Three days later, Evren, with the help of his friends and a few of the summoned, had gathered up all of the clergy into one place, with the victims getting a say in the punishments. A few were made into eunuchs before their demise, while others were victims of various other forms of punishment.

Evren had discovered one of the summoned had been a small-town mayor before his summoning, so they appointed him as acting governor until someone else took over, or he was found to be competent enough to officially become the governor. While this was a load off of Evren’s back, he was still unofficially the one that everyone listened to anyway. Systematically they went through the remaining crystals and overwrote the goddess’s final command.

The crew of ships were instructed to pick up other summoned and return them to Seeclind. Those running back were told to find a seat in a pew of the cathedral when they got to St. Gloria. An additional command was given to them to eat when they were hungry and hunt when they had no food.

Everyone was gathered up in the cathedral and was seated in the pews. Evren was at the front of the nave, leaning against the wooden railing. Many of the summoned here were separated from each other and weren’t saying anything. He looked out at the faces of those who sat before him, many of them not wanting to make eye contact, some holding themselves for comfort, some looking around nervously.

“I’ve said this before, but my name is Evren. Before I was summoned to this planet I was tortured and sexually assaulted for two weeks before I died. But between the moment I died and the moment I was summoned here, I met up with a person who had the ability to help me out. He told me a goddess was using magic to have people tortured before they were summoned here into a new body to be slaves for the people that summoned them. Us. The torturing was to make us less resistant. More susceptible to being controlled.

“But like I said, he had the ability to help me out. In exchange, he wanted me to help you out. I suppose it was lucky that it was me that he found. In my life before this one, I was a soldier. I could survive being summoned naked and alone for over a year before I found someone else. I possess the knowledge and tactics to do this. And now that the change has come. It’s going to progress. From here. From this point on, I need help. Every single one of those who were summoned are exactly like you are. Every single one has been abused. Every single one has been treated as a puppet, a tool to be used and discarded. We are just the beginning. Now, I’m not saying you have to help me, I’m asking if you will help me. But before we can help others, we have to help ourselves.

“You know, ever since I got to this world, I have been so busy I never really thought about what to do, what to say. I’d always treated those who were summoned here like they were things to be saved. I never considered what to do with them once they were saved. Once you were saved. I still don’t know.

“But what I’m going to do is give you a choice. I’m going to help you with your options, I’m going to provide you with as many answers as I can possibly give. If I can’t give you an answer, I’m going to work with you until we find the answer together. But I want you to trust in yourselves too. Look at those around you. Talk to them. Find a way out of this pit of depression. Become strong again. Stronger.

“This world is technologically behind the world I came from. It may be the same for you as well. But something this world has, that mine never did have, is magic.” Evren held his hand up and chanted ‘flame.’ A small ball of flame appeared in his hand, and he held it out for everyone to see. “In my world we had magicians, but they were more of a performer who did tricks. Sleight of the hand.” He snuffed out the flame and drew his dagger from his waist and sliced the palm of his hand. He held his hand up and showed everyone that it was bleeding and he chanted ‘heal cut’ a few times until the wound disappeared.

“Here, in this world, magic exists. If it is something you want, I can help you to learn how to use that magic. Here, also, monsters exist. And demons. Magical weapons and items. I’m not saying any of those things can help you. But it might help you to find your place in this world. It may help you to make a new life for yourself.

“I’d like everyone to come up here with me and say something about yourself. It could be anything you want. I’d like if you could tell us your name, but here… you can be whoever you want. So, you can tell us what you want us to call you instead. Then tell us something about yourself. It could be what you used to do. What you went to school for. What you want to do, now that you’re here. You could tell us about the circumstances that led to your summoning. The experiences you’ve had since you’ve gotten here. A favorite memory. A loved one. A favorite song. Anything you want.”

Evren looked out over the group. Their expressions had changed a little. They seemed to be in thought about what they heard. About what they want to say. On man raised his hand and Evren asked him, “Do you want to say something?”

“That’s right.” The man replied.

Evren waved him forward and the man stood and walked to the front. He turned around to the others and said, “So, uhh… hello everyone. My name is Orion.” The man had an accent that could only be described as a ‘surfer dude,’ one Evren was completely unfamiliar with. “In my former life, I was a botanist and freelance budtender.” Evren was watching him but was visibly confused.

“So, like, my hobbies are surfing and hanging and boarding. Oh! I once got an award for a sativa strain I made called purple haze. I named it after a song by Jimi Hendrix. See, like the buds are purple, and it, like enhances your creativity. You know.” Orion began nodding to himself before saying, “Oh right! So, like what magic can you do, dude?”

Evren was surprised by the question because he was still trying to work out what Orion was talking about, but he recovered and said, “Well, magic is divided into different categories. There are general spells, elemental spells, spells that fit into the holy/unholy category, curses and illusions. At least that’s what I’ve found so far. There’s a lot of books that were destroyed. There’s also a vault in the basement of the palace that I haven’t opened yet that should have some books in it.”

