《What Was Lost Outside Time》Ch 13. Crowds
Advertisement
Self ended up wandering the building of the community after the bath, both out of a lack of anything to do, and a vague curiosity as to what went on where Self wasn't presently.
The courtyard was full, when Self glanced back in, the walls lined with bundles of clothing; it was full of many, all past the age of naming, practicing with staff and shield. They were much better than the students Self had trained with. Many paired off, flowing between attacks, parries, and blocks; others practiced in larger groups, moving as a wall of shields, using a variety of strikes, only the overhead known to Self, to try to get past the shields of the opposing wall. Any who were struck immediately disengaged and went to join another practice group.
Self glanced upward, and quickly looked back down; there was indeed a sphere of light up there, a blazing fire of blue and red, a signal that overwhelmed sight in an excess of light. Self thought to the description, that it could damage sight, and it made sense.
Onward, away from the noises of staff striking shield. The doors closed with a click as Self continued down the hallways, looking left and right into open doors. People were engaged in a variety of things, most of which Self didn't recognize. An individual was doing something with an odd, squat, cylindrical shape, in shades of brown which covered the djinn's hands. One hand held an odd pointed instrument, and the djinn alternated between using that instrument to touch the cylindrical shape - which deformed at the touch, all around - followed by using a finger, which caused the sharper angles to smooth out. Self moved on.
The next room held a similar configuration, but was unoccupied. The next three doors were closed. Self turned down a hallway and walked, searching for more open doors.
The next two open rooms were unoccupied; one, full of shelves, each shelf full of rectangular objects. Self had pulled one out, and it was full of flat pale yellow rectangles - paper - each densely packed with dark brown lines - writing - but the details were unclear; there were a few memories of these books, but they were disconnected from any useful concepts. Self had observed a pair of students writing during Harabi's lesson, but hadn't given it much thought at the time. Now, Self had a brief moment of understanding that the act of writing had been recognized from those memories immediately, without Self having been aware of the origin of the recognition. Self put the book back and moved on to the next room, across the hall.
Advertisement
This room was densely filled with metal, the centerpiece of which was a pair of enormous cylinders. Moving around it, Self could identify little, the purposes of most of the objects in the room unclear. On one end, however, was a box full of the pale yellow paper. Perhaps this room was where paper was made? Self moved back to the large cylinders, and examined them. Yes, if you put ... something here, these would flatten the material, which would slide down the surface here, and these must be blades for cutting it. At the end was a lever; Self lifted it, and there was another blade underneath it. Self nodded, and moved to leave the room.
Halting at the entrance, Self looked back. Paper was made. Somebody else made the paper into books. Self looked at the lanterns lighting the stone hallways. Somebody filled these with fuel. Where did the fuel come from?
Everything had to be made. It was an overwhelming realization, as Self looked around the hallway, suddenly aware of the bricks of stone, the identically-colored material between each one. There were so many people, each doing one thing.
Well, maybe more than one thing, thinking of Efre. But still, so many different things to do. Somebody made the dressers in Self's room. Harabi made clothing, but examining it now, Self examined the miniscule threads that made it up. Somebody made those. Or did Harabi also do that?
Looking around the hallway, at the number of closed doors. So many hallways, so many rooms. People made all of this, made everything that filled it, made everything that the people who made these things needed. They also had to be fed; Self wasn't certain how much people ate, but Efre had eaten multiple times during the day. The sheer number of people, and as Self tried to conceptualize it, something like the sense of dizziness of looking up at the sky crept in.
It faded with a force of stillness. Self looked around, and sat up. Self had fallen backwards into the room, and somehow managed to close the door. Rising slowly, Self opened the door again, and stepped back into the hallway.
It felt ... something, now. A sense of down, strong. Heavy. That was what that word meant. The hallway felt heavy. The lanterns, filled by someone, felt heavy. Which hallway was this, which way back to the room? Self started walking, and then jogging, and then running.
Advertisement
Someone opened a door, and stepped out. Another. Another. People started filtering out into the halls, and the feeling of weight increased. It must be getting close to a mealtime. The noise of conversations began to rise, a chaotic mix of tones, and Self stopped.
Eyes closed, Self forced stillness, as people jostled by. Stillness, and sound faded to a distant vibration. Stillness, and it was someone far away being jostled by the crowd. Stillness.
