*Roman (Row); sired by Ramis, son of Haped and Hellina; mothered by Jasmine, daughter of Racheses and Harbon; originally of the Greentree Protectorate*

As I lie on the ground I was focusing on how blindness and deafness cut me off from the rest of the world. It distracted me from the pain. If there is one thing I have learned it is that the only thing that hurts worse than dying is lying on the ground refusing to die for minutes on end. It is not the sharp terrifying pain of death but a dull foreboding one that grew more excruciating with every moment. But lie there I did. This was my fault and I would only get one chance. If Freddie, or whatever his name really was, saw me get back up than he would just kill me again and I only had the one emergency revive. It was an expensive item, hard to get and even harder to learn of its existence, and one I wouldn’t be getting replaced any time soon… but this was my fault and I had to find a way to fix it.

The other thing that kept intruding into my mind was that I hoped that I hadn’t traumatized the boy. He always knew me as ‘Row the teacher’ or ‘Row who is amused at his antics’, but nobody ever got to be powerful without having to face someone who wanted to pull them down in the dirt. I had learned to be dangerous out of true necessity. Young William had never seen that side of me. I had hoped to ease him into it with a trip to the colosseum, have him learn of human cruelty in a place where we can just leave and have it be over. Not like this. Never like this.

Time lost all meaning in the void, but fortunately I had gotten a mod that let me keep exact track of the time. A third of an hour later, or a half hour if you use that archaic 24 hour day, I finally let myself go and felt the jerk as the item activated. I hurt. A lot. But I was alive.

The first thing I did was punch the scavenger who had decided that it was a good idea to gnaw on my body. It took a few steps back and tried growling at me. The monster looked like some sort of bird that had grown too thick to fly and had picked up crocodilian teeth and scales to compensate. So the second thing I did was to grab my sword and bisect the creature before it could do any more damage. Step three and four were stealth and healing, respectively, which allowed me to prepare to head back. I quickly drew a diagram into the ground to work with my Flash Portal and waited for the item to power up. Fortunately this item would only require a week long recharge rather than a full replacement.

The magic drew together in a bulbous mass above the diagram, powerful enough to draw the attention of a few mana predators, but those took one look at me before running off. Something was seriously wrong with this place. There shouldn’t be nearly as many monsters as I was seeing and they should be far more cautious of getting close to something that outclassed them to the degree that I did. Finally the mass of power flattened and I was able to step through the newly formed plane of energy back to the city. I had set the location next to the side entrance of the school and so was confronted by some uncomfortable questions about why I was here on one of my days off, but that was quickly left behind as I made my way toward the boy’s Da and Ma’s house.

As soon as I was outside the gates and out of earshot I activated the mana formation to contact Eddie: “Something happened with your son. There was a…”

“Say nothing more.” He answered me. “Come to my office. You know the one I’m using.”

The man changed offices so often it was hard to keep track. “I know it,” I confirmed, “I will see you soon.” He said nothing more and I sped off toward his location.

The building was in a quieter part of town that was filled with warehouses. Originally the building he was working out of had also been been fortified to be used for valuables storage, to keep people out, but that same solidity now served to protect the public from some of ‘The Professor’s’ experiments. They didn’t all explode when they went wrong, but one rebuilt building was usually enough to get the point across. Besides the location and the toughness, however, the interior looked like a normal businesslike entrance foyer. Two doors broke off of the room, the one to the right was closed and reached to the ‘testing center’ through the one to the right showed the office where Eddie sat at his desk. As I approached I smelled smoke and the sweet tang of Elipsian brand Tobbacco as it burned. Nearby was a lit pipe of an unusual design, taller than normal and with a squared bottom to keep from tipping over as it waited on him.

“Thea isn’t going to like that. You know how she feels about your old habit.” I announced myself with words meant to show some familiarity and hopefully keep him from getting too upset about the news I had for him.

He waved me off. “I think this counts as ‘unusual circumstances’, wouldn’t you agree? After all, my son got taken.” He took another deep drag from his cigar and held it for a second before letting it out slowly. I took note of his displayed attire to get an idea of what was to come. The suit he wore was sharp but unrestricting and far more opulent than his normal wear. The colors seemed to be specifically chosen to be neutral to any nearby groups while showing an iridescence that kept the browns and greys from taking on a toned down effect. His conversation with myself was, seemingly, not his highest concern for the immediate future. This was alarming in a completely different way.

“How did you know?” I asked. “I only just now got back into town and the only other person with us should be recovering from revival.”

I had to wait for him to finish the exhale before the answer came. “Mahu told me. She is recovering and doesn’t remember the end of the fight but she did remember the beginning. Apparently William told her that your other party member was going to betray him and that he wanted to let us know that he would be back, and I quote, ‘as soon as he finished pissing the guy off’. She called me in a panic and it took Thea and I a bit to figure out what was going on, but after that we took steps. Tell me what you saw.” He leaned back and took another long draw from his cigar as he listened.

There was a chair nearby but I chose to stand. Quickly and efficiently I recounted the situation from the point where William Cody, or ‘Freddie’ as he had called himself, had joined up until I had been knocked out to face the darkness of near oblivion.

“And my boy was mocking him, you say? Poking him with insults to see what would stick?” He asked consideringly.

“Yes.” I answered with a sigh. “I admit that it did distract him enough for me to act but it didn’t seem to do much more than that.”

My old friend took a long pull from his smoke before quietly answering. “You might be surprised.” His words were spoken quietly but still loudly enough that we both knew it had been heard.

“What do you want done.” I asked after a moment.

“Everything that can be.” He answered quickly, then spoke more normally. “I’m going to unfortunately have to impose on you a bit longer.”

