For a moment, Kyle was concerned that Tillienne was going to attack him anyway. It was clear, at least to him, that she wanted to push herself further, to prove that she was stronger. Frustration was plain on her face, and he noticed her hands clench a little tighter on the axe before the air around her stopped shimmering, the weapons turning back to liquid metal as they entered the bracelets. Tension seemed to melt out of her as her shoulders slumped.
“That’s not a win, Kyle.”
“I know.”
“Do you really look down on me that much? You couldn’t even trust me enough to know my limits? What, did you think I was on some death-or-glory mission here?”
Kyle sighed, meeting her eyes. “Maybe you would have, maybe you wouldn’t. What I do know is that to keep pace with you, I wouldn’t have had the luxury to hold back. And that’s not something I was willing to risk.”
She snorted. “And you think I couldn’t handle it.”
Kyle felt a familiar heat bubbling in his chest, and he didn’t hold it back as he stepped towards her, meeting her eyes. “I know you couldn’t handle it. You called me a monster; and believe me when I say you don’t know the half of it. I get to choose how far I’m willing to go. I don’t owe you a fight. This is supposed to be training for Phase Three. Giving each other serious injuries for our own pride isn’t part of the equation.”
She looked away, folding her arms. There was a tension in the air, broken when Jax arrived. “That was a hell of a fight!” He grinned, brushing his long, dark hair out of his eyes. “Looks like you got him at the end, Tillienne. Not much of a surprise there.”
She looked at Jax, and when she spoke the weariness was clear in her voice. “I could use a rest. Is there somewhere I can go lie down?”
“Sure,” Jax said, his expression shifting from joviality to concern. “I’ll have a room ready for you, do you want me to get transportation arranged back to the compound?”
“I’ll walk. Thank you.” Tillienne turned and started the journey back towards the nearest entrance to the estate. It would probably take her an hour or more to get back, and Kyle hoped the time to clear her head would be helpful. He could appreciate that their sparring match didn’t end the way she’d hoped, but was optimistic that she’d come around to his way of thinking with some time to cool down.
Jax and Kyle stood in silence as she left, with the young man finally turning to Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. “So, which option are you going to choose for Phase Three?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m a little split between the Artifact Retrieval and Labyrinth Escape.”
[I ALSO BELIEVE THAT DR. MAYHEW COULD PERFORM ADMIRABLY IN THE ARENA COMBAT.]
Jax nodded. “With a performance like that one, I think you’d probably do well in any of them. Still, if you haven’t decided, what kind of training do you think would benefit you? We could probably simulate something for each, but I’m not sure where you’d like to start.”
“If you’re up for it, I think I’d like to practice avoiding attacks under sustained fire.” Kyle said.
“Really? I can see if we can get some of the staff and maybe a family member or two together, but is that all you want? We could try to tailor more.”
“It is. Besides, that’ll give you an opportunity to keep practicing against difficult targets, too.”
Jax nodded, clearly warming up to the idea. “We can see if Tillienne will want to join as well, those arrows were no joke. It’ll be a little while for me to get something set up, I’ll send you a note when we’re ready. Do you want a lift back to the compound?”
Kyle shook his head. “No, I’ll be okay. I appreciate it, Jax.”
“Sounds good, see you soon!” The dark-haired youth headed towards the compound, following the retreating form of Tillienne. Once he was a little farther away, Kyle let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. Coming here might have been a mistake.
[WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT, DR. MAYHEW?]
“They’re just so… different. Jax’s family owns an entire moon. It doesn’t feel like Tillienne has ever been in a position where she’s lost.” Kyle paused as he looked at the dark void in the sky, stars twinkling in the perpetual night, despite the glowing spheres of light illuminating the training ground. “It doesn’t feel like I belong here.”
[AS A POINT OF FACT, YOU DON’T BELONG HERE, DR. MAYHEW.]
The drone’s abrupt response startled him. “What do you mean by that, C.H.A.D.D.?”
