Chapter 59: Guest Accommodations

Trint sat up in bed with a start. Images lingered in his mind, but he was awake from the dream. He felt frustrated it wasn’t real but felt he needed to trust in the hope his Father challenged him to hold onto.

“I will try to keep trusting him and hope he is trying to help. Everything in me wants to yet, I can’t help but have little doubts creeping into my mind. Like little vines gaining purchase. Asking me if I can trust him. If I believe he doesn’t have some ulterior motives. Ahhh,” Trint ended his vocalized thoughts with a short burst of futile frustration.

“What’s wrong!” Pneuma came running into the room.

“Nothing. Just had a dream”

“Want to take about it?” Pneuma offered.

“Not really, any fruit left?”

“Yeah, did you try it already? I didn’t think you woke till now.”

“Not yet, but I dreamt about it.”

“It’s pretty good. Go get some. I’m going to try the shower now.”

They met up at the table. Both were dressed in their robes. Like Ele’Azar’s but all in white. Trint continued nibbling on various fruit and food on the table.

“I was informed you were awake,” Ele’Azar said, having stealthily entered again. “It is already time to disembark. If you would follow me, we will teleport now that we are in the same System as your Cohort training.”

Trint and Pneuma wearing their provided white attire followed their mentor down the grand halls of the ship. Trint pondered whether calling something the size of Earth’s moon a ship was appropriate. He decided that was the best way to describe it although the scale of it left him in awe still.

They arrived in another section after walking for about 15 minutes. They stopped on a platform surrounded by more pools of blue glowing fluid. Their guide and mentor tapped a panel and within the blink of an eye, they arrived in a new area.

Taking in the sight, Trint and Pneuma spun around. They were outside with open red skies above them. There were what appeared to be more ancient temples, but they were pristine. Well cared for and only ancient in that they were massive and had intricate hieroglyphics etched into the design. In front and behind them the structures rose to the height of 10-story buildings but in the distance, to either side, Trint saw cities. Mixes of modern-looking and ancient structures and green plants and trees spread out as far as they could see.

This is the training ground on planet Prime Arc 11. This planet contains a vast network of cities and citizens of our people. The economy, governing body, and purpose of this planet revolves around the development of our future leaders and their subordinates. The only reason you are being allowed to join the premier group of potential leaders is your unique stats, titles, and your bond. They have been deemed sufficient for your inclusion and will hopefully aid in our understanding of previously unknown factors.

We hope that you will aid our people and in return, we offer you this chance to advance and learn in the best we have to offer. Although you have not had much choice up to this point, would you please offer your acceptance and understanding of this offer? Please acknowledge your willingness and promise to do no intentional harm outside of training to our people.

Trint and Pneuma looked at each other and nodded.

“We agree,” they said in unison. Immediately a great number of previously invisible guards and attendants became visible to Trint and Pneuma.

“All right, that will do. Please follow me to your housing.”

They were led further into the structures and out past them. They continued walking for quite a while. Trint and Pneuma looked all around like the tourists they were. Finally, they reached what looked like a combination of what Trint thought of as Meso-American and Ancient Japanese architecture. The building was made of brick but the interior past the tall walled-in gates revealed a courtyard and an arched entry into a deeper interior courtyard garden. There was even the edge of a pool of water. They were led to the side and into the building. The building ended up making a square around the inner courtyard and water. They were taken into the building. The entryway immediately descended downstairs, and the ceiling ended up vaulting high above them. Although the building was a few stories high, they quickly toured the building and saw that there were levels below ground too. Cultivation rooms of variable density, a few sprawling apartments, with all the modern features they could hope for. At the end of the tour, they were instructed to explore the grounds but not to leave the property, not to swim in the lake, or enter the forest beyond their property.

Left to themselves, they collapsed dramatically into a couple of couches. “Lots of restrictions, but I suppose there’s time for more exploration later,” Trint decided.

“Yes, I think we need to get some answers around how our bond is limited and how they expect us to gain Soul while we are separated,” Pneuma voiced his questions and Trint nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, this might be a great opportunity, but we have next to nothing to go off of.”

They decided to explore the property and found the kitchen. After eating some food in a refrigerator, they returned to the apartments. “Dibs on this one!” Pneuma took the room that was blue and gold in theme. That left Trint with a green and gold room.

“Fine, they are both pretty much the same right?” Trint smiled, hoping Pneuma didn’t notice something he would miss out on taking the green room.

