much I will reveal. The first goal will be to figure out if the information becomes public knowledge or if it is written down. One of Julian’s best traits is his eidetic memory, a skill that had helped my mother on countless occasions. If, instead of writing things down, he commits them to memory, then I’ll reveal a few of my more combat focused Skills and let him help convince my parents that I am Everwall’s best chance of survival.

It takes us a decent amount of time to reach the building, as people crowd the streets, accomplishing hundreds of different tasks. The child messengers run through the streets, having fun and laughing despite the metaphorical sword that hands above the city.

It is obvious that the building Julian has set up in wasn’t fully completed before the city shifted into preparation mode. A timber framework has been completed but tarps have been draped over the walls and roof, a temporary workspace that houses an exceedingly bright mind. I walk into the front door and see Julian interviewing one of the guards. He holds a derelict wooden shield, constructed out of pieces of mismatched wood and a handle that looks to be made of ripped clothing. Despite this, he is telling Julian about his Shield Mastery Skill and how he now knows how to hold it and how to use it to block strikes.

Julian listens, tapping a finger on his head, a gesture he does while committing things to memory. Upon seeing me, however, he stops and gently guides the guard out the door, telling him to come back in an hour.

We stare at each other for a few seconds, taking in each other’s appearance, and then end it with a big and friendly hug. He may have been my mother’s employee but we’d always gotten along exceptionally well, connecting over a mutual love of books and learning. I may have become more determined over the last year and a half, adapting to my harsh circumstances, but the friendship we built still remains.

“C-c-Cael it’s g-good to see y-you a-again”, he says with honesty. “W-what are y-you doing h-here?”

I smile at him, genuinely happy to see him able to find his place in this new world. He’s living proof that not everything needs to be about combat and power. Information will always have its place in ensuring power. “I’m actually here because Mom sent me for a Skill Evaluation. I’m one of the Primus Contestants.”

His eyes widen in surprise and he takes a step back. “Y-you’re w-what? H-how? Y-you’re Level 15?”

Looking at him for a few moments, I realize that I’ve come to the first important crossroads, one that I hadn’t planned for. I’d … prepared myself for telling my parents the truth, opening up to them about where I’ve been and where I plan on going. Julian, however, is an unforeseen issue.

I take a deep breath and focus, trying to decide what the right decision is, even if it is the harder one. The answer becomes clear to me instantly. Lying to Julian, making some excuse on where I got my Skills and Levels, would be the easy decision. I would temporarily avoid a difficult decision and wouldn’t be forced to confront someone with the fear of my past. But I will not be that person again. I will strive forward.

“I’m actually far above that … I’m Level 49.” His eyes go even wider, surprise and confusion fighting on his face. I can tell that he wants to ask how that’s possible, so I continue on. “I was actually one of the people randomly selected by Genesis. Everyone on Earth has spent just under four weeks inside this new world but I’ve been in it …. Much longer than that.. I had to fight for my survival every day, facing creatures beyond my wildest imagination, so that I could return.”

His face goes pale as I finish, taking a few steps back so that he is no longer near me. It’s obvious that he isn’t looking at me as Cael, friend and son of his employer, but instead as nothing more than a randomly selected, one of the boogeymen of Everwall.

It pains me to see that look on his face, making no small part of me wish that I had lied instead of telling the truth, but I now understand the importance of what I’ve done. Whether or not he accepts me will help me decide whether or not I can trust him.

To my complete relief, the fear and panic begins to abate after a few moments. It probably helps that I’m standing still, not making any threatening gestures after the revelation. Standing up straighter, he blushes slightly, seemingly embarrassed by his initial reaction, and takes a single step forward. He’s not as close to me as he was before but it is enough for me. His panic is most likely still there, lurking and screaming at him to get away from me, but he managed to overcome it. Julian has earned my trust.

I break the silence, asking a simple question. “So how does this Skill Evaluation go?”

It takes just under two hours for me to finish the Evaluation, leaving the building just as the sun reaches its zenith. It had taken us a while to get over the initial uncomfortableness but, once we did so, the meeting became extremely productive. I didn’t display all my Skills, keeping my Telepathic Skills hidden for now, but what I did show was enough to convince him that I am the most qualified combatant that he’s interviewed. While I can’t deny the pride I feel at that statement, I also doubt that the Rank 1 individuals submitted themselves to an Evaluation.

In the end, Julian had proclaimed that helping build up the city for defense would be a waste of my time. I’d hinted at my hopes of having the city begin to associate me with their defense but he had brushed away that idea. According to him, there’s no way that I’d ever begin to build up enough goodwill with construction and help. The fear that had haunted the city after Marc’s death was too deeply ingrained, the panic turning into paranoia and hatred. Their shared hatred of the man with the knives had unified the city against the outside world, giving them an enemy that had kept them from devolving into anarchy. It had become a positive feedback loop, hatred unifying them and then increasing the hatred.

The only possible solution he saw was an overwhelming display of strength during the defense. His argument was that the fear would never truly disappear as it had played an important role in their initial unification. Instead, the fear could slowly be transformed into an almost fearful admiration as long as I used my power to defend them. His work with my mother was obvious as he laid out his idea. In the end, I’d asked him to continue thinking about it and then come to the manor tonight to discuss.

The harder decision was right. I gained an ally this afternoon.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the hardest one I have to make this day. What comes next is something that I should have done immediately. It may cost me my soul but I know that it is necessary.