The leader of the thieves slapped the cactus piece away with the flat side of his dagger. He and the rest of the group readied themselves for a battle as they warily awaited finding out what exactly a Cactus Warrior was. “Surround them, men! I don’t care what a Cactus Warrior is. It can’t take us all.”
“Alexander!” Thomas whispered angrily. “What are you doing? The man is right. I don’t have enough mana to take them all. How well can you fight?”
“0%. I can run, do pull-ups, and have a surprisingly high pain tolerance for being burned alive but fighting is not in my arsenal of skills. This isn’t about fighting all of them though, Thomas. How many of them can you incapacitate?”
“I can shoot water blades from the cactuses three times.”
“Perfect. Shoot them one at a time on my signal. You let me do the talking.”
During the brief whispered exchange, the thieves grew restless and began to advance. Their leader yelled out once more. “They’re just bluffing. Look at them whispering to each other. They’re frozen in fear.”
“Us, frozen? Hah! My Cactus Warrior here can end you all in seconds. Watch as your men collapse on my count.” Alexander pointed at Thomas who responded by lowering his sack of cactuses.
“1.” A spear of water pierced out of the cactus and into the leg of the nearest bandit. A spurt of blood matched his cry of pain as the man collapsed on the grass.
“2.” This time the target attempted to block the blade of water by raising both arms in an x, but it drilled its way into his arms.
“3.” When the leader realized he was the final target of the cactus blades, he attempted to run away, but the water deftly curved itself and cut into his Achilles tendon.
Snapping his fingers, Alexander walked towards the rest of the uninjured thieves. “It’s just that easy. Let me tell you, that sack on the floor is entirely filled with cactuses. We have more than enough to go around, so I’ll go ahead and give you guys a chance. Leave the boat and scram, or the Cactus Warrior is gonna cut loose.”
Terrified expressions filled each of the men as they fell over each other in an attempt to escape faster. Despite their fear, the thieves still dragged away their injured members before running away. They ran east, following the river away from the city.
Thomas slung the sack over his shoulder again before walking to stand next to Alexander. “I thought you said you were a pacificist with no combat experience. That was brutal.”
Alexander turned to face Thomas, showing a ghastly face. “We need to get your mana topped up. That was horrifying. Next time there’s a fight I’m just gonna run away.”
They boarded the fishing boat and began to row across the river. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Alexander. You think fast on your feet, much faster than me anyway, but you have to learn to fight. I’m not too sure what this city holds, but if that reception was a clue, we might be entering a lawless land. When we go our separate ways, you should have a way of defending yourself.” Thomas’ eyes were focused on the city while he said this. He seemed focused and driven as if reaching the city meant more than just finding shelter and supplies.
“I have absolutely nothing to do, Thomas, and you seem like a good person. Or at the very least a good bodyguard. Why don’t I just follow you around for a while?”
“I don’t know that that’s the best idea.”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be so fun. Plus, you don’t have supplies at all. Apart from being strong, you have nothing but the clothes on your back.” Alexander paused before quickly adding, “And the cactuses on your back. Anyway, the world is a difficult place, Thomas.”
“You’ve never left your home, either! Don’t get all high and mighty with me.”
Alexander realized he was making good headway and pressed on. “Yes, but I actually packed something that’s not cactuses. Most people wouldn’t try to push away a healer so much.”
“Most people wouldn’t offer to travel with someone who they’ve only known for the better part of a day.”
“Well, considering I’ve only met you and the bandits, you seem like a great option.”
“And what if I’m planning on going somewhere dangerous. Really, really dangerous.”
“A friend in need is a friend indeed. It sounds like you have an adventure in mind, and I’m meant to be exploring the world. Our interests align.” Alexander reached his fist around Thomas. “Partners?”
Thomas grinned at the ease with which Alexander made big life decisions. I haven’t even known this guy a whole day, and he’s already asking to travel with me. But come to think about it, this is probably the closest I’ve ever had to a friend. Maybe I can trust him.
“Don’t leave me hanging here, bro.”
Thomas fist-bumped Alexander before repeating with a smile, “Partners.”
Entering the city of Kalas was simple. All you had to do was walk in. There was nothing separating the grasslands from the city except for a stretch of land where the sand dominated once more. One moment you were in the untamed lands of the desert, the next you were surrounded by the exotic architecture of a desert city.
One road bisected the city leading from end to end only circumventing the grand palace in the center. This was the only road made from long slabs of stone. The palace was built of bricks made out of the most beautiful white marble. Its estate enfolded over an eighth of the city’s lands and appeared to be another country entirely. A ten-foot-high wall covered in vines separated the palace from the rest of the city. Two golden gates stood before the entrance with a large fountain within a garden visible through the openings in the gate. An armada of guards watched the area adjacent to the palace, but as Alexander and Thomas walked through the city, they realized the guards did not care about security anywhere else.