“Absolutely.” I immediately answered back. It was, after all, partially my fault that this had happened. I should not have accepted the replacement for our group without greater caution, even if I had no reason to believe that anyone would yet know or remark on the child’s existence. “But once I tell you where to follow the trail, there is little more that I can do. Surely you can find someone with better skills than mine for this important task.”

He nodded. “It is a bit complicated but I’ll need you to go along with the rescue party and be my contact with some, hmmm, ‘unconventional’ characters. I need you to act as an ‘observer’ of sorts.” There was no prevailing tone to his voice, nothing that would give me clues beyond his neutrality in discussing it.

“I don’t understand. Can you explain my role a bit better.”

“I can, but you aren’t going to like it. This gets into all the ‘complications of reality’ that you like to avoid.” He spoke with amusement now, but I had known him long enough to know it was entirely feigned.

I shook my head and answered, despite already feeling that a headache would soon be oncoming. “I need to know.”

The man who was known as the Professor gave me a discerning look, then continued. “You know, having my boy has been good for me. There is just something about going alongside a child to raise them up that gives you new eyes. That is a precious thing for someone who has been around as long as myself. I have walked the world since before this town existed, before the land on which it is built existed, and having young William around has reminded me of things that I haven’t thought on since my very earliest levels.” The man’s tone had been that of one beyond years waxing poetic of fond memories, but his entire demeanor suddenly changed. He leveled his eyes at me with a piercing stare that held more than a hint of the madness of his investigations and spoke. “It has reminded me of how utterly strange this world is.”

Suddenly he broke out in a grin as his mania seemed to completely take over. “Think on it! The entire world is bent around certain first principals! The divisions of everything! We know it from our classes, our identity itself, but it touches on everything! Utterly fascinating!”

I sighed and decided to slow him down. “What does this have to do with me? With what you want me to do?”

He nodded but seemed much more naturally focused as he continued. “You know the divisions of the world that divide up the six classes.” He spoke assuredly.

I did. The two divisions were the center of focus, which divided the classes in half between the internally focused and external; and the direction of focus, which divided the classes between those focused on preservation, motivation, and the reflexive. I nodded slowly, unsure of how this basic teaching related to our current situation.

This time he was a bit more subdued as he spoke. “Everything in this world is bent into those odd divisions. For now the question is ‘how does one stop another person’s evil plans?’ So we search for someone who will fit into each category.”

I nodded again. It was still a strange thing, his words, but they at least made some sort of sense.

“For the External we need someone who can wield the world around them. Fortunately I fit well into that category within the realm of Preservation by being able to command the structures and systems that already exist, bringing around the world as it stands in order to bar in his way. In that capacity I have found a disagreeable woman to act out the role of Motivation by wielding the external force necessary to change the world around her.” I nodded along and then stopped still as a chill ran down my skin. I very much hoped that he had found someone better than the shrew who came to my mind.

“Finally young William has the role of the External Reflexive covered, poking at his weaknesses as he is, though his young age makes that far less effective than it otherwise might be.” He looked to me to see that I was following before continuing.

“For the Internal realm of Motivation I can rest assured that you have and will play your part focusing on the singular goal of protecting your honor and the child put under your care. It is something good that I have known of you since the very first moment we met. Similarly I have found another gentleman who understands the evils of the world and who is therefore focused more completely on the realm of Preservation through a desire to make the world a better place. Standing against the slow rise of moral depredation often requires that sort of action, after all.”

He was right about how his explanation would give me a headache. I nodded along waiting for the final category. His next words were something different. “Your contribution has been sufficient and will be sufficient without my direction, but I need you to also act in the capacity of a Witness.”

“But what of the last category, that of the internal reflexive?” I asked in a quest to fill in my mental framework. The reflexive focus was always an odd one, and fulfilling that requirement could be simple or the most complicated requirement of them all.

Edmond’s features turned dark. “The Internal deals with motivations and the underlying reality that grows out into the world at large. The Reflexive deals with adaptation when one’s methods or reality cannot measure up. To include such a person would give that bastard a chance at change! Redemption!”

He stared me down with a ferocity that immediately reminded me of how dangerous this man truly was. His words suddenly got still, though not in the least bit quiet, as they rose in intensity with every syllable that came from his mouth. “He stole my son. I’ll see him burn in an undying pit for a thousand summers before I give him that chance. I WILL SEE HIM PAY FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE!” By the end of his words he was yelling at me but still remained seated as though his words were so sure that the universe itself would bend to his will without a need for him to raise a finger. For all I knew, with all the externally sourced magic that he knew, it may even be true.

It took me a few moments to let the truth sink in that his anger was not truly aimed at me. It was not that I truly expected to be the focus of his ire, but the visceral reaction to that sort of outburst was hard to deny. I decided to change the subject. His former mania was much preferred over this new one. “What do you need me to do as a ‘Witness’? What is my goal in this capacity?” I was careful to give his word for this position the same intonation that he had used but let him explain the particulars rather than attempt to pull them out myself.

He nodded, instantly regaining a semblance of control. “Yes. That may be important for you to know.” He continued nodding and I knew I needed to be careful lest he fall back into his particular insanity. “It is an aspect of reality that may well go beyond our universe. Every lesson is meant to be taught. Every experience is meant to either further one’s current path or to point someone on a new path. The issue here is the question of who is going to be the observer to whom the lessons will be taught. Now the obvious students would be either my son or his kidnapper, but neither would make me happy. William is still young and I would like to shield him from learning about this world’s evil for a bit longer, and that bastard is not someone I will willingly act in such a way that might contribute to his growth. Meanwhile you would make a perfect replacement and, because I know your role in this, I can trust that you will follow that role faithfully in the position of the observer.”