[YOUR EXPERIENCE ON EARTH WAS TRAUMATIC, DR. MAYHEW, AND NOT A TRAUMA THAT MANY WILL SHARE. IT UNDOUBTEDLY SHAPED ASPECTS OF YOUR WORLDVIEW, AND JUDGING YOUR BELONGING BASED ON SHARED EXPERIENCE WILL LEAVE YOU WITH VERY FEW WHO CAN UNDERSTAND. PRESENT COPMANY EXCLUDED, OF COURSE.]
“I’m not saying that I need people to have gone through the same thing. Even before the cataclysm, I don’t know that I would have had a lot in common with these two. It’s a whole different world – literally.”
[I AGREE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD NOTHING IN COMMON BEFOREHAND. AS THINGS STAND NOW, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE YOU ARE OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS POINTS OF SIMILARITY. ALL OF YOU ARE PURSUING STRENGTH. ALL OF YOU ARE LOOKING TO WORK INDEPENTENTLY, WITHOUT TIES TO EXISTING FACTIONS.]
“I get that, C.H.A.D.D. It still feels like they both see this as more of a game.”
[SHOULDN’T THEY? THE STAKES ARE RELATIVELY LOW FOR THEM, AND APART FROM THE ODD CIRCUMSTANCES IN PHASE TWO, THEY WERE LOW FOR YOU, TOO. I’LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, DR. MAYHEW: DON’T ALLOW THE FOREIGN NATURE OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES TO PREVENT YOU FROM FORMING RELATIONSHIPS. YOUR GOALS WILL BE BETTER SERVED WITH A NETWORK TO SUPPORT YOU.]
Kyle was silent for a moment, thinking about the drone’s words. They were surprisingly insightful, though Kyle expected the psychology files C.H.A.D.D. had were the largest contributor. He didn’t feel better, not yet, but it was worth reflecting on. For now, he changed the topic. “So you think Arena Combat could be a good fit?”
[I DO. IF WE TAKE THE MESSAGE ABOUT LABYRINTH ESCAPE SERIOUSLY, THERE’S A POSSIBILITY THAT ARTIFACT RETRIEVAL COULD BE SIMILARLY COMPROMISED DUE TO ITS SIMILAR NATURE. ARENA COMBAT, BY CONTRAST, IS THE WIDEST DEPARTURE IN TERMS OF STRUCTURE. FURTHERMORE, IT LIKELY HAS MORE CONTROLS IN PLACE TO PREVENT TAMPERING.]
“It’s an interesting take. I’m concerned that it wouldn’t showcase what we need to get into the Courier’s Guild.”
[THAT’S A RISK.]
It’s all a risk. Kyle knew that whatever he chose, there were a great deal of unknowns. A part of him still bristled at the message, wanting to choose Labyrinth Escape for the simple fact of spitting in the eye of whoever tried to set a trap for him. There were still aces he hadn’t shown, and unless the trap was at or above the level of Ger’Sinh, he was confident in overcoming it. At the same time, the rational part of his brain knew it wasn’t wise. There were other options available to him. Good options.
Kyle understood that he was among the highest tier of candidates in his Practicum. Of the people he’d seen, only Arhades, Jax, and Tillienne truly stood above the rest. Reflecting on that fact calmed him. Assuming he didn’t fail Phase Three miserably, there would be an opportunity of some sort waiting for him. He exhaled as his heart settled on the next step. Artifact Retrieval.
Part of him was tempted to tell Jax, but he stopped before activating his nav bracelet. C.H.A.D.D. was right in that sabotage to Labyrinth Escape could be easily translated over, and sharing that information now could be dangerous. Even if he trusted the young man, it was wiser to keep his decision closer to the chest. I probably shouldn’t have shared as much as I did.
Kyle’s self-admonishment was cut short as a message came through.
Kyle,
I’ve got a group together, including a member of the family’s security forces also in D Grade. Tillienne agreed to come, though she said she won’t be able to use the bow for a while. I still think it’ll be worth having her. A transport is on the way to pick you up, training will start in a little over an hour.