Most of the buildings in the city were constructed from a yellow sandstone with rounded roofs giving them the appearance of domes from afar. Sand permeated the city with crushed stone making up the streets, but the constant dust did not stop the liveliness of the town. Guanacos pulling carts raced down the spaces between the buildings threatening to run over the pedestrians filling the area. Each sidestepped away, seemingly used to the unconventional street manners. Stalls littered every nook and cranny of the city selling everything imaginable. It appeared everyone in town was either a legendary adventurer or at least proficiently engaged in the sport of lying as Alexander spotted several egregiously priced items such as a bottle of what he guessed was river water named Tears of an Ice Dragon on sale from 80,000 gold coins to 27,000.
After a lap through the city, Alexander and Thomas found themselves sitting in a tavern waiting for their order. “Well, this place seems like it will be a lot of fun.”
“Alexander, you were almost pickpocketed 7 times in an hour.”
“Yes, but it’s a new experience for me. I’d never had to worry about that before. Anyways, what was the cheapest room we found again?”
“142 gold coins, but we don’t really need a bed for the night. We can set up your tent near those other tents by the slums.”
A server dropped by to give them their orders: two beers and two guanaco filets. At Alexander’s insistence, they had gone ahead and ordered local delicacies. “Hey, now, don’t be all embarrassed just because you don’t have any money. My mentor gave me some gold coins. Don’t sweat it. Money was meant to be spent anyway.” Alexander shrugged and dug into his food.
“I know you said you have money, but I don’t wanna bleed you dry. How long can we live in the city with what you have?”
Gulping down some of the beer, Alexander burped. “Don’t let your food get cold, bro. The filet melts in your mouth, and this beer is so smooth. What did you ask again? Oh, right, the money. Nah, it’s really not much. We can afford about 3 days before we’re all out. It’s kind of an emergency if you think about it.” Alexander laughed at the situation.
Thomas once again reevaluated how nonchalant this new friend could be, but even more so, he warmed at the thought of how easily Alexander shared his money. Thomas had never asked about it. Alexander just automatically grouped them together. “Fine. We’ll figure out a way to earn more gold tomorrow. After this meal and a good night’s sleep, my mana should be topped off.” Thomas looked towards Alexander as he noticed he received no answer and noticed his friend was staring towards another table. “Suddenly interested in the brawls?”
During their time in the tavern, a total of 7 people had been kicked out for fighting, whether they were conscious or unconscious. It would seem the city would stop working if someone wasn’t trying to knock another person’s teeth out. Thievery was totally acceptable, as well. The winner of the fight robbed the loser’s body, and no one batted an eye. If all involved parties passed out, the nearest person lucked out.
Staring out towards the bar, Alexander was using scan to watch a man aggressively yelling at another man. “I’m trying to understand.”
“You really can’t understand oafs like that. The fight probably started because one of them stared too long at a jade beauty and the other was overcome with jealousy despite having never even spoken to her. It never makes sense, and your brain grows smaller if you try to understand.”
“No, not that. I think one of those men is a wind Elementalist.”
“What makes you say that?”
“That’s what I’m trying to understand.”
After a few more seconds of arguing, the fight finally escalated to physical blows, but it ended much faster than anticipated. One of the men’s hands glowed with a red wind before chopped down and sliced through his opponent’s wrist. Everyone grew quiet as the fallen man lay crawling through the floor trying to find his hand. The people cleared a path for the wind Elementalist as he turned to exit the premises. Thievery and fighting were allowed, but only a lunatic would try to pick a fight with an Elementalist.
Thomas was not too interested in the results of the short scuffle, but he was fascinated by his friend’s deduction. “How’d you know that, Alexander?”
“It was just a hunch.” Alexander was a little dazed. It seemed like the scan ability would have more applications than just medical if his hunch was correct. Snapping out of his thoughts, he focused on the issue at hand. “More importantly, I know we don’t have a lot of money, but I don’t really know what we’re working towards. Care to fill me in a little?”
Thomas drew his lips to a line, hesitating to answer. Eventually, noting Alexander’s genuine interest, he decided to share a little. “I was told a tale about some ruins. Ancient ruins that give you power if you pass their tests. I don’t know where it is, but I know what the area near it looks like. My plan is to look for information around Kalas for the general topography of the area and hopefully buy a map. Then we would need enough money for travel and supplies.”
“Sounds good. Let’s finish up here and go get a room for the night. We need to figure out our gameplan to earn some money.”