It unnerved me a bit to see how sure he was that I would simply accept this task, though not so much that I was not willing to take it on. I needed to do whatever I could to protect my student and I agreed that this lesson might be a bit early for the child. The memories of an old life he might have, he still has the maturity of a child. I had a feeling, though, that this man already knew this. It served to remind me how much I hate dealing with people with high Charisma. Instead I simply nodded.

“Splendid,” he answered. “Lets go fetch my wife from the entry and meet our two guests.”

Meeting up with Thea was a simple affair, as she was waiting in the next room, and she leaned in to give him a tight hug as they met. I took note that she was dressed in her combat gear of little note or ornamentation beyond the crest identifying her vocation. Nobody actually expected her to be part of the rescue squad; regardless of if she was showing, her pregnancy became an open secret when her name had been removed from the active rosters. The only other time she had done so was when heavy with William. Not even her honeymoon was enough to get her to go on standby.

She nodded toward me in a tight motion once they had separated and I nodded back with a bit less restraint.

“Have you been waiting long?” I asked.

She spoke back evenly. “No. I was informed when you arrived and only then made my journey to this place.”

“Right this way.” Edmond said as he held the door open for his wife and myself.

I looked in to see two people, one who was somewhat expected and the other who confirmed my earlier fears. The first was Lance ‘Menagerie’ Townsen, the however many great grand cousin of Edmond and the recognized leader of both the city’s more deific minded faction and the administrator/Liege for the place as a whole. He was dressed to look like he was wearing a casual set of work attire, mirroring his more long lived relative, and bore the symbols of both his position and office.

The other was the ‘Grand Martial’, a woman of impressive sturdiness and exaggerated curves. She had a dozen names and epithets of note but that one title helped to unite them all. She wore a knee length leather sundress that accentuated her figure and a sash embroidered with a dozen identifiers for position and accomplishments. The look was undoubtedly meant to distract and entice, giving the impression of stern vulnerability if I judged my friend’s predilections, though it didn’t take much to detect the massive hunk of heavy armor that composed its true capabilities. I glanced back toward Thea, knowing that the taller woman’s position as leadership of the Heights of Man was not going to be enough to still the tongue of a woman who recognized when someone was going after her husband.

Still, things could be worse. The three of us had entered as a group, cementing our position as trusted and unified, and the slight deference of entering the room for the two powerful persons was more a sign of respect than an actual disadvantage.

Edmond finally entered the room and began to speak. “Thank you for all coming together today. I have a…” he began before being cut off by his wife starting an argument with the woman who was rumored to be capable of single handedly wiping out the entire town’s average population.

“Skank!”

“Bitch.”

“Whore!”

“Butch.”

“At least I’m a real woman.” Thea shot back.

“You certainly don’t look like it. A gendermixed boy perhaps?”

“That’s rich coming from you. Do you even know what a real girl is?” Thea took a step forward. A dangerous move and I noticed a flash of recognition of it from Edmond. Her move could be taken as a challenge, and nobody expected that to end well. Lance simply stood watching the byplay with interest but no worry.

The Martial recognized it, though, and took on a predatory smile as she took a step forward to accept. “I’m sure we can settle the truth easily enough.” She spoke in a tone both meant to rile and threaten. Thea’s temper had gotten the better of her but there was no real way for her to back down despite her weakened and precarious state, though at least the smaller woman had the mind to not accept the challenge right there.

Not that she had the chance, a giant octopus tentacle slammed into the ground between them with enough power to shake the foundation and cause Thea to step back. The Martial simply looked annoyed toward Lance. The tentacle was attached to his upper arm, like a growth that had attached itself to his suit and the arm underneath, and flared out until the tentacle was as thick as a human torso was wide. The extra arm lifted back up between the two women before melding back into the man without so much as a sound. “Oh good! So you two women know each other already. I was afraid I would be called upon to make introductions!” The tone was cherry in a way that completely undercut the current tensions.

The Martial gave a huff of disappointment as Thea turned away and was led to a chair near the side of the room by her husband. The testing chamber we were in now was mostly bare, now that I looked around. Beyond a few chairs and a few benches near the outside the only thing of note were some specialty made movable barriers that had been designed to appear transparent but were undoubtedly far more substantial.

“Why did you stop me?” The Martial demanded toward Lance. “You have as much reason to be against that woman as myself.

He shook his head. “Be that as it may, we are guests and the current situation deserves some decorum despite our predilections.”

I didn’t speak but I also noted that the fight would certainly not have turned out as the more statuesque woman wanted. If she had harmed Thea at all and endangered Edmond’s yet to be born child the Hell that would be returned might equal the Martial’s boasts about her destructive capability. It reminded me of the conversation I had just had. The Grand Martial, despite her ability of physical strength to impact the world, was still acting at the command of Edmond and his ability to direct the powers that be. Though that did bring up an important question.

“So what was it that brought you both together today?” I asked, wanting to change the subject and knowing people like this would not have immediately dropped their schedules without sufficient reason. Something must have been offered sufficient to gain their attention.

“Information.” Lance stated simply. “It isn’t every day that a four year old is taken on a hunt as a participant. That sort of talent turns heads and makes powerful people want to be involved in his rearing.”

“The balance must be preserved, so you say. This town’s wellbeing depends on it.” The Martial agreed with a nod, speaking in a more subdued tone which did not at all hide her mocking undertone or eye roll. “If those of the Guide want to have this information than it is only fair that the followers of Heights have the same consideration. I am more than happy to take advantage of this state of things.”

Lance’s face took on a complicated expression at that. “It does bother me that none from the Earth are in attendance. They are partners in The Accord as well.”

“You worry too much,” The Martial shot back neutrally, then continued with dripping distain. “Who would we call from that leaderless horde of mongrels? The King Underneath? Corpulent and yet greedy! The Silken Princess? A prostitute and meddler! The leaders of the Tail and Fang? Beastmen and proud of their weakness! I even hear that there is a youngling running around calling himself the Goblin King! He’s even doing a better job of things than half the elders on that list.” For all that the complicated look remained on the other man’s face, he did not look to disagree.