In the still, Self considered the sensation of weight. It was several things; it was the sheer number of people, in this one community. Hundreds? Thousands? Those were numbers, but they didn't meant much to Self. It was that Self had an obligation to protect this community, these hundreds, these thousands; Self couldn't even conceptualize how many people there were, the idea of protecting them, of having an obligation to each of them, seemed beyond conceptualization as well. A staff, barely longer than a single one of them was tall; a spear, just a staff with a point on the end of it, and a shield.
That was how Self was to protect them? Two objects that were barely large enough to protect Self? There had been the wall, the shields linked together. But Self was one; that had been many, standing side by side. Self couldn't be a wall, like that. Self and the three other loop-bound of the community wouldn't make a wall wide enough for these many to stay behind.
Self wasn't certain what the question was, but knew there was one. Eyes opening, Self took in the surroundings, as the djinn filtered past on their way to lunch, some pausing briefly to look into the loop-bound's face.
Self started walking then, starting by figuring out which hallway this was, and then walking more purposefully, to the room that Efre taught the young in; Efre had shown it to Self once, in the obligation lessons, explaining that etiquette lessons were necessary for the young, as well, although they needed the same lessons repeated many times over many years.
Efre was in the room, moving blue and red cushions that were arranged in a grid on the floor. The work paused when Self entered, and Efre looked up.
"Greetings, Self." An uncertain pause. "What may I help you with?"
"This community has so many people, and there are only four of us. The obligation looks impossible." Self hadn't been certain of what to say, and then found the words coming out anyways, entirely new and unexpected. Efre stopped, pausing leaned over to pick up a cushion, hands frozen in the air.
"I ... see." After a pause, the cushion was lifted, the clean up resuming. "I do believe I told you your obligation was to do as much as possible. Many of us will join in the protection of the community, if it comes to that."
Self remembered the many people training, remembered the other students in Hvare's lessons. "But that is not their obligation. It is mine."
"It is all of our obligation; part of that obligation is fulfilled by serving the obligation to the loop-bound, for example by teaching them." A smile, as Efre completed the row, and moved to the next. "But the four of you will not be alone, and in most cases, it will not be our community alone. If one community is threatened, all communities are threatened. Other loop-bound would join in such a war, along with thousands of us. But the idea is mostly to ensure that nobody wants to join us in battle, by ensuring we are well-prepared for one. Harabi calls this the first battle."
Thousands, that incomprehensible number of people. Each with their own vibrations, their own minds. Efre continued.
"Personally I think the first battle is diplomacy, ensuring that others don't consider whether it is wise to attack us in the first place, but words are my last weapon, as well, as Harabi might say.
"Zana thinks the first weapon is numbers; that our first obligation to defense is having many children. I can't say Zana or Harabi are wrong, we each have our own way of looking at the world."
Self felt the sense of weight ... relaxing. The numbers still felt overwhelming, but that was not a thing Self had to think about. Self's obligation was protection, but it was the obligation of many - many thousands - and it was not one shield, but many.
Like the shield wall.
"Thank you, Efre." Efre gave a slight nod, smiling.
"Anytime, Self. You are young yet, but you aren't alone here."
Advertisement
Joie de Vivre
A modern man chased immortality and found it. In a mixture of good and bad luck, he was re-born as part of the Uzumaki clan from the Naruto-verse, some few years before their scheduled destruction. But if Daichi were the sort to allow a little thing like fate to get in his way, he'd never have survived in the first place. Dedicated, intelligent, chock full of ideas from a technologically advanced society, and perfectly willing to scorch the earth, he sets out to avert history. Can he avert canon, save the Uzumaki, and forge his people into a mighty nation? Or will he fail, dooming his clan to extinction? At the end of the day, all he wants is a good life. And considering even Death itself didn't stop him, he pities whoever gets in his way. ================== Tags: Naruto, Reincarnation, OC, eventual multi-cross. ================== Author's (Brief) Note: Back by popular demand. This was my first significant fanfic (and fic in general). I wasn't happy with the writing as time went on, and took it down, but years later am still getting requests to put it back up so I guess some people liked it. Newly re-released as I finish some minor editing, there are about 100,000 words (~360 RRL pages) already written, so releases should be fast until I catch up with the backlog. That said, it may languish in hiatus at that point if the interest isn't high enough to merit continuing, so if you're the type to only read finished stories (or ones where the author promises to do so), I am very specifically not promising that. On the other hand, if enough people read, like, review, comment, rate, etc. then it will get added to my writing schedule. Generally, the character is based on a “how badass could someone who hasn't done ridiculously crazy shit be? Or, how does someone with the potential, in another setting, with a lot of luck, to be a badass act and develop as a modern, productive member of society? And then how would they deal with the Naruto-verse?” Please, please do not judge my writing by this. Unless you really like it, in which case fine, do, but recognize my other writing is likely better (unless it’s that one MTG/ASoIaF/SW fic I did over on SB as a speed-writing experiment, which is also pretty terrible).