-Jax
Despite himself, a grin crossed his face. “C.H.A.D.D., how are you feeling about manipulating the stonebloom armor’s properties?”
[QUITE COMFORTABLE, DR. MAYHEW. WITH THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, I BELIEVE THERE ARE VARIOUS APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE EXPLORED AS WELL.]
Kyle nodded. “For now, let’s stick to the basics. It’ll be good to get some practice in with what we know.”
[A PRUDENT DECISION, DR. MAYHEW.]
“While we wait, can you pull up your scans of the egg?”
The drone obliged, and Kyle gazed at the endlessly complex series of sigils and runes covering its surface. Despite his and C.H.A.D.D.’s best efforts, they still had no idea what the purpose of the inscriptions were, other than collecting ambient energy. He hoped to learn more after the Practicum was over, as there could be some interesting applications if he could apply the principles to organic material, his armor being the first candidate. If it could grow stronger naturally, why not explore it?
The duo discussed their plans for several more minutes, before Kyle heard a whirring sound. Looking up, he saw the transport that Jax mentioned, surprised at how different it looked from those utilized by Corthian Mining. Instead of rune-powered thrusters, this vehicle used two large turbines on either side of a small, spherical cockpit. In many ways, the design reminded Kyle of old-world helicopters.
Red dust was kicked up as the turbines rotated vertically, slowing its descent until it finally touched down with a thud. The cockpit door opened, and Kyle walked in, seeing a comfortable seating area in the back. As soon as he sat down, the doors closed and sealed.
The pilot nodded in greeting. “Thank you for your patience. We’ll be at the training center shortly, sir. I apologize for any turbulence. The artificial atmosphere can make it rough from time to time as the pressure is maintained.”
“Not a problem at all. How long have you been working for the Cain family?”
“Most of my life, sir. Started in the mines as a young man, and earned my way to the estates a few years ago.”
“How did you get involved with them?”
“My family hired on a couple of generations back, and they’ve treated us well. Pay is fair, and they’ve been good to us through the years. Young Master Jax looks to be continuing that trend.”
As they flew, Kyle asked the pilot more about the Cain family. In many ways, their story was similar to Corthian Mining’s. They were human led, fell under the banner of the Gray Conglomerate, and built their brand through acquiring treasures and natural resources. The key difference was that, as they grew, Cain Jewelers focused their business exclusively on extracting and refining mana crystals, while Corthian Mining was far more general.
Kyle was most surprised to learn how many people effectively served the Cain family as intergenerational careers. There was a lot Kyle still wanted to learn, but before he could ask more, they approached their destination. Kyle looked out from above, seeing a long strip of land surrounded by raised platforms. As they descended, he recognized Tillienne and Jax, who stood next to a Phytan. There were well over a dozen others present, all wearing the standard uniforms of the Cain family.
He thanked the pilot as he debarked, activating Identify as he looked at the group. The awakened staff were nothing special, mostly Mages with a couple Rangers sprinkled in. Nobody was stronger than middle E Grade, though the impression he got from the Phytan more than made up for it. The creature appeared as a floating, swirling mass of algae, the cloud nearly three meters around.
It was heavily specialized into Vitality, Willpower, and Intelligence. While Kyle didn’t know its level, he fully expected it to be well into the middle of D Grade or even beyond. It was engaged in a conversation with Tillienne and Jax, the latter of whom stopped to walk over to Kyle. “Welcome! This is Trex, they’re long-standing members of our security team.”
Trex floated closer, their voice a strong whisper as the algae vibrated. “It’s a pleasure to meet you… Kyle Mayhew… Thank you for the honor… Of being able to assist with your… Training.” The pitch of Trex’s voice was odd, volume fluctuating with each word.
“Thank you for offering to help,” Kyle said, offering a respectful bow.
Jax smiled. “Well, with introductions done, should we get started?”