It was at this time that Edmond found his way back into the conversation, Thea following quietly behind with her normal neutral expression. “That lack of leadership could be understood as one of the reasons why none were brought into attendance.” He gave me a look, then continued. “Regardless, I’m certain that you both know why I called you both together.”

“Your youngling has been taken and you want our help retrieving him.” The Grand Martial spoke with complete certainty. “This seems a bit overkill, but I’m certain that your blessing in the matter of having access to the boy would make it worth the trouble.”

Edmond raised his eyebrow. “Surely that sort of blessing is worth a bit more. There isn’t even a guarantee that you would devote a meaningful portion of time into the child! But no,” he spoke, raising his hand to forestall the coming objection, “I wouldn’t ask to try that of either of you. I know how busy you are and what that sort of commitment would imply. All I desire is for my family to live in this area in peace, free from those who would trouble us.”

A look of incredulity immediately jumped to my face. Was he haggling with the woman? I looked back at the Grand Martial in time to see a frown cross her face and a flash of consideration. Was she actually haggling back?

“Come now. You and Thea are adults and of considerable power and means. You can’t possibly expect us to safeguard you both against those enemies you might have made!” She gave a pointed look toward Thea. Her job as a manhunter was less of an issue than it might seem from the byplay but it was still a point against the agreement.

“Us adults can take care of ourselves,” Edmond agreed, “But young William is not the only child I have to look out for.” It was his turn to look toward Thea, this time glancing at her belly before turning back to the negotiations.

The Grand Martial answered with a sneer, though it lacked any heat. “You can’t possibly expect that to sway my opinion, can you?”

Edmond answered with a similarly heatless eye roll. “Of course it is convincing. Lightning rarely strikes twice, but when it does a third strike is almost guaranteed. What do the Heights have to say about genetics? Like father, like son. Like mother, like daughter. And this way you can watch out for what her talent might be.” Or, if we are being honest, how much talent she might have. Common decency meant that it would be uncouth to look into other people’s children too closely, but the rules changed if you were guarding them.

Lance spoke up with a question. “You know the child’s gender?” The Martial allowed it, seemingly convinced by Edmond’s arguments.

Edmond nodded, answering the question that had not been asked. “No weaknesses or deformities were detected and the child seems to be developing faster than originally projected.” It was good to hear that the developing child was in good health but that was little more than an introduction to what was to be treated as the more important information. The part about fast development was mentioned due to a belief, little more than superstition, that it signaled the birthing of a willful child, something that the Heights found encouraging. That was what was officially accepted, at least. Unofficially even the Guide followers recognized that the infirm had more difficulty becoming exceptional than the whole. And while true disabilities were easily fixed, they were not a promising sign.

The Martial gave a dismissive grunt but without enough heat to indicate that she was against the agreement. The negotiations continued between the other two.

The leader of the religious faction ignored her and made a discerning glance toward the parents as he spoke. “I have heard rumors that the child has a touch of destiny about him? Is that true?”

Edmond glanced at his wife and nodded back in answer.

“And has he spent any time in the underneath?”

A shaken head and a flash of confusion was returned.

Lance swore under his breath and it seemed like I was the only one who failed to hear exactly what was spoken, if the reactions of the others could be relied upon. It made sense that Thea would hear, as tracking humans who regularly obfuscated their trails was a part of her job, but the other two seemed to hear it easily enough despite having no reason to focus in that sort of direction. It served as a reminder that I was meeting with people who were very much out of my league.

He spoke up more clearly, in way of an explanation. “It seems that the old man was right and I have more work to coordinate. Your son is not the only one I need to be wary of.” This seemed to mean something to Edmond but the others either had no knowledge of it or hid their reactions of it. “Are there any more objections or concerns that need to be addressed?” This was more spoken as a declaration of confirmation and display of courtesy rather than a true interrogative, nevertheless I chose this time to interpose my own judgement on the matter.

“Any direct contact should be left until the child unlocks his Dominant Class. This type of natural growth is the desire of the parents and holds significant advantages besides. Directed training can be preserved for the compulsion of his Aspiring Class.” I took some care to speak simply and without undue intonation so as to create as little disruption as possible.

Unfortunately, I failed. “You can’t possibly…” The Martiall called out incredulously, but was silenced and overtaken by Lance’s simple question directed toward the child’s sire. “Is this true?”

There was silence for a few seconds as the father studied the faces of the two leaders. I recognized the stratagem for what it was and what it was not. There was no unsureness or deliberation nor was he truly attempting to gauge the likely reactions that would come from his affirmation. Rather, he was using this time to let tempers cool and to give the matter the weight of displayed deliberation before breaking the news that the possible prize would be temporarily withheld. “Yes.”

The loud woman was, of course, the first to raise an objection. “That is such an outdated concept that even I can’t express the possible consequences! If the child is truly the force that he is presented as than he should have a direct choice for this most basic milestone!” I sighed and noticed a similar look of exasperation on Thea’s face, though she remained silent this time. The Grand Martial certainly remained true to her allegiance in the most transparent of ways. The only way she could be more directly influenced were if she actually uttered the words ‘he should be allowed to directly imprint his will upon the world’, as she was in no doubt contemplating.

Lance simply nodded, which was not unexpected. His allegiance did not require anything more than that the choice be unforced, even if the choice itself was less obviously given. I became suddenly glad that nobody of the Earth and Sky was present for fear of the confrontation they would surely have with the bullheaded woman who had just spoken.

