by A F Kay
“What do you mean drop?”
Bliz opened his Void Band again and pointed to what Ruwen thought of as the bottom of the hole.
“There is no top or bottom. You put your things in the top, but you could have just as easily stuffed them up through the bottom here. What I’m saying is the band doesn’t care which side you put things in or take things out. When you want to remove something, it will come out the side your free hand is on. That means you can do things like this…”
Bliz held his free hand under the open Void Band, and a small sack dropped out. Bliz caught the bag and then tossed it up into the underside of the band’s black opening. The bag disappeared.
“I can see how that might be useful. But you said it was dangerous,” Ruwen said.
“If you want to remove an item, your band will create an opening big enough for that item and bring it to the surface. If your free hand is under your Void Band, then gravity takes over, and it will fall out. There are two dangers in what I just described. First, you can crush yourself if you don’t pay attention. Second, if your Energy is low, and you try and remove something too big, you could deplete all your Energy and kill yourself. Think about that. Depending on what is in your bag, you are a thought away from killing yourself.”
Ruwen’s mouth dropped open, and he held up his left arm. “That would have been good to know before I was soulbound to it!”
“That is why you need to have some brains to have one. Otherwise, people would kill themselves constantly. Yes, it is dangerous, but it is also powerful. The story I told you earlier with the rancher and the bales provides another example. Once I got those bales into my band, removing them was simple. I just walked to the new location, put my hand under the band, and thought about retrieving them. They fell right out into their new location.”
“I’m a little scared now about a stray thought causing a thousand-pound rock or something to fall out of my Void Band and kill me. Maybe I’ll only carry feathers.”
Bliz laughed. “Don’t worry about it. You have to put real mental effort into retrieving an item. A stray thought or an intense dream are not going to be enough. There are some other things you can do, but I’ll wait to show you those. Better you get the basics down. Why don’t you try it?”
Ruwen didn’t feel much better, but it was too late now. He held his left arm just out from his chest and then placed his right hand under the band. He thought about what he had in his Inventory that was small. Probably the littlest thing was the copper he’d earned from Bliz’s quest.
He concentrated on the copper in his bag. A coin dropped into his hand, immediately followed by the other forty-nine. Coins bounced off his hand and struck the ground. Bliz laughed, and Ruwen dropped to his knees and scrambled to gather his coins. He glanced around, but no one seemed to have noticed.
“Oh, by the way, if you have more than one in your bag you need to think about the quantity you want,” Bliz said.
Ruwen looked up at the grinning crew chief. “Again, you are a little late with important details.”
“Better a few coins then say a thousand horseshoes. That took longer than a few seconds to pick up. Hypothetically.”
Ruwen stared up at Bliz. “Seriously?”
Bliz laughed again and then knelt down to help pick up the coins. “I’m not aware of any limit on stacks, and it’s hard to remember how much of something you have unless you look first. It is better to just always think in quantities of one regardless of how many you think you have.”
“That is good advice.”
“Also, instead of showing off for a pretty girl and having stuff drop into your hand, you could just reach in and grab things like everyone else. Although picking up that many horseshoes takes a lot of time. Time you could spend getting to know that pretty girl. Maybe even eventually marry her. Hypothetically.”
“Really?” Ruwen asked.
Bliz winked and handed Ruwen his coins, which Ruwen dropped into his band. They both stood.
“You’ll need your spells next. Big D is on the other side of this pillar,” Bliz said.
“Thanks for all the stuff,” Ruwen said.
“My pleasure, young man. Out of the tens of thousands of workers in Deepwell, fewer than 20 have a band. We meet at the Dizzy Judge every night for a drink after work. You’re one of us now and are welcome there.”
Bliz held out his arm, and Ruwen gripped it.
“We are the hands of Uru,” Bliz said. “When she wants something done, she relies on us.”
Ruwen nodded to acknowledge Bliz’s earnestness. As unusual as the Void Band seemed to be, he still felt like the least smelly turd in a pile of poop.
Chapter 5
Ruwen moved around the pillar to find Pit Boss Durn. Bliz had called the pit boss Big D, and he wondered how large a person had to be for Bliz to think they were big. As Ruwen walked, he opened his map and searched for the Dizzy Judge. Surprisingly, the bar was only a block away from the library, and he marked it. The taste of alcohol turned his stomach, but going to the bar would still be useful. He might learn some tricks listening to their conversations. He wavered on his feet, and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything today. Now that he had some coins, he would fix that. But first, he needed to talk to Durn.
On the opposite side of the pillar, Ruwen found a woman sitting in a chair, her feet barely touching the ground. Her black hair had been pulled into a bun, but a few strands had escaped and been trapped behind the woman’s ear. She pulsed with gold light. Big D was not big.
As if feeling his stare, Pit Boss Durn looked up and directly at him. Her gaze flicked down to his wrist, and her eyes widened. She turned to the man beside her and whispered. The man turned and sprinted away. Big D faced Ruwen again and waved at him to approach.
Ruwen glanced at the twenty people waiting their turn, but none of them seemed to care he was cutting the line. In fact, they all looked scared.