8 255Epic Tales Variation: Aegis Kan
[Winner of the 2021 Writhathon Challenge] Volume 1 Powerless - without ability, influence, or power. That's what Aegis Kan previously known as Terrence Brown, felt when his world was invaded and his soul has whisked away to Gaia. Born as the firstborn of a Powerful Duke, Aegis finds himself in an entirely new world with magic and different paths to power; however, Aegis Kan is tasked with a mission as a Harbinger by the being, [Beyond], who invaded his world, took his soul, and chucked him and others out into the universe. Their task? Spread the System to the myriad races. This is his story, his Epic Tales. Volume 2 Syn Aegis and his cousin Amaya find themselves sent to the world of Prima on one mission and one mission alone. Conquer the world and add it the dukedom and Empires ever-growing resources. However, something weird happened to the planet right before their arrival. An overlap of the same world but darker and a merging caused by the shifting of realities have caused a nightmare Aegis has long forgotten to reappear. They... tHey... THEY... THe NOX ARE COMING! This story can be considered a slow burn and the everything is explained as the action commences and the story moves along. It is mostly told from Aegis perspective however there are several times when a side character perspective of an event matters so I'll put it in. Btw the first volume is a bit spotty as I am a new writer and still trying to find my rhythm. I believe it picks up speed around chapter 13-16ish Release Schedule: 4 chapters a week Wed-Sat 7AM GMT -6 Chapter length between 2000-3500. I try to stay around 2500-3000 but somethings the chapter just doesnt have a good cut off. Not all tags will affect the first volume and more will be added as the world is expanded. If you want to show support join my Discord or read 8 chapters plus get access to side stories on my Patreon!
8 131Reincarnated as a Wolf monster in another world?
When 10 random people are mysteriously killed across the world at the same time. They all simultaneously appear before a being claiming to be the one who killed them. After a quick conversation, he declares that he's going to reincarnate them. And with that, they are all sent off to have a dangerous adventure
8 65Black Book Saga
Lux was taken from his burning home on earth to a slave training outfit on Eden as a boy. Luckily his fate saw him purchased not for his potential as a sex slave but instead for the latent potential for magic within him. Trained as a battle mage and healer for the kingdom of Avalon, Lux had a respectable standing in life and an envious status as a slave. Yet all good things must eventually end, and as the four worlds brought together thirty four years ago drift closer to inevitable conflict Lux finds himself the subject of a strange prophecy. Main Project Random Releases (On Break) Cover Wanted!
8 190FABLE
The lone survivor of a terrible tragedy, sixteen-year-old Ashling Shields is living like she’s already dead. But when a chance encounter with an irresistibly wicked teen rock star goes awry, she’s pulled into a world of fallen angels and seductive vampires. A world of dark pleasures, enchantments and secrets deep in the midnight forest. Ashling must unravel the mystery of her past before the dark force hunting her catches up. It's a second chance to follow her dreams... if her nightmares don't kill her first.
8 187Immortal Martial God
An ancient world, where people from countless cosmos emerge... A world, whose limits can't be perceived... A world, where countless gods and immortals roam freely in the sky... A world, where to be born is a fortune in itself... A world where countless mysteries are waiting to be unveiled... In this vast world, a boy wants to become a God but he has the lineage of Immortals. In this world where both Gods and immortals exist, only one can survive the coming tribulations, as it is known in the Vedas. Will he be able to defy the odds, and cultivate both the blood of an Immortal and the power of the Gods to become an Immortal Martial God? ................................................................................................................................................................... Author's Note:- Guys, the story will become good starting from 9th chapter. It's the turning point chapter
8 163