There were a few seconds of silence wherein the unspoken demand of The Professor was left to sink in. In an obvious reaction to her position being so threatened, The Martial spoke again: “What can you possibly hope to gain from this decision? I could understand if your actions were in an attempt to give the child as normal an upbringing as possible, but at this point the winds have truly turned. That isn’t going to happen.” The words were spoken with a definite finality that, considering the recent incidents, was impossible to deny. The argument had little visible effect on Edmond, but Thea was not able to completely hide her micro expressions of exasperation and annoyance.

Edmond acquiesced to the silent demand and gave his explanation. “A choice made deliberately can be muddled by many factors, while one made through normal circumstance is a far more direct representation of one’s common position.” He held up a hand to forestall the incoming objection. “We are more than capable of helping the boy adjust his class if necessary, so you should have no need for concern.”

A glare was sent out toward Thea, one that seemed to speak of accusation of betrayal of her espoused beliefs. The larger woman’s overbearing demeanor did not make it any less scathing in delivery. Rather than seeing the disruption that Thea’s oncoming eruption would cause, I ceded my right to anonymity in this confrontation and spoke up. “It should not be that longstanding an issue. The child is a born Arch Mage as shown by his talent at every basic expression of power that he has been shown. It should not be long before the choice is expressed.”

The atmosphere remained heavy for a few seconds before The Martial ceased her glaring with a huff. Whether this was due to the idea that the child’s choice had been already decided or that the corrections would not be longstanding, it would be anyone’s guess as true as falling water. Understandably everyone relaxed at this conclusion to hostilities.

Lance spoke up next. “I would suggest that we get started soon but unfortunately I only see two of the three factions in attendance. Unfortunately I must express my objection.” His words were spoken with a definite degree of inevitability, both for his expression and what we all knew was coming.

The Martial spoke up with an exasperated tone. “You can’t possibly be stuck on that point of contention, can you? Our groups do plenty to run this town, and we do it without a directed effort of the Earth and Sky. This little ‘fetch quest’ will be little more than one more example of the same.”

“No, I must insist. The balance upon which this city stands must be preserved.”

She rolled her eyes theatrically. “I could just do it myself.”

“You could, but you won’t.” Lance answered back as though it was a forgone conclusion.

“I could strike you down while I am at it.”

“You could, but it won’t make the others trust you to run the city’s affairs.”

She narrowed her eyes at him in challenge, but Edmond spoke up before anything more could be said. It was a good thing because both were correct. The Grand Martial could likely take on The Menagerie in a fight, possibly without allowing for a retreat, but the fallout from what would happen when the town was not turned over to her rule would compound the problems that Lance was seeking to forestall. Fortunately, though, Edmond interrupted.

“This will not be a problem. I can seek someone to take a similar position in watching and protecting the child, with a similar promise of access; that is a concern that can be treated separately. The boy’s retrieval can be treated as a secondary matter related to a town’s laws and injunctions.” This seemed to both mollify Lance and The Martial while bringing curious looks to both leaders. “In his initial pursuit of the boy Roman observed clear signs that the thief was a Cultivator.”

The mood immediately got more tense as the town representatives suddenly sharpened their continence. It made sense, they were the ones who would have to deal with the problem. Thea just looked confused. The two leaders seemed to zone out somewhat, almost certainly communicating the threat and coordinating the response.

After a few moments of silence from the group Thea spoke up. “What are Cultivators?” she asked quietly.

I spoke up before The Professor could confuse her too badly with the minutia of the thing. “Cultivators increase their power by drawing in energy from their surroundings to fortify their basic abilities and giving them the ability to expel some of that power for attacks. Unfortunately the power destabilizes the area, causing it to grow in an uncontrolled manner and turning the wildlife violent and monstrous. Civilization becomes separated by vast areas of land with either low population density in vast zones or overcrowding in the safe places due to the treacherous conditions of the surroundings that are punishing to anyone not at the height of power. That is only secondary to the effect on the cultivators themselves. Almost without exception they take on the ideal of ‘might makes right’, though a few have other motivations that guide them in addition to the blind search for power.”

“It isn’t quite that bad,” Edmond spoke up in a pathetic attempt that not even he seemed to believe, “there are some stories where the primary motivation isn’t the gathering of power, the power is little more than the requirement to put their ideals into practice.”

Thea gave us both a look of confusion so I decided to explain. “While some users have other major motivations the fulfillment of those goals always come about through the wielding of pure power; and the more entrenched the story is in cultivation, the more extremely the events of that story focus on power as the final arbiter of right and wrong.”

Edmond again looked like he wanted to disagree but chose to move on instead. “So we kill them.” He answered with a shrug. “The power is stolen and so returns to its source. This halts the growth of the destabilization and eventually the effects fade into obscurity. We just try to catch it before too much damage has been done.”

“Honey, simple words.” Thea gently chided. “If you cannot explain an idea simply…”

“…Then you simply do not properly understand that idea.” He finished in exchange for a soft smile from her lips. I turned away, somewhat embarrassed by their byplay.

There was a snort of amusement from one of the pair and I could almost hear Edmond’s eye roll but they did not disturb me directly as I returned the favor. Lance joined us first followed within moments by the Martial.

“We must make haste,” Lance spoke the very moment that his counterpart turned in their direction. “We will lead the vanguard in pursuit of the Cultivator and his Sect. If you will give us the coordinates where the child and his kidnapper were last seen?” he asked.

Edmond spoke up. “No, I must insist that Roman goes with you. He will act as my observer, allowing me to remain neutral in the affairs of this town. He can also help find the boy more directly, as he is already acquainted.” It was rubbish, he needed no excuse for neutrality, and I recognized this attempt to place me in the group for what it was.

The Martial, however. “Do you somehow doubt my ability to find the child once this all is over?” She was staring at me when she said it.