Ruwen inspected her.
Name: Pit Boss Durn
Class: Worker
Sub Class: Laborer
Specialization: Planning
Class Rank: Adept
Level: 73
Health: 1,090
Mana: 200
Energy: 1,547
He swallowed hard and shuffled forward. About four feet away, he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest. “Uru’s blessings, Pit Boss Durn. My name is Ruwen Starfield.”
“Uru’s freckled butt, your timing is perfect,” Durn said.
Ruwen dropped his arms as a notification appeared.
Ting!
You have completed the Quest – If at First You Don’t Succeed.
You have received 300 experience.
You have received 10 silver.
Ruwen dismissed the notification and glanced up at Durn.
“That’s weird. You should have leveled,” Durn said.
He opened his Profile and glanced at his experience, but it showed 500/1000.
“From that noose around your wrist you’ve obviously done Bliz’s quest, and I just saw you complete mine. Did you not do the quest at the temple?”
She must have seen his look of confusion. “The quest the priests give you after they pull you from the tub. They tell you how important they are and that regular contributions to the temple are critical. That those resources are the only thing that guarantees your revival. The blackmail one.”
He must have missed that quest when he was sneaking out.
“I haven’t gotten around to that one yet,” he said.
A notification appeared, and he closed it quickly.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Deception
Level: 2
Effect: Increases your Persuasion by 2%.
Durn narrowed her eyes. “Well, that puts a rock in your boot. You’ll start a level behind all the others tomorrow. That isn’t a good beginning, Ruwen Starfield. Do you like doing things the hard way?”
“I’m just t
rying to get through this. I really have no idea what I’m doing.”
“That is the first honest thing you’ve said to me.”
Durn laughed and jumped off her chair. She only came up to his chest, but he realized why they called her Big D. There was a force to her personality, like a wave that pushed on you. He found himself smiling back at her.
“Bliz will be unbearable now. You’re the first band in over a decade, and he’ll be strutting around here like a peacock for the next month. That bunch is already irritating, and the last thing we need is more of them.”
“As I said, this morning has been kind of a mess.”
She extended her arm, and he clasped it.
“Kidding aside, this is a good day for the Lodge. Well met, Ruwen Starfield.”
“Well met…” he hesitated, not sure what to call her.
“Just call me Big D, everyone else does.”
“Well met, Big D.”
She let go of his arm. “In general, I think you Black Bands are a lazy lot. Running around the world instead of doing honest work. But I have to admit you’re nice to have around when there are heavy things to carry.”
“You mentioned something about starting a level behind.”
“Right, you need to be back here tomorrow morning by seven bells. I’ll take you and the rest of the tadpoles to the warehouse to gear up for your Class orientation. We’ll meet up with the other Classes at the West Gate and then head out.”
“The other Classes?”
“The city council thinks they can solve the Class strife issues by making all the new additions learn about each other for a week in the wilderness. Forced fun as we say.”
Panic welled up in Ruwen. Many of his old classmates would have gone through Ascendancy lately. He knew Slib had. The last thing he wanted was a week stuck with them where there was nowhere to hide. The teasing and bullying would be unbearable.
“Do I have to go?” Ruwen asked.
“Workers are required to go. Usually, only a fraction of the other Classes have to go.”
Ruwen relaxed. If only a few had to go, there was no way Slib would be one of them. His parents would make sure he was protected from such obligations. But, it didn’t make sense that all Workers were forced to go.
“All the Workers? That isn’t fair. If the Council’s purpose is to reduce fighting between Classes, shouldn’t everyone have to go?”
“Workers are required because someone has to carry all the heavy items. But, even at 75% weight reduction, there are never enough Workers to carry all the other Classes’ gear. Hiring a Worker bound to a Void Band with its extra storage and 100% weight reduction would cost more than the Council wants to pay. That’s why not everyone has to go.” Durn smiled. “Usually.”
A sick feeling hit Ruwen. He looked down at the black band around his wrist.
Durn looked up at him, her blue eyes twinkling. “Yep, not only do you have to go, but you’re the most important person on the trip. For the first time since this crazy idea was conceived, every single Ascendant from the last two months, from every Class, will have to go. It will be an epic disaster. The Council will be forced to address the Class strife with real solutions, not camping trips. All thanks to you and a choice you made a few minutes ago.”
If Ruwen’s stomach hadn’t been empty, he would have vomited.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Durn said.
Ruwen didn’t share Durn’s enthusiasm. Tomorrow, everyone impacted by this would know why, know his name, and then have an entire week in the wilderness to demonstrate how unhappy they were. Now, bullying was the least of his worries. People might actually harm him. After all, if the guy with all the supplies died, they would be forced to go back home.
“I can see you’re not thrilled,” Durn said. “You’re probably smart enough to have worked out some of the dangers.”
“There seem to be a few.”
“I’ll have a plan ready by tomorrow. I know kicking this hornet’s nest puts you in danger. Your safety will be my highest priority. Do you believe me?”
Oddly, despite his anxiety, he did. He wished his Perception was high enough to see her Charisma.