“Illusions?! Radical! Can you do an illusion of a dragon dude?” Orion asked.

“A dragon? Sure, what color would you like to see?” Evren asked

“Whoa! There’re different color dragons? Was there a black one?” Orion asked.

Evren laughed, “You would have to pick that one. I guess it would be fine.” Evren turned around and pointed to the sanctuary and chanted, ‘illusion.’ A dragon came into existence on the raised area. It was lying down, curled up on its side. The tale that wrapped around was flicking up and down slowly. Its black scales seemed to absorb the light and it’s ram like horns majestically adorned its head. Rows of teeth dripped a thick saliva onto the floor and Evren added to the illusion to make it appear to be dissolving through the floor like an acid. Evren walked over to the head of the dragon and said, “When we met this poor guy in the dungeon, it had lost its mind and it rambled on incoherently. But like the other dragons we met, we didn’t have to fight him.”

“Whoa dude! You went into a dungeon?” Orion asked excitedly.

“Oh yeah, dungeons exist here. I’ve been in three so far. Although the first one was still a baby dungeon and only had one floor.” Evren explained.

“Cool dude. So, what other monsters exist here?” Orion continued to ask questions.

Evren looked to the others and said, “I tell you what, let’s get everyone a chance to talk and I’ll show you an illusion of all of the monsters I’ve met so far.”

Orion nodded, “Righteous dude.” He looked down to the left, then to the right, then back up to Evren, “That’s all I got dude.”

“Thank you, Orion.” He said as Orion went back to his seat. “Is there anyone else?”

A woman towards the back raised her hand and Evren waved her to the front. She looked around as if she wasn’t prepared to go to the front and only wanted to ask a question. Eventually she stood and walked to the front. She stood at the front and turned around to face everyone. Before she spoke about herself, she said to Evren, “Thank you for the other day.”

Evren remembered she was the woman who had spoken up outside of the depository against Commander Le Saux, and he said, “Thank you for being brave enough to say something.”

“My name is Louise. Uhm… I was a musician. I played piano. I wanted to ask, was there any magic that involved sound?” She asked Evren.

Evren thought for a moment before saying, “The only magic I’ve found using sound is one spell to make it difficult to hear in an area, and the other easier to hear something far away. Oh, there’s one in the illusion category where it lets you make a sound. I haven’t played with it too much.” Evren chanted, ‘aural’ and a voice from the other side of the woman said, “It’s a spell called aural that allows you to make a sound at a specific place.”

Louise jumped a little at the sound of his voice coming from behind her, but she smiled and said, “Could you show me how to do that too?”

Evren nodded, “Of course. And if there are any other spells involving sound in the vault, I’ll help you out with those too.”

She said, “Thank you,” and quickly returned to her seat.

Another man stood up and walked to the front of the room. “Hi, may name is Shane Simone. I was a musician too. I played in a rock band. I was singer, guitar and bass.”

A man in the group raised his hands and said, “I played drums man!”

Shane said, “Sweet man!”

“You two will have t… You three, rather. You’ll have to find a craftsman that can make a musical instrument for you. Maybe one of the summoned that come will be able to help you out.” Evren added.

“That’s badass, man.” Shane said. Evren didn’t quite understand the phrase, so he just nodded and smiled.

He then said, “I’d like to get in on that music magic as well.” He then pointed to Orion in the audience and said, “I’d like to get with you too.”

“Alright bud.” Orion said with a smile.

Shane then continued, “So, I didn’t get tortured like you all did. I died in a plane crash. But, uhh… if anyone wants to talk, its cool.”

Shane then sat down next to the drummer and began talking to him quietly.

Evren smiled and before he could ask if anyone else had something to say, a woman stood from the pew she was sitting at and said, “My name is Lexie and I want to study magic.” She then sat back down.

A man stood up and said, “My name is Luke. Can I see your sword?”

Evren looked down at the sword then back up to him and said, “Come on up here.” Evren pulled his sword out with his left hand in a reverse grip and held it before him.

Luke said, “Whoa, what’s this made of?”

Evren replied, “This is adamantium. It’s a very tough metal that is hard to work with, but it’s very strong and very sharp.”

“This is amazing man. Did you find this in a dungeon?” Luke asked.

Evren shook his head and said, “No, I made this.”

“Dude! You gotta show me how!” he replied.

Another man in the audience stood up and said, “Me too! Oh, my name is Micah. Hello everyone.”

Evren nodded and said, “I can show you the basics here, but working with exotic metals is difficult without proper tools. All of my tools are on a different continent. And I don’t think I’ll be heading there anytime soon.”

Evren frowned and thought for a moment, “Although, I suppose I can make a new set here. I’ll have to start with the forge.”

“Let me help man!” Luke said.

The man in the audience said, “Me too!”