“No, but it will be faster and no less reliable.” He spoke in a bored tone, somehow not fearing her wrath in the slightest.

She huffed. “I’m not going to be the one to carry the dead weight, and there is no way that he will be able to keep up with us.”

Lance spoke next as he made his way to the door. “I’ll do it.” He wasn’t even outside before his feet were obscured and then transformed into the grey cloud of the body of a hunter/ghost chimera. He had left the mass near the ground and largely solid, allowing for my approach, so I quickly stepped forward and knelt down. The Martial quickly stepped outside with her materialized steampunk jetpack already warmed for departure.

All that was left was to point in the right direction, and we were off.

Finding William was not hard, I knew where to start and Sheela was able to point us in the right direction whenever there was a question. Not that it was of common necessity, the arrogant bastard hadn’t even tried to evade and instead was traveling in a straight line.

This did lead to another problem, however, what to do now. Lance wanted to cut off the traitorous faction from attempting an escape, the Martial wanted to rush ahead to crush the force at its source, while I was insistent that we take care of the child first. We remained at a distance, fortunate that our target hadn’t noticed us when we first approached, and argued at a safe distance where we could watch them while not being seen. I had been given the job to keep track of what was happening with our targets while still being carried by Lance. If nothing else it kept me to the periphery of their argument on how to handle the illegal group.

The Grand Martial was annoyed and did very little to hide it. “And I’m saying we need to kill the sect leader first before they manage to rally their forces. I can be in and out before anyone realizes that I was there and leave their forces in disarray.”

Lance was just as annoyed but was at least attempting to remain civil. “We don’t want to scatter the group, we want to corral them. Otherwise those individuals may start their own new sects with the seeds of power they already have. I encourage patience in this endeavor.”

“Patience my ass. If they abandon the area and run beyond pursuit than they are no longer our problem. If they even think to stop to rest than the two of us can take them out, especially once our backup arrives.”

“All that would do is condemn a dozen other areas to a similar problem. And, if you don’t care about that, then recall that those problems may eventually return to seek revenge with their dozen sects.”

“You say that like the numbers will stop me… it may be an encouragement! Do you know how hard it is to raise your stats when everywhere around you are weaklings and people who refuse to have a good fight.” She glared at Lance as she spoke.

“I have other commitments, too many to commit to a fight that is a foregone conclusion.” He spoke, in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

“What about the boy?” I attempted to break into the conversation.

They both gave me a look that spoke badly of their estimation of my intelligence.

An incredibly acetic female voice was the first to answer. “Quiet now, the adults are talking. I swear, some people…”

“Now, now. Let us not start another argument.” Lance broke in. “The child will be fine. The worst that might happen is that his parents have to pay to get him out of a bad deal or undo some bad physical changes. Nothing that they can’t handle. Besides, the kid seems to want to annoy his captor till he kills him. Not the worst tactic in his position, but definitely not one I would suggest.”

It was true, the boy seemed to be singing some inane song that outright announced the feature of how it supposedly ‘makes everybody mad’. The song was giving me a headache just thinking about it and I was far enough away to need equipment to hear it. Still, my penultimate fear with regards to this circumstance was not that something might happen to him, but rather what he might choose to do. “The child is a quick learner and actively tries to copy any tactic or skill that he sees someone else use. He may be young but he is already teaching himself certain external magic with little more than a brief description of the mechanics from his da. If he makes it to the base than he might not even realize what it is that he is trying to copy.”

There was silence except for a quiet curse from the Martial. It was Lance that took charge. “Mayabeth, go scout out the area. See if you can find either the base or a good place for an ambush. We will stay nearby in case the kidnapper distracts himself enough for an intervention.”

For once the Grand Martial acted without complaint or argument. She turned to run in such a way as to give the targets a wide berth, but the caution may have been unnecessary as she disappeared to my senses moments later despite actively watching her as it was done.

“Something is happening,” I relayed to Lance. “They have stopped to talk.”

He paused a moment, almost certainly contacting the third of our group, before giving his instructions. “This isn’t the best scenario, but it will have to do. I’ve contacted our Heights counterpart and she is ready. Just give the word and we will hit him. But remember, he must be distracted; we have to take him out before he can report on our presence.”

I nodded and took the warning for what it was. There would be no second chances, either we did this right or the entire mission collapsed around us.

And yet, while I wasn’t in that tier of power myself, I knew what the truly powerful could do. The cultivator, by way of his craft, had likely doubled or even tripled his total stats; and yet he was completely outmatched. Lance was cautious and extremely aware of how easily things could go wrong, and so treated every confrontation with even greater care than it deserved. The Martial was a perfectionist who always demanded greater levels of excellence out of her own actions than any logic might deem appropriate, and so her pride could not abide anything less than total victory, yet was somehow able to achieve that level of success with distressing frequency.

The only explanation I had gotten for how this all worked was an offhanded remark from Edmond. He had once told me that, while some level of base stats are the prerequisite for power, eventually they were almost fully eclipsed by other things. He refused to elaborate on what those ‘other things’ might be when I directly asked.

And so, when I gave the signal upon seeing Freddie begin to truly loose his temper, I was not the least bit surprised on how outmatched he was. Even pushing my speed at the expense of everything else did not give me more than a mere flicker to understand what was happening. Lance came in from behind and to the side, while what looked like a purple snake darted out from his side to strike the kidnapper, and then placed himself between the attack that had been released and the child just long enough for the attack to be reflected back toward its source. That done, he was gone with young William before the child even seemed to realize what had happened.