“That’s it?”
“I mean, is that it? You’re the one telling me the plan, bro.” Alexander scratched his head wondering where his friend got confused.
“No, or I mean yes. Agh!” Thomas grew flustered at how little Alexander seemed to care about the vague story he was given. He took a swig from his beer mug and slammed it down on the table before regaining his wits. “What I’m asking is if you have any questions about my story. I gave you zero details. Everything was unclear. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Thomas, I consider myself a good judge of character. Were there things left out in your story? Sure! But I’m sure you left them out for a reason, and I’ll know eventually. We’re already partners. Everyone knows fist-bumps are life’s most binding contract. So right now, my only concern is what the best way to earn money is.” Alexander stood up and walked towards the bar to pay the tab. He began to whistle an upbeat tune while he walked. Look at me, old man. I’m meeting new people, making new friends and having adventures. I hope you’re proud.
Back in the Agni headquarters, on the first floor of the King’s tower, a large gathering of people was currently arguing. The room had recently been cleared out to be used for war planning. A large wooden round table lay in the center of the room housing the attendees. Had a normal guard happened to wander nearby, their mind would tremble before losing consciousness entirely. Such was the power within the aura of every member of this meeting.
The table was divided into three sections with seats clustered around 3 different flags. Around a flag depicting three mountain peaks with two eyes on the lateral mountains sat the King of the Geb clan and thereby Robusto, his wife the queen, and his 4 generals. Gathered near a flag illustrating a black snake coiled in on itself and covered in multicolored lightning was the Empress of the Jupiter clan and Propizio, her retired father the grand emperor, and her six Lords. Finally, underneath a flag of the 9 colored flame were the hosts of the meeting: the King of Agni and his 3 dukes.
Several angry shouts could be heard across the room. “We should definitely invade Pacifico. The Demeter clan is a wildcard. A planet can only maintain neutrality for so long. We should exterminate the threat while we still can.”
“Preposterous! What we should be doing is sending our armies into Anima. Some of our spies leaked information that the old hag was pumping out prophecies left and right. We must cripple the Clairvoyance Division of the Frigg clan if we hope to win this war.”
“I cannot believe how daft you are. You want us to move to attack the other clans when we have just sacrificed so much to finally hold an advantage over Tlaloc. The most correct move right now would be to continue pressuring that monster in Mesto.”
Finally hearing the plan the King ordered to support, the Duke of the West spoke up. “Ladies and gentlemen, please settle down. We are allies here, friends even. This is a civilized discussion we are having. There’s no need to be at each other’s throats. Now, I believe the Diamond Bastion from the Geb clan has made a very fair point. Would you care to elaborate, General?”
“Not at all, my friend.” The Diamond Bastion was a 7-foot-tall monster of a man. He had long black hair tied in a bun, a padlock beard, and a warm skin tone. Similar to the other leadership of the Geb clan, he was wearing a white tunic, but it did nothing to hide the rippling muscles found underneath. The audience quieted as the hulking mass of muscles turned to address them. “This war has gone on for 17 years, but in that time what have we accomplished? We took some territory from the Frigg and Kukulkan clans, but the real threat that has held us back all these years has always been Tlaloc’s king. The recent betrayal of the Saint of the Deep and our subsequent capture of Tlaloc’s crown prince gives us a unique advantage to finally obtain some territory at Mesto.”
The audience continued discussing, but thanks to the support of both the Geb and Agni clan’s Kings, it was decided the main forces were to be focused on Mesto. Following a drawn-out strategy meeting, the embassy also decided to lead forces into Derapen and Pacifico, but these missions would be delegated to the younger generation. Although they had already captured one son of the king of Tlaloc, the second was rumored to have escaped into Derapen and could also be used as a tool to weaken the king. As for the venture into Pacifico, too many in the crowd were greedy for its resources. Thus, an exploration team was to infiltrate the planet and assess its current situation.
Off to the side leaning against a wall with their arms crossed were two men. The first, a shorter pale-skinned man with thin, circular glasses and a well-trimmed beard spoke. “I suppose we’ll take care of the mission to Pacifico. That’s not too bad. I’ve always wanted to study the Demeter clan’s techniques. What do you think, Magnus?”
The taller bronze-skinned man with deep, blue eyes, straight, light-brown hair reaching his shoulders and a clean-shaven face responded. “Yeah, that’s not bad at all. Let’s kill as many of those cowards as possible while we’re at it. Agni and Geb will certainly reward us for bringing back a few heads.”
Pietro cracked his knuckles as he stretched. “I guess there was never really a chance of the mission just being exploratory with you on board. Well, I can study them in battle just as well.”