“I’m doing this for the good of the Lodge. Workers are too often treated like servants or slaves. All we want is to be treated like everyone else. It isn’t personal.”
“I feel like I’m being used. That I’m just a tool.”
“You are, son. You’re a hammer. Now stop thinking about it. You’re going to be fine. Let’s get your Spell and Ability chosen, and you can be on your way.”
Ruwen followed Big D to the central pillar. She placed her right hand on the stone, and a narrow rectangle about two feet wide popped out. She pulled on the edge, and a drawer slid out. Flat square stones were placed in neat rows in the drawer. Designs had been etched into the face of each rock. His heart thumped.
These were runestones. He had seriously considered specializing in Rune magic. Had spent countless nights, in fact, agonizing over which specialization in the Mage tree he would take. He pushed those memories aside. Even if it wasn’t what he’d imagined, he was about to actually get magic. He would finally be able to use his Mana.
“I don’t know how much school you remember. I’m going to give you the same talk I give all the tadpoles.”
Ruwen nodded, staring at all the stones in the drawer.
“Level one magic is simple so it can be trapped by Rune Mages in these stones. Normally you would be level two, and I would give you an extra two spells and another ability. Since you aren’t, we can only give you one of each today.”
His heart sank. The choices he’d made today kept coming back to hurt him. He had waited sixteen years for magic, and now he’d only get one spell.
“I understand,” he said.
“Normally I don’t care what you tadpoles choose. Eventually, it doesn’t matter anyway. But for you, I’m making a suggestion. About half our spells are powered by channeling Energy, the other half consume Mana. Your band is going to make your Energy a precious resource. I think you should avoid the Energy spells for now.”
“That makes sense.”
“There are some useful spells, but there is one that I believe is doubly appropriate for you. I have never given it to a tadpole on their first day because no one ever had the Mana pool for it. But you do. Secondly, its effect plays into your greatest need in the coming days: Energy Regeneration.”
That all made sense but Ruwen wanted to look for himself. He loved studying spells; how much they cost, what they did, and when he would take them. On odd levels, you received one spell, while even levels gave you two.
“I believe you, Big D. Is there a list I could look at? I would like to at least know what is available for later.”
“Of course.”
She opened another drawer in the wall that was filled with papers. She withdrew an oversized sheet that had designs on it that matched the ones on the stones. A brief description appeared next to each spell. He ignored the Energy spells and didn’t bother reading the casting times or Mana costs. He just skimmed their effects.
Spell: Mend Tool
Effect: Temporarily bind broken objects together.
Spell: Sick Day
Effect: Increase all resistances by 10%.
Spell: Numb
Effect: Decrease sensations by 10%.
Spell: Second Wind
Effect: Reduce food, water, and sleep requirements by 10%.
Spell: Grasp Crate
Effect: Increase the roughness of your hands by 10%.
Spell: Campfire
Effect: Create small magical campfire. Adds 5% to Energy, Mana, and Health Regeneration to all within 3 yards.
What a disappointing list. Big D probably wanted Ruwen to learn Campfire. It would definitely help him the most, and so he looked at its cost.
Cost: 150 Mana
Type: Area of Effect
Casting Time: 5 seconds
Recovery: 30 mi
nutes
Duration: 1 hour
No wonder not many people took Campfire. You needed an Intelligence of fifteen to even have the Mana to cast it, and you could only do it once every thirty minutes.
He flipped the sheet over and scanned the available level one abilities. These didn’t cost Mana or Energy and were active all the time or could be turned on and off with a thought. Most of them looked useless. But one jumped out at him immediately.
Ability: Hey You
Type: Self
Effect: Understand basic commands and terms in any language.
“Does Hey You work for written words as well?” Ruwen asked.
Big D tilted her head. “Yes, but that ability is more useful if you travel or come in contact with foreigners. Don’t you think Owl Eyes or Sing would benefit you more right now? The Haste percent increase on Sing is small, but it adds up.”
Other abilities probably made more sense from a practical standpoint. But Ruwen had seen a glimmer of hope in this otherwise terrible day. High-level Mages had a spell to translate foreign texts, and he had intended to do that once he was a Mage. There was an entire section in the library with books in languages he couldn’t read. This ability, if he kept leveling it up, might actually allow him to understand those books.
“That’s true, but I think I’d like to start with Hey You,” he said.
Big D shrugged. “I’ve already stuck my nose into your business more than is proper. If that is the first ability you want, then it is yours.”
She returned the sheet to the drawer. Then she reached into the drawer with the runestones and withdrew two. She held up a stone with a red triangle etched on it.
“This is Campfire. In a few levels, the spells get more complicated, and you’ll need to use books to study, but for now, press the runestone to your forehead. It should unlock the path to this spell in your mind. You know it has worked when the color fades from the stone. Simply picture this symbol in your mind and push it to the spot in the world you wish it to exist. It helps some people to trace the symbol in the air. If this were a normal spell, I’d have you try it right now. But the last thing we need in here is a fire. You should probably be near water until you master it. Sometimes the flames don’t appear where you’d expect.”