The kill, however, belonged to The Grand Martial as she moved straight in with glowing hands to stab him through the upper chest and forehead respectively from behind. Not that those wounds would kill him. These attacks only served to blind and silence him and to put her in position for her follow up; that being the release of stored power from within his chest before any reaction could be mustered. Her attacks didn’t even slow her advance and she was gone before the dark beam of reflected energy passed through the place where her target’s lower half had once connected with his head. The destruction only highlighted the oppressive power that had been released. Killing someone at the higher levels of power was hard to accomplish, destruction of the body was several orders of magnitude worse.

I had not the time to consider the spectacle when William appeared by the side of The Menagerie and glance around to quickly regain his bearings. There was not the expression of shock or disbelief that would have been the expected from any other youngster. Instead there was only a flash of curiosity and acceptance before a smile began to grow across his face. It was a smile that I recognized as it always brought chaos, though not the unpredictable type. “What took you so long?” he asked, as though it was the most expected thing that we would have appeared.

I brought my hand to my face in exasperation but managed not to sigh.

Lance raised an eyebrow but spoke nothing.

“Oh come on,” the young boy said with joyfully feigned frustration, “you have to admit that was a pretty good one liner for the situation!”

He looked at both of us again and took in our silence.

“No?” he asked, this time seeming to deflate a bit. “Well you can’t say I didn’t try.”

This display was interrupted by the unfortunate laughter of the Martial. The last thing the boy needs is encouragement. “You’re fun kid, I like you. Tell me: Did you know that we were going to show up right when we did?”

The small child shook his head. “I figured he would just kill me and be done with it. Though the last minute save was suitably dramatic. So congratulations for that!” He gave her a thumbs up and then paused a second before frowning. “By the way, who are you? I would introduce myself but you probably already know so that would just be overly formal and patronizing. At least I think it would be. I don't get all the rules yet.”

She gave us a look then knelt down in front of the boy, holding out her hand to shake his. “I’m Beladora. It is nice to meet you.” How many different names does she use? No wonder I can never get a clear answer on what her true identity might be.

William shook her hand, tilting his upper body into a bit of a bow immediately after he did so. “It is good to meet you too!”

She stayed down near his level and continued in a much more calm tone than I might have expected. “Now I hope you don’t mind, but we have a lot more to do here. You should be sent back as quickly as possible.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I’d be perfectly happy to…” He was interrupted by the Martial stabbing her hand into but not through his stomach. He began to lose strength and fall but not before getting out a few final words. “Well bugger… It was bound to happen sooner or later…” Then he fell and immediately his body began to fade away.

Lance made an unhappy noise but did not argue against the Martial’s actions. She gave him a look and he answered with a sad shake of his head before turning to address me. “I understand that your part in this has been completed. I will contact you later for the follow up. Until then.” He spoke.

I nodded in understanding and began to walk away. The two of them had people trained on exactly what to do for this sort of situation, and God knows I wouldn’t be able do anything to assist with the main extermination, so the most helpful thing I could do was to stay out of the way.

Unfortunately it was a long way back, even with my skills that let me travel far faster than normal. This had the unfortunate effect of giving me time to think. What would have happened had I not been there? Had either The Menagerie or The Grand Martial not been included? If The Professor had less pull with those in power? If William had not turned himself against his kidnapper at every turn and eventually forced him to lose control? And why was everything handled so simply despite the myriad of issues and potential complications that could and, by all measurements, should have made themselves relevant?

This brought to the forefront of my mind the headache inducing revelation that this lesson had not been meant for me. The entire situation and our parts in it, they were too simple. Childish. Each person played their part with so little deviation, perfectly allowing for the actions of each other person with little to no overstep that might make the other contributions unnecessary. Edmond was right to have worried about his son learning things better meant for those beyond his age.

But the thing that I simply could not put out of my head; the question that would, once everything was resolved, still haunt my thoughts and nights: What would have happened if my friend had found one more person to help with the task of rescuing his son?

Four days later I was called by Lance to meet him in front of the main building where I worked as a Hunter, though he gave no indication toward the reason beyond that it had to do with the incident involving young William. When I arrived I was led to a side room where the man silently waited for me with a tablet in his hand, likely doing paperwork. Upon my entrance he collapsed it in upon itself before walking out with an implied demand to follow.

He was dressed for war, specifically of the diplomatic type. His clothes were of an obviously foreign cut and dye while showing off some of the more expensive local textiles. Hanging upon him, in the form of jewelry and adornments, were numerous representations of his position, his power, and feats of accomplishment both local and foreign. A quick penetrating glance made it clear that the outfit was designed to take on any assault short of the Grand Martial herself. His demeanor was such that even his contemporary might have reason for pause before starting a fight. An unhappy Lord or King was not a thing to take lightly. Lance likely counted as both.

There was some muted commotion as he walked in, with him ignoring the main thoroughfare and marching straight into the office of the director. None stopped him, though his actions were unusual and rude. After all, he essentially ‘owned’ the town and everything in it. I quietly stepped in and shut the door as Lance stood before Senior Director Dirk Maosobis in an action that demanded respect.

The surprised official took a few moments to process what had just happened before launching himself to his feet. The chair that had been knocked back by his action was immediately forgotten and he bowed and began the customary niceties of introduction in an insistent tone as he attempted to regain some authority within his own domain. “Welcome honored sir. I am Dirk Maosobis, the leader of this fine company known as…”

“I come to call you to account for your part in the actions of some twenty Cultivators who were active within the protected area around our fair city.” The interruption was abrupt, the words were quick and clipped, and the lack of niceties given sent a distinct message of hostility.

The director appeared to try to take this in stride, though I could see the telltale signs of stress that were not perfectly hidden. “My Liege, I was not involved in those people’s settlement near the town nor their infiltration of the town itself. I am innocent.” The knowledge of what had happened was common by this time, as was the understanding of how unhappy it made some very powerful people.