The next morning, they received knocks on their door. “Good morning. Please meet down in the center courtyard in 20 minutes. Wear the same robes given to you during your trip here,” their mentor called to each of them through some unseen speakers in the house.

Having slept in just his underwear, Trint picked up his haphazardly dropped robe and dressed in the wrinkled garment. Trint frowned at the dirt he managed to get on the nice fabric.

Pneuma met him in the hallway with a much nicer-looking robe. “Did you wad up your robe and step all over it before bed?” Pneuma joked.

“Hey, I was tired and went to bed right away. I barely got the robes off before I fell asleep.”

Did you assign your stats yet? I can’t access them still.” Pneuma confirmed for Trint.

Trint attempted to pull up his stats but got no response. “I thought Ele’Azar said to assign the stat points, but I can’t even see my status screen.” They turned the corner and saw the courtyard before above them. Ascending the steps they saw their mentor and another figure, clearly irritated.

The irate figure was a human with a dark complexion and appeared South American to Trint. He was flanked by three others to Trint’s left. Those three wore barely masked visages of irritation.

“That would be due to your lack of understanding,” The lead irritated man said. “You clearly don’t know how to manage yourself and until you do you are not allowed to access your system or stats or resources beyond your stamina and mana.”

“I’m sure you think you have good reasons to do that, but can you at least let me view my level and the resources you are letting me use.” Trint tried to remain civil and polite.

“I suppose you may, but not right now. I am Zola and these are my disciples. Don’t speak to them. Follow your mentor and we will join the others who have arrived for training.

They walked a long way and today the view was more reminiscent of a golf course. Little vehicles and more pedestrians were going between the many buildings. They ended up going further away from the teleportation they arrived at and circled a portion of a lake and arrived at the edge of a forest. The edge of the trees held small groups of people.

Based on what they had seen already, there were four people in each group. Each group seemed to have a leader, in solid color robes matching their three disciples. The leader’s robe was marked with gold and other symbols while the disciples were only solid in color with no adornments. That is when Trint noticed that Ele’Azar wore an elaborate version of what he wore himself.

“This is everyone for today’s flight,” A new speaker arrived behind them in a vehicle with no sides or roof. The convertible golf cart was hovering above the ground and driven by a man who was dressed like a servant based on the simple clothes and their subservient responses. Trint smiled at the man, who in turn sneered at him. Trint was a little surprised but turned back to the entire group focused on him.

“Did you hear anything I just said?”

“Yes, this is everyone for our flight,” Trint rattled off.

“Anything after that?”

“Sorry, no I didn’t,” Trint admitted.

“Honesty is good, but attentiveness to your leaders is just as vital,” the speaker reprimanded.

Pneuma looked at Trint and shook his head in exasperation.

“Introductions can wait. Your mentors and I will meet you at the training center in the woods. Follow this path until you reach the end of the lake where it flows into a river. Meet there by the end of the day or you will not receive food or be allowed sleep tonight. You all may begin, Trint and Pneuma, please wait a moment though.”

Trint and Pneuma already stood out just based on the way everyone eyed them. Now they were being singled out in front of the group. Ele’Azar walked closer to them.

“Yes, you will see that although you are included in this training, you are not going to be welcomed by the group. Especially this batch. I can’t say more. Also…” He paused showing reluctance and a bit of frustration. “You are not going to make it in time to get the food and rest promised.”

Before they could challenge that statement, “Yes, quite right I almost forgot,” Zola walked over, “Yes, yes, you are in the premiere cohort, but you are not one of them. So, get used to additional challenges,” The smile Zola gave was not one of sympathy. The condescension was clear and the disdain for them palpable. “You will both be locked at the same level of stats. We have decided to keep you at the level of our lowest participants and not just in this cohort. For tonight we will lower you to what we estimate is a level 10. We need to gauge how your stats compare to our own. Tomorrow we will lift the restriction a little more until we hit the threshold for our entry minimum into our Soul Academies. Expect this to hurt, your body and your pride.”

“That is enough,” Ele’Azar stepped in. “They will have lots to consider on this 100-mile run.” He pulled Trint and Pneuma closer to the path into the woods.

“It’s true, you will have additional challenges. But I believe you are going to benefit from them. Don’t compare yourself to the others. Take note of them but ignore their view of you. While you run consider carefully what you want your Soul to be. What you stand for and what your end goal of gaining power will be. It needs to be core to your being, and it needs to be powerful in concept.”

“That’s enough from you too, Mentor,” Zola cut Ele’Azar off with a shooing motion. “They will need to get going now,” his tone left no option but to go.