“Truth.” Lance spoke, rudely making the point that the other man’s every word was being examined with an expectation of untruthfulness. “But you did know they were here and worked with them on multiple occasions. Despite your duty to report such a dangerous presence you decided instead to play games to reach a conclusion that was personally acceptable.”

My mind began to turn at the implications. The man had known what these people were, one of whom he had sent into my party; likely assuming that the intrusion would occasion a deeper examination of backgrounds until the truth was rooted out. But why? Why not simply report the intrusion and be protected from any consequences of association?

The answer came directly from the director’s very mouth as the accompanying behavior became somewhat guarded and defensive. “There were mitigating factors.”

In other words: those cultivators either had blackmail material or his ‘reluctant cooperation’ was that of a man intending to play both sides of a conflict before it became too much for him to handle. Regardless, this showed a level of culpability that could not go unanswered.

Lance spoke again, harshly but I now recognized that he was not putting forth the full power of his presence. “No, there was your duty and the protection of the citizens and the land on which they dwell. Any other personal entanglements should have taken that duty into account. In return that honor would have colored whatever consequences might have been deemed fit for past misdeeds.” I looked on in confusion while keeping a blank expression. What was Lance doing? Why wasn’t he holding the man before the fire of the consequences for his misconduct, as was his right to do by virtue of his position within the town?

Dirk spoke up quietly, little more than a whisper that thundered across the silence of the room. “You know.” He said, in an admission of guilt that could not be ignored. “You came in as though you were looking for a confession, but you already knew everything that had happened.”

Lance’s silence spoke volumes.

“Then why?” He asked. “Why this farce of a confrontation? Why not just arrest me and do whatever dirty deed you feel must be done to feel better about ‘justice’ being served?” His voice let out a sneer at the end but it was without fire and somewhat muted, almost ironic in his pronouncement of it. As to if this restraint was due to an attempt to hold back at the revision that he felt toward the word ‘justice’ or if this was due to such frequent misuse of the word that the antipathy had grown dull, that was anyone’s guess.

Lance spoke in a way that was both firm and understated. “I came to see what sort of man you wanted to be. I came to see what path you would choose when unavoidably confronted with your crimes. Would you recognize them and choose atonement or choose to stand in your own arrogance.”

There was almost a full minute of silence where neither man spoke. Both looked intently at the other, my very presence forgotten. I was not part of this. I was little more than an observer. So I played my part well and watched.

The director broke the silence first. “No.” He stated, more firmly. “You only came here because you don’t have the evidence to do anything worse. Whatever happened, whatever you think I did, it is not enough for you to do something more permanent.”

“The group that you helped, they had located a natural dungeon core and have corrupted it to their own ends. It is within a light few days travel distance of town and will take decades for the land to heal. The disaster is serious enough and the evidence is strong enough that I could do whatever I might like with the traitor who made it possible.” Lance’s voice remained calm and quiet throughout his entire speech. There was a strength of conviction behind it that would give an observant person a cause to think.

The director did not pause. The question of if he was overcome by either a lack of wisdom or something else; that was one thing I did not want to know. “You could; but you won’t.” The man smiled sharply before laughing in the face of his better. “You and your ideals of justice and civility! All you have is rumors and gossip, and you have already decreed that no man would be condemned on such flimsy grounds! Your own ideals of ‘equanimity’ have left you unable to do one single thing to me.” He smiled victoriously in the face of the man who essentially owned the town and could act without consequence within it.

His response broke my calm bearing as I stared uncomprehendingly at the arrogance standing before me. Surely he doesn’t think he has won? He can’t actually be that disconnected from reality, can he?

Lance just sighed tiredly. “The core that was ruined would have been claimed by the Grand Martial. She intended to use it to found her own city. That option, once we saw the final state of the core, has been taken from her rather finally. She is not happy.”

The director laughed at the information. “So? All that means is that I’ll have to leave town sometime soon. Oh, she will likely send some people after me, but I’ve gained plenty from my time in this place. I won’t be leaving empty handed. But you, thanks to your ridiculous notions about promoting ‘peace’ and such rubbish, won’t be able to do a thing to stop me. Not without violating your own principles.” He continued laughing in the sour face of the one he was mocking.

“No, I won’t stop you.” Lance said with a tone that was both sad and final. “But neither will I stop her.”

The laughing stopped abruptly. There were a few seconds of silence. The next words that were spoken came out both with the strength borne of the dying flames of false conviction and the telltale waver of fear. “You... You can’t. The laws against…” He was interrupted before he could finish.

“The laws allow for any disputes between individuals aggrieved with each other to be settled between them before any outside intervention will be made. There is no way to make and enforce laws that would not allow for those sort of direct confrontations. Not in this realm, at least. And The Martial has more than enough reason for an agrievance.” There was no tone or inflection to the man’s words beyond a bored recounting of longstanding laws and an air of finality.

The director, or should I say Dirk Maosobis as his title was surely soon to be revoked, did not take the revelation well. “But you will protect me. You have to. And if she goes too far than you will have to turn the entire town against her. You have to.”

“No. I don’t. And as for her going too far, your crimes cost her an entire kingdom. The limits of satisfaction for that are great and you do not have any excuse of intended innocence to shield you.”

“No! Please! You must help me!” He cried out, moving around the table and kneeling down before Lance’s feet. “Please! You can’t leave me with her! I’ll run! You will never see me again! Just please, help me!”

“I contacted her just before I entered to speak with you. Her people should be waiting outside the building.” He turned away from the man who was still begging for mercy and opened the door. The Grand Martial was standing behind it waiting as it opened.

“Are you done?” She asked in a way that begrudgingly acknowledged a request for permission was necessary.

Lance shook his head sadly. “He is all yours.” His voice sounded resigned, either despite or because of how it caused a great carnivorous smile to break out on the mad-woman’s face.

He gave me a look of direction and we both left.